2019 recap

When I look back at the early years of this blog and how much I used to write over the course of a year, it seems silly to try to summarize a year in a single post, but that's kind of where I am now. It is nice to have a condensed written record of the year, alongside the fuller visual record I keep at Four Peas in a Blog, so I'm going to keep these annual recap posts going, even if I always get to them a little late.

I've been feeling reflective lately. January is my month to play serious music, take a step away from major activity, look back, and look forward. Never mind that it is now the end of February and it's time to start making something of the current year.

Here's the biggest change 2019 brought me: I went back to full-time work in May. I was recruited by an old coworker to join a consulting firm based on Montreal. It was a difficult decision that I tried not to overthink. It started out as a "I'll just try it, earn a few bucks, and can always quit again" situation, but I should have known I'd get pulled in deeper. I already wrote something about it here and don't want to repeat myself too much.

Maybe I am meant to be a software developer. The new job is definitely challenging, but I feel more capable this time. Maybe my brain works better now that the kids are older and I'm getting more hours of sleep. The biggest downside to the new situation is having to travel for the job. I don't like leaving my family and hobbies behind for a work week at a time. The frequency hasn't been too often yet, but the threat of monthly trips hangs over me.

It is a bit of a relief to not feel the need to make money from photography, but that doesn't mean I stopped entirely (and it doesn't mean I don't like making some extra hobby money from it). I fit in 16 professional photography gigs and one video gig in 2019. A few of them were done without pay and all the money I did make went back into new equipment or various software subscriptions. (And some of it went into funding my short film--more on that in a minute). It's not easy to keep up the side hustle along with a demanding full-time job, so I can't promise I will continue it as a business. I probably need to get better at saying no to new opportunities.

I also dug deeper into shooting on 35mm film. This has probably become my favorite division of my hobby. It trains me to keep my eyes peeled for worthy photos and to really consider my subject before snapping away. The element of surprise in the results and the lack of editing required makes the process a joy. I added some of my film photos to a new page at my Moon Lake Multimedia website. Please check them out and, in fact, click around the rest of the site too to see a sample of what I've been up to.

My interests in analog formats culminated in the production of a short narrative film known as "The Decisioneer." I shot it with the help of a cinematographer and it remains in post-production status at this point. You should be hearing more about it in 2020.

Rather than logging the movies I watch on Twitter and later recapping on this blog, I started an account at Letterboxd. It's very satisfying to write a little something about everything I watch. It gets me to think critically and to commit each experience to memory. I am still focused on watching mostly art house and foreign cinema.

I turned 40.

My lovely wife, R, had a busy year too. Her team at work has been in talks to spin out as their own start-up company. The process has been very drawn out and R is not even sure if she will be included, but they would be foolish to not have her on board. They are developing a cancer detection device that she is quite passionate about. Her commitment to its success is undeniable. She's a hard working woman and she proved it again by doing the YWCA Women's Triathlon for her third time last summer. She keeps extra busy as a Girl Scout leader, keeping up with her book club, and, of course, by being a great mom.

Veronica acted in two plays with the Lakeshore Players group in 2019. She even had the lead part in the one in the spring! I was so proud of her. She also sang in two choirs (one at church and one at school) and joined a Lego Robotics club and  the cross-country ski team. She's been loving reading (ask her about The Land of Stories series) and has quite the artistic spirit. Her drawing abilities have taken a leap forward in the last year, and I am in awe of some of her clever video ideas.

Omri joined the ski team as well and also did gymnastics last winter. He played soccer over the summer and again in the fall. I've been really impressed with his hard work at school. He seems to legitimately enjoy learning about reading and math and all the practical work they do in his classroom. I'm really proud of that guy and how well he's handling full days away from home. He is a people person and seems to make friends easily. I'm not sure where he got those skills!

Oh yeah--both kids have become obsessed with video games.

We hired a nanny for the summer, which, I think we have determined, is well worth the extra expense. It was so great to have a break from rushing the kids out the door in the mornings. I'm a firm believer in them having some downtime over the summer, and not having to pack their lunches gives me the chance to enjoy the bright summer mornings with a jog or a walk to Caribou.

As far as family vacations go, we went to Santa Barbara, Winnipeg Folk Fest, and back to California for a quick visit to two Disney parks. R and I got away for an anniversary weekend in Stillwater as well as two nights in Montreal for my company's Christmas party. We went on a few family camping trips too.

I'd say it was a good year. There was a lot of life happening and memories being made. It's hard to believe that one day the kids will move out and we'll be retired. In some ways it sounds like such a relief, but I'm sure we'll miss these busy days too.

I hope your 2020 is off to a great start!