I've been on quite a hiatus of sharing the positivity in the galaxy! I hope it is reflected in my reading/viewing stats of the first quarter of 2025.
Personally, it has been a fantastic 2025 so far; professionally, it has been kinda meh. So, I will focus on the personal side of things. In January, STEAM into Star Wars was great with several new aspects to the event, but some of the people and activities that might be called "old standards" are some of my favorite things about hosting. In the same month, our competitive speech team, of which I am assistant coach, won two tournaments and took second in conference.
Then, moving into February, the team won our Regional tournament qualifying the entire team for sectionals!! We hosted the sectional tournament which was exhausting but the kids made it totally worth it, as we qualified seven kids for state! This is the most kids we have ever qualified for state in the history of our school's speech program. I have to stop here to say, (proud dad moment coming) my senior daughter who I have coached for four years qualified for state for the first time after making it to sectionals the three previous years and sectional finals 2 of those years. She didn't just qualify for state, but she won in her event! to qualify for the state tournament One of the highlights of 20 years of marriage to my wife will be telling her this news privately before awards. Lets just say, it was quite a celebration! Things didn't quite go the way we would have liked at state, she gave amazing performances, while the competition was comparable, the judges were mixed. Seeing her on the stage at state was absolutely sublime for me.
In March, I attended and presented at IDEAcon in Schaumberg, Illinois with my friend and podcasting partner where we discussed the ins and outs of our RPG Summer Camp.
It has been an eventful first quarter of 2025, and I am really excited to take a look at my Reading/Viewing Stats.
1st Quarter 2025
Movies Watched: 3
Rewatch: 1
First Time: 2
In Theater:
T.V. shows streamed: 19
First time: 6
Rewatch: 13
Podcast Episodes: 22
Time Listened: 1533
Books Read: 5
Fiction: 1
Nonfiction: 2
Pages Read: 1,130
Audiobooks:
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Hours Listened:
Books Abandoned:
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Pages Read;
Short Stories Read:
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Pages Read:
Comic Books Read: 39
Print: 18
Digital: 21
Book Titles:
Void Rivals: Vol. 1 More than Meets the Eye by Robert Kirkman Art by Lorenzo de Felicia (Graphic Novel)
The Salt Thief: Ghandi's Heroic March to Freedom by Neil Bascomb
The Library Mule of Cordoba by Wilfred Lupano and Leonard Chemineau, art by Christopher Bouchard (Graphic Novel)
Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetya
Movies Watched:
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Wicked
T.V. Series Watched:
Skeleton Crew
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Music By John Williams
Andor season 1
Podcasts:
Rebel Base card Podcast (3)
60 Songs that Explain the 90's (2)
The Colbycast (3)
Teachers in the Dungeon (1)
Lost Ballparks (8)
Classic Baseball Radio (5)
One of my goals for 2025 was to listen to more podcasts. I am on a great trajectory to far surpass my 2024 total (37) shows listened. I found a magnificent baseball podcast, Lost Ballparks, which I would highly recommend to anyone who likes baseball. Thanks to my friend Greg McLaughlin for introducing me to that show.
I am on par with the number of books I have read to this point. I read 21 books last year, and am at 5 for the year so far. I am happy to report that I am meeting another goal I set for myself which is to read more nonfiction books. Two of my titles are nonfiction and two of the fiction books fall under the historical fiction category.
I am behind in comic book reading. I am not disappointed in this necessarily because I am making really good progress keeping up with current books, and enjoying a readthrough of the 1990's X-Factor title.
