Big positive stories
I think year’s happiest long-term story is the health story In Which a Tremulous Bladder is Whipped into Near-Perfect Shape by Botox. (Too many links to name, but a search above for Botox will get you there.)
Second-best story is the tale in which Our Heroine Fits into the Pants She Bought on Lockdown Eve Thanks to Zepbound. (What of Gary’s weight loss, you say. I don’t think I can be happy that he can’t eat without breaking out in hives. More on Gary’s health later.)
Third best tale is that of the Great Reduction in Immunosuppressive Medication. The instruction to knock down the Mayzent dose starting with the next refill came on August 9, but that refill didn’t start until mid-November. Evidently I do have a normal immune system now, because, like everyone, I fell ill right after Christmas, flu vaccine or not. I’m sure it would have been worse if I’d been fully suppressed.
These three above all came to you thanks to something called Money. Similarly, the last three are purchases that made me smile: The Mother of All Microwaves, The Space-Age HVAC system, and The Adjustable Bed That Puts Your Fitted Sheet ON FOR You.
Non-Gary Stresses
Work was stressful, and continues to be stressful, frankly, because there was a big shake-up that happily I survived, but now people need to learn new roles.
Plus, this was the year of the fly. We fought fat flies, drain flies, and fungus flies.
Gary Stresses
This year of our marriage, Year 40, has been a rough one. Gary’s health has gone in a big circle. He stubbornly performs endless experiments on himself because he refuses to submit to the next step the doctors want, which is to change his medication. So he documents how his rash reacts to each addition of blueberries or apple juice to his one-pot chicken “casserole” and tells himself he’s making progress.
Year 40 has been the most challenging year of marriage ever.
Artistic Pursuits
Many artistic pursuits hit snags, particularly this very blog. TypePad cruelly abandoned me, and AI decided to credit Dave Barry with authorship of this blog.
This is where I would mention my progress on the book I started five years ago. I have not touched It. At. All. In 2025.
However, I did paint some things. If you remember last year, you will note there is not a portrait among them.
Entertainments
Worst movie I saw all year? Guardians of the Galaxy 3, bar none.
Best movie? Deaf President Now.
Best Symphony? Rachmaninoff / Beethoven.
Best Opera? This House.
Summary
I swear, next year we need to get Gary’s health sorted out, and then life will be sweet.