We’re only two and a half months in, and 2026 has already had lots of ups and downs.

Disney FARTS (Festival of the Arts)

It started with a long weekend trip to Disney World. We stayed at the Boardwalk Resort, a first for us. Situated right behind EPCOT and in walking distance to Hollywood Studios, it was super convenient to both of those parks.

We went primarily to check out the Festival of the Arts in EPCOT, something we hadn’t really experienced before. It was a ton of fun, though the weather on our last day went from comfortable shorts and t-shirt warm in the morning to driving rain and blustery wind in the afternoon with a high in the upper 30s. We had to make a couple emergency purchases for warmth and then go back to the resort to get long pants and another layer. But the rest of the trip was wonderful.

We saw a ton of beautiful art, and ended up buying some new prints from several different booths. We got to meet the artists and got our artwork signed at several of the booths. Disney Broadway had a small but very cool exhibit of props, costumes, and set designs for their various theatrical shows. And there were unique and delicious food and drink options to explore all over the park.

Richmond on ice

After such a refreshing trip, we returned to immediately begin preparing for a winter storm. At first forecasts called for almost two feet of snow, which while daunting, also sounded a bit fun. As the week wore on, however, forecasts got worse and worse, turning toward more ice and less snow. When the storm finally hit, it was awful and yet in some ways could have been far worse. The ice didn’t accumulate on trees or power lines, so there was a lot less power loss than expected.

Instead it stuck to roads, especially in neighborhoods where it wasn’t cleared quickly enough. And once it was there, it stuck around. Most neighborhood roads were dangerously slick for over a week. We were able to get out a couple of times during that first week, but each time was harrowing. One time, our car slid ninety degrees as I tried to pull into our driveway. We ended up stuck perpendicular in the street in front of our house for almost an hour before I could dig enough of the ice to pull the car into the driveway. And the other time, a car slide backwards out of their hilly ice-covered driveway directly at us and spun around quickly, coming within inches of our car as we passed.

After almost two full weeks, temperatures got high enough that the majority of the ice finally started to melt. We were finally able to clear the last of the large ice drift in front of our garage and get our second car out. Schools ended up with a week and a half off, with a few days of asynchronous learning from home.

Private inequity

At the start of the year, the company where I worked was acquired by a private equity firm. I know, I see you out there in the theater shouting “Get out! Get out!” I assure you, I started looking as soon as talks of a private equity acquisition started. Well, a week and a half ago, the new owners cut a significant portion of the staff on my project, including me.

On the plus side, my portfolio and resume are in a pretty good state. I think? With AI ATSes and the job market these days, who even knows what a good resume and portfolio look like. I feel like a good resume for the robots is a terrible resume for people. And vice versa. So yeah, I’m unfortunately on the job market again, and that’s where our story ends for now. Hopefully the next update will have more good news than bad.