end of a good year 2007

2007 has been an interesting year of changes.

2007 started out with enjoying the results of several months of renovations to the whole house except for the kitchen. Long baths in my new airbath were a luxury that I enjoyed after training days for my second 1/2 marathon that would be in April. I also reconnected with some long last friends that decided to train with me to also do the 1/2 marathon that would raise money for Love Helps. I am President of that local non-profit.

I had been feeling like I was hitting the glass ceiling at HFR where I had been working for 14 years and was an associate. About 5 years ago, the partners decided to change up the teams and the way they were managed. Since then, I had been feeling like I was stagnating. I had felt like I had been passed over for advancement in the firm and the pay was not keeping up with what other firms were paying for a person with my experience. The stress caused me to put on some pounds. In 2006, I had lost about 35 pounds so I was feeling better about myself. I had lost the weight having in mind to look better for pursuing dating and possible a job change. Early in January, a headhunter called me for a new position at a firm here in Nashville.

In February CFP, offered me a Senior Management position that I could not refuse. The money was great, people seemed nice and I would pretty much be doing the same work for more money. I would have to give up my 3 weeks vacation and go back to only 2 weeks per year. It is a small firm of 25 with plans to grow to 50. I took a week off and took care of some errands that I had put off and did a day at trumps. At Trumps, I had a massage, mani/pedi, makeup makeover, color and cut. I started working at CFP March 15.

My commute to HFR was not a long one, but CFP was even closer. I cut my commute in half to 4 miles.

Around my birthday, I dropped a chunk of change to become a member of the Oxford club chairman's circle.

End of April, I did the Country Music 1/2 Marathon in a time better than I did last year. I felt much better at the end of the race than I did last year. It was much easier doing it with friends and we were distracted by our talk. At about mile 11, I realized that we might be able to beat my time last year.

First of May, I was asked if I wanted to attend the National AIA convention in San Antonio. After 25 years as an architect, it was my first time to attend one. The theme of the convention was sustainable design, and Al Gore was the closing speaker since he has been doing so much on the subject of needing to be aware of what we are doing to our planet. I suffered thru his talk. I was lucky to find a seat in the convention hall.

In May, I was appointed by the mayor and council to be on the metro stormwater committee to review variance requests and make rulings for approval or deny. Dec 06, the property behind be was sold subdivided and sold off for development. It is in the 100 yr flood plane and it will be difficult to develop without variances. This summer the developer applied for variances for floor level, over 100 cf of fill and another item that I don't recall. They were all denied after a neighbor brought a petition requesting denial of the fill request. Be interesting to see what they do with the property now. They did clean up some of the scrub brush before the hearing. But it will grow back in the next few years if nothing is done.

After a month of working at CFP, I got a promotion to team leader and have 6 to supervise with varying abilities. For the first time in a long time, I really feel like I am being listened to and making a difference where I work. Suggestions for improvements are being considered. I'm trying to not rock the boat, too much.

In July, I decided I needed to find something to change up my exercise as I have not been losing any weight, just maintaining and I needed to get 40 more pounds off. Maintaining in and of itself is a feat because the stress of changing jobs usually causes me to emotionally eat for stress relief.

I was asked to do a mystery shop at a bike shop. The salesman was persuasive and I ended up buying a bike. I justified it by thinking I could ride my bike the 4 miles to work and back getting an extra 1 hour a day of exercise. I only rode my bike a couple of times, but never as a commute. I never got the side saddles to carry everything I needed to work. It is pretty easy to get an hour of exercise on the bike, if I can get my butt used to the seat. We also had a insufferably hot summer and drought so I thought I would wait to it was cooler to try the commute.

In August, Mother makes overtures that she is interested in moving. I suggested she look around and see if she liked any of the assisted living or independent living communities in the area. I thought it would not go much further than that suggestion. I had been worried about her having to go up and down the stairs and possibly falling and no one being there to help her. It seems doing most anything exhausts her now. A few weeks later, she indicated she had done some looking and wanted me to look into them to help her make a decision. Her long term insurance would need to kick in for the move to happen and would only pay for assisted or skilled care facility.

We settled on Brighton Gardens, and got her Doctor to write a report that indicated she needed the assistance. The first contact with insurance indicated that the review of the Doctor's report would indicate that the insurance would pay. We were within a week of moving her and a new person with the insurance got involved and indicated that insurance may not pay and she would have to be in the facility and then evaluated before she may or may not be approved. Mother did not want to move then have to move back if not approved. Things had been bought and we called it all off and I returned everything but the HDTV. I got busy at work with deadlines and have put off trying to find an advocate for us to work out things with the insurance. That is on my to-do list for early 2008.

Sometime in August, I received an email from Woodmont's choir director requesting I consider returning to the choir for the fall. I saw it as a sign and started attending rehearsals and doing better about getting to Church on Sunday to sing in the choir.

August was also a sad time for me. Soon after the back pedaling on Mother's move, Bijou started having bad episodes of walking the floor with pain in his back. After several visits to the vet and emergency clinic where several types of meds were tried, it became apparent that his pain could not be managed and a few days before Labor Day weekend he was put to rest so he would not suffer.

In September, I saw an article indicating the David Lipscomb was inviting the community to join the community choir. I went and it is an acapella choir with a great director who directs the DLHS choir. I will get a lot of great voice lessons if I continue. They meet a couple nights a month during the school year.

In October, Mother started complaining of dizziness. Rounds of Doctors and test found she had an inner ear imbalance. I had to insist on getting her to Vanderbilt for further testing and finally had a risk of falling assessment done.

Beth, Katrina and I have been keeping up our walking of 6-8 miles on the Saturdays that we can get together. The couple of hours are our therapy time to discuss kids, relationships, dating, etc. We plan to do the CMM again in 2008 and then do a trip to Destin to use a week of my timeshare usage.

The Love Helps board has been getting together in special Saturday sessions to review the strategic plan. It is taking to long to complete.

In November, I was asked to fill a slot in the Woodmont handbells. I have always played instruments or sung in the treble clef and now they have placed me out of my box in the bass clef bells of G and A. It seems so foreign, and they only have a few rehearsals before I have to play these bells for a special music program. I muddle thru the performance and play most of the notes at the right time I am suppose to ring.

Beth asked me to join her and Greg's table at the Arthritis Tribute Black tie optional event. I went shopping and got a red party dress and did three free tanning sessions so I would not look so pale in it. I thought I might get good use out of the dress at three events that were happening in the next three weeks. The tribute, fawn's daughter's wedding and the CFP Christmas party.

Making more money allowed me to feel like I could do a table at the annual Holiday Luncheon. Dean asked me to speak at the Holiday Luncheon. I agreed and I manage to get thru it.

My family managed to get thru the holidays without a major life event. I have come to dread the holidays because many of the past ones have been marred with tragedies. Death of a Great Uncle, Grandfather and Father come to mind. There were also the years where my Uncle's house burned and a cousin committed suicide. Then there was my big crash of Dec 1995 which left me in rehab for a couple of months. So you see I am so glad to report that 2007 was an exception. Since 1995, I have really not stressed about trying to do all the busy part that some do with all the traditions of decorating, sending cards and entertaining. 2006 was busy with trying to get the house finished so did not find time to decorate and 2007 holiday season was busy with deadlines.

I gave all my friends pray boxes this year for Christmas. I do pray that we all find 2008 a healthy and prosperous year.