It’s that time of year again.

Some people like to reflect on the previous year sometime in December. I like to have a little more distance from it, so I’ve always written these recaps in January. For better or worse, the extra few weeks gives me time to gain a clearer perspective of the year as a whole.

What I remember is that 2024 was a pretty good year, all things considered. What felt at times like limbo was just transition, and I’m excited about what I’m working on and who I’m working with.

Of course, 2024 was challenging, too. Among other things, the US re-elected the worst president in my lifetime and one of the worst presidents in history.

Optimism is the antidote to despair. For my part, I’m doubling down on building community, strengthening relationships, supporting people, and trying to make a difference.

January

We kicked off the year with a family trip to Breckenridge. We even brought our dog Bear. Because I wasn’t cleared to ski yet, I shuttled everyone to and from the slopes, walked the dog, and spent time with Tegan, who was on crutches at the time.

Tegan and I spent a few hours one day making candles, which was a lot more fun than I expected. We were the only people there, so we got a lot of personal attention and instruction. It was nice to do something that was so unrushed.

The kids and I started playing Super Mario Wonder, and we had a lot of fun together. Killian decided to 100% the game, so I decided to do the same. At first, it was just a fun way to continue playing, but we were rewarded with probably my favorite Mario level of all time, The Final-Final Test Badge Marathon.

I took Tegan to a dog sledding event at Snow Mountain Ranch as part of Girl Scouts. While she was doing that, I enjoyed spending some time with Riley, who came along for a weekend of fun that included archery, rock climbing, roller skating, and the cafeteria (her favorite part).

Killian and I visited Troop 78 during their Pre-Klondike. (He would later join the troop.)

February

We went back to Snow Mountain Ranch with some friends. This is the trip I missed the previous year, during which I tore my ACL playing soccer. I wasn’t going to miss it again. The kids enjoyed all of the activities, and Riley showed off the natural route on the climbing wall, which is when you don’t use any of the holds. (I didn’t even know that was a thing.)

Christina took the kids skiing in Keystone. I was still doing PT regularly, trying to build back the strength in my legs, hoping I could join them before the season ended.

March

Killian won Pinewood Derby again, and he had the fastest car of the entire pack. It was his last time racing, since he was aging out of Cub Scouts. It was nice to see him go out on top.

The kids and I started playing Hollow Knight, and we all got really into it. The maps, the art, the lore, everything. Killian and I decided to 112% the game, but we lost interest after getting to 111% and completing Path of Pain. Maybe we’ll come back it before Silksong is released.

Killian went on a snowshoe hike around NCAR with Troop 78, and I went with him. We were able to walk to it from our house.

We went back to Brooklyn and stayed with Jessi and Creighton. We always live it up when we go back, catching up with friends, eating at favorite restaurants, and seeing shows. We also spent a day on Governor’s Island, a car-free utopia that we love. Our ferry was delayed for a while, because Presidents Biden and Obama were departing from the helipad near the ferry terminal.

April

We got to see another solar eclipse. I remember telling everyone at Roost to go outside and check it out. I had some glasses to share, and everyone appreciated the reminder.

Christina and I watched It’s Only Life After All at the Dairy with a bunch of other Indigo Girls fans. It was fun and nostalgic.

At long last, I was finally cleared to ski again and took the family to Vail for one last ski trip, which coincided with Christina’s birthday. We stayed in a very cool Airbnb that was just across the walking bridge, so it was inexpensive but still incredibly convenient. I was especially cautious, because I know people tear their ACLs skiing all the time, and I wasn’t back to full strength yet. On the first day, disaster struck, and I still can’t believe it. Christina tore her ACL! It would be several days before we knew for sure. I felt terrible.

May

I went with Killian on his first outing as part of Troop 78. After a pleasant day of hiking and a nice night at Wellington Lake, the weather took a turn. The clouds descended upon us as we went to bed, and we awoke to some of the worst weather I’ve experienced. We were in thick fog, everything was covered in snow and ice, and because the temperature was barely below freezing, we were assaulted with a constant rotation of freezing rain, sleet, hail, snow, and more freezing rain. Everything and everyone was soaked and miserably cold. Not the weather you might expect in May, except this is Colorado. To cap it off, the drive back was so treacherous that the adults count that as the hardest part of the whole trip. I was impressed with the resiliency of the scouts, Killian especially.

Tegan’s bike was stolen in front of King Soopers, underneath a security camera, which was devastating to her. It’s always hard when something is stolen from you, but her bike was her most cherished posssession and how she got around (including to school each day). It was like having her freedom taken from her.

We went to Casa Bonita for my birthday. Wow, what a place. The food wasn’t great, which everyone warned me about, but I can’t wait to go back. It’s such an experience.

Killian graduated from Bear Creek. I did the slideshow again. I think I’m already on the hook to do it one last time when Riley graduates in two years.

We started a garden in our backyard, which was great. I mostly planted tomatoes and hot peppers.

June

I visited my dad in Florida shortly after a life-saving surgery. My sister joined us after the first day. Despite the circumstances, it was really nice to spend some time together, something we rarely get a chance to do.

Christina and the kids surprised me with Janet Jackson tickets for Father’s Day. Nelly opened. Lots of nostalgia.

I spent a few days at Summer Camp with Killian and his fellow scouts. While there, I helped with the backpacking shakedown, an overnight backpacking trip meant to help the new scouts get some experience.

We saw Brett Dennen at Boulder Theater. Riley came with us, and when Brett asked for requests, she shouted “See The World” as loudly as she could. He liked that idea and looked to see where that tiny voice came from. Christina shouted her name. He pointed to her and said, “I see you, Riley.” Then he played the song. Riley was beaming.

July

There was another wildfire close to home, but we didn’t have to evacuate this time, and they were able to contain it. Thank you, firefighters.

We went camping at Golden Gate Canyon State Park with some friends, and we brought Bear. On our way to the campsite, we encountered a couple of moose and had to wait for them to leave.

Christina had ACLR surgery. There was no meniscus damage, which was a huge relief.

We saw Alanis Morissette. This was only my second time seeing her, the first of which was in 1996. She was incredibly energetic and gave an amazing performance. We were pretty far from the stage, but during the show, she set up a mini stage right in front of where we were sitting and performed several songs. It was like having a small, private concert.

August

Killian had a backpacking trip with scouts coming up, so the girls wanted a trip of their own. I took them to Crater Lakes, a favorite spot. It rained, but it was fun. The raspberries along the way weren’t quite ripe. On the way home, we capped off the trip with our traditional visit to the Carousel of Happiness and Crosscut.

The following weekend, I went backpacking in the same place with Killian and his fellow scouts. The raspberries were perfect, so they spent a good amount of time collecting and eating handfulls of them. We got rained on quite a bit, but they had fun.

On the second day, there was a nice moment when the sun came out, we were above tree line, and the scouts could see the Continental Divide. Although it was time to head back to camp, they decided they wanted to go for the summit. We made it to the summit and back down below tree line before the rain started again. It was the best part of the trip.

September

I’ve seen the Indigo Girls in concert many times over the years, but Red Rocks is a pretty special venue, and this turned out to be a very special night. Some friends of Christina’s are also friends of Carol Isaacs (an illustrator who was playing keyboards), so they got free tickets and were sitting closer to the stage than we were. During the show, Christina went down to chat with them for a bit. When she came back, she told me to hurry down there, because one of them was donating their backstage pass to me.

I made my way down and found them, and as soon as Amy and Emily left the stage, we went to the stage door, passes in hand. A few minutes later, I was meeting the Indigo Girls!

Amy and I talked about Boulder and her love of Mustard’s Last Stand. Emily was tired and clearly eager to get back on the bus, but she graciously said hello and posed for a photo.

October

A friend of Killian’s invited us to go camping with them for his birthday. Looking back, I’m realizing I spent quite a lot of time in the outdoors last year.

I saw Aurora Borealis for the first time, and I only had to travel to our deck. It was barely perceptible to the naked eye, but really vivid and obvious when looking through a camera.

We got to see the comet, which was utterly spectacular. I’m really glad the kids got to see it, too.

I accompanied Killian on a survival outing with scouts, where luxuries like tents weren’t allowed. I overprepared, because it sounded harder than it turned out to be, and because the May outing was so extreme.

November

I went to New Orleans for a high school friend's birthday, which felt a little like a reunion. This was my first time visiting New Orleans. I stayed in a cute hotel right on the St. Charles Streetcar Line, which was a nice way to get around. Dinner was at Commander’s Palace, which was pretty fancy and very good.

The US had an election, and it didn’t go well. I texted my friend Jessica:

Grim day, but let’s start a company.

I saw Aimee Mann and Jonathan Coulton (again) at Boulder Theater. They were great as always.

Tegan performed in the school play, and the girls both had a dance performance. It’s really fun to watch your kids on stage. The nervousness, the pride, the hard work paying off. And that moment when they see you in the audience? It’s great.

We saw Wicked at the cinema, which was really great. The girls have been singing the songs ever since. (To be fair, they were already singing the songs.)

We got a massive Christmas tree for Roost at my friend Dan’s property in Nederland. Roost has really high ceilings, and I’ve always wanted to have a huge Christmas tree. It really livened up the place.

December

We announced Studioworks and gave people a chance to sign up for lifetime discounts and other perks. The response has been amazing. As I write this, almost 1,000 people have signed up based purely on the promise of what we’re building. It’s the wind in our sails, and I’m so grateful to everyone who believes in us.

My mom visited. She arrived on a Friday, and I took some time off of work to spend some time with her. After lunch at Alpine Modern, we visited the Apple Store to demo the Vision Pro. I thought it would be something fun to do, and it was. I can’t imagine ever buying one or using one in public, but they’re really impressive.

The annual Roost holiday party was so much fun. The pandemic years were hard, but I can feel the community energy returning. I’m looking forward to pouring my heart into it again.

The night before Christmas, I received the strangest email. Someone in Colorado Springs had bought Tegan’s stolen bike. They were offering to meet up and return it to me. I was a little skeptical and glad to be meeting in a public place for safety, but it turned out to be legitimate. Her bike was pretty badly damaged (they destroyed a fender cutting the wheel lock off and marred the frame in a few places), but it was really nice to have it back.

Christmas break was great, as always. Lots of movies and family fun.

After Christmas, we went to Oakland. Well, we flew into San Jose, stayed in Alameda, and spent time in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland. Christina’s sister Rose and her wife live in Alameda, and we stayed nearby and spent most of our time with them. Every day was packed with fun.

On Christmas Eve, which happens to also be Rose’s birthday, we went to a kid’s dance party at Jessica’s place in Berkely, which was a lot of fun. At the end of the night, we all sang happy birthday. Jessica even cut a piece of cake she happened to have and put a birthday candle on it.

That was 2024. I like that I mostly remember time spent with family and friends.

I’m really looking forward to 2025. I can’t wait to make the most of it.