It’s 8:25 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Sara’s in the bathroom, curling her hair. I’m dressed to impress. We’re waiting for a few friends to get here so we can get to dinner before engaging in liquor-fueled shenanigans downtown. And I’m trying to post my usual year-end blog both summarizing what was good about 2012 and looking ahead to what will be better in 2013. But it’s a challenge. Typically, it seems like a lot of people I know had a bad year, while mine was pretty good. A little bit great, and a little bit mediocre, but overall, I have nothing majorly bad to report.

Personally, it was mostly high marks, really, the highest being that whole “engaged to be married” thing. Other things trailed that: One of my favorite people (Geoff Carter) moved back to Las Vegas (and is doing the job I’d be doing in an alternate universe). I ran my first half-marathon. I got to spend decent time with my parents. I returned to my “normal” weight after a 7-year detour. We refinanced our house. BAUG reunited.

(Of course, there were some tough times. Lost too many people I know to the Grim Reaper, without any shot at saying “goodbye.” Watched too many friends experience the same losses. Watched many others struggle to find employment.)

Professionally, however, it was an up-and-down year. As Yet Unbroken debuted its new line-up and new album to the world even as we internally imploded, devolving into an unspoken indefinite hiatus. The momentum I’d built with Pop! Goes the Icon over the previous few years was somewhat lost as we only released two titles, to little fanfare. I took on a great editorial assignment with the Zagat Survey, only to learn the book I worked on would never see print. I was blessed with expanded freelance work in both writing and illustration, but was forced to push aside larger projects such as screenplays and novels. I auditioned for a potentially cool gig for 2013, but didn’t make the final cut. And the graphic novel I had in development has pretty much stalled out.

So 2013, I have decided (and not just recently), shall be the year of “make it or break it.” A plan several years in the making (literally; there is a written plan) will come to fruition in the new year, and I can’t let the usual distractions waylay that plan in any way. Pop! Goes the Icon will return stronger and with new properties and venues (already inking deals to make this happen). I have (along with everyone else, I know) an eye on a physical presence in downtown Las Vegas (to accompany the virtual one). The graphic novel in development last year? It will be put back on the front burner, one way or the other. The new comic series I started pitching this year will come to your eyeballs. I will return to long-form journalism that means something. My YouTube channel will be used for more than just crappy video blogs. You’ll see me on stage playing music once again. And I’m going to venture outside the West Coast comfort zone on the comic convention circuit.

Of course, it’s going to be a big year in non-professional ways, mainly because of that wedding thing, but I’m sure I’ll have more on THAT soon. Speaking of which, one piece of the plan for 2013 is to begin blogging again, in earnest. In my desire to condense my web presence several years ago, I kind of left myself without a proper outlet beyond the social media sphere. This hybrid blog-website-portfolio thing just isn’t working for me. I have some sort of mental block that keeps me from blogging-at-will like I did back when I hosted everything on LiveJournal. So I’m going to rearrange some things online, and then give myself a platform from which to just talk about STUFF.

So you’re been warned. Stuff is coming.

Hope your new year is off to a great start. And if it’s not? Make it so.