A Look Back at 2018

2018 was another great year for the O’Haras. Mason turned 17 and Morgan turned 13, making 2018 the first year for us to have two teenagers in the house. Susan and I both turned 45, and spent our 23rd wedding anniversary at a bed and breakfast cabin just outside Guthrie, Oklahoma.

My biggest achievement of the year was graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a Master degree in Professional Writing. Staying enrolled full-time in a master program while also working full time is no joke. After five long semesters, I graduated Kappa Tau Alpha (National Honors Society) in May of 2018. The weekend after graduation, Susan threw me a really awesome graduation party. For my senior project I wrote a book called The Human Library which is now available on Amazon in both paperback and eBook formats. This year I also launched OHaraPress.com, a website for my writing and about writing in general.

The second biggest story of the year for us was that we bought a new house and moved. After living in an enormous two-story house for seven years, we decided to downsize houses and upsize our backyard. While we officially moved into our new home the last week of October, our old home hasn’t sold yet, and we still have a garage full of boxes. The last time we moved (back in 2011) I complained about how much stuff we owned. Last year when we moved, it took two (larger) moving trucks instead of one to move all of our stuff. I suspect in 2019 we will continue to downsize.

We didn’t take a lot of family trips in 2018 as we have in the past. While I was putting the final touches on my novel for school, Susan, her mother, and the kids went to Ireland for a week. A couple of months later, Susan, the kids and I drove to Denver to attend a wedding. While we were there, we got to catch the premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Story at the Alamo Drafthouse in Denver and even got to walk through a life-size mock up of the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit. In November, after the passing of President George H. W. Bush, the four of us made a whirlwind trip to Houston to view the President’s body in state. It was a somber trip, and nowhere as fun as sitting inside the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.

Two days before 2018 began I bought a new car, a 2017 Ford Flex. I absolutely love my Flex; it’s comfortable and roomy and one of my favorite cars I’ve ever owned. Later, in the summer, I purchased a motorcycle — a Yamaha Raider 1900. The last motorcycle I owned back in 2015 was a little under powered for me. This one is loud and fast. I’ve only driven it around town so far, but would like to work my way up to taking some longer trips next year. In 2018, Mason got his first car, a 2001 Toyota Celica. Also in 2018, Mason blew the engine in his first car. As 2018 closes out, we’re down to three cars (my Ford Flex; my Chevy Avalanche, which Susan is driving; and Susan’s Honda Crosstour, which Mason is driving) and two motorcycles (my Yamaha Raider and Mason’s 250 Suzuki, which he has outgrown and will go up for sale in the spring).

I’ll sound like a broken record for saying that I didn’t eat right or exercise as much as I should have in 2018. Despite getting a clean bill of health from my doctor, saying that I could do better in 2019 is really the understatement of 2018. Susan has done great with diet and exercise in 2018, and I’m hoping to follow her lead in the following year.

Between school and moving, some of my hobbies fell by the wayside. I didn’t record nearly as many podcasts as I have in the past, for example. My 3D printer got some use, and I’m looking forward to getting it set back up and dialed in at the new house. My friend Dean opened a local retro arcade, the EightyThree Arcade, and my friend Shea’s Arkadia Retrocade, where I spent New Year’s Eve, is still going strong after several years.

I rarely talk about work on my blog, but work was good to me this year. I’m working in a great department with a great bunch of guys doing stuff I enjoy doing. Earlier this year I took a PowerShell training class, and got several opportunities to help out and implement what I learned. Not to say there weren’t stressful projects or moments, but for the most part, my year was pretty laid back. Susan, on the other hand, put in tons of extra hours this year, frequently putting in 70+ hours a week and nearly working herself to death. I, she, and the kids all hope her workload lightens in 2019.

The most significant thing about work this year is that 2018 both began and ended with a furlough for federal employees. The one in January was short, lasting only a few days, and the next one (in February) took place over a weekend and didn’t affect us. The third one, which began the day after Christmas, could turn out to be a doozy. As of today (January 2) we’ve been on furlough for five days, although due ti weekends and holidays, this is our twelfth day away from work. Although typically the President approves back pay for employees affected by the furlough, I think most people would agree that the current administration is anything but typical. And, sadly, receiving back pay isn’t a magic bullet. Back in 2013, even though we received back pay, we went a little over six weeks without getting paid. It’s certainly a tough pill to swallow the week after Christmas, and a bad time to be making payments on two houses. I don’t want anyone to worry about us — we are doing and will continue to do fine, but spending “lockdown mode” has been implemented.

We wrapped up this year by hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas at our new house. More than ever, I am thankful for the health and success of all of my friends and family. After six years away from Oklahoma, my bestest buddy Jeff and his family finally moved back home. All the toys, movies, and video games in the world aren’t much fun when you don’t have old friends in your life to share them with. I’m looking forward to putting the proverbial band back together next year and doing more with my friends Jeff, Andy, and Scott, and maybe even seeing some of my online friends like Sean and Guy in person, too!

No matter how your 2018 was, here’s to hoping 2019 treats you even better!