50 for 50: 2001

YEAR: 2001

AGE: Turned 31 on Nov. 6

LOCATION: Cottonwood Heights, Pinnacle Highland Apartments

CUBS' RECORD: 88-74

SONGS I LIKED: "Leaving Town" by Dexter Freebish; "AM Radio" by Everclear; "Family Affair" by Mary J. Blige; "South Side" by Moby and Gwen Stefani

MOVIES I SAW: "Ocean's 11"; "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"; "A Knight's Tale"

TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "Six Feet Under"; "Band of Brothers"; "The Sopranos"

CONCERTS I EXPERIENCED: Billy Joel/Elton John; U2/No Doubt; Styx/Billy Squier; The Fixx

VIDEO GAME I PLAYED: The Sims

When considering what to write for 2001, the first thought that naturally sprang to mind was Sept. 11. I decided not to -- maybe I'll save that for the 20th anniversary of the tragedy next year, and I want to stay sort of positive. However, that left me wondering what to cover for this year.

What distinguishes 2001 (and to an extent, 2002) from all the other years we've spent in Utah is that it might have been my last living like I was in my 20s. Yes, I was 30 and then 31, but my routines, my priorities, my leisure time all screamed 20s.

That sounds like my life suddenly dulled up once we had kids. That's not true -- it became infinitely better and more interesting once the boys arrived. Life was just in a different phase in 2001 than it would be a couple years later, and that actually started to change before we even knew Michael was coming.

After working for five years at an afternoon paper -- which meant early mornings for a sports copy editor -- I was back at an a.m., which was simply more lively. That's not to disparage my coworkers and friends in Madison, but those early mornings, we had to get the section done and were already tired. In Utah, at least for those first couple years, every night was like hanging out with your buds. We'd go out for beverages after work. We would jaunt out to the mall to find dinner. We'd watch sports on TV or anything else that was on. We'd work diligently and seriously but never forget that we were lucky to be sports journalists.

Outside work was just as fun. I had an unusual schedule for a time in which my off days were Sunday and Thursday. That sounds crappy in that I didn't have two consecutive days off, but I never had more than three days of work until the next break. Lori and I enjoyed our Sundays thoroughly -- we saw a plenty of movies, went on hikes, explored Salt Lake City -- and usually did something on Thursdays in the spring, summer, and fall.  

I was playing Strat-o-Matic Baseball again and also discovered MLB Showdown (a collectible card baseball game). I was writing freelance articles for Wizards of the Coast in my free time. I stayed up late after work, slept late, watched a bunch of HBO and music videos on VH1 Classic, and worked out almost every day. Lori and I sometimes didn't see each other much, but we made the most of the time we had, knowing this was the life of a couple in which one person was a sports journalist (and Lori had a lot of fun hanging out with her new group of friends and coworkers during this time, too).

Eventually, the schedule changed to where I had Tuesdays and Wednesdays off, and some of the good friends I had made at the newspaper had left. Plus, staying up to 2 a.m. after work didn't make as much sense as my 30s edged along. Then, Michael was born, and the unique schedule we thought would suit our family well became a struggle. Only five years separated 2001 and 2006, but it seemed like a lifetime.

Yet, as I write this, I have a new appreciation for 2001. We more than settled into our new locale -- we jumped right in with enthusiasm in a way that perhaps only younger people can. That next phase awaited, but it could wait a little while longer.