July 27, 2018: 25th High School Class Reunion

Today was my 25th high school class reunion.  There have been so many changes in our lives in 25 years.   There were about 50 classmates out of close to 300 who came to the reunion.  In the afternoon, Molly Piersema and I went to Crystal McWilliams Hall’s house for a small gathering.   Sarah Meisch, Missy Hawrysz, Crystal, Molly, and I came to the party.   I found out that Sarah Meisch was diagnosed with terminal cancer in April and given 6 months to live.   It’s very sad to hear about f someone so young suffering no from cancer.   She was a great writer and lived in Philadelphia for a short time before coming back to Muskegon.    
Then, we picked up Sue Arnouts and went to the reunion which was on the World War II ship LST in downtown Muskegon.   
Joe Kinnucan provided the music and Jason Mumford provided some of the food.   The people who came were:  Crystal McWilliams, Lezleigh Berkel, Stasia Kurtz, Molly Piersema, Sue Arnouts, Mark Douglas, Charles Bengston, Seth Vanhoeven, Andy Bitzer, Dan Burlingame, Jon Huizenga, Mandy Roczyki, Lisa Wolters, Jens Carlson, Brent Hylland, Adam Sobczok, Julie Courim, Jill Koniarski, Dana Jenson, Jason Thielbar, Anne Whittington, Matt Kuzyck, Aaron Tracy, Ivan Ivanov, and me.   I’m sure I forgot a few people who I don’t remember.  
Had an interesting conversation with Andy Bitzer whom I have never talked to before.   He’s a loner and was like that in high school.   He’s unemployed and lives in Roosevelt Park.   He said he doesn’t really like to be around lots of people and prefers to be home.  He asked if I remembered him flicking off in the last reunion photo.   It was quite a funny conversation.
During the reunion, I heard a big crash.  Matt Kuzyck fell back head first onto the hard ground on the boat.  He fell pretty hard and lost his pulse.  Luckily, Joe Kinnucan, who is a firefighter, resuscitated him.   Adam called 911 and the fire truck and ambulance came within minutes.  It was quite a scare to see.  I found out later that he was diagnosed some time ago with Parkinson’s.    
At night, we let off some Chinese lanterns in memory of the students who have passed away which were Joe Wadsworth, Renee Wilbur, and Troy Vanderstelt.  They had a hard time getting the lanterns to fly.  I thought we would catch the boat on fire and have to call emergency again.   
It was nice to see everyone but sad to see Matt collapse and hear about Sarah.  It made me realize just how short life can be and to make sure to do the things you want now and not wait until retirement.

May 7, 2018 Changes

Change is becoming hard for me lately.   My favorite clothing store, Younkers, is closing and my hangout place, Barnes and Noble, has cut their hours during the week.   Then, my friend Matthew Conlin, is moving to the state of New York in another month.  

I’m glad I have a new coworker, Angie Cregg, who started in my department on April 23rd.   She’s very helpful and a fast learner.   We are helping each other out as a team at work which is nice.  That change is good.

This weekend,  I was introduced to streaming TV through AT&T.   It is called Direct TV Now.  Shows can be played on the TV, cell phone, or tablet.   

Praying now that I can handle changes coming my way.    

April 28, 2018: Lost Interest

The past year has been difficult for me as I have lost interest in things that used to bring me excitement.   Money issues have always been a problem for me.I have spent more than I make and then leave myself with no money for trips or basic living expenses.  It’s been an ongoing issue my whole adult life.   I have a full time job, a nice home, and the car I’ve always wanted, yet I feel more stressed and uninterested in things.   I talk with my counselor about my struggles.  I feel like I am going nowhere.   I feel anxiety towards my job and handling the abandoned vehicles.   I don’t mean to wish my life away yet I cannot wait for retirement.   I want to apologize to anyone I may have hurt over the years.    I want to move forward in my life just not sure how.

February 22, 2018: Departmental Clerk

It’s been a few months since I last posted an entry.   My coworker Arlene retired so both Jeanne and I applied for Arlene’s old job but Jeanne had more seniority so got the job.  I decided to apply for the departmental clerk job which I got.   It hasn’t been an easy transition to this new job as I am the only one in the office.  I’m working on a training guide for myself as well as future employees that will have to do my job.   My biggest complaint with working for the county is the lack of training materials for jobs.  

I’m quite apprehensive about the abandoned vehicle and auction process.  Praying that in 6 months to a year,  I will be more comfortable.   There have been many times I wanted to just quit, but somehow I keep going each day.    

October 27-28, 2017: Stranger Things

This weekend was a fun weekend.  On Friday night, went to Barnes to hang out with the gang.   Then, went to Josh and Olivia’s apartment to watch Season 2 of the show, “Stranger Things”.  

This thrilling Netflix original drama stars Golden Globe-winning actress Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, who lives in a small Indiana town in 1983 -- inspired by a time when tales of science fiction captivated audiences. When Joyce's 12-year-old son, Will, goes missing, she launches a terrifying investigation into his disappearance with local authorities. As they search for answers, they unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries involving secret government experiments, unnerving supernatural forces, and a very unusual little girl.

The show is set in the 80s which is the era Josh and I grew up in.    The writers did a great job with details of the 80 and have many references to other 80s movies such as “Ghostbusters”, “E.T.”, and “Goonies” in this show.

I am not usually into science fiction shows but this series sparks my interest in many ways.    

On Saturday, went to breakfast at Villa in Whitehall.  Olivia made a delicious meatloaf for dinner and on Sunday, Josh and I went for breakfast at Carmen’s and sat at the counter which reminded me of the days when my dad and I sat at the counter at Jerry’s Roosevelt Roost in Roosevelt Park.  Dad and I would go on Thursdays to meet his guy friends and I would get a bagel with cream cheese and hot chocolate and get a free sucker.      

October 13-16, 2017: Joy’s 40th Birthday

My cousin Joy turned 40 years old on October 16, 2017.   She wanted to do something special for it so Heather, Kim, Wendy, Joy, and I went up to Traverse City for the weekend and went to the wineries,  spent time in the hot tub, and went shopping.   I like the Black Star winery and Ciccone’s.    The singer, Madonna, helped her parents start their own winery near Traverse City.  It was a cloudy and rainy weekend but we did get to see a rainbow.    We all had a good time hanging out together.

September 30, 2017: Pumpkin Run

My friend, Rhonda Collins, is a runner.  She has run in many races.  She got me to participate in the 5K Pumpkin Run in Greenville, Michigan which is north of Grand Rapids.   I didn’t run in it but walked.  I was doing it for the exercise and the finisher medal.