Where did the time go (again)?

 Five years ago I published the same question covering the same year. Reading through my blogs on a rainy Sunday, I discovered that I neglected to update my blog for a very long time. 

Again, this year it is September and I asked myself the same question - where did the time go? It seems that the older you get the faster the time flies. Although the daily routine does not deviate too much it still is Sunday then Sunday again.

 

Year in Review 2020

Looking back 

Even though the world is in turmoil because of the virus, it was not all bad.

We welcomed 2020 in the usual way as the new year, not knowing that this year was a life behavior changing event. 

The early spring delivered a mandatory vacation aka lockdown. I did enjoy the “guild free” time off, it allowed me to catch up on many projects around the house. Luckily, I was able to empty my storage unit before the lockdown. The unit contained most of my tools as well as items we did not have space for before.

I managed to finish the kitchen, laundry room, both guest rooms to our liking, also in preparation for guests later in the year. Of course, the guest visits did not happen as planned.

Romeo and Juliet Room

Laundry Room

Kitchen and breakfast area

In addition to the renovation of the rooms, I spent considerable time to automate and control areas of the house. As a platform I choose the Home Assistant running on a Raspberry Pi. It connects nicely to Samsung’s Smart-Things, Phillips Hue, Z-Wave and WIFI enabled devices. It took several months of programming, trial and error until I had the screen I was planning on. As usual it is more ornate than some of the other screens Home Assistant shows as demos. Below is the beginning of the year.

Shown is the Holiday theme, of course the screen changes from day to night, seasons, and switches the backgrounds on holidays or other special occasions.

Business started to pick up in the late spring, however, it was somewhat unnerving leaving the house every day to go to work. One of the welcomed side effects of the new situation was lesser traffic. It cut the travel time by at least 40%, and lesser tolls.

By June I was booked until September. I was planning on taking time off after October 1^st, but it did not happen until the beginning of December.

In between projects I continued to renovate and maintain the house. The annual power washing of the house, driveway, and the deck was one of the weekend projects. Finishing the garage was another challenge. Moving tools around, sorting various parts into bins, building doors for the existing shelves, applying epoxy paint to the floor, paint the walls, installing baseboards and crown molding (yes, I have crown molding in my garage), new lights, and a ceiling fan. Most of the crown molding were either giveaways or left over from jobs and they had to go somewhere.

Before including items from storage

In the early part of the fall the dining room took shape and we were able to use it for an excellent Thanksgiving feast.

Sadly, my sister was not able to make the trip from across the pond for my birthday because of the travel restrictions. However, there was a highlight this year in the form of a Harley Davidson FLHTCUI Electra Glide Ultra Classic as a birthday present. It has been my favorite motorcycle ever since I was allowed to ride one.

The latest creation was the master bedroom bathroom toilet area. Originally, I only planned on replacing the way to low toilet, but then I got carried away.

While working on the garage, I ventured into the attic space above the garage and discovered that there is absolutely no insulation. The attic space spans all the way across the house and also holds the walk in closet for the master bedroom. Another project in the making. It took many ladder climbing efforts to maneuver all the insulation batts through the tiny hole in the ceiling.

This year we were on time in getting our Christmas tree, the day after Thanksgiving. Compared to last years tree, this one was bigger. For a theme we decided on red and gold.

and the outside decorations

 

Yet, another highlight for this year was the Winter Solstice on December 21, which is the shortest day and longest night of the year, also when the sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation. Winter Solstice this year will see a rare astronomical event - the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. 

True to the saying that ‘every cloud has a silver lining,' the pandemic-ridden 2020 is bringing a year-end treat for all of us. 

This year's celestial spectacle is especially rare for a few reasons – it has been nearly 400 years since both the planets passed this close to each other in the sky. The last time it happened was in 1623, 13 years after Galileo Galilei built his first telescope, when it was given the name 'The Great Conjunction'.
 
It has also been nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night. The Great Conjunction is taking place at night this year, allowing many around the world to witness the extraordinary event of the alignment of these bright planets in our night sky. * 

I ventured out to see this rare occasion, however, I only saw a small glimpse then the clouds swirled in.

Soccer

 Needless to say, my beloved soccer playing was cancelled for the spring as well as the fall season. I am hopeful that by the time fall season 2021 comes around we safely can resume playing. 

Movies 

With most people at home, it seems that the B movie industry boomed. Apart from a few movies or series such as The Queen's Gambit and The Old Guard there were only a few other watch worthy flicks or movies far and in between. Although I binged on Hart of Dixie, Emily in Paris, The Punisher, Warrior Nun, Outer Banks, Lucifer, Shameless, Bodyguard. Even those movies became somewhat repetitive. There must be some writers out there who can come up with some more intriguing plots. Some of the latest seasonal movies resembled a high school play at best. 

Football 

Perhaps the thought was that after the name change and a new coach it all will change for the better. Not really. The return of a severely injured quarterback, Alex Smith, showed some promise, it also showed who can lead a team. Of all the divisions, the NFC East is a sad story. All the teams in that division have a losing record, yet the Washington Football Team are on top with one more win than Dallas and Philadelphia. Watching the games is somewhat painful in comparison with some of the more capable teams. Although a long-time fan of the WFT, I enjoy watching Kansas City or the Miami Dolphins more. Both teams have young quarterbacks (Patrick Lavon Mahomes II and Tuanigamanuolepola "Tua" Tagovailoa respectively) who think outside of the box and are very dynamic. Yes, the Baltimore Ravens also have a great quarterback, however, it does not seem to be a complete team. Especially when the quarterback has more rushing yards than the running backs. This year, 2020, it seems that the top is more distributed than in previous years – we will see. 

Conclusion 

 * By Jasmin Jose (Gadget 360) | Updated: 21 December 2020 16:50 IST

Where did the time go?

Indeed, where did it go? It was just May when I wrote about the rolling thunder event, now it is October ...
As I get older it seems that the time is going by faster, perhaps it is the fact that you already have a plan (or something close to that) on what needs to be done during the day, week, or even months. In the younger years there were always deviations from the daily routine, now, not so much - the rat race.
As Harry Chapin expressed in his 1974 folk rock song  "Cat's in the Cradle" - "There are planes to catch, bills to pay" - .. "if I could find the time, You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kids have the flu". A relationship between father and son - missed opportunities to spend time with each other ...

I venture to say that you should stop and smell the roses once in a while.

Rolling Thunder XXXII

After living in D.C. for some time now I decided to pay tribute to the "last ride" since I missed many before that run. It was a very moving and overwhelming experience to say the least. There were thousands of motorcycles of many shapes and sizes as well as thousands of people lining the streets. All the roads with access to the mall were closed and blocked with dump trucks.
I was lucky to catch an Uber driver who knew his way around, he dropped me off just across the street from the Hirshhorn Museum just in time to witness the first wave of motorcycle riders. I crossed the mall to view the rest of the run on Independence Avenue.

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Part of the program for Sunday
Sunday, May 26th

12 PM - Rolling Thunder XXXII First Amendment Demonstration Run

First Amendment Demonstration Run - Bikes leave the North Pentagon parking lot to begin their run through the Mall area. After the run, police will direct riders to West Potomac Park, where they will pay tribute to their fallen brothers and sisters.

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As the Washington Post reports:

Rolling Thunder takes its final ride in Washington

By Jessica Contrera

May 26 at 4:26 PM

It was the Sunday before Memorial Day, and in Washington, that has long meant that one of the world’s largest motorcycle rallies was in town. Every year since 1988, riders have roared into the District for “Rolling Thunder,” a demonstration in support of veterans, prisoners of war and service members who went missing in action. But this year, the organization’s leader, Artie Muller, had announced that the financial and logistical burden of making the rally happen had become too much; after 2019, the event in the nation’s capital would be no more.

The news inspired hundreds of thousands of bikers, likely a record-breaking number, to flock to the Pentagon parking lot Sunday morning, ready for their final ride into the city and around the National Mall.