Two for '22

 

  Sarah and I found ourselves on the Penn Campus in the evening of the 211th day of 2022.  We first tried out El Taco, the new place on campus in the old Gia Pronto spot on the Stouffer Triangle (verdict - will go again!) and then for the real reason we crossed the bridge into Philly on 7/30/2022.  We closed me out of the NGSS Annex Office I have been in for the past few years.  It started out great, a collaborative and productive space with huddle rooms and chances for the SMEs and Analysts to work in close proximity.  And then came Covid and now the project is, basically, 100% remote.  So, for those of us who still have campus offices, it's back to those offices we go and I DO like my office in Suite 200 of the FB (my third of four offices to which I now return since I left Nursing).  But it made me realize my two for 2022 for tonight: 36 years, 13 office spaces.  I have been on campus for 36 years (fully 36 years in a month) and I have had: Din...

 

 

 

Back in the 90s, TLC told us all "Don't go chasing waterfalls."  But that is what we did on the Sherr Family Vacation 2022.  And, on the 207th day of 2022, we visited our 2nd Public Park with waterfalls.  Monday it was Niagara Falls National Park and, on 7/26/2022, it was Watkins Glen Sate Park.  So my 2 for 2022 is 2 Days, 2 Parks, Waterfalls.  NOW, the falls in Watkins Glen were by no means as powerful and impressive as at Niagara Falls, but they were beautiful nonetheless.  And the two days of vacation were needed by all.  And we had a wonderful time.  And now we are back.  Let's hope the two days of backed up work doesn't upset me too much tomorrow AM!  :-)

 

 

 

 

  So as we hurdle towards Fall 2022 and the start of two years of two kids in college, you can imagine my happiness to send the last car payment off for the girls' car and know that Sarah's car will be paid off in a few months.  My car, the family van, has been paid off for a while and, on the 202nd day of 2022, I took it into the shop for a scheduled oil change.  Now, we must cue my Two for 2022 for 7/21/2022: Cars and Repairs.  So I DID ask them to look at the driver's side rear sliding door (the automatic cable snapped and I do NOT want to go to the dealer), but no, instead they inspected and found my front brakes are shot.  OF COURSE they are.  Sigh.  So cars and repairs are what we will deal with this month and, well, at least the car PAYMENTS will end soon!

 

Some may say that my Two for 2022 for Day 200 of 2022, Ashley and Johnny, is actually 39 days too early.  Although their wedding is coming up on 8/27, I want to celebrate these two on 7/19/2022 because, tonight, they hosted us for a homemade dinner, they welcomed us into their home, they made us feel special, and, frankly, they made me smile the rest of the evening.  So happy for these two getting ready to start their married lives together.  And this has been years in the making, we've all been waiting, and they day is on its way.  It's gonna be grand!  Love these two!

 

My Two for 2022 for the 198th day of 2022 is obvious.  It is Sarah and Adam.  Because 7/17/2022 is our 23rd anniversary and we spent it at Church, watching TV, and going out to dinner with our girls and Christian!  It was, for a low key # anniversary, the perfect day.  Even going to bed early to get 8+ hours of sleep, so Monday will be a good day too!  Goodnight! 

On the 197th day of 2022, my Two for 2022 is, again, musically related.  In fact, for 7/16/2022, they are Music and Mirth.  Because that is what the Penn Band Summer Music Camp is all about and, today, was the last day and the final concert of the program.  Sarah and I attended and were, once again, very impressed with the talent of the campers and the sound of the concert.  But, something the Director said during the narrative was poignant to me.  Music is a vehicle to making better humans on the Earth.  And, it's true.  Music is powerful.  Music is essential.  And I am so glad I was raised in a musical family and the family Sarah and I have built together has also had a strong foundation in music.  One does not have to be musically talented to be affected by (or even effective at making) music improving our world.  I feel blessed to have so many musical avenues in my life and the mirth we have while making music (sorry Holly Phare...

On day 196 of 2022, we saw Elton John's 52nd (and final) Philadelphia live concert.  I love Elton John, I think the only person I have seen more times in concert (and have more CDs of) is Billy Joel.  If it seems like Elton's goodbye has been going on forever, it has!  He played two sold out shows in September 2018 (second stop on the tour) and he was back again on 7/15/2022.  So nice to kick off our anniversary weekend with a nice evening out with Sarah and the girls.  Impressed by the number of younger people that came out to enjoy my two for 2022 for tonight, Elton John and Goodbye.  As he sang his last song (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, of course) and then left via a conveyor belt :-), I have to admit I choked up a bit.  As a piece of my childhood and young adulthood said goodbye to me and sailed off into the sunset.  75 years old and he still puts on a great show!  

 

 

 

 

 

For this past week, since Tuesday, I have been spending my evenings at the Bethel Softball Complex of the Merchantville/Pennsauken Little League.  I am announcing and the Official Scorer for the Section 4 Little League Tournament and I am having a great time!  One issue I realized on the 190th day of 2022 is I am getting too connected to the teams that play night after night.  It is a double elimination tournament so, by the 3rd night of the tournament (Thursday), elimination games start to occur.  On Thursday, I was slightly sad for the two teams that lost, both going 0-2 in the Tournament.  On Friday, I felt bad for the team that went home, at 1-2 in the tourney.  Tonight, on 7/9/2022, I truly was really sad for the team that lost.  It was a hard fought battle and the Home Team walked it off in the bottom of the 6th.  It was one of those games where both teams fought and scraped for their runs and both played well enough to win.  My Two for...

  I cannot tell you how happy I am, on the 189th day of 2022, that it is Friday.  TGIF on 7/8/2022 because, although I am ending the day with 400+ email unread and 100+ Teams chats to handle and an unending number of tickets in Freshdesk (Helpdesk) and JIRA (Project Tickets), I have the weekend to catch up.  Yes, that means I have to work this weekend (what else is new) but my Two for 2022 tonight is Work and Friday.  I am not going to lie, for the last few months I have just been hoping, each week, to get to Friday intact so I can catch up on the weekend and get back at it (and get overwhelmed) in the week to come.  Not sure how much longer this pace will hold up, hoping for calmer days ahead.

  My two for 2022 for the 188th day of 2022 is simple.  For 7/7/2022, I am going with a two fer of 7722.  Because I like 7 and 2 of 2 is a 2fer of 2s and a 2fer of 7s and add them together and you get 2 x 3 x 3 (or 2x(3^2).  And I am a number geek and I am tired and that is all I got.  Never said all my reflections would be profound :)

The 187th day of 2022 has an obvious Two For Theme.  My 2 for 2022 for 7/6/2022 is Two Boosters.  Because, today, I got my second Covid booster shot.  Second of Moderna!  So I have two Pfizer and two Moderna and, if they make one in the Fall for this crazy variant that everyone I know seems to be getting, then I will get that one too!  It is comforting to know that the hospitalization and mortality rates of people who are infected are going down, but that does not make me let my own guard down.  I know I have a lot of other health circumstances so, just as I take 2 grams of Vitamin C a day (because Aaron Bechtel and Linus Pauling thought it boosts immunity), I'll continue to get boosted when I can, wear a mask when it seems necessary, and continue to hope and pray that I and those I know and love stay safe.  Even though we, as a society, are "over Covid," I know Covid is not over and wonder if it ever will be.  Until it is, booster me when necessa...

On the 186th day of 2022 I was reunited with a familiar place.  Yes, my Two for 2022 for 7/5/2022 is softball and the Bethel Complex.  Merchantville Pennsauken Little League is hosting the Section 4 Tournament for Little League (Majors, U12) Softball and my Mustangs Manager (the team for which I was a Bench Coach), Bob, asked me to do the Announcing and keep the Scorebook.  Well, I said yes because, although I have a TON of work, this gets me out of my house, away from my computer, in the fresh air and doing something I love.... watching softball.  It was great on the Opening Night of the Tournament.  It's just so refreshing to watch kids enjoy the game, win or lose, to hear the cheers, to watch the players dancing to my in-between inning music selections.  I still have a TON of work, but I am so glad Bob asked me to help and I am even happier that I said yes!

  I had a very conflicted day on 7/4/2022.  On the one hand, we did, on the 185th day of 2022, host our usual July 4th BBQ.  And we had friends and food and family and fun and, at the end as usual, we watched fireworks from our front lawn as Collingswood put on their usual great show.  On the other hand, my patriotism is waning.  Usually, I have a speaker and I have a playlist of patriotic music but, this year, initially, I chose not to play it.  Because my Two for 2022 today are The Fourth and Freedom.  I do not think we are living in an America right now where all are free.  Women are rapidly losing their freedom to necessary healthcare procedures.  People seeking asylum and a better life for themselves and their family are being detained and turned away.  We over incarcerate in this country, especially the poor and people of color.  And people's freedom to vote is being limited by some in government who fear the power of the peop...

The 184th day of 2022 saw the return of a family and friend tradition!  7/3/2022 was the evening we got Group Tickets to the Phillies Fireworks Game.  So my Two for 2022 are The Phillies and Fireworks.  I do not even like fireworks as much as most people, but I do love getting together, in a group, and all watching baseball (even better when the Phils hit 2 HR and shut out the opposition 4-0) and I do enjoy watching an entire stadium of people enjoying what I think is the best fireworks display in the City!  So we had a great group, a Phillies win, and friends and family enjoying fireworks.  All the boxes for a good day were checked out and a good time was had by all!

  After two weeks of a heavy, oppressive workload and some bad news about the death of a mentor, I needed a day like the 183rd day of 2022.  I spent a lot of 7/2/2022 on Zoom.  But, Adam (you say), that sounds like what you do every day.  But today was different.  None of these were work meetings, they were five advising sessions for my advisees in the Class of 2026 at Penn.  Looking at my spreadsheet, I only have three more to go and, you know what, that makes me a little sad.  No, not really, but I DO have to say that speaking with students about their plans and helping them navigate Penn and its systems and practices does lift me up.  My Two for 2022 is Advising and Lifting Up.  I am so happy that the College allows me to be a Pre-Major advisor and I am so grateful for my advisees' questions, candor, and just downright inquisitiveness.  In a world where hope is hard to find sometimes, I am glad to be talking to young people who have t...