Yawn. What time is it?
(checks watch)
Oh, come on. It’s too early. Gotta go back for another 40 winks.
Nope. Let’s get moving. Blog post won’t write itself. This is Chuck-powered, not AI-powered.
2025 had its ups and downs, for sure. Near the end of the year, however, it turned into a chaotic mess. An ice storm caused a day-long power outage in Green Island. At the same time, my new health insurance decided not to cover one of my diabetes medicines, which caused its own ripple effect until my health care provider could get me on a new regimen – while trying to get it approved by this new insurance company through the Christmas holidays.
It was just one clusterbuster after another clusterbuster.
Yet, here I am. The first day of 2026. Back in front of the terminal, writing another blog post.
And around this time, I could ruminate on not letting my past control my future. Heck, I’ve even blogged about such a concept.
But in all honesty, I want 2026 to be a year of personal accomplishment, not a year of personal drudgery.
With that in mind, I do have some plans for 2026. Not “resolutions,” mind you, but “plans.” Resolutions are things like going to a gym and losing weight, or quitting smoking, or quitting drinking – you know, the resolutions you make on January 1 and forget about by January 3.
So … here are my plans. And they include …
- Lightning’s Girl paid off before the end of the year. I’ve owned my 2017 Chevrolet Volt Premier (“Lightning’s Girl”) since 2022. The car is an absolute dream. It’s the car I wanted, it’s quiet, it’s comfortable, it’s got the best of electric and gasoline power. Some people might not like my car. Some people might think it’s too small or too complicated. I say they’re wrong. This is my car. This is how I roll. And if I continue to throw a few extra dollars on the car’s monthly note … I can own the title by the end of the year.
- Improve my trivia hosting chops. I’m currently doing well as a host at Beer Bones Bar & Grill in Loudonville / Latham, there’s a regular batch of seven to nine teams that join me every week. Maybe down the road I can pick up a Wednesday or Thursday night game. I mean, I’ve got plenty of time for myself in 2026. This is my chance to make a few extra dollars here and there, and have some fun in the process.
- Improve my photography skills. Competition Season 2026 is not far off. I want at least one kick-ass macro photo for CS26. I want at least one infrared shot for CS26. I want an award-winner from my Nikon Df. I want an award winner from my Pentacon Six TL. Some people might think I obsess over these cameras and my photography goals. These people do not realize that my cameras have helped me get through very painful moments in my life. Challenging myself to capture a lunar eclipse helps ease my mind away from thoughts of those who were called to glory.
- Create one more latched hook rug. I can enter my latched hook rugs in four competitions – Altamont, the New York State Fair, the Big E and the Durham Fair; however, because of overlapping schedules, I can only slip one rug into a maximum of two of those shows a year. So I need to create another rug. I’m thinking. Think think think. Butterfly latched hook rug? Floral latched hook rug? Trust me, there are plenty of options.
- Take time for myself. I need a day when I can just jump in the car and drive somewhere. Anywhere. And once I finish driving … let me enjoy a taste of tourism. Nothing should stop me from noshing on some matzo ball soup at the Second Avenue Diner in New York City, and nothing should stop me from a trip back to my Grandma Betty’s Boston roots. I shouldn’t need an excuse or a reason to just go someplace. I’m an adult. All I need is my car, my cameras, and plenty of fuel.
This is where I’m at in my life.
This is where I must go.
I can not give up now.
This is my time to get things right.
And as long as you join me every step of the way, through every blog post …
We can do it.
Chuck The Writer 