The Year in Review

As is my custom, I find it helpful to reflect upon the good and the bad of 2021.  I start the year with goals; this post looks back at some of them and considers other factors we experienced this year.

Our year was defined by transition- we moved back to the USA from Germany in July (I did a series of 'long goodbye' posts around that time), and then bought a home in September (after which we did a lot of home maintenance and had some reflection on what makes a home). Such things can be hard- we lived out of suitcases for over three months- but we feel that we've transitioned back much faster than last time we moved back to the States (2014). That's been a great blessing. Okay, on to the goals.

Spiritual
My goals here:

- Be disciplined in prayer/scripture routines (and start tracking them to encourage it)
- Teach the family

I mostly met this goal- I tracked what chapter I read each day and made prayer more of a priority. I also had a goal to teach the family more- that happened at times. There's room for improvement in both areas, but some good things happened here.

Nutritional/Fitness

My goals here:

- Keep weight under 185 lbs (goal: 180)
- Get a six-pack
- Complete 240 workouts (run, bike, gym)
- Be able to do 60 push-ups in a set and 15 pull-ups

The first two did not happen- I'm 190 right now and need to drop weight. I did complete 240 workouts, which I'm happy with, especially given the transition and days in hotels/with family/without access to 'normal' fitness routines. I started playing soccer again this year- what a great workout that is. But I started developing tricep tendonitis early in the year, meaning pushups are difficult. I did max out at 17 pull-ups at one point this year.

Most workouts were runs, gym, bike rides, or soccer games:

2021: 63 runs for 134 miles, 115 gym workouts, 43 bike rides for 539 miles, 8 soccer games

My diet wasn't the best- it's the same old culprits of too many calories (overall) and too many sweets (in particular). Need to improve there.

Financial
My goals here:

- Get good budgeting system in place

Little progress on this front- we did meet with a counselor and got some good tips on budgeting approach. But it's critical now that we're homeowners again.

Reading
My goals here:

- Read 50 books
- Complete my German Reading List

No problem here; I read more than 50 books and finished my German Reading List. My post here caps this year's book recommendations. 

Travel
My goals here:

- Visit the Alps
- Take the kids to new countries (Belgium, Liechtenstein, Italy, etc.)

While the pandemic obviously continued to affect travel, we were able to do a quick day trip to Bastogne, Belgium and Luxembourg. We visited France (Verdun, Paris, Metz) and the Austrian Alps (mainly the Pitztal and Ötztal) on long weekends, too.

Fluency
My goals here:

- Obtain a certification in German

Done. I tested as a "2+/2" in reading/listening to German (I was hoping for a 3/2). I started working on Spanish.

Games
My goals here:

- Minimize game collection to what I play regularly

No progress on this front. It will be a goal for 2022.

Adjust
My goals here:

- finding a house, job, school, etc. will be priorities as we approach the summer.

Done! We were really blessed to find a private sale in a horrid market. We love the house and neighborhood and location. The kids have settled into school faster than we thought, especially in the pandemic. 

Conclusion
It was a good year. There is still much uncertainty in the pandemic, but we're blessed and thankful. We need to step it up for next year, though. There's work to do.

Thus Concludes 2021

Another reading year "in the books." This post recaps the year and presents what I consider the best of the bunch.

I read 55 books this year, totaling 15,919 pages- about 44 pages a day.  

Of the 55 books, 0 were audiobooks, 2 were eBooks, and 3 were borrowed from the library or friends. By genre, I read 9 fantasy books, 9 graphic novels, and 7 literature. I dabbled in arguments with four books, and nine works were related to life in Germany, as I completed my German Reading List.  

Here are my top ten reads from this year:

Walter Moers: The City of Dreaming Books

Benjamin Dreyer: Dreyer's English

Anthony Weston: A Rulebook for Arguments

Cornelia Funke: Inkheart

Klaus Mann: Mephisto

Thomas Mann: Buddenbrooks

Dane Ortlund: Gentle and Lowly

R.A. Salvatore: Homeland

Mary Shelley: Frankenstein (1818 Text)
Various Authors: Hush

On the whole, this was a decent year. May 2022 bring further works of excellence. Happy reading!

The Gathering Storm (Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson)

The Wheel of Time saga continues! Shortly after Knife of Dreams . . .

Perrin, finally reunited with Faile, ponders how to help the refugees from the recent battle, all while feeling the pull to be with Rand.

Mat is with his band in the mountains looking for a way to get to Caemlyn, also feeling the pull.

Egwene is still imprisoned in the Tower, where shocking and horrifying events unfold.

Rand tries to hunt the Forsaken, pacify the Seanchan, and unite the land. But to be victorious, it appears he must die . . .

Plans are made, plans are dashed. Hope remains, hope is gone. One thing is certain: time is short- the Last Battle is near.

Oh. My. Goodness. I've been largely frustrated with the last six books- the pacing was uneven and often sluggish. I got to the point where I just wanted it to end; then came this book. The pacing picks up a good deal, there's suspense, old storylines (seemingly abandoned volumes ago) come back, and things are driving towards a gripping conclusion. For the first time since book three, I couldn't put this down. And . . . I cared. When I picked it up, I wasn't thrilled that this book was 1,070 pages, but they flew by. I'm a fan again.

It bears mentioning that Robert Jordan passed away after the prior book, but made notes for the finale and hand-picked Brandon Sanderson to conclude it for him. It was to be one book, but Sanderson realized the remaining content couldn't be handled in one, so he ended up writing three. It seems a good decision so far- there was no padding in this volume at all- and I can't wait for the next two. Sanderson is a different writer than Jordan, but I felt he largely captured the characters well, and did an amazing job driving the story forward at an appropriate pace and bringing in threads long forgotten. I was pleasantly surprised.

Rating: A

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi has certainly led an interesting life. His father wields the ten rings, making him mighty and immortal (he's over one thousand years old). His mother was from the hidden city of Ta Lo, but has since passed away. Shang-Chi was raised as a warrior and expected to do his father's bidding, but fled on his first mission, leaving his beloved sister behind. Ten years later, his father comes knocking with shocking news- mother is calling to him from beyond death's gate, and he will free her. But is this real? And if not, can Shang-Chi stop his father before it's too late?

I'm not familiar with the comics, but this one really fell flat to me. The second Marvel disappointment in a row (I wasn't thrilled with Black Widow either), this one had amazing visuals and action sequences but fell flat everywhere else- the story was poorly executed, character development lacking, and several bizarre plot points made for an unsatisfying (and, at times, ridiculous) experience.

Rating: C+

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Season 1

Bucky (Winter Soldier) and Sam (Falcon) are making their way in the new world (post-Endgame)- one where Steve Rogers (the former Captain America) has aged and retired, Sam is helping his sister in Louisiana to make ends meet, and Bucky is in therapy for his years as the Winter Soldier. Sam is offered the shield but declines, so the government anoints John Walker as the new Cap. Meanwhile, Sam and Bucky must work together again to take on a new menace- the Flag Smashers, an extremist group that apparently has super soldiers, created by the same serum that made Steve and Bucky. As the heroes track down remaining vials and consider how to deal with the threat, the new Cap becomes unhinged and presents another problem. Will the heroes prevail? And how can Bucky atone for his past?

The fact that I started this eight months ago, and only just finished, gives some idea that I wasn't enthralled. I felt the first three episodes (there are six) were uneven and boring in places. The last three were much better. It's a decent story, but could have been told better. Still, there were some good themes here.

Rating: B

On Arguments

Still from Monty Python's Argument Clinic Sketch

Each year, I like to pick a focus area or two to hone my readings. This year, in addition to finishing my German Reading List, I wanted to learn more about arguments. I read four books on the topic. From best to worst, they are:

A Rulebook for Arguments

Being Logical

An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments

Oxford Guide to Effective Argument

Attacking Faulty Reasoning by Edward Damer is another recommended work I have not yet read.

Though my brief survey wasn't comprehensive enough to satisfy me, it was a good introduction to the topic and reminder of its importance. We don't like arguing in America, but I think it's (partly) because we argue so poorly and with wrong intent- and the books and articles out there with titles like "How to Win an Argument" highlight the problem. The goal or argument should not be to win- it should be to defend your stance on a topic and probe your opponents' positions. Doing so well and thoughtfully should improve both parties- it may not lead to agreement, but it can expose weaknesses that bear further investigation,  encourage reconsideration, and at the very least grant empathy and understanding with those who hold different views. "I don't agree with you, but I understand why you think the way you do" is not a bad statement. Yet arguments- at least in politics and on social media- often become mud-slinging contests where both parties often stoop to poor practices (like strawman arguments and cheap shots) for the sake of scoring points before retreating to their respective echo chambers. Combat that in yourself (it's in our nature to be this way) through study of arguments, self-analysis and self-critique, and thoughtful engagement in debates with others interested in true argument. And do it in person, where and when it's responsible to do to. Debate in the digital age is tough.

Dolphin Tale

Sawyer is a boy without direction. Summer is an injured dolphin washed ashore. Both lives will change forever when they meet each other on that beach. After Sawyer alerts animal rescue, he takes an active part in Summer's care. When her tail needs to be amputated, he enlists a local VA doctor to see if he can develop a prosthetic. It's never been done before . . . could it possibly work?

My son is reading the book upon which the movie was based, so we watched the film. It was heartwarming- formulaic, but a moving story nonetheless. At least part of it is factual. And the theme is good, summarized by a quote therein:

Just because you're hurt doesn't mean you're broken.

Rating: A-

A Very German Christmas (Various)

A Very German Christmas is a collection of Christmas-related poems, short stories, and excerpts from famous German authors. Here you'll find tales from the Brothers Grimm, Thomas Mann, Hermann Hesse, E.T.A. Hoffmann, and more.

This collection was okay. The included excerpts bothered me because they weren't complete stories- just chapters from famous works (like Buddenbrooks) related to the holiday. The other selections varied in theme and quality- some were morose or bizarre (not unusual in German literature, as I found when working through a German Reading List). But some were decent, and I found a new author I really enjoyed- Heinrich Böll, whose story had some wonderfully funny phrases. Overall, it's okay.

Rating: B-

Bristol 1350

Today's review is of the 2021 release, Bristol 1350. For 1-9 players, it takes 20-40 minutes.

Overview

The plague has struck; everyone, flee for your lives! Well, take a cart out of town for your lives. In Bristol, There are three carts racing to be the first out of town. Each cart holds up to three people. Be in the first cart to leave, and you all win- IF everyone on board is healthy. But if one has the plague (which means your two secret symptom cards add up to 6 or greater, at any point in the game), instead everyone in that cart loses and the game continues. 

game in progress; image from here

The game is played in rounds. Someone rolls six dice and a round begins, going in order from the first person in the leading cart to the last person in the trailing cart. The die have one rat and one apple of each cart's color. On your turn, you take one of three actions:

• re-roll two dice
• draw a remedy card, which has special abilities that help you exchange symptom cards, lock in die results, or prevent pushing (see next action)
• move your pawn through (pushing your way to the front of your cart), (if you're in the front of your cart, exchanging places with the last person in the cart ahead of you), (if you're in the front of your cart, pushing someone behind you off your cart, to the cart behind or off the cart entirely)

After you take your action, you can also play one or more remedy cards (even if your action was drawing that cart this turn). Once everyone has had their turn, the round ends. At the end of the round, each cart will progress along the track according to the total number of their colors present on the dice. But beware! Rats help your cart progress, but if your cart has two or more rats, you must 'mingle' at the end of the round with others in your cart. Mingling is drawing an additional symptom card to mix in (likely a high number), shuffling this and all of the respective players' symptom cards together, and re-distributing two cards to each, discarding the extra. If the cards you receive equal or exceed six, you have the plague. Once you have the plague, your win condition becomes not allowing anyone to leave the town healthy, so your goal is to spread the disease.

Review

This is a tidy little game- I liked it. The components are small but of good quality; the game is simple and fun. It accommodates up to nine people and doesn't take forever to play. There's some light strategy and luck. It does rely on player honesty (if their cards exceed six at one point but then later abilities drop that number, they still have the plague), and it's hard to think about who might have the plague, but it's good overall.

Rating: A-

Knife of Dreams (Robert Jordan)

The Wheel of Time saga continues! Shortly after Crossroads of Twilight . . .

Perrin continues looking for his wife (and finds her, finally). Mat is still fleeing Ebou Dar with Tuon (and marries her). Egwene has been captured and is held in Tar Valon, debating her next steps. Elayne captures the throne of Andor after a long struggle. Rand is debating his next move. And those in league with the Dark One plot their evil schemes . . .

Okay, stuff happens here. That's an improvement over the prior offering. Still has the uneven pacing that's plagued the last [x] books. This is the last one Jordan wrote on his own before his death; the final three are co-written by him and Brandon Sanderson. Looking forward to seeing what that will bring.

Rating: B-

The Adventures of Captain Underpants (Dav Pilkey)

George and Harold are best friends. And the school's pranksters. When they're not infuriating the cruel principal Mr. Krupp, they're writing stories and drawing cartoons about their personal creation: Captain Underpants. But one day, they get caught red-handed setting pranks and are blackmailed by Krupp. In response, they order a hypno-ring, put him under their spell, and make him think that he is Captain Underpants. Hilarity ensues until Dr. Diaper appears, intent on ending the world. Can the boys- and Captain Underpants- prevail? Also, will they figure out how to turn the principal back into his usual mean self?

This one wasn't on my reading list, but my son is infatuated with this series- as are many worldwide. The good captain has featured in twelve books, two movies, and a TV series. Know what your kids are into . . . so I gave this a gander. And was pleasantly surprised.

Of course this is silly, but it's amusing even to adults, and accurately captures the imagination and fears of children. The zany, tongue-in-cheek humor reminds me of the Muppets, in a way. The only thing that bothered me was the misspelled words on pages showing the comics the boys had written. I get that kids misspell words, but seeing it in print, without correction, can confuse young readers. And, you may have to remind your kids that pranking people isn't nice. Those aside, it's a fun time.

Rating: A-

Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot (Margot Theis Raven)

Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot is the true story of the Candy Bomber (Gail Halvorsen), as told through the eyes of seven-year-old Mercedes, a girl who grew up in West Berlin during the Berlin Airlift. The story starts with historical background on the airlift and related statistics (some incredible numbers) before covering Mercedes and her experiences there in 1948. She longed for the candy that Halvorsen dropped from the sky, but never got any. So she wrote to the pilot, and received a heartwarming response- and the candy she desired.

This is a great book. The illustrations are wonderful and the story uplifting. What I enjoyed most, though, was the nature of Gail's service. He saw the kids in need and wanted to do something small to give their lives more joy. He was already serving them through his work, making three runs per day to Berlin from Wiesbaden's airfield to drop much-needed supplies like flour. But he went even further, making candy 'bombs' by attaching little parachutes to chocolate bars and dropping them over crowds of children. When the public found out, they chipped in with supplies and assistance, enabling him to drop tons and tons of candy over the seven months he was there. His example is one we should all follow- make 'little' acts of service for others part of our daily routines. He made a difference in thousands of lives in so doing. A little chocolate goes a long way.

My family got to meet Gail Halvorsen in 2019, when he visited Wiesbaden at age 99 (he's still alive as of this writing, aged 101). 

Rating: A

Netflix by Bots

Bot movies. I freely admit this is a weird way to start December and Advent, but friends recently introduced me to Mr. Puzzles Wants You to be Less Alive, a 5-minute horror story written by a bot after it watched 400,000 hours of horror movies. Check that out here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZzbxNoMjGM

Similarly, A Love Tale of Taylors was written by a bot after watching 'every' romcom ever made:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p6wQnWUJJA

And there's a holiday flick, Carol's Christmas Carols for Carol, A Woman Named Carol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVB25kDMN_Y

And a stoner movie: Cheese & Chonk Smoke a City Safe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3Dy0wJxFjE

And a comedy special:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH_bEtbfB9U

I find these hilarious; the humor is offbeat/zany (right up my alley), but I'm also intrigued by the themes the bot picks up on in each genre. (Assuming these really are bot creations and the whole thing isn't just faked.) We truly do tell the same stories over and over.