Well, holy cow, I can’t believe this is my 52nd weekly blog entry of the year. I guess we had a leap year crammed in to this shit show known as 2020, since we technically have an extra weekend after this one. But screw it, I’ll use this as my year end wrap up, and take next week off to nurse my food hangover from the holiday, and stay hunkered down in my office, burning more negatives and cranking some Nick Cave on my CD player. If you are reading this, congratulations, you have survived this trial by virus, social upheaval, political division, and toilet paper hoarding. All kidding aside, we have survived, though many of us have felt losses, large and small. I am not trivializing any of it, mind you. It’s been hard, and it will most likely get harder, but every day we see light rising in the morning and there is hope in that.
Here is my list of thoughts, observations, shout outs, lumps of coal, and above all, gratitude.
Grateful for Zoom, especially since it allowed me to stay connected to my band of photo geeks every Tuesday night through the pandemic. A welcomed respite from the doom and gloom, and always supportive conversations around the creative process, self-publishing, and small brewer suggestions.
Improv. It makes my life better. It makes me a better person. It is fun. It is more than you’d expect. Try it, you might agree.
The new Fiona Apple album was played more than any other in my house. A stunner. Listen to it if you haven't already.
Destroyer and Fleet Foxes (probably) round out my top three for the year.
Hand binding a book was a new challenge, and I used the early days of the lockdown to get my Japan book ready for the world. A cathartic process from start to finish. Thank you Brian for helping along the path.
Photographic experimentation throughout the year kept the wolves at bay for me. 2020 was the year I fully embraced my love of film photography. Something I plan on continuing in the new year. I sing to the muse not to abandon me yet.
Thank you, Blurb and Magcloud. Print your damn work, people!
35mm film burns better than 120 or 4x5. Trust me.
Buy a bidet.
CDs sound better than Spotify. Vinyl is the best, though.
I miss the ocean.
I miss travel.
I love my wife. She’s my best friend. And she’s a bad ass.
I finally know how to make a good pizza dough from scratch.
New Jersey never felt further away from New Mexico than it did this year.
Typos are the bane of my existence.
Therapy and pharmaceuticals help.
Proud to have voted Trump out of office.
I still love the smell of Stop Bath.
There is an unending supply of trashy shows to stream on the internet. I’m looking at you “The Boys.”
“Mank” was overrated.
Godard is still alive.
Tony Bourdain is still dead.
I am a shark.
Thank you for being part of my life, every last one of you out there.
I am a closeted optimist.
Better days are coming.
