See ya 2012

2012 has been quite the year on many many levels.  The hurricane totally through me off my game.  I am not so sure I realized how much until the last week.  I am not going to be sad to see 2012 leave.

I am entering the empty nest phase.  Not quite there but pretty damn close.  I see a few of my friends who have entered that phase having a difficult time.  For me, I have certainly shifted into a work life that I enjoy and am challenged by.  I really really like what I do.  I am beyond lucky to be able to do what I do and I know it.  So filling my hours is not what I am thinking so much about but more like what is life going to be like.  When the kids are older, things change.  They have created their own lives which in turn means that they only hang out with me on occasion although we talk and I am always there our lives are separate. Also, all the kids are at very different times in their lives.  I can see that with our travel   It is time to end the big family vacations.  We started bringing their friends a few years ago and that works on certain vacations but not on all of them.  Their ability to take me for long periods of time has waned and trust me I get it.  So I am know I will be thinking a lot about this in 2013.

2012 was also the year of the flood.  We lived out of our apartment more than in it.  It has not been pretty, it has been stressful and disorienting.  I honestly might weep when I sleep in my bed for the first time when we return to our home.  Dealing with getting back in and the insurance company has been an awful experience.  Unfortunately it was not Chubb who insured our building.  Getting the company we use to pony up any cash with any sense of urgency has been upsetting and frustrating.  The insurance companies that behave in this manner should all be held legally accountable.  It is a travesty and morally reprehensible.  That is all I will say on this for now.

It has been a roller coaster year.  The start-up world is changing and I am glad to see it.  Why so many of ideas get funded is beyond me.  Then again many people might think that about the deals I have invested in and think the same thing.  I understand it is a bit of a numbers game but I do not look at it like that.  I believe in everything I invest in and I want to see each entrepreneur succeed at some level.  Failure is not in my vocabulary although I know your learn from failure it still upsets me.

So what does 2013 bring?  Someone sent me this site called JohntheSloth.com where you can enter your resolutions, share them with others and have the site touch base with you on how your resolutions are coming.  Not so sure I need that.  I have a few of the same every year and do not need anyone to keep me focused.  They are get in better shape, lose 10 lbs, have more dinner parties, take more time out for me, etc.  I do work on those constantly.  This year I am hoping for a constant.  I just want to live our lives under our own roof with no major disruptions.  I could go for a real year of normalcy.

2013 is going to be a year for moving forward.  Reflecting on the past and using that to move me forward. Not sure what that means but I will find out.  The last few months we have lived out of more than 7 hotels and it is seriously thrown me off.  Where it throws me, I will see.  2012 has taken me out of my game.  I am hoping 2013 brings me back.