So Far, So Good

January in review:

Not without its problems, but a good start to the new year.

Our water heater did break, but we finally fixed it last night. That's a far cry better than the past few Januarys, in which our water pipes burst. A terrible, expensive, frustrating inconvenience at any time, but to have no water at your house for sometimes a couple weeks at a time? That's a crap way to start the new year. Thankfully, this year was not that. By comparison, this January's "first-world problems" has felt like a vacation.

As planned and declared, I started a new game on Final Fantasy VIII. PS1 discs apparently deteriorate over time like no other medium, but despite the half-hour load time whenever I want to play, I am doing it. I am using that bright world and optimistic story to fuel my own good cheer and rekindle a youthful spirit.

I especially use FFVIII as spiritual fuel for my exploring and hiking outings with Liam. This year, Juliet is able to come along with us sometimes, too. I had been telling everyone that I meant to go hiking at least once a week until it gets hot in March, which sounds so ambitious as to raise eyebrows in response, but so far I have pulled it off. Sometimes twice. Just whenever I am in the mood for it.

It sounds like a life of luxury, doesn't it? But walking is free entertainment. And there are tons of trails around here. Lake Travis and hill country aren't all that far away, either. Something about the soundtrack of Final Fantasy VIII pairs so well with exploring out that way. I've also been slowly watching a YouTube walkthrough of Final Fantasy XV, since I can't play games more recent than the antiquated PS2. I do a lot of vicarious, voyeuristic video gaming on YouTube.

Reprising last January's "Pirate Mode," I started watching Black Sails on DVD. Four seasons, a prequel to the classic novel, Treasure Island. I have only seen two episodes, though. But Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks also fuel my days off for exploration. I have also acquired a few more items for my pirate costume combinations for our entertainment business. It's for work, but at this point, I should meet up with one of my cosplaying friends just for fun.

It's a good season in my head.

We finished our Harry Potter movie marathon that was interrupted by the holidays. So that sets a certain tone, too.

I've been enjoying a bit of college nostalgia indulgence, for the purpose of keeping myself focused on laying out my plans for a music website. I need to stop procrastinating and rewrite program notes for every single piece of music I've ever composed. There will be an archived page for just such compositions, a project I call Truman Retrospective.

In the interest of convenience (laziness), I am just going to copy and paste something I already posted on Facebook (January 11th):

The Truman nostalgia is strong today. 

A while back, I decided to revisit a few chamber music compositions from my undergraduate days. There was a twelve-tone flute solo that was featured on my senior recital back in the day, and I always wanted to expand it into multiple movements. It was originally just called “Rondo,” an experiment to see how Classical I could make Schoenberg’s atonal structure sound. I decided to make the existing piece the second of four movements. Today I composed the third movement, a minuet. The piece is nothing to boast about, but I feel good about the illusion of accomplishment I’ve created for myself today.

It is cold and drizzly outside. I feel like it should be Jan-Feb 2004. I feel like, after finishing a chamber piece, I should be getting ready to go meet my peeps at El Vaquero for dinner and frozen Margaritas. Afterwards, maybe Dukum Inn, Ryan’s, or Too Talls Two?

I also recently finally got around to watching the new Ocean’s 8 and Super Troopers 2, sequels to movies I absolutely loved during my latter days at Truman. That is probably what triggered this nostalgia. And the other day, we tried a new restaurant, Black Walnut Café, which reminded me of Kirksville's long-since-closed Patterson’s, only much smaller since it didn’t have a banquet hall. Remember Patterson’s? I consider this new local joint to be Mini-Patterson’s, and I love it. All of this makes me feel like it is early 2004. I am wearing that iconic Tim sweater that I used to wear all the time back then. I still have it, and it’s still a good, timeless sweater.

More than anything, I just wish I could get together with a large group of friends to kick off a good night. Alas, that feeling of sitting down at the restaurant, the group already mid-banter upon my arrival, and patting each other on the back for our accomplishments of the week. Just another glorious day of padding my portfolio. 

Tonight I shall reminisce with abandon.

So, it's been a good month, though I have not met some of my expectations, such as hardcore correspondence with old friends that I want to have be active friendships instead of dusty old statues in the Hall of Shenanigans. I'm working on it.

There are other, smaller details that I could blog about. But I have to keep this short.

It's a little alarming that a twelfth of the year is already spent, so I need to get more serious about these many, many goals.

But those are the highlights of January. Let it be mostly remembered as the month things turned around in my favor.


As for my expectations for February... 

I will continue Final Fantasy VIII and hiking with priority.

I will ease back into a fitness routine, including (dare I jinx it) martial arts again. (But for that, I do need several chiropractor visits to adjust something that's going on with my hips and shoulders. Truthfully, it's very discouraging.)

I will stay in better touch with people.

I will continue working on Truman Retrospective and hold February 2004 in my heart, but then once March arrives, I will have to move on to other, more important composition projects.

I have ideas for how to address the Bowling Green chapter of my life, as well. But no details for you today.

I will read more Batman comics, as was my declaration exactly two years ago, before I had to eschew all frivolity.

I want to make a kite with Liam, and fly it.

The three of us will have to go camping at least once this month, lest time get away from us and it gets too hot for the rest of the year.

I'm going to make progress towards "finishing" this fixer-upper of a house that we bought right before the first cancer diagnosis took over our lives. I am going to be productive in more ways than just the frivolous spices of life. There's also a lot of work to do to build up our business. Of course that takes priority, but it's not as fun to blog about.

I'm still playing for keeps.

February shall be glorious...