Been a crazy busy and mostly fun past few months in my life.

The masks are mostly all gone and some terrible local heartbreak with Covid and some damn awesome miracle Covid stories with my school families.

 My dog seems cured from his major hip issues and is back to being the dog we know and love.

My daughter is a pharmacy manager at a Portsmouth CVS and planning for a wedding.

My son is a National Merit semi finalist and the offers are pouring in. Finished up his XC career in big fashion but also has decided against playing his senior year of basketball.

My mom just hit 6 months free of alcohol (really big news there)

Personally I’ve finally taken my golfing and baseball skill and knowledge and finally took my XC team to the state meet for the first time in school history lol. County, league and district champions ….I won my 3rd district COY award. Community went in big after we made state and we’ve been celebrated with meal after meal, pep rallies and cool gifts. 

My doctors told me I’d need botox shots around my neck every 3 months the rest of my life but I’m sitting here good and haven’t had shots in 8 1/2 months.

Bad news I’ve gained 20 lbs being dead tired through all the rush and I can’t catch a break getting an evening off….so I gotta get my shit together there.

Let’s hear you news, celebrations, hardships whatever

Started a new job managing a doctors office. So far it’s been fine and 99% of the patients are doing virtual visits so I hardly have to interact with anyone in person lol.

I92, glad to see the success and good news with your children (even though I busted your balls way back).  Why the botox shots in the neck?

posted by like_that

I92, glad to see the success and good news with your children (even though I busted your balls way back).  Why the botox shots in the neck?

Spring of 2019 I was having issue where I simply could not control my neck….couldn’t look to the right. Had to lean up against a wall at school and when walking had to brace my hand on back of my neck to look “normal”…..diagnosed with Cervical Dystonia. I had to go through everything and nothing worked at all. Physical therapy was a nightmare. Awful. Botox would do the trick they said. I had 2 rounds in August and November of 2019 and they really didn’t do anything. Went to Cleveland Clinic and they scared me for my life. OSU had the guy…..botox in May of 2020 and 26 days later was happy again with my life. Another round in August and November. First of year I started a workout regimen that seemed silly but I basically had no upper body strength. Jan 1….1 push up using counter top, day 2…2 push-up using counter. March 1st started on counter dips…..got to where I was over 270 push-ups and 225 dips with no days off and exahusted myself but was getting much stronger……I haven’t had Botox since March 4th and 2 trips to OSU and sent me back home as I didn’t need any. Dr said keep it up and really couldn’t believe I had progressed so much.

Fingers crossed….basically thought my life was ruined. So while 2020 was awful for most…Botox and the right Dr made my year great.

i'm increasingly jaded with the world. every day i pull further and further inward from the world (towards my family and close friends moreso than pulling in towards myself). there is a real chance that i go full hermit and completely off the grid. 

As fucked as it is to say, the more of the world i'm exposed to via social media and constant news and live information feeds, the less of it i want to see. OC and twitter are the only social media i take in and everyday i engage less with twitter. 

on the plus side, i have had some awesome experiences with my kids and wife and have had tons of good reflection in the woods chasing my white whale buck for the 3rd straight year. so it's not all gloom and doom. 

Like I92,  I had a bad neck issue in early 2020 that turned out to be much worse - myasthenia gravis.  Nasty disease, but with meds I'm almost back to normal.  I just feel lucky to be able to walk, talk, breathe, and chew my food again.  The tradeoff is I went from no meds to taking 18 pills a day.  You ought to see my bathroom sink.

My wife and I both got joint replacements early last year, so we're walking much better and working out at the gym regularly.  And she retired a year ago - that might be a hardship because I can't relax around the house anymore, lol.

My older son lost his job due to Covid, but he began teaching himself online investing and now makes enough to support himself. Our younger son signed for the Marines, reported to PI last Christmas Eve, and graduated in March - whew!

My father just turned 88 last week.  He grumbles at his aches and pains every day and isn't as steady as he used to be.  But he still keeps active and gets out and about each and every day.  As we speak,  he's busy  getting our concession stand ready to host a playoff football game tonight.

All in all, we're still blessed.

posted by Ironman92

 finally took my XC team to the state meet for the first time in school history lol. 

Congratulations!  Was that last Saturday?  If so, we have something in common now - I've been a high school PA announcer for 25 years, and got to work the state XC meet, my first state championship.  Great experience, and got to see the one guy set a Div 1 state meet record.

posted by Zunardo
Congratulations!  Was that last Saturday?  If so, we have something in common now - I've been a high school PA announcer for 25 years, and got to work the state XC meet, my first state championship.  Great experience, and got to see the one guy set a Div 1 state meet record.

Yes we were in the 10:00 D3 boys race….my runner came through the stadium in 1st after 450m 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️….so it was you that announced his name lol

posted by Ironman92

Yes we were in the 10:00 D3 boys race….my runner came through the stadium in 1st after 450m 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️….so it was you that announced his name lol

 That's the way to get your name announced!  Lol.  Wish I could claim that, but no.  The other announcer did all the splits, but I did boys awards afterward.  How did your runner finish?

posted by Zunardo

 That's the way to get your name announced!  Lol.  Wish I could claim that, but no.  The other announcer did all the splits, but I did boys awards afterward.  How did your runner finish?

Sophomore finished 39th, freshman finished 50th. Team went 15th out of 20….I return all my top 8 except my #4 and #6 man