2023

The following is a summary of my 2023.

In January, we had our annual Christmas family gathering in LaCanada, CA (for Christmas 2022).
Wilda, Eddie, Andy, Katy, Courtney, Viannah, Yager, Bekah, John, Viannah, Viann, Liz & Daylin.

Liz and I played lots of indoor pickleball this year.  I did a few pickleball fundraisers to include Susan G. Koman, St Judes and the Lukemia & Lymphona Society.

In June we traveled to Colorado to celebrate Georgine's (belated) 80th birthday party (put off since 2020 from the pandemic), as well as a bar-mitzvah in her family at the same time. I also got to meet Liz's oldest brother Bradley, who came in from New York.
Michael, Julia, Elizabeth, Jordan, Nathan, Marc, Melanie, Bradley, Georgine, Liz & Wilda.

Also in June we met Charger safety J.T. Woods and girlfriend Briana (both Baylor graduates) at a Newport pickleball complex while we were in Huntington Beach for the Liberty Classic softball tournament.

Also in June after 16 months, the braces came off! All dental work is now complete, which includes three implants. My teeth are now straight and in good shape! I'm happy with the results of the past three years of dental work and glad it's over!

 October 2021 (before)              June 2022 (during)                              November 2023 (done!)

 

 
In July, we marched in the military contingent in the Pride parade, at San Diego Pride.

 

 
On August 7, 2023, Viann Duncan passed away from metastatic breast cancer, a devastating loss for the family. It was also John's 33rd birthday. Viann's service was on September 2nd, Courtney and Viann's 45th wedding anniversary. Mementos, biography, obituary, a slide show and a video of her service can all be found here. 
https://www.mykeeper.com/profile/GwenViannDuncan/
I think of her often!

In September, some former shipmates I served with from the USS Cape Cod (AD-43) got together in San Diego for a small reunion. These are folks I haven't seen for 30 some odd years.
Michelle  C (former Lithographer like me), Jackie D and shipmates!

On Monday, October 2, a typical pickleball day, there were four people at the rec center with the same  birthday (different years) & I was the youngest. What are the odds? (1951, 1957, 1962, 1964)
Martin, Maria, David, Wilda.

Also in October, after waiting my entire life, the Texas Rangers finally won the World Series!

Over Thanksgiving week, we went up  and spent some time with Courtney.  We got him to his local YMCA for some pickleball time, and spent the day with Katy, Andy, Eddie and friends on Thanksgiving. We had a good time!
Bonus note! Katy is expecting her second child in April 2024!

Heather, Alexander, Andy, Eddie, Katy, Courtney, Wilda, Bekah, John, Liz

Here is hoping for a better 2024.  

Notes of interest:

I was down and out with Covid for about 2 weeks in September. So was Liz. It was my first time with this miserable virus and the second time around for Liz.

Work on our Hawaii condo is currently being finished up. This year consisted of us being in a "holding pattern" with this property while we had numerous snags, delays and setbacks, to include a cancelled trip to Hawaii in August. As of this writing, we plan to spend a significant amount of time in Hawaii in 2024 staying at our own property. 

What this year reiterated to me (in no particular order):
Family is important, dental hygiene is important, self maintenance/activity (taking care of yourself) is important, thriftiness is important..... also, pick and choose your battles.

Unfortunately, a year cannot go by without losing people that we love.
Remembering those that passed this year....
Patrick Pandes (Navy friend),  Janet E Trautmann (mother of friend), Viann O Duncan (sister in law)