OT: The year is half over, what has been your personal high point this year?

Rewatching highlights from the 45-23 victory over Ohio State.

Attending Manchester United v Leicester City premier league game back in February. I've been a fan of United since 2009 and its the first time I got to watch them play.

Watching my son graduate from UM.  He’s a brilliant kid, but suffered depression for a number of years.  He’s finally managing well, and was able to graduate cum laude with his BSE Aero.  It’s the toughest thing as a parent to see your child struggling but conversely a great joy when he overcomes his struggles.

The Dolomites. They are breathtaking - really glad I got to see them this summer.

When our money lady told us we’re on track to retire even earlier than planned.  She said that we can pull the pin before 50.  We celebrated with tacos.  If you have a Condado taco nearby, I highly recommend.

For me, it's been moving to a home that allowed us to eliminate a mortgage. Heading into the last phase of our careers, and having that obligation paid off is so freeing. 

Jan 8th 2023, daughters last chemo treatment!  Although I'm only the Emergency option for doing pony tails and often my daughters will choose to not have their hair fixed if it's just me. Another highlight was doing a pony tail after 2 + years of her not having enough hair.. 

This is a great OT post that really got me thinking. At first I was wondering if I had wasted 6 months of the year without accomplishing anything, but I thought of something.

Last fall I went back to school. Quick back story, first. I graduated high school in 2001. Barely. I had an abysmal GPA and didn't get my diploma until August when I finally completed a course I failed my sophomore year via correspondence. Went off to college on academic probation, got suspended out. Went to community college back home and re-applied to the original school for the following fall. Went back on probation again, failed out again. Went back to community college back home where I was miserable. Thought it was because I didn't want to get a degree, hindsight says I was going for the wrong degree. Got married a couple years later, joined the Air Force 18 months after that. Fast forward 14 years and had a realization that I don't want to be in government work my entire life. Enrolled at Purdue Global to get a nutrition degree. I'm terrified of school. I was a terrible student. Online school caveats apply, but I am banging out a 4.0 and finding immense satisfaction at doing well. At the age of 40, I am making a post-military future possible after I thought it would never be reality through college.

The first half of this year was bittersweet to say the least.....   

My highlight was, without question, following along on the journey my youngest and his hockey program took through their playoffs and on to their National Championship.  He isn't a player, he's in the operations side of the program but he got to hoist a 60# + cup over his head on the ice and that was pretty damn cool.

Got into wharton for their MBA program for Executives.

Program started in May, it's 24 months, and it's hard as hell. But I'm extremely happy I am doing it.

Finally going on a honeymoon after (a couple) years of marriage. 

My son got his license and his first car.

Woohoo.  Yay for me being competent enough (barely) to get him to the real first test of his own competence.

I coached both of my son's little league and had a lot of fun doing it. Sometimes thankless, sometimes herding cats, but a great experience.

I'd like to scream into the void today a bit with my low-my wife has been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer. There are days where it doesn't seem so bad, but today ain't one of them.

I played Mahler's 2nd Symphony at Hill Auditorium with the Ann Arbor Symphony, and I got to sit in a trombone section next to two of my former teachers. It was definitely a special performance. 

Great topic and awesome to see those accomplishments! Especially you early retirees, I'm shooting for that by about 50 so cool to see a few others have already done so or on track for it.

I finished first in my age-group for a 'big-ish' marathon.

Our second child being born on January 14th. We thought we had another week, but nope, when that kid decided he was ready to come, there was no stopping him. 

I remember it all so vividly. We had taken our first son out to dinner the night before, completely normal evening, no signs that labor was even imminent. We even talked about taking our son to the aquarium and going out for hibachi the next night. And then around 1:30 in the morning, my wife wakes up with some contractions. I could tell they were bad, but they go away after about 15-20 minutes and she goes back to sleep. Around 5:30, the contractions come back and I can tell they're even worse. She calls her doctor around seven and the doctor says she can come in if she'd like, but it wasn't a "YOU NEED TO COME IN." I took that as a sign that the kid wasn't coming today. 

Initially she gives some thought to just riding the contractions out, but they slowly start getting worse and around 8, she says enough is enough and we're going to the hospital. 

Luckily we already had our overnight bags packed and the bag packed for our son. Immediately dropped him off with some friends who live 10 minutes away, and started making our way down to the hospital. We're in Atlanta, so the drive from our place down to Northside maybe takes 30 minutes. All the while her contractions are becoming more frequent and are getting worse. I call my folks and tell them we're heading into the hospital and they ask if my wife is in labor. I stumble a bit with my words because I (for whatever idiotic reason) wasn't 100% sure, until she screams "YES I'M IN LABOR!!" At that point I just shut my mouth and focus on driving. 

All I remember thinking from that point is thank god its a Saturday and we're not fighting Atlanta rush hour to get to the hospital. Sure enough, we get off the exit and there's construction on the street that takes us to the hospital, so that requires a 10 minute detour around Perimeter Mall (for those of you not in Atlanta, the Perimeter Mall area is a major traffic / congestion area in North Atlanta). All the while my wife is near screaming in pain. We finally get to the hospital around 9:50. I check my wife in, park the car at 9:58. Our son was born at 10:54. 

By the time we showed up, my wife was already seven centimeters dilated. We didn't even have time to get the epidural situated. I remember telling my wife a few hours after the delivery that if this had happened during the week, she may very well have had to give birth in the parking lot of a 7/11, because I'm not sure we would've made it to the hospital on time. 

To this day we still can't believe how fast it all happened, but it was all worth it. He's near six months old at this point, inhales food like he inhales oxygen, but he is an extremely happy kid, and his older brother loves him to death. 

Breathing.

Buying first house, especially when there's very little supply on the market.  Especially because we had to let the sellers stay for a bit extra to appease the timelines and what not- but thus far, it's been entirely worth it.  Especially because we're watching our peers really struggle to find places (Chicago to the Chicago Burbs)

Spent St. Patrick's Day weekend in Dublin... Ireland not Ohio. That was a blast!

Finally having a functioning kitchen 9 months after Ian.

We had 2 feet of water inside and 4 feet outside. 

I had a high stress job I retired from.  I am 65.5 and it was wearing on me physically and mentally. 

I am working on my health, going to buy a modest classic car and find a new purpose for my life I want.  So far, I am enjoying the freedom!     

#1 - birth of grandson on March 1.

#??? - taking a photo of my W and Coach Harbaugh at M v. Harvard water polo match.  When I told the coach my W was one of the early women letter winners he went out of his way to congratulate her.

Built a castle.  When I first came here, this was all swamp. Everyone said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built in all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up. And that's what you're going to get, Lad, the strongest castle in all of Virginia.

Toss up between moving into a house we've been working on for four years (finally! - delay was mostly Covid related) and seeing my son excel at his first job out of college. I had nothing to do with the latter, he has leaped out of the nest with gusto and I couldn't be more proud of him. 

May 1st my son had ear tube surgery. He slept 10.5 hours that night, after being up at least 1-2x per night for his first 20 months. He's sleeping like a champ, which means we feel like humans again. The whole summer has been great fun.