2023 and Me

At the end of March, I often take a PTO day and the 90th day of 2023 was one of these days.  Because, on 3/31/2023, I got all of my deliveries and I went candy shopping and I started to set up my passion project in the Spring/Early Summer.  The Snack Stand and Me.  I do not smell like a french fry yet, but I soon will.  Looks like an early game (but, luckily not Opening Day) will be rained out tomorrow, but it's coming, folks.  The Little League Season and my Snack Stand days. 

  AH, Opening Day on 3/30/2023.  And, on the 89th day of 2023, all fan bases have extra hope (at least until their team's ace coughs up a 5-0 lead and they lose 11-7.... sigh.  But Opening Day and Me always brings me joy.  I wore my Phillies tie today, I wore my Phillies jacket, I followed with my phone during my PM meetings.... but, alas, the Phightings lost today - but baseball has begun, it's the most wonderful time of the year!!

  The 79th day of 2023 is, according to the Internet, Let's Laugh Day.  So I am reflecting on Laughter and Me on 3/20/2023.  Because Mondays are a busy day at work and, as with many other Mondays, there were lots of issues, emails, tickets, and meetings today,  But, I tried to stay positive and smiling through it all and that means laughing.  Yes, sometimes maybe when not appropriate (sorry folks and co-workers), but laughter is the best medicine and I need to stay healthy!  :-)

  I know we're supposed to call it UD and not UDel, but just as people use the email extension to annoying call Penn, UPenn, I guess I am one of the annoying folks that call the University of Delaware, UDel.  Today, we went to campus, to see Anna and so we could go out, as a family, for a birthday weekend lunch for me.  So, I am thinking about UDel and Me.  I truly enjoy it every time we visit!  Sure, we usually stop at the UD Creamery and that always helps (numbers were OK so I enjoyed Grandma's Gone Coconuts in a Waffle Cone!!) but the campus has, for me, a very good vibe.  And I love seeing how Anna and her friends are thriving there.  I am so happy for the UD Class of 2026 who are finally having a fun and educational experience after the long slog that HS interrupted by Covid was for them.  Seeing Anna in her element, smiling the whole time, feeling the vibe of the UDel Campus, eating at the Deer Park Tavern for the first time (10/10 will go a...

  It's not that I mind being a year older (as I say, it beats the alternative), but I am not always enthusiastic about celebrating my own birthday.  But, on the 77th day of 2023, I did have to think about My Birthday and Me.  First, I attended a funeral of a fellow umpire, who recently passed away suddenly after a cancer diagnosis, and I discovered, by reading the obituary in the paper, that he was younger then I am.  As a mentor to me on the baseball and softball diamonds, I assumed he was older, and I was wrong.  Funerals always make me think of mortality and that was an interesting juxtaposition of thoughts on the morning my my own date of being born.  Then it was to the amazing March Boys Birthday Luncheon that our family always has.  The first one we have had without Grandpa Bill George, and so, once again, mortality thoughts crept into my head.  And there were the amazing messages from my friends and family.  On Facebook, Texts, Cards, ...

I am not Irish, but I am still reflecting on St. Patrick's Day and Me on 3/17/2023.  I also do not drink, but I find other ways to celebrate and, on the 76th day of 2023, I did enjoy watching how happy St. Patrick's Day makes my truly Irish friends.  And I listened to Irish music as I did my errands today and I wore a little bit of green.  SO, I hope you are all being safe tonight, but I am going to smile, listen to a little more of the Dropkick Murphy's and go to bed.  HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! 

  It was early in 1998.  Sarah was about to graduate from Penn and I was waiting to be able to propose to her and become an official part of the Walters Family.  BUT, something happened before that which cemented my place.  On the 75th day of 2023 I am reflecting on my (first) godson and me.  3/16/23 is the 25th birthday of my nephew and godson Kevin Christopher Walters.  A quarter of a century.  What a time it is for him.  New home, new son, new job, a lot of new new new.  And I wish him the best and look forward to the amazing things in his future.  He didn't know it, but his arrival, and his parents' decision to make Sarah and me godparents, even before we were married, made me an official Walters...even if I am an outlaw. :-)  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KEVIN!

I do not always get an actual lunch break during my workday.  I often eat at my desk or sometimes complete errands.  But things were different on 3/13/23 as I had lunch with a valued colleague on the 72nd day of 2023.  It was good food, it was good conversation, and it was VERY GOOD to have a little time, in the middle of the day, to have lunch.  I should do it more often.

I did watch much of The Oscars show on the 71st day of 2023.  I did realize, as well, on 3/12/2023, that I had not seen many (or even any) of these movies, at all.  Yes, I am reflecting on The Oscars and Me.  I do like the production of this awards show and I appreciate the speeches that many of them give and gave.  And I hope, in the near future, I have more time to watch more, from this year, and before! 

  Unexpectedly, I found myself in Jadwin Gymnasium on the 70th day of 2023.  I knew I was going to be driving to Princeton on 3/11/2023, because students who could not make yesterday's game in the ILT (sadly, the Penn Women lost to Princeton) needed to get to today's ILT Game.  And, again, it was Penn vs. Princeton as the Men battled valiantly, but fell at the end and there will be no trip to either NCAA Tournament for Penn Basketball.  There was a seat for me, so I stayed for the game, and it made me think about Penn/Princeton and Me.  So many games, in the past 37 years, pitting these two rivals together.  I cannot say I like Princeton (no, I do not like them at all), but I can appreciate the rivalry and hope, in the future, Penn can start winning more again.  Going 0-6 against their basketball teams was not much fun AT ALL!

  Happy International Women's Day on this 67th day of 2023.  Yes, I am reflecting on Women and Me for my '23 and Me reflection for 3/8/2023.  Maybe it's because I grew up in a home with two amazing, strong women.  Maybe it's because my current home is filled with amazing, strong women (and a female dog and cat to boot!).  Maybe it's because many of the best bosses I have had, many of the best colleagues I have had, and many of the best friends I have had, have been women.  But I have come to realize, I like strong women.  So, as the quote says, here's to them!  I KNOW them, I cannot be them (not without surgery and you know I do not like surgery), and I hope, with Sarah (one of the strongest women I know), we are RAISING them.  What a better place this world would be if we just let women run most things.

I thought about death a bit on the 63rd day of 2023.  Not my own, but the fact that there seems to be a greater awareness of the amount of death in our lives these days.  Now some of this is because, on 3/4/2023, we attended the funeral of a beloved member of our church.  But Death and Me has been on my mind a lot, and even before my Uncle Ron passed.  Death is inevitable, sadly, and, I think, almost always comes too soon no matter what the age.  So we are never ready, but, then again, we must always realize that Mother Nature always wins.  And, as was the case at today's funeral CELEBRATE the life that was well lived while, of course, experiencing the pain and grief that comes with mourning.  As I said when the reflection was about funerals, I'd like more weddings (life and joy) than funerals (death and sorrow) but, since it is inevitable, let us find the blessings in the lives well lived.

  Day #62 of 2023 was the last game, in the 2022-23 season, for Penn Basketball in the wonder that is The Palestra ("College Basketball's Most HISTORIC Gym").  It did not end the way we were hoping on 3/3/23, as the Penn Women fell to dreaded Princeton.  And my reflections tonight are about The Palestra and Me.  I an so lucky to have been a part of the Penn Band that has allowed me to take in hundreds (maybe even thousands) of contests in this cathedral.  So, tonight, I spent my last evening in the Palestra until probably November tonight, at least there will be baseball soon!