Good Bye 2011

So, I have discovered that I am a terrible blogger. So bad that I can’t even remember the last time I actually logged in to blogspot. So bad that the password retrieval almost took an act of congress to get it right. So bad…well you get the point.
Anyways, Here are some of the adventures of the last half of 2012. Amongst my favorites are:

Hiking/Backpacking. I wish I had kept track of all the trips I did this year. Chattooga Trail, Bartram Trail, The AT, The Smokies, the deserts of Nevada, the Pine Mountain Trail, hikes with SEWB, with the GA Dames, the NC Dames. I know I had a couple of hundred miles in there somewhere. And despite the hellishly long, steep, climb in a high temperature situation, I think the hike to Gregory Bald, the subsequent dance on the bald, the lingering in the happy tree, and the hike to the car comes in at the top of my list.

The Summit. I attended the first ever hiking/backpacking conference for WOMEN, hosted by the Traildames. Wow. Seriously, WOW. I got to meet a couple of my Thru-hiker idols, hung out with some really cool women, and learned some new stuff at the same time.

Professional. This year I transferred to Moore Middle School. Hopefully I will retire from here. 18 years, 4 schools, 8 principals, dozens of assistant principals, has taken its toll. I finally feel like I am home. I just hope it lasts.

Family. I think the most proud moment of my life happened late in July, when River Ridge High School in Cherokee County offered my daughter, Lacey, a full time teaching position. I was secretly very happy that she chose to follow in my footsteps. For years I kept trying to persuade her to become a flight attendant for a major airline so I could get buddy passes, (but I was only joking). She is a natural, and I see great things ahead for her.

Automobiles. In July I bid a fond farewell to my 2004 Honda Civic. She carried me faithfully over 200,000 miles in the 7 years I owned her. As a result, I bought Julian, my 2010 Jeep Wrangler. I love him. I am not so in love with the payments, or the gas mileage, but just driving makes me so happy. There is nothing like being in the mountains on a crisp fall day driving around in a Jeep.

Health/Fitness. What a year of ups and downs…lost almost 60 lbs. and am in the process of slowly putting it back on. What in the hell am I thinking? Anyways, with the weight loss came such positive health issues. After years of blood pressure meds, depression meds and sinus meds, I am now totally medication free. Maybe an occasional Tylenol or Advil but that is it. For a while I felt 10 feet tall and bulletproof. I felt so good, so strong, and so healthy. I have GOT to get that feeling back. Soon.

There are so many more things that happened, but these are the ones at the forefront of my memory. Ok, I think that is it. Be back soon for 2012 goals.

You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through- Rosalyn Carter.