With the ball now firmly dropped into 2026, it’s time to get things up and running. Despite the infrequency of this column, I still feel the need to provide regular updates where I can. To put it simply, New Year’s Eve turned out to be a pretty good day overall. Along with having Chinese food, I got to watch Duck Soup for the umpteenth time as well as celebrate the countdown from various cities throughout the U.S.A. Most of them had big, elaborate shows, but then you’d get to places like Phoenix, Arizona, and you began to understand the constraints of living in a less populated region of the country. It probably looked great to people in the area, but it was also isolated, mostly taking place over the desert, which is far from the pageantry everyone else had.
I also got to hear a variety of (mostly) classic rock bands play. I wouldn’t say I was terribly into most of them, though the presence of Cheap Trick reminded me how consistent their work is. My parents used to play the greatest hits album a lot, so I was familiar with every choice they played, and while I’d argue their “trick” part of their name wasn’t as prominent in the live performance aspect, they still put on a good enough show for a legacy act. I can’t say that I was as wowed by Foreigner or .38 Special, who mostly have had their time come and go in my books.
But given that we’re now almost two weeks into the year, there is a need to fill in other gaps. How have things been shaping up for me? In all honesty, the pros and cons of January: Week 1 is that they’re often the period where I’m the most aimless. Even if I have goals for the year, I recognize that I’m at best trying to have habits take root and map out a larger picture. Despite all of this, I fear it hasn’t been the most productive start, and there have been days when I’ve felt like I’m closer to spinning wheels than doing anything meaningful with my time. It’s a perfect irony given that December is a time when I’m placing too much meaning on what I did with the same thing.
The best that can be said is that I hope the year is better than the movies I’ve watched from last year since. The Life of Chuck was abysmally bad and, despite its softness, probably one of the worst Stephen King adaptations I’ve seen. I also couldn’t stand The Naked Gun remake, which has a lot of funny jokes but lacks any authentic purpose of being. With that said, there have been some good things mixed in, but nothing that feels like it will define 2026 when that time comes. Not unless an uncomfortably bleak film by Catherine Breillat is the mood we’re riding through this year.
To be honest, the hobbies that I am trying to pick up are mostly around the arts. Even as I try to apply myself to have bigger goals, I recognize the importance of self-expression through media other than writing. Despite feeling like this is a very prolific period for me, I need to expand my palette a little bit and discover just what it is I can do with the form. I used to draw comics as a kid, as rudimentary as they were, and part of me wonders if I could make an improvement on those. I personally feel like my style is much too inactive at this point, and so I must learn how to develop technique to make my characters “interesting.”
Part of it is to try and use a sketchbook that I bought now three years ago with the hopes of picking everything up. The funny part is that I received a “book of ideas” book this Christmas and have daily prompts. If anything confirms how hard it is for me to be disciplined, it’s the fact that I’m choosing to do many days at once and go long periods without. While I don’t think there’s any judgmental tool to the project that would deter that approach, it’s still the idea that I don’t have discipline. Still, I drew an ice cube with a pretty neat shadow. Again, it was with colored pencils I had bought three years ago. My hope is to have anything going on. Then again, I probably shouldn’t have started my drawing expedition last time by drawing Julie Christie in Doctor Zhivago. That was kind of too ambitious for a premiere.
Other than that, I would love to make a wider variety of sandwiches. I’m not a culinary master by any stretch, though I have gotten into making less obvious meals. One of my favorites has been egg sandwiches, and while I’ve done them with over-easy eggs (which I love), I know they’re messy, and I realize making them specifically isn’t sustainable to get through a whole bag of sourdough bread. My hope is to experience a new combination of meats and spices to make something truly unorthodox. I also got a Magic Bullet for Christmas, which means that I’m eager to stir up all sorts of stuff as well.
Though yes, if you must know what the big goal is, and the one that is probably going to keep me from reaching further into the prolific box this year, it’s my novel. The good news is that I did a lot of the heavy lifting in 2025 and have essentially the tools to make a proper outline. If there’s an issue, it’s cobbling the notes together in the desired order to get there. I’m also still piecing together smaller aspects that need to be resolved before I lock anything in. Despite having the opening chapter pretty much conceived, I am someone who needs a full picture just to know where I’m going. Without it, I’m just freewriting in ways that will cause me to corner myself sooner than later.
I won’t say much about it at this time, other than it’s been fun to find random things influencing my choices. The most recent involved a walk that I went on last week. During this time, I met a woman driving her car. She honked, and I pulled down my headphones. She asked me if I had seen two huskies running around. At the time, I hadn’t. However, within 15 seconds of her driving off and me reaching the next block, they walked past me. For a second, I thought I saw her car turning, so I contemplated containing these dogs somehow. I was nervous because I don’t know how to hold animals, let alone those foreign to me. I didn’t want any bites and figured pets would’ve at least gotten their attention.
I tried this method on the return route home. For whatever reason, they were almost in tandem with me. When I heard the horn honk, I saw the dogs approaching and tried to pet them. The only issue was that they were clearly on a mission and just barreled right past me. They didn’t even acknowledge that I was touching them. Part of me still feels disappointed that I had no idea how to “act fast” and that I was inconveniencing this woman. The one moment I had to be a hero, and I failed. My hope is that she got them before they got to the Target up the street.
To be clear, I’m not going to say how it works into the story, but I’m optimistic that it solved some missing pieces regarding a man walking his dog. He’s a tertiary character, but one who factors significantly into the mix as things move along. In theory, there’s not a lot about these dogs that’s inherently important to the plot, but it’s one of those great things about being out and about that forces you to be spontaneous. When you do so, you might find things about yourself that could be good fodder for literature.
And speaking of literature, I finished my first book of the year. Maybe it’s just the reputation I assumed about his movies, but I had zero expectations of Nick Hornby being my speed. “About A Boy” was first read, and captures a surprising depth of character around three individuals who have different personalities that all come together to help each other learn crucial, life-changing ideas. The topic of suicide is much more prominent than I would take a perceived romantic comedy writer to have in their work, but it’s done with a certain tact that is downright admirable. This is the type of revelatory read that, even if it’s not my favorite approach to literature, still has enough persuasive elements that make me want to read more. I’ve been putting off buying his for so long that I feel kind of embarrassed now. He’s got some chops, that Nick Hornby.
Something else to keep a lookout for from me is that I plan to make a SCRAPS! exclusive essay detailing a recent re-listening of Kendrick Lamar albums. The simple truth is that I recognize greatness without regularly indulging his larger body of work. I am, oddly enough, a big fan of “Mr. Morale and the Side Steppers,’’ but don’t care to check out the others as much. The past month has been the most that I’ve given them a chance. I’m waiting on a re-listen of “GNX,” which is a tumultuous relationship at best that I’ll get into, before I lock in any opinion. It’s going to be a relatively casual piece, so don’t expect any revelations. I just think the premise is interesting enough to sustain a small essay.
Before I start wrapping up, I want to mention the other big highlight of my year so far. Right as I get ready for the school year to start again and my duties of teaching my nieces math reemerge, I’ve had some time to go out and enjoy public events.
The most noteworthy was a doubleheader at The Pyramid on campus at Cal State Long Beach. The first was a men’s basketball game against Bakersfield, which ended up being a reassuring afternoon. I should say my team has only one three games in the past year… and two of them were in the past week. It’s been rough to support them, but I have good feelings that they’re moving up in the world. I also think the recent sponsorship has made for some stylish new improvements inside the gym that I look forward to seeing expanded.
The other header was a men’s volleyball game where our national champions played McKendree. On paper, it feels obvious who would win. I’d even say the numbers reflect that. However, the reality is that they put up a decent enough fight for an unranked team. Two of the sets were competitive but not runaway. Nothing to write home about. However, Set 2 is one of those moments you dream about being in attendance for, where somehow both teams just fall into sync with each other, and suddenly you’re into overtime, unsure of how many more points you’d get. The final score ended up being 35-33, and I’m ecstatic to have witnessed such a tense, nailbiter of a moment.
My early prediction for Long Beach is still that the team is in too much of a flux to be the runaway masters of the season, but I’m willing to bet my skepticism wrong if their track record continues. They have enough pieces in place to make up for what’s missing. They have the competitive edge, and I think they are dominant enough to at least rank in the Top 3. Will they make the tournament? I wholeheartedly believe that. Will they beat UCLA and Hawaii? To be completely honest, I need more receipts before I settle. I’ve got tickets to the UCLA game in a few weeks, so I should have a better grasp on where things are shaking out to by then.
I’m choosing to close on a bit of an impulsive tag. Along with my goals for 2026 that are serious or more positive to growth, I’m also planning to watch a bunch of shows, possibly in full. The most prominent is Atlanta, which has long been a favorite of mine but felt, like The Leftovers before, in need of revisiting to fully appreciate the nuance. As someone who has played a lot of Childish Gambino in the past year, it also feels like the obvious choice. Surprise, surprise… Atlanta is phenomenal still, and Lakeith Stanfield is one of the best working actors.
I’m also trying to get back into animation. I usually have one show in the rotation to keep me grounded. I like to have a distraction from my more adult options. That has included last year with the second season of Fionna and Cake, which is a show I’m a big fan of. Given its context, it made me nostalgic for Adventure Time, which I’ve never watched in full but have enjoyed every time it’s on. As a result, I’m going to try and fill in the gaps and 100% that journey.
The immediate result is that the show is exactly what I thought it would be. It’s a fantasy show with the heart of an obnoxious teenage boy. I can’t argue with that, though it does get tedious to watch in large chunks. The thing I’m realizing more than anything about Adventure Time is how clever the storytelling is, and even in its inconsequential first season, how well it deals with complex themes and otherwise dark ideas. I’m not into fantasy in general, but I’m digging the pathos of characters, and the humor is brilliant. Also, shoutout to John DiMaggio, whose voice work continues to be above the rest.
I’m also deciding to tack on Steven Universe, which I have almost zero familiarity with, even compared to Adventure Time. For starters, I just need to not have the edgy, manic energy of young boys every night, and that show looks to be more of a kinder, soft colored show that will warm the cockles of my heart. I recognize that this may collectively mean watching over 300 episodes of cartoons, but I’m also not going to hurt myself if I don’t get this done by the end of the year. My main hope is that I find something new to appreciate… and right now it’s making me realize how many different ways there are to tell a story and how I shouldn’t limit myself, even if I’m painfully stuck in the realism camp. Adventure Time has done that for me, especially, and I look forward to when the show really gets ambitious.
Other than that, I guess a personal goal is to write more regularly on here. I haven’t been motivated to update columns as of late, and I feel bad about that. I’m not sure why my heart’s not in that part of my career right now, though I hope to remedy that sometime soon. Also, I need to get moving on the next Failed Oscar Campaigns, which I’m happy to announce will be on the film Wonka. As a big fan of Marty Supreme, it only feels right to dig into the other recent Timothee Chalamet Christmas Day Oscar campaign.
Oh, and I guess I missed out on tickets to see The Wiz. Bummerific. I’m sure this Tony-nominated production will be breathtaking. I’ve joked that it’s one of Stephen Sondheim’s favorites, which makes me hopeful that there’s more going on, but that’ll be for whatever day and in whatever form I see it. I’m really gunning for The Notebook, which was one of my favorite cast recordings two years ago. Also, if you haven’t, PLEASE listen to the new Ragtime recording. It is one of the best ensemble pieces I’ve heard in so long. If Joshua Henry doesn’t win the Tony, then I don’t know what’s going on. That’s, of course, entirely based on audio.
So yeah. Time to get started on week three of this wonderful year. As you can guess, the political aspect of it is chaotic, and I may or may not address that in a later post if the idea strikes. For now, I will say that things seem bleak, but I’m hoping that 2026 goes better than the last. We need positive change, and I hate how much of my 30s has been spent living with a universal case of cynicism. Anyway, do your part to make the world a nicer place. It may not do a lot, but hopefully it will help you keep your humanity.
So until next time. Hope all’s well and I’ll see ya when I see ya.
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