I was looking at my blog this morning, thinking it was time to dust off my brain and get back to writing.

2019 was a challenging year, personally and professionally.  I had to confront, head-on, some old demons, deal with a minor medical issue and adjust to a promotion at work for which I did not actually expect to be competitive.  Now that I have a resolution on some of these issues, and I am settled into my new position, I feel like I can move forward with some things on my “to do” and bucket lists.

For 2020, I am looking forward to working on some renovation and repair projects around the house.  The kitchen is in the leadoff position.   I want to take it down to studs and start over.  No, I am not going to attempt to do this myself.  Surely there would be an earth-shattering kaboom from a gas line if I was to try to DIY it.  No, I am bringing in the pros. I have already brought in a kitchen designer to take measurements and come up with options.  I am patiently (well, not really) waiting to hear from her.

I am also working on a genealogy project to trace the Baumann side of my family.  I have a draft going, but I am still trying to get some more details on when the first Baumann in my direct lineage, John (Johann)A. Baumann, Sr came to the United States in the 1860s and settled in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn.  He married into an Irish family, as did every male in my direct line.  The German bloodline has been absorbed by the overwhelmingly Irish blood in my veins. (Note to my Dad, the DNA test has me at 95% Irish.)  More on that soon.

Jeanne and I are planning a trip to Italy.  I have been there several times, courtesy of the U.S. Sixth Fleet. Jeanne, who is half Italian and half Sicilian (don’t ask), has never been.   I think we are going to start in Tuscany and work our way to Naples and the Amalfi Coast.  We need adventure!

I would like to get over to Ireland and see the sights, trace some family roots, and do a Geocaching adventure.

It may be time to look at replacing the Jeep.  I just passed the 160,000-mile mark on my 2014 Cherokee (501 miles to Jeanne’s house from my house in Chesapeake, do the math). Adventures in car shopping are always good fodder for posts.

My intent is to document the fun and the humorous as 2020 progresses.  I am also painfully aware that the universe is adept at throwing waves when you least expect one.  I hope I will weather those storms as they come.