Dec. 26, 2020

 

I say it every year, this year flew by. But what a year to fly by. It felt like the longest, yet fastest year.

 

2020 is probably the year that everyone wants to forget. In January, coronavirus was just some virus over in China that we didn’t have to worry about. Two months later, everything shut down, literally. It was something we had never experienced before. But before I get ahead of myself, I will say that 2020 brought many good things in our lives this year – and it also taught us a lot too.

 

Somewhere in mid-January, I got a random email, that I almost deleted as we get a lot of emails at work, from the company. ‘Congratulations, you are one of five of the 2019 Altice All Stars.’ Oh, and it told me I couldn’t tell anyone, as it was a secret until an award ceremony schedule for a month later. To back up, at the end of 2019, the company started a program to recognized ‘all-star’ employees. Workers who go above and beyond and are dedicated to exceling at their job. Co-workers and managers can nominate anyone they feel is an all star. And several of my co-workers and managers submitted my name. I was one of five chosen out of hundreds. This was truly an honor. I don’t like to be in the spotlight – hey, there’s a reason I work on a website and not in front of the camera. For the next few weeks, a camera team interviewed me and followed me around at work for a video profile to be shown during the award ceremony/all hands company meeting. The week of the ceremony was also the week of New York Emmy nominations, and my work for all of the engagement campaigns I create was nominated for the Interactivity award!

 

We went to two Islanders games in a matter of a few days, and then a week later, the first week in March, I went to see Celine Dion at the Barclays Center. A week after that, we were told at work, on March 13, to start working from home. I haven’t been back to the office since. Everything slowly started to close. Gyms, malls, movie theaters, restaurants – everything. As things closed, cases rose, the death toll climbed. Work was non-stop. There were long days and nights. Jobs were lost, but Dave and I were lucky to stay employed – but we stayed very busy. And though there were two furloughed weeks for Dave, we counted our blessings.

 

Week by week went by. Month by month went by. And soon, all of those yearly things I looked forward to were no longer happening. Including the award ceremony for the New York Emmys in April. Instead, the awards were streamed live online. So we made due – we ordered a delicious filet mignon roast that Dave cooked with potatoes au gratin. We dressed up, me in the dress I was planning to wear to the ceremony. And as our name was announced as the winner of the Interactivity Emmy – we celebrated! My first Emmy in 17 years!

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The two concerts I planned to attend this year were canceled, and that trip to Disney we were so looking forward to at the end of July was postponed. Travel was strongly discouraged, with quarantine orders in place if you visited certain states. The only state with low cases and no travel restrictions was Maine. So we did manage to take a relaxing week off to the cabin again. And while we relaxed, canoed and took hikes, Long Island encountered a hurricane! The first hurricane in 17 years that Dave and I didn’t have to work during – and it was very strange. The day the storm hit at home we were hiking at Acadia National Park. We asked for an intermediate trail, but somehow ended up on an expert hike. We were climbing rock walls up to the top. But we made it. And save for a strained thigh muscle, I made it out in one piece with no major injuries.

 

Once our vacation was over, it was more work, work, work. There were some small baby showers to celebrate Dave’s two cousins. And we did manage to throw a smaller, COVID-19 friendly Halloween party. It was chilly, but we had a great time. Soon, it was time for the kids’ birthdays and Thanksgiving. Both small and intimate. Which brought us to Christmas, where Dave and I hosted both our of parents on Christmas Day, and it was a great time.

 

Awards aside, 2020 also saw a healthier Dave and Christine. At the beginning of the year, we both made a commitment to lose weight, keep it off and eat healthier. This meant, no more eating out, no more soda (from the little we used to drink anyway) and limited amount of treats. As the world shut down, the no eating out became much easier, but the working out was much, much different. Dave quickly adapted and turned the back room into a gym, while I rolled up the living room carpet five days a week and turned it into my own personal dance floor – complete with custom-choreographed playlists. And would you know, as of writing this blog, I’m down 33.8 pounds, and Dave is down 45 pounds. It hasn’t been easy, and there were certainly days and weeks where we might have enjoyed a few too many cookies, but we’d get right back on the wagon. And 2021 we’ll keep on going.

 

If 2020 did anything, it taught us to slow down, as life moves very quickly with the running around and balancing our lives. With no more commuting, a lot of people sudden had a better work-life balance. As we drove around on Thanksgiving and Christmas, we saw all stores and restaurants closed, as places shut down to allow their employees time with their families, something that hasn’t happened in years. It also taught us to appreciate what we have, enjoy time spent with our loved ones and just live in the moment.

 

We don’t know what 2021 will bring. As I go into 2021, ready to celebrate, but maybe not embrace, my 40th birthday – I originally had a lot of plans. And now, I’m taking it one day, one week, one month at a time. Sure, I’d love to take those Vegas and island trips that Liz and I wanted to do for our 40th. But to start, I’d like to try something new each month. With a vaccine being deployed, I am hopeful that things will slowly, but surely return to somewhat normal. But will live in a ‘wait and see’ world for now.

 

And now, of course, it’s resolution time. As usual, first are my 2020 resolutions and if I actually accomplished them, and then some 2020 highlights. After, are my 2021 resolutions, in no particular order.

 

2020 Resolutions:
-Get serious about getting in shape – DONE (and proud!)
-Make time for my friendships – HALF DONE – definitely made new friends – COVID took a lot of that ability away though.
-Update my website – SOMEWHAT DONE
-Do one house project – DONE (driveway, back room, shed, basement, etc.)
-Learn to let things go – HALF DONE

 

2020 Highlights:
-Becoming an Altice All Star
-Winning an Emmy
-Hiking a difficult trail at Acadia
-Canoeing every morning in Maine
-Choreographing at least 30 new dances at home
-Losing weight
-Having Donnie Wahlberg like one of my Instagram posts
-Having AJ from Backstreet Boys view one of my Instagram stories

 

2021 Resolutions:

-Finish losing the last 10 pounds I wanted to lose in 2020
-Work on my novel
-Update my website completely
-Do one new thing a month
-Start my baking business

 

What are some of your resolutions?