Welcome 2023!

And goodbye to 2022. Every year feels like a bigger leap forward than the last, and I certainly feel that I made some leaps this last year. I opened an Etsy shop and started selling orders, began putting together my website and webcomic, did more art commissions than in the rest of my life put together, and passed the first anniversary of my relationship with my amazing and creative partner. However, I and my family had some unfortunate months. We welcomed and shortly said farewell to a sweet little kitten, dealt with other sick cats, and saw stresses and dramas unfold for people we know and love. But at the end of the year, it really feels like things have come together in a nice, neat way.

I had a lovely Christmas, to get the big holiday out of the way. My wonderful family members showered me with books and yarn, and my partner was able to join in the gift-exchanging festivities via video call. He’s seen his own successes and had the opportunity to provide abundant and meaningful gifts to his community in the form of food and mattresses. Most of our cats have made a full recovery, and we were able to welcome another kitten into the house–a kitten who, despite his penchant for playing in dirty water, has kept his health. On top of that, some little treats came along to make the holiday season slightly better: good (or at least entertaining) movies.

Short opinions: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever surprised me with its quality, emotionality, and entertainment value, far surpassing any expectations I had; Avatar: The Way of Water was generally adequate, but disappointing after such a long wait; and The Glass Onion was a laugh-out-loud funny murder mystery almost as surprising as the first Knives Out.

The Glass Onion is the movie I have the shortest take on, so I’ll stick it here, minus spoilers (who spoils a mystery movie?). I don’t have particularly deep or complex thoughts on the film; it was fun, plain and simple. I joke that it’s a period piece, featuring such early 2020s classics as: the COVID-19 shutdowns, Among Us, out-of-touch celebrities, and a character poking fun at the reputational death spiral of a YouTube influencer. The movie overtly expresses the pathologies and politics of America in the age of the internet, poking fun at modern discourse and social media influencers without becoming hamfisted or demagogic. My personal favorite character is Birdie Jay, a model with a big personality but not much of a brain to go with it. Her non-malicious but nonetheless offensive ignorance are delightful; she continually says and does patently unacceptable things with an almost charming ditsy-ness. She invites the audience to say, “OMG! I know that EXACT kind of person!” and relate to poor Peg, who’s trying to manage the mess. I saw the movie as a Netflix night with my immediate family, and we have been quoting Birdie and Peg for days.

I will say that I saw the final reveal coming by about the halfway point, but it was the (sometimes seemingly tangential) questions and revelations along the way that spiced it up and gave The Glass Onion a lot of its tension, fueling the mystery. I’m no real reviewer, and I don’t give things scores in my head, but I recommend it if you want something hilarious, suspenseful, and unapologetically, almost uncomfortably, “modern America.”

There are other movies I hope to see soon, but those darn theater chairs are hard on my somewhat frail form, and this week has already been a bit much. My lovely grandma came to town to celebrate the New Year, and while she was here we went to a World War 2 museum, a wildlife center, an art exhibit, and a bowling alley (the hardest of them all!). So I’m a bit wiped for now, but I’m excited to get back into the rhythm as I ease into the year.

I’m setting myself some goals for 2023. Things rarely go as planned, and I’ve never had a “New Year’s resolution” last past February with the shifts and twists life takes. So this year I don’t think I’ll be setting anything concrete, but I do have the important things planned out. This website is one of those important things. I also really want to see some personal improvement in the health and fitness department; I want to build muscle and turn myself into a more active, physical person, despite my struggles with chronic pain and fatigue. Wish me luck!

I’m wishing everyone a Happy New Year and a good 2023. See you round!