It is official: We have finally reached the quiet time on our industry calendar. Now is the perfect moment to take a breath, relax for a bit and then get back to work.

This is my final Editor’s Note for 2015 and I am going to give you a peek behind the curtain on my work and personal New Year’s resolutions. For years, I never took the time to make resolutions because I always felt they were silly and I knew I would not follow through on them, especially in the health department.

But as I officially hit my mid-30s, I know I need to set goals to keep moving forward. My youth is in the rear-view mirror. It is time to look ahead and check off some attainable goals. Without further ado, here they are:

  • First and foremost, I have plans to provide you, the devoted pme reader, even more material to consume. I always have wanted to put together a podcast for the publication and I believe I finally have the right idea to get it launched. Check www.pmengineer.com in the near future for our debut episode.
  • Next, I can’t wait to take part in the many industry events set for 2016. First on the docket is next year’s AHR Expo Jan. 25-27, 2016 in Orlando, Fla. My flight down to the Sunshine state already is booked. I hope that I can make it to at least one event held by all of the industry’s major associations this year, including ASHRAE, ASPE, ICC and IAPMO.
  • Take a look at my photo in the upper-right-hand corner of this page. That was me at my peak weight of 320 pounds. As of press time, I am currently at 292 pounds. Losing those 28 pounds has been one of the toughest tasks I have undertaken, but it had to be done and there are more pounds to shed. By beach season this summer I will be at my goal weight of 210 pounds.

So there are my New Year resolutions! Just as I love to cross off — in a red Sharpie, no less — tasks on my daily to-do lists, I look forward to the day in 2016 when I can do the same for this list.

 

Greenbuild thoughts

Back in November 2013, I was on the job with pme for a couple of weeks when I attended that year’s Greenbuild Expo in Philadelphia. Hillary Clinton gave a keynote address to a full house on Temple University’s campus. Back at the convention center, Greenbuild’s Expo Hall was consistently busy throughout the day.

Fast-forward two years and, from my observations, something was off at this year’s event in Washington, D.C. After being on the expo floor for about two hours, my group went to lunch and came back to find fairly deserted aisles and booths. Additionally, the majority of manufacturers in our industry did not showcase many new products.

Manufacturers were there to showcase their sustainability initiatives and there is nothing wrong with that, but I was hoping for more. The Greenbuild Expo is one of the most important events in the industry because it pushes the industry forward, but I do not enjoy seeing it stuck in neutral.

For a more in-depth report on Greenbuild and the new technologies showcased in Washington, please read here. Here is to hoping that an earlier date (Oct. 5-7) and warmer location (Los Angeles) will reinvigorate the event in 2016.

Enjoy the holiday and have a happy New Year!