New Year’s Evolution

Posted on by J. Hubner

With each successive New Year’s Eve I feel as though I’m getting more and more boring. No crazy New Year’s Eve parties, no sloshing of drinks, no drunken toasts at midnight to ring in the new year. There wasn’t even a party favor or party hat to wear to make the evening more festive. I made myself a drink at 5:30pm(a rum and coke.) After drinking that I just felt tired and decided it wasn’t worth it. My wife took our 14-year old daughter to do some post-Christmas shopping at the mall in the early afternoon so the boy and I stayed home. We ended up cooking up some grub, watching the last episode of Gotham, then finishing up the ‘Crisis On Two Earths’ crossover special with The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, and Legends Of Tomorrow. By the time that was over it was nearly 9pm and I was already in my pajama pants and sprawled on the couch. The wife and I rang in the new year by finishing this season of Mr. Robot and popping some popcorn.

Happy New Year.

Don’t take any of that as complaining or disappointment. On the contrary, that’s pretty much how I prefer to celebrate New Year’s Eve anymore. I’m too old for hangovers and going to bed drunk. Those days have pretty much passed for me. They’re not fun for me, nor are they fun for anyone around me. There’s just a certain point in one’s life when you go, “Okay. Time to be an adult.” I do enjoy a tasty lager or mixed drink, don’t get me wrong. But I just don’t see the point in downing drink after drink until you reach some kind of personal desolation point.

So while some were toasting to the death of the old year and the pending birth of a new one dressed to the nines or in costumed regalia, I was perched comfortably at home in a Christmas fleece eating popcorn and peanut M&Ms entranced by costumed heroes and a depressed computer hacker named Elliot.

2017. Gotta say this hasn’t been a very good year, pretty much all around. We’re all still healthy, happy, and looking forward to promising days ahead here at the Hubner compound. We’ve all moved past the negatives of 2017 and are looking forward to a better 2018, but it wasn’t easy getting to this point. A summer infestation of bed bugs has left its scars, both physically and psychically. I lost one of my very good friends to suicide, which I’m still trying to cope with. But everyone within our four walls are doing well. I have to be thankful for that. The world at large is still a massive dumpster fire with cretins pissing on the flames everyday. I know there’s still people out there with common sense and big hearts trying to get things right, but the noisy bastards make it hard to concentrate on the good stuff.

I’m looking forward to 2018. No, I mean it. My oldest is graduating high school and will be heading off the college in the fall. My wife is heading into the new year with a job she really loves and we’re excited to see where she goes with it. My two youngest are doing well in school and are looking forward to where things will lead them. I’m excited to continue writing, listening to music, and sharpening my skills as a musician and songwriter. I’m ready to get back to some serious playing, guitar-wise. It’s recently been a great thing for me to head down into the studio, plug into the Marshall and play.

So here’s to 2018. More great records, more great comics, more great opportunities,…and did I say more great records?

 

 

 

 

19 thoughts on “New Year’s Evolution”

  1. Here’s to 2018 indeed! Happy new year to you and yours!

    I’m with you, man. Quiet night in is way better. With small kids, we haven’t gone out in years. Even if we could, I doubt we would, anymore. Maybe a friend’s place but home early is about our limit but we don’t even do that. Interestingly, our kids decided, this year, that they wanted to stay up until midnight. We called their bluff, figured we’d be carrying them to bed by 11. Nope, they made it. Barely, of course, but they saw the ball drop in NYC on the iPad and crashed two minutes after lying down afterwards. Crazy.

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  3. That sounds pretty much like our Hogmanay. Minus the Mr. Robot! We had some Stranger Things instead… and I had a wee can or two of cider. I think the last time I got drunk at New Year was when I was in my 20s. I don’t really like the hangover and avoid that whenever I can… I just don’t have the time or inclination to ruin half a day my walking around like a zombie trying to shake off the effects of too much booze. Give me some crisps and a wee tipple and I’m happy.

    Anyhoo, all the best to you and the family for the year ahead, JH. I hope it’s bright, positive, full of entertaining illustrated panels, and hypnotic analogue sounds. Hurrah!

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  4. Happy new year fella!

    Gotta say – I couldn’t agree more and you put it rather beautifully:

    ‘The world at large is still a massive dumpster fire with cretins pissing on the flames everyday. I know there’s still people out there with common sense and big hearts trying to get things right, but the noisy bastards make it hard to concentrate on the good stuff.’

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      1. Not yet … I’m waiting very (I’m)patiently. I did get a picture disc of Toto ‘Hold The Line’ yesterday, which may be some kind of sign for me.

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Published by J. Hubner

Complex Distractions is a little corner of the universe where music and conversation reign supreme. Intellectual discussions and essays written about heady records, both big and small, that despite what you might think can truly change your life. Spinning the records for the good of mankind.