2025 in the review mirror

 It has been a heck of a year.

In Feb of 2024, I tore my Achilles. I went back to work in August, broke my tailbone in Octorber, and utterly failed my physical in November.

I spent Jan and Feb of 2025 trying to get my medical card back, and in March, I gave up professional driving. I tried for a shuttle driver job at FedEx, only to discover I cannot follow verbal directions.

My disability was approved in June.

Jon was arrested again in March. He is currently in the Pine Bluff Unit of the Arkansas Department of corrections. Minimum 8 years. I got to see him Dec 21. He seems to be thriving, ironically. He's reading and learning, and eating well, but moving a lot more.

We saw a good bit of the grandkids. In March, May, August and December. Chas is a character. We're pretty sure he's a spectrumite, like all of us. His thing is stacking. All the things much be stacked. 

Richelle continued her transition. She is happier than I've seen her.

In June, I helped my people move to Minnesota. Wish I could have too.

What else did I accomplish? I made about 200 amigurumi. I made a lot of shawls. 
I read 51 books (first time I've hit that goal in over a decade). I saw 50 movies.

I read all 7 Dungeon Crawler Carl books (again) and 13 Harry Dresden books. Butcher is literary popcorn to me. I enjoy it, but I remember very little of it once it's done.

Best Books this year: Fairy Tale, Stephen King. Blackfire Rising, Elizabeth Donald. Extreme Medical Services, Jamie Davis. The End of the World as We Know it, edited by Brian Keene.

Lots of horror movies this year. 30 of the 50.
Some were good: Lost Boys, Carrie, the 28 Days Later series, Dr. Sleep, The Company of Wolves. Trick r Treat. Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Some were solid: Beyond Re-Animator, 5 Nights at Freddy's, Haunt Season, The Hills Have Eyes, Jennifer's Body, The Howling. 

Some were just weird: Lair of the White Worm (featuring a 30 something Peter Capaldi being adorkable). Color Out of Space, 

Worst movie I saw this year: Three Way Tie: Food of the Gods (preachy and laughable), Deadly Blessing (I was shouting and throwing things by 15 minutes in and Maren Jensen was awful) and Tourist Trap (So boring I fell asleep)

Of the Non-Horror, The best was inarguably Mr Holmes with Ian McKellan. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was a romp. The Warriors was a tense chase movie.

Worst movie I saw: Yellowbeard. Mix Monty Python, Mel Brooks, and Cheech and Chong to make a pirate movie. It should have been hilarious. It was a waste of talent and endless rape jokes.

No major writing this year, just a lot of poking at stuff.

Next year will be better.