Stop. Start. Continue

I've been meaning to do a resolutions post for the last two days, but things have got in the way. Driving home from Adelaide, seeing movies, having a cold - thankfully, not a nasty one, but one that fills you with snot and saps away at your energy.... And I had to make a trip to Bunnings at lunchtime - when one's toilet is blocked, one needs a plunger But this has given me some time to think about what I want to get done this year. Some of my more successful resolutions have been when I've set little tasks for myself or set monthly goals. The put-on hand cream one is a great habit that keeps my hands looking alright. Making the goals SMART - Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely goals make sense. 

I'm also going to use a traffic light system as well - a Stop, Start, Continue model, which makes sense to me. 

Can you tell I've been working too long in a corporate environment. 

Anyway, here we go. This I'm what I'd like to get done in 2026. 

Continue: 

• Being gainfully and happily employed throughout the year. 
• Continue reading a book a week - this equates to about 50 pages a day. 
• Continue seeing a movie at least once a fortnight. I enjoy this. 
• Continue going to the gym at least three times a week. I've done this for years.
• Continue applying hand cream once a day. 
• Continue to use sunscreen. This one is important. 
• Continue using my passport at least once a year for travel. Can sort of mark this off as I'm off to Auckland in April. 
• Continue with the daily blogging. I know the blog is crap, but it keeps my fingers turning over. This is a part of my writing process. As a writer, consistency is king. 

Start: 

• Being in bed by midnight. I want to try getting more sleep and I've got into some bad habits, like going to bed around one. I don't have to be asleep by midnight, but I need to be physically in bed. The rest will follow. 
• Making sure I get a half hour walk in each day. I feel better for it.
• Taking a daily dose of Metamucil. This has a lot of health benefits. I'm getting older. 
• Stretching more. This is the year of flexibility. 
• Saying yes more often. As an introvert it's hard, but like any muscle, it can be trained. 
• Writing ten minutes on the novel each day. From little things big thing grow - and I now have a supporting writer's group behind me. That shouldn't make much difference, but it does help.

Stop: 

• Buying random shit off the internet. Nuff said. 
• Buying books - until I've read at least a third of my TBR pile. This might be a bit hard and will probably bankrupt the publishing industry, but it must be done. 
• Worrying so much.
• Hanging onto things that no longer serve me.

 That will do for the moment. 

Okay, as it's gone eleven, time for a shower and get myself in bed by midnight. 

Today's song: 

Movie Review: The Choral

 Movie Number 2 of 2026

The Movie: The Choral

The Cinema: Hoyts Victoria Gardens

Runtime: One hour 53 minutes

Stars: 4

My first English film for the year and it was lovely. Of course, it was always going to be lovely, a little tale about a choir trying to keep going during World War One - and this is a charming, albeit a little idiosyncratically English film about community, challenges and the role art plays in our lives. 

When I say gentle, this film, written by Alan Bennett and directed by Nicholas Hynter does what these men have been doing for decades. Producing quintessentially British stories filled with British sensibilities. I'm always up for that.  

The story is a fairly simple one. It's 1916.  In the fictional town of Ramsden, Yorkshire, many of the town's men have gone off to the Western Front and the town's Choral Society is in a bit of a mess. Their first tenor is missing in action, and others are about to head off to battle. However, in that best of English traditions, they're keeping up and carrying on, even if they need to find a new Choral director. 

It's Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) who steps up to the plate to take this ragtag group of commoners up to the stage. Guthrie has been working in Germany, which makes him an outlier, not that his closeted homosexuality hasn't done that already. On returning to England, Guthrie is having a hard time assimilating after spending so long living in the land of the enemy. But he needs a job and likes a challenge, and rather than perform St Matthews Passion because, after all, Bach was German. They are also lacking singers and members of the orchestra. In the end, they go with performing a little-known work by Elgar. 

As with any Alan Bennett screenplay, the town is filled with quirky characters. The Mill owner Duxbury, being the coin, always gets a plum role. There's Mary (Amara Okereke), the Salvation Army member with the voice of an angel. Returned soldier Ellis (Taylor Uttley), missing an arm and some hope, is recruited back into the choir, somewhat reluctantly after his fiance Bella (Emily Fairn) has dumped him for another member of the choir still to be sent off. Pianist Horner (Robert Emms) is called up, only to search his soul and become a conscientious objector.

There's a lot to like here. Although it's not ground-breaking, you have to feel for all of the members of the town. The movie looks at how the war affects all aspects of life and how people react to it/ 

Simon Russell Beale's cameo as a snotty Elgar is a joy to behold. 

For me, it was the music and the musical process that stood up so well. Although most of the singing is shown in rehearsal, the final performance was most wonderful. 

Yes, this isn't the best work of the actors, writers and directors, but it is a solidly enjoyable British film, which I'd happily take my mother along to. What I found uplifting was seeing the town work together to form something beautiful in a world filled with violence and sorrow. 

It's also a film for those who like classical music and the process it goes through to create it. 

Today's song: 

Movie Review: Song Sung Blue

 Movie Number One of 2026

The Movie: Song Sung Blue

The Cinema: Hoyts Victoria Gardens

Runtime: Two hours twelve minutes

Stars: 4

Part of me did not want to see this. It's the part of me that has been going to Victoria Gardens shopping centre, as I do most days, only to hear Sweet Caroline sung loudly from the cinema screens above the food court. Sweet Caroline at karaoke or weddings, you know, once in a while is fine. Every day, and loud, for months on end, not so much. 

Anyway, after not seeing a film for a week, I decided to give this a go, even if it was to get the angst of hearing Sweet Caroline out of my system. 

And I'm really glad I did, even with Hugh Jackman's dodgy haircuts. And him running around in baggy dad underpants in a couple of scenes.  

Actually, it was really entertaining, quite emotional and musically wonderful. And yes, for me, a bit nostalgic as being a child of the seventies, Neil Diamond was everywhere and I remember this. I think my parents had some of his records on vinyl. 

Song Sung Blue is based on the true story of Mike and Claire Sardina, a couple from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who created a Neil Diamond tribute show. Mike (Hugh Jackman) is a Vietnam vet, a long-term recovering alcoholic who's hobby job is singing and playing in local bands. He's a man of principle. He's also a battler, and you have to love him for that. His stage persona is Lightning, as he does a good line in Elvis songs as well. 

Hugh Jackman was born to play this role. As the quintessential triple threat, there's nobody else who could play Mike Sardina with the same aplomb. 

Then Mike meets Claire (Kate Hudson) at one of these shows. They hit it off, get married and start the Neil Diamond tribute band, Lightning and Thunder and their star starts to rise. 

Yet it wouldn't be a biopic without adversity, or which there is a lot. The couple have no luck whatsoever. Just as you think they're getting somewhere, something huge happens, and on it goes. But the couple and their kids Rachel (Ella Anderson), Dana (Hudson Hensley) and Angelina (King Princess) battle forward as battlers do. Despite having cringy parents - Claire is described by her daughter as a lot, Mike by his daughter in a similar manner - they are a loving family unit. 

The performances in Song Sung Blue are wonderful. Kate Hudson is fantastic as the fragile Claire. The supporting cast are also fantastic. Ella Anderson is going to be one to watch. I loved seeing Michael Imperioli, who you're used to seeing in mob films is wonderful as Mark, Mike's supportive friend (and a Buddy Holly impersonator - he was great on the screen.) Other small roles from Jim Belushi and Fisher Stevens were good too. 

I went into this film with few expectations and walked out very happy. If you're a Neil Diamond fan, you'll love this. And if not, this is a very solid based on real life story that's been brought to the screen in a great way. 

This was a good way to start 2026. Better than invading Venezuela, anyway. 

Today's song:

Sunday Stealing Feels Frustrated

 It's another year, and another chance to do the Sunday Stealing Questions, which I've been doing for over a decade. 

I have to say a word of thanks for the people who keep this running. I feel like I've made a few friends overseas from doing these questions each week. 

Anyway, here's this week's questions. 

1. What would you rather be doing right now?

Really, I'd like to be tied to the couch binging the last season of Stranger Things, but I can't sit still that long. Eddie Munson rules, even if he is dead. 

2. What is always on your grocery list?

Every week there is a 99% chance you'll find these things on there: 

• Almond milk
• Chicken breast/tenderloins/thighs, depending on what I feel like cooking. 
• Salad items. 
• Sodaly - sugar-free soft drink (soda) in cans. They have a bit of bite to them. Yuzu, guava, blood orange and passionfruit are my favourites - the watermelon is awful. 
• Cat food/cat treats
• Gluten free bread/Turkish bread
• Tissues

3. Have you ever used a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?

No. Thank goodness. I have fired one off, but that was during fire drill training for one of the companies I was working for where I was a fire warden. (I only offered to do that so I could wear the hat and sing the 'Bob the Builder' song. 

4. How many times did you text yesterday?

Once. I was driving home from Adelaide and texted EJ to see if he wanted a chat while I was driving over the Wimmera. It's dead boring driving between Bordertown and Horsham so it's nice to have a chat with somebody while driving. 

I did message other people on other apps - (Messenger, Instagram DM, Signal, WhatsApp) but for actually text messages through the telephone - just the one./ 

5. Would you prefer a slow-paced, relaxing vacation or one filled with new sights and experiences?

It depends on the holiday I need. As much as I adore exploring new places, foods and other things, sometimes you have to plonk yourself next to a pool in Bali or Thailand, get copious massages and drink plenty of cocktails. I will always explore new things, no matter what. 

Today's song: 

From the Road

 I'm exhausted, but home safely. 

Due to this, I'm going to keep it quick. 

Lucifer is asleep on the bed, legs akimbo. He's happy to be home too. 

The car has been emptied, the cat crate dismantled and most of the stuff put away. 

The Ritalin helped make this one of the easier drives I've done over the years. My low dose of this stimulant used for treating ADHD helped to keep things focused. It's incredible. 

There are a number of pasties in the freezer. I got a couple for EJ. 

Middle-aged women and LBL (Light bladder leakage) is a real thing. What I call pee pads - or light pads for minor incontinence help to keep things in check. Speaking to a number of other middle-aged women over the last few days, it appears I'm not the only one. Besides, when you're only stopping every two hours and trying to keep hydrated, the bladder gets full. Dehydration is worse than the indignity of wet knickers. Or having to squat by the side of the road, and the Western Highway was pretty busy. 

Sorry, too much information. 

But I'm home. 

I'm knackered - what could have been a nine-hour drive took ten, thanks to roadworks on the Westgate. 

Tomorrow the year starts in earnest. 

Today's song: 

Be Careful What You Wish For

My parents want to get Netflix. 

They have a smart television. 

Tonight, as there was nothing on television, and as they have a smart television, I logged into my Netflix account, where we found something to watch (The Thursday Murder Club is up their alley.)

Seeing the amount of choice on Netflix, they decided they want their own account. 

And that's fair. But they can have the $10 a month account with limited adds. I've told them this. There is no point them having a more expensive account. They can cancel whenever. And there are far fewer adds on than terrestrial telly. 

What happened once the decision to get Netflix was the cause of some major anxiety. 

How do you explain networks to your parents? Making matters works, for some reason, the network link failed on the television as we were trying to set up the account. My stepdad as not amused at this. 

And how do you rationalise multi-factor authentication to your folks? Making it harder, the folks television network dropped out, so I had both folks yelling at me. 

"Give me your phone mum, I'll sort this out on your computer."

We've trained Mum well. She has her passwords written down in a safe space. 

We finally got the account up and running. 

I then looked at the telly and reconnected the Network. No idea what happened there. 

As Mum's phone is pretty basic, but she has a great iPad, we got the Netflix app set up on there ready for lessons tomorrow morning, before I start the long drive home. 

I'm aware that this could be a bumpy ride for them. Telly on demand. Networks. Accounts. Passwords. The choice. The amount of dross available. 

It's all a bit overwhelming. 

And I will give some fundamental lessons tomorrow morning and will leave my step-sister and a close friend to help give them more assistance. 

But I think they'll like it in the end. 

Welcome to the 21st Century, parents. 

Today's song: 

The Best of 2025

 It's that day. The day we take stock of everything. At midnight, allegedly everything resets and we get to start again.

As we're going out for dinner tonight, it's prudent that I get this, the last blog of the year out of the way, and I'm looking to think about the good bits of the year. 

There are things I am grateful for:

• I'm in good health. Fit and healthy.  Other than a cold that I caught in Paris, and a few other small niggles I've been in rude health. 
• The AUDHD diagnosis was revolutionary as much as it was validating. 
• I got to travel overseas - three weeks in England and France was not enough, but well earned. I am never going to England through America ever again. Never.
• My friends, with one exception, are doing pretty well. A dear friend passed away in a car accident a few weeks ago
• My darling boy cat is well. 
• I've remained happily employed, with a change of company near the end of the year. 

All good things. 

The Best Books

According to Goodreads, I've read 77 books this year. Mostly fiction with a few non-fiction to throw in for good measure. 

My favourites have been:

• Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. She appears to have hit her stride. 
• James by Percival Everett - a retelling of Huckleberry Finn, told from Jim's perspective. An amazing work. 
• Tin Man by Sarah Winman, because she is amazing. 
• Two books by Minette Walters about the Black Death - The Last Hours and The Turn of Midnight. I had to read the second one as the first was so good. The first left off in a very inconvenient place. 
• I finally got though Nabokov's Lolita and the last of the first Philip Pullman trilogy. Both great but for very different reasons.
• Dylin Hardcastle's A Language of Limbs was incredible. They are an incredible writer. 
• Ann Napolitano's Hello Beautiful was just as good on the second read. 
• I'm so glad I get to read Roisin O'Donnell's Nesting again. It's amazing. 
• Also, The Names by Florence Knapp - we're doing this and Nesting for book group in 2026. 
• Taylor Jenkins Read's Atmosphere shows her returning to her best. 
• All the Way to the River is Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir about the loss of her partner and her struggles with addiction. I found it fascinating. Many will not. 
• Clare Leslie Hall's Broken Country was phenomenal, as was Louise Kennedy's Trespasses. Required reading, just because they're so great. 
• And today I finished Nobody's Girl by Virginia Roberts Guiffre. It's harrowing stuff, but a necessary read. 

Best Films

I saw 50 films at the theatre this year. Yes, a lot. Some much better than others. One good thing about blogging is I can go back and see what I liked. 

The best of this year include: 

• Anora
• A Real Pain
• The Brutalist
• I'm Still Here
• Small Things Like These
• The Last Journey
• Tina (The Mother)
• Jane Austen a gache ma Vie (Jane Austen Wrecked my Life)
• Mr Burton
• The History of Sound
• Rental Family

There were quite a few that I really enjoyed, but these stuck out. 

Best Theatre and Gigs

It's also been a good year for theatre and gigs. I know I'm luck to get to see a lot of these shows. Some that spring to mind are: 

• La Ronde, which was in the Speigeltent at the Darwin Festival. It's in Melbourne at the moment - definitely worth a look. 
• I enjoyed the MTC's Much Ado About Nothing. But I love Shakespeare...
• I saw both gigs from The Pixies in November - they're always amazing. 
• The MTC's Dying - A Memoir was hard hitting and wonderful. 
• The Sydney Theatre Company's The Talented Mr Ripley was worth the ticket price. 
• Job at the Red Stitch Actor's Theatre was fantastic
• Mother Play at the MTC had Sigrid Thornton at her best. 
• I also loved the MTC's Kimberley Akimbo - A Musical. So good. 
• I felt honoured to see Echo: Every Cold-Hearted Oxygen at the Malthouse. An incredible concept delivered well. 
• The MTC had a really good year. 37 and Never Have I Ever were great too.

In all, a successful year. I hope 2026 brings similar fun and joy. 

Happy New Year. 

Today's song: