Reviewing the year.

Facebook reminded me that on April 10, 2022, I posted this on my feed:

Little did I know at the time what adventures the year ahead would contain.

I knew of one: Starting a new job on April 11th.  I hadn't told many people, partly because I am a private person and don't like answering the same question fifty-zillion times, and partly because the last time I did so, it didn't work out as well as I'd hoped.  I ended up being rehired by the company I left, to their delight, and that was a good ride until it wasn't.  That's when I decided to again look for a new job - with the full support of my boss, who'd long been telling me I was underappreciated and we both knew I was underutilized - and this time, I landed in a very different situation.  Some of the people had known me in the past, some knew me currently, and all were very happy that I was considering coming aboard.

On my one-year anniversary today, I received a thank-you certificate from the CEO of my new company.  I'm sure they are auto-generated, but it's a nice touch to receive it.  And coincidentally a colleague, one of the ones who'd left the old place also, and had recommended that they hire me at the new one, told me in a call this morning that he continues to be glad that they made an offer to me and that I accepted it.  It's nice to be appreciated, and such a change from the last 'new job'.

Then my uncle, for whom I was POA and trustee, died on the last day of May 2022.  And I had to communicate with family, and wrap up everything related to his trust and estate, and that is not-quite but nearly done.

Late summer I accidentally bought a house, and began the process of moving.  I am still not settled; two Saturdays ago my mattress arrived so I could start sleeping at the house, but I had a code for the Dallas Opera's livestream that night and it ended too late  to go to my house, according to my mother.  So I planned to finish the move on Sunday, but the weather was very nice, and my father wanted to do gardening.  Needless to say, I am the assistant gardener which means Dad points and I get dirty. 😄

Thus I wasn't able to get much unpacked and organized that weekend, although I did some things.  On Tuesday I cooked my real first meal in my new kitchen, which doesn't look like much, but in a disarranged kitchen, it was a pleasant accomplishment:

Spaghetti with asparagus and chicken poached with garlic
and olive oil.  Not fancy, but fresh and yummy.

Then Wednesday started Passover, so I went to my parents' house and made matzoh ball soup:

We had a nice mini-Seder that ended with a dance party to "Pharaoh, Pharaoh".

Thursday was the last nice day for a while, so I went in the morning to geocache a bit before work hours began; there's a local group that has a monthlong event, and you can do it as fast or slowly as you like.  Points are awarded for being first to find some special items, and to guess answers to clues, and so on.  Given that I am not retired nor competitive, I am doing it as I have time with my only goal to find all the caches.  Some of the caches are just an item of which you take a picture to prove you were there; others have SWAG that you can swap.  I decided to try for a couple of these and now possess these items:

Then the weekend became cold and RAINY, as in POURING rain.  A good time to do indoor things such as have a local handyperson come to help me put together three large furniture items, so I can put away clothing.  He is part of a group from the Veterans Club that does small chores for people as a way of fundraising for the charitable works the club performs.

So that was an accomplishment.  And the eggs and muffins.  And our weekly soufflé:

Mom made the spinach-and-raisins side dish.
The daisy is the one I added to their basket as I left my house.

Tonight I start an online class on "World Wisdom Literature" through the University of Chicago's Graham School for Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies.  Homework that doesn't involve yarn or fiber or beads = yikes!