Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die (I'm Alive)

I'm not even sure where to begin.

I suppose the best place is with a "thank you" to the kind supporters with slack access who not only chose to continue their subscriptions, but have been supportive every step of the way as I shared errant updates as I was able. Said thank you feels inadequate, but I'll do my best to continue to earn your support.

To everyone else who's been left in the dark, I'm sorry. Like, it seems, so many, my 2026 did not start off with the ✨fresh new start✨ you hope to see in the new year. I hope you'll give me the chance to explain my absence.

(Trigger Warning: assault)
In early January, I was attacked by a neighbor from the lot next to ours. This man had been harassing us since we moved in three years prior, but had kept his previous activities to trespassing and vandalism. We tried everything. Security cameras were installed all over the property, no trespassing signs plastered the lot we lived on with 4 other sets of tenants, bars were installed on the windows, a front gate was installed... still, he would break into the property every few weeks to shatter a window of an apartment or car and leave.

I was adamant not to involve the police for all of the reasons you'd expect. However, when new neighbors moved in to the apartment directly next to ours, they were quickly fed up. The cops came and went, both doing nothing in the moment and insisting that there was nothing to be done in the future unless they were there when the incident happened or caught him on the lot despite video evidence. The neighbors immediately broke their lease and moved. Other neighbors across the way quickly followed suit.

And then it became a game.

The man started breaking onto the property more frequently, shattering our downstairs window with a wooden plank at 3AM; wiggling our door handle trying to break in; throwing rocks at the spotlights trying to shatter them when he gave up trying to get the rocks between the door, etc. Then he got more bold, screaming from his side of the fence at our landlord or maintenance while they were changing camera batteries or working on the property, and threatening my roommate directly, telling him he wanted to meet in the alleyway (there is no alleyway) so he could beat his ass.

We sought a restraining order and were immediately denied a TRO (temporary restraining order) because the judge believed there was "no threat of credible violence." (Yes, the video of the man actively threatening Matt was included in the case.) Then our hearing got delayed because they Sheriff's department didn't have time to serve the man.

As a last-ditch effort, our landlord worked with the landlord next door to raise the fence between the two properties so the man would no longer be able to hop over it as easily. He took this as an escalation. Immediately after the fence was raised, he broke onto the property again. I'd had enough at this point, and went out to tell him to leave. He'd run away from me in previous altercations (he poured house paint on my car twice, came over and admitted it after the second time, and I chased him off), so I had no reason to believe that this instance would be any different. Still, the phone was already ringing for 911 so there would be a clearer recording of the verbal exchange I'd expected (the cameras had audio, but it was shoddy).

The man threw a rock in my direction and missed (but threw it hard enough that it shattered against the house). While I was straightening up from dodging, he sucker punched me. My head hit the corner of the house and I fell to the ground. He then continued to punch me until my roommate ran out of the house and chased him off.

I am physically fine beyond a few cuts and a lot of bruises. The ground and the house hit harder than he did. My friends would like me to stop being so glib about it, but it's all I have at the moment.

My roommate had already wanted to move, but I knew I had officially lost any ground to stand on after the attack. I'm still unemployed, have lived in much worse neighborhoods, have shared homes with my abusers in the past, and have a LOT of pissed off feelings about being chased out of my own home (that my roommate is in no way responsible for). And so we moved. In what was basically a two-and-a-half week span.

And that's where I've been. House hunting, packing our lives, unpacking our lives, dealing with cops and courts and lawyers, trying to navigate the seemingly never ending issues that have come with our new place (which is otherwise nice, just frustrating) and whatever the hell else. Last night I fell so hard I thought I broke my knee (I didn't), after which I just kind of had to laugh.

As is likely implied by the lack of newsletter delivery in the last month or so, I have both been almost completely unable to work or look for work throughout everything. I'm glad to finally return to semi-normal, but so frustrated that it's at an even greater deficit than before. I'm furious that so much of my time has to be spent trying to bring this idiot to justice in a system that is a complete failure in every way. I'm exhausted by everything, and have had my fair share of "literally nothing is ever going to get better" days over the last five weeks. (I know it will, please do not try to silver linings me, I will scream.)

More importantly I remain endlessly thankful for your patience and support, and hope that your 2026 has been going at least a little bit better than my own.

In the meantime, I moderated my first Q&A of the year last night with the one and only Gore Verbinski. He's returned from nearly a decade-long hiatus with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, which I saw at last year's Fantastic Fest and immediately fell in love with. It's scrappy and deliciously weird, and has basically no marketing budget. It comes out this weekend, and I hope you'll take time to see it. The mantra fits my mood, and the message feels frustratingly evergreen amidst [gestures at everything].

Thank you for still being here.

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