Goodbye, 2024

You know those Christmas cards that folks send that include a little 1-pager about what they've been up to for the year? I really like those... So, here's my 1-pager for 2024.

Travel

I stuck around North America again this year, visiting...

... but I’m really itching for some international travel. I need to get back to Europe, Japan, or a new continent. I'm craving something to broaden perspective.

Shows

Man, we saw plenty this year and that felt great!

Bluegrass, EDM, Lil Wayne, Atmosphere, Cake, Willie Nelson, REO Speedwagon, Post Malone, Killer Mike, OK Go, Prof, Modern Life is War, Otoboke Beaver, Slipknot, Till Lindemann, GWAR, Hatebreed, and many others.

Health

I was all over the place both physically and mentally... per yuge (yooge? youge? I have no idea how to spell that)

Anyway, I started the year off with my team taking 2nd place in our broomball league. Then, I went on a humbling snowboarding trip that sent me to physical therapy and left me injured for half the year. I don't know if I'm quite ready to hang up snowboarding, but nothing felt right last time... and that sucks.

That said, golf league remains awesome. I didn't make as much progress as I'd hoped to, but getting outside and walking 9 holes with the dudes every week has been such a great escape.

I also finally convinced myself that I'm not getting any younger and joined a roller hockey league... after literally 25 years off, haha. It's felt so good to get back out there and keep some consistent aggressive cardio going.

But a lot of things this year have really made me feel old. My skin is going to shit, I'm noticing a change in my eyesight, and injuries are taking longer to heal. I don't like it. I'm actually back in physical therapy for what may have been a hockey injury in my shoulder? ...or bad posture.

Other than that, I started tracking my mood every day, what modifies it, and that's been pretty interesting to pay attention to. I also stopped using most social media and wrote a little about that here.

Ok, this section is getting dumb, so...

Some other stuff

OK, that was way more than you'd ever want in Christmas card.

Oh dude wait till you fucking hit 60. I had the same “feelings” you are experiencing and jeez does it get sideways at the 60 mark. I will say I love my life more than I ever have so that’s a good thing and I’m actually going to retire in a couple of years. Pros and cons of aging but know I still think you are the bomb diggity.

Ricoposted

rico, i think you're one of those dudes that could retire at any time, but... i'll believe it when i see it. 😄
that said, i think you you'll be really good at retirement.

... and i'm definitely ok with "waiting" until i hit 60, haha. where's the slow down knob on time?
I read that time seems to move faster when life becomes routine - less new memories are added so in retrospect, it seems to your brain that nothing is happening and that compresses time. More activities, more memories added, life seems to take longer.

So, slow down time by doing more things.

ZakJposted

As if I needed another reason to take on more things... I dig it though!