So long 2025

Year in review:

• Flew approximately 56,288 miles for work trips
• Visited some new countries (Paraguay, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, plus airports in St. Martin, Colombia, and Tortola) and new cities in previously visited countries (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Hermosillo, Mexico)
• Revisited some countries (Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, Mexico) and Puerto Rico (yay!!!)
• Did my first solo work trip (although there were co-workers in Mexico when I got there, so I wasn't alone once I got there, just the only US person there)
• Threw up a lot 
• Got COVID again (24 hours, so can't complain) and got pretty sick with the crud going around in February
• Lost my dad
• Sort of played pickleball for the first time (hitting it around with my sister on the side of a court)
• Had basically every single work tool implode at some point or another
• Moved to a new cataloging tool at work (barely!) and somehow survived the drama
• Way too many weird encounters with men making inappropriate moves on me (2. Two encounters. But it was two too many)
• Read the Thursday Murder Club series and reread some old favorites.
• Learned a few new games (Abandon All Artichokes, Point City, Doomlings, Cartographers, Canvas, Ito, Mantis--I think that was this year--and probably some others that I can't recall right now)
• Bought 3 new camera lenses (I was planning on one, but then a different lens broke, and replacing one turned into 2. Things happen)
• Went to the tulip festival and visited some other local places again
• Enjoyed some new movies, but don't ask me what they are
• Lost some weight (barfing your guts out in San Juan will do that for you)
• Got a great-nephew and got to play with both him and his sister, which was a highlight
• Went to graduations (niece's high school, niece's college)
• Made people laugh, probably made people cry (I'm sorry), watched the world fall apart, and tried to keep it together. It's been that kind of a year. 

It hasn't been a bad year--I've traveled the world, been part of a lot of cool things at work, had good friends, seen beautiful places, and been pretty safe. But it has also been...maybe an exhausting year is the best way to put it. But also, just miserable while being exciting. And it hasn't been a long year but it's also been a century since I went to Brazil in February. Maybe it's just been a Dickensian year, you know, from the "best of times, worst of times" quote in A Tale of Two Cities. I'm glad it's over, but also sad it's gone. 

Mostly, though, I'm ready for a nap.

Not your regular news

Fun or odd headlines from the year: 

Spaniards hurl flour, eggs and fireworks in mock battle (this one popped up today. It's for an annual food fight festival. Why not?)

Brazil's Bolsonaro undergoes medical treatment for hiccups (Also today. I didn't really know that was an option)

 

Hundreds of sheep cross historic German city during annual tradition (talk about traffic!)

From booze to black belts: Virginia's drunk raccoon suspected in karate shop break-in (Speechless)

Documentary shows sport of hobby horse isn’t just playful. It’s powerful.  (Who knew I was such an athlete as a kid?)

Time might not exist – and we're starting to understand why (I have known this for ages. Time is just pretend)

Volcano Erupts after Lying Dormant for 12,000 Years, Sending Scientists Scrambling (Don't underestimate the elderly)

How a 'sweet and shy' tortoise outlived empires and survived two world wars (This tortoise lived through 20 US presidents. If that doesn't qualify you as a saint, I don't know what does)

Cryptology firm cancels elections after losing encryption key (Oopsie)

Lost Bach pieces performed for first time in 320 years (New concerts, even after 320 years. Impressive)

Landmark 113-year-old Swedish church arrives at new home after two day-journey (Talk about reusing!)

Denmark ending letter deliveries is a sign of the digital times (Sad days, friends)

Hongkongers squawk-off in city's first bird call contest (Here's one for the birds)

Man faces jail in US for shipping 850 turtles in socks to Hong Kong (The poor turtles!)

The worst thing about AI? That stupid Samsung ad where the guy adds ‘way too much sugar’ to his pasta sauce (It may not be the worst thing, but I agree. That ad was awful)

Man gets stuck driving car down Rome's Spanish Steps (Was GPS involved?)

Czech fake dentist gave root canals after reading online instructions (Is that covered by insurance?)

Great Basin National Park Reveals Bristlecone Pines Older Than Egyptian Pyramids (Pyramids schmyramids)

Warning after millions of bees escape overturned truck in US (Does this mean we don't have to worry about the bees anymore?)

China braces for strong winds, with lighter people warned they may blow away (I think that is more than a strong wind, folks)

Case quacked: Flying duck caught by Swiss speed camera is repeat offender (how fast are Swiss ducks?!)

Farewell to Skype, the Technology That Changed My Life (RIP, Skype)

Turkey to fine airline passengers who stand up before plane stops (I mean, I get it)

Can you look at these 9 photos and not smile on International Day of Happiness? (😁😄😃)

Check out Japan's giant snowball fight competition (Is this an Olympic sport? Can it be?)

Oregon hospital sued after man’s face caught fire mid-surgery (What the...????)

Can you read cursive? It's a superpower the National Archives is looking for. (I am a superhero)

Re-routing

I have certain routes I take when I go places because there is something I like about them. For example, on my way to the grocery store, I drive past the wedding dress shop on my way. For some reason, I like to see what dresses they've put up in the window (sometimes they are really...interesting). I'm not madly in love with fashion or weddings or anything, it's just a small little highlight when I have to go somewhere.

When I pick up my niece, I always drive on the same route, because it has a nice curvy road that makes you feel like you are a racecar driver. It's just a lot of fun to drive. There are three or 4 different routes I could drive, but I always take that one.

I've lived in my neighborhood for 10 years, and I always take the road with the four-way stops. Google Maps has tried for 10 years to get me to take the busier road with stop lights, and for 10 years I have ignored it every single time. I prefer the 4-way stops. It's more scenic and I hate the traffic lights on the busier road.

Sometimes, there's just a road you've traveled that's worth staying on. 

Nostalgia

 Somehow I stumbled upon this the other day, while doing some online stuff:

It's a glo worm toy! Admittedly, I stumbled across a mini version first, and this brought back my childhood, because I had one of these! Not the mini version, a full-size version. 

I remember it was not very comfortable to sleep with because it had a plastic case inside for the batteries that (as you can deduce from the shape) was not well-padded. But the lighting-up aspect was fun, and it worked pretty well. 

I'd totally forgotten about this toy and it was a happy little reminiscence. Thank you internet!

Favorites are my least favorite

On one of our trips, a member of the group started asking about everyone's favorite things. You know the drill: Favorite dessert, favorite vacation, favorite color, favorite book, favorite blah blah blah. And said member was super peeved at me because I don't have very many favorites. They thought I was just trying to be a party pooper or be secretive or something, and refused to accept that a person might not have a favorite treat or movie. 

It happened again a week ago. Someone from church was spotlighting me, and asked about my favorites and I mostly just made up answers on everything (books, movies, foods) except for music, because I honestly couldn't even think of a genre that could possibly be my favorite because I don't listen to music by genre, and because I was just tired of the whole thing. 

And my question is, what is everyone's obsession with having a favorite in every category possible? And why am I somehow the problem when I don't have them? 

I absolutely don't get how you can pick a favorite book. Out of the billions of books ever written, how do you just pick one? And why do I get grief when I say I cannot possibly narrow it down? I can't even choose my favorite book in a specific genre*, let alone pick a favorite book from all of the books ever written in the world's existence. And, I'm (hopefully) constantly changing, so I would hope that the books that speak to me also change. 

Same with movies and music. How do you pick one movie, or one song, or even one genre? It's ridiculous. But, not having one, I'm treated like the weirdo.

Favorite foods are even more of a nightmare. I have some go-to meals that always hit the spot, but I wouldn't say they are my favorite foods. Hawaiian haystacks never fail to satisfy, but I wouldn't call them my favorite. And how do you pick a favorite ice cream, or candy? I can't always get passion fruit ice cream, so I have to have some backups and maybe if I could always get passion fruit ice cream I wouldn't love it as much. I do enjoy cookies and cream, but that doesn't mean I always want it and only it. Or that when it is an option, it's the one I go for. 

I do have some favorites, but I think even my favorites have terms and conditions:

• I love deep purple, and bright yellow (pansies--the perfect color combo. But not my favorite flower?). But, for a car, a deep blue. And I wouldn't decorate my kitchen in purple. It's not a kitchen color. 
• I love the word defenestrate. It's probably my favorite word, because I find it hilarious. But there are some really good words in Spanish. And no one ever asks for your favorite word. 
• The 11th Doctor and the Ponds are by far my favorite era in Doctor Who. And even though I have a favorite, I think I'm still a weirdo because everyone seems to love the 10th Doctor and Rose. 
• My favorite job ever has been being an archivist. So, that's lucky.
• My favorite sport to play is volleyball, but it is also the only sport I'm any good at (which should not be taken to mean I am good! I can play decently). But I enjoy watching lots of different sports. Oh, and maybe Olympic sliding, but I haven't ever actually played that sport. I've been the judge and sports announcer. 

That is like, 30 minutes of thinking and those are the only favorites I can come up with.**

I think we use favorites as a way to get a feel for someone and that's part of why my not having favorites drives people nuts.*** Maybe I seem uninteresting because I don't have favorites. Personally, though, I don't think anyone is that easily condensed into an identity and it's much more fun to go beyond the obvious of favorites. 

So give us non-favoriters a break.

*I will say, my favorite series, for personal reading, in YA fiction is the Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. It is magnificent. I've not read anything else that compares. Unless, does Lord of the Rings count as YA fiction? I mean, it's really not the same category as the Queen's Thief. They are both fantasy and adventure. And this is why I could never pick a favorite.

** A note about sloths: sloths are my animal. Favorite does not figure into it. We just go together. And I love them because they are mine.

***It does also sometimes drive them crazy when they are trying to decide on what to eat, because I don't help narrow it down at all, which is annoying when someone is a host. I'm always happy to tell them what I don't like (faster and easier!), though, and since I don't have favorites, I generally like most things. 

Puerto Rico

 

Dominica

 The island of 365 rivers* and a Pirates of the Caribbean tour. 

*I didn't ask how they count rivers, or if they all come from the same source. It's their claim to fame. I'm not going to haggle over it.