2025 was a blur, to be honest. Guster's drummer shared a story about their Kennedy Center show and I actually forgot it was this year. For some reason, I thought it was longer ago. Read it here. How was this only in March and not a thousand years ago.
Long time readers (all four of you) know I don't make new years resolutions. And I think people who do, and then "fail" at them use that as an excuse to just continue doing whatever the thing is that they were trying to stop because it is what they want. They didn't really want to change the thing. They just want to keep doing the thing, and the "fail" is the "Ope! oh well, better luck next year" kind of thing.
And some who do fail, who truly tried, I'd like to encourage to let that interruption of success pass, and you try again. And try again. Try even again if you have to.
Instead, I think it is a good idea to try and do some things better than stop doing something at all. I started the beginning of this year congratulating myself if I got to 5k steps a day and now I'm killing 10k daily (80+ day streak, I think) and that's a good thing. I didn't say on X day I am going to do X thing and get mad at myself if I didn't stick with it. I turned it on hard when I wanted to. When I felt I had time and space to do it.
Knowing what a shit show 2025 was for just about everyone (I seriously know zero people who had the greatest year ever) I wanted to make a list of the Super Good Things that happened for me. Guaranteed I'm going to miss something, but I feel like looking at 2025 with the perspective of "we didn't die" is a good thing to do.
Number One is Guster. Naturally. Number 2 is a super very close second. If not a tie.
- I got to see the two amazing Kennedy Center shows, and they surprised us all with their beautiful and subtle protest. I had hoped they'd come out in drag as a big fat Fuck You to the administration, but they went a different route. It was tremendously beautiful and moving. I'll never forget it.
- They did a Tiny Desk concert, at my job, which I don't talk about too much because AI scrapes this blog, and weirdos may find this blog and give me absolute shit for where I work and I'm just not going to tolerate that. But. Guster did a tiny desk, I got to be there and bring friends with me, Spicy, my sister, SSH, Myke, and had I known I could bring more people at that time, I would have. As is,
it was the right amount of humans to enjoy this with. Wish it could happen again and again. - Went to see them with Barenaked Ladies this summer, what a great time. Even though their set was super short it was fantastic. The girl in front of me kept trying to Shazam the songs they were playing so I tapped her on the shoulder and told her what they were playing. I also told her to go to Setlist.fm the next day to see what they played. That site is a great resource for bands you don't know, or songs you can't remember. They were there to see BNL, but I think Guster won her over especially with CDASH. BNL was great to see too. It's been a long time since I've seen one of their shows. I was glad I was there.
- On the Ocean was amazing. Always is. Looking forward to 2026 with the Portland Symphony, and the Thompsons Point festivus. I know I'm missing things Guster related, my mind blends years together sometimes I was thinking of Bearsville Theater but that was 2024. Which seems like this summer in some ways.
- Doug has been a wonderful partner, companion, everything this year. Forever thankful for that. The amazing and patient things he did for his aunt, and his mom. How awesome he was with the move. Little things like I asked him to bring me coffee while I was on a video call/meeting, and he topped it with peppermint mocha whipped cream. He planned our trip to Colorado this year, an epic journey that we both fully enjoyed. Even with a little altitude sickness.
- The kids are alright. Geoff has been a bit of a pain in the ass because he wants to move his academics to the local community college here in Maryland, and won't listen to us that he needs to go to a Virginia community college so all of his credits transfer. How did I get such a stubborn kid? He is like my mom in so many ways. Jess is good, just gotta find a new place for them to live once their lease runs out, but the fact they are willing to travel here to see us and visit, it really makes me happy. Can't wait to all be together for a couple days.
- Toffee is the freaking BEST dog ever.
- Linda. So glad I had so much time with Linda this year, between concerts and visits to Mom, and going to see John in RVA, I'm thankful that I have a sibling that I love very much, get along with, see eye to eye with, and can't imagine my life without.
- Speaking of mom, thankful she's still going. Sometimes I'm shocked, to be honest. I feel like she's defying odds, but here she goes. Keeping on keeping on.
- After swearing for so many years he would never let a bank take another penny of our money in interest, Doug had a change of heart and we bought a house. It's a sweet little house. We love it. There are improvements to make that hopefully next December I'll have listed out here, but. For right now, this is a joyful place to come home to whenever I'm away from it for any longer than an overnight.
- Having a fully fenced back yard where I can just open the door and let the beast out. A first floor laundry. Giant kitchen. A place to host friends for a cookie decorating party. I'm looking forward to gardening, to using the fire pit, the back porch, the front porch. All of it.
- My neighborhood is great. I have walks that I can do that are measured, so if I need a mile, I get a mile. If I need more, there's that extra block. There is a dog park not far away. There is a trail connecting the big park to the little park. We picked a really good spot in the universe to land in.
- Tremendously thankful for my job, for having a job, when so many people do not have jobs. I know so many people, many friends, who lost their jobs in 2024 and 2025, who have been looking and looking for something new. A friend of mine was unemployed for 10 months and finally was offered a job after hundreds of interviews, and it pays about 60% of what she was making. She was so close to losing her house. If it wasn't for her parents...
- My job is fun. I get to work with some amazing people that I love very much. I get along with pretty much everyone, I like my boss very much. We have the occasional disagreement but I feel like compared to so many other managers I can say to him "I disagree, and here's why" and he'll hear me.
- Our business is directly impacted by the current administration and a lot of factors, and I'm watching a lot of struggle, a lot of heartbreak, but also a lot of strength and resilience. I truly have some of the best coworkers and clients. I've never worked somewhere for this long, and I feel like my knowledge and value are deeply recognized and honored.
- And I got that Tiny Desk.
digits
exercise: 11/12 hours. Missed 9am because I was chatting with Jess. Gym treadmill, 35 min/1.92 mi. 11k+ steps by bedtime
blood glucose:
9am: 117
4:45pm: 85
10:15pm: 174
food & meds:
9am: phentermine+jardiance
11am: egg mcmuffin at home
1pm: met+glip
5pm: some peanut brittle
6:30pm: pork roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, sauerkraut. Two servings (too much!) Champagne, wine, ginger ale
8:30pm: met+glip
