My time blogging has obviously been quite limited over the past few years. I tend to spend time on Instagram and Facebook more than anywhere else online. It occurred to me today that I never even shared my thoughts on turning 50! Now, I’m weeks away from turning 51 and looking back again. Since I have a few minutes to myself, I thought I’d share a little with those that might be interested in what I’ve been up to.

2024 wrapped up with a wonderful birthday party that included friends and family from over the years. I had it at a Bricks & Minifigs store and the theme was Lego with a fun cake and party favors of small sets. It was a busy day, but I managed to see not only my family, but also college and high school friends, former and current co-workers, and newer friends that I met through the OhioLUG. It was a fun time and great to see everyone sitting down and chatting while they built the Lego sets.

Once 2025 rolled around I had a very good year with many changes in our household. Most notably was the addition of a new puppy named Puffin. We now have a doggy family of 5! It’s a lot to cope with sometimes, but they are so fun to watch interact and they make me laugh so much. He’ll be turning a year old at the end of December and is still very puppy-ish.

My Lego hobby continues to be another source of joy. I’ve been fortunate to travel to Brickworld to display my Conservatory and Topiary Garden. I won “Best Small MOC” at the Ultimate Brick Show in Xenia, Ohio. I even created a whole new display this year with a Victorian neighborhood. Not to mention all the sets I’ve built! It’s been busy and a lot of fun. I’m so glad that I was able to renew my enjoyment of Lego.

My work continues to be really interesting and challenging. I’m fortunate to have a great group of people that I work with. I’ve been heavily involved in one project (LinkUS E. Main Street Bus Rapid Transit Project) that has been a great learning experience. I even received an award for my support of the project. As I’ve learned more about multimodal transportation, I’ve become very interested in City Planning. So I applied (and was accepted) to the University of Cincinnati for a Master’s Degree program in City Planning. Over the next year and a half I will be attending UC’s online program. I’m excited for this new challenge.