December 2024
What a great month to end the year on. There is something that is always retrospective about the end of the year. New beginnings. Hopefully you already started those beginnings! It is easier to see if you will stick with it if you are already doing it. If it is a good idea then you should just figure out how to start doing it in the smallest way possible to move it forward. I had a lot of time to contemplate integrate the lessons from the year (next post) and revamp my 5 year plans.
I finished up an 8 page comic (Tarmo) and shared it with friends and family. It is one many partially completed projects that could be completed at any time once the motivation strikes. My art friend DS and I sat on a video call while each worked on finishing up an unfinished comic. There was some chatting, but mostly just like working in the same office and sharing the results. Tarmo is my honorary Finnish name from my postdoc friends which roughly translates to energy. I am having fun putting this character through the ringer. I want him to be gritty as fuck in all his adventures.
I started a new training program this month (various stats). I did the first three weeks and am now in the recovery/integration week. At the end of each week I am physically tired and looking forward to my rest day (Monday) where I just do art, think , read, cook and roll out. Our trail running crew had a Jingle Jog/potlock hosted by the matriarch of the group. It was miserable conditions, but everyone was in good spirits. I utilized my evolved thick hair to keep me warm when soaking wet and then heading up in elevation to snow-line. The early season snow provided a nice base for nordic skiing. I did a number of 20 km days, 1 30 km, and a 50 km day. It is going to be a great season having these Zone 1 (Z1) workouts already in the exercise base bank.
Caryn and I did our annual back country ski to get a Christmas Tree. We harvest one that is just small enough for me to carry back through the forest on skis. Hence our continued fascination with “Charlie Brown” trees. We also spent a warmer afternoon winterizing the house. We were not prepared for the early season snow so I needed it melt a bit before getting on the roof to remove any remaining leaves and acorns. We also did our 2x/year chimney sweep.
The holidays messed up the class schedule a bit, but provided some time off of teaching weekly classes (watercolor/ink and nature journaling 3x each). I sold one art piece at the opening last month, but sold three more this month. It feels good because one of each of the categories is going to go on someones wall, including one in Philadelphia (visiting for the holidays).
Socially, Caryn and I attended 4 friend dinners and are going to participate in a space themed murder mystery tonight for NYE. My character is a two headed “Beeble Brayn” loosely based off Beeblebrox from Hitchhikers Guide. My second head is a sock puppet made out of a threadbare cycling sock. In my role on the non-profit board, I volunteered for a movie night and for Giving Tuesday.