So long 2023, you started poorly but had a strong finish!

Forgot to show off my new Christmas shirt, a great mash-up! Thank you Fright Tees! And so another year comes to a close and we’re on the cusp of a new opportunity. The headline said it best too. After New Year’s Day, it was a slog and then I contracted COVID-19 for the first time. It sucked! The after effects were pretty severe on my anxiety and depression. I wasn’t out of the woods until Summer thanks to owing the IRS about $1100 which is due immediately while the Pentagon gets to misplace billions without punishment!

Yet, I got through it all piece by piece. What helped was Jennifer’s support on many levels, better leadership at work who shares my strategy of focusing on the people not numbers and just great friends. I know it’s cheesy but I feel like George Bailey, I’m a very wealthy person in a way that isn’t monetary…plus, I don’t need them to pony up cash to keep from going to prison thanks to the evil Mr. Potter pocketing the deposit.

I honestly am looking forward to ’24 despite the upcoming presidential election being the worst one yet in my lifetime. How I wish when this was said about ’20, ’16, ’04, ’00, ’92, ’88, ’84 and ’80, it remained true and all the bullshit hyperbole giving the corporate media a hardon every time they say “unprecedented” would stop. Then we could start focusing on what is truly important, reforming the problems and rooting out the corruption thanks to ’24 being an election between not just two but a few parties with competitive ideas.

Beyond politics, I think many more positive things will happen. Concerts, namely Aussie Power Pop legends Hoodoo Gurus coming to Austin; Comedy, too many to name quickly; a trip to Seattle, hopefully another one to Vegas; debts paid, namely my car; and completing more than two of the 10 resolutions, I’m ahead. The biggie? Celebrating 30 years in my adopted home of Austin. Overrated as per two people on Twitter? Compared to say some heavy hitters abroad, I can see. Compared to LA and New York? HA. Overpriced and filled with dicks from the same gene pool. Compared to some other cities of Austin’s size, I could see it yet I come from a background where Chicago was the center of the universe and as much as I loved it, namely the food and the mythical John Hughesverse, Austin weather and embrace of diversity clobbers the Windy City.

Happy New Year!