The title should say it all. This year has been one for the ages. One of the reasons to have a blog, is because it allows you to essentially write a journal, containing hundreds of words, which benefits your website through SEO (Search Engine Optimization). You mention the word “soccer” and people who search for that term, may stumble across your site. At least that’s how it was explained to me. The problem is when you get years like 2020, writing a blog is kind of the last thing on your mind. Where to begin…

In the late hours of March 2 and into the early morning of March 3, ten tornadoes touched down across Tennessee. They ranked between an EF-0 and EF-4 on the Fujita scale. Seven of them affected Middle Tennessee, destroying six schools, John C. Tune airport, as well as the gymnastics facility where I coach. At least 25 lives were lost, 2,400 structures affected, 500 completely destroyed, and about $2 Billion worth of damage according to AccuWeather. We were unemployed for 5 months. Thankfully, our employer’s insurance covered us.

About a week later, Covid-19 hits the country. Now millions of people across the country, are unemployed. Businesses are closed, everyone is forced to wear a diaper on their face, and we can’t enjoy our lives. Even the movie industry has grinded to a halt. We’re coming up on almost a year of the country being locked down. Winter is coming, schools are talking about not even opening this year, and Zoom is now a thing. I’m just wondering how much longer businesses are going to stand being told what to do. It’s certainly put a damper on doing any street photography. Every one of your subjects is wearing a mask.

What else? Oh, this crazy city just approved a 34% property tax increase, that’s currently being fought (and rightfully so).

The Gulf Coast was hit by seven named storms this year, affecting my parents in Florida and my family in Louisiana. My father’s van was crushed by fallen oak tree.

I’ve had money tied up in Lipocine (LPCN) stock since August. The FDA was supposed to announce an approval or denial of their drug “Tlando” back on August 28. Instead, it was delayed without reason and the shareholders were all told “you’ll have an answer in the coming weeks”. Well, it’s now been 3 months and although we still don’t have a decision, things are looking very positive and the stock has been gaining all week. It looks like an approval is imminent and it’s just a waiting game at this point.

My refrigerator finally gave up the ghost and I was rear ended at a stop sign a few weeks ago. I’m fine and the car wasn’t totaled, but man, that was a $750 and $500 expense that I was not anticipating, while my funds are stuck in a stock that was supposed to approved three months ago. Live and learn.

And to top it off, we lost Kobe Bryant, Alex Trebek, Eddie Van Halen, Tommy DeVito from The Four Seasons, Dianna Rigg of Game of Thrones, Regis Philbin, Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, Kelly Preston, Charlie Daniels, Joel Schumacher (Directed The Lost Boys, Falling Down, two Batman films, A Time To Kill), Grant Imahara of Mythbusters, Bill Withers (Ain’t No Sunshine and Lean On Me), New Orleans jazz musician Ellis Marsalis, Kenny Rogers, Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki (whose work could be heard in films like The Shining and The Exorcist), Max Von Sydow, Lee Fiero (the woman who slapped Chief Brody in the face in Jaws), Ian Holm, Esther Scott, Chadwick Boseman, Kirk Douglas, Tommy Lister aka Deebo from Friday, and the legendary Sean Connery this year. This year can kick rocks.