Better late than
Never have I ever missed one of these since I started
Hoo there nightowls,
That photo was a throwback. You know what isn’t a throwback? Missing a post! I somehow got entirely shaken loose from time and dates and had not one iota of an idea that it was Sunday until I was sitting in a dark theater watching a dance performance based on Alice in Wonderland (MOMIX:alice at the Joyce, I highly highly recommend it) and something about seeing the White Rabbit made me realize I was late.
Sorry about that! But I’m only 12 hours late!
2026 has already been quite the staggering year. My daughter went off to a month of Lithuanian studies - in Lithuania - and left all her waiting-gifts (given to the people who are waiting for you at the arrival point) on my desk. My son is between semesters of grad school. I’m debating life choices in a big way. The cat that lives in my house still refuses to be petted by females…. It’s hard to get a grip.
Oh - I saw a play that completely unnerved me - Bug at Manhattan Theater Club. It’s by Tracy Letts which should have warned me. I don’t know what I thought it was going to be like to watch a play about paranoia and conspiracy theories in today’s day and age, but it was unsettling to say the least. I think maybe I need to watch a few dozen lighthearted musicals now.
I meant to tell you a story of something that happened early in 2026 but it already feels like New Years stories are old hat - that’s how fast the news cycle rushes us through life. I’ll tell the story anyway.
On New Year’s Day I always take good care and pay lots of attention to the ‘firsts’ - first cup of tea of the year, first breakfast, first song I listen to… well I was in my first shower of the year in the colonial Inn on Cape Cod where I celebrated for a week with 40 of my closest friends (as I do every year, though not always in Cape Cod) and all of a sudden, the gloriously steamy water dropped in temperature… you know that moment you have before the water runs icy cold? It was in that briefest of moments, when you assess how much shampoo is left in your hair and whether you can tolerate the cool water and you consider leaping out of the stream of water which you know with certainty is about to go cold or perhaps rinsing out those last few suds from your hair that I had this strong and shocking realization.
I had gone through things far worse than a sudden cold shower, and I had survived. I could deal with a little cold water. And so I did. I rinsed my hair, conditioned it, got out and wrapped myself in a thick towel and didn’t die. Was it cold? Yep. And the snow I could see out the window didn’t make it any warmer. But I survived.
Writing News
I’m editing a friend’s epic novel and I’m loving editing. I may hang out my shingle again — I forgot how absolutely wonderful it is to immerse yourself in a story and have a say in what is working and what isn’t.
I’ll be in Phoenix the last week of January, visiting her. Let me know if you live nearby. Or if you’ll be in Scottsdale for the book event on January 24th.
Random Final Thought
It never occurred to me that these chips are local somewhere. And when I was on Cape Cod I had them in a cafe and was positively delighted.
There we go! Happy New Year! (I think it still is close enough to the beginning that I can wish you a good year!)
Owls! That's pretty cool.
And I miss you.
See you at AWP?
I think 2026 will be an exciting year for you! And those chips are great!