I have not built a new wooden board since the summer of 2012 and that 5-10 mini simmons style board is still sitting up in the rafters unfinished. I did start a pod of hand planes late 2012 but life got really busy and they are sitting in an orange bucket waiting for me. I started a new job with the state in the late summer/fall of 2012 which was a big switch from private consulting out of my house. The job is great and I've been super busy getting up to speed with petroleum and reservoir engineering, well testing math (ouch) and modern well design. Plus, within that first year with the state, I fought for a promotion, convinced HR that I should be able to interview for it and got. Stoked! Thats all good. In January of 2013 we started looking for a house to buy. We were in a nice rental but we did not want to sign a third year long lease. After owing 5 homes over the previous 20 years, we did not like renting! Over 4 months we offered on 7 homes, even offering way over asking price and lost every time to cash buyers. Man we were discouraged. Buying a home had never been like this for us. I was ready to go secure a 50 foot slip in Oceanside harbor and use our cash to buy a 50 foot cruiser and just live aboard! We eventually offered on a little house near the beach in O'side and our offer was accepted. We've been in our new old place since April with our two cats. Rum the surf dog died after 17 years with us and Andy's iguana died in 2012 too. All three kids are now young adults and have moved out to start their own lives in various spots in California. For my wife and I, this is like starting our life all over again. Both exciting and a little scary all at the same time.
We are waiting for a permit to build two new structures at the new house, one of which will be a dedicated shop for me and the other a garage with hobby space above. This is super exciting because I have always had to build in a make-do garage space. Maybe they will be built by the end of the year.....but how knows? Right now all my tools are stored with all our other stuff in a tiny one-car garage and what is left of my wooden quiver is up in the rafters, waiting for their new home.
So between all that and multiple trips up and down California to visit the kids, it's been busy year.
And of course my wife is super busy with teaching, preparing a teaching syllabus for a new class and prepping for a teaching-consulting side gig. But I'm not complaining. Our kids are learning how to live on their own and I'm still able to surf 5+ times a week and I'm still in love with my wife after 22 years of marriage. Life is good.
The fam, Malena, Stephanie and Andy in Tiburon. Michele could not make this trip.
