Wow, the first month of 2019 started off slow but finished with supersonic speed. I was able to accomplish a lot at home. We did a big purge of junk from our backyard. Most of it was from a tree that was pruned in December. It's nice to own a truck in times of eliminating unwanted goods.

We did do a nice trip to Monterey as we went to visit the aquarium. We started the year with our little beagle being sick. We ended up paying a lot in vet fees and were not able to pin point the issue. I believe she ate something that didn’t sit well from the backyard. We did move a lot of items that had been sitting for months and who knows what she ate as she rummaged through most of the garbage. We learned our lesson and now keep her from roaming around the backyard. The goal is once we really have everything that is dangerous away from her reach, she can run wild once again.

Work started the year busy and with a lot of change. Upper management is shuffling lots of things around. My graduate school went well for the first semester as I got an A- and a B+. The Cancun trip that we took last November might have had a small impact on me being able to finish the semester strong.

Travel

• Monterey, California

Photos of the Month

Contemplation

Good judgment is usually the result of experience. And experience is frequently the result of bad judgment. But to learn from the experience of others requires those who have the experience to share the knowledge with those who follow.

—Barry LePatner