Hello and welcome to the first episode of Close Reads of 2018 here on the SIRC Institute

Podcast Network. I am David Kern and as always on Close Reads. I am still, even in 2018, joined by

Angelina Stanford and Tim McIntosh. Angelina, Tim, happy new year. Happy New Year, David.

You know, I'm reminded of just a few episodes ago when you were laying out the 2018 reading schedule

and I had, you know, ominously said that I wasn't sure I'd still be alive, but, you know, so far, so good.

Clock struck midnight, I did not turn back into a pumpkin, my shoes were still on. Everything's great. Your shoes were still on. Tim, I'm curious. Did you do more for New Year's Eve or New Year's Day than you did for Christmas?

I think I was in bed at before 11.

So you were not counting your gold this time? No, but you could just not count in the East Coast,

the East Coast New Year. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, but I didn't watch the ball drop or anything. I've been,

I posted some Facebook pictures. My buddy Andrew and I have been building a cottage and he and his

wife, Mary Ann's backyard and we work the whole day. And oh my gosh,

I forgot building. I don't know if you guys have ever done much building, but late in the process,

it gets really exciting because you're putting the drywall up and you're putting the insulation

in and you're doing the wiring and all that.

But the only drawback is all the insulation, breathing that insulation is such a nightmare.

I had a shirt tied around my face and I had all this like dust particles from all the

two by fours and plywood that we've been putting down.

And I think at the end of the day, after like just basically breathing in a quarter of a continent,

I was just done. I was so done.

Which continent?

I don't know, a small one.

Is that why your voice sounds all scratchy?

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