Another year: Over and Out

Wow. It's December 31st, 2014. The very last day of another year.

This time of year always has people in retrospect. We're looking at the past 365 days and trying to figure out how they measure up in the grand scheme of life. Are we happier today than we were a year ago? Did we do anything absolutely show stopping to brag about? Are we making more money, taking better vacations, working more exciting jobs? Did we get married, have kids, buy a house, lose weight, make a milestone somewhere? We all seem to try and rate how well we did by some sort of magical, invisible scale of success.

But really, does it matter? Sometimes just living life, getting through it and having a little fun along the way is enough. Maybe it's okay just to be happy with simply making another trip around the sun.

I didn't do any of those milestones listed above, but I do have to say, I'm okay with that. As I reached my 32nd birthday, I came to the conclusion that although life isn't necessarily where I thought it would be by now, I am exactly where I need to be.

Highs/Lows/Mediocres and all....2014: That's a wrap. 

SEA-HAWKS

This year for Christmas, my brother and I got my dad tickets to a seahawks game. It was my first game a Century Link, in the midst of the awe inspiring 12th man crowd. 

It was amazing. Even if we were in seats closer to heaven than the field. 

The Hawks won. Obviously. So it was a Good time had by all. 

When East Meets West.

I know back in week 13, as it was my last week on the road. However technically, I did have one final trip back to the East Coast. Every December we come to Connecticut for our end of your meetings and the company holiday party. I look forward to this time of year because it's fun to get to see my colleagues and spend some time in New York City. 

This officially marks the end of the semester. I can't believe how quickly time flies. I guess people are right when they tell you that life tends to fly by. Maybe it's just me getting older. (That's probably it.) This year's holiday party was held at a bar near downtown. We spent the afternoon hanging out with friends, drinking and eating lots of good food. Again I didn't win any cool prizes. Every year the company raffles off two round trip tickets to London. I always think I'm gonna win. But I never do.

I guess there's always next year.

After the party, friend A and I went into the city to go see a show. The play was just mediocre. But it was fun to get to see the city at night all lit up Christmas decorations.

Final State Count for Fall 2014: 22! Almost half of the country was visited in 16 weeks. What the what?! 

California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Utah, Nevada

#waltersout

This is Real Life: Tear Gassed.

Last night I was attending the Audra McDonald concert in Berkeley. In the midst of CA life right now, we're going through some major protests on the Police brutality surround our country. #Blacklivesmatter and #handsupdontshoot are parts of our everyday lingo and rightfully so. We clearly have issues and the militarization of our police systems is causing people to lose lives.

There had been a lot of police activity in the area before the concert even started. So not the setting you'd expect before an Audra concert, but it was on the Cal campus, so that area is always a buzz with protesters.

If you don't know Audra McDonald then let me enlighten you: fantastic, fantastic singer, the only Broadway actress to win a Tony award in each of the acting categories, median age of concert goers: 60 plus.

Not the demographic you'd consider getting caught in the middle of a dangerous protest.

After the show ended, the venue did warn us that there was a lot of protesting going on around the parking garages that most would have left their cars at. Little did I know what we would all be walking right into.

Let me say this, I never once saw a protester do anything that would warrant the treatment they were given by police. I may have missed it, but overall everyone was being incredibly peaceful. However, as a we walked back to our cars all I heard was yelling by police, telling everyone to get out of the streets and then a big boom.

It was too quite for a bomb, but I knew it wasn't going to end well. At this point I had almost made it to the garage, which I'm guessing was a good thing, though I did learn that tear gas (yes, that is what the boom was) gets stuck in compacted areas.....like a garage.

I've never felt anything like it....and I hope to never again. I was enraged as I watched a lot of older people struggle to get back to their cars, fear in their faces. Thankfully I made it back to mine and ended up picking a few people up to get them out of the air...though it was already burning our faces and our eyes.

I get that the police were trying to control the town....but tear gas is technically a chemical weapon....and don't we frown upon other countries for using that? But why is it okay to do it to our own citizens?

Not cool Berkeley. Not cool.