Fake
Friday January 2, 2025
We just completed the fakest time of year. Time doesn’t exist in that nebulous space between Christmas Eve and January 2. We get a food delivery service on Wednesdays. I put the bag out on Tuesday. Trash pickup is delayed a day. I put the cans out on the regular day anyway. I initially accidentally scheduled this for Thursday. I had as much of an idea of what day of the week it was as Desmond.
All of this is to say, somehow this week snuck by without doing much of anything while remaining harebrained and overwhelmed. I worked all week, but everything was slow. We had two family visits, from my cousins Hollin Pagos and Elliott Matticks, and Elliott’s fiancée, Nicolette Fisher. I won one fantasy league, narrowly avoided last place in the other. Finished Pluribus. Made it another 300 pages or so in Lonesome Dove. Took Goose for a romp in the snow one day, only to forego a walk the next three due to temperatures in the teens. (Can’t overstate how nice it is having a yard.)
Anyway, Des transitioned to a hands-out swaddle this week, and all of that through-the-night sleeping he was doing is more like half-the-night sleeping, half-the-night Gremlin agitating, and I’m tired. Happy New Year.
One Book: The Wheels On The Bus
Desmond’s current favorite book is a touch-and-trace nursery rhyme book. The kid loves music. He goes into a little awed silence when we play virtually any kind of music, but when he’s sitting on my lap listening to these nursery rhymes, he waves his arm and coos appreciatively. It’s fun seeing him develop tastes and preferences, especially when he seems to like blink-182 and Nirvana so much. He’s clearly got range.
Maybe someday he’ll be in one of David Gonzalez’s (Guavo Learning) videos!
One Hollywood: Bugonia, Peacock
I really wanted to love this movie and, for the most part, I did. Incredibly current, deeply cynical, equal parts satirical and dramatic, amazing performances — it was right up my alley. Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, The Favourite) has a distinctly grim-yet-hopeful perspective on human nature that translates to entertaining movies. Unfortunately, I hated the last 15 minutes or so of Bugonia. For many, it may be a masterpiece. I got the message. I liked the message. I just loathed the delivery. Still, it’s worth a watch while it’s on Peacock — you might feel differently.
One Song: Snakehips & MØ - Don’t Leave
Des is getting into a FOMO stage. Whenever one of us walks through a room or goes out the door, he darts his head around to follow us and stares until we come back. It’s cute, but because we have sick senses of humor, we frequently joke that we’re just running out for cigarettes (implying that we’re leaving him forever). Sometimes I pretend he’s screaming the “Don’t Leave” part of this song because, again, I’m mentally unwell.
One Quote: “If you want one thing too much it’s likely to be a disappointment. The healthy way is to learn to like the everyday things, like soft beds and buttermilk—and feisty gentlemen.” - Augustus McCrae, Lonesome Dove
Felt appropriate given the New Year’s of it all. Still loving this book.