The days post-holiday have been rather uneventful. But I remedied that by going out to dinner with Jake, Amelia, and her mom last night. She’s heading back to school this weekend, so that was the reason. We went to one of my favorites, Tap814. They have the best cocktails there! Their food’s good, too. We had a nice evening talking about dogs, much to Jake’s chagrin.
2022: the year in review
I guess 2022 was the year where things kind of got back to normal. One thing’s for sure–I went to a lot of concerts! The best one was Beth Hart. I absolutely love her and was so excited that I got to see her in Greensburg. I hope she comes back again soon. I also got to see an old favorite, Joe Satriani, and he didn’t disappoint. Not only that, but there were a ton of good shows in Johnstown. I hope the trend continues in 2023.
Jake and I only saw one comedy show this year–John Mulaney–and he was great! There aren’t many comics left on my “must see” list, but I would love to see my favorites again in the future.
I took a couple classes (gardening, mixology) and visited some places that I’d been wanting to see for a long time (in particular, the Phipps Conservatory and the Flight 93 National Memorial). And, let’s not forget A Golden Gathering.
Like always, I watched a bunch of movies, but nothing is standing out as a favorite. I did rewatch a bunch of older ones I haven’t seen in a while, too. For TV, Ozark wrapped up this year. What a great show that was! I will definitely watch it again down the road.
I also read a bunch of books. Some favorites were Something Missing, Sharp Objects, and The Plot.
I continue to work on the money pit. I had some work done in the kitchen (new countertops & backsplash), got someone to paint my siding, and have been working on painting the interior of the house. I also painted the shed last summer, which took forever. But, at least it looks nice.
I exceded my goal of volunteering 100 hours at the Humane Society (118:01, but who’s counting?). And, this doesn’t even count the numerous hours I have spent being a board memeber.
We vacationed in Liberty, PA, because why leave the state when you don’t have to?
Jake hit a new milestone and graduated from college!
In sad news, my ex-father-in-law lost his long battle with cancer last month. And a great aunt of mine passed away on the same day.
Who knows what 2023 will bring? Check back in a year for an update.
so this is christmas
Another holiday season has come and gone. It was a good one, but very cold! The so-called “Real Feel” was in the -40s. Ridiculous.
I hosted Christmas Eve and my parents did Christmas Day. Despite the weather, both events had a good turnout (with the usual suspects).
I’m only working half the week so things are busy with wrapping up the year and starting a new one. But I’m looking forward to another 4 day weekend!
something missing
This was a pretty great story. It was about a guy who steals stuff from people (his so-called “clients”) to stock his house. Mostly stuff like groceries and laundry detergent. But also the occasional piece of jewelry to sell or other household items. His method and process were pretty interesting to learn about. At the end of the story, he ends up getting involved in some of his clients’ lives, which was the twist, I suppose. It was quite a page-turner.
My rating: 4/5
die hard with a surprise party
No, it’s not a new sequel–I had two events going on today.
First, Jake’s girlfriend’s mom had a surprise graduation party for her today. She started vet school early (before having enough credits to graduate from undergrad) and now that her first semester is over, she has enough credits, hence the party. She came home for winter break today, so we had to be there in the afternoon before she arrived. Frankly, it was the greatest party I have ever been to. There were 6 dogs there! I’m now instituting a 3 dog minimum for any future parties I attend.
This evening I had plans with one of my coworkers to watch Die Hard at the State Theater of Johnstown. We went there in October to see Dracula, as well. The theater was showing a bunch of Christmas movies this month and this was one of them (I guess you could argue that it’s not a Christmas movie, but it is definitely considered one). Anyway, the movie was great–I’d seen it before, but just once and it’s been a while. I’ll give it a 4/5. It held up really well.