Dec 25: On the Spur of the Moment

Happy 2026!

There were two things I was keen to avoid in the run-up to the new year.

• The first was to avoid buying a new pair of running shoes, which I don’t need.
• The second was to avoid buying a new graphics card, which I need even less.

I’m glad to say I’ve been successful so far, although the sales do last for another four days, so there’s plenty of time to accidentally lose common sense.

 

But back to December.

Despite having already signed up for a half-marathon, I came across a post on social media about how this guy won a fun run (even though it's not actually possible to win a fun run).

The timing looked doable to me, so I signed up for a fun run near the house out of curiosity. 

I ran the fun run in a manner not befitting a fun run, but still finished second to a boy half my age. Whatever.

As for the actual half-marathon, my hamstring felt funky the whole way, but you wouldn't be able to tell. I suspect new shoes would cure the hamstring. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Went back to Ipoh to celebrate mum’s birthday.

 

That was a good break away from stuff – although I’m sure the wife would beg to differ.

Even saw (fake) snow. In Ipoh. Of all places.

Came back to KL, went to a cat playground. This homie decided to get very comfortable. Refused to get off. Must have been intrigued by the scent of my cats on my jeans.

I also had a lot of time to do other lazy things.

I belatedly got into Jack Ryan on Netflix. The first season was golden, but the ones that followed were not. In my unexpert opinion, Netflix-produced spy thrillers fall apart in their second seasons (think The Recruit and Night Agent).

I also read Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams. I mention this because there was a time when I considered a career like hers. Based on her writing, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it, though there are more than a few parallels with what I currently do at the office. It’s quite relatable.

I also started playing Football Manager again (goodbye, real world!). It's a wee bit buggy and I get the impression it's not 100% polished yet.

To cap it all off, one night I randomly rode on a train with the kids to the airport and back. I enjoyed spending time with just the kids more than people might realise. No rules, no expectations, no worries about what needs to go on social media. I only hope they enjoyed doing random stuff, too.

Before I end, I think it's worth mentioning that I've gone a whole year without washing my car.

I dunno if that’s something to be proud of or a sad reflection of the way I live my life. I suspect it’s more the latter.

But I guess the new year is the perfect excuse to set that right.

Here's hoping for a kind 2026 to all of you.