Happy New Year, central time zone folks and points east!

First post of 2025?

I stayed out to 2 AM, including a long ride home to drop off an old friend in another town, lots of good chatter and reminiscing.

I test drove and started the process of buying a used car -- a 2020 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, which will wreak havoc with my finances but will also be a step up carwise and an investment for the future.

So even if '25 is going to be a national horror show (and I mean that unironically, because cattle cars and work camps for deportees are a distinct possibility), my own personal situation may still be OK.

I wish you happiness and sanity in the new year! I'm not ready for the year to come, so I am focusing on my personal health and keeping my head in the sand for a bit. It seems my activist days are over, and I can only deal with things I have control over.

I was indeed up until 1 or so. We had lots of fireworks starting around 6. I could see at least 5 locations from the balcony. I was going to walk over to the beach, but I could see more from a higher level. I didn't watch any of the specials because I have been avoiding any look back on 2024 stuff.

Headed across the alley to see my sister, and brother if he is up for it. He did respond to our midnight sibling exchanges, but my sister said he didn't want to see her yesterday because he was too sick.

Son and GF were partying with friends last night, and plan to see other friends today, which is more than okay with us. I love them, but in close quarters, they are a lot.

I took Mom out to my favorite Japanese place last night and had a nice dinner. She even tried sushi and didn't hate it!

I didn't last until midnight, but the fireworks woke me up (I thought it was someone knocking on my kitchen door until I woke fully). I mostly kept the cats from being terrified, but Jackson hid under the couch for the last bit.

Speedy recovery vibes Brenda, and more importantly no lasting aftereffects!

Oh Brenda, I'm sorry--that does suck. Feel better soon!

Happy New Year, everybody!! In a purely giddy traditional way.

Yesterday's therapy session was good. We had the veggie-barley-beef soup for supper that DH had made day before yesterday and put to mellow in the fridge. It was yum! Apple pie and ice cream for dessert, and tv after. DH has completed the trifecta of pioneering gay movies: Priscilla, To Wong Foo, and last night, The Birdcage. As thanks for sitting through something he normally would pass on for me, I watched bad Netflix comedy with him. I was tired, so instead of my usual 3 to 4AM bedtime, we both went to bed at 10:30 and I missed any neighborhood fireworks there might have been. Slept till 10AM, and enjoyed every minute. Not a bad NYE.

I woke up in 2025 to find out that my friend Josh had died yesterday.

I knew it was imminent so it wasn't a shock, but still very sad.

I talked to his wife. His daughter is Matilda's age.

He's my close college friend who was such a big help to JZ and me when she was diagnosed. He was already 3 years into his cancer treatment, and it was through him that we got into he Clinical Trial at Cedars Sinai.

I don't know whether to think of it as him exiting early before the bullshit of 2025 arrived, or if he was trying to encapsulate all the suckiness to 2024.

Registration open for the Crossword tournament in April in Stamford.

[link]

I don't know whether to think of it as him exiting early before the bullshit of 2025 arrived, or if he was trying to encapsulate all the suckiness to 2024.

Both, maybe?

Lovely morning to wake up to for those of us from New Orleans. No one I know was hurt, because no one I know would have been on Bourbon St. at 3:30AM, but jesus christ. I can't wait until Republicans start saying stupid shit.

short wait.