The Holigay edition | Week 51, 2022

This week was amazing! The Winter Solstice occurred at the same time as Hanukkah. I decided to slow down all the video editing for a bit; I realized I need to reorganize for the year and take some time off for some fun.

It’s so difficult to go outside after dark right now. It’s cold enough that I need to suit up quite a bit, and it’s dark for much longer than I like. I wanted to join a couple of folks at trivia on Thursday, but it was dark by 5pm and just didn’t feel worth it. But I managed to rip myself away from my phone and tv for D&D night at least.

I’ve been so against Christmas stuff for so long that I’ve overlooked other ways to stay in touch with those I love. And now that I’m a Gay in the Bay (so to speak) and thousands of miles away from loved ones, I have some time to think that sort of thing through. It’s gotten me to look back at my Irish and Norse ancestry and how they dealt with the darkest time of year. Specifically around the Solstice and the origins of what we think of as Christmas trees. While I don’t have the “Christmas” spirit, I feel the holiday spirit again. I never thought I’d say that since becoming an atheist in college. But the thing is that I’m not changing my mind on following any gods. It’s not about wether or not they exist, but to focus on nature and other people. It’s fun to explore this facet of spirituality.

I’ve told a few folks already, but here’s a good time to start mentioning this: I’m helping start a business! It’s a marketing firm that aims to help out small businesses and minorities, among other things. My job will be day-to-day management and videography. I have quite a bit of experience at this sort of thing from my last job as a Video Technician at Lens Rentals. So I’m up for the job.

On the Solstice I finished A Scatter of Light. Boy was that a rollercoaster. It was a ton of things: coming out of the closet, learning how to navigate rocky family issues, first true love, and even death. That last part was the hardest to read through because I lost my mom nearly five years ago.

I had a chill day on the 25th of December. I made some Southern-style biscuits, which were a hit with a few folks that I shared it with. I let all the folks I love how much I love them. Also, new episodes came out for one of my favorite shows.

Some stuff from this week: