One year in the life of the Dana...

I last posted here more than a year ago… laaaammeeee.

A lot happens in a year of the life of Dana. In a somewhat form of chronological order, here’s the rundown of what happened in the last year:

• I survived a terrifying, though thrilling, high-speed “vehicular mishap” that definitely could have killed me and others in my path. 
  
• Nikki and I moved from our cramped suite in Leeds to a cute little house in West Deerfield (not to be confused with South Deerfield).
  
• On the day that I moved my beloved four-wheeler to our new house, I discovered that the shed door was an inch narrower than the rear wheels of the quad. (At the exact moment that I rode it very fast into the shed for the first time… ripping the door off of its hinges and destroying pieces of the trim.)
  
• Nikki and I accidentally made friends with some very, very famous people.
  
• Thanks to my persuasion, Nikki started a business (Handmade by Nicole) making and selling jewelry and accessories.
  
• My cousin John Hoyt, who greatly inspired me to pursue a career with automobiles, passed away suddenly before any of us could say our goodbyes.
  
• While in New Hampshire for John’s funeral, Nikki and I did some sight-seeing and toured the Anheuser Busch brewery in Merrimack. Mmmmmmmm… free samples…
  
• My friend Todd Sienkiewicz and I took a day trip to NYC, where we explored some of the sights that only he and I would appreciate as much as we do: Unbelievably huge and delicious pastrami sandwiches, quirky hardware stores, and musical instruments worth more than our lives combined.
  
• I somehow convinced Cahilane Auto Body in Northampton to hire me as their lead Mechanic.
  
• I graduated from Porter & Chester’s Automotive Technology program… with (almost) straight A’s.
  
• I started saving 15% or more by switching my car insurance to Geico… no kidding.
  
• We lost the luxury of having electricity for 5 days, courtesy of a freakish nor’easter in October.
  
• I became a state-licensed vehicle inspector and have helped state police & local police and District Attorneys investigate cars that were involved in some very serious incidents.
  
• I lost a lot of weight… like, a lottttt of weight through the year - Mostly in brain cells.
  
• My father’s last sibling passed away after his body took a very long time to shut down.
  
• Nikki and I discovered our new favorite show on TV: The Big Bang Theory.
  
• I injured my hand while working on a Jeep Grand Cherokee… I think I broke a bone… but I’m not going to see a doctor!! I’m ok… I’m ok!
  
• My brother from New Mexico, along with his wife and their almost year old daughter, visited for Christmas.
  
• I somehow managed to go a whole year without adding to my collection of tattoos.
  
• Aaaaand, the icing? I still DJ’d at 50-something events throughout the year.
  
• Oh, and that door that I demolished with the wheeler? Yeah… it’s still dangling by a single screw at the top.
  
  
  
  Yup. It's been a year. Stay tuned... and maybe I'll write again... someday...