Random Winter Notes 2018

Been a while since I've done a life update in the blog so here goes. It's always interesting to look back at these posts over the years. For the most part not too much has changed. I still have the same job at Dow Agro as the assets manager of which I am very grateful for. In a couple months I will have completed my 5th year there, which is by far the longest job I've ever had. I'm also living in the same place on the northwest side of Indianapolis, starting my 4th year now. I've had my dog Cochie for nearly 4 years and my pet cat Mugsy for a full year now. They are great companions. Things could be better and things could be worse, but ultimately I am very grateful and content with my simple life. Now on to the new and exciting stuff!

Upcoming 2nd Euro Trip

When I heard Gabriel would begin his second business stint in Brussels and that Andres would be studying abroad in Sweden, I knew I would have to return to Europe in 2018 for a 2nd trip to visit them as well as see more of the cultural world. Over Christmas we began planning our trip of which I will go with my parents and my grandma for two weeks at the end of March. Our plan is still in development but the general itinerary will be arrive in London, fly to Sweden, return to London, fly to Brussels, fly to Athens, return to London, then return home.

I am especially excited about the few days in England, of which we will attend a Manchester United game at Old Trafford thanks to my cousin Cathy Bell's connections with Chevrolet. I am also excited to see the city of London, the countryside of Sweden, and the ancient architecture of Athens. Passing thru Brussels for the 2nd time will also be a noteworthy stop I am sure. I would have liked to visit Germany, Paris, and Rome yet there just wasn't enough time to fit all that in 2 weeks. Some day I hope to have enough time and money to see as much as I can across Europe. But for now I am super excited for this upcoming adventure.

Financial Situation

My job at Dow has it's many ups-and-downs, busy times and slow times, but ultimately is a steady stream of income of which I am grateful for. I am also planning on working my 7th season for the Indianapolis Indians this summer, once again as the video board operator. I just finished my taxes and for the first time in several years I actually got a bit of a return. It seems my problem over the years was exempting too much from my paychecks and thus making for heavy dues come tax season. As usual I had to learn this the hard way. However that tax return was a much needed boost this winter as I have four major costs on the horizon. First is my trip to Europe, second is my trip to California for Danny's Wedding, third will be a new mattress, and fourth will be the repair of my air conditioner. These four items will require some additional finances and budgeting.

To help supplement these extra costs, I have taken on a new job this winter delivering for Uber Eats. All I needed was my car and the phone app to get started. I am my own boss, a contractor partnering with Uber and the restaurants I pick up from. When I decide to work, the requests come thru on my phone and I have the choice to accept them or not. Once I accept a request, I pick the food up from the restaurant and deliver it to the customer. It's a fairly easy process, but sometimes the deliveries go smooth while other times they can be quite challenging for various reasons. It's an exciting job for me tho and reminds me of my 2 years as a courier. It gives me something extra to do on my free time and there is also great  incentives with the extra tips that sometimes come with the deliveries. 

Sports and Fitness

I usually would have a column here about fitness but unfortunately there has been a lack-there-of since the fall. I haven't ran or exercised since early December in part because it's cold out but also because I don't have a race to train for this spring. Normally the big race for myself and my family is the Indy Mini in early May, but this year we will miss it due to Danny's wedding that weekend. I could register for another race, but I just don't want to spend the money. So frankly I don't really see myself exercising anytime soon here. It's not the first time I've taken a fitness hiatus and I am certain I will return to it by the falltime.

However sports is always in my DNA and thankfully I can quench that thirst from the live TV. Watching the English Premier League on Saturday and Sunday mornings is my greatest joy, and sometimes there are bonus games during the week. There's also the Champions League knockout round starting soon and then of course the behemoth of all tournaments, the World Cup this summer in Russia. Aside from soccer there is the Super Bowl tonight, which will put the dynasty New England Patriots against the underdog Philadelphia Eagles. I dislike the Patriots more than any NFL team and would really like to see them defeated. Finally there is the Winter Olympics which will start next weekend, of which I will have a preview to come.

New Phases

Winter time is always the best time to binge watch movies or TV series and I've upped my Netflix game over the past few weeks. I was once again captivated by the English monarchy thanks to shows like Reign and Tudors. I went thru some World War II and Holocaust phases as is tradition around winter time. Also gained a new understanding of the life of Anne Frank, of which I hope to blog about someday. Now I am undergoing a new fascination with King Louis XIV of France thanks to the artistic show Versailles. Surely will have a post to follow on this topic. And finally I am planning a full embankment into Swedish history and culture prior to my trip. I know very little about Swedish history and am looking forward to learning about my partial heritage there.