I had big plans for January. A new schedule. Some announcements. New videos and projects. I was ready to go.

Then, two days before Christmas, Covid arrived. It attacked my mom first and sent everyone scrambling over the holidays. Don't worry, she's fine and healthy now.

Next, my daughter, who was home for college and just wanted to see her friends, tested positive. She'd been sick at Thanksgiving with the flu, then battled through colds and sinus infections during her first semester finals. Then Covid. Rough month for her. But don't worry, she too is fine and healthy now.

Somehow my oldest daughter avoided it all, and we shipped her off to Europe for the Winter quarter. She's studying music and anthropology in Rome and London. Excluding an issue with power adapters and a dead laptop, she's having a great time, and we're all quite jealous.

Back here in the states, as things were about to return to normal, Covid called my number.  This is my second bout. And it's been fine. A couple days of moderate misery followed by endless days of slow improvement. To avoid contaminating the house and infecting my partner or daughter, i've been holed up in an upstairs bedroom for the week. At first, I didn't care, because I felt terrible. But now, on day 7, I'm ready to escape.

Let me preface or postface all this with one statement: I'm thankful we're all still healthy. I know people who haven't survived Covid. It's brutal, and I appreciate our good fortune. But I've been in one damn room for seven days, so I may sound a little grumpy about all of it.

Of course, if there's another positive, it's that I've gone a week without caffeine, and I'm sleeping better because of it.

I'm catching up on media consumption. Working my way through Andor now. Recently watched The Menu on HBO (weird and enjoyable). Finished both seasons of White Lotus (quirky and enjoyable). Some Glass Onion (comical and enjoyable, but not as good as Knives Out). And many many youtube shows.

I'm drinking a lot of water, and, subsequently, enjoying frequent visits to the bathroom.

Reading while sick has been tough. My attention span feels caught in a vice that tightens when I want to concentrate, relaxes when I don't need it to, and basically mocks me at all times, which is strange behavior for a vice. I finished one book and have started another. I can't remember their titles. I'm sorry. One room. Seven days.

On at least three occasions, I've picked up my daughter's guitar, played for five minutes, then remembered I suck at playing guitar.

So three weeks into January, that's how 2023 is going. Hope yours is better.

Regardless, I still have announcements to make. I still have videos to post. I'm returning to writing and filmmaking, and the future remains bright despite life's minor obstacles.

So hang tight. Thanks for stopping by. More to come, if I ever escape this room.

Happy New Year!