Happy New Year to my wonderful readers! I hope you all had a better holiday than we did. The short version is that things went downhill fast after Lookout Mountain, and not in the good downhill way. Both my wife and I came down with COVID, which meant we barely saw the family, and Joyce’s mom had a medical emergency. Merry Xmas!

The good news is that we had mild cases, and Joyce’s mom is recovering and in rehab. So the new year is already starting off on a higher note. I was even well enough to continue my tradition of running on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. If I can start the year with a run, and end it with a run, I’ve at least accomplished two good things.

And I’m training for the Rocky Raccoon 100 in Texas next month, taking a break from the Grandmaster Ultras after three years. But Ann Arbor will still be well represented. My gym buddy and Veterans Memorial pacer Charlie is headed there to attempt his first 100-miler. How many of you would be willing to take that on at age 76? Can’t wait to hear about it.

And it’s been a while since I talked about coffee, so let’s fix that. Summer Moon coffee, based in Frisco, TX continues to be my current favorite, with the Swinging Lantern blend of light, medium, and dark roasted beans my main go-to. For decaf, I like Hyperion. And I was hoping to write about a small-batch Ugandan roast my niece sent me. But somewhere in the holiday cluster**** it disappeared, and nobody has any idea where it went. Nuts.

To really bring out the best in this coffee, I strongly recommend a burr grinder and a very good coffee maker. When we visited our daughter Rachel in Colorado last fall, we found they were using a very substandard grinder, and it was all I could do to hold off until Christmas to give them one. They’ll have to buy their own Moccamaster, however. I do have to draw the line somewhere.

And, finally, about writing. There things get a bit frustrating. I have three novels (count ‘em) in the works, and so little time to write. I know, I know, it’s like training for a race. The time for that won’t magically appear, you gotta make the time. Same is true here. I’ve read enough from professional writers to know that, and also that kind of discipline is what separates the hobbyists from those serious enough to want to be published.

Well, there we are. I wrote my first blog post of 2023. Like with running, it’s a start.

Any of you have resolutions you’d like to share? Or things you’re going to do without bothering with resolutions? This year, this month, this day, this moment – that’s the time to start something you’ve dreamed about doing. Always is!