2009: Year in Review (3)

[Dear Reader, Please scroll/jump to the 1st and 2nd installment.  I'm writing chronologically; you are reading in reverse]

Fall, at last!  Usually, this is a good time for me, as I'm perpetually on a back-to-school cycle, and I hate DC heat.  Swimming fell by the wayside, which was a bummer, and had its effect on me.  I suffered with a chronic cough, swine flu, swimmer's ear, and constant jet leg and fatigue from travel (California, Toronto, San Antonio, California (x2), and India).  Still, there was a general upward trend, as my sickness and ills waned, I swam a bit, spent more time at home, and started spending time with Hiking Viking (who I think with this post, will be henceforth referred to by his first name, Jan).

Let's start with him...

2009: The Year in Review (2)

[Dear reader, I’m writing my year in review chronologically, but if you are just arriving, you’re reading it in reverse chronological order. If you want to get the full picture, I recommend you scroll/jump down to the 1st entry.]

Summertime. I began to feel some stabilization. Life was now going to continue as it was, with Laz in the military; Grace in a good public school; reliable childcare; and work in autopilot. Many times, I felt my nerves frayed and my fuse short, but I was swimming twice a week, and that was doing wonders.

I began this swimming routine in 2009, specifically to clear my f-ing head, and it did do that. When I was at my wit’s end, a swim could clear the noise and set me straight. Ideally, I’d get this daily or 3-4x/week, but 2x/week was realistic, and I’m all about what’s “good enough,” not "ideal" these days.

2009: The Year in Review (1)

2009 was a year.  I can not be more understated.  As the year closes, I guess my conclusion would be that it was a flat - back to baseline; at best, achieving a small uptick.  But considering 2009 started deep in the negative, and continued that trend for a few months at least, that’s damn good news.

As the year began on the heels of a trying 2008, I put stock in the global sea change that I hoped would project on my own personal sphere of influence.  I was excited, thrilled even, at the reality of Barack Obama becoming President (and still am!).  It felt like a new beginning, and hopefully a turnaround that would translate into my personal life as well.  (Funny, how I (like many others) expected  for that to work out.)