I’m not the best photographer but like most in the digital age I take a lot of pictures. My spouse would argue that I take far too many. A fair point, but I also know it’s how we keep our memories alive.

So with that in mind, I put together a few photos I liked from 2018 to share as we turn the calendar to 2019. I took nearly every one of these. The exceptions are the ones I’m in that aren’t selfies. Most of these are about highlights in the year so no, there are no photos of me with a broken nose. Happy New Year to all and cheers to a boffo 2019 — I just wanted to use the word boffo.

2018 began, as is our recent tradition, with our friends Mark and Maria Hozza. Maria had the idea to write our hopes and dreams for the year on this sign as 2018 began.

Note that I was the one who wrote the message on the far right.

The next photo came on the last day Adam Constantine, right, spent as social media chief in University Communications at Elon. Adam is 6 feet, 9 inches tall. Dan Anderson, Adam’s now former boss in University Communications, ain’t. This could be my favorite photo of the year.

 

I spent a lot of time during the winter at Elon in Koury Business Center working on a project. The two photos above are two of the many images I snapped there.

There was snow on the ground for Elon Day in March and someone took advantage of the opportunity.

 

Another Elon project that kept me busy this year involved the Design Thinking program. It’s an excellent way to find creative solutions to sticky problems. There is a pun here for those who don’t notice stuff like that right away.

The Elon spring job fair at Alumni Gym.

At some point in early spring our boy Typo injured his paw.

But he bounced back nicely. Below he’s saying, “Please let me in Pop-Pop.”

Elon’s new Schar Center features images of former players in the lockerroom, something I saw on a tour a few months before it opened in the fall of 2018. Note Adam Constantine makes another appearance.

Back at the Design Thinking Lab, Provost Steven House looks over student projects developed in the Design Thinking immersion semester.

You knew I would have to post something about food. The po-boy sandwich at Tyler’s Taproom in Durham got me through our evening at the Durham Performing Arts Center with the Long Island Medium.

And then later in the month I enjoyed a Sazerac at ACME in Carrboro.

The logistics for setting up outdoor graduations at Elon can get interesting. This year, though, rain forced the ceremonies inside at Alumni Gym where I found this row of oak saplings (Below) ready to be handed out to new Elon grads.

As usual, we closed the Elon student year by having Roselee’s co-workers from University Communications over for a pizza party on Staff Appreciation Day. We fire up Roselee’s outdoor pizza oven. Garry Graham picks the guitar — and this year picked up one of our cigar box guitars. And Rebecca Bass, a big fan of Roselee’s pizza, enjoys a slice. She’s the creator of the official / unofficial branding.

 

My mom and brother on Mother’s Day. Yep, that’s a big plant all right.

In June we took a quick long weekend trip to Beaufort and visited Atlantic Beach, where we had mojitos, stayed at the Beaufort Inn, which provides one of our favorite waterway views and took a reluctant selfie in Swansboro, where Roselee and I first met and fell in love.

 

In the summer at our annual Advancement staff picnic I got to see my longtime friend and one-time colleague Chris Cary, aka Magic Christopher, perform his magic act for a delighted crowd of children.

Best birthday gift ever. It’s still giving. Thanks again Ro.

In August Roselee’s cousin Julia Occhiogrosso paid a visit and some pizza making ensued.

 

There was a reunion of former Burlington Times-News staff members to mark the death of our longtime friend and editor Don Bolden.

One of our absolute highlights of the year was our visit to Maine. What a great state.

 

For Homecoming this year Elon had a near capacity crowd for a game at Rhodes Stadium.

November also took us back to DPAC for a wonderful, inspirational and incredible performance of “Hamilton.” Rebecca joined us there. I’ll never look at musicals quite the same way again. This well-reviewed show actually exceeded our expectations — which is very rare indeed.

 

And of course our major event of the year is our annual Big Dinner the weekend before Thanksgiving. Papandrea-Gould and Taylor family members come from Illinois, New York, New Jersey and North Carolina.

Then we got a foot of snow in December, which didn’t make the Grinch too happy.

We spent New Year’s Eve, as I mentioned before, with our friends Mark and Maria Hozza where we enjoyed great conversation, a visit to Gravy in downtown Raleigh, the best Old Fashioned I had this year and a walk around the First Night celebration.

 

Best wishes to all for a fantastic 2019. We can all hope.