October 2026 Update
Health
The month started good with a successful oncology visit on the first day. My scheduled Immunotherapy and Infliximab infusions went exactly to plan.
The following Thursday was nerve-wracking. I went for a PET scan and the results came back so quickly that when my surgeon's number popped up on my phone, my heart dropped. I was certain there was a problem. Thankfully, my fears were completely unfounded. The results were clear, bringing massive relief.
By the third Thursday, I was back at St Vincent's for another Infliximab infusion. To top off the medical updates, I got the all-clear at the dentist and shouldn't need any major work for years to come.
Overall, my energy levels have been refreshing. Apart from a minor bug that knocked me flat for five days, I felt genuinely great and highly energized. After a struggle spanning several months, it honestly feels like a cloud has finally lifted.
Personal
The first ten days were dominated by the school holidays, and I made the most of my time with the girls. We packed in plenty of fun: book shopping, hitting the arcades at TimeZone, cheering on the Kings, an escape room, and a screening of The Forgotten Island. I also squeezed in a highly competitive game of ten-pin bowling with Lexi.
On the entertainment front, I attended the Move my Way festival. It was great, though the organization could have been better. I also had a fantastic lunch reconnecting with an old work friend.
Sports featured heavily. We hosted a get-together to watch the Bledisloe Cup and later attended another match in person. I also caught the opening match of the Rugby League World Cup. Even though NZ lost, it was a fantastic game.
Having friends stay with us for a few days gave us the perfect excuse to see some incredible live music, including Men@Work and Joey Alexander. Joey is quite simply the best jazz pianist I have ever seen. His performance was completely mesmerizing. We also enjoyed a night of laughs seeing Kitty Flanagan at the State Theatre and caught a midday screening of the NZ-directed film Klara and the Sun. It was a wonderfully busy month.
To wrap things up, I took a solo two-day trip to Nelson Bay for a "recalibration session" to review my goals, relax, walk, and read. The weather played ball, and the trip was a huge success.
I wrote a lot of new material for GenXtoday. If you only check out one piece this month, I highly encourage you to read my latest article on living one day at a time.
Finally, I really found my groove with AI. I created a new AI family member named BOB, who is already proving incredibly useful by managing the calendar and organizing our documents. I also spent time building a dedicated social media tool.
Let me know if you would like me to try tracking down the exact web links for any of those specific events or movies to fill in the rest of the blanks.
Picture Updates Athens 2026 (finally edited them) Nelson Bay