So yes, the world is a shit show.
So yes, the election is a shit show.
So yes, Da ‘Rona is a shit show.
So yes small business is a shit show.
So the news is........well you get the point.
In short.....SHIT.......SHOW.

Ok now that that is out of the way it’s time to Ranger up, move on and focus on the good things in our lives. So post something positive about your year, your life etc.

As for me I am and have always been super blessed. Great family, great house, work from home and because I have always been a Boy Scout and prepared for the lean times I am both perfectly comfortable in my home and have no TP or other scarcity worries.

I have a great indoor air gun shooting range at my house.
I have a ton of games and media to keep me occupied.
I am happy with my house, location and people I share it with.
I live in a quiet little burg with little worry of the afore mentioned various shit shows.
I have a great forum of like minded folks to commiserate with.

Frankly life is good when the rubber meets the road.

So yea we are all dealing with the 2020 shit show in some way 24/7, but I would venture to guess a great many of us have a fair bit of good and blessings in our life too.

I hope all of you are doing as well as can be. I hope Para is doing well and decompressing. I hope you all have a few extra rounds floating around and you are staying safe and healthy

Merry Christmas to all and take a minute to post the good in your life.

Take care, shoot safe,
Chris.

Beautiful baby girl born this April!



Ive found 5 firearms, 3500 rounds of various ammo and many accessories at less than retail prices during all this.

Those were all purchased after once again becoming debt free this year after the last 35k was paid off this year!

Great feeling to have my money go to me!

Similar to OttoSig, sans baby.

Paid off right around 30k in debt leaving us only with the wife’s 2 year old Durango payment which will be nuked sometime next year. Getting ready to start our new house, scheduled to hit the ground on January 18th and likely close sometime in June if the weather cooperates.

Yeah, 2020 has been a shit show in many ways but it could have been way worse. Well, for us at least. I know a lot of people have lost a lot and I’ve seen posts about it here and also on the only other message board I visit and I feel pretty bad for everyone who’s had a rough go. Hopefully 2021 will turn around for those who have had a bad run.

This year has been a roller coaster, for sure.

Keeping my head on the proper side of things:
* God is watching over us.
* My family, friends, and GF are healthy and safe.
* My pantry is stocked.
* My dog has arthritis, but not terrible pain.
* I got a promotion this past fall, and I've got a great team.
* Business is good, keeping us all coming back each next day.

There's plenty of craziness to whinge about, but as Americans we've got it better than a LOT of others.

Not gonna lie, I'm kinda holding my breath to see what happens next.
DeWine has a 10pm curfew in place, masks everywhere (which I barely wear) and I'm dreading another lock down which could ruin my business. Almost did the 1st time in March.
Something good is my sobriety. It's been tough. I do fear a lock down would push me back to where I was and that's a big part of my fear right now.

I’m stocked up on boom sticks and ammo. Wife and I are both doing great in our careers. We have no debt so we’re slowly getting work done to the house (these old farmhouses are a project). Finally got my workshop rewired, hence all the woodworking interest and questions. The karmas and sweet deals I’ve gotten from fellow members the last few weeks are amazing. Other than dealing with the public at work, I’m fairly isolated out here in BFE and love it that way.

I try to remind myself that when I woke up in a warm bed, turned on a faucet that produced clean water and opened a refrigerator with ample food, I have a leg up on most humans that have ever walked the Earth and many currently living outside the Western world.

Beyond that:

My daughter will finish grad school in the Spring and is planning to get married next Fall.

I had a great year of side by side riding with my wife. We went out almost every weekend during the summer.

I bought my first PCP airgun and am enjoying the heck out of shooting it.

I still have a job and I have been able to keep all my employees employed with a paycheck.
I have been cooking a lot more since the lockdowns and restaurant closures. I was pretty damn good to start, but I’ve been doing some amazing shit in my kitchen lately.
My recteq grill should arrive next week.
We got a cool little dog.

All in all, it’s been a decent year considering what we have had to deal with.

I was never laid off, nor was my son, nor my daughter. My son-in-law was just called back to work.
My son got through his bout with Covid.
The Bytes clan is now in good health.
Got plenty of ammo.
Rifle has been cleaned.
Got plenty of food.

I do hate the work from home thing I've been doing, but a keyword there is "work".

Life could be a LOT worse for us.

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:
My recteq grill should arrive next week.

Please do a review when you get it going and seasoned. I'm very close to ordering one.

I am 50% of the way towards attaining everything I need to complete my home gym !! Only took 8-months to get this far.

This little dude joined our family recently and I found a motorcycle that I have been trying to get for a very looooooooooooooong time so 2020 has had some great moments.

It's been a good era to justify putting thing off without the guilt - I'm retired and tired but I did cut down a big old sick Birch Tree in my front yard and all the limbs went to the city of Mpls (free) - all the larger branches to my wood pile and the trunks all split with my handy manual splitter for my Fire Pit. Stump grind was all I had to pay for - Waiting for my seed to sprout in the spring.

I complain about the Rona and stuff a lot. Not for my sake but for those suffering. I can’t complain. This year I...

Finished the basement with a cool bar.
Installed a pool with an awesome backyard.
Went to Aruba with friends just before the Rona hit.
Got engaged.
Got promoted.

Thanks for this thread. Made me focus on the good. There’s been a lot.

We sold our house in July and moved to the other side of the state to escape the Seattle disaster. We are right on the WA / ID border in a county that votes red every election (just as basically the entire right side of this state does).

Currently building an amazing home out here — one that is beyond what we’d ever expect to have. It’ll be completed in Summer 2021.

2020 hasn’t been all bad.

Still gainfully employed. Kids and wife are healthy. Can’t complain.

I stopped eating out and buying snacks at work (nothing but gas stations open after 10pm around here anymore since the Rona started, and at the beginning even those were closing), and have been packing my lunches. I also started running again, and have been very consistent about it all year. The idea that having my cardio in good shape might keep me from dying when I get the Rona has been a good motivator. As a result I'm down 35lbs and feel pretty good.

I got in a few backpacking trips this year, including a couple with my brothers who live out of state, so that was pretty cool.

We have way fewer social obligations, which I've always hated anyway, but my wife always got us involved in, and most of my OT details have gone away so I'm back to working 12 hour days instead of 15-18. As a result we've had a lot more family time. We get out and walk the dog daily, ride bikes, fish, shoot, etc...it's been a lot less hectic and good for all of us.

Honestly, the only thing I really miss about "normal life" is that I can't buy primers.

I just applied for Social Security and will be retiring in about seven months.
Have a four month old granddaughter (#3).
Having my deck replaced with a larger composite construction.
Been working from home since March, so no commute.

Purchased first pick of a litter of liver colored Germans Shepherds. So cute!

Bought a new Dodge Charger. Its a real car. With a trunk!
Bought a new BMW F850GS. Fun to putt around on in the Yoop.
Finally got decent health insurance.
Still alive.

It’s been a great year, despite all the BS.

I got my dream assignment at work. My son joined the Marines on a Reconnaissance ticket. I have paid down my divorce related unsecured debt to nearly nothing. I’ve traveled a whole lot less.

It’s been a pretty good year for me.