Tomorrow, I turn forty-five.

This year has been an aberration. A year of survival. A year on pause. It has felt like a personal affront. A rip-off. Like I paid for something expensive and it didn’t work and I can’t get my money back. Only it’s not money I’ve lost; it’s time. Middle age has a way of shrinking time. As the supply goes down, the value multiplies. I feel compelled to record what I accomplished, the motions I made. I have no conclusions, no lessons, no take-aways, only facts to mark the miles. Though the year itself feels like a net loss, I’m not going to list the steps backward. Nobody, least of all I, needs to read that. So, more for myself than for anyone else, here’s forty-four:

Personal

• Kept my family healthy and safe during the pandemic
• Managed my kids’ remote learning
• Survived the Blue Ridge Fire
• Survived a bipolar meltdown
• Rehabbed from a shoulder injury
• Said goodbye to Dottie, my feline editor
• Welcomed two new dogs, Tank and Rebel, into my family, and trained them
• Lifted 30,241 pounds during 185 workouts
• Earned an orange belt in Karate
• Read 27 books
• Watched 69 films
• Played Dungeons & Dragons 24 times
• Celebrated Christmas and NYE by remote
• Celebrated the BER months by putting up a themed tree in SeptemBER
• Camped twice: once at the beach, once at Joshua Tree
• Took my family on two mini-vacations to La Jolla and Palm Desert
• Served on the board of my local conservancy group, Hills for Everyone
• Joined the Chapman University Alumni Board
• Paid for a significant remodel of my house in cash we saved
• Set aside money for retirement
• Helped a friend move

Work

• Launched my second novel, THE LIGHTNESS OF HANDS, during COVID
• Wrote 20k words and a proposal of a new novel
• Wrote 20k words and an outline of another novel
• Produced 13 episodes of The Hero’s Journey podcast
• Hosted 9 live Instagram events promoting other authors
• Gave virtual talks at 5 school events
• Gave 7 hero’s journey workshops for schools and SCBWI
• Attended 2 personal/professional development seminars
• Guested on 1 podcast
• Signed books twice at my local B&N
• Played one show as the lead singer of my 80s cover band