Posts in "Then"

Reflections from 1.19.2025

Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.

My first “Now” update of 2025. The start of the year has been chaotic. Cold weather and threat of snow, but only a couple of flurries. Then, last week, both kids had the flu. The semester started and I’m taking two classes. Work remains busy. Tomorrow is MLK Day and it’s a holiday for us. Hoping to use the day off to recharge and reset.

Feels

  • Anxious. A car accident before Christmas. Wildfires in California. Insane political news. Sick kiddos. The general state of the world. It’s just one thing after another.
  • Optimistic. While the state of the world is depressing, I’m excited about the direction at work. And I’m moving toward finishing my Ph.D.

Health

  • Still stalled. Had hoped to hit reset after the new year, but alas, things are just too chaotic. I was looking to start walking...

Then: Reflections from 12.31.24

Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.

The last day of the year. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks leading up to Christmas and before New Years. A minor car accident complicated the already busy season. Everyone is fine, and it was the other driver’s fault, but now we are just waiting to find out if the damage is repairable. Thankful for good auto insurance.

Normally by now, I have a plan for the next year. And I guess I have some ideas, but I haven’t written it out yet. I probably need to go ahead and do that today or tomorrow, since, you know, 2025 starts tomorrow.

Feels

  • Drained. So many things to do at the end of the year. I was productive, but have not rested enough over the last couple weeks. I have two more days of vacation before I head back...

Then: Reflections from 12.15.24

Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.

First up, Happy birthday Norah! My oldest turns 20 today. Two decades is a long time and so much has happened… and yet, it feels like it has flown by.

I’ve seemed to settle in writing these updates every other week instead of weekly. Since they are mostly for me, I going to be okay with it. But if you happen to be reading along, just a heads up.

Feels

  • Excited. I’m excited for the Christmas season. Yes, most people started planning for Christmas early, but we have three family birthdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hard to focus on Christmas when we are still celebrating birthdays!
  • Proud. Of my kiddos. All three of them are growing up to be amazing people. I love them so much, but I’m also incredibly proud of who they are. I’m also very proud of...

Then: Reflections from 12.01.24

Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.

Thanksgiving week was busy. I worked Monday and Tuesday, took Wednesday off and the university was closed for Thursday and Friday. It was a much needed rest. We had Norah home from college so it was nice to have all of Team Wertz under the same roof for the first time for a while.

Hard to believe it’s December. I need to switch into gear to finish up the year strong. We’ve got my wife’s birthday this week and it’s her last week of graduate classes.

Feels

  • Good week to be a Gamecock. The marching band was in New York for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The women’s basketball team returned to form and won two games in dominating fashion. And the Gamecock football team got the win against arch rival Clemson.
  • Thinking. I have one last task to do...

Reflections from 11.24.24

Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.

So I accidentally skipped last week. I wrote the post, but never actually uploaded it. So I’m incorporating some of what I wrote last week to cover the last two weeks.

Happy birthday to my youngest, Ryan. He turns 13 today. For another three weeks, I have three teenagers. Time flies.

Feels

  • Grateful. On Ryan’s birthday, I’ve got to reflect on just how amazing and wonderful my kiddos are. I’m biased, but I think they are pretty phenomenal.
  • Rearranging. My wife and I decided to move everything around. Furniture from the master bedroom is in the kitchen. We moved a bookshelf into the master bathroom. A cabinet into the laundry room. A chair moves from the living room to the master bedroom. Really happy with all the moves, and hopefully it will help us be more organized.
  • Optimistic. I have a...

Then: Reflections from 11.10.24

Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.

I skipped last week’s post. Sunday, I was busy with schoolwork and didn’t have time. I planned to post something later, but the election happened and I just didn’t feel like posting at all.

Favorite Picture of Last Week

Our oldest, Norah, joined us at the polls to cast her first vote in a presidential election. And while most of the races didn’t go the way we hoped, I love that I was able to share this experience with her.

Three people smiling in front of an 'I voted' sign.

Feels

  • Nervous. I’m worried for the future of our country and the future of democracy in general.
  • Optimistic. I had advisement this week and feel like I have a strong path forward toward finishing my Ph.D. I’m planning on taking two courses in...

Then: Reflections from 10.27.24

Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.

This week was busy like the last couple, but felt much more manageable for some reason. I have an insanely busy week ahead of me and as the semester wraps up, I have a lot of school work to do. But emotionally, I feel a little more focused.

Favorite Picture of Last Week

My son, Ryan, is a lacrosse goalie. He played four games this weekend and did amazing. Probably his best week in goal ever. I also try to capture the action and yesterday, a kid made a great move a slipped the ball past Ryan. Great shot, and a fun picture.

Youth lacrosse player jumps in front of a goal with a goalie defending.

Feels

  • Motivated. I have a lot to do this week. And I’m feeling good about getting...

Then: Reflections from 10.20.24

Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.

Another busy week. I feel like a broken record at this point. The kids' schedules are busy. We went to the South Carolina State Fair. I was thankful that I didn’t have class this week for Fall Break, but I’ve still got a bunch of grad school deadlines to handle. We are actively looking to buy a car — which is a process I do not enjoy. It’s all quite overwhelming, but we manage to figure out how to fit it all in.

Favorite Picture of Last Week

I’ve decided to add this weekly feature to my Now page to encourage me to take and share more pictures. We went to the State Fair to see my daughter’s papier-mâché giraffe. While I was there, I caught this Ferris wheel against an impossibly blue sky.

A...
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Then: 10.6.24

Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.

This week provided confirmation of how bad Hurricane Helene devastated the people and places that we love in Asheville. We’ve heard from all of our friends and they are fine, but the destruction is almost incomprehensible. Asheville is a 2 hour drive from our house, and we make day trips up there all the time. Many of the stores, restaurants and spots we visit are quite simply gone. Lutheridge — a camp very special to my family — is okay, but with a lot of damage. The pen store in Biltmore Village is destroyed. So is the little bakery next door with the amazing Ginger cookies and the restaurant across the street with the pea salad that my wife loves. It’s hard to process all the loss.

Feels

Then: 9.29.24

Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.

Hurricane Helene hit us in Columbia, South Carolina this week. Early Friday morning, we lost power with 60+ mph wind gusts. Trees down everywhere. In Columbia, we weren’t prepared for a storm of this magnitude. We got power back 12 hours later, but many people in the area are still without power.

As bad as it was here, it was much, much worse two hours north in Asheville. Western North Carolina is devastated. Asheville is in many ways a second home and it’s heartbreaking to see the devastation and flooding.

Feels

  • Grateful that our family is fine, our house is undamaged, and we have power.
  • Heartbroken for communities devastated by Hurricane Helene.
  • Thankful for the linemen who are working to restore power. (There were five trucks in the front of our neighborhood earlier.)

Health