One thing that has become a relatively new tradition for the year is to look back at the previous year and pick out 52 things I enjoyed. I started this in 2020, which was a uniquely tough year with COVID, school shutdowns and layoffs. At the time it felt good to recap things that I enjoyed. I decided to do it again in 2021 and I wanted to do it again this year. Without further ado below are 52 things I enjoyed about 2022.
Trips
1) Wiseman House in South Bend, Indiana - in 2020 we went on an unplanned trip to Bloomington, Indiana with the family of two of my college friends and had a blast. One of the big keys was getting a place with an indoor pool. Anyway, we decided to upgrade that experience by inviting another family and also getting place with both a pool and a basketball court. It was extremely cold in northern Indiana in February, but staying inside and hanging out with friends / family was definitely one of the highlights of the year
2) Gatlinburg 2.0 - in 2021 we went on a spring break trip to Gatlinburg with family friends. We decided to do the same thing again this year, but did a lot more activities with less COVID restrictions / concerns. This included a pirate show, kids museum, nature hike, mini-golf and aquarium.
3) Horseback Riding and the best dessert ever - One activity that we did was take the girls horseback riding in the Great Smoky Mountains. It was fun seeing J & L be so confident on the horses. I give some credit to the amazing meal we had before the ride. We did zero research and just went to the first decent looking place outside the park - The Park Grill. It turns out the Black Bear Brownie Bash is a dessert so good that the family still talks about it. Those provisions certainly gave us the energy for the horseback ride.
4) Olympics 2.0 with my friend Micah - In a full day of activities I competed with the other Dad on the Gatlinburg trip in 10 competitions to see who would be crowned as Spring Break Olympics Champion. There were darts, Madden, air hockey, mini-golf, etc.....and thankfully I came out on top 6-4.
5) Bear Lake, North Carolina - the greater Malphurs family decided to try a new trip this year and go to the mountains of North Carolina. We absolutely loved Bear Lake! It was very secluded (both good and bad) with amazing views, a nice pool and an awesome house.
6) Secret Falls Hike outside Bear Lake - One afternoon we went out to get lunch and go on a "moderate" hike to see a water fall. This was a recommendation from a friend and it was well worth the effort. It was gorgeous, not crowded and impressive that my 79 year old mother was able to complete.
7) 24 Hours in Toledo - a random, but great trip this year was when I took the girls up to Toledo for a fossil hunt (L read about it in a local magazine), Tony Packo's, a MudHens game, an amazing breakfast (highly recommend Fowl and Fodder) and the Toledo Museum of Art. It combined a lot of what I enjoy with trips and was a perfect time with my daughters.
8) 5 Hours at Miami University - it was a year of many short driving trips and the shortest one of the year was a quick trip back to Miami University. We walked around the campus, went to a Redhawks football game and enjoyed Bagel & Deli at the park. I wish we would have had more time, but it gets tricky to plan trips with both a dog and J's soccer schedule. Anyway, it was nice having time back where I spent 4 wonderful years.
9) Perfect Reds baseball day - For Christmas last year I got passes to go on a ballpark tour of Great American Ballpark in Cincy. We planned a full day where we did the tour, had lunch and then went to an afternoon game between the Reds and the Rays. The Reds won on a walk-off in extra innings with the most impressive thing being that the entire family watched probably 80% of the game. It didn't hurt that it was an absolutely perfect day outside.
10) Sotto (best meal of the year) - after the Reds game we went to check into our hotel and was pleasantly surprised with an upgrade to a suite. The game and walking took awhile, but we were still hungry. In a somewhat risky move we decided to go to a fancy Italian meal in downtown Cincy. The food, atmosphere, wait staff and overall vibe was perfect. When I go back to Cincy I hope to go back to Sotto.
11) Counting Crows in Indianapolis with the family - M had wanted to see one of her favorite bands for awhile, so we looked up tickets and planned a trip to Indianapolis to see the Counting Crows play at Holiday Park. It was awesome! The kids were well behaved (there isn't much better than other parents nearby complimenting them) and the Counting Crows were excellent.
12) Planning Utah / Arizona trip - our big trip for next year is going out west to primarily see the national parks out there. While the trip hasn't happened yet it has been fun reading about both states and planning what we will do
13) 24 Hours in New Orleans - While back in Mississippi for Christmas, we planned an overnight trip to New Orleans where M & I enjoyed some excellent food and walking around New Orleans. That evening I took my BIL and nephews to go see the Bucks play the Pelicans. The game was close, the stadium was full and it was amazing seeing Giannis and Zion for the first time.
Family
14) Rio - after much conversations, we finally decided to add a dog to the family! Rio has been such a great addition to the family. I take him on plenty of walks and he gets more than enough snuggles from my daughters.
15) Rio chasing after tennis balls - Rio is a medium sized dog that we think is a mix of beagle and cocker spaniel. Something in his DNA gives him an extreme ability and interest in chasing tennis balls. It's super fun to throwing or hitting a tennis ball and seeing Rio run after them. He never seems to get tired in general or specifically of the idea of chasing after tennis balls.
16) Team Melon / J scoring goals - I signed up to coach J's soccer team again and we had a great year! J went from more of a focus on defense (as she says it) to playing a little more offense. This was the first year we played against goalies and despite that extra layer of defense J was able to get a few goals. Of course the important thing is that everyone seemed to have fun.
17) Home Addition - much in the spirit of a lot of our neighbors in Bexley, we got a taste of the home improvement bug. We were able to find a good builder (who ended up being great!) and over the course of the back half of the year we saw as the backyard transformed from normal to a giant hole to an outline of an addition and then finally to a full new room.
18) M's 40th birthday party - M had a pretty big birthday this year so I planned a big party at the Franklin Park Conservatory complete with out of town guests, a band, a photographer and a brunch. The goal was to get some of our favorite people around to celebrate such a big day.
19) Blue Jackets with Oscar - my nephew loves the Blue Jackets and I've enjoyed taking him to a few games this year. Hockey will never be my favorite sport, but I love his passion for the game and the Jackets are an enjoyable live sports experience
20) Sledding outside the conservatory - we've taken the kids sledding a few times and they absolutely loved this one cold day outside the conservatory. This is a repeat from last year's list.
21) L's 4H - L got pretty into 4H this year in terms of attending meetings and also presenting at the Franklin County Fair. It was awesome to see her love for animals manifest itself into a group.
22) "L is a kind classmate and has a positive attitude" - her teacher. Earlier I wrote about other parents complimenting our kids behavior....in that same vein I love getting reports back on both L & J's personalities.
23) J's funny sayings - J is very open, honest and direct and with an ever expanding vocabulary it is a treat to see what she will say at any moment.
24) Anniversary dinner with kids at Martini - for our anniversary this year we all dressed up and had a nice meal in downtown Columbus. It's fun to doing these things with our family.
25) Sausage balls, edam cheese and the comforts of home - one of the pleasures of coming home is the familiarity of eating some of the appetizers prepared every single year. I enjoy looking forward to it every year and am pleased with our traditions.
26) The kids being able to independently walk 0.2 miles to and from school - one of the great things about where we live is the elementary school that both L & J go to is so close to our house. We normally walk them to and from school, but occasionally we let them make the trek by themselves. It's nice to live in a safe / walkable community.
27) Being the godfather for Otis - M and I drove up to Carey, Ohio to attend and participate in Otis's baptism. Afterward we had an excellent breakfast in downtown Carey. It was great spending time with family and I felt honored to have been chosen as Otis's godfather.
Sports
28) Mitchell to Gobert against the Mavs - It's been a strange two years as a Jazz fan. The 2020-2021 team was the best team in the regular season and had a good chance of winning the title. It all came crashing down with 4 straight losses (each more painful) against the Clippers, but expectations were still high for the 2021-2022 team. That team never really figured it out and despite individual excellence from Gobert / Mitchell it was a disappointing year that eventually ended up with the team blowing things up and trading them. I miss rooting for both of them on the Jazz. The last good moment for those two was the game 4 comeback win against the Mavs that ended in a great pass from Mitchell to Gobert. It's weird because one could make the case it was meaningless (they didn't win the series or even another game), but at the time it made me jump up and down like a child on Christmas morning. That seems meaningful to me.
29) The Dolphins 21 point 4th quarter comeback against the Ravens - The Dolphins completed one of their most surprising wins ever when Tua was NBA Jam level hot in the 4th quarter throwing TD passes to Waddle / Hill. At the time it both stood by itself as an amazing game and also seemed to suggest a "new Dolphins" that would compete for AFC East division and a long run through the playoffs.
30) Dolphins at Bears - In a picture perfect day in Chicago, I was able to see the Dolphins win a very high scoring game against an improving Bears team. This was my 6th stadium (Miami, Cincy, Minnesota, Green Bay & Indy) where I've seen the Dolphins win a game. It was nice adding a new stadium to that list.
31) Patrick Mahomes - It was a weird year in fantasy (started 2-5 thanks to Akers / Moore / Pitts) that has ended both good (making the playoffs, winning a playoff game) and bad (an all time loss in the semifinals), but one constant through it all is the overall excellence of Patrick Mahomes. I love rooting for him and despite it being somewhat routine (he does it every year) it is still shockingly amazing.
32) Tony Pollard - For a couple years now I've thought Tony Pollard has the potential to be an amazing running back. This year I drafted him in fantasy for a ridiculously cheap price and then watched him lead my team (him + Mahomes) to the playoffs.
33) Jeremy Roach in the tournament - so the tournament didn't end as any Duke fan would want. Losing to UNC in Coach K's final game was tough. Still the tournament provided a lot of joy. There was the well-played game against Michigan State that effectively ended on a pull up 3 from Jeremy Roach. Then there was the best game of the tournament (in my opinion) between Duke and a veteran Texas Tech team. That game also ended with clutch Roach shots. There isn't much better than watching your team get hot during March Madness and to have some memorable plays and a Final Four appearance.....not too bad for Coach K's last run.
34) Duke at Louisville with Megan - on a cold day in January I met my friend Megan (she drove up from Nashville) for a fun Duke win at the Yum Center in Louisville. AJ Griffin was amazing and we celebrated the win eating an excellent burger across the street at SideBar. It was great catching up with my friend and hearing about her move back from Switzerland to Nashville.
35) Multiple Clippers games with the family - we really got into the grove going to probably 5-10 Clippers games this year. We even got to bring Rio to two "bark in the park" games, which was fun. The girls still love telling the story about him eating an entire hot dog.
36) Bucks / Pelicans with my BIL and nephews - this was listed above, but one of the highlights of the year were lower level tickets to see Giannis and Zion. I had been to a previous Pelicans game (pre-COVID) and the atmosphere was fine, but it's amazing to see how Zion has transformed the games. It was a mostly full arena and everyone really seemed to be invested in the game.
Entertainment
37) Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe - easily the best book I listened to all year. It continues a theme with the next book on the list of showing extremely wealthy people (in this book multiple generations of the same family) who have what seem to be no ethics. I truly don't understand people with all the money in the world, making life so incredibly awful for so many people. Keefe did an excellent job of showing the full history of the Sackler family in a way that reminded me of David Halberstam. It would have been easy to just go with the facts (how many opioid pills were distributed, how many people died, etc) but showing the context of how we reached that point made the story fascinating. I highly recommend this.
38) The Man Who Broke Capitalism by David Gelles - this book wasn't as well reviewed as the Empire of Pain, but I enjoyed hearing this writer provide both a biography of Jack Welch and a critique on our modern system. The greed (common theme as Empire of Pain, White Lotus, Succession, etc) and lack of ethics from Welch makes one wonder why he was ever such an American Icon.
39) Reign of Terror by Spencer Ackerman - I don't mean to read just depressing books, but this was a really good read for anyone looking to learn more about the "war on terror" and the depressing side effects. I wish our country spent more time / money on solving problems like mass transportation, affordable housing and healthcare....and less time / money on military operations.
40) Carly Pearce - Thanks to a vox article, I was introduced to Carly Pearce and really enjoyed her music. I would like to see if she comes through Columbus because she isn't quite as popular (yet) as someone like Kacey Musgraves
41) The Seven Habits That Lead to Happiness in Old Age - By Arthur Brooks - one of my favorite articles and series in general is the "How to build a life" column in the Atlantic. This specific one is worth a read as it's short and has specific advice on things that could increase your happiness in the long term. I feel like I do a pretty good job of not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and prioritizing daily movement....but could certainly improve with learning and (outside my core family) developing long-term relationships.
Misc
42) 19nine - my favorite company right now is a retro college basketball company based out of Evansville, Indiana. This year they came out with a 2008 Davidson line, quarter-zips (one I am wearing as I write this) and introduced schools like Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Also, the entire St. John's mid 90s options are close to perfect.
43) Carter's - I enjoy the place I work and the people I work with, which is something I can appreciate more as I've worked for companies on the range from good to bad.
44) Trips to Atlanta - this year I flew into Carter's Headquarters approximately 6 times and it's nice having a routine with same flights, train, breakfast, etc. Plus the added bonus of actually being the great people I work with in person.
45) Pigs in a blanket, chocolate milk and catching up with old friends - one of my absolute favorite things about being back in Mississippi is visiting the parents of my high school friend. They ask great questions, spoil my kids and generally we just have an excellent conversation. I feel lucky to have these people in my life.
46) The rejection of (most) of the election denying Republicans - the red wave didn't come to fruition with the Republicans getting the House, but barely missing out on the Senate. It was about as good of a possible outcome for Democrats. Importantly most of of the most out the Republicans lost. Our democracy is in trouble thanks to things like voter suppression, gerrymandering and the Big Lie. It makes me worried when we can't accept basic rules or facts with the election. The 2022 election didn't solve it, but thankfully it didn't make it worse.
47) Schiller Park - we have a wonderful park in the middle of German Village where we take Rio and let him enjoy seeing other dogs while also chasing both squirrels (he never catches them) and tennis balls.
48) The Ohio State Fair - one of my favorite yearly activities is going to the Ohio State Fair and this year I took my kids + my nephew for a Wednesday night of fun. We did a lot of rides, the big slide and ate some excellent food. It's just a lot of fun for myself and also to see it through the eyes of my children. All things considered (cost, connivence and lack of crowds) makes the Ohio State Fair about 1000X better than Disney.
51) Halloween - it was great seeing the kids dress up, hang out with my parents and see the entire neighborhood come out for a fun evening. Also, I loved being a kid again and dress up as Felipe Lopez.
52) Spending New Year's with kids super excited to stay up to midnight - it's crazy seeing your kids get older, but it such a joy and I'm glad to finish a new year and start 2023.
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