2021, A New Hope

  So, it was not Chris Carter who informed me that the 364th day of 2021 is BACON DAY , no he is on vacation from Breakfast with the Beatles so I had to go looking online for inspiration for today's hopeful reflection.  But, once I found out on 12/30/2021, it gave me bacon hopes.  Honestly, not hopes for more bacon (not that this would be bad at all), but for the fact that the team on my project is connected by one of our colleague's love of bacon.  AND, even though John Goerke is no longer on the project, through FB, we stay connected with jokes about bacon, posts about bacon (such as this one), and just plain fun banter.  And, as the project is (finally) closer to the finish than it is to the start, I am hoping that this, and other inside jokes, can keep us connected even after the project is over and done with.  Anyone who knows me knows that I do not like saying goodbye.  SO, here's hoping that bacon keeps us connected.

  I laughed when I discovered Day #363 (last palindrome in 2021!) is Still Need to Do Day.  I feel like EVERY day is a Still Need to Do Day for me.  12/29/2021 was no different.  There were things to do for the basketball games I announced today (and the ones I will announce tomorrow).  There are things I need to get done for work (feels like an endless list).  And there are things we have on our list to do tomorrow, and Friday, and into the next week.  Yes, I have To-Do List hopes.  Mainly I hope we can get to all the things on our list and, when we cannot (we will likely not be able to) that we have the wisdom to prioritize what REALLY needs to be done and the grace to forgive ourselves when we have things leftover at the end of our day.....I hope the same for all of you as well.

  On the 362nd day of 2021 I got to do something I really enjoy.  On 12/28/2021, I announced, ran the clock, and operated the scoreboard at a Collingswood High School Girls Basketball Game.  It is something I have been able to do, and have been enjoying, since the 16-17 season.  And a few seasons ago, I added the boys games as well.  I have a lot of announcing hopes.  I hope that I can keep up with the speed of the game (sometimes there is a LOT going on).  I hope that I do not mess up the clock too many times (sometimes I watch the game and forget to click that thumb).  I hope that I pronounce all of the players' names right (their family may be in the audience and they want to hear it spoken correctly).  And, on the day of John Madden's passing, I hope that I can improve with each game as John did.  It is good to have people to model yourself after (I actually pattern myself after John McAdams (rip) and Richard Kahn, the legendary anno...

  I spent a LOT of the 361st day of 2021 cleaning up data.  Yes, I was working on 12/27/2021, this is the first time in my professional career (and the first time since either Penn Catering or 7-11) that I have been scheduled to work in my primary job between Christmas and New Years.  Penn's Special Vacation will have to be observed in the Summer for those of us on the NGSS Project.  But, I don't mind, this is important stuff and I have data cleanup hopes.  I hope I have enough time this week to get to a lot of the data cleanup tickets.  I hope that all of our hard work now, makes for an easier conversion in March.  And I hope that all of my teammates are having a good week, even if we are working when most, at Penn, are not.

  It was fitting that, on day #360 of 2021, we found ourselves sitting in a big family circle.  That is because, on 12/26/2021, we gathered as a Walters Family for a nice Christmas celebration.  The dinner was potlock and we ate a little further from each other than we usually would have, but all of family fun was had.  I have Family Game Night hopes this evening.  We played a lot of games as a family, we had a lot of laughs, and it was good to be back together as a group.  Then we came home and Zoomed to CA where more games were played (and more laughter ensued).  I hope our families never tire of family game night and I hope we have many more of them in our future!

It was Christmas on the 369th day of 2021.  And 12/25/2021 was filled with all of the traditions of our families Christmases.  We started with opening presents around the tree, first the stockings and then the gifts under the tree.  Then it was off to "Jackie's diner" for an amazing Christmas breakfast, New Jersey style.  Christmas movies at home.  Christmas music on the Echo (even the Renaissance Christmas album that brought back the 911 S. 47th St vibes).  A great Christmas dinner cooked by Sarah.  And then Zooming with the West Coast and online game time.  I have Christmas Tradition hopes as I head off to bed with visions of Christmas traditions dancing in my head).  I hope that, even as the kids get older, we can keep holding on to the traditional events that makes Christmas even more special.  I hope that, as the kids get older, they will start traditions of their own (and, hopefully, include us!)  Christmas is an amazing famil...