Last week, I exorcised some demons from my past.
Friday morning, I had some loose ends to tie up. I got a bill in the middle of the week from the Sleep Center saying I hadn’t paid yet. I did some research and it turned out that I did, so we settled that Friday.
It’s around this time of year that I get a “phantom” bill from Bank of America. It’s for antivirus software that I purchased for an old laptop that I neither use nor I have anymore. I made some calls to the respective customer service representatives, and was able to cancel both of those subscriptions
Now why did I say I was exorcising demons? Because I’ve had these things since my post-college days and I was fighting my own demons then. So having at least one of them was a reminder of the life I used to live. But they’re both gone now so I feel a lot lighter now.
We are already at the first half of 2026. It seems the year has gone by so fast. There are some events that have stood out in these six months. Some are weather related and others are from my own personal experiences. It’s possible you might read about them again in my top ten when I post that in December. I’ll go in order and not share anyone else’s stories unless I was directly a part of them. Without further ago, here’s a few of the newsworthy events of 2026.
January is remembered most for the resignation of long time Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. The coach felt pressure from the fans after another season where it felt the team had underperformed. In my opinion, a couple of 5-11 or 5-12 seasons during Tomlin’s tenure might have helped the team grow better. I know having a streak of so many winning seasons is nice, but what’s the use if it doesn’t help you grow?
The final nail in the coffin was the 30-6 wild card defeat on Monday night football. Replacing the longtime head coach would be Greenfield native and former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.
The end of the month brought us a major winter storm that stretched over multiple states. Pittsburgh wasn’t exempt from the January winter blast as some communities received well over a foot of snow. In the wake of the snow was the extreme cold as Pittsburgh recorded 18 consecutive days with temperatures below freezing. It’s coincidental that I write about this during a holiday week in the dead of summer. We’ll be experiencing 90 degree heat with heat indices well over 100 degrees. If you work outdoors it goes without saying, “Please stay hydrated!”
I was happy to be a part of my adopted sister’s big day when I attended her baby shower over Easter weekend. I got the invite back in January not long after I heard the news that they were expecting their first child. Luckily, I was able to get the day off even though I was thinking of the needs of the business. It was a beautiful morning for a baby shower and I made sure I looked great for the event. It was held at the same place where she and Rob had their wedding five years earlier.
It was a beautiful morning for a baby shower and the parents-to-be received a lot of nice gifts for Chloe. My “niece” made her arrival on May 20 and still has yet to meet her stylish uncle.
We counted down to the last days of our District as our name changes tomorrow morning. District 13 merges with District 10 to form the new District 219. I got to meet some of those Ohio Toastmasters at the Spring Conference. I’m also making plans to attend an online Toastmasters meeting with the new Sandusky Bay club later this Summer.
This Spring, I helped out at my contests serving as Sergeant at Arms and cheering them on to victory. I wasn’t sure when news broke about the merger but now I’m ready to embrace all the changes coming to Toastmasters.
Here’s to our new District 219 and new challenges in the Toastmaster Year.
Stylish 🍒 