After recently declaring to be done with shaking hands, I have since reconsidered and have for better or for worse, resumed with the traditional custom.

One year since the coronavirus changed the world, I reminisce over the early days of the pandemic, my thoughts at the time when we didn’t yet fully grasp what was about to happen, and how I feel about things today.

Depending on when you met me, you know me as either Martin or Marty. Which do I prefer? Leave it to me to complicate something that should be simple. Here, I attempt to set the record straight.

As I experience my first winter after dropping a significant amount of weight, I am surprised by how often I now am uncomfortably cold and the amount of effort it takes to stay warm.

As the pandemic has forced all of us to adjust to a new normal, I reflect on the positives I’m grateful to have in my life in the present, and share a few observations from my time while sheltering at home over the last couple of months.

It’s been several years since I’ve worked at the Dominick’s grocery store. My five and a half years there through high school and college felt like an eternity. With the store likely to soon close, I am thankful for some of the fond memories I have while working there.

An evening fire on the driveway while with my fiance and future in-laws allowed me to share my less than favorable Boy Scout memories. This unfortunately caused me to realize that many of the things that annoyed me as a kid concerning the great outdoors still annoy me, now as an adult.