2017 Year In Review: The Part's That's All About Me!

2017 was a year of change, for myself, my country, and the planet.

For this post, I will focus on family, friends and community.

This has been a great year for acting alongside my son. Benjamin.  Starting with a great turn as Peter in The Diary of Anne Frank (to my role as Mr. Frank), it was followed up in the Fall with our appearance as the Costozuela brothers in the female version of The Odd Couple.  

I have experienced many grand things in the theatre, but nothing quite as special as performing side by side with my son.  He has marvelous acting instincts, and great comedic timing.

But there's more!  Benjamin and I  have both been cast to feature roles in the WACT presentation of The Addams Family!  I will play Uncle Fester and Benjamin Pugsley.

He goes off to college in the Fall of 2019, so I am treasuring as many of these opportunities as I can.

Writing was a mixed bag in 2017.  I did get my book into the local libraries, a long process that took several months.  History of the Trap sales have been small but steady locally, and I only sell ebooks during promotions - on its own it does nothing.  I published my autobiographical short stories in a paperback edition of Here Comes Tommy, to little notice or fanfare.

I completed My Europa, a science fiction story that remains unsold.  I put A Christmas With Pegasus on my blog, and it has received higher than normal page views.  I hope to have en ebook version of it soon.

Crowley Stories: Swamp's Edge remains completed, and I hae done nothing with it, still overwhelmed with Hamletesque indecision as to self-publish or try to get an agent.

I hope 2018 will be a greater time of focus.  In addition to promoting the projects I hae completed, I hope to finish the second volume of History of the Trap, and complete my NanoWriMo project of The Extra Credit Club.

The biggest thing would be to get into a routine of writing at lease some fiction each and every day.  Wish me luck.

Alison had an outstanding year at work, including winning the award for Best Nutrition Staff Support for the WHOLE STATE OF GEORGIA!!!

Soccer became a new THANG in 2017, thanks to my son Doug , and the fantastic inaugural season of Atlanta United!  I saw two games with him, one at Bobby Dodd Stadium (Georgia Tech) and one at the new Mercedes Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.  Alison and I are both becoming enamored with this great sport!

We took a very special trip this year, to the cities of Vancouver and Portland.  Above is a river view of Vancouver, a wonderful city, filled with diverse and interesting people.  We took a number of walking tours, and got to know its in an honest and refreshing way.

The other city on our trip was Portland.  Yes, Portland is weird...but in a fun, delightful way.  My favorite was this sidewalk sculpture.  I called  it....Pigs With A Blanket!

It was the year to say goodbye to my old office, my man-attic, as Higginson & Paulk movved to a new location.  I had to take down my Wall of Plays, and this was my last camera shot before cleaning it out.

One of the most momentous and important decisions of my life was to step down from full-time accounting and only do it on a part-time basis.  

I am so happy that I prepared carefully and was able to take this step.  I am disappointed that I was not able to plan well enough to retire from accounting altogether.  I hae not developed adequate sources of income to completely replace.  I'll keep working on it, and hopefully something will break through in 2018.

2017 was also the year I got my unofficial "semi-retirement" dog.  Another foster failure, once I got attached to him, I couldn't let him go.  Boss-A-Man is a papillion/chihuahua mix of unknown age, who is as devoted to me as Pixie is to Alison.  I love being able to be home more with Boss-A-Man.

2017 as the year that Benjamin stepped forward even more in his church responsibilities.  He ushers.  He is now a lector, doing a New Testament reading once a month.  He has joined the choir.  

I am proud of my son.  Not only is he a good actor, a bright student, kind and understanding, he is also a faithful and deoted Christian, and an integral member of our parish at Grace Episcopal.

In the midst of the horrors of Trump and watching the nation make one bad decision after another, I am happy to be surrounded by such a happy and loving group of family and friends.

Happy New Year, everyone!