I welcomed each month in 2022 and I will continue doing the same in 2023 but first, let’s give a nice warm welcome to 2023! May you be brighter than your predecessor.

Do you feel any different now that we’re in a new year?

Maybe it’s an old wives tale but I’ve been told that one is supposed to feel a little different upon the arrival of the new year. I’m not so sure if I feel any different today than I did yesterday. My mom says it’s because I’m now a year older. That’s not right because my birthday was only 3 months ago. It’s too soon for me to age another year.

As part of the new year, I updated the header image on my blog. Hope you like it. I’m so indecisive about fonts and there were so many for me to choose. Normally, I would choose all cursive but I decided, why not mix it up for a change?

How was your New Year Eve? Did you stay up until midnight to watch the date on your phone change from December 31 to January 1? Or did you went to bed as you normally did?

I had dinner at my aunt’s after my mom, aunt, and I spent a good portion of the afternoon picking out lobsters and crabs at the Asian supermarket. We also had a few salmon fillets, which I gave to my aunt because I bought forever ago, mom hates fish so I wasn’t ever going to get the chance to cook and eat the fillets.

My uncle once again broke out the wine. It was plum wine and Cognac this time. I said no, thank you to both after getting a whiff when he opened the bottle. It was that cough syrup smell and no doubt taste that turned me off. He seemed relentless though, pointing out that the bottle of plum wine had less alcohol than a bottle of red wine. As much as I wanted to be an official adult (not that I’m not official) and drink wine again, I just couldn’t stand the bitter taste in my mouth afterwards.

I don’t understand why he’s trying to get me to drink anyways.

After dinner, my uncle broke the news that he’s returning the new laptop he bought in early December. It was because the laptop wanted him to pay for the office software. Welcome to the 2020’s, I wanted to say, where you have to pay for everything.

He bought the laptop using my membership, which meant I would have to be the one to return it. He didn’t want to give it to me to take it home so I could take it store when it opens next week. He would rather I give him my membership card and he go return it himself, which I’m not comfortable of doing.

After my mom and I arrived home, I turned on the TV and tried to move a bit to digest the food. I channel-surfed and landed on a movie. Mom joined me in watching the movie. Less than 5 minutes later, mom said, “I don’t like this one. The plot is so unrealistic. The cops should’ve been there in a heartbeat.” It was a car chase scene in the middle of London. People were injured, cars and buildings were damaged, yet, no cops on scene.

I thought that was a cynical thing to say. I recent heard someone say, “you need to suspend belief when it comes to TV shows and movies.”

Absolutely, you can’t expect realisms in movies. There’s none of that, not even in movies based on true stories. Her words completely turned me off in watching the movies. In the end, after she left the room, I ended up watching the Toast to 2022 and the local weather before heading up to my room to jot down these thoughts.

So, here we are.

2023. I have big hopes for you, don’t let me down.