Final 2023 Take
This will be my final take in 2023. There were highlights and lowlights in 2023.
2023 started off with my Dad’s health deteriorating, having him in the ER, hospital, and a rehab center. He got COVID-19, that didn’t help, entered hospice care, and we lost him in February. He died at his home, just like my Mom.
After my Dad died, some of us on Team Tony – Sylvia, Aida, Bobby, Rachel, Andy, Linda, Vero, David, and me went to Las Vegas for a few days to chill out. We walked around a lot. We ate at nice restaurants. I finally got to see “Love.” We saw the Titanic artifacts exhibit, and I lost my arse at the slots and on sports betting on March Madness.
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H-Town went through a drought of sorts. I am still waiting to see if some of my bushes and shrubs are going to make a green comeback or are they goners.
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The Astros made the playoffs and got to the ALCS for the seventh consecutive season. I made it to a lot more games than I did from 2020 – 2022. I am sure the Saint Arnold folks were happy to see me back on a semi-consistent basis. Both Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez got dinged up and were out for a while. Pitchers Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers, Jr. got injured. McCullers didn’t pitch in 2023. Garcia was out for the season in early May. Framber Valdez had a great first half and a so-so second half. Framber did throw a no-no in the second half. We got Justin Verlander back. We clinched the AL West on the last day of the regular season and got the first-round bye in the playoffs, beat the Twins in the ALDS and lost to the Rangers in seven in the ALCS, thanks to no offense production from Kyle Tucker and Jeremy Peña. Plus, we never won a home game during the ALCS. A few days later, Astros manager Dusty Baker retired.
The Baseball Buddies continued our tradition of getting together before home playoff games to mostly talk sh_t.
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Channel 2 KPRC-TV Consumer/Investigative reporter Amy Davis did a kickarse job exposing the billing problems with the City of H-Town’s water division. Why does it get a mention? Because Commentary was impacted. I didn’t have a working water meter for over a year and after it was replaced without my knowledge, I had a high bill. My plumber and I figured out I had a leak. The city was not helpful.
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TEA made their move and took over HISD with a new superintendent and a Board of Managers (BOM). I know some of the Board of Managers. I talk to one BOM member on an occasional basis. Commentary has said that we need to work to get out of the takeover.
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COVID-19 finally got Commentary. I got it in late August and was out for a couple of weeks. I was and am fully vaccinated.
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Professionally, most of the year was spent on the State Sen. John Whitmire for Houston Mayor campaign. I said in my take right after our runoff win that the campaign team was a stellar group of professionals. We stayed focused throughout the entire year. We had an outstanding candidate who put in a great effort. We had the resources to implement our strategy. We were able to pivot when needed. I was proud to be on one of the best campaigns H-Town has ever seen. We won.
The featured photo is kind of a favorite of mine. It is from right before the Whitmire Campaign kick-off this past June at The Yard.
At 12:01 am on Monday, January 1, 2024, John Whitmire will be sworn-in as our next Mayor.
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I started out the year dealing with my Dad’s funeral, and ended 2023 going to my friend Frumencio Reyes and my Tía Julia’s funerals.
How was your 2023?
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178 years ago today, Texas became a part of the United States of America. We were admitted into the Union on December 29, 1845.
I still have on DVR quite a few Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel Christmas flicks that I still need to get to. That is what January is for.
Stay safe this weekend and I will have a take Monday morning.
Have a Happy New Year weekend!
