2024

How did we find ourselves back here again? Did your year zoom by as quickly as mine?  Well, I must continue the tradition of the year end summary.  I'm sorry that other December tradition - the holiday party post mortem - didn't happen this time as I became ill hours before the festivities with dizziness and nausea.  Prevented me from joining my audiology peeps at Drive Shack.  Yes, they decided to have it there for the second year in a row.  My assistant went and had a blast.  She won an iPad in the raffle, too.  I was sorry to miss, but had no energy for big swings and the thought of alcohol and fried food held no appeal that day.  It's OK, regular Lamplight Drivel followers know that our office holiday parties have been shuttled until January for the past few years.  This time will be no different.  You have that post to look forward to.

This Christmas was very nice.  We went to our church's Christmas Eve service.  The church we've been members of for nearly ten years.  And the one we drifted away from this year for various reasons.  Mainly, we just needed a break.  We still love it and its people dearly, and it was nice to see quite a few of them.  Everyone had a candle for the service's conclusion.  We spent quite awhile chatting with folks afterward.  It is likely we will return regularly in 2025 but I'll keep you posted. 

Christmas morning my mother-in-law again hosted a brunch in her home.  I picked up my friend Don to join us.  He turned ninety this year and had a big party back in September.  He worked at a local university for almost thirty years and made lots of friends, many of whom were there.  I met Don sometime during my years at the U, and he's been like family ever since.  He was best man at my wedding.   This year he also moved into an assisted living facility in the north end of the county, so we don't get to see him as much.  It's a nice place and he assures us the food is good. 

Later that day my wife and I exchanged presents and she got me to watch another Christmas Hallmark movie.  Review to come during a future Christmas.  Try to contain yourself.

You've read that my office's clientele historically was very seasonal.  The snowbirds would return to their nests in Long Island and Toronto and Charlotte from say. April to October.  They still do, but each year some announce that they've moved to the Sunshine State full time.  Many new folks have moved here, too.  Filling all those condos just south of me in the downtown area.  Ensuring that we are steady all summer. The traffic never lets up now.  And we keep growing.  How will that infrastructure keep up? I barely recognize West Palm Beach anymore.  Many of those old, beautiful homes I grew up coveting have made way for cold, personality free McMansions.  Or those enclaves that try to look European but are just wannabes.  At least they have impact windows.

There was quite a bit of turnover at the practice early in the year, including one of the ENTs.  That was a big disappointment.  You might recall a young doctor came to us from Arizona.  One with a broad repetoire. Very nice fella, too.   But he and his family were not fond of South Florida for more reasons than I'm probably aware.  He departed in March, a mere nine months after his arrival.  Back to AZ, in fact.   I looked him up.  His bio on the website for his new clinic states that he spent a pleasant year in Palm Beach.  I hope that's true.

My wife left her job in the medical insurance biz after three plus years.  She had enough with corporate micromanaging and co-workers who didn't seem motivated.   Sounds like many workplaces, hmm? 

She also turned in her Nissan Leaf electric car following months of great aggravation.  A shame, as for awhile it was a nifty ride.  But the battery life would drop from 80 to 10% just by accelerating over 40 MPH.  It was odd.  After our move to a condo last year we no longer had somewhere to plug it in, so regular visits to the FPL Evolution charging station (in the lot of a strip shopping center) became an every other day necessity.

Fast charge, usually under an hour, but it seemed it would not last as long as when we plugged it in the garage at home.

I started taking the Leaf to work last summer as my commute is much shorter than my wife's was, but even a six mile drive became an ordeal. Distance anxiety.  While trying to ascend (at maybe 20 MPH) a bridge one morning the car lurched as if about to die.  Scary stuff.  That was the tipping point.  Looking at hybrids now. 

The top picture also refers to...well, you know.  We'll see how it goes the next four years. I will refrain from commentary.  Honestly, what is left to say in a system that is beyond satire?  I can tell you that the Southern Blvd. bridge over to Mar-a-Lago is often closed and this creates gridlock in Palm Beach.  Oh, dear.  I hear about it every day. 

Barely traveled this year.  Other than an anniversary trip to Marco Island in May and my attendance at a cousin's wedding in suburban Cincinnati in early November.  Both were much needed times away, the latter with family I haven't been around in far too long.  I hope to have an interesting destination post or two for you in 2025.  Traveling has become a real pain in the butt, yet still worth it.  I'm trying to organize trips to Norway and Italy.  Need to return to California.  

Condo life is good.  A roof assessment threatened a spike in our HOA dues, but thankfully that has been delayed for awhile.  We've been lax in setting up the place, really still enjoying our freedom after many years at my mother-in-law's house.  I'm sure we'll get it together in '25.

That's basically it.   A decent twelve months.  As I assess I remain grateful and hopeful as always.  The blog will go on, plenty of movie reviews to come for your consumption.  I hope you enjoy them.  There will be a smattering of book, music, and restaurant reviews.  And of course those intermittent audiology posts.  Have you had your hearing checked lately?

Happy New Year!