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Reflections of a Commuter in the New Year

Every month my wife and I try to give each other one afternoon off. It's meant to be pure discretionary time, spent on doing whatever you want to do: take yourself to lunch, go to a movie, relax at the library, etc..The only rule is really is that each of us should get out of the house. More often than not we spend at least a portion of the time doing at least one chore. Yesterday was my day off and I kicked it off by going to the car wash.


Look at that grime fly.

When all was said and done, I spent the afternoon at the library planning out my week and reviewing some goals I have for 2014.

This morning on my way to work I filled my gas tank. When I went to enter this week's numbers, I realized that today marks the completion of the first full year that I have been tracking mileage. Take a look at what a year it's been:


2006 Hyundai Sonata Mileage driving to/from Atlanta from Buford, GA

Prior to moving to Atlanta, I used to walk to the train and walk to work. My wife was the driver in the family. I think I can safely say that I've now taken on that mantle.

A lot can happen over 15,791 miles. For example, I achieved one of my goals of reading 50+ books. By "reading", I mostly listened to audiobooks, but I read a few actual books and heard a couple of great ones, the most memorable of which were:

Favorite Fiction Books Read in 2013
Favorite Non-Fiction Books Read in 2013
I also listened to a lot of music. The most memorable was definitely British, reconnecting with classic groups like The Stone Roses.

The new year is already shaping up nicely. I have a beautiful family that I love, lots more books and music to listen to and the sky is the limit. Best of luck to you, dear reader, in the New Year.

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