State Champs! Great way to end the year.

The Friday evening welcome party that followed a day of golf that I mercifully wasn’t required to take part in.

#29 Done: Build a new website for LAFI

#20: Read 30 Books

Entertaining enough, but ultimately will be forgotten.

#62: Design new LAFI logo

#68 Done.

Gave up one seeing eye single in two near perfect innings in an epic 19 inning CIF playoff game. One game away from the finals for these wild cards.

#66: Celebrate Hemingway’s 12th

#61: Eat at 10 new LA restaurants

Loreto in Frogtown. Coastal Mexican. Excellent.

#23: Snowmobile

Sorry Mom, I’ll be fine.

Took Brit on a run she wasn’t ready for. We got tangled up and my right hand took the edge of her skis. It was so warm that I wasn’t wearing gloves, so no bueno. On the plus side I got a look at my hand bones and they look super healthy.

A beautiful day in the High Sierras.

#61: Try 10 New LA Restaurants

N/Soto. Excellent.

#20: Read 30 Books

Enjoyed.

#28: Getaway at the Vineyard

What’s better than owning a vacation home? A friend who owns a vacation home. A beautiful weekend at the ever-evolving vineyard. We even got to squeeze in a few of Kaden’s baseball games.

Trying out the Rolls Royce of fishing waders. No better present for this 50 year old. Thanks Dad and Georgeanne!

Zoom call with buddies, dinner with dad and Georgeanne, axe throwing with friends, and a pool day cigar.

#22: Bake a perfect pizza

Good enough that I’m not going to a pizza place that isn’t five stars.

With my sisters in town to attend Summer’s bridal shower, we used the opportunity to celebrate Kim’s and my 50th, as well as Easter.

#61: Try 5 New LA Restaurants

Verse. A neighborhood spot with live music and great food.

Two way player!

Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 3 pounds mixed bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, patted dry
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 juicy orange, halved
• 1 juicy lime, halved
• 1 juicy lemon, halved
• 2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 8 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, cut in half and sliced thin
• ¼ cup fresh thyme leaves

For the Stew

• .333333 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and deveined, cut into long, thin slices
• 2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and deveined, cut into long, thin slices
• 2 cups chicken stock, salted homemade or store-bought
• Small handful roughly chopped parsley sprigs

#13: Prepare 10 Soups/Stews

Delicious.

#20: Read 30 Books

Pretty spot on.

#51: Play Pickleball

Celebrated George at his bachelor party and finally played some kickball. A lot of bros, but this house had no issue hosting us.

#61: Try 5 new LA Restaurants. Angler. A well deserved Michelin Star.

#20: Read 30 Books

As well written as this novel was, I just couldn’t love it.

Not sure how I missed this, but happy belated birthday, Tom!

Managed to show Devin a few more of our favorite places in between the madness at Madison Square Garden.

Marquette wins the regular season and Big East Tournament. Nice to see the Empire State Building lit up in MU blue and gold to honor the feat.

#40 Watch a sunset

From the observation deck of the Freedom Tower. 40 Miles of visibility on this crisp March day.

#60: Have a drink in a bar over 100 years old

Shared a pint of light and dark at McSorley’s Pub. 169 years old. If it was good enough for Abe Lincoln, it was good enough for us.

#74: Big East Tournament

We survive to play another day.

#46 Done, but still in progress: Visit an Island.

Day one of exploring Manhattan with Sonia and Devin.

#20: Read 30 Books

Didn’t do it for me.

Picked to finish 9th in our conference when the year started. As our point guard and probably Big East Player of the Year said back then, fuck ‘em.

#95: Build a TV wall display

With nothing but rain in the forecast, figured I start an indoor project.