Happy New Year 2025

It's funny how a day can seem slow when you're experiencing it in the moment, but a year can feel short in retrospect. Although it felt like my last few years whizzed by rapidly, 2024 seemed to crawl through a thick fog of unexpected changes. With those changes, there were challenges. Most of them are work-related.

One of our colleagues departed from our site permanently, leaving me to pick up the slack and perform all the functions of our motorpool. It's do-able, sure, but now there have been a myriad of issues I've had to handle, often on my own. The biggest paradigm shift occurred when my new boss flew into town to take over for my existing boss. It was all business as usual, until the day when my old boss and one of our employees stopped coming to work unexpectedly. Though our workplace confirmed nothing (and likely never will), we found out that both were fired. There were no plans to replace our other employee, leaving me to take over their duties. It is work I have experience in from before, although I had often doubted my competency in it. Over the past few months, I will need to step up, be proactive, and stay on top of the workload. The work tempo and climate has changed drastically over the past few months, swinging from a softer laid-back atmosphere to a more stringent regimen. Several years ago, the shift would have likely induced great stress in me. I might feel some axiety about our work challenges right now, but I find it's not upsetting. These are simply interesting times—and that's not even taking into consideration the grander considerations behind the ongoing wars, the 2024 election, and the emergence of AI technology. 

Personally, I might always remember '24 as the year I visited Venice for Carnivale in February. This would have been my third time visiting Italy, and I am always amazed and enamored by the intricately-carved statues and buildings in their cities. The Piazza San Marco alone is a wonderful place to visit, where the Doge's Palace and Saint Mark's Basilica stand in clear view with their gorgeous marble and stone facades. After viewing the Bridge of Sighs, I visited the Veccia Murano glassworks to see a demonstration on how their colored glass is made, and I had the chance to shop among their delightful and regal selection of glasswares. The biggest attraction, however, was the amazing crowd of people in Carnivale masks and costumes, and I collected my fair share of fantastic photographs all around the Piazza. In between the pictures and wandering, I did find time to shop for journals, grab a cannoli, and take a gondola ride. There wasn't time to go into many of the famous buildings (the lines were way too long this day), and I somehow missed out on finding the Rialto Bridge, but all things considering, I saw many impressive sights that could be considered magical.

The bus ride from Venice to Germany took us through Switzerland, which included an hour's stop in the city of Lucerne. In just one hour, I managed to collect a respectable number of photos and video clips to capture this rich city's ambience. The ride also presented ample opportunity to see the mountains.

In the spring time, I flew back to the States to visit my parents for a good chunk of time. We took a trip to the coast, seeing the characteristic city of Beaufort again. There is a laid-back quality to the town, and it boasts a number of interesting shops that we like to revisit (including the Nevermore book store and Tom Hanks' favorite chocolate shop). We visited a bird sanctuary in Port Royal, and Hunting Island. 

When I returned to Germany, I made the impromptu decision to visit Clay Kaserne to see the 75th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. The airlift was a major operation during the Cold War to deliver supplies to West Berlin in the midst of Soviet occupation. For the celebration, a number of aircraft were displayed on the airfield. There were displays that showcased the site's history with a number of historic documents, and there was even food and entertainment. I had lingered there for a long time expecting to see airplanes in flight, but I only saw them flying overhead when I started to leave. It was still an event worth seeing once.

In the summer, I visited Garmisch and stayed at the Edelweiss Lodge. I had stayed there thirteen years ago and it was such a memorable trip that I wanted to revisit the area again. On this occasion, I took the chance to see the Partnach Gorge, Neuschwanstrein Castle (again), Linderhof Palace, and the Ettal Monastery. All of these places have their fair share of wonderful sights, from the waters rushing through the narrow gorge to the distinctive fairy-tale spires of the castle. I had also paused at certain spots to admire the majestic peaks of the Bavarian alps (such as the Zugspitze or Waxenstein) and to see what small towns like Füssen had to offer. From the hotel window, I could film the mountains for countless minutes, capturing a small wealth of nice-looking time-lapse scenes where the mist rolls off the mountains and trees endlessly. Since it was the 4th of July, I even had a chance to witness the fireworks show at the resort.

For the rest of my time, I focused largely on the daily grind at work, and I enrolled in college again. This time, I strived for a Master's in Business Administration. I was fortunate to sign up when the curriculum was updated, so it took five classes to complete the program (each worth six credits). There were challenges, but I worked through each assignment as they came, and I reached the end by December. I'll have my degree in hand within a couple of weeks, representing the best achievement I've had all year.

Since most of my classroom interaction was done online, I had to make one last trip at the end of the year to see my cohort in-person before we all parted ways. So I made the drive to Vogelweh and I got to see the Christmas Market in Kaiserlautern with my classmates. It was a lively market (likely made extra-lively since a football match happened that same day and made the Germans exceptionally psyched) with good gluhwein. However, the best market I saw this year was in Strasbourg, France. I followed my work colleagues there and was quite enamored by the city's architecture and elaborate Christmas decor. I had gathered up my fair share of sweets and gluhwein mugs, but above all, I took a ton of pictures as well. This was my second time visiting this city, and it was far bigger and more characteristic than I remembered.

This was definitely one of the busiest years I've experienced. I wouldn't say that I've travelled extensively, considering that many folks stationed here take trips much more often with lofty goals to visit every European country while they can. While I will attempt to have a major trip or two every year, I still prefer to find beauty in the spaces around me, wherever I live. I am reminded often of how lucky I am to be in this position, near the Reingau area. But even if I wasn't stationed there, I would consider myself lucky to have remained in the Deep South, which has its own unique spots of beauty. I believe that there were great picture-worthy sights in any spot in the world—it may show that any place has the potential to be a great place to live. Much of it depends on your mindset—it's easy to become blind to the world's wonders if you see only the ugliness. Ultimately, I am grateful to be alive and part of this world.

In the coming year, there may be more amazing sights I'll endeavor to see. But with other matters, I have fallen quite short. I certainly haven't exercised or dieted as faithfully as I should, so this warrants a fresh round of New Year's resolutions in the coming month. I always tell myself that I want to read more books, but I only completed nine of them this year. I haven't even binged on as many films as I usually do.

Above all though, my progress with actual writing has come up woefully short. I started some projects this year, but completed only one. I made big plans for a few fresh ideas, but I could never muster the time, energy, or focus to realize them into written words. Heck, I haven't even blogged nearly as much as I used to. It's possible that my experiences with critiques made me doubt my own abilities and second-guess my story directions. But in the end, as it is with diet, exercise, reading, and other activities, writing requires discipline. I used to have more discipline, likely because I felt more rewarded when completing even a crummy first draft. If I have any big goal for 2025, it would be to write (or at least do some kind of writing-related activity) every day. Even a few written words a day will lead up to a full story in time. This same time next year, I hope to have more finished drafts that I can brag about. Maybe I'll even blog more.

Happy New Year 2024!

For about fourteen months, I've lived in Germany for the third time in my life (second time as an adult). My life here has felt wildly different than the lives I lived in Georgia and Utah. I had forgotten how different Europe in general is--it's not that the place is completely alien to me, but there are hundreds of small, subtle differences that sets its far apart from America. The cities are more ornate. Streets are smaller. Highway traffic is more ordered. Pedestrians and bicyclists are everywhere. Trains are more ubiquitous. You have to put in the effort to separate your garbage accurately. I find some things more desirable here, but there are things to miss about the States as well. I wouldn't say one place is necessarily better than the other, it's just different.

I took the job here with great uncertainty--managing a motorpool is an area of logistics I had rarely become involved with, and it carries its own sets of pressures and expectations. Thankfully, it's never been as heavy as I've experienced with other positions. Part of this could be related to the different people I work with and the nature of the location, but I think I've changed my attitude in a way that makes this business more conductive. As I've seen other personnel antagonize others with negativity and attitude and burn their own bridges, I understand that we all reap what we sow. Attitude can impact any interaction for the better or for the worst, and keeping these interactions positive has led to greater successes. I found that letting certain things go--things like anger, irritation, or fear--has helped make my life more harmonious. I could stand to embrace other practices, like meditation and gratitude, a little more to maintain the right state of mind.

Outside of work, I made the time for a little travel. Biggest highlights this year was visiting my parents in South Carolina, where we went on a drive to the Outer Banks and visited the town of Manteo. In Europe, I had a trip to the Netherlands to see Amsterdam, Volendam, and Zaanse Schans. In touring these places, I had the chance to sample authentic gouda cheese, see how clogs were made, see windmills, and in Amsterdam, I took a boat ride in the canals. More importantly though, I visited the Keukenhof to see the countless tulips in bloom. It was an explosion of color. In the summer, I took a drive to see  Castle Eltz, and even took a tour to see its interior and hear about some of its history. On the drive back, I walked around the towns of Boppard and Bacharach. On sporadic occasions, I would visit the towns of Mainz, Wiesbaden, Rudesheim, Bingen, and Eltville for photos. There were occasional fests as well.

Time flew by as I settled into this location and became accustomed to a new routine. Now that one of our long-standing employees has gone, I expect our workplace to change substantially in the coming months. It might mean more work and running around for me. But while that prospect would have made me anxious before, I find myself at ease more. My confidence stems from knowing and understanding the processes we have to complete the work.

What I need to do in the coming year is to do more--not only in the work that's needed, but also in regards to my goals. Every year I fret about working out, dieting, changing personal habits, reading and writing more. The issue in the end is that I've failed to take action on many of these aspects. For one reason or another, I lose motivation and fill my time with hollow, time-wasting pursuits. If I have any resolution this year, it will be to make the most of my time. I don't want to spent too much time being idle any more, especially knowing that I've been far less idle years ago. My goal this year is to become as productive as I used to be through proactive action.

In the coming year, I expect to take at least a couple of trips--one will be to Venice to see Carnivale, and in a couple more months, I'll visit my parents again in the States. Chances are strong I'll find more sights to visit within Germany in the summer. 2024 could be an exciting and fulfilling year--it's just a matter of taking action and following through.

Happy New Year 2023!

Much can change in a year, and 2022 has seen substantial turbulence thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in the Ukraine. The latter has probably been the most unprecedented event of recent times, whereas I find myself forgetting about the pandemic often. Masking and social distancing haven't been pushed as heavily lately, and my day-to-day routine has felt lax in these regards. It's strange how these worldly problems can be so close, but so far out of mind as well, especially since there are undoubtedly thousands who still suffer daily.

Despite these issues, I managed to see and do much more this past year. My mother had a quilting retreat at Hickory Knob state park, and it was an opportunity for us to see some of South Carolina's natural beauty. A little later, we visited the city of Savannah, where we visited the Prohibition Museum and gained some insight on those troubling times. They even had a small bar there offering one free drink, and I had quite a delicious cocktail there. We also participated in a walking ghost tour near the city center. 

My dad was always interested in Civil War history, so we took the chance to see the battlefield monuments near the town of Ninety Six (that is literally the town's name, weirdly). In the summer, we took a trip around Georgia and Tennessee to see the Atlanta cyclorama, which is a 132-year-old painting that shows a 360-degree view of the Battle of Atlanta, with 3-D figures to help bring the scene to life. We visited Kennesaw Mountain, but were rather underwhelmed. Chickamauga, however, is a major site that has a staggering number of monuments. We saw Chattanooga from Lookout Mountain, which is a fantastic view (and also a Civil War site), and on a whim we visited Ruby Falls--the largest underground waterfall in the country. 

Driving to Alabama, we also visited the Space and Rocket Center at Huntsville, Alabama. It is quite an impressive sight to behold the massive Saturn V rockets, towering over the husk of Skylab, a replica of the lunar lander, and the space shuttle boosters (the shuttle itself was removed for renovation). The site boasted many impressive exhibits that brings a renewed appreciation of the history of space exploration.

My life tends to be split into neat little 3-6 year chunks based on where work takes me, and indeed, it was time for the next biggest change in my life. About halfway through the year, I left the state of Georgia and moved to Germany for a three-year stint as a logistician. It's been nine years since I last lived overseas, and probably eight or so since I last saw foreign land of any kind. I had lived in Deutschland twice before, once when I was an infant, and again as a young adult in the 2000s. The latter phase of my life left pleasant memories of exciting experiences and beautiful sights, so I had yearned to return to the area for a long time. 

Setting foot in the Rhineland again was a surreal experience, insomuch as much of it was familiar, like returning home again, but I had forgotten many small details. Some things have changed, naturally--some roads are closed, some shops and restaurants have changed, and there's more graffiti around than I remember. The most sobering sight was probably seeing the Rhine in the midst of a prolonged draught in August, and the river had dropped so low that parts of the riverbed became visible. An ungodly amount of rain followed in the next month. Fortunately, the monuments, castles, cathedrals, and natural beauty of the area remains standing. The fests and markets still thrive and still offer delightful treats, drinks, and wares. In the few months I've been here, I managed to revisit the cities of Mainz and Wiesbaden, Rheinstein Castle, and a few Christmas markets.

I've gradually become re-accustomed to this lifestyle again, perhaps more engaged than before as I become more familiar with the roads, the trains, and the language. Plans to visit parts of Europe bubble up in my mind. Who knows what I'll see in the next few years?

I wish I could say I accomplished the goals I established last year. The move has disrupted my routine substantially. It's not really a good excuse to slack off on exercise, writing, or anything else. I know I've become undisciplined again, so I have the goal this year to re-established a stronger routine of working out and achieving my writing goals. It will still behoove me to improve my character through gratitude and meditation.

Writing in particular has been frustrating this year, since I've had my fair share of fresh ideas, but no drive to commit them to paper. All of my older projects remain in a rough draft form. Only in the last few days have I taken steps to turn things around. It struck me that I haven't accomplished anything because I am unfocused, so I created a roadmap for one of my novels and started the revision process. It's strangely refreshing to approach the revision this way. Even though I've tried outlines and templates before, I never really consolidated everything this way before, and it's helped visualize clearly what the story should become. If I can successfully complete the second draft of this project, I hope to re-apply this technique for other stories and finalize them. Maybe something can be publishable, who knows? I'm pretty sure the process is turning me into more of a plan-driven writer instead of simply "pantsing" it all the time.

The past year has been quite eventful, and perhaps bittersweet since there are friends and family I'll miss while living overseas. For better or for worse though, my feelings might be best expressed on the recent Slipknot song: I know it's a shame, but I gotta stay, cause I like it here.

There is much to look forward to in 2023, and I'm looking forward to being productive in my new home. I wish everybody a Happy New Year and I hope good things happen to everyone.

Happy New Year 2021!

So much can change in the span of one year, and it's not always for the best. For most of us, 2020 has become synonymous with disaster and hardship, thanks to a global pandemic, civil unrest, social injustice, economic depression, extreme weather, and other problems. It's often felt like every day brings more bad news, one thing after another. We've all had to get used to a "new normal" that includes wearing a mask everywhere (or maybe putting up with people refusing to do so), cleaning the everloving hell out of everything before touching things, and becoming more reclusive than usual. Somehow I managed to survive this year without contracting the COVID virus (*knocks on wood*), and vaccines are slowly spreading to the public. I have hope that by spring, 2020 and the pandemic will become a bad memory.

Of course, some things won't revert to "normal" even after vaccines reach every person. We may still need to wear masks and act like germaphobes for a long time. Heck, I might become paranoid of every exposed surface for the rest of my life. It will feel weird to visit a public venue, event, festival, or even a restaurant, especially if it's packed with people. Will movie theaters even make a comeback, or will we have to stream all the movies for now on? Will the future be more Zoom and Skype meetings and less face-to-face appointments? It all seems likely, for better and for worse.

Many folks have pegged 2020 as the worst year ever. The loss of life has been sobering, especially when it comes close to coworkers or loved ones. It's probably the worst event I've faced in this lifetime, but it only makes me realize how horrific even worse events in history (such as the Spanish Flu and the Bubonic Plague) would have been.

I've been fortunate to remain in my own house, support myself, and continue working as I have been. We had a period of time in the spring where we had to isolate ourselves at home, but that time quickly passed, and strangely we've been working harder now when the Coronavirus cases are at their highest. I have to admit, the pandemic had altered our office in odd ways I never would have predicted, and it's forced me to work outside my comfort zone.

With a substantial amount of leave taken throughout the year, you'd think I'd have found time to accomplish everything I wanted too--most especially writing and finishing a good book. It hasn't quite happened, unfortunately. Though I have no shortage of ideas or projects, I seem to always become stuck with the revision process when I realize that story structure, character development, or just plain logic didn't come together the way it should have. As far as other hobbies go, I still have backlogs of media, still have gigabytes of photos to sort, a few years' worth of video I never edited, dozens of books still unread, among other things. Chances are I simply haven't done enough to make time for all this, especially when I've been unmotivated or idle in my free time.

On the plus side, I've made some progress in my interests. Over the past few months, I've even managed to lose fifteen pounds without really meaning to. I've also seen my parents frequently and seen local placed with them. It's been especially important this year since my father had a pancreatic attack, and needed support to and from the hospital before it was discovered that his gall bladder had to be removed. Then he had to be scrutinized for enlarged lymph nodes in the lungs (which turned out to be benign). Fortunately, he's been feeling good lately and we're all motivated to improve our health over the coming year.

When it comes to next year's goals, it seems like it's the same as usual. Losing some weight and getting healthy is always a priority. Given recent success, I believe that less snacking will go a long way in cutting out some body fat. I still want to write and complete something worth publishing--what I need to do is set aside the time and take the effort to plan or replan my stories, then fix the things that need to be fixed. 

Lately, I've reflected on my musical tastes (especially since I want to post about my favorite albums at some point), but it's made me realize that I haven't heard that many albums that are considered classic or great, and I often focus so much on catchiness and hooks that I probably skimp out too much on the overall listening experience. I've resolved to listen to more music, and listen to it deeper.

I may also make a different plan on how I juggle books and movies. I often cram in movie-watching whenever I have time to spare, but it may behoove me to set aside those hours (and maybe not binge as heavily), and make sure I take the time to explore the streaming services I subscribe to (I figure I can assign it by day--Netflix one day, Criterion the next, and so on). With books, I realize that trying to cram in some pages before bedtime might not be the best approach--I would like to consider setting time aside in afternoons to dedicate myself to books. I should probably also carry them with me and read when I'm out and about (I think this is what Stephen King does, the dude can plow through hundreds because he reads every chance he gets).

Much of this involves managing my time more than anything. Maybe I've wasted too much of it being idle (or "shaming" as my boss would call it). Instead of meandering from one thing one hour to the next, I need to dedicate my time to tasks.

There's no telling if 2021 will be any better or worse than before. With my work schedule changing, I might not even find that much time for all these things, especially when juggling other personal responsibilities like cooking and cleaning. I want to be productive though. Maybe I'll even blog more. I have faith that things will get better in the coming year, and I'll find the time and energy to accomplish the things I want to do.

Happy New Year 2020!

2019 is over, and with it a whole decade comes to a close. The year passed in a flash, probably due to a consistently busy work schedule. All of the 2010s passed by slowly though. It's hard to believe that so much had changed between 2009 and now.

In ten years, I lived and worked in three different places--from England to Utah to Georgia. In each place, I've met so many different people, many of whom have offered lessons, connections, and even fond memories. Each workplace offered their fair share of challenges. In each place I called a home, there were beautiful landscapes, fascinating history, and unique cultures worth exploring.

In 2019, I've had the chance the see several interesting new sights. While my mother attended a conference in Atlanta, I went to see Stone Mountain Park, where a massive mural is engraved in the side of a massive granite mound. In April, I flew with my dad to Seattle, where we visited family members we hadn't seen in a long time and catch up with them. It was also a chance to see the tulip festival, museums (including the LeMays Car Museum and the National Nordic Museum), and picturesque sites in surrounding towns (including a Bavarian town called Leavenworth). Later in the summer, I saw the city of Norfolk and I took a tour of the USS Wisconsin--an Iowa-class battleship that had served during WWII and the Cold War, but is now docked in the city and open to the public. Towards the end of the year, I saw the town of Camden, which hosted a reenactment from the Revolutionary War. These were all rather short trips, but it was far more than I had in the previous year. I probably have as many memories as I do photos.

Outside from these excursions, I've spent my time simply working and going home every day. Same as it was last year. There are a few things that have never changed in the past decade--as I did in 2009, I still watch quite a large amount of films and play video games. I've written several manuscripts, some short stories, but over the past five years or so my understanding of the craft changed dramatically. It happened because I did something I should have done years ago--I sought critiques from other writers, and it underscored problems that I never even knew I had. It's caused me to change the way I write most pieces, and in turn it's caused me to see other works (books and films alike) in a more critical light. The learning process is still ongoing and will likely never end.

This has been one of a few things that made me realize that I may not know as much as I think I do. I thought I knew about writing and storytelling, but it's become clear that there are lessons, techniques, and patterns I was oblivious to. But even in other aspects of life--such as my other hobbies, my knowledge in the workplace, my interactions with people--things I thought I knew turn out to be wrong.

With these shortcomings in mind, it is my intention to achieve a better level of personal discipline this year. In part, it means learning to be patient, listen more, and stop assuming I know all the answers. I hope to improve my attitude, regardless of how cynical the rest of the world becomes.

In other respects to obtaining discipline, I also wish to control my time and actions in a way that facilitates my other goals. One of those goals is to lower my weight--it is something I thought I could control, but it's become apparent that my eating and exercise habits need more accountability, and that's a process that's already been implemented.

If I hope to become a better writer, I always hear that I need to read more. Maybe a lot more. Last year, I succeeded in reading 16 books all the way through--some of which were graphic novels. More should be easily possible, I just need to set aside the time for it. Doing so will mean cutting the amount of time I spend on movies, TV, and video games. Limiting those kinds of activities will probably do me good anyway.

At the same time, my media collection remains rather huge and full of titles that I have never seen. Many of these come from box sets I've collected. It would be nice to get through all 300 or so blind-buys, but one thing is certain: I will be collecting a lot less in the upcoming year.

Last year, I had the goal to have a new novel ready for publication. Or at least something presentable to beta readers. This never happened. Most of my manuscripts remain in pieces, and it's become clear to me that I need to do more work on plotting, outlining, and making developmental edits. I intend on spending more time to do this on old and new projects, but it may also mean more study, reading, or critiquing. Whether editing or doing actual writing, I'd like to make it a focus every day, even if for just an hour.

Those are the broad resolutions I have this year, and it amounts to becoming a better, healthier, more proactive person and a better writer. If I can keep it all up, I anticipate that the 2020s could be a successful decade, no matter how frightening the future and all its challenges and changes may be.

Happy New Year 2015!

2014 is over! It has been quite the eventful year; the combination of travel abroad (including trips to England, Scotland, Washington State, and the Far East) and a consistently-busy day job has made the year feel long and dense.  Parts of it still flew by pretty swiftly, but when I look back at last January, it feels like a long time has passed.

As usual, I passed the time with my hobbies.  I've seen many movies over the year, including many of the latest releases, like Snowpiercer, Guardians of the Galaxy, Interstellar, and more.  I've played quite a few video games; having acquired a PlayStation 4 at the beginning of the year, I became thoroughly engrossed in great new titles like inFamous:  Second Son, Shadow of Mordor, Far Cry 4, and Dragon Age: Inquisition.  My music collection has grown, with awesome new albums by Lacuna Coil, Alestorm, Linkin Park, PM5K, oodles of film and game soundtracks, and of course, Weird Al Yankovic.  I've read about 15 books this year, which is a little more than average, and included some really challenging titles (Naked Lunch and Melancholy of Mechagirl shall stand as two books I'll be happy to never read again).

My hobby of writing, unfortunately, has stalled yet again.  I made great progress for a while on a new draft of The Dark Fairy Chronicles, but after 50-something pages I stopped and never regained momentum.  I do think I can get back into the groove on that, but the story has a long ways to go.  For November, I also started a book called Out of the Blue, and the last couple of chapters need to be finished.  I also finished my draft of Gods Among Men (after two years of sitting around), and Exodus is nearly complete (after three years of sitting around).  Unfortunately, many other projects remain unfinished, including other novels and short stories, and there are many more that are in need of editing or critiquing.

Despite all I've seen and done, the year is not without its troubles.  It seems like the local area has had quite a few tragic deaths.  Even elsewhere, with at least three Malaysia Airline plane crashes, the Ebola outbreak, the Crimean crisis, more war in the Middle East, and the riots at Ferguson, it feels like the whole year has been a challenge and struggle for much of the world.  On the plus side, we did land a probe on a moving comet.

After a while, I couldn't help but to feel that I've become a slacker yet again.  Looking at last year's goals, I'm dismayed to see that I failed to accomplish them.  Thus, all those same goals will carry over to this year:  I will still endeavor to write more, read more, lose 25 pounds, and clean out my computer files.  If there's anything to add, it would be being more social.  The good news is that I've already started on most of these goals, and the last few weeks have already felt productive.

Happy New Year to all:  there is much to look forward to, and with effort, I think there can be much to accomplish.