I’m not going to be too defensive about my count this year. Twenty-five books is a perfectly acceptable number of books to read. Far more than most people read in a year or even a lifetime, no doubt. Nevertheless, I will point a few things out. One: several of the books were long, and I’ve noted the page counts of the three longest. Two: There were some graphic novels, which I’ve included separately at the end but could’ve totally counted. And three: Toronto’s library system was hit by a huge ransomware attack, throwing my whole reading plan into chaos!
Okay, that last part is a half-truth… which is to say the part about the ransomware attack is true. But all it really disrupted for me was my plan to get through all the A books on my holds list. (The decision was made because I always add new books onto the list as I take others out, and consequently, it never feels like I’m making any progress! And while I mostly accept that I will always have more books that I want to read than books I have time left in this life to read, it was nice to create some semblance of progress!) Of course, as I write this, the website has been down for something like five months (curse you, hackers, and I mean that!), so it’s possible my holds list is gone forever! But at least I got through all of the A section but ONE BOOK… which I remember, so I’ll still get to it either way.
Anyway, that did get a little defensive… so I’m also going to add in some self-criticism. Looking at the list, I’m realizing it’s a lot more homogenous in terms of authors than I would like. Something to keep an eye on again next/this year. But for now, without further ado (or as a certain someone said many times this past year to my amusement, “without further adieu”), here’s what I read in 2023:
We Don’t Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland, Fintan O’Toole
Dune, Frank Herbert
Joan, Katharine J. Chen
This Is Big: How the Founder of Weight Watchers Changed the World (and Me), Marisa Meltzer
My Dark Vanessa, Kate Elizabeth Russell
The Crying of Lot 49, Thomas Pynchon
Antkind, Charlie Kaufman (705 pages!)
All of the Marvels: A Journey to the Ends of the Biggest Story Ever Told, Douglas Wolk
American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment, Shane Bauer
King: A Life, Jonathan Eig (557 pages!)
Autopsy of a Boring Wife, Marie-Renee Lavoie (translated by Arielle Aaronson)
The Antisocial Network: The GameStop Short Squeeze and the Ragtag Group of Amateur Traders That Brought Wall Street to Its Knees, Ben Mezrich
All This Could Be Yours, Jami Attenberg
The Fake, Zoe Whittall
Cloud Cuckoo Land, Anthony Doerr (626 pages!)
The Marriage Portrait, Maggie O’Farrell
Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America, James Poniewozik
Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, Melissa Maerz
Who Gets In: An Immigration Story, Norman Ravvin
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet, John Green
All the Knowledge in the World: The Extraordinary History of the Encyclopedia, Simon Garfield
The Adversary, Michael Crummey
How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question, Michael Schur
Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America, Elizabeth Wurtzel
How Basketball Can Save the World: Thirteen Guiding Principles for Reimagining What’s Possible, David Hollander
Bonus (comic) materials:
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (I can’t remember offhand which ones ‘cause the library system is still down, but several!)
Daredevil: The Man Without Fear, Frank Miller & John Romita Jr.
Daredevil: Born Again, Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, Jody Houser & Adriana Melo
2023 felt like a pretty big year. Ups, downs, and, by my standards, a big adventure. And at the dawn of 2024, I felt like I was in a bit of a better place than I was the year before. Of course, the continued diminishment of the pandemic helped. But for a variety of reasons, life seemed a little less bleak. (What passes for good news these days…)
And hey, circumstances had to line up for it to happen, but when they did, I did have that big adventure! But let’s take things in chronological order!
January:
The first thing that shows up in my calendar is I went to see Withnail & I at the Revue Cinema with Jennie Apps. I hadn’t seen the movie OR her in forever, and I thoroughly enjoyed both! (That sounded dirty. But for the latter, I just meant her company and the drinks after, you pervs!)
In the spirit of trying to learn some family classics, I make sesame chicken with my mother. For some reason, it looks like I forgot to take a picture of the food, but I did take one of some ingredients.
I think I meet up with Jess B. for drinks on the 13th. (It’s in my calendar with a question mark. But probably, right?) I for sure meet up with Ian and Jen on the 14th, as we went to Descendant Pizza (where we had the “Brotherly Love”), then went to see Josh Gondelman at Comedy Bar East. He’s still got it!
I prove my commitment to tennis by playing several times in a bubble. The UCC Tennis bubble, to be specific. It’s of course nicer to be outside, but such is life/weather.
A long overdue reunion with Kelly Z. at Betty’s East. It is a fun thing to do, I’m realizing… and Kelly always has interesting things going on in her life!
Speaking of interesting things in life, I learned about rebuses doing the NYT Crossword (well, I found it interesting!) and about Laura quitting. Truth be told, still a little hurt I didn’t hear it directly AND never got a proper goodbye… but I guess I too at times have lived by a “No goodbyes on the road” code, so I’ll just assume it was that.
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese, with a recipe taken from my Milk calendar. Quite tasty, though I learn quickly (and often) that the recipes in that calendar are RICH!
Then a Food Trucks jam… and let’s close out January with some Cheesy Mexican Rice Casserole! (It photographs well, and is usually quite tasty, but even a year later, I remember that this turned out surprisingly and unpleasantly salty!)
February:
I could start by mentioning I had a dental appointment… which is a reminder that I piece much of this together by looking at my calendar! But hey, let’s (more officially) start with the Super Bowl, by which I mean the honey garlic wings we made! Tasty!
A movie night at Robin’s, where we watch Punisher: War Zone. It is exactly the kind of movie to watch with funny friends. And probably under no other circumstances.
I don’t know if I should get too heavily into my finances here. But let’s just say this is the month something goes from red to black.
And on that happy note, let’s look at some Tuna Corn Casserole! (Particularly noteworthy because I made it in my own apartment. Most of my culinary experiments happen at the folks’, with their far superior kitchen.)
I renew my passport and pee in a cup! (These things aren’t related. But it’s funny that they happened on the same day.)
And another Food Trucks band practice. Back-to-back months, just like the Monkees!
March:
It would be great if I could say March was more eventful, what with special days and all, but it seems to have been fairly low-key. I did continue trying out new recipes in my apartment, though. So here’s some Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad…
And some Skillet Turkey Pasta Supper. (Thanks again, Milk calendar!)
Okay, here’s a fun memory: going to see Creed III with Ian! Now, this wasn’t a particularly memorable movie in and of itself. (Though I guess it will be remembered as one of the last acceptable Jonathan Majors movies?) But what makes it stand out is it was my first time in a (non-indie) movie theatre since the start of the pandemic. (I’ll admit, I assumed the Withnail & I crowd would be a little more sensible. But this was a POPCORN movie!) And I really had to psych myself up. And when we got into the theatre… we were literally the only two people in there. And I use “literally” literally!
And then, towards the end of the month, Allen wins March Madness and I have my birthday. Those two things are very unrelated.
April:
The Bachelor Talk group meets up for merriment and light birthday celebration. A good time had by all.
Days later, a seder at Lori and Joel’s. The road back to normalcy continues. I seem to recall a fairly heated discussion about the ethics of bowdlerization. Which is just a fun word to say/write!
Also fun: looks like I played some Easter Monday Tennis with Isaac. Huzzah!
Then, what would have been my big adventure in most years: a trip to Roatan with the family! Though if I’m being really honest (and I assume no one else reads this, so why not?), it wasn’t my favorite trip.
Admittedly, some of that might’ve been getting sunstroke or accidentally inhaling too much saltwater… whatever it was that happened, I spent one day thoroughly out of commission. Also, there was a literally daily failing of our key card, where I had to go to the front desk (in a different building) and get someone from maintenance to come let us in. AND I brought a very poor beach read!
But I think it’s mostly that I got bored, sadly. Some of which may ALSO be that I did my cruise ship time, so that Caribbean itch had been scratched (albeit a decade earlier.) That said, it was neat to go snorkeling and see coral reef, and time with my family in warm weather was nice, and I’m grateful we did it. And hey, some great pictures!
And then shortly after I got back, another Covid booster… which I mention mainly because the timing strikes me as funny.
May:
Let’s get sporty! This May, I take another tennis course, this one Serve and Return. Though the lessons don’t much stick, and I haven’t really kept it up, I think SOME progress was made. Hopefully, I’ll get back to it eventually, and until then, good on me for trying, right??
Then the WNBA comes to Toronto! Not to stay, alas, which is stupid… but hey, I’ll take an exhibition game, especially since it featured my beloved Minnesota Lynx! I end up taking Faisal, who I hadn’t seen in ages, and we had a delightful time. Much more delightful than these pictures might make you think!
I blame the Chicago Sky! (But also, good game, grumble grumble…)
Then, the next day, a big Mother’s Day dinner! Seemed like a nice opportunity to show off my new cooking “skills” and have everyone together! I make an ambitious menu and manage to complete two out of the three dishes I had planned. Time flies! But hey, I did manage to make spicy honey chicken with broccoli and a caprese chocolate and almond torte! (Also, the salad I had planned with a sherry Dijon vinaigrette did get made, just by Evan and Jen.) A good time had by all, and Mom even called the next day to say she appreciated it! (She’s often appreciative; the phone call was notable mostly for its earnestness.)
There’s a new tree in front of the parents’ house! Bring back the old tree!
I see “It Gets Bitter” at Comedy Bar with Ian and Jen. It Gets FUNNY!
More Food Trucks!
I go for drinks with Amanda, which does happen from time to time. But this time is particularly notable because construction means I can’t go in and out of my apartment without going through hers!! Toronto! (I guess it could in theory happen anywhere. It feels pretty here, though.)
Then, Doors Open! This year, I only get to one location: Atura Power’s Portlands Energy Centre. Kinda neat, though maybe it’s a boondoggle? That would take more research than I’m inclined to do right now, so here’s a picture of me in a hardhat.
More drinks with Jess, I think.
AND this actually started in April, but I mention it here because this is when I thought to take a picture: I start learning German on Duolingo! Not sure how much I’m actually learning, but it’s fun enough, and less of a timewaster than most of the other things I’d be doing on my phone while pooping. Enjoy!
June:
My tennis bravery continues. I play in a Round Robin! It goes… okay. In my first match, there was one stickler on the other team, and she gave a hard time to my elderly partner who was recovering from some kind of surgery and wanted to do a bounce serve. And then before we could rotate, we got rained out. But I still went, and far as I can remember, I acquitted myself okay!
Then we had Ian’s annual BBQ. Which has taken on greater significance now that I see everyone from work so infrequently. Good time had by all.
Okay, so the story I told about Creed III earlier? Same deal, except this time, it was Across the Spider-Verse and there actually WAS a crowd! Return to normalcy! (Though Ian (different from BBQ Ian) and I did see it at Rainbow Market Square, so in those ridiculously comfy reclining seats, which helped with the transition away from couch viewing.)
(I find a choir for Mom, which she won’t go to. I put it in parentheses because it’s not inherently that big a deal, but I figure I might want to remember roughly when this happened for various tracking purposes.)
A high school reunion (in miniature) at Sam’s, after tennis with Greenstein. Throwback!
I go to see my doctor because of a lump. It turns out to be nothing, which I guess is better than the alternative but still irritating. Anyway, this is the point where I start being a person who sees a doctor. Carlsberg years!
I go to see Amy Shark in concert. It feels a little odd, because she’s someone I discovered through someone I miss, and an (irrational) part of me even imagined seeing them there. But hey, regardless of how I got there, I’m a fan, and she did not disappoint. Plus, some fun covers mixed in for good measure (Simply the Best, Mr. Brightside) and a very charming intro to Adore, where she expressed gratitude to what her big hit brought her. AND I drew some inspiration for the screenplay I’m currently working on… so if THAT becomes anything, this show could be an interview anecdote!
Then, about a week later, with a dental appointment and ultrasound in between (Carlsberg!), my first Jays game in forever! Much thanks to Neil for taking us and Dan for buying much of the food. Alas, a loss, but an exciting game – funnily enough, we were late, so they won the game we were there for! – and it was neat seeing all the stadium upgrades! Not to mention the ridiculous quantity of stats that now go on the scoreboard!
Then, the municipal election. Which would probably have been depressing, except the outcome was good, I’ll take it. Also, I make “meatloaf bombs”, which is kind of a celebration.
July:
I see the new Indiana Jones movie with Ian and Jen at Scotiabank. To the extent that I can track my mood half a year later, I was amused rather than pissed off at how ludicrous it was! And then the next day to Cherry Beach… which I probably wouldn’t mention, but I haven’t shown enough Marty pics!
The next week, a couple of new recipes tried. Harlem Chicken, which didn’t turn out that well, but I’m almost inclined to give it another try. And definitely enjoyed the Tahini Swirl Brownies!
I also learn a few German phrases I can use all the time!
It’s summer, so lots of visits. There’s a gathering at Tom and Lindsay’s; a meet-up at Blood Brothers with Jess, Callum, and Matt; and a movie night at Robin’s. I also win three books from Penguin Random House in an online contest! But this is all a lead-up to that big adventure I was teasing before: LONDON, BABY!
Yup, because we live in a Work From Home era, and due to crazy (albeit unfortunate) circumstances wherein my longest friend Kate let me have her place FOR FREE in exchange for cat- and plant-sitting, I go to London for the better part of a month! Because it was so jam-packed with adventure and activity, I’m going to make it a separate post, called “London calling!” (It’ll also be convenient to have it all in one place, should anyone be looking for recommendations.) SO, because it’s so epic, let’s skip ahead to…
(Late) August:
I return to Toronto, basically just so I can go to the cottage. Je ne regrette rien! (Oh, and much thanks to Ian for picking me up at the airport. It was much more of an ordeal than expected, and worse than usual by a stretch! As it turned out, we went straight to meet people at a bar, which was unexpected, though luckily, I was much more conscious that I was expecting.) Anyway, MOSTLY good times at the cottage, though Mom’s enjoyment continues to decline, and the rising popularity of pickleball means the formerly abandoned tennis courts are now crowded all the time!
And shortly after my return to Toronto, I go to Vaughan with Ian and Robin to watch Oppenheimer in REAL Imax format. It big! And luckily, we’re nerds, because as a perk we didn’t know about, the movie actually started right on time. No trailers or anything! (Which was extra-appreciated, because good movie, but LONG movie!)
September:
I am desperate enough to watch Canada FIBA action – and emboldened enough from my times dining alone in London – that I go to watch the game at The Queen’s Head, even if that means sitting alone. My faith is rewarded. See you in the Olympics, lads!
Duolingo is on fire with useful phrases this month (and next, if I’m being chronologically honest)!
A day of fun hangouts and gut-stretching! Brunch at Neil’s with the high school gang, then a dash to eat Chicago Beef with Ian. Meaty and Bear-esque!
After much trying, Larry and I (mostly Larry) finally start getting Jer out for tennis. It’s a lot of fun, as he’s quite good. The first night we played, I afterwards retreated to Casa del Hershfield and made one of the New York Times’ highest-rated recipes: Blistered Broccoli Pasta with Walnuts, Pecorino and Mint. If memory serves, I used the listed substitutes of cauliflower and pecans. Still pretty tasty!
A few days later, I see Good Grief (Gangl’s latest) with Fionna. That guy continues to be Toronto’s gold standard for solo shows. And of course, catching up with Fionna (including the pho apres-show) is always great.
The next day, I went to Roy Thompson Hall for my only TIFF show of the year: “Next Goal Wins”, a Taika Waititi joint. It was fairly meh, but there was an in-person Olivia Chow intro with Cameron Bailey, so I guess that’s kind of neat? And that evening, Rosh Hashanah at Sandra’s. Always fun, and boy, what a spread! (To which Mom and I contributed meatballs. Tradition!)
I guess I’ll say this part, because it’s embarrassing and thus funny: I got turned around at Tommy Thompson Park and ended up going for a substantially longer walk than I intended. I had jumped off the trail at some point, jumped back on, and I guess I lost count of the number of turns I made. At any rate, was hiking along, lost in my own thoughts, when I suddenly notice the CN tower was on the wrong side! Thankfully, I was with it enough to realize the tower likely hadn’t moved and reversed course. It did get pretty dark, though!
Okay, we’re up to JFL! Always a treat, and as always, I saw a lot! The token system makes you! (Though I am increasingly conscientious of the sunk cost fallacy, and act accordingly.) Here’s who I saw, in the order I saw them (with apologies to openers, who I should keep track of but consistently forget to write down):
Andrea Jin; Sam Morril; Drew Lynch; Nigel Grinstead & Ajahnis Charley; Ron Funches; Ariel Elias; Neal Brennan; Joke Signals (Dakota Ray Hebert, Clifton Cremo, Savannah Erasmus, Chad Anderson); Patti Harrison; Colin Quinn; Chris Redd; Catherine Cohen; Rory Scovel; Let’s Make A Horror; and Maddy Kelly.
And that’s in nine days! No pics with celebs this time around, but here, there’s this:
So, if you’re a fan of Canadian podcasts (and presumably me), you’ll know that Let’s Make A Horror includes my old buddy Ryan Beil! Though I also met (or re-met) Mark Chavez, Maddy Kelly, and their guest Tricia Black (plus Sarah Bennett, mostly notable because Facebook asks me if I know her every few days)… the big headline here is the reunion! Like riding a bike, friendship with this one, and we’ve been Zooming a lot ever since.
By a lot, I mean every ten days or so. But for me, a lot! And we might be developing stuff, so stay tuned!
October:
This year for Thanksgiving, we got our prepared meal from Farm Boy. It was pretty good, if memory serves… though as you’ll see, come Christmas time, we returned to the familiar.
The big event of October was a trip to Winnipeg, for a long overdue unveiling for Vera. Which – though we did a reasonably good job keeping them separate – also included some mourning for Oz. And even Lev, since this was our first time there IRL since.
Here’s what we did, as best I remember it:
Day 1 (the 12th):
Basically, we drop off the bags, and seconds later, we are picking up Joanne and then off to Bernstein’s. Matzoh ball soup and Reubens, naturally. Then, the cemetery tour! Okay, that was a little glib, but it’s true. Largely for genealogical purposes. (As you’ll see in the London section, I have become Larry’s research assistant.) Here’s a brief glimpse of my past and possibly my future.
That night, Larry has other plans, and knowing it’s the only time I’ll have for days WITHOUT family AND wanting to do something I can only do in Winnipeg, I go to Rumor’s Comedy Club (sic)! Because Charlie Demers is playing there, and I remember him being great (as a person and a comic)! And while I wussed out on saying anything (would he have remembered me?), he was probably even better as a comic than I remembered. (Which is actually probably him getting better, which makes sense, since it had been about fifteen years.) I also didn’t take a picture, since you’re not really supposed to… but I did get one of their menu. It could use some updating, possibly with a sharpie!
Day 2:
We meet Jonesy at the Pancake House. If memory serves, I get something Benedictine, but have a healthy portion of Larry’s apple pancake. Not as good as Mama makes (so to speak), but tasty and tradition. And always nice to see Jonesy!
Then to the Manitoba Archives, where I do some advanced genealogy of my own! (Which is actually looking into a bit of unspoken family history. I won’t get to into it, but suffice it to say, archives are neat!) We also go to Vital Statistics on a separate genealogical mission; as it turns out, they can’t help us then and there, but they give us the proper form to inquire, and it ends up paying big dividends!
And dinner that night at Gail and Jerry’s. Good times (and food) had by all.
Day 3:
Evan arrives. This time, instead of a race to the deli, it’s a race to dim sum. With Delta, who it was nice to see after many years. Then we probably did something during the day, but darned if I can remember it. I do know we went for Chinese again that night. Then a visit with Uncleany and Shawn. (I actually move there at this point for a few days, as Evan took over my hotel bed.)
Day 4:
The unveiling itself. I think we did right by her, all things considered. Nice turnout, good rabbi, Larry making it through his speech with a reasonable amount of crying. My grandma. I wore the sweater she made me, ‘cause I’m sweet like that. And I guess I should mention the lunch, because I mention all the meals?
An afternoon visit with Paula, where we see (and phone-scan) the Mad Magazine “homage” Oz and Lev had made in high school. Pretty neat, I must say.
Then dinner with Ian, Shawn, and Al. (Auntie Ess was feeling sick.) A nice visit, and basically the end of (extended) family time.
Day 5:
In the hours before we fly out, the three of us go to Stella’s (they still make a damn fine breakfast!), a Safeway (I believe) where we get an unreasonable amount of City Rye bread to bring back to Toronto, then to Assiniboine Park to check out the Leaf. Huzzah for tourist time!
My return to Toronto life has – in fairly short order – a Zoom chat with Ryan (it begins!) and a movie night at Robin’s. One of two we’d have this month, and in accordance with Hallow-Ian, we start with Ready or Not. (A modern classic, I say!) Which I actually saw in a movie theatre with Ian, so full circle… by which I mean a loop along a line.
I take Kate for a much-anticipated ‘thank you’ dinner. It’s very funny to me that it’s our first time seeing each other in roughly thirty years, given that I’ve spent several weeks with her cats… but it’s a friendship that comes back quick. We go to Greta Solomon’s, and I have steak tartar for the first time in my life. (Which is to say, I have some of hers. I’m not THAT big a gambler!)
Then on Monday, I join a trivia team! (Part of my not saying “No” to invites policy!) I’m recruited by Ian from work, and it’s a fair bit of fun. As expected, I’m dynamite in certain categories and staggeringly embarrassing in others. But it works out to a decent enough average score, and I’m responsible for a fair number of steals, thanks to that esoteric knowledge base. If nothing else, I’m out of the house, and they’re nice people.
Another Food Trucks rehearsal… and thanks to some unseasonable warmth, another movie night at Robin’s, back in the backyard! We watched Dead End, and wow/yikes. Kind of fun if you’re watching with people who’ll make fun of it with you, but otherwise, steer clear!
Speaking of Halloween-adjacent fun:
November:
On the third, I play tennis with Ivimey. Good times had by both, but I mostly mention it because it was TENNIS IN NOVEMBER! Bad news for the planet, but (for now) good news for me!
The next day, Mom and I make that good ole chicken curry and a recipe she wanted to try for a La Vina-Style Cheesecake. Quite tasty, quite simple… and I think it photographs fairly well!
A few days after that, I get my flu and vaccine shots… and then it seems like I don’t do anything of note for several weeks. But it was a fairly exciting last week!
For instance, I take my father to a Raptors game! Pete has spare tickets because he got a pair to take his “cousin” to a game – those quotation marks make it sound unseemly, but it’s just that they’re related but not exactly that way – and then upgraded. So as a thank you, I treat the party to some pregame dim sum (and DEN some!) I impress the Hungarian with my fandom for Dorka Juhasz (go, Lynx!) and hopefully made enough of an impression that when SHE becomes a WNBA star, I can get some tickets/swag.
Some neatness about the game: it was one of the in-season tournament games, and this was the inaugural year for that, so in theory, that’s something cool I can say years from now. (It also explains the different and not great floor.) And it turns out it was my last chance to see many beloved Raptors before the big rebuild. So long, Spicy P and O.G. (and Precious, Malachi, Thad, and Schroder), and thanks for the memories! (They were also playing the Bulls, so, hey, nice to see you again, Demar!) And we won, a rare treat for that season.
Then, Beer Beer Comedy with the inimitable Steve’s Thieves. I remain deeply ambivalent (in the literal sense) about improv, but it was nice to hang out with some basketball people outside of basketball, and flex that old muscle. (It was also part of my policy of not turning down invites… and thankfully, I get invited to do things seldom enough that it’s not an onerous policy!)
And I closed out the month watching the Golden Bachelor finale at Tom and Lindsay’s, with Jenny (of course) also in attendance. I don’t miss that franchise/universe at all, but I do like my hangouts with those folks!
December:
A fun hang with Jess at Bellwoods. Pretty sure we solved the Middle East, if anyone was inclined to ask…
My first trivia banquet. FWIW, it’s where I learn that someone in our league was a Jeopardy contestant, so that’s kind of neat!
I have an incredibly unhealthy day. I celebrate Burrito Monday… then a few hours later, I meet up with Ian, we head to East Side Mario’s for dinner (best option at the strip mall)… then Robin meets us and we see Godzilla Minus One. Which was great, but I also had an unnecessary popcorn.
I mention the unhealthiness… because that “few hours later” was a doctor’s appointment. Love me some irony!
Anyway, here’s my traditional Burrito Monday pic:
And things don’t get any healthier the next day, because it’s Hannukah, and we made latkes! I ALMOST forgot to take a picture, but thankfully, the “ennial” part of “Xennial” kicked in!
A couple days later, the 14th, which turned out to be a fairly epic day. For one thing, I make this submission to the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest, and it goes more “viral” than anything I’ve done in a long time. Now, I was going to set this up as a cliffhanger… but I’ll just say now that it wasn’t selected as a finalist. I was hopeful, because it got more likes than any others on Instagram (for ANY of the weeks, as far as I could see). In fact, I was the only one to crack four digits. But alas, it wasn’t to be. Still, pretty funny, no?
Then, the office party! Well, not quite THEN. I went to see Three Days of the Condor as part of the Designing the Movies series at the Revue. Because I got to be me! But after that, the office party, where I was reunited with some people I hadn’t seen in a while (in some cases, since the pandemic) and met a few people who I’d been writing for for years! (I was mostly there for a good time, but I was curious to see if the new people and I had a shared belief… and they had it as much or more than I did. And were very vocal about it!) Anyhoo, sorry to deprive you of the racy content you no doubt come here for, but I’m choosing to share the only SFW pic from the event.
The next day, I made my first Egg in a Hole. Not that I was really hungover, but I was in the mood for a breakfast, and it’s something I’ve wanted to try ever since I saw it in Moonstruck. (RIP Norman Jewsion) Don’t know if I’ll bother again, really, but kind of a tasty treat. Not sure it merits a pic here, but since I took one…
Okay, sometime after that, the office potluck. Which I don’t go to, out of principle. The office party alluded to before is from/for our parent company. We get this pot luck… which to me is the opposite of an expression of gratitude. “Hey, if you all want to share your lunches with each other, go nuts.” But it did lead to this, which I found hilarious. And which I am going to share without context, so see if you can find the “joke”. (Hint: it’s not the “side of dick.”) IYKYK.
Shortly after that, the last day of work… and it seems I was ready to attack the break with gusto! Look at how I do something every day for a week!
The 21st: It’s the last day of work… and we have a Food Trucks jam!
The 22nd: I go see Swordplay with Isaac. And Paul and Shannon are there, as is Nadine, so reunions abound! I also introduced myself to Lowen, and though I felt incredibly awkward (my attempt at a conversation felt more like I was doing press), I have now met all of Sex-T-Rex. Which is cool, because they’re very good.
The 23rd: I have brunch with Ian at What A Bagel! That exclamation point is part of their name, but it is in fact a very good bagel. (And I got more to take back to the ‘rents.)
The 24th: I make Marry Me Chicken. In what could be read as a sad statement, I make it for my parents. But hey, what’s in a name, right? And also, if I WERE ever to make it for someone I wanted to marry, it’s good it wouldn’t be my first time attempting the recipe!
The 25th: Much Ado About Stuffing! (As always, thank you, the Simpsons!) Okay, we do our Christmas dinner on Boxing Day, like good Jews… but this is the day I make the cranberry stuffing. (A more standard stuffing comes with our order.) Damn, it’s tasty… and fairly photogenic, if I do say so myself!
The 26th: The actual dinner. Bertie and Setch come and bring far too much food, and we STARTED with way too much food! But still, it’s absolutely delicious… and gods bless us, everyone!
The 27th: I play tennis with Isaac in the UCC bubble. Very necessary, because as you can see, there was mostly eating going on this week! (And I also had a financial appointment, which I only mention because it makes me feel so adult… which is silly, because chronologically, yeah, I’m very much one.)
The 28th: Swatow with the Northern folk. I think it’s pretty tasty, though if it sticks, who’s to say? There are also beers after.
Well, I made it a week! And then either took a little time to recuperate, or just didn’t note what I was up to. But, to close out the year, NYE was spent at Ian and Jen’s, with Andrew, Diana, and Luke also in attendance. Good times had by all… and I was right about Jeremy Lin being a mid-season acquisition, though I kept that to myself. Beyond mentioning it here.
And that’s the year that was! (Albeit with the brushing past my big adventure. That other post is coming soon, I promise. But if you thought THIS one was epic…!) Thanks for reading, hypothetical person who might be reading this, and I’ll see you soon!
