I totally forgot I was trying to do this on the regular. Apologies.
I already wrote last week about going to see Chorus Austin and Austin Symphony Orchestra perform Handel's Messiah.
I Need to get a 2026 Calendar
Our calendar hangs inside a cabinet door in the kitchen, and is more or less an affectation at this point. But I do like having one.
Over the years, we've had a variety of calendars, from sports to scenery to events to, this year, Godzilla.
So, in 2026, I was pondering the following:
- Longhorns (the animal)
- Owls
- Chicago Cubs
- Texas Wildflowers
- Indiana Fever or Las Vegas Aces WNBA
I dunno. Let me know in the comments. Fresh ideas are welcome.
My Foot
I'm driving a little. The biggest problem is that I'm in this surgery boot, and it's very wide. Honestly, it keeps also tripping me up on carpets and corners at home.
When I drive, the wide toe sometimes doesn't entirely leave the gas pedal when I push on the brake. And because the sandal-like support is flat like a board, it is unsubtle with the brake, so I will abruptly slam to a halt if I'm not absolutely mindful.
I cannot wait to be back in shoes.
The foot gets tired and it hurts sometimes, but all in all, progress is really good. Also, people keep telling me absolute horror stories of broken bones, and I know I have it really good.
Golden Globe Nominees
My disinterest in award shows continues unabated.
What I'm reading
I've started the audiobook of 1960's Austin Gangsters by Jesse Sublett. It's a non-fiction accounting of what passed for organized crime in Austin, Texas in the decades before I arrived. I *just* started it, but it's off to the same popping start that got me into Sublett's book Last Gangster in Austin, which - especially for locals - I highly recommend.
When it comes to comics, there's a few things I'm enjoying.
Right now Superman has a few titles going.
Action Comics is taking a step back into the past to tell the story of young Clark Kent, merging the Silver Age of DC Comics and Superboy tales with a much needed modern reframing.
Superman has been wrapped up in the meganarrative stuff that's leading into K.O., which feels creatively bankrupt and is something I could not care less about, but I need to read it to know what's happening. Plus, I think we're getting a new Legion series on the other side.
Supergirl is a terrific fun read, and aimed at a younger and jollier crowd than myself. Highly recommended. It's pure, four-color goodness and much deserved after decades of Supergirl misfires.
Wonder Woman is the polar opposite of Supergirl, but has spent 27 issues telling one of the most compelling Wonder Woman stories that isn't a Greg Rucka-penned origin in 20 years. I'm loathe to describe it, but it's worth picking up the trades now, or waiting for an inevitable Omnibus. Beautiful work by writer Tom King and especially the issues drawn by Daniel Sampere.
People struggle with King. But this is a sorely needed departure from what's felt like drain-circling the past decade.
Superman Unlimited feels like a class writer who maybe doesn't know Superman all that well (Dan Slott), but he's getting there more and more with every issue.
Adventures of Superman: The Book of El knows Superman very well, and is picking up massive plot threads abandoned after Phillip Kennedy Johnson left the Super-books a couple of years ago. It's nice to have this odd, stand-alone book that's wildly not new-reader-friendly, but worth the cover price.
I've been picking up Fantastic Four again for the first time in a while as - in conjunction with the movie this summer, they renumbered and restarted. I have *no* idea what is going on at Marvel these days, but it's a fun read as a stand-alone.
The Spider-Man Holiday Spectacular was really good! The DC Christmas issue was typically bad. I always give them a chance, and they're always a disappointment. It feels like a try-out book, and no one involved is able to make the format work from a writing perspective, and artists don't seem to have their game down, delivering confusing and C level art.
