A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

A 'lil HooHaa

Photo Blogging Challenge (June 2023): Where will you go?

So, where did you go?

This theme had a lot of interesting ways it could go. I actually, throughout the month, had taken photos based on a different worded theme — though kind of the same. So I think I can save it!

Was it a big trip? Was it around the block?

Maybe it was just going no place in particular?

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This world is a crazy place now. So the interpretation of “Where will you go” can go in so many directions. I remember the world … pre-covid and even earlier … how I firmly enjoyed traveling.

And it’s not that I don’t like to travel now — I do. But I look at it much differently.

I see things around me more as travel. I like having Harper with me, so that means on the ground travel. I will never ever put her as checked baggage for a flight, so if I can’t drive to it, she can’t go with me. And there’s not many trips I will make without her.

So how did you see this theme? It will be interesting to find out!

Anyway, onward. Here’s my five for the month. I look forward to seeing yours.

1-2. I will go where the adventure is and where the road takes us

Adventure will come in many ways. It might come in the shape of geocaching, or hiking, or some travel, or whatever else.

But most of the time, Harper will be involved.

She may not be able to travel in every way possible, but we will find the adventure. And we will have fun doing it!

3. I will go to where I can be creative

This photo is from work … a “chalk art day” image that I took with my phone. But, the idea is I need to get creative again. I need to find ways of being able to express myself in different ways that are creative. Whether it’s art, or woodworking, or writing … creativity is important to growth as a person.

4. I will go to see friends and explore new possibilities

This world can be a lonely place. Even with a dog like Harper. But I’m working on trying to make sure I see friends and meet new people. And who knows where this journey will take me. I’ve tried to reach out more to old friends. I’ve enjoyed new friends I’m making. And I’m hoping this will make life way more fulfilling as we are, by nature, a social being.

This photo is a selfie from a recent geocaching event. It was extremely fun that night!

5. I will go and create a new tradition with Cam

I recently started going to a barber and he’s done a wonderful job with me. It’s not the haircut itself, rather the work on my beard and also the different way of doing things (straight razor, hot towel etc.) and it’s been cool. This last time I went, my sister-in-law asked about my barber because of Cameron. So my brother then brought Cam when I got my hair done and then Cam got his done. It was fun and the plan is for him to go with me monthly … we’ll get our hair cut, and then we’ll go to dinner. He’s nine now, and as my godson/nephew, I want to make sure I am always in his life. This seems like a great way to do it. I’m told he’s looking forward to the new tradition!

There’s my five and let’s see what you came up with! If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully it can be a place where things are discussed and some interaction etc. You can access it here.

** CHALLENGE CHANGE **

From this point forward, I am going to do the next theme at the bottom of each linkup. Also, the posting date will now be the first of each month, thus giving you the entire month to take the photos etc.

That means it’s a one-stop shop! Hopefully this helps out with everybody.

So, below is the linkup for June. Make sure you drop your link there.

OK, so it’s time to keep on moving! I know this month can be crazy, so … July’s theme is … Selfie! I never was into selfies … but I am getting better with it and now have some fun with it. So let’s see how you all decide to interpret. I know we’ve done it before (or something similar), but this could be fun. Especially this time of year! ]Remember to come back on (hopefully) August 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: June 2023 results

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook!

A close call that makes you think about the big picture more

I’m not perfect when it comes to driving, that’s for sure. 

I’ve been pulled over a few times in my life. I’ve hit deer, had an accident caused by icy conditions and probably, more than a few times, avoided a serious accident by the stroke of luck. 

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve tried to be smarter with driving. I’d say *most* of the time, that works. Not always. But for the most part, I try to do things right and carefully. If my phone is used in the car, it’s speak to text or hands-free talking. Even then, I tend to try and do it as little as possible.  

It drives me nuts when I see people driving and texting and the like. And maybe I’m to a point now where I want to turn on the feature on iPhones (not sure if others have this) where if somebody texts you and you are driving, it sends a message saying you are driving.

There’s a reason for this post. And I promise it will all make sense. However, this one has the potential of being longer, so hopefully you can stay with me. 

First, at the end of April, I was pulled over on the interstate. I was ticketed for doing 80 in a 65 (note: my cruise was set for lower than 80, but I knew I was going to try and work with the court anyway and being it was 10:45 at night, I wasn’t up for an argument with a trooper). I responded to the ticket and was able to get into a driver diversion program. I took the 6-hour safe driving course online, sent in all the needed paperwork and my ticket was forgiven. It just cost me what it took to get into the program, and the cost of the course. 

Was it an expense I didn’t need? Absolutely. But, sometimes things happen for a reason. 

Ever since then, I’ve gone slower. Is it because I don’t want to deal with that again? Of course. But another part of me notes that it’s better. If you are driving, say, 70, instead of 75-78 — how much faster do you actually get somewhere. Over a two or three hour trip… 10 minutes? 15? Is it worth the aggravation? 

I say all of this because of something that happened to me this week. What happened has left me a bit shaken and though I know it will pass, it’s really been weighing heavily on my mind and deep into my thoughts. 

This past week, I was heading home from one of the districts where I work. I was taking a back road, as I normally do. For those of you in the area and know the roads, it’s on the backside of the river between Hamden and Walton. 

I’ve driven this road many times in my lifetime. Probably in the thousands. There are some hairy places on it and people don’t always pay attention to the posted speeds. There are some sharp corners and some flats where the one side drops down into the river. There are also some tight spots where getting two cars side by side can be nerve-racking. 

Walks with Harper mean a whole lot more now.

It was a rainy day, so it was wet out. That, of course, makes things slippery and would warrant slowing down. 

As I headed home, I was just moving along under the speed limit as some of the corners worry me in their own right. The one that always makes me worry is a sharp turn that, as you come from the Hamden side, curves back toward your side of the road, but down a little hill. It’s fully blind, too, so if you take it too quickly, it could end badly. There’s also a good 4- to 6-foot culvert there as well. 

On this day, I was approaching and a truck came barreling around the corner from the Hamden direction. It was a mid-size red truck with a wood bed, instead of the normal bed. That usually means it was lighter than normal. 

This person was definitely not close to the speed limit and as he hit the corner, he came over into my side. Of course when he saw me, he needed to correct himself. That caused a fishtail. When going that speed, you don’t have the control you want. I slowed and got over as far as I could. 

I can only piece together so much of what happened next. I remember most, but not all. With that in mind, when it was happening, it felt like it was in slow motion. 

The other driver came around that corner, tried to correct and started to fishtail back and forth. His whole truck was going back and forth and we missed a head-on collision by mere inches. He kept in the fishtail all the way past me and I’m still not sure how he didn’t hit me at any point. 

He tried to keep it straight and correct but he had no luck and ended up barreling into the culvert. And hitting at least one tree with the back-end of his truck. 

At that point, I had two choices: keep driving or stop. I chose to stop.

I’ve had mixed reactions as to what others would have done. Some said they would have left because, legally, they don’t have to stay. Others have said they would have stopped as well but likely wouldn’t have handled it the way I did. 

I’m actually shocked I handled it the way I did. 

I was calm with it all. I checked to make sure the guy was OK. If we needed to call anybody. There was some blood on the road and some items strewed about the culvert as his window had been open. My guess is he cracked his head during all of this. He definitely seemed a bit woozy as he tried to get his truck out of there. But I noted to him that I didn’t think he was going anywhere as his back axle look snapped. 

He said he was going to call some people to help. I went back to my vehicle. Neighbors came out. Asked if I was OK and then asked if he had been going too fast. I noted that, yes, it sure seemed like it. I am sure living on that corner, those people have seen a lot of fast cars go by. 

I went back to my car and was shaking. I decided to get back out again and check the situation. I asked again about calling. He said no he was dealing with it. The neighbors were there too. The driver noted I didn’t have to do anything as it wasn’t my fault. 

Well, no shit it wasn’t my fault. I had been going under the speed limit on my side of the road. 

I ended up leaving soon after. I did call a police officer friend and asked if I needed to stay. He said no — as long as I wasn’t involved and all, I didn’t have to do anything. So off I went. 

The thing is, I was pretty shaken up about this. I still am. All the way home, all I could think about is if I left for work a few seconds earlier. Or if I had been driving a mile or so more an hour. I’d have been closer to the actual curve and there would have been zero chance of missing a head-on collision. And at the rate of speed he was going, there was a pretty good chance I wouldn’t have reached my next birthday. Or if I did, who knows what kind of shape I would have been in. 

That night when I got home and after I ate, I went for a walk with Harper. I got a bit emotional to myself thinking about how if seconds had changed, I may not have been walking Harper that night or ever again. And for the past several days, these things have crossed my mind as well. 

It’s now been about five days or so since this happened. I’m better, but still a bit shook up about it. I’m sure time will continue to help this. I’ve heard who the person was and some other info, but what’s done is done. That doesn’t even matter to me. A day or two after this happened, I talked to one of the school social workers – somebody I’ve known for probably 30 years. She gave me some good thoughts on how to kind of get my stress down and how to ease through this. So I’m working on things a bit. 

I’m also avoiding that back road for probably a long time. I’ve seen and had a few other close calls on that road (not this close though). People go at a higher rate of speed, and there’s a few other corners that can make you anxious. 

The reality is, I know this was a massive close call. How close, I don’t know. But I don’t think it would have ended well for me if we had gone head on, that’s for sure. 

I’m going to end this post with some other thoughts. I’m not perfect and I’ve had some distracted driving. But it seems like it’s getting crazier. People don’t slow down or stop when people are in crosswalks, and you can see they are doing other things. I’m not sure how many times over the past month where somebody has started to come over into my lane because they are obviously looking down and on their phone. Or how many times people have passed in illegal areas, cut corners at high rates and all sorts of other things. 

Slow down. Enjoy the trip a little. Give yourself the time. Learn and change things up before it’s too late. 

Life is short already. Don’t make it even shorter with stupid decisions. 

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook!

2021: A year in review

In the past when I did my year in review post(s), they tended to come out in late December or earlier in January. 

But that’s OK – I haven’t done them in a few years, so this turned into a much longer post.

I have a feeling many of us would say 2021 was a year of craziness. Between Covid and all of the other things happening around the world, it was going to be nuts right off the bat. 

But, when you get into personal worlds, things can be different. Depending where one lives, you may have been able to do things differently or were able to kind of have a “life” of sorts. 

Living in a small area has allowed me to live life a little more loosely, all while making sure I follow the guidelines set in place. So let’s take a peek back at 2021. 

1. Harper

To say my life changed on July 2 would be an understatement. That’s when this little furball of a puppy came into my life. We had picked out Harper from a breeder about 1.5 hours away and got her at nine weeks. I had done so much research on dogs and golden retrievers over the past year or two, so I thought I was ready for this. 

To a point, I was. But in a lot of ways, I wasn’t even close. 

Puppies are a lot of work. 

I took two weeks off from work when she came home and I was naive to believe that’s all I would need to get her into being the perfect dog. 

Harper on the day she came home!

Ha!

I can’t even say how wrong I was. 

Let me say this … if I didn’t have the emotional attachment I have to Harper, and I could go back in time knowing everything I know now, I wouldn’t do it. I would likely still be dogless, or would have tried to find a rescue I could bond with. But, I can’t go back in time and with Harper being more than eight months old now, it’s amazing to see how far she has come. 

That doesn’t take away how hard it was for a few months, physically and emotionally. I also think it’s quite safe to say I will never go through having a puppy again. One time is enough for me. I was at the end of my rope many times. I questioned if I should keep her or talk to the breeder about returning or maybe rehoming. 

Then she’d look at me with that golden look. And she’d sit at my feet. 

Like I could get rid of her?

I also was fortunate in finding a great doggy daycare/boarding place. The owner owns goldens, so that was great. And Harper loves going there. 

But…

The biggest thing that happened was finding the right trainer. I had one session with a trainer and I just didn’t agree with the style, so I contacted another who was highly recommended. 

Harper in December

Life. Saver. 

I truly believe it’s safe to say that if I hadn’t found her, I’m not sure where I’d be. She doesn’t just train the dog, she trains you. She’s always there to help and work with you. She’s also into dog sports and we’ve worked to make sure Harper is, too. While she enjoys everything so far (toss and fetch was the first), it seems her love is dock diving. I want to also try some agility, eventually, with her, but I love dock diving and that’s what I want to focus on. It’s so much fun and Harper showed great strides in the fall. I can’t wait until spring to see where she can go with this!

One thing I’ve learned, however, is this is going to be constant. She will continue to learn and grow. And it’s a constant growing experience for me. We are still working on some things – such as her wanting to jump up on people or trying to get stuff on counters. But that will come in time. 

Over the six months she’s been with us, what have we learned? A lot. She’s grown into a great dog. She’s one who will cuddle and snuggle. She loves to play fetch, more with tennis balls. And she will go for a long time if I let her. She’s curious. She’s stubborn. She loves to walk, but she needs a job so she is usually carrying a stick or a stuffed animal. 

I’ve been told I seem to smile more and laugh more. I hope that’s true. She’s brought a lot of enjoyment (and frustration at times) into my life, but I’m really starting to have a crazy good bond with her, and I’m trying to plan more places I can go with her. I also love when I come in from work and she comes running to see me. 

Where from here?

Well, I want to work on her with photography more. She tends to shy away from “posed” photos, but I can get plenty of sleeping and action photos. The jumping needs to be worked on as well. Finally, the other big thing is working on her in cars more. She gets motion sickness at times and will throw up. I have a lot of places I want to take her, so this is something I need to keep working on. With my 50th coming up in a couple of years, I’m already planning an epic road trip and I want her with me, of course. 

I post plenty of things about Harper on my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hoohaa29/), and I’m sure there will be posts on here. But, Harper also has her own Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/harper_dublin/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/HarperTheGolden), but I need to do a lot more work on that one.

There is no doubt that Harper is my No. 1 item for 2021. I look forward to watching her grow and develop and continue to be part of my world. 

2. My health/personal life

I was doing so good.

For the first part of 2021, my A1C continued to go down. It was awesome. And the last 3-4 months of the year changed that. High stress – from work and Harper and the holidays and everything else, I just wasn’t good. I was still working on Harper and walking, so I wasn’t moving as much as I should have been. And I also ate more crap and my portion control went out the window. Thankfully, I haven’t put on a ton of weight, but at the same time my A1C took a jump up (got my results a few days ago). 

It’s not an excuse, but I know what happened. And I know the reason. So it’s time to dial it back and get myself on the right path again. I have done it before and know I can do it again. 

Harper walking more will help. 

I’m also trying to utilize my normal planner into a life journal. The weekly look at things has more on it than just the normal stuff. If all goes well, that will give me some accountability. It won’t happen overnight as I don’t have a ton of self-control at times, but it will happen. 

All of my other blood test results looked fine. My blood pressure and such was fine. 

In regard to other things, I’m pretty content in life. I was able to travel a little and get out and see things. More on that below. 

Being able to get away some, like this short trip to the Jersey Shore, has helped my mental and physical well being.

I think the reality of our current world situation – not just the pandemic, but everything political and all, has made me realize that I need to find the more fun things in life. I have to find the simple pleasures. 

Part of that, of course, is trying to find things to ground myself and enjoy the steps in life. That, in turn, should help with my health. 

See, I’ve always been a bit high strung when it comes to stressful things. Over the past few years, I’ve worked on that to try and dial it back. Part of my issue is work. I tend not to say no, or take on way too many things. When I was at the newspaper, I rarely turned something down or made a case why I shouldn’t do it. I just did it. I’d have vacation days at the end of the year that I needed to take or lose them because throughout the year, I’d not take them. 

In the end, I was laid off due to cuts. The newspaper didn’t show me any loyalty when all was said and done, so what did I get in the end? Notta. 

Therefore, as I moved forward, I knew I had to watch for myself. Everybody is replaceable. At my current job. I still push myself probably too far. But I don’t sacrifice “me” time. I take vacations. I take care of myself. And, for the most part, those above me encourage and support employees to take care of themselves. Mental health issues are real and I’m lucky that my employer(s) take things seriously and don’t want to see people have issues. 

That means I take vacations and unplug. I try to get outside and explore. I look to see new things and experience different parts of life. With Harper, I like to go and see different things. 

And a lot of times, when I do this, I don’t look at my email etc. 

Exploring the world around me has been beneficial healthwise. I tend to smile a bit more when I get outside and I’m seeing different things now. Everything is new to Harper, so it’s enjoyable to explore with her and see what she finds interesting. 

My health – both physical and mental – are doing much better since the start of 2021. Though I took some steps backward with my diabetes control, everything else seems to be doing better. It’s a long road and I will keep working on it. 

3. COVID

What a world in which we live. 

COVID has taken over everything. And no matter what side of the fence you are on when it comes to the severity of it, masks, or vaccinations, the reality is we are still deep into it. 

And we’re also at a breaking point. 

The reality is, the majority of people who are going to get vaccinated have already done so. Those who are against it are likely not going to change their mind. And masks? Those who will wear them do so. Those who won’t, don’t. 

We’re two years into this. Almost 5.75 million people around the world have died from the disease, including more than 900,000 in the United States. 

People are going to be set in their ways and beliefs. Sure, you’ll get some who might change their minds some. But the reality is, most are staying along the path. At some point, though, you have to wonder when we start coming out of this. Is there herd immunity? Is there something with the variants getting weaker as they come out? Will it become a yearly “flu” shot? 

I’m vaccinated. I have a booster. And I wear a mask. I’ve been exposed a couple of times and am thankful I didn’t show any symptoms. I haven’t had to be quarantined because I am vaccinated. But at the same time, it still wears on me. I try to do what I can to stay safe and healthy. And I hope others, even if they are against the vaccine and masks, will take others into consideration when making decisions. The sooner we can all get closer to being on the same page, the sooner we can hopefully move away from this and get back to some sort of normal. 

4. Baseball! 

One thing felt a bit normal in 2021 – being able to go to baseball games. 

It started in April when we went to a Phillies game. At that point, there were limited seats. Only like 10,000 people were in the stadium, and masks were to be worn. 

As the season continued – at the minor and major league levels, more people were allowed in, of course based on where you were. Mask mandates were lifted or softened. By the end of the year, it truly felt like baseball again. 

I didn’t make a lot of baseball trips this year. In fact, I only hit four stadiums – Syracuse, Binghamton, Philadelphia, and Aberdeen. The last one was on a late-summer trip to the Baltimore area for geocaching. 

It was nice to be able to hit a few baseball games this year, even if the majority of them were closer and quick trips

It was nice to be back in a stadium for games. I likely would have been to more games, but with getting Harper, it was harder. We did take her to one “Bark in the Park” in Binghamton and will do so again this upcoming season. 

The little things truly do help you cope with the bigger picture. Even just a fireworks night at a baseball game can help make you smile a bit.

It’s funny, though. A few summers ago, I was pushing 75 games. At the end of the summer, I was thinking how crazy it was. Fun? Yes. But still crazy. And it wore me out. Then the first summer of covid, where all minor league games were canceled and no fans for MLB came and went. And, shockingly, I didn’t miss being in the stands as much as I thought I would. 

It was great to get back to it this summer, though. I’ve realized that if I stay in the 25-40 game range most summers, I’ll be quite content and not feel burnt out from going to games. 

It’s only January, but baseball will be back soon enough. Well, hopefully. They still need to figure out the CBA. 

5. Travel 

Travel returned this year to many people. With the loosening of requirements, people got out and visited friends and family. Went to new places. And tourism started to come back into the world. 

I can’t say I went a lot of places, but I got out a little bit, even if just for a few small trips. I had the chance to go see some baseball games this past summer and I also hit up the shore twice, so that was nice. 

I didn’t travel as much as I might have liked this year, but one thing is for sure — I’ve realized you can travel closer to home and still find fun things to do!

I will admit that I’m still a little skeptical about flying. I realize it’s probably overall safe, but I’m not sure how I feel about being masked up for a several-hour flight. And remember, I’m pro-mask for myself in most situations – and being in a tube above the world for a few hours would be a place where I’d wear it. 

But, as things seemingly start to slowly once again improve (I hope), maybe things will get better. 

One other thing to consider moving forward, though, is Harper. I plan to hopefully take her on many trips, which will scratch flying. I am not one to want to put her through that experience if not necessary. 

I’ve also realized over the past year, there’s a lot of things within driving range I’d like to see. New York State has a ton of amazing parks to explore. There are different places throughout the Northeast I’d love to see. And heck, there’s much more in the United States and Canada I’d like to see – and it can all pretty much be done via car, which also means being able to bring Harper with me. 

Look around your own backyard and parks and such near you – sometimes traveling doesn’t have to be far to find some fun things to do. 

6. Geocaching/getting outside

Getting outside was a must in the past two years.

And though I haven’t geocached as much as I once did, it was nice to get out there and do it again. There’s plenty of them to find around me, so it has been good when I’ve needed to do something. I’ve done a few geocaching trips as well, which has allowed me to see some new areas and parks. 

I’ve tried to be out more and to also get back into geocaching a bit. It’s been fun and it’s also nice to find some creative hides.

In 2021, I found a total of 231 geocaches, which isn’t my best year by far, but also isn’t my worst. The good part of it is that it was toward the end of the year that the numbers started coming around. I did 23 days worth of geocaching, averaging 10 per day. 

The good part is many of those caching days were toward the end of 2021, which means I started getting into it again. As 2022 has started, I’ve already started getting some days in, which is great. And I’ve been bringing Harper along, which is even better. 

Obviously, Harper won’t be logging in her finds and such, but she seems to enjoy wandering around and exploring as we’re out on the trails caching. It’s just been really nice to get out and find some caches as well as place a few. 

7. Financial 

I’m in a better place at the end of 2021 than in the beginning, that’s for sure, I’m still not where I probably should be overall, but it takes time. 

If you think back to when I came out of college, I went to work for a daily newspaper. Needless to say, I wasn’t getting rich there. Looking back, I have to wonder how some people survived (or still do) working for newspapers. It’s definitely not a way to get rich. Hell, in many cases, it’s not a way to even be middle class. And while I’m currently not on track to be rich, I’m comfortable. And even better? I’m saving for retirement, and doing so rather aggressively. 

A few years ago, I opened a new credit card and transferred all balances because it gave me interest free on the balance for like 21 months. I paid that off last January, which was outstanding. That meant I was out of credit card debt. 

Now, I use my credit cards sporadically for purchases and then work to pay them off as fast as I can. It was nice because I had a Lowe’s card that I put the fence for Harper on. That will take some time to pay off as it was an investment, but I felt a lot more comfortable doing it with having a clear balance. 

I also am adding more to my retirement accounts as I know it’s something I have to keep building. When I started this current job, I had zero savings for retirement. And what little amount I did have, I had to use when I was unemployed. 

With working for the state, I have a pension now, which is nice. I also have two retirement accounts I’m building. Who knows where this world will be when I finally can retire, but I want to be as ready for it as possible. I wish I had worked for the state a lot sooner in life, but there’s not much I can do about it now. The end result is I will just have to work until at least 65, if not a bit beyond that, to maximize certain things. I’m OK with that. It’s just nice to know things are building toward that age. 

Finances are tricky and always a work in progress. I’m definitely better now than I was 10 years ago, if not just the understanding part of things. 

8. Looking back

I know many people will look at 2021 and yell about how bad the year was. With Covid still running rampant, and everything else in my country and the world as a whole, the year was tough for a lot of people. 

The one thing with the pandemic is I’ve tried to find the silver linings. I do think when this is all done and past us (and I do believe it will at some point) we will find some positives. I can think of a few. It’s just a shame we’ve had to go through a lot of negativity and a prolonged pandemic to find any of the good things. 

To me, 2021 will always be the year of Harper. It’s hard for me to think of it as a bad year when she came out of it. The key is for all of us to keep pushing forward and try to make this world a positive and better place for all!

And, at the same time, will anything positive from this ever outweigh all the bad that happened? Will we ever have a normal again? 

For me, I look at 2021 in a few ways.

I feel I became more in touch with different things and I really think I appreciate things a bit more. The little things, anyway. We’re only here for a short bit of time, so we need to start realizing what is important. 

In 2021, I got Harper. For that alone, it’s a pretty good year. Though it’s been hard and frustrating at times, she’s become such a big part of my life. I’ve learned a lot from having her and I know the future with her will be a fun journey. 

And 2021 ended with hope. Will we get out of all of this in 2022? Will things start to return to somewhat normal? Time will only tell but we can continue to hope. 

Until then, try and be good to one another and yourself. Here’s hoping 2022 is a good year for all of you and that we have a lot to be thankful for when we flip the calendar.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

An award for little old me?

OK, so it’s rare I get one of these blogger Internet-based “chain” awards.

I say chain awards because it’s basically something where somebody gets it from another blogger and has to pass it along to a certain amount more etc. Add to it that they aren’t always the easiest to do because there are always many questions to answer.

That being said, it can be a bit of fun to do.

Mike over at Joe Floggers recently tagged me in a post, so it’s exciting to know somebody things enough of a blog to award this. So, a hearty thanks to Mike for this honor.

The rules are simple enough — post 11 random things about myself, answer 11 questions Mike came up with, then tag 11 bloggers and give them a set of questions to answer, too.

I just have to watch that I don’t put any of the same bloggers Mike put as we have a few common blogs we read, though there are probably going to be a few that are repeated as I think they deserve that honor!

Depending on what set of rules you read, you’re supposed to limit the blogs to those with anywhere from 200 to 3,000 followers. The problem with that is with so many social media setups these days, it can be hard to determine how many followers one has — especially considering some people may follow on more than one medium.

I’ve seen many blogs just hand these out, which I think is fine considering the idea is to hopefully discover some new blogs. So I’m going to be a little loose on the rules. I don’t follow any “mainstream” blogs, so I’m feeling safe in the ones I tag. Basically, I’m linking up some bloggers I enjoy reading. There’s a mix there of guys and gals, crazy bloggers and mommy bloggers, DIYers and foodies, and great writers and fun bloggers. So if you like reading blogs, check  ’em out and look at a few posts and see if you dig ’em as well.

11 random things about me

1. I’ve been to Montreal more than a dozen times.

2. I broke two toes by slamming them into the pipes holding a diving board when I was a junior in high school.

Montreal at night — in one of the dozen or so trips I have taken to the city.

3. I’ve lived in three states (New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut).

4. I hate coming up with random things about me.

5. When in Dublin in 2010, in one day/night, I drank 16 pints of Guinness. I don’t think I’ve had more than five of anything in a night since then!

6. I don’t like having my photo taken, which seems to be somewhat common theme among photographers.

7. I don’t mind waking up early in the morning, though it’s still tough.

8. I have found geocaches in four countries, as well as 18 states and Washington D.C.

9. I have played disc golf courses in three states.

10. I collect baseball cards.

11. I love zoos.

11 questions from Mike

1.  What motivated you to start a blog?

I’ve always been a writer. I had my first newspaper article published when I was in seventh or eighth grade. I began the blog when I hosted a message board and that was one of the addons. I switched briefly over to Blogger, and then to WordPress, where I’ve been for several years. I started it because I thought it would be fun and random, which I’ve tried to keep it that way to this day.

2.  What is your favorite animal?

I’m not sure I have one overall. But, in a zoo or “wild” animal would likely be giraffes or zebras. Domestic animals, I’m more of a cat dude, though I don’t mind well-trained dogs. I’m not sure I’d ever have a dog, though, because of the time needed and there are times I just like to go do my thing.

3.  What is your dream job?

All depending how I look at it, I guess. The job I currently have is truly a dream in my field, because I’m the first person in this company to have it so I get to shape and help develop it. So if it grows, it has my fingerprints all over it. That’s the hope — and plan — so it’s truly a dream. That being said, if we’re talking total dream and likely never to happen, probably working in media relations for the Philadelphia Phillies or something along those lines. I’ve truly been lucky, though, as I’ve already had one dream job in that I covered professional baseball for six seasons.

4.  Does money buy happiness?

Somewhat. Let me explain. The reality is this, unless you’ve been down-on-your-luck and out of it, most people don’t know not having money. Being unemployed for nearly three years gives you a whole new appreciation for things. I was miserable many times during that span. Look at it this way — does one need millions of dollars to be happy? No. But, does one need to be somewhat financially secure so he or she can go on a vacation or two, provide for a family or themselves and the such? Yes. So, yes, money does buy happiness in certain ways. But not all ways.

Though it’s hard to pinpoint one favorite meal, pizza ranks high.

5.  What is your favorite meal?

This is a tough one. I don’t think I could pinpoint one meal that would be my favorite. But there are a few that I always love — hot dogs, pizza, most seafood, or a good burger.

6.  If you could meet one person, who would it be and why?

This is a tough one, so I’m going to go with something historic. I’m a baseball nut and love the history of the game. I’d truly have to say Ty Cobb, who, in my eyes, is one of the most amazing and fascinating players of all time. He fit that time as he wasn’t the nicest of people, so it would be interesting to be able to sit down and meet with him. Who knows how well it would end, though!

7.  If you could live in any other time period, what time period would you pick?

I’d live in the 1920s/30s. Back when gangsters were gangsters. I don’t know why, but I’ve always been fascinated by old-school gangsters and the lifestyle. I could see me on the side of one of those cars with a Tommy gun. I don’t think I’d actually be wanting to use it, but just the image. It’s not that I think crime is good — and I don’t condone anything that was done then or now — but the image of it is kind of crazy. Now, that being said, I didn’t say I’d be on the side of the car with a Tommy gun as a gangster, did I? Nope. I’d rather be someone like Eliot Ness and take them down!

8.  What is your favorite book or movie?

I don’t truly have a favorite book — there are many. But movies, whenever I am asked that question, it’s always the same answer. Forrest Gump.

9.  What is your favorite thing to write about?

I was a sports writer for most of my professional career, so I’d have to go with that. In the blogging world, I have many different topics I really enjoy.

10.  Do you consider yourself successful?

It all depends. Right now in life? A little. I’ve had ups and downs, and thankfully I’m on the upswing again. In the blogging world? For sure. I’ve made great friends, have a lot of blogs I love to read and I enjoy doing it. So overall, sure. I’m smiling, so I figure that has to count for something.

11.  Beer or wine?

Beer.

 11 12 bloggers to whom I bestow the honor of a Liebster Award:

1. Phil at The Regular Guy NYC

2. Jessica at Living La Vida Holoka

3. Hedia at Gunmetal Geisha

4. Rachel at You Just Can’t Google Everything

5. Kate at Another Clean Slate

6. Casey and Sarah at Real Suburbia (Yes, there are two of you, so I think you should each have to answer the 11 questions!)

7. Nicky and Mike at We Work for Cheese (see note above for Casey and Sarah … ditto)

8. Christine at A Fly on Our (Chicken Coop) Wall 

9. Lauren at Think Spin

10. Dufus at No Named Dufus

11. Lisa at Peripheral Perceptions

12. Paul at A Photo a Day

(Edit note: I’ve added a 12th, because I initially had Paul on the list and as I was rearranging, I took off a few who I wasn’t sure if they would want to do this. In hindsight, I should have left them on and allowed them to make the choice. Paul is one fantastic blogger/photographer and I would encourage all to visit his — and the others above — for some good stuff!)

11 questions for you to answer

Should the 11 of you choose the Liebster Award I have placed on you, please write up a post (and link back to me, if you would!) answer these questions, put 11 random facts, and tag 11 more bloggers to get this award. I look forward to seeing some responses, I hope!

1. What is your dream vacation spot and why?

2. Where did you come up with the name of your blog?

3. How do you define blogging success?

4. What is your favorite type of “going out” entertainment?

5. How many states (name them) have you lived in?

6. What is your favorite holiday and why?

7. What’s your favorite number and why?

8. What would be your dream vehicle to own?

9. What is your favorite hobby?

10. How do you try and keep your blog fresh?

11. Where do you do your best thinking?

So, there you have it. For those of you tagged, I hope you’ll jump into this and do it as well. This was actually a fun little post to write and I look forward to see what other have to say. If you accept, have fun with it!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!