2020 Recap and Resolutions

[Latimeria]

I know 2021 will look very 2020 in the beginning, but it will get better.  I wish everyone a safe and happy 2021.

For the recap, I'll focus on the good things that happened over the stuff everyone has to currently deal with.  2020 has seen my first year in over a decade where I ditched the coffin nails for an entire year without any cheating.  Not a single cigarette from December 10th through today's date.  I originally quit because my doctor told me my lungs were in bad shape and my tipping day was coming if I didn't stop.  Well, COVID soon came after and the sudden realization that the perfect storm is in me if I got this virus, so basically scared me straight.

Shark fishing from the surf started out pretty well for me.  More lost than caught fish, but I did start to get on a streak.



Boat Issues again effected me and I spent a lot of money to get something fixed that should have cost me only $20.



The SNBF got off before lock downs took effect which was pretty amazing in itself.  Once again, fishing was a bust though.









I had some decent fishing I'll post about in another spot, but got to spend some quality time fishing the SD Bay with my daughter.  It's been a little rough with all of the home schooling, wife working from home, etc, but these days getting my teenage daughter to do anything with dad makes me happy.





I finally got the Patio Bar Built!  My personal outdoor bar came out tits!  I've been spending some decent time out there enjoying it.  It's literally been my entire adult life trying to build something like this in my mind, but with that said... most of the time it was going to be a lot more "bar Like".  Unfortunately, my wife and I split the cost, so I wasn't able to decorate to the level I was imagining.  lol





Fishing was pretty hot with a few firsts and some PB's.  I'll leave that for another post, but this was my highlight of 2020



Got out fossil hunting a part of San Diego I thought I'd never get a chance to.  Eocene Epoch stuff!  I found a bunch of cool things, but a complete snake skeleton was the pride of the trip!






Mummified or shrunk some heads...



Spent a little time out in the desert in case the world imploded on November 4th.



My pets had a great year as usual...



Boat broke down again and after a few months, got it back still broken....  NEVER USE ANGLERS MARINE in LAKESIDE.

Grew a beard and did a little clamming.



I battled with my shoulder which didn't seem operational anymore, and an MRI confirmed it.  Shoulder Sx December 23.



Pretty much a stretch for making 2020 seem pretty good, but I tried.  lol

As far as resolutions go, I usually put goals for the year like catching certain or certain sized fish, but this year I need to work on my health.  My goal is to lose 20 pounds and get on a daily exercise regimen at some level, even if it's at a novice level.  My lack of fishing this past year, injuries, broken boat, and hiding in my bunker because of my lung issues have caused a little physical and mental health damage that can be rectified easily with a few minor changes.

With all that said, Happy New Year everyone.  Please respond with your 2020 reflection if you want.  I could use some good reading material while I sit here and recover from Sx.

[jrodda]

Happy New Year Tom, and congrats on the no-smoke streak. I figure you'll be lifting tuna cans for a while with the shoulder rehab. I've accepted that having a gym membership isn't my style so I've put two 15lb dumbbells within reach when I'm in my room, so that it turns into a habit of picking them up all the time. I'll go to them a couple times a day when I catch myself web surfing for too long and I'll do curls, squats, weighted crunches, calf lifts, etc. in relatively high reps since the weight isn't too much for me. Get a little lactic acid burn going then go right back to web surfing. It's all about making it easy to become a habit.

[Tim524]

  Great read, Tom !  I think we all can agree that 2020 was a trying year with it's ups and down, so for your reading pleasure I will attempt to reflect on my observation of the year from hell 
As you stated we were able to have the Bat Fight and it is always a great time for my family, so for that I thank you for the event and all you do for the website as well  Our twins have grown so much since we have been attending the annual event and I think they enjoy it and look forward to it more than me now This year has made me realize how fast time passes and how much quality time with family will always be important !!



I had to change some of my bad habits and realize I was not 21 anymore, so like Tom mentioned, The Doctor(s) gave me a wake up call so I began to take better care of myself. One way to stay occupied and improve fitness was to start doing more walking ( 2 miles everyday ) and start another garden. Why not, I have plenty of help  They helped and the garden was a success 





Schools were shut down and the kids had to learn from home, not sure they learned much but they gave it a go   Summer was upon us and we were grateful for our pool and the time we spent cooling off and BBQ-ing



After a battle with an infection I had a Pic line installed in my arm, but I still fished with the kids, land and sea 




We had our fair share of snakes this year too and did some camping with long time friends.








As the year was winding down, we managed a family trip to Lake Mojave with the new boat and have a look at some new scenery which was great. Too bad it was a quick trip but it just made us want to go back for more.


Thanksgiving was here before no time at all It was time for our annual trip to the desert and luckily my dad came out for the day and we got to do some shooting




Well here we are in December and it was time to change out some old parts, so after about a year of pain in my right hip it was time for the swap I was in and out of Palomar hospital and on the road to recovery.



Seems like we were going to ease into the new year without too much more drama, but NOOOO, there's more After months of being cautious and trying to stay safe in public by wearing the stupid mask and washing our hands with sanitizer after every active move, Janie gets COVID 3 days before Christmas. For those of you that don't know, she is an RN and knows all about the virus and how to be safe around other coworkers at her place of employment. She even worked from home when the outbreak was starting and her staff was not allowed to come in her office unless they were cleared by the test screening process. Apparently the masks are not as effective as thought because Janie and her staff wore them constantly but one of them was infected and in turn infected Janie. So for the last 8 days she has been very ill and in bed with fever and chills and very weak. Today is her Birthday (12-31 ) and she is down for the count but showing signs of improvement. So, with my eventful recap of 2020, I can only advise everyone to enjoy every day as much as you can and be thankful for the good times spent with friends and loved ones and lets all have a much better and healthier 2021 !!!


Oh yeah, My plan for 2021 is to continue walking on a daily basis and keep slimming down, I have lost 55 Lbs. so far so hopefully at the next Bat Fight I'll be skinny like Tom 

        P.S. Thanks for the reminder pic of me break dancing in the muck I still have my thumb on the spool....... Classic

[Latimeria]

Great stuff Tim!  Man, I love looking back to see we all did make the best out of the year that was handed to us...


With that said, how's the new hip?  What is supposed to be the time frame for complete recovery?

[Tim524]

Great stuff Tim!  Man, I love looking back to see we all did make the best out of the year that was handed to us...


With that said, how's the new hip?  What is supposed to be the time frame for complete recovery?

The hip is coming along, I ditched the cane and only take Tylenol when it hurts a few time a day. I resumed my walks and am up to a mile a day so far. Doc says a couple months before back to normal and about a year for the bone to fully grow/attach to the titanium shank they pounded into the leg.  Hope your shoulder is healing up well, I know you are chomping at the bit to get out and fish, just don't over do it. The down time is a chance to enjoy that awesome bar and patio

[BenCantrell]

Wishing everyone a healthy 2021! Let's get covid behind us and have all our body parts working. 

[Latimeria]

Wishing everyone a healthy 2021! Let's get covid behind us and have all our body parts working. 

No kidding!  It looks like Tim and I really do have Prehistoric Bodies!  lol