I am sitting here in a Hampton inn in Bolton Ontario. The outlet is US style, nice since I did not bring a converter. It would be odd for Canadian to come here and have to look for an adapter tough.
While the little ones are fast asleep, it is time for a year and decade summary.
Ever since the last yearly report, I have taken on a new unplanned hobby. Cooking. We had several services bringing supplies and recipes and I find that I enjoy following it and trying out new things. I say things because some of these were not "food" for me before. Alla is the beneficiary of these meals, but I also enjoyed adding these mysteries to the food list. Broccoli, is probably the biggest addition, it has become edible, but others as well. Last week it was colored greens (why are they called colored greens, is this a racial thing?), Artichokes in the form of crème, cabbage! , the red kind (not a racial thing), dates (yes, I never likes dates… but in last week recipe, they were a nice sweet addition), snap peas, bok choy, ginger, capers, kale, blood orange (was never a fan of), quinoa (still not a fan of), figs and jam (yes jam! … as you can see, my culinary journey is quite intense. Looking ahead on what is yet on the menu scares the hek out of me … need another decade to process them (mushrooms, zucchini, eggplants…), shudder the thought
I also made first ever pumpkin bread and chocolate balls. The chocolate balls were devoured...
The next hobby last few months has been Pokémon go. Some people are early adopters. I am on the late adopters list, somewhere in the back of that list. As a kid, I once won some large Pokémon stuffed animals in a theme park and since then had no Pokémon interaction whatsoever. I saw someone using it on a plane and was intrigued, at first, it was just casual, catch a Pokémon here and there, and now it is a commitment. This app was made for me, it fits my nature.
As you may have observed I enjoy making lists of things. The app lets me track which Pokémon's were caught. There are 248 of them , I have about 130+ so still ways away (caught a new one here in Canada, yesterday) . The app lets me hatch eggs when I walk. It prompts walking. And so do I. Late last year I finished the Akron section of the buckeye trail and now working on the burton section, which will be my third, I am more than half way done with this section, but the buck eye trail is huge still years away from completion... Notice the list aspect? The app lets me experience new things. They have common creatures and on occasion, they will issue our rare once, and the hunt is on.
See, perfect app for me.
I have an addictive personality, lucky I dislike cigarettes and alcohol. Sometimes my addiction drive Alla insane, but if you take my addiction away I will have to find another, there are worse possibilities.
Kids have definitely been a major part of last year; most of my free time goes to them and lots of my not free time. However, this blog is about me… kids, better stay a sleep upstairs…
Travel, my favorite category saw the addition of 2 new destinations, Corsica and sardegna. While they are not formal countries. They both want to be, they both had been and they are both distinctly unique, so I decided to make them countries in my list. This means that I need to get to much more that 206 formal countries or more… not sure how big the list truly ease, but I am sure going to love finding out. #65 is rapidly approaching…
I did my first duathlon- run 2.5m bike 10m, run 2.5m. The third running part was deadly and filled with cramps. Finished dead last, but finished without stopping (Except to undo cramps). Did a few 5Ks, not very fast this year. A canoe ride, some orienteering and that is it on the adventure part in the last year. I do have something exciting and new in the adventure works upcoming.
For my late 39 birthday just a while ago, I got a few nice gifts. A puzzle with two friends, a photo from Iceland, the puzzle is done, but not yet hanging and a book of movie riddles. Each unique and creative, had fun cracking almost all of them. I also failed the second time to crack an escape room, help a private escape room for Alla's birthday, bought a van, drove a van and accepted that I am the main van driver
This sums my last year and now it is time to move to the decade report, reporting on major life changes.
Single > engaged > legally Married > ceremonially married > A father> a father x2 … short summery of demographic changes. Relocated to Cleveland, moved from the closed MDG medical to Philips.
My career growth graph in the last 10 years can be describe with the following image __________________________(4 months in 2011) _________________________________________
Travel- reached South America and Africa, leaving only 1 missing continent. New Countries in this decade are numerous, should I list them…. Of course… Kenya, Tanzania, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Denmark, Norway, the Galapagos, costa Rica, Ecuador, Belize, Corsica , sardegna, The canary islands , Honduras, Iceland, Jordan, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam , Cambodia . Is that is? Am I missing a few? I knew I should be travelling more
Had 1 surgery, 2 capped teeth , too many sprains, a blood clot, a P.E, 1 code blue event ( I wasn't truly dying, it just felt that way), witnessed 2 caesarians sections, been pooped on peed on vomited on , boogered on slobbered on, spitted upon and enough bodily functions…
Had many 5Ks, 8k, duathlon, few triathlons, one half marathon, regular orienteering, Rogaine orienteering, (I was last year actually ranked somewhere way down on the national orienteering list). Did and arrange scavenger hunts. Ran a half marathon (the trigger to some of the issues in the above paragraph) raise 3000+ dollars for chron's (thanks to all of you who have donated or even reached this spot), played dungeons and dragons, flew a plane (even solo for 30 seconds). Drew chalk art on the side walk, wore freaky Halloween customs (African warrior, zombie, alligator king and some mixes of various things. Prepped scary things for Halloween, completed 2.5 sections of the buckeye trail, went snorkeling, and chased an iguana and silver eagle rays. Swam with dolphins, went fishing, played disk golf, went mountain biking, mountain biking orienteering, rode the valley train, did about 50-60 k on the bike. Almost was arrested for indecent exposure of a minor. Had 2 speeding tickets and a few parking ones\ missing tags. Sat on a pretrial jury (damn bias), shot bows and arrows, threw axes and actually hit the target…well some of the times, Ate a large roasted turkey thigh. Sheltered from a tornado. Watched lightning storms. Kept a well bird feeders for the squirrels, went rafting. Kayaking, canoeing, cruise shipping, learned a little bit surfing, ran warrior dash, ran climb the tower, went to haunted houses and corn mazes, had a monkey climb all over me, went zip lining, wakeboarding became a US citizen, voted for the popular majority candidate. drank kefir , acted as Hadrian in a self-made play, climbed mount Washington, climb gladpeaken (highest point in Norway), reached the highest point in Indiana. got drunk (1st and only time… schnapps), rode a horse, saw a fainting goat, got a selfie with a Llama, a selfie with beauty queen contestant. Swam in one of the five great lakes (yes-new list). Swam in the Baltic sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, the med sea, the Atlantic, the pacific, Lake Victoria, the Gulf of Mexico and the South China Sea.
Watched Cambodian New Year's Eve. Shot and was shot at in paintball. Mowed the lawn, ate two bites of a mystery cookie. Almost became a distinguished toastmaster (in a few months). Shook off my crowd fear, spoke many times in public. Started my first toast master club. Buried my first toast master club. Mentored people, finished my MBA, summa cum laude, watch my first (and last so far) baseball game, and football game, watched a few Cavs games. Watch a euro semifinal (two off them). Took a selfie with a president (now ex), kicked off my coke addiction (sober for 5+ years), found out I am sensitive to garlic (makes me drowsy), ate flavored popcorn, swam a volcano in the buff and went to lots of local festivals and bought a house
I also maintained this blog
Is this a busy decade? I learnt that I must keep busy to maintain my sanity.
What does the next decade has in store? Lots of fantasy plans and possibilities
Many trips… finishing all 50 states, 10 countries would be a shameful list. Possibly a world cup game (2022?), another continent, see a komodo dragon in the wild, passing the half way mark on the buckeye trail. Hot air balloon, helicopter ride, invent something. Write something, find all Pokémon's.. . In short, go places and do things
That is it for very late 39…
Cheers from Bolton Ontario (now a new province for me, but yes for both kids and 3rd country for them both…. Honey festival today
