6/17/2019 Update
2 full weeks left in June. Since my last update I have not stopped playing only fixed axle, but have feeling more and more like stopping only fixed axle. Thinking at the end of the month throwing a responsive bearing yoyo back in the mix, and completing the year while still only playing responsive.
Still just a thought. Snap starts since the beginning of the year have been getting easier and easier, as well as better. Smoothness I feel has been the largest thing, along with the use, and manipulation, of string tension that I’ve gotten from only playing fixed axle this year.
While I started out only using a '18 eH and a Clean Machine, I’ve added a TMBR Morrow and Sullivan to the mix.
4/22/2019 Update
So, a month after my last update I’ve had an interesting thing happen this past week. It has been feeling, in my mind, like I’ve received what I wanted to out of the “year of fixed axle” that I started on. What that 100% was I don’t think I can put into words. But something happened this week while I was playing that made me feel it was accomplished. It wasn’t something I started to simply say “I did it”, it was more. But I’ve wanted to add a responsive bearing yoyo back in, Walter or an Alleycat.
Not doing it yet, going to give it a bit of time to see if this feeling stays. Going to grab the Clean Machine and work on Spirit Bomb some more and see how I feel.
3/21/2019 Update:
Coming up on 3 months of strictly fixed axle. Primarily I’ve only used the 2018 maple eH. I’ve also used a San Francisco era Clean Machine No Jive. I have had about 30 minutes recently of bearings.
When I found out that a buddy, Matt Schmidt, passed away I felt I needed to throw the Underdog 2 he gave me just a month or so earlier. I’ve bought several unresponsive yoyos this year, but they’ve all gone into a box that I was going to open January 1, 2020 to play. The Underdog 2 was the one I was most looking forward to playing in January, but when I heard about Matt’s passing I had this strong need to get it out and throw it for him. What was funny was that it’s only been 3 months, but I naturally tugged the UD2 to come back to my hand on the first throw, habits get started quick!
Outside of the UD2, the only desire to throw a bearing yoyo has been my Alleycat’s, Walter & Theodore, basically my responsive bearings. I’ll be working on a trick and think that I just need a little extra spin time. But I just work through it.
I don’t know, maybe you can comment on your experience @edhaponik, but with just 3 months in my appreciation and love of this little round toy with a string on it has grown in a way I haven’t been able to describe yet. I’ve also thought about my metal bearing yoyo collection and start thinking about what I want to do, or try. I’ve gotten to think about yoyos I’ve let go, and some I now want back for various reasons all due to playing fixed axle.
With a, now, 1 year old in our house, my playing time has been cut down, but the time I do get to play each day is more focused, which is something I desired when I started on a year of fixed axle. Not a lot of patina yet on the 2018 eH. Having gone through a pretty brutal winter here in Northern Illinois, hands have been awfully dry, no oils to add some color to the maple of the eH 
Someone asked if I was going to blog this year, and this morning thought I’d share these thoughts. Not sure when I’ll post again about the journey, but so far it’s been a very fun and satisfying trip 