January was one of the most challenging months of my life.

WEEK 1

Layoffs to start the new year! I survived, but 30% of the people who did what I did were suddenly gone. I firmly believe the names were picked out of a hat and we’re not sure things will be done at any point this year so I get to live with that constant stress.

Around this time I got a pretty brutal respiratory sickness, which resulted in a sinus infection and headache that lasted literally until the end of the month.

WEEK 2

VASECTOMY (will be written about soon). Glued to the couch for two days, highly uncomfortable for a week, pretty tender and walking funny for another. It’d take the third week to be comfortable playing hard with the kids, not walk funny, and sit on the bike (took a week longer than advised).

WEEK 3

Learned my role was being dissolved. I would be given a couple of options for a new career. What I’ve chosen is related to what I’ve always done, but almost completely different. Time to get learning.

WEEK 4

Stomach flu. All four of us vomiting at the same time. I was the last to be hit. This seemed to have triggered a migraine the following day, which left me pretty much unable to get out of bed for two more days. Coupled with Rebecca starting a new job and the resultant absences from daycare and this was likely the most difficult string of a few days we’ve had as a family. This broke my seven year streak of exercising every day. I think I’m okay with this because at some point a goal achieves you.

THE END

The 28th marked the first day of the year in which I don’t feel shitty in some way. I’m going to call February the beginning of 2023 and pretend January didn’t happen.