A Year of Ups and Downs

This is not only my final Hometown View before Christmas but the last one for the year as I’ll be on assignment after that and will then be taking a few days off to relax and catch up on sleep. 

Actually I don’t think you can make up for a year’s worth of sleep deprivation in a week or so but I can try.

This is both the best and worst time of year for many as you reflect back on what the last 12 months has brought.  For most of us there’s been good and bad, hopefully more of the good.  It would be interesting to keep a score card going back to January and then check it as the year goes by.

For me the good was very good: my wife retired, my daughter graduated college and got a job and like my son relocated to Hoboken.  My son took a job with a new company that actively pursued him but before doing so got to spend a couple of weeks at the Olympics in Russia.  However I lost my father last month and clearly at this time of year that loss is magnified. I was thinking of him yesterday because for the last several years I have been tasked with the job of picking up two Hess Trucks for him to give to my brother and sister’s young sons.

Yesterday I went out to continue the tradition and found out you can’t buy a Hess Truck anywhere.  It’s the 50^th anniversary edition and starting next year they will only be available through online purchases.  So the $29.99 truck and space cruiser is now being hawked on eBay and Amazon for like $180.  I can only imagine my father laughing right now and saying “you should have bought them a couple of weeks ago.”  Thanks for the advice Dad.

The year did not live up to my personal expectations.I did not make New Year’s resolutions but fell short on the things I pledged to do and hoped to accomplish.  My “bucket list” is on hold and for how long...well only time will tell.  As for my wishes for 2015 I’d like to see the Rangers hoist the Stanley Cup in June, the Mets win the National League East and Penn State play in a major bowl game. Most of all I hope I’m here at this time next December to tell you how great 2015 turned out to be.