I can’t believe I’m writing another edition of “the days are long but the years are short.” Here we go. This was an extremely tough year for our family as we said goodbye to our sweet Sedona. Nine months later and I miss my girl every single day. We also had several setbacks with our home and family health. Zephyr was in and out of the vet multiple times in the last six months which has been tough as well.
In the month of December alone my dad fell and broke several bones putting himself and my mom out of commission, our babysitter was sick for several crucial days, I had emergency dental work, Wookie’s knees are at the point where he needs surgery, Fleet was sick multiple times, Zephyr had another emergency vet appointment, and we found out that our house needs several thousand dollars’ worth of repairs. It’s been an exhausting year. I’ll be glad to put 2024 in my rearview – along with the seemingly never-ending shit shows that have come with it. That being said, we had some things to celebrate and commemorate.
Milestones
- Fleet started kindergarten at ECCA which has been an exciting whirlwind. He won the Integrity Award in October and we are so proud of our big boy.
- I pow surfed for the first time at 41 years old! Riding binding-less is really scary!
- At 52 years old, Wookie continues his Ambassadorship for Weston Snowboards.
- We took Fleet to his first ticketed show (STOMP at the Vilar) and his first music festival (Blues From The Top in Winter Park).
- Our girl Zephyr turned six!
- Dan the Wrench and I celebrated 11 years of Bite the Bullet on Radio Free Minturn.
Music
- Live: STOMP | Grace Potter | Blues From The Top (Ben Harper, Ally Venable, Charlie Musselwhite, and Taj Farrant) | Blackberry Smoke | Alanis Morisette and Joan Jett | Joss Stone | O.A.R. | Robert Plant and Alison Krauss | Cheap Trick
- Songs I never stopped listening to: Beyonce “Texas Hold ’Em” | Luke Combs “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” | The entire Petty Country album | Stephen Wilson Jr. “Year to Be Young 1994” | Shaboozey “A Bar Song” | multiple Larkin Poe songs | Chris Stapleton and Post Malone “California Sober” | multiple Ghost Hounds songs
Books
The Painter, Celine, The River, Kook, and The Last Ranger by Peter Heller (Yes, I read FIVE books by the same author – but not in a row – and then Wookie and I met him at his Edwards book signing this summer!) | Why They Can’t Write by John Warner | Yellowface by R.F. Kuang | Shit, Actually by Lindy West | Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus | The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson | Lady Tan’s Circle Of Women by Lisa See (I met her as well at this year’s Literacy Project annual luncheon!) | High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape by Marc Masters | Turn Around Bright Eyes by Rob Sheffield | Brothers by Alex Van Halen | Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid | On the Record: Music journalists on their lives, craft, and careers by Mike Hilleary | Believe: The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso by Jeremy Egner
Movies
Twisters – Because the original Twister (1996) is one of my favorite movies of all time, of course I had to see this “stand alone sequel” in the theater. Although it wasn’t quite what I was expecting, I enjoyed it!
Moana 2 – Fleet has been talking about this movie, and more specifically the character of Maui, since we saw it over Thanksgiving break. He got a Maui hook for Chrismukkah and is very excited about it.
Television
Survivor, Fire Country, Tracker, The Bear, Abbot Elementary, and Elsbeth.
I can only hope that next year is better. It has to be. ❤️
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