2022 is wrapping up and 2023 approaches. So, here’s my personal look back and a look ahead.
SCHOOL– This year was the usual adventure at our therapeutic day school as we saw two more of my seniors graduate in May and three students transitioned to improved placements. For 2023, I have three more seniors set to graduate and another kiddo who can be done after summer school. Our new principal has been fantastic and while the first semester of this school year was chippy (with some rowdy fighting students) all is getting better within the population. And our staff, especially my assistant Miss Cat, is aces up.
HOME IMPROVEMENTS- Adding to my freshly built front steps, I had a new walkway to the steps installed and a new all white vanity brightened up the bathroom. My landscaper did a great job keeping my yard looking good and I appreciated his hard work. For 2023 I’m getting new back steps, a new side door to the garage and I’ll patch up and re-seal my driveway.
MOVIES- There wasn’t a lot to see on the big screen in 2022 but I did enjoy “Top Gun 2: Maverick”, “Where the Crawdads Sing” and “Elvis” to name a few. “Elvis” got me to fully appreciate what a great and important song “If I Can Dream” was and remains. For 2023 one movie of interest would be “Cocaine Bear” and for a goof maybe the “Barbie” film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling will be worth seeing next July.
SONG PARODIES– Al Flash and I had several more music videos played on the Channel 9 Morning News, with all of them being were very well received. Robin Baumgarten’s engagement to Mr. X proved to be fertile ground for us to exploit. Robin is aware we know the identity of Mr. X but until she reveals who the guy is to the world, we still have one final tune and video on hold but ready to air. 2023 will start off with another of our year in review videos done to the melody of Lil Nax X’s “Old Town Road.”
DENTAL FIX-UPS- An eleven year absence from a dentist’s chair yielded five cavities in my pie hole. Even my dentist was impressed my teeth didn’t have more issues. For 2023, I learned my lesson and will see Dr. Fornatto, every six months. My next appointment is in mid-March.
WAKE-UP CALL- The deaths of five men I knew (four of whom were former classmates) was a stunner. Three of them were in what was believed to be in very good health yet they dropped dead from heart attacks. My summer physical showed improvements in my own health but I can do better and am working on it now and for 2023. Summer swimming was great as I got up to over a mile a day in laps at East End Pool. Getting back into the water at the Courts last month has been a small beginning to better health. Like I said, I can do much better and need to do much better.
BOOK IT! I know you’ve heard this before but my media memoir, “Raised on the Radio” has gone through its final, final edit! Jim Libovicz, a very astute literary man and my friend for 55 years, did a great going over on the eighty-one thousand word manuscript. Now I need to line up some photos, get a cover and roll it on to Amazon as an E-book. I hope to get it out by May. Maybe “Raised on the Radio” will be the beach read for the summer.
So that wraps up 2022. It was a pretty decent year for me, no, make that a damn fine year with more blessings and good things than I can count and that’s a lot.
I wish all of you a Happy Hanukkah, Happy Festivus, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and a Happy New Year to all!
NEXT BLOG- Not sure when (mid-January?) and about what. Stay tuned!