Sunday, February 11, 2018

Goodbye 2017

2017 was another down year for the household, marked by my ignominious departure from Oracle and entry to the oilfield.  I was away from my wife and children for a total of 4.5 months and the first two week stretch marked the longest we had ever been separated.  There were some bright spots as well.  My first born started fifth grade and my second born started third grade.  They both continued with piano.  They both enjoyed playing basketball with i9 in the spring and starting with Apex in the fall.  They both participated in the talent show.  They both participated in the Science Fair with 1st place and 3rd place projects.  We got out for a few days of skiing and Keystone and Eldora and were even featured in Keystone marketing material.  We did not have any new adventures this year.

We took 3 family trips.  We did a road trip to Mount Rushmore in the summer.  Flew to Miami to visit family in September (I slipped in a day of scuba diving).  Finally we attended my cousins wedding near Philadelphia in December.

Professionally was a whirlwind.  I have grown considerably as a field engineer and proved to myself and others that I can tackle adversity, maintain enthusiasm and remain teachable.  Considering that I fell into tech via a temp agency gig, maybe the Oil & Gas business could be my true calling.

My community involvement fell off a cliff.  I maintained my Board position at Woodrow Wilson Academy and the Arvada Triathlon Club (I resigned this position as of December 31st).

My hobbies similarly fell off a cliff.  I did CrossFit and the CrossFit open before starting my new job.  I maintained my membership at Aspire.  Between Aspire and the Target Logistics man camps, I was reasonably consistent on the treadmill, calisthenics and some skills training.  My weight went up due to overindulgence and sedentary employment.  I did not do any racing.

I maintained my interest in coins adding 2 US Coins and 6 Ancient Indian coins.  I did attend the World's Fair of Money held in Denver with my two daughters.

I got out for 3 days of skiing at Eldora and 1 day at Keystone.  I got in two days of 2 days of scuba diving, one local trip and one saltwater trip in Miami.  I got to the rifle range 1 time.

I only read one novel this year, "The Chemist" by Meyer.  I did read several non-fiction works, all oil field related.  My favorite was "The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels" by Epstein.  It truly opened my eyes to the suffering in the world related to insufficient access to energy.

It is hard to flashback and find a best purchase for the year.  I bought a great pair of Red Wing Boots and a GoRuck backpack for work.  I would recommend both products highly.  In terms of fun stuff, my only purchase was a Surly Cross Check, which I love, but have not been able to ride as often as I would like.

Other highlights from the year include household improvements including a new air conditioner, water heater, furnace, loft furniture and living room furniture.  The New England Patriots won the Superbowl and the Houston Astros won the World Series.  Matt Frazier and Katrin Davidsdotter both repeated by winning the CrossFit games.

Best wishes for 2018!


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