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There’s an old saying that says, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Is that always true? It seems like only yesterday we rang in 2025.

I felt terrible when the year began and visited the Andalusia Walk-In Clinic. I was tested for strep, flu, and COVID, all of which were negative thankfully. I was diagnosed with a viral infection, given a steroid shot, and prescribed antibiotics.

A week later, I appeared to be on the mend as some symptoms went away. I was determined to get my health back on track.

I had a six-month checkup with Ericca at Three Notch Medical Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. By that time, I was feeling better but still felt congested. My blood pressure was fine, and Ericca prescribed medication for the insomnia I have dealt with for the longest time.

January was rough, but I stayed positive as February began.

I went to see my friend Lindsay at Wiggins Barber Shop for a haircut on the second Saturday. She did another great job, and I followed my haircut up with a relaxing pedicure from Shay at Magnolia Jane Nails. The chair massage helped ease pain in my neck and lower back.

A few days later, I drove to Montgomery and covered Straughn and Andalusia’s girls in the AHSAA South Regional at Garrett Coliseum. Both teams lost but had great seasons and represented Covington County well as the last two basketball teams standing.

For Valentine’s Day, my best friend Austin treated several friends and me to a very nice dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Destin. We were seated in a private room with wine bottles in glass panels surrounding the table. I enjoyed crab cakes for an appetizer, a ribeye with lobster macaroni and cheese and sweet potato casserole for the main course, and crème brûlee for dessert.

The following day, I went to see the Covington County Schools Collaborative Arts’ production of Matilda at the Straughn School Auditorium. I took my good buddy Kevin and introduced him to other teachers in the county since he is the Florala High School band director. The play was wonderful, and everyone involved did a great job. The talent in the county schools is unreal!

Then came my dentist appointment at Dr. Amanda Lanier’s office in Opp. I thought I had an abscess tooth causing my continued nasal issues. My wonderful dental hygienist Amy did X-rays and performed a cleaning on my teeth. She told me she was proud of my home care, and Dr. Lanier said my tooth did not look abscessed. She will re-examine it in September. God is good and certainly was with me that morning!

Last Monday, we had our monthly Pilot Club meeting. Has it really been an entire year since I first joined? I guess so! My friend Caryl Lee attended her second meeting and joined as a new member.

January and February have flown by, but have I had fun? Let’s see what is in store for the rest of 2025 after an up-and-down start.

— Zack Maio is a staff writer for the Andalusia Star-News. He may be reached at zack.maio@andalusiastarnews.com.