Summer, With A Little Bit of Normal

Summer, Spring, Summer, Spring, Summer, Spring. This sums up the weather pretty well over the last few weeks. Bouts of mid-summer heat and then it drops back to more typical spring weather. Overall I can’t complain too much, as I would much rather spring weather than consistent summer heat. I am definitely not one of the true summer fans, but do enjoy it in moderation.

As the seasons have turned, ushering in more consistent summer weather. So has a sense of normalcy. Here in Massachusetts, Covid restrictions have slowly begun to faded. Restaurants and other business have gone back to more normal operations. Giving many of us an opportunity to take advantage of activities we’ve missed over the last sixteen or so months. So what does all this have to do with this post? Well its more of an excuse for the fact that I’ve been a little slow to get into some new outdoor adventures. For that fact, instead of a new adventure lets take a look at one from the fall of 2020, with a walk through Upton Forest.

Upton Forest is a 2,660 square mile state park that sits between Upton and Westborough, Massachusetts. It offers miles of trails, excellent for hiking and biking. It even allows horseback riding. A aspect that surprised Jensen, when we encountered two beautiful horses enjoying an afternoon walk in the crisp fall air.

We visited Upton Forest in mid October, which was towards the tail end of peak leaf season. Although it was moving towards past peak, it still offered many opportunities for some great fall foliage shots. My favorite is still the one looking down the empty path, with the colorful reflection visible in the puddles from the rain the night before. It was a great day that offered some great fall views, and also an opportunity for some outdoors time. Something that was becoming less and less common in the second half of 2020.

I look forward to taking a trip back to Upton forest this summer and getting a different perspective.

Until the next adventure…
-Neal

New Year, New Outlook, New Goals

It has been just about a year since I last focused on this personal initiative. Many of the goals I set out going into 2020 went out the window pretty quickly. As I type this post, I am still working at home (~380 days later), we still have Covid-19, and we still have every day responsibilities. Although a lot is still the same, we have a bright future ahead. We now have a vaccine, well actually three at current count. Regions and states are starting to re-open, and we have a somewhat better understanding of the risks Covid-19 offers. All offering increasing hope for a brighter, more “normal” future.

Which brings us to the this site/blog. After many years of a stop and go approach, I am setting out in a new direction. A more focused theme, although still broad set of topics. Neal’s New England will focus on the many aspects that New England offers, activities, events, vacations, and the ever changing weather.

After a year of hanging around the house and backyard, my 2021 goal is to get out and explore again. This site will offer a glimpse of those adventures, both near and far.

Photo by Ian Beckley from Pexels

Can We Reset 2020?

What the heck is going on with 2020? Like seriously, its April 2nd and the last three months have been terrible!

I was just looking back at my last post, goals for 2020, and its like a whole different world. The goals I had outlined seem so petty in retrospect, and not able to be accomplished in the current state of society. Maybe it is time to rethink those goals. It something I will need to consider.

As I write this entry, its been just under three weeks since Massachusetts issued a “stay at home” order to help limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19 (aka Coronavirus).

Three weeks. Yes, three weeks of hanging out in my home, with the occasional short excursion to the local grocery store. I mean overall it hasn’t been bad, and I really can’t complain as there are people who don’t have this luxury. I have a job that allows me to work remotely and has little chance of being significantly impacted by the current economic downturn. Its still tough.

They are the heroes of this crisis though. The ones who don’t have this luxury. The healthcare works, grocery store employees, public officials, public works employees, utility companies. I can go on, but they really do deserve the respect of the country. There are the millions of workers who have lost their jobs due to the stay at home orders. They deserve a equal share of honor and respect during this time. Something the officials in Washington say they care about, but action is greater than words they speak. Action that has been limited for one reason or another, but in the end we will all know who the real warriors were. These are the same people who will be on the front lines once again helping to rebuild this economy and our communities, back to a normal. A “new” normal, or a old normal (from previous pandemics) is one we don’t yet know.

But I digress. The world we now live in has very quickly changed from one of carefree. To the extent of your day being the daily dog walk in the evening. I think back to my weekly routines frequently. The trips to Starbucks, the friendly daily conversations with co-workers, visiting with friends and family. All things once taken for granted.

Today, things are much different. Those daily conversations are now G-Chat messages, Google Meet sessions & Zoom meetings. Similar in function but just not the same. Those off the cuff conversations with your cube mates or friends in the hallway are no more. Even the hour long drive to and from work is something I miss. Those two hours a day was “me” time. Time that I spent listening to sports radio, podcasts, music, or just time to think about the day and life. It was a time of preparing for the day, and decompression from the day. A switch between work life and home life. A commute that I will likely never take for granted again.

Taking things for granted. What is it about humanity that we just don’t ever appreciate what we have until it is gone? or maybe that is just the societal nature of the 21st century…

In the end I know we will make it through this in the end. We being society. Yes, there will be significant loss of life by the end of this, but we will persevere as a country and a world. Humanity has survived many previous pandemics, with technology and science there is no reason we won’t survive this one.

But will we learn?

Thats is a question I ask a lot lately. Will we learn what the priorities in life really are?

  • Healthcare.
  • A living wage.
  • Local sourcing of food.
  • Regional/National sourcing of resources.

Will we learn? I am not sure we will. Its funny to see how fast we are willing to give out money in a crisis, but not willing to ensure that the majority of society can live a comfortable life.

Will we learn? Only time will tell, but I truly hope that we have.

A Quick Look Back at 2019

2019 was overall a very crazy year, in many different ways. 2020 is shaping up to be no different. Although looking back over the last year as crazy as it was there were a lot accomplished as well. Trips around the country, 400+ miles ran, and meeting a great group of running friends all made the year well worth it and setting the stage for a great (although likely crazy) new year.

Goals for 2020

  • Running 800 miles in 2020
  • PR in a upcoming 1/2 marathon (sub 2:10:00)
  • Increase my organization skills
  • Remember to enjoy the little things, and dedicate time for the things I enjoy. Work will always be there tomorrow.
  • Don’t let other peoples opinions hold you back from what you believe in!

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

— Steve Jobs

The Journey Begins

Welcome to my newish site! Over the years this site hasn’t really ever got off the ground, but has been a fun hobby to tinker with over that time. I am hoping this time is different.

The goal of this site is to shed a little light into my hobbies and daily life. There will be a little bit of Tech, Running, DIY, Photography and pretty much anything else that I might find interesting.

Get set and I hope you enjoy my small little piece of this big spinning world.

-N

You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
— Steve Jobs