My new reality

Every January, Terry, my former AZ cube-mate, would designate the year to a colleague, anticipating good times and success for that person. I am self-designating this year.  I don’t really feel it just yet, but I am going to make it happen.  I will take my cue from my friend Lisa.  No one is more motivating as she shares her recovery from hip/labrum surgery.  As Tim Gunn, my favorite TV guru says, “make it work!”

Greg and I have made a few travel plans for this year.  Most immediately, we are spending the entire month of February in St. Croix, USVI at an AirBnB.  We have never done anything like this before, so with both feet first we signed up.  We reserved a beautiful house on the ocean back in September.  We also invited some family and friends to come visit us there.  Then we watched as 2 hurricanes roared over and past the island, Irma having slightly less impact than Maria, which was devastating.  Luckily the house was spared, electricity has been restored, and the island is returning to a new normal.  We are happy to visit and help in the recovery, even if our contribution is spending $$ on the local economy.  I am already packed!  Details to follow as fun ensues.

Earlier this month we visited Christina for another busy trip to NYC.  Now that she has her own apartment we bump her from bed to couch and then compensate her with dinner and drinks.  (Parental couchsurfing, as it were.  It’s only fair.)  Christina is in her 3rd year of grad school at Weill Cornell in the Pharmacology Dept., doing CarT research at Sloan Kettering.  (Can I say how proud I am of her for doing her own in vivo work?)  We enjoy visiting her even though it usually costs an arm and a leg.  Our first night we had drinks at the Plaza before dinner.  Greg and I spent the next day at the Met where I purchased his birthday gift, a year’s membership, then dinner with friends in Hell’s Kitchen while Christina kept busy at work.  Unfortunately we didn’t get into the Good Morning American taping so for the rest of Wednesday we napped and relaxed (Greg napped, I shopped, Christina worked) until it was time for dinner at Carmine’s near Times Square where we feasted on enormous portions of delectable Italian fare and wine before attending The Book of Mormon.  The show was hilarious despite Greg’s fear of a providential lightning strike.  On our last day we visited the Downton Abbey exhibit, reliving the first series we ever binge watched.  We left NY to visit with our friends Jeanette and Allen in Westchester.  Jeanettte and I worked at Wyeth together; we started on the same day and were RIF’d on the same day 15 years later.  The purpose of our visit: planning our joint trip to Italy in April!

Upon returning home, Greg went for a full day winter hike with his buddy Steve.  Greg and Steve met earlier this year when we moved to the ‘neighborhood’; they both are working on completing all 46 High Peaks and are compatible hiking buddies.  Until recently, hiking the NYS High Peaks was a casual thing but then Greg amassed almost 30 so what’s another 16?  This particular hike (on Greg’s actual birthday) required snowshoes with several hours hiking in darkness to complete.  Injuries aside, they returned with stories to tell and another notch on their belts.  I spent the weekend with my youngest brother David, his wife Molly, and my super cute nephew William visiting Lake Placid, ice skating, tobogganing, and watching the freestyle skiing event.

We had a quick mid-week overnight trip to Vermont to visit our Dan, a behavioral analyst in Swanton public schools.  He’s also working on his ABA certification (Applied Behaviour Analysis).  He has made direct, measurable improvements in student behaviours, which of course, I am so proud of.  I also recommend visiting the Essex Hotel and Culinary Spa.  It felt good to swim a few laps mid-winter; also,  the registration desk  is a bakery counter.  What’s not to like?  Then Greg came down with a super bad cold.  Hopefully he’ll be fully recovered by the time we depart later this week.  Since I’m already packed, I’m keeping busy working on a reupholstery project, hauling firewood, reading, walking, cooking up whatever’s left in the fridge and otherwise enjoying winter.

Also on the docket: I’ve signed up again for the Tinman Triathlon in June with Dan, and in July Tina (SISTER-in-law) and I are doing a 4 day Erie Canal bike and camp trip from Buffalo to Syracuse, returning to Buffalo in time for the Eagles’ concert.  My niece just got engaged, so there’s all of that to look forward to and of course there will be multiple trips to visit family, or have them visit here.  It’s only January so there’s more to plan, and of course, some athletic training should commence.  Oh, and I’m turning 60 this year.

Keep in mind, the ‘year of Geri’ is not exclusive to me or to anyone; there is no limit to the designations!  I invite you to make 2018 your year too; make it ‘The Year of (insert your name here)’ and proceed!!!