2020 Hindsight

10/31/2020, Halloween 2020, was today.  And we were unsure of what would be allowed, by the town and by the State, during Covid times.  But a bunch of us were determined to make sure that the kids could have SOME kind of Halloween and feel a bit more normal in these abnormal times.  And the town came out, on a crisp, nice Fall day, the 305th day of 2020, and followed all of the safety guidelines from the CDC, the town, and NJ.  There were chutes for candy delivery from porch to sidewalk, there were ramps doing the same, there were tables spread out with candy in a safe manner for kids to grab (JUST ONE, PLEASE!)  There were lawn displays of candy from which kids could take.  Goodie Bags were made, and the kids, many with masks under masks, were able to Trick-or-Treat and there were smiles, and cute costumes, and happy parents.  My 2020 Hindsight is a Caring Community of Candy for Kids.  I am often glad that we ended up in Oaklyn, NJ.  And tod...

I finally caved in on the 304th day of 2020.  It is going down to 33 degrees tonight and so, on 10/30/2020, I turned on the heat in the house.  I am hoping it gets warmer again and we can turn it off again (I prefer the windows open anyway, I feel like the cooped up feeling is even worse with the windows closed and the heat on).  But, for tonight, my 2020 Hindsight is The Heat is On.  Which allows me to attach an 80s era music video and that is always fun! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZD8HKVKneI&ab_channel=GlennFreyVEVO

My daughter says that too many of my posts these days have been about food.  Well, the 303rd day will have another food-themed hindsight.  Because, on 10/29/2020, it was a chilly and rainy day.  So what did the Sherrs do?  We made soup and Anna made grilled cheese.  My 2020 Hindsight is Grilled Cheese and Soup Night.  They call the World Series "The Fall Classic," but as far as meals are concerned, tonight was pretty Fall Classic to me!

Last night, for dinner, we ordered takeout to support a fundraiser for my nephew Stefan's School.  So, tonight, 10/28/2020, we had leftovers.  See, this time, I ordered way too much because a) it was a fundraiser and b) I love Chinese Food leftovers.  So my 2020 Hindsight for the 302nd day of 2020 is Leftovers Hit the Spot!  I know this is not very deep or pithy, but nobody promised everyday would be a homerun!  Good Night!

Everyone who knows me well, knows my first sports love is baseball.  So, tonight, on the 301st day of 2020, OF COURSE we were watching the 6th game of the World Series.  And, on 10/27/2020, something happened that had not happened in 32 years occurred.  Tonight, the Dodgers won the World Series.  Twelve years ago, to the DAY, I was in Citizen's Bank Park as the Phillies beat the Rays in Game 5 and, tonight, there were far fewer people in the stands (thanks, Covid) as the Dodgers beat the Rays in Game 6.  Memo to the Rays, try not to play any elimination games on the 27th of October (two trips to the WS, two eliminations on 10/27).  I am happy for my Dodger fan friends (Hi Andres, Hi Jen Koh!) but I am also a little sad.  My 2020 Hindsight is And so begins the Void.  As soon as the WS is over, I immediately start pining away for the start of Spring Training.  And with Covid numbers as bad as they have ever been, I wonder what next season will ...

So the 300th day of 2020 has come to an end and, as 10/26/2020 wraps up, I still have a BUNCH of unread emails.  I do not like going to bed with unread emails but, I was on PTO today and then we had a softball game so I was very behind and I have not yet caught up.  My 2020 Hindsight is oodles of email.  Let's hope I can catch up tomorrow.

The temperatures outside dropped considerably from yesterday to the 299th day of 2020.  And I surely felt it as I sat in the dugout on 10/25/20 at the Mustangs softball game in the Marlton Tournament.  But I was warmed when I arrived at home.  Because Sarah had made chili for dinner and, once again, all four Sherrs were together, eating a family dinner.  Yum!  Love!  Smiles!  A great end to a great weekend.  My 2020 Hindsight is a chili day.  It was chilly outside, but the chili made us warm inside.  And the family time did not hurt either!

The four Sherrs had a busy day on the 298th day of 2020.  Between swimming, and shopping, and working, and volunteering, and coaching, and cleaning, and cooking, and even playing some games on our phones, all four of us were quite busy today.   But, here we were in the late evening of 10/24/2020, and ALL FOUR of us were hanging together in the Family Room.  We never expected to have this extra time with Alexa (she was supposed to be on campus and all), but I smiled as I saw all four of us sitting together and my 2020 Hindsight is my fantastic family four.  Someone asked me today where I find my happiness and it is definitely at home with my family.  My kids and Sarah bring me joy.  And I feel blessed tonight.

As we came to the end of 297th day or 2020, we came to the end of a very long, and tiring week.  Not just at work, but there is a LOT going on in the World and politics and work and life and and and.  And I am tired.  But, the evening of 10/23/2020 was anything but tiring.  We got takeout and ate on the back patio and then we watched the World Series.  And, while doing so, I made the plans for the softball games tomorrow, as I am assisting as bench coach for one of the Travel Teams at a tournament.  I dunno, there is something about baseball and softball that just makes life easier to handle.  My 2020 Hindsight is Take Me Out to the Ballgame!  Thank goodness we were able to have seasons (both MLB and Softball) in limited forms this year.

It was the evening of the 296th day of 2020.  I had already completed a long day of meetings, at work as well as my trip to the gym (for aqua jog, apparently I have a strained AC joint so I need to give my shoulder a rest).  And, after that, on 10/22/2020, I channeled Kenny Rogers.  "How?", you ask??  Well, for some reason, the Presidential Debate was on my TV (we already voted!) and I walked out of the room.  I turned on Sirius XM to listen to Thursday Night Football and root on my Eagles.  BUT, they infuriated me as well (OK, they ended up pulling it out, but I gave up, so maybe they won to spite me), so I ran away (turned it off).  Yes, my 2020 Hindsight is know when to walk away, know when to run.  I was far more relaxed surfing the Internet, buying school pictures for Anna, and catching up on email and planning the DVR schedule for our Fall TV watching.  I may have missed the drama of the debate and, yes, I missed the excitement of the E...

October 21st, since 2015, has been celebrated as Back to the Future Day.  Because this is the day, in 2015, to which Marty and the Doctor flew forward, into the future.  Well, not much that happened in that movie has come true (they tried with the hoverboard but...), but on the 295th day of 2020, I am thinking about the future, and how I hope things get better.  I am getting tired of these Covid Times and I fear there are some rough days ahead.  But, on 10/21/20, I will try to remain festive and have my 2020 Hindsight be Happy Back to the Future Day.  Let's hope, in the words of another 80's iconic piece of culture, that the future's so bright, we got to wear shades!

I woke up on the 294th day of 2020, got ready to go "to work" (i.e. walk downstairs) and, as I did, I listened (as I usually do) to Breakfast with the Beatles.  As he does most mornings, Chris Carter started off the show by telling us all of the day's "holidays."  Today is World Statistics Day.  Which, of course, brings me to my 2020 Hindsight: Nerdy for Numbers.  Palindromes, Statistics (especially baseball/softball), Numbers, Data, I love 'em all.  And it makes me nerdy and I don't care.  That's right, in HS I was a mathlete not an athlete (although I did run cross country for a while, to stay in shape).  Numbers make the world go round!

My 2020 hindsight for the 293rd day of 2020 has nothing to do with the actual events of 10/19/2020.  I knew this would be the subject of my nightly post as soon as I heard Chris Carter tell me, this morning, that today is National LGBT Center Awareness Day!  My 2020 hindsight is a campus of inclusion.  I am so glad to work for an institution that has had such a strong LGBT Center for decades.  And Penn seems poised to break new ground in the realm of equity and inclusion with our new VP (the amazing Chaz Howard) and his team.  I do miss campus a lot and cannot wait until I can return to that energetic space and see all of the wonderful students and the diversity they bring to Penn and the world.

Something about the 292nd Day of 2020, surprised me!  Not the whole 10/18/2020.  Just one moment.  Here I was, sitting here at the computer, catching up on emails (remember, I was off of work on Friday) and getting ready to start the work-week tomorrow.  And, I happened to go to my Sent Mail and I saw this: That's right, my friends.  I sent ZERO emails during the calendar day of 10/17/2020.  Now, I'm not going to lie, I probably scanned my phone to see if anything important came in, so I was not "unplugged" at all.  But between travelling, coaching softball, and hanging out at home, I actually did NOT get on a computer and send an email until close to the end of Saturday Night Live.  While Saturday is in the name, it ends on Sunday so I will take that technicality and have my 2020 Hindsight be a day without email!  Let's hope I can do better next time and not read any either.

This weekend started great, with the wedding of my niece Lauren to her new husband, Jay!  And, on the 291st day of 2020, I sat and thought about how lucky I was to marry into this close-knit, loving family.  And so, on 10/17/2020, my 2020 Hindsight is Welcome to the Family, Jay!  I look forward to many family functions where you will also be present.  Functions filled with love, laughter, and fun!  Thanks for sharing your special day with us!

I was disappointed last week at my checkup that the practice had run out of the flu shot the day before my appointment.  But, one of the perks of working at Penn is the Flu Clinic run on campus, each Fall, for students, staff, and faculty!  So, on the last day of the clinic, the 290th day of 2020, I trekked to campus, parked, and hustled over to Houston Hall.  I usually volunteer at the clinic and am impressed by the efficiency with which it runs.  But, today, as a patient on the other side, I was amazed!  It was so quick!!  So my 2020 Hindsight for 10/16/2020 is I got My Shot!  And, of course, that makes think of this song!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic7NqP_YGlg

The 289th day of 2020 was a pretty normal day at work.  We had a nice presentation in the morning of 10/15/2020 so the day started off pretty well and, yes, there were a lot of meetings, but we got to 5PM and there was little stress, so I am happy.  Maybe because I am on PTO tomorrow (three-day weekend, woo!) or maybe because we all knew Sarah was coming home and making lasagna tonight.  What IS it about comfort food that makes everything OK??  My 2020 Hindsight is There's Something about Comfort Food.  I appreciate Sarah's lasagna tonight and appreciate that it was the capstone for the end of a pretty good day, pandemic be damned!

There are a lot of days when I share the opinion of one of my friends and neighbors that "Social Media will bring the end of the world."  But then there are days like the 288th day of 2020.  During the morning of 10/14/2020, my mood was sour.  I was having a real case of the mid-week blahs and blues.  And, on a whim, I posted a short blip on my FB wall: "I am in a bad mood this AM - someone make me laugh!"  And I was not disappointed.  In no time at all, there was a plethora of posts of my FB friends trying to bring light into my dark time.  And they all made me smile.  Some of them made my chuckle and a few even made me guffaw.  But what was even more comforting is that DOZENS of my friends, upon seeing a friend in need of a smile, worked quickly to try to provide him one.  Even if it had not worked (and it did), the effort is what truly counts and it is so appreciated.  My 2020 Hindsight is that I can count on you like 4, 3, 2....

As you all know about me, I am pretty extroverted.  Some, including myself, might even say pathologically so.  So, being this way, I LOVE meeting new people and, frankly, that does not happen as much in these "pandemic times."  Yes, I spent the 287th day, as I have spent many of the days since March 17th, primarily in my house.  BUT, on 10/13/2020, I got to meet new people!   See, I act as a Pre-Major Advisor to undeclared students in the College at Penn, and since there have been some staff departures in the past months (voluntary separation and all), there was a need for newly unlinked members of the Class of 2024 to be matched with a new PMA.  And, thus, today I got five new advisees and immediately reached out and introduced myself.  My 2020 Hindsight is meeting new people.  I love it.  I am anticipating their replies and the productive conversations we will have in the next 18 or so months as they decide their paths (for now) and succeed...

The weather on the 286th day of 2020 stunk!  It was cool, dreary, rainy, damp, wet, yuck!  A lot of people were posting on social media about their weather-influenced bad day.  Me, I had a pretty good day on 10/12/2020.  I mean it's probably because I spent so much time inside (but I did have the window open and I enjoyed the cool air) but I had a decent day at work, a pleasant evening of meetings, and a not that bad night of catching up on email.  My 2020 Hindsight is not bad for a rainy Monday.  The song lyrics go "rainy days and Mondays always seem to get me down."  Glad they did not get me down today!

The 285th day of 2020 has me thinking a LOT about family.  First, at Church, we had the blessing of the animals which did not make me think about the humans in my family, but DID make me think of all of the four legged family members we have had through the years.  THEN, my mom posted a picture of my sister and me with my grandparents.... today would have been their 85th anniversary.  And, finally, the day ended with a Zoom Memorial Service for my "Uncle" Mark.  I put uncle in quotes because, as the father of my Second Cousin he was probably my First Cousin once removed-In Law or something.  But, as my mom said, her cousins were like sisters to her and her actual sister, so I called him Uncle Mark.  My 2020 Hindsight is Family Legacies.  I feel blessed that my family has some amazing legacies, amazing stories, and amazing people.  And I am hoping that we (my generation and OUR kids) can keep building these amazing legacies for years to come.

The 284th day of 2020 was a great day.  On 10/10/2020, we got out of the house!  And it was great for my outlook.  As Sarah said, it was really the first time I had a change of scenery that did not have something to do with a softball game.  The good feelings were also appropriate because today is World Mental Health Day.  And, I feel, that we should be working on our mental health as much (if not more) as our physical health.  I remember that a Director of the Family NP Program at Penn Nursing once told me that 75% of Primary Care cases have some relation to mental health as well.  My 2020 Hindsight is Mental Health Matters!  I am so glad my family convinced me to go to the Boardwalk today, it improved my mental health.  I hope you can all find ways to improve yours as well.

It was an earlier morning in the Sherr Household on the 283rd day of 2020.  This is because 10/9/2020 is was the first in-school/hybrid day for Anna at Collingswood High School.  Nothing Earth shattering happened today, but I have to say that there was a little comfort in the semi-return to the routine.  My 2020 Hindsight is just a bit closer to "normal."  I know that normal may never return to us (please do NOT say it's the "new normal," but a return to routine, even if just for today, was nice.  Bit-by-bit, step-by-step, closer to the end.....

The palindromic 282nd day of 2020 found me, again, on the softball field.  After work on 10/8/2020, I drove to Atco to coach (again with Bob), the 16U Mustangs Select Team.  Someone asked me, the other day, where my "happy place" is these days.  I answered, "on the bench, coaching and keeping the book, with one of the Mustangs softball teams.  Now, since this was against Waterford, in Atco, it was bound to be cold.  And, yes, it was.  But, my 2020 Hindsight is cold on the field, warm in my heart.  It was cold, but I was happy to be there and had a relaxing night, even though we lost (by 6 runs!)  Until the next game!

The 281st day of 2020 was again pretty normal.  Work, Dinner, Softball, TV, Email, Sleep.  But I found out that 10/7/2020 is also Random Acts of Poetry Day.  So, in honor of this day, AND to try to respond to my friend Nicole's request for haikus, my 2020 Hindsight is a random haiku from me to you! Twenty Twenty has been strange Something new each day Oh when will it ever end? Good Night, friends!

In the morning of the 280th day of 2020 I went to Riverside Heights Primary Care for a check-in appointment.  And, as usual, my appointment was with Kelli Peters, the Physician's Assistant I started to see when my Nurse Practitioner left the practice.  What I did not know is that today, 10/6/2020, is National Physician's Assistant Day.  My 2020 Hindsight is Happy PA Day!  I wish I had known, I would have wished Kelli and Happy PA Day too!

10/5/2020 was a pretty normal Monday.  Started at the chiropractor, a FULL day of meetings, and then Band and Church meetings and now I am catching up on emails.  But I had a pleasant diversion midday on the 279th day of 2020 when my friend Don and his friend Liz posted pictures on their FB pages from the Friday Collingswood HS Field Hockey game.  I only had one daughter in the pics, and she was running the clock.  Alexa was there, but cheering them on as her time on the field for CHS is over.  The pictures, as always, were GREAT and I love texting them to the Coach, the Parents, and then hearing how much they (and the players) love the pics.  My 2020 Hindsight is friends with cameras.  I am SO lucky to have these friends who continue to take amazing shots of the sports in which my daughters participate and the ones they love.  Thank you, Don and Liz!

The first Sunday of October is World Communion Sunday and, this year, Pastor Michael had a wonderful service planned.  Because, on the 278th day of 2020, we are still worshipping online, it was possible for Michael's colleagues from across the world to join us in service, to tell us how things are in their "corner of the vineyard."  And, as I sat there on 10/4/2020 listening to their stories, their prayers, their hopes for the future, and their good wishes for us, their partners I was struck by my 2020 Hindsight: We ARE the World.  It's easy to get stuck in the news, the current events, our daily concerns and needs.  But it was great, this morning, to have the wider perspective and to think where we (I thought about me, really), fit into this whole world.  Because there are many issues bubbling around these days, and it's going to take a worldwide effort, filled with love, kindness, and peace, to solve them.  This morning's service was a good reminder, and ...

It was an early day in the Sherr Household on the 277th day of 2020.  Alexa was playing in a softball league with her work friends (and found out that slow pitch is VERY different than fast pitch) and I enjoyed watching her play (funny, they did not let me coach) :-).  BUT, Anna and Sarah got up even EARLIER on 10/3/2020.  Today was the Collingswood HS PTA Mum Sale.  And, since I am on the PTA Board now, I had a hand in organizing the logistics and wonderful volunteers handing the operations and we sold out (700 Mums!) in 2 hours 12 minutes (2:12, a palindrome!)  All in all, it was a very successful event and a big relief because I have been worried all week (just of the unknown, nothing really I should have been worrying about but... you know me!)  My 2020 Hindsight is Mum's the Word!  Thanks to ALL who volunteered today and made sure the sale was successful.  Especially the Sarahs, without whom the sale would never have happened.  Until nex...

You may not know it, but the 276th day of 2020 is World Smile Day.  Celebrated on the First Friday of October, World Smile Day is celebrated to honor the Smiley Face, created in 1963.  So 10/2/2020 was the celebration of the 57th birthday of the Smiley Face.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  The goal today was for people to make at least someone smile.  Personally, that is my goal EVERY day.  Imagine how nice of a world we would live in if people were dedicated to others' happiness and tried to make others smile...

So, after work, on the 275th day of 2020, I had a swim lane reservation at the pool.  And I arrived at the designated time on 10/1/2020 to find a swim lesson going on in Lane 2, the lane I had reserved.  Luckily for me, Lane 1 was open and I swam there until the lesson was over.  So I did not get into my lane (30 minute reservation) until 15 minutes into it.  And, of course, at 7:30, the next person who had the lane reserved showed up.  Once again, Lane 1 was open still and I moved there to finish my workout.  I have to admit, I was a but annoyed, but all in all, I got MORE time in the pool than I had reserved, I was able to finish the laps I wanted to, and I did not get upset or make anyone feel rushed (or late).  My 2020 Hindsight is patience is a virtue.  I could have gotten upset at the person who was in my lane.  I could have told the next person they had to wait until I got my promised 30 minutes.  But why?  To me, I think bei...