What are your personal 2025 highlights?

[EnergizedLib]

Last edited Wed Dec 31, 2025, 03:21 PM - Edit history (1)

Me:

- I spent way too much money on autographs this year, but really added to my signed Sports Illustrared collection, notably Reggie Jackson and Patrick Ewing. My favorite covers I got this year came from Jerry Lucas, Juan Marichal, Rick Barry, Alan Trammell and Doc Gooden, getting to see all of them.

- The different trips with my girlfriend - staying a couple nights in Memphis, staying overnight in Cincinnati and Kentucky, plus visiting St. Louis and Nashville on day trips.

- Getting to see my Bulls play the Pacers and also going to an Indiana Fever game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Sadly, Caitlin Clark was hurt.

- Seeing the different successes of local high school athletes and teams I’ve covered. One high school football player I covered is going to Purdue, another to play at Oklahoma.

- The Bears winning the NFC North. I was screaming so loud during their comeback against the Packers. When they beat them in overtime, I took my shirt off and ran outside around my girlfriend’s house partying in the street while also trying to make sure I didn’t awake any neighbors or get a noise complaint called against me.

- Probably number one has to be seeing Paul McCartney in concert on the Got Back Tour. I cried, did I ever cry and get so emotional, best concert I’ve ever been to. I saw Ringo in Tulsa in 2018, now saw McCartney. I was only 10 when George died and John was killed before I was born, but Paul has always been my favorite.

So, some big bucket list items - Memphis and Paul McCartney, got checked off, play some other really cool stuff this year that I’m thankful for.

What about you?

[FalloutShelter]

1. That's a great list.

Unfortunately, due to my husband's health issues, I was not able to get out and about too much this year but I had two
highlights:
I published my fourth illustrated novel: Planet of Dead Comics. (Horror, Sci-fy-, comedy) A vampire is abducted by Aliens. What could go wrong?

And... I was selected to jury the Rittenhouse Square Annual Fine Arts Show, Philadelphia, which was a great honor and I really loved taking part.

Hope in 2026... I get to see some live music again.Congrats on seeing Paul McCartney, and the rest of your 2025 highlights.
Have a happy and healthy New Year,

[EnergizedLib]

6. Thank You

I hope your husband is feeling better. Happy New Year.

[FalloutShelter]

9. Thanks so much.

I'll convey your best wishes.

[pandr32]

2. I've enjoyed having my son fly out and visit 3 times this year.

I also got a tattoo on my broken wrist that healed a little crooked. It took a week for me to get into surgery and the ends of the ulna were already growing. I have a beautiful art nouveau/Hawaiian tattoo I designed with the tattoo artist to place at an angle to fool the eye--and it is gorgeous.
I've made some new friends and reconnected with some old ones. It is the relationships in our life that matter. Unfortunately, though, some relationships disappoint.
I've watched some of my favorite businesses and restaurants struggle and I hope for improvements to save them. Tourism is way down and costs are up.
My husband and I participated in at least three "no kings" rallies and we are heartened to see how many of us are standing up and out to protest this regime. If not for disinformation and astro-turfing there would be no MAGA at all--save a handful of really awful people. They have always been there. I believe things will get worse before they get better and that the whole MAGA enterprise will collapse.
We are holding our breath and waiting for what will come next.
Slava Ukraine and elbows up!

[Upthevibe]

3. EnergizedLib...........

Last edited Wed Dec 31, 2025, 02:31 PM - Edit history (3)

Wow! That's quite a list! Seeing Paul is a BIG deal...

I did quite a lot this year too:

I lost 40-50 lbs., changed my entire way of eating, and joined a gym. I now work out five days a week. I don't think I've ever felt so good and I'm 68. I guess I've had an entire lifestyle change.

Went to Colorado for the first time in September. (It's a place I've always wanted to go). It exceeded my expectations in its beauty......

Went to my 50 years H.S. reunion and it was wonderful....

OMG - I forgot to add that my Dodgers won the most amazing World Series I've ever seen!

I went to all the marches too.

[EnergizedLib]

7. I hope I can one day lose that weight

It’s easier said than done, but yes, seeing Sir Paul meant so much.

[Upthevibe]

12. EnergizedLib............

I was able to get the weight loss injections and they were fantastic! They were expensive but worth every penny because I was Pre-Diabetic. I can't recommend the medication (Zepbound) enough.

[PJMcK]

4. Here's a few

We bought a beachfront condo in Coronado, Panama overlooking the Pacific and secured our visas and licenses.

I had major cervical surgery to relieve pinched nerves. The recovery will take another six months.

My wife finally retired.

Who knows what 2016 has in store?!

Happy New Year, EnergizedLib!

[EnergizedLib]

8. Happy New Year to you, too

[debm55]

5. When Rich my husband completed his radiation at the hospital for Malignant Cancer and rang the bell. He still gets

hormone therapy and shots. but he finished his radiation.

[EnergizedLib]

16. I wish him good health

[OldBaldy1701E]

10. Well...

This would be a scree of just how awful this past year has been and how things are not going to get much better for myself or my husband. We are about to drown in a financial cesspool created by the current regime specifically designed to get rid of people like me. And, it is going to work, it appears. But, in this hell of human creation (because, as Rorschach so eloquently stated in 'Watchmen': 'God doesn't make things this way... we do.'), we did do one thing that, despite what it will mean for both of us, is worth celebrating. I cannot go into detail, but I will say this.

Free at last, Free at last, Great Gaia, Giver of Life, we are free at last!

Free from an immature tyrant who did whatever it took to get what he wanted (while doing whatever he wanted) and then acted like he barely knew us.

It almost took a decade, but we are out of there and that part of this socioeconomic nightmare is over.

Thanks be to Gaia, Great Mother!

Free!

[quaint]

14. Solidarity, brother

[sinkingfeeling]

11. Entirely changed my life. Sold my cute, little house across the street from my son and granddaughter. Sold my cars.

Bought a house in Costa Rica; packed a shipping container with my things; went to China and Mongolia; went to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland; applied for Costa Rican residency; bought a new car. I'm taking Spanish lessons and learning the names of birds I feed every morning. Never thought I'd be an ex-pat.

[beaglelover]

13. Here's mine.

1. Quit smoking at the end of March
2. Attended the Miami Grand Prix and met Seal
3. Lost over 20 pounds (thank you Wegovy)
4. Attended the Las Vegas Grand Prix
5. Saw my favorite Cirque Du Soleil show in Vegas, Mystere, for the upteenth time (still fresh after playing for 32 years!)
6. Went on a cruise in French Polynesia in July

[EnergizedLib]

15. Congrats on quitting smoking

[beaglelover]

20. Thank you. I'm very proud of myself and can't believe how much better I feel overall.

So glad that monkey is off my back for good.

[nuxvomica]

17. Some good and some bad

Laid off in January after 47 years with the same company, because my job was off-shored to India.

Convinced my doctor to treat me with 21 days of doxycycline even though he didn't believe I had a Lyme relapse. He initially prescribed 10 days but the symptoms had returned a week later. Still dealing with knee problems but they are slowly improving as long as I keep doing heavy squats.

Suffered a bout with diverticulitis and a mild concussion.

Saw my nephew's son graduate from high school.

To celebrate my 70th birthday, my sister and BIL took me on a "museum crawl" in NYC (MOMA and the Met) and Philly, where we saw a rare exhibition of most of my absolute favorite artist Henri Rousseau's works at the Barnes Foundation, including a private tour of the exhibition. Stayed at the legendary Algonquin Hotel in NYC and saw Broadway shows MJ: The Musical and The Book of Mormon.

Received my first Social Security deposit in December.


"La Bohémienne endormie (The Sleeping Gypsy)", one of the Rousseau paintings I saw in person, having last seen it at MOMA over 50 years ago.

[EnergizedLib]

18. Are you okay after the layoff?

It looks like it. Best wishes in 2026, saw Book of Mormon almost 10 years ago.

[nuxvomica]

19. Financially, yes, according to my advisor

After severance ran out I started unemployment insurance to have some income until I reached the SS max age but actually wound up applying for I job I would love and have all the skills for. Still waiting to hear back on that but probably won't be considered because of my age.

[True Dough]

21. Curious about the autograph signings, EnergizedLib

Who was your best and worst experience? In terms of the most friendly and taking a few extra minutes to chat versus the person who didn't even care to make eye contact and just scrawled a signature?

[EnergizedLib]

22. Worst was Patrick Ewing

He didn’t say much, doesn’t have a nice signature and when I asked for a picture, people working the show around me were saying no pictures.

The nicest were probably Alan Trammell, Jack Billingham and Reggie Jackson.