Looking back on 2022

What were good things or highlights from the year?

I'll go first.

Spending more time with my brother and his family. Finally meeting my little nieces has been huge.

Wife and I started setting aside Sundays as decadent playful time for us has been really good.

For media that jumped out to me:

Book: 'Lions of Al Rassan' by Guy Gavriel Kay

TV Show: Arcane

Video Game: Hades

Bought a house, had my best-ever racing season (won my class, 5th overall) and went on an awesome trip to Ohio/Indiana/Michigan in August. Riding behind Nickel Plate #765 while hanging out an open baggage car door was an experience not to be forgotten.

At 59 years of age I took a new job with a great group of new hosers.  They treat me so well I keep waiting for the shoe to drop! (Companies can be run this well?)

Daughter in 2nd year of college with straight A's.  The nuttiness of the Freshman year has passed.  She's now focused.

Health decent - shocked to turn 60 this year.  

Big plans to travel more in '23.  Looking forward to Italy.
 

2022 was nothing great.

Made some progress at work, setting myself up for my next move.

Personal/dating life was/is very meh.  Had some good times, but nothing stuck.

Fitness progress was crap due to two different ongoing injuries, but on a positive note I think I am now past them.

No real travel so to speak except a short trip to the Bahamas in March.

Lost my best friend (doggo) a month ago.

I have plans to make 2023 better.  Fitness goals I can actually drive toward.  Potential career movement in the works.  Trip to Iceland booked, trip to New Zealand in the booking stage.

edit, berkeley it:

We had another baby girl and bought a house. After a few years of doing chump/lemons racing pit crew things I put on my big boy pants and got a taste of wheel to wheel racing from the driver seat. It was a busy year.

My mother died.

Both of my dogs died.

Got two new dogs. A beautiful blue eyed female husky and a 6 month old Border Collie puppy. 

Got my Jeep Cherokee running again for the first time in 5 years. 

I bought a new boat today.

Life goes on!

In reply to Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) :

Have a hug man. It was a hard year and your last sentence makes me happy.
berkeley you, 22. 

My dog died in April.

I realized I'm going to need a divorce in the first half of this next year.

Got a real good pay bump at work.

Got a Miata

Still haven't gotten my truck fixed. 

Mixed bag.  Happy New Year

2022 was NOT a good year for dogs.

There's a great led drone and fireworks show going on over Downtown Dallas right now. 

Incredible!

We actually outdid Times Square!

My kids are happy and healthy for the most part. I got a promotion with a good pay raise at work. I finally raced at a tour(was too cold, didnt place well, but car was pretty reliable). Oldest started Pre-K and has started wanting me a lot more (used to only want mommy). 

2023, well, my 2yo has already puked on me this year, so I'm hoping that's not a sign of things to come...

So far this decade can suck it. I hope that changes for me in '23.

'22 was expensive. Needed a PIC line for antibiotics to deal with Lyme disease, wife needed 2 major surgeries, and bought a truck. Offset a little by my oldest finishing daycare and starting kindergarten.

Healthwise - wrapping up the year in a much better place than it started, physically and mentally.

Kids - they're small and a challenge, but cute and we'll keep em for another year.

Hobbies - been biking quite a bit (no more knee pain! May all ticks burn in hell!). Sold the Europa to Stampie, worked on my Locost a bit. I'm losing interest in the car fab hobby - the locost may be for sale this year.

Work - changed jobs within my company. Went from an engineering manager job in a high pressure, high stakes program and did a lateral move to be an individual contributor in a science factory for ideas that may be in production in the next 10-30 years.

So, in summary - ended better than it started. Still some headroom to improve, let's go '23!

In chronological order:

new puppy who has become a massive "daddy's girl" which makes me feel awesome. 
 

started the season at NCM where I dropped 8 seconds from the previous year. 
 

started and finished One Lap in a stupid car that I built. Finished second in class. So awesome. 
 

celebrated 20 years of marriage to my best friend.

spent July 4th weekend at an amazing house on Lake Michigan thanks to an awesome friend. 
 

Had a fun weekend at the challenge passing off the winners jacket.

Bought the wife our first new car since 2006 and she actually loves it  

spent a crazy week on the big island to celebrate our 20th not seeing whales, lava or much sun.

2022.... it 'twas but a third act of 2019.

May it burn in hell.

Highlights: everyone in the family that walked into 22 saw 23. Did my bucket list item in running Hot Rod Drag Week.

Lowlights: Job contracts dwindled in pay, locations, or toxic staff making life unbearable. Had to move into an undesirable location and living arrangement. Everything is stagnant and I don't see it changing for the better.

Here's to '24!

Zardoz is coming in 2023.

I retired from the fire department. It's been six months since I retired and my brain is getting healthy again. Mentally I wasn't good those last few years on the job. 

I flew from Texas to Seattle and bought an old Corolla and drove it back home. I took my time on the trip and had the car in better mechanical shape when I arrived home than it was when I began the trip.  It was a great adventure.  This is one hell of a country that we live in.

I always thought I wanted a Corvette project car so I got one. It hasn't been near as awesome as I had envisioned.

I started a new career working in a completely different field. I'm not sure how well I like it yet. 

My teenage daughters are healthy and recovering from the loss of their mother (cancer). 

Won IoE at LeMons Thompson with a brand new Volvo Amazon. 

Mrs. VCH got her first new car ever.

I finished my garage overhaul, and got my 2 post lift up for the first time in 16 years. 

Lost several trees in a freak July wind shear storm, one of which bashed in the driver's side of my truck. 

Visited lots of family up and down the east coast.

2022 basically wiped out all of 2021's financial progress.  Hoping to get back on track this year. On the plus side, the job is good and we are continuing to homeschool. 

The Fit and bicycle are still chugging along. Work has been good.

Hot Wheels and Matchbox stock at stores are starting to look somewhat healthy so I guess that's good.

I'm still alive after the worst year of my life. I'm 70 and both my parents and my MIL are alive and kicking. My sons and my grandchildren are well and healthy. My wife has been an absolute saint throughout all the hospital and rehab stays and looking after every detail of our lives. Now, if the doctors could eliminate some of my chronic pain life would be pretty tolerable. Here's to 2023 being a better year.

Sold my racecar, continuing my search for a new DD.

This wasn't a great year. I've got a lot of work in front of me in 2023 trying to get my feet back under me. 
 

I'm looking forward. 

In reply to bobzilla :

Nothing better than a a new puppy.