2025 in review

It was a year of highs and lows, but never have I been so ready for a year to be over.

(I’m not even going to touch politics or the state of our country but if you know me at all, you know which of the two that falls under.)

January

The year started by waking up on New Year’s Day to hear about a horrific attack just across the river in the French Quarter. Lovely.

A few days later, my friends took me to brunch to celebrate my 50th birthday a few days earlier. And the best part was Kiki came in and surprised me! I burst into tears when I saw her at the table. (In a good way.) It was such a fun day, even though I don’t remember the end of it.

And then, the day before my birthday, the fires in Altadena destroyed my brother’s house. He and my sister-in-law and niece lost everything. I spent my actual birthday mostly crying. We did have a yummy dinner at an Indian restaurant at least. I got to get as many books as I could carry from Barnes & Noble. Well, my back hurt that day so I couldn’t carry as many as usual. Boo.

My sister and I set up a GoFundMe for our brother and his family, and that at least restored a tiny bit of faith in humanity.

We took family pictures.

And then, on January 21, the most magical thing happened, something that brought everyone* in New Orleans immeasurable joy. It snowed. A lot.

* I mean, sure, probably there were some people who didn’t like it, but I don’t know who they are. Grinches, I suppose.

February

The boys were extras in a movie (that will be released in a few months.) I made a quilt for my brother and SIL. I got a new desk and new ink.

March

Mardi Gras. It was fine. I dressed as Sally O’Malley and kicked and stretched my way through the French Quarter. Went to Kiki’s for her 50th. George got mugged outside our house (no pics of that.)

April

I went on a cruise with a lovely friend and had a wonderful, relaxing time. Until George called me to tell me his father had passed away that morning. I’m grateful we had visited him a few days before. Meanwhile, I missed my uncle’s funeral which also happened while I was on the cruise.

I went to the orthopedist because my shoulder was still hurting, and he informed me I’d need surgery and gave me orders for an MRI. But first I’d need to do 6 weeks of physical therapy. Fun.

Ren turned 50 and there was a clown party! I got another tattoo.

May

The boys finished their junior year. One year left of high school?! I’m not ready for this. Start physical therapy. I don’t have many pictures from this month. Ziggy was cute. I made George a shirt. We ate Indian for Mother’s Day. I convinced Miles to donate blood.

June

Made another quilt. We went to Virginia for Emily’s graduation, and visited some colleges while we were there. Noticed a weird thing on my arm. Got it checked out.

July

Kiki and I meet up in London after my work thing. (At least I documented that already.)

Finally get MRI. Made another quilt, for a friend’s baby. Volunteered at the SPCA and played with kittens. Got weird thing removed from arm (fortuitously, was hidden within new tattoo.) Participated in first speed-puzzling competition. Realized I’m not as good at puzzling as I thought. Boys took senior pictures.

August

Take the boys to University of Alabama for a visit. I go to Portland for work. Doctor says I will need surgery on my shoulder. We schedule it. I buy lots of things. Katrina was 20 years ago.

September

Went to Virginia for a Pulp concert. Found out a favorite coworker died. (Enough with the deaths already!) A week before my surgery, I get bloodwork done and it comes back all weird. Platelets super low, weird! Other weird things! Surgery is pushed back a week and goes ahead when platelets return to normal. Mystery. I finish the month in excruciating pain (post-surgery). Shoulders hurt, yo! Kiki visits to help me recover. I spend a lot of time in my new power recliner.

PS I didn’t really get a robot arm. Don’t tell my mom.

October

Spend the month recovering, not working. Evan came for work so hung out with him. Couldn’t pull my own hair back. Couldn’t drive for most of the month. That sucked. Visited LSU.

November

Went back to work. Visited Tulane. College application crunch time! Soccer season started. The boys got their first suits, wore them to Homecoming. George and I celebrated 20 years of marriage! God, we’re old. I got an emerald ring and we had lunch at the place we went for our first date.

December

The boys turned 18. Went to LSU for another visit. I went to Edmonton for work. So much snow! College acceptances (and not) start rolling in. I saw one of my favorite movies on the big screen. Christmas was lovely.

2026, you can be chill. We don’t need the ups and downs of 2025, thanks. A less exciting year would be juuuuust fine.

(I realize I wrote real sentences for January but gave up after that. Seems appropriate.)

Adults!

Today, the boys are 18. EIGHTEEN.

We went to our usual dinner at Texas Roadhouse last night (they’re supposed to have a game tonight, but the weather is pretty yucky so we’ll see) and they got shoes and socks as their gifts. Yes boys, adulthood is boring.

And the 17 birthdays prior to this one:

London, 2025

Better late than never, eh?

I just want to document the trip to London Kiki and I went on. Our first trip together I think since 2000 or so. Pre-blog!

I had a conference for work (the same one I went to last summer) and so the plan was for her to meet me afterwards and we would stay on for another several days.

The trip didn’t start out promisingly – I was supposed to arrive the day before the conference so I could get some sleep beforehand, but my flights were an unholy mess and I didn’t arrive until the morning of the conference, and I was a wreck. I’d had to get a hotel room in Miami for a few hours during the day just so I could get some sleep. A little. But otherwise I’d been awake for two and a half days on maybe 5 hours of sleep total. Whatever it was, it wasn’t enough. But I made it through, got to see my coworkers, had a great conference.

Karen and I went into London together, then met Kiki at Paddington. We had lunch at a cute pub near the station. I had bangers and mash. Yum.

After lunch, Karen went to her hostel and Kiki and I found our airbnb, which was fantastic. It was across the street from Battersea Power Station, and even though it was south of the river, it was quite convenient and easy to get around from.

That evening, we got some groceries and stayed in, since Kiki was pretty tired.

Saturday

Took a walk to Camden. Went to see a play with Ewan McGregor (play was meh, but we breathed the same air as him so it was worth it.) Had dinner at a Michelin star restaurant. Forced Karen to come meet us one more time.

Sunday

Walked across the river, stopped by our old flat, met a friend for tea at Liberty. Bought some fabric. Bought some shoes because my feet were killing me.

Monday

Took boat to Greenwhich, explored the o2, took gondola across river. had lunch at Seven Dials Market (featuring the cheese conveyer belt), went to bookbinding store (thank you Kiki!)

Tuesday

Went to Kensington, walked a bunch, did pedal boats, got lunch at Harrod’s, ate at park, Kiki let me go back to book store (THANKS KIKI!) Dinner at Dishoom.

Wednesday (home)

Borough Market, ate a bunch. Walked around a bit, went to airport.

And some more pictures from various days (I can’t remember which, exactly. I know I could figure it out, but if I don’t finish this now, I never will.)

Hopefully it won’t be 20+ years before we do this again!

17 years, 11 months

aka the last monthly picture as children.

Some people have asked if I’ll stop when they turn 18. No, I will stop when I cannot take them anymore. I suppose next August will probably be the last one. 😦

17 years + 10 months

I am very proud of taking this and posting it on the correct day! (ETA: well, apparently the narcotics haven’t completely worn off because I originally titled this 17 years + 2 months.) Especially since this was done mostly one handed. And with my left hand, no less!

(Shoulder surgery was a week ago yesterday and holy shit did it hurt. Am starting to feel better now, but won’t have the use of my right arm for many weeks.)

Boys are doing great, getting ready to start submitting college applications. Can you believe it?!?

17 years, 9 months

I don’t even know what to say here. They’re almost 18. Adults. It’s going to be a weird month. I’m having shoulder surgery in a couple of weeks. How am I going to be able to take the picture one handed? I’ll have to use my phone, I guess. Even that will be hard. The whole thing is going to be a lesson in letting go of control, which is not easy for me.

The last first day of school

Well, at least that I’ll be there to take pictures of. Maybe the last one they’ll all be together? Who knows!

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a great picture because they had to be at school at 6am for Senior Sunrise, and since obviously the sun wasn’t up yet when they left the house, I had to try to take one in the dark. I ended up taking one in the living room.

This is the 15th first day of school picture I’ve taken. Here’s the first (yet again):

(LOM on today’s pics, MLO on the bottom.)

17 years, 8 months

A week from today is their first day of senior year.

(I’ll save any thoughts I have on that for next week’s post.)

17 + 7

They had their senior portraits taken last week. I didn’t cry! So proud of myself.

17 and a half

Don’t forget to take the monthly pic before we leave for the airport, I told myself. Okay, I forgot. Don’t forget to take the picture before we drop the boys off at my sister’s. Okay, forgot again. Thanks to Aunt Jenny for getting a pic of the boys before the day was out!

We had a busy week in Virginia between my niece’s graduation, four college visits, and an MLS game, but it was a lot of fun!

(To answer your questions, no, they don’t want to go to the same school and they want to study Sport Management or similar.)

Junior year, over and out

Last day
First day

Just like that, junior year is over. They’ve gotten taller, their hair has gotten messier.

It was an eventful year for our family, and since I have neglected to post much, I’ll just go over it all now.

I was on sabbatical August through October, which was fun. I traveled a bunch. To Canada, Florida, Virginia, and Chicago. My friend had a baby. My mom and Larry moved to The Villages. I redid the upstairs bathroom. The boys turned 17 while I was in Turkey for work. Oliver got his driver’s license. We went to Florida for Christmas. In January my brother’s house burned down in the wildfires. I turned 50. Kiki came to visit. We took family pictures. It snowed here. A lot. The boys did some extras work on a movie. I went to Virginia for Kiki’s 50th. George got mugged. I went on a cruise. George’s dad died. I got some new tattoos. I learned I’m probably going to need shoulder surgery.

So while a lot of good things happened, a lot of terrible things happened as well. I am hopeful for the next year, even if the world is a dumpster fire. We are going to Virginia next week for Emily’s high school graduation and we’re going to visit some colleges. I am going to England for work in July and Kiki is meeting me there. It’ll be our first time there together in almost 25 years. Maybe Linus will get his driver’s license (no rush!) In September we’re seeing Pulp again. In October I’m going back to Singapore for work. Somewhere in there I’m likely going to have that shoulder surgery. The boys will apply to colleges. They’ll decide where to go.

And then the house will be empty. Okay, I’m done thinking about the next year!