Arriving late for a new year

I got sick on December 19th and didn’t stop. I’m now on my final dose of some antibiotic I’ve never heard of following shock wave lithotripsy. I’m incredibly lucky it was just a kidney stone (and food poisoning before that). But it did pretty much destroy any plans I had for the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023.

During my sick time I did a lot of vegging. I had filed vacation for the final two weeks of the year anyway. While I didn’t do most of the things I planned to do, I was able to at least hang out. If you’ve never had a kidney stone before, there are long periods where everything is fine punctuated with pain. Even so I kind of felt off throughout the whole ordeal. Maybe from lack of sleep.

On one particular good day I bought and finished both Producer 2021 and Rainy Season.

I was gifted and finished Sourdough by Robin Sloan. I also finished my third reading of Gibson’s Spook Country and got most of the way through Zero History as well.

I drank in the fallout, as Wizards of the Coast, fresh off the campaign to ruin Magic the Gathering, announced their intentions to destroy DnD as thoroughly and as quickly as possible. Had I been in a better state of health I think I would have been better at avoiding the outrage and depression machine that picked this up and ran with it. I hope that we can find a way to fix IP law in my lifetime.

Despite being sick, I was able to enjoy a good holiday season with my girlfriend. And after some delay a good makeup Christmas with my family.

I am grateful to be healthy and alive.

(Ed’s note: Posting this on 1/16/2023 but dating it to last week when I wrote it.)