New Year, Same Old Me
And I'm Cool with It
Hello all, and happy new year. The holidays were a whirlwind, as they usually are, but I managed to survive with my wits intact. It seems I’m getting better at this every year. Jean’s father and her aunt were over on Christmas Day. We had pot roast and exchanged gifts. Jean got me a one-thousand-piece puzzle and a certificate for a place where they do sensory deprivation tanks. I’ve never done one of those before, so I can’t help thinking about the film Altered States, with its goat-headed, spider-eyed messiah and a missing link run amok. I’m sure my experience will be less frightening, but with my imagination, you never know. I got her a certificate for a nails place and some paint-by-numbers kits. The kids got spoiled, as kids tend to get around this time of year.
We did phone calls with Mom, my sister-in-law and her family, and Jean’s mother. Dad came by on the Saturday after Christmas (it might have been Sunday; like I said: whirlwind). We got him three cases of Coca Cola (his favorite drink) and a ham bone for each of his dogs. He usually prefers to not receive gifts, and as a result, I ceased giving him gifts sometime in my twenties. This year, though, at Jean’s urging, we tried to think of something he would use. “A year’s supply of Coca Cola” had started off as a joke, but Jean told me that was a good idea. The more I thought about it, I agreed, and Dad appreciated the gesture.
On New Year’s Eve, we went to a neighbor’s house and sat around a fire pit while the kids set off firecrackers. I never got to do that as a kid (the prospect of my brother or I with anything flammable terrified my mother), so I’m glad my son’s having a different experience. Obviously, we’re not letting him or his friends light anything huge. My neighbor had a few of those too, though, and up close, they are a bit nerve-wracking, even if I’m mentally prepared.
We took down the Christmas decorations on New Year’s Day, and I finished the puzzle on the second. Below is a photo of the completed project. It’s a painting of Central Park in the winter. I’ve written about puzzles before. I don’t do them often, but when I do, I tend to immerse myself. This time, I listened to Classic Ghost Stories on Spotify. Man, if you haven’t listened to that show, fix that immediately. It’s just a fella named Tony Walker narrating old ghost stories, Gothic tales, and some seminal weird fiction (as I write this, I just finished up his reading of “The Yellow Sign” by Robert W. Chambers). It’s a perfect podcast for this time of year.
All right, here is what you can expect from me in 2025:
More fiction! Posting stories here has gotten a nice response, so I will continue to do so. I’ve even got something new I’m cooking up instead of the usual reprint. It’s a short story set in the world of my book Haunted Hearts, which you can buy directly from the publisher or at your favorite online retailer. Because the story is set after the events of that book, it will contain spoilers. Just a word to the wise. ;-)
I don’t have new book releases scheduled at the moment, but that may change. If Meat District and Other Horrors sells well, I’ll most likely continue to release semiregular signed chapbooks like it in order to collect whatever I publish here.
I’m also outlining another wrestling book. This one isn’t horror—it’s dystopian fiction—but I still expect it to feature the intensity typically found in my work. I will post occasional excerpts of the manuscript here, just for funsies.
Much less social media, more time here and (possibly) on YouTube. I am convinced that Facebook brings out the worst in me, and I can feel TikTok and Instagram rotting my brain each time I log on. I plan to dedicate one day a week creating social media content that I can schedule or sporadically post but otherwise staying FAR away. I’m not judging anyone who spends a lot of time on those platforms—this is a ME thing. Your mileage may vary.
That’s it for now. I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2025. I’ll see you next time.
Currently reading: Low Blasphemy by Judith Sonnet and Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
Currently watching: My Hero Academia on Netflix
I didn't know you enjoyed puzzles. I miss doing puzzles.