2014 in review

2014 was a busy year and a year of slowing down. I lost some of my online writing platforms due to site closures, so I slowed down in writing, but it also made me take a look at what I was doing – and where I really wanted to go.

I enjoy writing, but my first love was always photography. The two have naturally gelled together for me, and in becoming more confident in my photography after all these years, I wanted to display it more often. I ended the racing season by covering three racing events: the U.S. Open weekend at Lancaster Speedway (which turned into more than one weekend!), the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series race at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in Elbridge and the Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified Series race at the NYS Fairgrounds in Syracuse. I love covering local racing, and I’m going to put some added emphasis on it in the coming year.

Sportsman class - 9/20/14 - US Open at Lancaster Speedway

I made it to seven races tracks in 2014 – Lancaster, Rolling Wheels, Syracuse, Holland, Oswego, Pocono and Watkins Glen. After missing The Glen for a couple seasons, it was great to get back there, and to see a first-time winner in AJ Allmendinger. I also got to meet up with a couple of online co-workers at Pocono for an impromptu Skirts & Scuffs meet-up.

My other love, in both writing and photography, is Buffalo. As Marv Levy once said, “Where would you rather be than right here right now?” – I’m happy to be able to witness the rebirth of this great area in the eyes of the nation and the world. I finally made it to Canalside this summer, but so much has happened since I was there, a winter visit may be in order (ice bikes, anyone?). I visited the Japanese Garden and the Buffalo History Museum, the Botanical Gardens (of course!), Fontana Boathouse, City Hall and Silo City – before it got its six-pack! I checked out a number of garden walks, and finally got to see the wonderful gardens of blogger Jim Charlier of Art of Gardening, as well as some cool Garden Walk Buffalo garden art, on a bus tour with Sally Cunningham.

Silo City

Sometimes it felt like my gardens were taking over my life – in a way, they were, because I had a bumper crop of veggies that saved me some money on salad fixins’. I always say gardening is my therapy, and it doesn’t cost as much as a doctor! (well, maybe…)

I got to say goodbye to Derek Jeter in Toronto and Cleveland – a huge part of my life left the field with him. I also got to cheer as Joe Torre was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame – me and thousands of my closest friends.

Life felt so busy, especially during the summer, that I feel like I forget a bunch of stuff – and I probably did. But this was the stuff that stuck out for 2014 – now, onward and upward, to new adventures in 2015!