That’s a wrap

jeffcnichols

Aaaaaaand, it’s the end of 2025. Definitely a mixed year – some good, some bad, some ugly.

THE GOOD

  • I spent about 24 weeks in Kentucky with family, almost 50% of my year, as planned. Especially enjoyed time these guys.

  • Mark Pope’s first year as UK basketball coach. He was a real breath of fresh air. Plus, I had season tickets to the Cats for the first time ever.
  • Becoming a partial owner of some beautiful KY thoroughbreds.
  • Getting to play golf with brother Don (just before and just after his heart attack!).
  • Discovering Nevel Meade, my new golf happy place. Love that course.
  • Fourth of July fireworks at cousin Donnie’s house. Got to see a lot of family and some cool fireworks (picture above).
  • Our Costa Rica trip. Great pictures, great experiences and memories.
  • All the concerts we saw, especially Jackson Browne at Chateau St Michelle. Plus Khraungbin, the Rush Tribute Project and Lyle Lovett.
  • Really getting into vintage audio. Love my 1970’s Kenwood, Yamaha, and Sansui receivers. Looking at some others for 2026.
  • The first Louisville No Kings protest. I really enjoyed being part of that.
  • Getting to share our annual Cabo week with brother Mike. We had a great time.
  • Making some money doing a hyperscale data center project and in doing so learning for certain that I want to be retired. Loved the paycheck, hated being constantly on call. Good lesson.

THE BAD

  • Convict Donny finished his first year of his second term (I still can’t fucking believe he got elected again). In a single year he’s managed to tear down the White House, our national reputation and much of our democracy. He’s been a busy old troll.
  • This one could have gone into the “good” category, but…our 2025 Derby Day. We suffered through the worst weather imaginable for Derby, so we spent a lot of time and money on a tough weather day. Heavy rain, wind, and chilly. We had lots of fun, but…it wasn’t optimal.
  • Blowing up my Jolida tube amp by miswiring it. Dumb move, and I don’t think there’s any reasonable way to fix it.
  • The first two weeks of December in Louisville. Lots of snow and record cold, didn’t enjoy much about the time there for once. Brrrr.
  • Didn’t harvest olives in 2025, got lazy. Will fix that in 2026 and get back into “farming”.

THE UGLY

  • The US decides to go to war with Venezuela and Nigeria for exactly zero reasons. We’ve become a bully with the world’s largest military – a bad combo.
  • The US decides to insult and distance ourselves from former allies – the UK, Canada, most of Europe, Greenland, Denmark, Ukraine, NATO…it’s a long list.
  • Congress completely gave up power to Convict Donny. They’re complicit in creating the royal Presidency.
  • Giving up writing for the year, other than this blog. It created a big hole in my time and identity. Gonna have to do better in 2026.
  • The whole DOGE thing at the beginning of 2025. Musk further tainted his brand, destroyed a lot of democracy infrastructure, cost a lot of people their jobs, for…nothing. What a shitshow.
  • Everything about the Epstein Files. Nightmarish story with the full list of villains still to be revealed.
  • The advent of ICE, our new totalitarian secret police. We’ve become 1960s Russia, with gulags, a dictator and the government just grabbing and disappearing people. Unreal.
  • Continued erosion in US citizen’s trust in science, medicine, and reality. Thanks Fox channel, thanks MAGA.

One can only hope that 2026 is a better year geopolitically. Personally it was fine, and there’s plenty to improve and look forward to. Happy New Year!