So began the winter of my thirty-fifth year…

I rang out the year by watching The Dirty Dozen, which seemed vaguely appropriate. I saw the ball drop in Times Square but skipped the rest of the Rockin’ New Year’s Eve bash.

I spent the day pretty much like I would have almost any Sunday, even back in that long-lost era of 2011. I did the Sunday crossword. I read a little. I watched a little TV. I took the Christmas lights down from outside. I did a little cleaning. I did a little research on local apartments. Not exactly setting the world on fire in the new year, but it was a pleasant enough day.

Oh, and I officially launched the new Kaleidotrope issue. I hope you’ll visit and enjoy the stories, even if you haven’t subscribed in the past. It’s all free — although donations are always welcome — and there’s even a forum, where you can comment on what you’ve read or ask any questions, make suggestions, etc. Again, I hope you’ll visit and help spread the word.

Tomorrow, I go back to work after more than two weeks off. It’s going to be an adjustment. I’ve almost forgotten what it was like to go to bed at a reasonable hour, but I’m looking forward to a little more structure to my days. If only because it means I’m likely to get some more reading done. Except for a little over Christmas weekend, when I struggled to read in the car to and from my sister’s house, and a few short stories today, I really haven’t done much reading since taking off. That wasn’t the plan, but that’s what seems to have happened. I’m looking forward to my morning commute if only because I can spend it with a good book.

Some writing in the evening would be good, too.

Now if I just didn’t have all those Downton Abbey and Vampire Diaries episodes to still get through…

December songs

One last bit of 2011 business, and that’s my December music mix:

  1. “Holy Moses” by Washington
  2. “Redemption Song” by Johnny Cash & Joe Strummer
  3. “Telephone Road” by Steve Earle (w/ the Fairfield Four)
  4. “Gangsta” by Tune-Yards
  5. “Gunfight Epiphany” by Robert Duncan
  6. “I Know What I Am” by Band of Skulls
  7. “Trois Gymnopédies: Gymnopédie No. 1” by Erik Satie (perf. by Frank Glazer
  8. “Storm Comin'” by the Wailin’ Jennys
  9. “Shake it Out” by Florence + the Machine
  10. “Buckjump” by Trombone Shorty (feat. the Rebirth Brass Band, 5th Ward Weebie)
  11. “Howlin’ for You” by the Black Keys
  12. “Le plus beau du quartier” by Carla Bruni
  13. “Colours” by Grouplove
  14. “Music Box” by Regina Spektor
  15. “Ripchord” by Rilo Kiley
  16. “Video Games” by Lana Del Rey
  17. “This Sky” by the Derek Trucks Band

Probably not of any interest to me, but there’s what I was listening to, more or less, last month.