I moved in March. Packing, unpacking, donating, discarding, cleaning, and reorganizing. It consumed a month. It consumed my mind. Friends kept asking, “Are you excited?” and, “Do you love the new apartment?” And I couldn’t feel any of those things until I was fully moved in. It wouldn’t be real to me till the old apartment key was turned over and the last box was empty.

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This month’s playlist:

One Battle After Another

I didn’t watch a single movie this month. But I did watch the Oscars. So I’ll take this opportunity to discuss One Battle After Another. I’m a PTA fan. Boogie Nights is something special. Phantom Thread may have my favorite twist of all time. But when I watched Magnolia, I reached the credits and thought, “What was the point of all that?” Excellent execution, but for what? I did not like it. This was my sister’s reaction to One Battle After Another. And I see everything that would make her receive it that way. Yet, I loved it. It’s meandering, but every moment is rich. Hilarious. Scary. Heartfelt. It’s a road trip where the destination matters little.

Marathon (2026)

I am not a multiplayer guy. I am not a multiplayer PvP guy. I’ve never played an extraction shooter. But I’m a huge Marathon (1994) fan. I’m a huge fan of Bungie-tuned FPS gunplay. And a huge fan of the art direction of this revival. It cleverly references the original while being unique in its own way. So I took a chance, and I’m really digging it.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

My sister has been recommending DS9 to me for years. I needed a break from Star Trek after warping through The Next Generation. But now I’m back. DS9 feels like a continuation of all the good of TNG with just the right twist of originality. Comforting.

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This month, my energies were spoken for--work and moving. I had none left over for creative pursuits. I leaned heavily on time with friends to stay sane.