The downside to living on the top of a hill and facing roughly west is the near-constant wind. The biting kind. The upside is that, after the trees surrender their leaves, is the occasional view like above – the particularly orange sunset.

January was survived. I feel confident in saying that now. As a span, the month did not got at all as planned, with both work- and side-life deviating from predictions. Certain things took far longer than expected. Certain volumes hit a bit harder than we would have liked. Things swelled and ached and lumbered. But the outcome was by and large positive.

I’ve been running again. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that. 30 minute stints, three times a week – usually following the orders of my robot trainer. I can only abide her so much – I’m trying to cram a 14 week training regime into just 9 weeks and she doesn’t seem to understand the urgency. But, despite a bit of knee pain (the price of combat and fighting in my teens and twenties) the ultimate result has been beneficial, even good.

That trend of positivity is certainly one that does not seem to extend to the rest of my country, nor the ripples outwards into the greater world. That is an atmosphere of constant eruptions – still mostly metaphorical. A time of resistance and fatigue and incredulity and attrition.

One part of me hopes that we can hold on for another 21 months and see a progressive renaissance sweep both chambers of Congress. Then a quick impeachment and a lame duck replacement president. But if the election taught us anything, it’s that too many people prefer the comfortable lie to the harder reality. And my own personal luck doesn’t travel far enough.

Each day feels like a quest for rebellion. Coping in place will not be enough.

But, I’ve got some media to catch up. And I need to still draft my essay on Aronofsky’s “The Fountain.” My most recent record haul is below. Polyvinyl sent me the new Fred Thomas record a week or so before street release. And then there’s “Blue Train” and the 10th Anniversary edition of “Transatlanticism.” I can’t seem to shake that record.