Where did this year go? I feel like I have said that about 1200 times this year. Maybe it had something to do with the crappy weather we had all year. I mean, it went from winter to rain season, to then a few weeks of summer, which pretty much had rain all the time, then to winter. I think fall was probably four days.
Maybe this is what it means to get older. Time just speeds by. I do not know. But seriously, this past year felt like it just began. However, even though the year seemed to go by too fast (it didn’t, time is still flowing normally), that does not leave me off the hook for my favorite things of the year.
Favorite Television Show
There were a bunch of really good shows this year. I enjoyed the Netflix Marvel shows, well for the most part. I loved Westworld. But the show that I enjoyed the most was This Is Us. The way things ended last season, with a flash-forward to Kevin & Beth going to Vietnam, Toby being depressed, and even further into the future, with Randall and Tess going to meet some woman. It was such a great way to end the season and build anticipation for the next season.
Favorite Song
I feel like this one just came out, but it has definitely been my favorite song of the year. Mumford & Sons-Guiding Light.
Favorite Movie
Avengers: Infinity War was definitely my favorite movie this year. I would almost consider Black Panther (which you could say is a better movie), but come on, the Avengers film lived up to the hype. It took all of those characters and put them together and made it work.
Favorite Book
This one is pretty tough. I mean, the Kel Kade book I just finished is up there. Also, there was Artemis. But, as I think most people can attest, my favorite book has to be The Coddling of the American Mind. I seriously tell everyone about the book. Lindsey is probably sick of me talking about it.
Favorite Sports Moment
There were plenty of great sports moments this year. Andrew McCutchen returning to PNC Park. Bo Nickal giving Penn State their seventh national championship in eight years in very dramatic fashion. Mookie Betts feeding homeless people after a World Series game. However, my favorite moment of 2018 was watching Jake Olson’s final game at USC. For those that do not know, he is the blind long-snapper for the Trojans. I remember seeing his story back when Pete Carroll was the coach and Olson was just a kid, who was about to have his eye removed. Carroll invited him to hang out with the team and I think had him on the sideline for the National Championship. It was such a touching story, but then when you learn that he went on to walk on at USC and is a tremendous story of perseverance and determination. I will not, I cried a little watching him run out onto the field against Notre Dame.
Favorite Podcast
I listen to a bunch of really good podcasts. This season of Revisionist History was very interesting. The FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast was excellent each week. I also started listening to Reply All and The British History Podcast, both great. However, my favorite was definitely Serial season three. Each episode resonated with me and generally angered me about the state of our criminal justice system. Especially when you realize that all of it takes place in Cleveland. There are how many other cities, towns, villages, etc out there that have similar and possibly worse problems.
Favorite Phone Game
I did not play many games on my phone this year. I tried a golf game for a bit, but that just led me to hook up my PS3 and play golf on there. I did find Ping Pong King, which was crazy fun. However, once you beat it, the fun is pretty much gone.
Favorite Fantasy Sports Team
I won another baseball championship! This one was pretty satisfying because my team was so bad most of the year. I barely made it into the playoffs and my team got hot at the end of the year. If I can win a championship this year, then hopefully Ryan can stop bragging about his three year streak.
Favorite Vacation Spot
We went to a few places this year. We had a fun trip to Myrtle Beach. It was cool seeing Payton play on the beach. Also, I got to golf a whole bunch. We also went to Sesame Place and the Pittsburgh Zoo. However, the best vacation spot was Disney World. A spontaneous trip that ended up being pretty amazing. Obviously, since I wrote four posts about it!
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Favorite Moment
As I said, 2018 went very fast. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were celebrating Payton’s first birthday. She was this little girl who sat in her highchair and needed us to feed her. Now she sits at the table without a booster and sort of uses silverware. Or throws everything to Samson.
We did so many fun things this year. Whether it was the big trip mentioned above or just a quick trip to get some food and see Mommy at work. I have loved every moment of watching her grow up. Even when she is being bad and I have to yell at her. Yeah, she can be bad at times.
My favorite moment though was finding out we were having a boy. I am so excited about the prospect of having a son. When the ultrasound tech told us it was a boy, my heart almost exploded with joy. As I have said, I have my worries, but the closer we get to the end of March, the more the excitement builds.
2018 lived up to the expectations. Something tells me 2019 will be even better, albeit slightly more crazy.
It has been fun watching Payton grow up this year through your blog – especially in the last month (she looks so much more “older” lately)! And yes, this season of This Is Us has been fantastic. Happy New Year to you, Lindsay and Payton — looking forward to “meeting” the little guy in 2019!