How did 2023 treat you?

[Bearcat]

I've had to take down monthly ratings the past couple years, and at times damn well could have been weekly, because they were roller coaster rides of highs and lows... family issues and drama, financial shit, more family issues. It was a ~2 year exercise in compartmentalizing, to let go of the stress of the bad in order to enjoy the good.

This year was far better overall, in the realm of Taylor Swift, comparatively... a much needed job change, some travel, family that's doing far better.

Far fewer irons in the (dumpster) fire, plus at a good point career-wise to have more time dedicated to friends and family.

(relevant Office gif)

Andy Bernard The Office GIFfrom Andy Bernard GIFs

[Pinchshot]

As bad as 2023 was, I'm scared for 2024.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by Pinchshot

As bad as 2023 was, I'm scared for 2024.

Just remember the dumpster fire 2020 and 21 was and it will be hard to complain.

[lewdog]

8 for me.

Wish it was 69 though.

[scho63]

Originally Posted by lewdog

8 for me.

Wish it was 69 though.

Lets be honest. You're still trying to master missionary.

Leave the more complex stuff for us more experienced fellows.

[Stewie]

It was an 8 for me.


Retired now, so did a lot around the house. Some projects still in the works.


Had cataract surgery in September. That's a Godsend. My vision was failing fast due to the type of cataracts I had. Another year and I wouldn't have passed the eye exam at the DMV. Now I'm 20/20. Forty years ago I would have been screwed since surgery didn't exist.


Nice Thanksgiving with family in the Rocky Mountains. First time doing that and will definitely do it again.


Hoping for another 8 or 9 in 2024

[duncan_idaho]

I'm looking forward to closing the chapter on 2023.

My dad died. My wife broke her leg and couldn't walk for 16 weeks and couldn't drive for 6 more after that. My mom is an insane, delusional, toxic mess, and if I don't deal with her, family I care for deeply has to (grandma, uncle and aunt, sister). My parents had just moved when dad died, and I spent an exhausting month this summer going down to basically fill dumpsters with stuff they've hoarded (poorly) since the 80s, making it trash I have to pay to get rid of.

Looking forward to 2024.

There were some good bits in there, too, though. Mrs. Idaho and the spuds are awesome. Wife and I went on an awesome trip in August. Chiefs won the Super Bowl.

I gave it a zero, overall, because the lows were about as low as it could get.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I'm looking forward to closing the chapter on 2023.

My dad died. My wife broke her leg and couldn't walk for 16 weeks and couldn't drive for 6 more after that. My mom is an insane, delusional, toxic mess, and if I don't deal with her, family I care for deeply has to (grandma, uncle and aunt, sister). My parents had just moved when dad died, and I spent an exhausting month this summer going down to basically fill dumpsters with stuff they've hoarded (poorly) since the 80s, making it trash I have to pay to get rid of.

Looking forward to 2024.

There were some good bits in there, too, though. Mrs. Idaho and the spuds are awesome. Wife and I went on an awesome trip in August. Chiefs won the Super Bowl.

I gave it a zero, overall, because the lows were about as low as it could get.

Sorry for your troubles my man. Things will look up.

My parents moved to town in 2014, and I helped clean out what I thought was a cramped house and made it into what seemed like an enormous cavernous domicile.

I had 3 burn barrels blazing for 3 days straight, and they still moved entirely too much shit to their house in town.

I feel your pain.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Sorry for your troubles my man. Things will look up.

My parents moved to town in 2014, and I helped clean out what I thought was a cramped house and made it into what seemed like an enormous cavernous domicile.

I had 3 burn barrels blazing for 3 days straight, and they still moved entirely too much shit to their house in town.

I feel your pain.

There’s more to go.

We’ve got the:
2-car garage/woodworking shop that’s 1/2 full with old computer and electronic stuff and other more ancient trash

Old tractor/work truck garage (4-car) that’s 1/2 full of thankfully random non-electronic trash

Old grain bin (20-ft diameter) that’s full of old computer and electronic stuff

And the coup de grace… the machine shop, which is large enough to store the big Allis Chalmers tractor AND the combine, and still be only 2/3 full…

Which you can’t even pull a car into right now because it’s filled with old computer/electronic stuff and as many file cabinets as a person could ever want.

Sacrifice a goat for m, eh?

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

There’s more to go.

We’ve got the:
2-car garage/woodworking shop that’s 1/2 full with old computer and electronic stuff and other more ancient trash

Old tractor/work truck garage (4-car) that’s 1/2 full of thankfully random non-electronic trash

Old grain bin (20-ft diameter) that’s full of old computer and electronic stuff

And the coup de grace… the machine shop, which is large enough to store the big Allis Chalmers tractor AND the combine, and still be only 2/3 full…

Which you can’t even pull a car into right now because it’s filled with old computer/electronic stuff and as many file cabinets as a person could ever want.

Sacrifice a goat for m, eh?

Heh. If I run across a goat, that thing is as good as dead...

It's remarkable isn't it? Dad told me when I was in high school at prime slave labor age that it was different for grandpa. He grew up in the depression with nothing and had to build anything if he was going to have it so he kept junk around. Plus he was basically running a really huge garden and dad was trying to run a business yada yada yada.

Fast forward.

I'm trying to lean up the farm substantially and keep workspaces clean and all the proper things I should be doing. So the conversation goes like this:

"Dad we haven't used that in a decade. Time to go?"

"Well, If you ever needed to ...."

"Whatever"

If you ever needed to is my least favorite thing he says. LOL

I just hope I don't do the same thing to my family.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Heh. If I run across a goat, that thing is as good as dead...

It's remarkable isn't it? Dad told me when I was in high school at prime slave labor age that it was different for grandpa. He grew up in the depression with nothing and had to build anything if he was going to have it so he kept junk around. Plus he was basically running a really huge garden and dad was trying to run a business yada yada yada.

Fast forward.

I'm trying to lean up the farm substantially and keep workspaces clean and all the proper things I should be doing. So the conversation goes like this:

"Dad we haven't used that in a decade. Time to go?"

"Well, If you ever needed to ...."

"Whatever"

If you ever needed to is my least favorite thing he says. LOL

I just hope I don't do the same thing to my family.

As the child of hoarders, I'm determined to not leave a mess behind. The only challenge is that I don't have an expiration date stamped on me. I've tried to be organized with things like having a will (which my parents refuse to do), but over 60 years I've acquired enough stuff to suitably furnish a relatively large and non-cluttered home. Even without clutter, there's a lot of stuff.

Now, the other issue is that I don't have kids, and my nearest living relative is 500 miles away. I've never lived within 500 miles of a younger relative, so none of them really even know us. So at some point when an escaped zoo chimpanzee rips us limb from limb, they won't really want to come out west to go through our stuff.

I've been reading a few things recently about how to handle this. There's definitely a downsizing that should happen as we age, and that's actually hard to think about. Logically, my inventory probably should get 3 percent smaller every year, but unless I downsize my living space that's just going to mean empty rooms, which isn't good for me while I'm alive. And it doesn't make sense to downsize into a smaller home over time, because I've run the numbers on that. I should stay in my current house until my wheels fall off, and at that point the downsizing will be challenging if I'm no longer healthy and energetic.

It seems like there's not a great answer to this problem, which is why it gets kicked down to the kids so often. And I don't have kids.

I've joked in the past that when I get old I'll adopt a woman from some third world country to take care of us, and then get the house when we die. But you know, for someone in my position, that may not be a joke. I read about that billionaire who adopted his gardener recently to give him an inheritance because the gardener looked after him, and in a world with more and more childless seniors, that actually could be a model that works.

[smithandrew051]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I'm looking forward to closing the chapter on 2023.

My dad died. My wife broke her leg and couldn't walk for 16 weeks and couldn't drive for 6 more after that. My mom is an insane, delusional, toxic mess, and if I don't deal with her, family I care for deeply has to (grandma, uncle and aunt, sister). My parents had just moved when dad died, and I spent an exhausting month this summer going down to basically fill dumpsters with stuff they've hoarded (poorly) since the 80s, making it trash I have to pay to get rid of.

Looking forward to 2024.

There were some good bits in there, too, though. Mrs. Idaho and the spuds are awesome. Wife and I went on an awesome trip in August. Chiefs won the Super Bowl.

I gave it a zero, overall, because the lows were about as low as it could get.

Sorry to hear all that man.

That bolded section might seem minor, but that’s a huge pain in the ass. Until you go through that, I don’t think most people realize how time consuming it is. I’ve helped with something similar and it ****ing sucked. It seems like it’s never going to end.

[Titty Meat]

Pretty dope. I know New Years resolutions are lame but I made one to hit the gym with consistency and I did that. The Chiefs won the super bowl, Went to the Parade, The Draft, Went to the NCAA Sweet 16, Saw some great UFC fights in person, Lost my job but got a new one now I'm making more money than I ever have, Had some good times with friends, Health is good, Family is good.

[BlackHelicopters]

Like a hot poker to the anus.