My 2016

Looking back…

When I look back on 2016, I think of it as a pretty difficult and stressful year, with some real highs and lows on the emotional home front as well as in the political world…but I did manage to do the following things:

1. I quit caffeine completely…love it…never going back

2. I changed my diet…more veggies…much less grains…much less salty and sugary fatty foods

3. I lost 10-15 pounds…from the 175-180 range to a steady 165 or less

4. I significantly increased my strength without injuring myself or sacrificing form, looseness or flexibility. This was because I took it slowly and carefully and never pushed or strained myself too hard. Got up to 5 smooth and complete pull-ups

5. I consolidated switching my sleep pattern from 3-4 hours at night and 3-4 hours during the day back to getting most of my sleep at night

6. In the late summer I started riding my bike on a 20+ minute mostly uphill ride several times a week on my way home from teaching in the park and did it over 70 times before the year was through

7. I created a Freestyle T’ai-Chi workout and incorporated it into my regular practice

8. I wrote and recorded 18 new songs for a new album called “Love & Heartache”, the 33^rd album posted on my site

9. I hosted 12 successful Themed Open Mikes at The Wild Goose Café & Bar and went to over 40 Sunday Night Open Mikes there

10. I co-hosted 12 Hacky Sack circles in the park and woke up my feet

*11. I took a few days off and explored Mt. Shasta and the PCT with my wife Samarra

*12. I went on a road trip with my buddy Neil to Reno to see one of my favorite comedians, Bill Burr

*13. I went on another road trip with Neil to Redding to see and our friend Betty LaDuke’s art show and explore the Turtle Bay Exploration Park

*14.  I taught and took classes at my teacher Andy Dale’s annual T’ai-Chi Retreat at Bandon on the Oregon coast and got some great practice and beach walking in with Neil and my good friend Joel Hartshorne

*As a guy who rarely travels…leaving the county several times was a distinct change and for me, a bit of an accomplishment

15. I finished 5 straight years of doing the dishes and taking pictures of them. I know…this one’s kinda nuts…

16. I taught over 600 T’ai-Chi lessons

17. I created and posted over 160 videos on youtube…mostly Music, T’ai-Chi, and Nature stuff

18. I manned the home fort and kept it all afloat during Samarra’s several months of studying and working in Seattle

19. We navigated some tricky mid-life crisis waters in our marriage…and while it’s not a sure thing going forward…we are still married

20. We got rid of lots of extraneous stuff around our apartment…many many bags of stuff to the Goodwill or in the trash or recycling

21. I played a lot of shows including: a really nice concert with a great listening audience in Grants Pass as part of “The Storytellers Series” at the Barnstormers Theater…two “Hearth” events…one about race and one after the election…both well attended and appreciative…Two Interfaith events…both well attended and appreciative…a nice season of music out at the Lithia Artisans Market…one of my favorite places to play…and 11 shows at Liquid Assets Wine Bar…another favorite place to play

22. I competed in 9 Rogue Poetry Slams…came in 4^th place twice and 3^rd place twice and always enjoyed myself

23. I turned 59