Hello there.
May the farce be with you…
Well, we’re only 45 days away from 2025, which is weird because 2024 just started… right? This year has been a maelstrom of emotional ups and downs, wins and losses, highlights and blooper reels. For instance…
- My Campfire Queen and I became grandparents. I wasn’t sure how I would handle that milestone, but after I realized I’d have a fresh mind for me to impart all my nerd wisdom to, it was a role I easily embraced.
- I got to see the Northern Lights from my backyard, which was amazing… ignoring the fact that it was caused by one of the biggest solar storms in decades.
- I also got to see the Tsuchinshan–ATLAS comet whose last visit was 80,000 years ago. Seriously crazy to think the last people to see it were cavemen.
- I witnessed my first total solar eclipse.
- My youngest son turned 17, which only helped to reinforce my discomfort with getting older.
- Trump has been re-elected as President for a 2nd non-consecutive term. I can’t remember a point in my lifetime when there was so much division, animosity, and vitriol between people.
- Mike Tyson clearly threw the fight against Jake Paul to the disappointment of all Gen-Xers. That ‘lil sh*t needs a lesson in humility.
- The MCU continues to let me down with the garbage they’re putting out. Everything after Avengers: Endgame has been such a disappointment (with the exception of a few gems, like Moon Knight and GotG Vol. 3). If they butcher Captain America: Brave New World in February, I’m giving up on them.
- With Shiloh’s passing last month, Hazel is now the sole dog in the house.
Okay, enough of the melancholy navel-gazing. Time for some nerd stuff.
Awhile ago I backed the Coincide philosophers coin set on Kickstarter. After the success of that project, they did another for specially designed acrylic cases for them — which I also backed. Those cases recently came in, and they’re beautiful. They now reside on my bookshelf next to Marcus Aurelius and Henry.
Funko just released a special Christmas edition of Captain America. So… yeah. You know what happened.
I finally got around to building my axe / archery target. I bought a set of NedFoss double-bladed throwing axes to throw at it. It’s the first outdoor activity I’ve gotten my 17-year-old to willingly participate in and actually have fun.
We’ll be resurrecting the Nerd Tree in the coming days to celebrate our MCU (Merry Christmas Universe). After 14 years of overcrowded holidays in my house, I finally requested to get my way. Starting this year, Thanksgiving will be for the larger group of family and friends… which will still likely require an entire bottle of mead to get through (thank you, Dansk Mjod). Christmas will be reserved for just us, the kids, and the grandkids — complete with PJs and custom waffles. That’s all I want… to have my world under my roof for Christmas…. and no one else. Seriously, if anyone else shows up on Christmas expecting hospitality, I’ll simply smile and flip them the Christmas bird. 🖕🏼
That’s all for now. I leave you with the randomness of Hazel Wigglebottom, aka The Last Canine.
Until next time, ‘ver heil ok sæl’.
ᚢᛖᚱ ᚺᛖᛁᛚ ᛟᚲ ᛊᛇᛚ
