RIP, 2018

Like most everyone I know, I had a pretty rough time for much of 2018. As I said many times, it turns out that living in the early days of a dystopian future can really take it out of you. But the last few weeks I’ve been finding myself a little more optimistic. I think that 2018 was the least productive year of my professional career, but I feel really good about all of the work that I got done, and I managed to lay the groundwork for some really cool stuff coming in 2019. And even with all of the horrible stuff going on in the world there was still a lot of goodness, too. Time spent with good friends, traveling with my kid, and generally trying to make room in each day for the things that bring me joy.

I spent at least one hour every night reading strictly for pleasure, and managed an average of a half-dozen novels a month as a result. I also read huge stacks of fantastic comics and OGNs, particularly a lot of great middle grade and YA stuff. I played five or six fantastic video games to completion over the course of 2018, and end the year several weeks into what I anticipate with be a LONG obsession with Red Dead Redemption 2. I saw a bunch of great movies in the theater, even more at home on disc or streaming, and watched more great TV this year than in any other year I can remember.

My kid is spending the afternoon playing D&D with friends, and tonight the two of us will be celebrating NYE with a movie, some video games, and a nice, quiet evening at home.