Enough of anything crappy left over from 2025: What was your best thing this year? Plus, last-minute ideas for ringing in New Year’s Eve. And a note about a local icon lost this week.
The best show for me was seeing Modern Drugs at The Spot in April. I hadn't heard of the band until Tim's Picks that week, but a friend is a big fan of Elsinore (the front man's previous band), so I went.
I'd never seen live music at The Spot and this was a great introduction. Plus I got a new favorite contemporary band out of it.
My best CD of the year (my only new one, I think) was Joni's Jazz, a 4-CD set of Joni Mitchell's relatively unknown jazz vocalizing, given by my wife for Christmas. Why didn't I realize decades ago how good Mitchell was?
My best book of 2025 was Joan Didion's "The Year of Magical Thinking." It may best reward readers who, like me, have been married for many decades. It's easy in that circumstance to imagine experiencing bereavement in the (unexpected) ways Didion did.
Another: Best concert: Jon Anderson & the Band Geeks at Brown County Music Center. As Jon Anderson has said, he has found his Yes. The Band Geeks play note perfect covers of Yes songs and original material. The venue is intimate, the audience was enthusiastic, and the evening was magical.
Best read: Journey to Eloheh by Randy and Edith Woodley. The first half of the book is the Woodley’s family history as Native Americans. This sets up the second half of the book contains the ten values of the Harmony Way that encourages a sustainable Earth and personal and communal well being. I’ve been very interested in Native American spirituality, connecting to my own distant Native American heritage. This book is a good read although if you’re already familiar with the history of Native Americans the first half may be repetitive.
My favorite was a Rickie Lee Jones show in Brown County. It was wonderful. I had loads of fun making music with friends. I particularly enjoyed Jimmy Kimmel's return after a brief government-sponsored suspension. And, of course, I loved every moment spent with my awesome wife.
- Did our annual flower/shrub garden build-out in May
- Celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary to visit the last of the 92 Indiana counties we've been through together.
- Visited Utah in September and Europe in October.
- Chatted with Dave and Carol Bangert at a "pizza parlor" (NYC term) in December.
- My 75th Christmas Eve birthday tour to Greenville, SC (a Wood ancestral home), Savannah, St. Augustine, Apalachicola, FL, and Birmingham (another Wood ancestral home).
Marines in the family say "embrace the suck" a lot. Not all of us saw the suck tsunami coming in 2024, but now here we all are. If it didn't suck this hard, we might have drifted further downstream. Thanks to the suck, I now feel hope that we will pick a better path.
I have been lifted up by those determined, joyful, and patriotic people at the No Kings demonstrations, blowing whistles at ICE, yelling "couch fucker!" at JD Vance, dancing in frog costumes, or generally just not having it. Punk is not dead. I thank everyone abiding in the world with their freak flag flying, and wish them all a splendid, free new year.
My cancer stayed in remission this year.
My first grandchild, a girl, was born.
The best show for me was seeing Modern Drugs at The Spot in April. I hadn't heard of the band until Tim's Picks that week, but a friend is a big fan of Elsinore (the front man's previous band), so I went.
I'd never seen live music at The Spot and this was a great introduction. Plus I got a new favorite contemporary band out of it.
My best CD of the year (my only new one, I think) was Joni's Jazz, a 4-CD set of Joni Mitchell's relatively unknown jazz vocalizing, given by my wife for Christmas. Why didn't I realize decades ago how good Mitchell was?
My best book of 2025 was Joan Didion's "The Year of Magical Thinking." It may best reward readers who, like me, have been married for many decades. It's easy in that circumstance to imagine experiencing bereavement in the (unexpected) ways Didion did.
Another: Best concert: Jon Anderson & the Band Geeks at Brown County Music Center. As Jon Anderson has said, he has found his Yes. The Band Geeks play note perfect covers of Yes songs and original material. The venue is intimate, the audience was enthusiastic, and the evening was magical.
Best read: Journey to Eloheh by Randy and Edith Woodley. The first half of the book is the Woodley’s family history as Native Americans. This sets up the second half of the book contains the ten values of the Harmony Way that encourages a sustainable Earth and personal and communal well being. I’ve been very interested in Native American spirituality, connecting to my own distant Native American heritage. This book is a good read although if you’re already familiar with the history of Native Americans the first half may be repetitive.
We flew to London to see Oasis at Wembley Stadium. Singing “Don’t Look Back in Anger” with 82,000 fans was a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
My favorite was a Rickie Lee Jones show in Brown County. It was wonderful. I had loads of fun making music with friends. I particularly enjoyed Jimmy Kimmel's return after a brief government-sponsored suspension. And, of course, I loved every moment spent with my awesome wife.
Best of 2025 for us...
- Remaining healthy in our 70s.
- Trip to Gulf of MEXICO in February,
- Did our annual flower/shrub garden build-out in May
- Celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary to visit the last of the 92 Indiana counties we've been through together.
- Visited Utah in September and Europe in October.
- Chatted with Dave and Carol Bangert at a "pizza parlor" (NYC term) in December.
- My 75th Christmas Eve birthday tour to Greenville, SC (a Wood ancestral home), Savannah, St. Augustine, Apalachicola, FL, and Birmingham (another Wood ancestral home).
Chris and Kathy Wood
Marines in the family say "embrace the suck" a lot. Not all of us saw the suck tsunami coming in 2024, but now here we all are. If it didn't suck this hard, we might have drifted further downstream. Thanks to the suck, I now feel hope that we will pick a better path.
I have been lifted up by those determined, joyful, and patriotic people at the No Kings demonstrations, blowing whistles at ICE, yelling "couch fucker!" at JD Vance, dancing in frog costumes, or generally just not having it. Punk is not dead. I thank everyone abiding in the world with their freak flag flying, and wish them all a splendid, free new year.
Thanks for the info on Wayne, Dave.
As a newcomer to Tippy County in 2013, I enjoyed the "east coast" flavor of Wayne's pizzas.
He was always a wonderful host when my wife Kathy and I sat at the bar talking to him and other guests.
Was saddened when the place closed.
I found it refreshing that Wayne was so proud of the drag shows he produced, even showing us his costumes. 😊
Best read: My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Best Binge watch: Brooklyn 9-9
Best local restaurants: East End and Ripple & Co. (same ownership) consistently deliver great food and great service.