An articulation of love

Nine thousand, one hundred and thirty-one days.

Three hundred months.

Twenty-five years.

Friends and family gathered on a beautiful February day; around -5°C, overcast, in front of a partially-melted German ice castle at Winterlude to share our wedding with us. We were erm… serenaded by loud Chilean music for most of the ceremony, but honestly, I don’t really remember the music.

I remember the walk to the officiant, trying to keep pace with Tracey, seeing our family and friends, trying to remember my vows while looking into Tracey’s eyes, listening to Tracey’s, the applause when we were declared husband and wife, the TV camera person who butted their way into the crowd (which resulted in a hilarious call from Tracey’s ex-husband the next day).

In some ways, it feels like yesterday, or a lifetime ago.

Every single day, I count myself most fortunate to have Tracey in my life. She’s the person that got me out of my shell, to be open to socializing with people (and (how to do so), to (hesitantly) try new things, encouraged me to figure out what I wanted to do with myself. I’m a better person because of her being in my life.

She’s my best friend, the person I look forward to seeing so we can talk about our days, and the person I respect the most. She is tough, caring, pragmatic, funny, beautiful, smart, and truly my better half.

Halyma Performing

We’ve had many adventures over the years, from bike camping, so many belly dance and bollywood performances, walks all over the place, to shooting film, fundraisers for charity, camping and canoeing in Algonquin park in all four seasons, and others. I look forward to whatever the future holds for us.

How do I define love? You would think that after all this time I would be able to point to something and say, “See? Love!”, but it isn’t that easy – love is so many things. Love is paying attention to each other. Love is listening to listen. Love is staying curled up in bed. Love is the anticipation to seeing each other when we get home. Love is feeling each other’s skin. Love is ordering pizza after the other has had a bad day. Love is watching a musical – or a horror movie. Love is those walks in the rain. Love is doing something silly because it makes the other laugh. Love is finishing sentences, or whole thoughts. Love is a knowing look of communication in sync. Love is super-green.

Realistically, I could sit here all week, typing out things that reflect my love of Tracey to me, but let’s leave it to it’s basically everything about her. To say I lucked out is like saying observing a proton decay is common place.

I frequently will tell people my only advice on relationships is to marry your best friend and talk about everything. It seems to be working for us.

We’ve been together as a couple over half my life now, I wouldn’t have it any other way, and look forward to the next twenty five years together.

2022 Shows and Movies Watch List

I’ve been tracking what I’ve read for some years now, and have been keeping an eye on what a few friends have been watching, as well as Kottke’s famous media diet posts, and I got to wondering what my media consumption was like.

So, I started tracking it (no spreadsheet, just a note). There’s no monthly breakdown for shows as they would sometimes get spread across months.

Anything that was a re-watch is in italics. It’s likely I missed one or two, of course.

I’ve tried to indicate where I/we saw something (AppleTV, Amazon, Netflix, Shudder, etc). Generally, if a movie isn’t indicated, it’s something I picked up on iTunes (yes, I know it’s been renamed, but iTunes is more recognized for now).

In December we signed up for Disney+ for a month to see what was there (we did this in 2021 as well), and by the time the month was over, I was really done with Marvel stuff, and Star Wars to a lesser degree. Andor was the only thing I’d say was a “must-see” there.

Overall, one of the hardest things for me now I think is that it’s just not remotely possible to keep up with the rate new movies and shows are being released at all for me anymore. I have no idea how anyone actually has time to see everything they’re interested in that comes out; my to-watch list, similar to my “to be read” list keeps growing and growing.

How to do you manage it?

Shows

  1. Doctor Who S11 [purchased]
  2. Brooklyn 99 S5 (3/5) [Netflix]
  3. Ted Lasso S2 [AppleTV] (4/5)
  4. Foundation S1 [AppleTV] (4/5)
  5. Wheel of Time – gave up on series after episode 3. [Amazon]
  6. The Witcher S2 [Netflix] (3/5)
  7. Invasion [AppleTV] (3/5)
  8. Brooklyn 99 S6 [Netflix] (3/5)
  9. Dickenson S2 [AppleTV] (4/5)
  10. The Afterparty [AppleTV] (4/5)
  11. The Expanse S5 & S6 [Amazon] (4/5)
  12. Severance [AppleTV] (5/5)
  13. The Morning Show S2 [AppleTV] (3/5)
  14. See S2 [AppleTV] (3/5)
  15. Resident Alien [Purchased] (DNF)
  16. Suspicion [AppleTV] (3/5)
  17. Mythic Quest S2 [4/5] [AppleTV] (4/5)
  18. Upload S1 & S2 [Amazon] (4/5)
  19. Firefly [4/5] [Purchased]
  20. Slow Horses [3/5] [AppleTV]
  21. For All Mankind S2 [AppleTV] [4/5]
  22. Stranger Things S3 & S4 (last half) [4/5]
  23. For All Mankind S3 [AppleTV] [4/5]
  24. Dickenson S3 [AppleTV] (3/5)
  25. Loot S1 [AppleTV] (3/5)
  26. What We Do in the Shadows S3 [Purchased]
  27. The Sandman [Netflix] (4/5)
  28. The Rings of Power [Amazon] (3/5)
  29. Lucifer S4 E8+ and S5 [Netflix] (3/5)
  30. Five Days at Memorial [AppleTV] (5/5)
  31. The Peripheral [Amazon] (4/5)
  32. Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix) (3/5)
  33. Star Trek: The Next Generation [Purchased] (S1 not completed by end of year)
  34. Mythic Quest S3 [AppleTV] (4/5)
  35. Wednesday [Netflix] (4/5)
  36. Andor [Disney+] (4/5)
  37. ObiWan [Disney+] (3/5)
  38. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law [Disney+] (4/5)
  39. Willow [Disney+] (2/5)
  40. Hawkeye [Disney+] (3/5)
  41. Reservation Dogs [Disney+] (3/5)
  42. Ms Marvel [Disney+] (3/5)
  43. Moon Knight [Disney+] (2/5)

Movies:

January:

  1. The Proposal – 2009 (3/5)
  2. Stargate – 1994 (4/5)
  3. Last Night in Soho + Extras
  4. Last Night in Soho Writer & Director Commentary w/ Edgar Wright & Krysty Wilson-Cairns
  5. Ghostbusters: Afterlife + extras
  6. The Matrix (4/5)
  7. The Matrix Reloaded (4/5)
  8. The Matrix Revolutions (3/5)
  9. Underwater (4/5)
  10. The Matrix Resurrections & Extras (4/5)
  11. The Eternals (3/5)
  12. Black Bear (4/5)
  13. The Carmilla Movie (4/5)
  14. Spy (4/5) dumb fun
  15. Whip It (4/5)
  16. Office Space (5/5)

February:

  1. The Hating Game (2/5)
  2. A Perfect Host (3/5)
  3. Ammonite (3/5)
  4. Nine Days (4/5)
  5. Palm Springs [Amazon] (5/5)
  6. JawBreaker (4/5)
  7. No Time to Die (4/5)
  8. Antlers (4/5)
  9. See for Me (4/5)
  10. Rose Plays Julie (3/5)
  11. Don’t Say Its Name (3/5)
  12. Beans (4/5)
  13. Bombshell (3/5)

March:

  1. Ginger Snaps (4/5)
  2. Atomic Blonde – Director’s Commentary (4/5)
  3. The Adam Project [Netflix] (4/5 dumb fun)
  4. CODA [AppleTV] (4/5)
  5. Scott Pilgrim VS the World (5/5) (introduced to niece)
  6. Spiderman: No Way Home (4/5)
  7. Ready Player One (4/5)
  8. Final Destination 2 (4/5)
  9. Final Destination 3 (4/5)
  10. Final Destination 5 (4/5)
  11. The Thing (2011) (3/5)
  12. Tron Legacy (4/5)
  13. The Witch Director’s Commentary (4/5)
  14. Volcano (4/5)
  15. Into the Storm (3/5)
  16. In Fabric (2/5)

April:

  1. The King’s Man (2/5) – too long and boring
  2. MoonFall (2/5?) (Amazon)
  3. Psycho Goreman (3/5) (Shudder)
  4. The Bunker Game (2/5) Shudder
  5. Prometheus (4/5)
  6. Choose or Die (3/5), Shudder
  7. Till Death (3/5) Amazon
  8. The Martian (4/5)
  9. Girls Against Boys (4/5)

May:

  1. Alien: Covenant (3/5)
  2. Free Guy (4/5)
  3. Safety Not Guaranteed (4/5)
  4. Alien (5/5)
  5. Aliens : Directors Cut (5/5)
  6. The Lost City (4/5)
  7. The Sadness (4/5) Shudder
  8. The Cellar (3/5) Shudder
  9. Wargames (4/5)
  10. Tomorrow, When the War Began (4/5)
  11. Tragedy Girls – Director / Writer commentary
  12. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  13. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  14. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
  15. 6 Underground – Netflix (3/5)
  16. I Survived A Zombie Holocaust – (4/5)
  17. Black Friday (3/5)
  18. Mortal Kombat 2021 (2/5)

June:

  1. Demonic (4/5)
  2. Hanna -2011 (4/5)
  3. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (4/5)
  4. Everything Everywhere All at Once (4/5)
  5. Raw (4/5)
  6. Carrie 2013 (3/5)
  7. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (3/5)
  8. Slash/Back (4/5)

July:

  1. Seeing Red (3/5)
  2. How to Talk to Girls at Parties (4/5)
  3. X (4/5)
  4. Mr Right (4/5)

August:

  1. Alien : Resurrection (3/5)
  2. Dune (2021) (5/5)
  3. Rampage (3/5)
  4. Thirteen Lives (4/5)
  5. Top Gun: Maverick (4/5)
  6. Rush Hour (4/5)
  7. Ghostbusters: Afterlife (4/5)
  8. Three Thousand Years of Longing (4/5)
  9. Jurassic World Dominion (3/5)
  10. Chick Fight (3/5)

September:

  1. Shadow in the Cloud (1/5)
  2. So Vam (2/5)
  3. Thor : Love and Thunder (3/5)
  4. A Ghost Story (3/5)
  5. Dual (3/5)
  6. Nope (5/5) (and extras)
  7. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (5/5)
  8. Unhuman (4/5)
  9. Emily the Criminal (4/5)

October:

  1. Bodies, Bodies, Bodies (4/5)
  2. San Andreas (4/5)
  3. Bullet Train (4/5)
  4. Fall (4/5)
  5. The Lost Boys (4/5)
  6. Blade (4/5)
  7. Blade 2 (3/5)
  8. It Chapter 1 (4/5)
  9. Free Guy (4/5)
  10. It Chapter 2 (4/5)
  11. Blade 3 (4/5)
  12. The Bubble (2022) (Netflix, 4/5)
  13. Underworld (4/5)
  14. Underworld: Evolution (3/5)
  15. Underworld Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2/5)
  16. Titane (4/5)
  17. Underworld: Awakening (3/5)
  18. Underworld: Blood Wars (2/5)
  19. Resident Evil 1 (3/5)
  20. Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse (3/5)
  21. Resident Evil 3: Extinction (3/5)
  22. Resident Evil 4: Afterlife (4/5)
  23. Resident Evil 5: Retribution (2/5)
  24. Resident Evil 6: The Final Chapter (2/5)

November:

  1. Gone in the Night (4/5)
  2. Barbarian (5/5)
  3. Unstoppable (2010) (4/5) and extras
  4. Free Fire (4/5) and extras
  5. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (1/5)
  6. Testament 1983 (4/5)
  7. Smile (4/5)
  8. Spirited (2/5)
  9. Dune 1984 (5/5)
  10. Dune 2021 (5/5)
  11. Cyrano (2/5)- a beautiful, brilliantly acted movie *ruined* by the singing
  12. The Northman (2/5)
  13. Enola Holmes 2 (4/5)
  14. Byzantium (4/5)
  15. Grettel and Hansel (3/5)

December:

  1. Prey (4/5)
  2. Amsterdam (3/5)
  3. Hellraiser (1987) (4/5)
  4. Hellraiser (2022) (4/5)
  5. The Banshees of Inisherin (4/5)
  6. No Exit (4/5)
  7. The New Mutants (2/5)
  8. Treevenge (new Xmas Eve tradition?)
  9. Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special (3/5)
  10. Fire of Love (4/5)
  11. Werewolf by Night (3/5)

2022: The Year in Books

This year I managed a whole bunch of new books, so re-reads were down, somewhat to my surprise. There was a fair bit of experimentation with new authors; I’m always on the look-out for an interesting new voice. As usual, re-reads are in italics – at least the ones I can remember. Previous years: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 Vacation Reading, 2016 Vacation Reading, Vacation Reading 2015, Vacation Reading 2014, Vacation Reading 2013, Vacation Reading 2012, Vacation Reading 2011.

  1. Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix [4/5] : January 03, 2022
  2. Magical Midlife Madness: Leveling Up by K.F. Breene [3/5] : January 05, 2022
  3. Witchcraft in the Western Tradition by Jennifer McNabb [3/5] : January 08, 2022
  4. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler [4/5] : January 10, 2022
  5. Death Wave: The Star Quest Trilogy, Book 1 by: Ben Bova [2/5] : January 14, 2022
  6. Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of ’70s and ’80s Horror Fiction by: Grady Hendrix [3/5] : January 18, 2022
  7. My Best Friend’s Exorcism: A Novel by: Grady Hendrix [4/5] : January 25, 2022
  8. The Story of Human Language by John McWhorter [2/5] : January 28, 2022 – sorely needs updating
  9. Warship: Black Fleet Trilogy, Book 1 by Joshua Dalzelle [4/5] : February 06, 2022
  10. Call to Arms: Black Fleet Trilogy, Book 2 by Joshua Dalzelle [4/5] : February 08, 2022
  11. Counterstrike: Black Fleet Trilogy, Book 3 by Joshua Dalzelle [3/5] : February 10, 2022
  12. The Berlin Wall: A World Divided by Hope M. Harrison [4/5] : February 14, 2022
  13. The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power by Desmond Cole [4/5]: February 15, 2022
  14. Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness [3/5] : February 17, 2022
  15. Seven Days: A Post-Apocalyptic Novel by G. Michael Hopf [2/5]: February 21, 2022
  16. Fall; or, Dodge in Hell: A Novel by Neal Stephenson [3/5] : February 23, 2022
  17. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins [4/5] : March 07, 2022
  18. Feedback by Dennis E. Taylor [4/5] : March 08, 2022
  19. Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae by Steven Pressfield [3/5] : March 09
  20. Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu [3/5] : March 15, 2022
  21. Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy [4/5] : March 16, 2022
  22. Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller [4/5] : March 21, 2022
  23. 48 Hours by William R. Forstchen [3/5] : March 22, 2022
  24. The Science of Sci-Fi: From Warp Speed to Interstellar Travel by Erin Macdonald [3/5] : March 24, 2022
  25. The Iliad by Homer, translated by Richmond Lattimore [3/5] : March 26, 2022
  26. Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle [4/5] : April 03, 2022
  27. The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City by Jennifer Toth [3/5] : April 05, 2022
  28. Cursed by Neil Gaiman, Charlie Jane Ander, M. R. Carey, Christina Henry, & others [4/5] : April 07, 2022
  29. Medieval Myths & Mysteries by Dorsey Armstrong [4/5] : April 11, 2022
  30. The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi [5/5] : April 12, 2022
  31. African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan by Thomas Lockley & Geoffrey Girard [3/5] : April 13, 2022
  32. Infinite by Jeremy Robinson [4/5] : April 15, 2022
  33. Infinite 2 by Jeremy Robinson [3/5] : April 17, 2022
  34. Anxiety as an Ally: How I Turned a Worried Mind into My Best Friend by Dan Ryckert [4/5] : April 20, 2022
  35. The Fifth Season: The Broken Earth, Book 1 by N. K. Jemisin [2/5] : April 21, 2022
  36. The Dinosaur Tourist by Caitlín R. Kiernan [4/5] : April 24, 2022
  37. The Einstein Theory of Relativity by H. A. Lorentz [4/5] : April 27, 2022
  38. The Science of Running: How to Find Your Limit and Train to Maximize Your Performance by Steve Magness : May 4, 2022
  39. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen : May 8, 2022
  40. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen : May 12, 2022
  41. Emma by Jane Austen : May 15, 2022
  42. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen : May 19, 2022
  43. Persuasion by Jane Austen : May 24, 2022
  44. Wolf’s Bane by Kelley Armstrong [3/5] : June 1, 2022
  45. The Chain by Adrian McKinty [4/5 ] : June 5, 2022
  46. Room by Emma Donoghue [4/5] : June 18, 2022
  47. Hawkmaiden: Spellmonger Cadet, Book 1, by Terry Mancour [4/5] : June 22, 2022
  48. The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey [4/5] : July 3, 2022
  49. Still Alive: A Wild Life of Rediscovery by: Forrest Galante [4/5] : July 20, 2022
  50. What I Talk about When I Talk about Running by Haruki Murakami [5/5] : July 24, 2022
  51. Objections: The Ultimate Guide for Mastering the Art and Science of Getting past No by Jeb Blount [2/5] : July 25, 2022
  52. Resilience Is Futile: The Life and Death and Life of Julie S. Lalonde by Julie S. Lalonde [4/5] : July 28, 2022
  53. Shallow Waters: A Novel by Anita Kopacz [4/5] : August 01, 2022
  54. Termination Shock: A Novel by Neal Stephenson [3/5] : August 02, 2022
  55. Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle [4/5] : August 17, 2022
  56. Heads Will Roll by Kate McKinnon & Emily Lynne [4/5] : August 20, 2022
  57. JPod by Douglas Coupland [3/5] : August 21, 2022
  58. The Reading List: A Novel by Sara Nisha Adams [5/5] : August 22, 2022
  59. Cosmic Horror Monthly Magazine Feb 2022 issue [4/5] : August 22, 2022
  60. Cosmic Horror Monthly Magazine July 2022 issue [4/5] : August 22, 2022
  61. We Are Legion (We Are Bob): Bobiverse, Book 1 by Dennis E. Taylor [4/5] : August 23,2022
  62. For We Are Many: Bobiverse, Book 2 by Dennis E. Taylor [4/5] : August 24,2022
  63. All These Worlds: Bobiverse, Book 3 by Dennis E. Taylor [4/5] : August 25,2022
  64. Heaven’s River: Bobiverse, Book 4 by Dennis E. Taylor [4/5] : August 25,2022
  65. Black Girls Must Die Exhausted: A Novel by Jayne Allen [4/5] : August 27, 2022
  66. All the Names by José Saramago (translated by Margaret Jull Costa) [4/5] : September 20, 2022
  67. Roadkill by Dennis E. Taylor [4/5] : September 23, 2022
  68. An Introduction to Infectious Diseases by Barry C. Fox [3/5] : September 25, 2022
  69. Annihilation: The Southern Reach Trilogy, Book 1 by Jeff VanderMeer [3/5] : September 28, 2022
  70. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain : September 29, 2022
  71. The Early Cases of Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie [3/5] : October 3, 2022
  72. Stop People Pleasing: Be Assertive, Stop Caring What Others Think, Beat Your Guilt, & Stop Being a Pushover by Patrick King [3/5] : October 09, 2022
  73. The Life and Death of Stars by Keivan G. Stassun [3/5] : October 11, 2022
  74. Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed by Ben R. Rich , Leo Janos [4/5] : October 14, 2022
  75. Thermodynamics: Four Laws That Move the Universe by Jeffrey C. Grossman [3/5] : October 17, 2022
  76. The complete book of Scriptwriting by J. Michael Straczynski [3/5] : October 23, 2022
  77. The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard P. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman : October 24, 2022
  78. Algonquin Park Through Time and Space : The history and ecology of Algonquin Park Told with satellite imagery and computer graphics by Frank Ahern [4/5] October 25, 2022
  79. Time’s Eye: A Time Odyssey, Book 1 by Stephen Baxter & Arthur C. Clarke [3/5] : October 26, 2022
  80. Shuttle, Houston: My Life in the Center Seat of Mission Control by Paul Dye [4/5] : November 01, 2022
  81. Night Shift Dragons: Detroit Free Zone, Book 3 by Rachel Aaron [4/5] : November 04, 2022
  82. The Road by Cormac McCarthy [4/5] : November 08, 2022
  83. The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights by James Knowles [3/5] : November 09, 2022
  84. Atomic Adventures: Secret Islands, Forgotten N-Rays, and Isotopic Murder – A Journey into the Wild World of Nuclear Science by:James Mahaffey [3/5] : November 14, 2022
  85. Fool’s Errand: Tawny Man, Book 1 by Robin Hobb [3/5] : November 18, 2022
  86. The Wolves of Algonquin Park: A 12 Year Ecological Study by John B. Theberge and Mary T. Theberge [4/5] : November 24, 2022
  87. The World Set Free by H. G. Wells [3/5] : November 28, 2022
  88. The Science of Self-Discipline: The Willpower, Mental Toughness, and Self-Control to Resist Temptation and Achieve Your Goals by Peter Hollins [3/5] : November 30, 2022
  89. Medical School for Everyone: Grand Rounds Cases by: Roy Benaroch [2/5] : December 5, 2022
  90. The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X & Alex Haley [4/5] : December 5, 2022
  91. The Singularity Trap by Dennis E. Taylor [4/5] : December 10, 2022
  92. Thunder Below!: The USS Barb Revolutionizes Submarine Warfare in World War II by Eugene B. Fluckey [4/5] : December 13, 2022
  93. The Making of the Atomic Bomb: 25th Anniversary Edition by Richard Rhodes [5/5] : December 14, 2022