Just Like Matt

Matt B stands indoors holding a red box labeled “PACZKI” in large white letters. He wears a patterned green shirt and looks at the camera with a slight smirk.

Happy Paczki Day! ⚜️ 🇵🇱

A collage of three photos shows a younger Matt B wearing black caps in each image with different facial hair styles. In the black-and-white photo, he wears a black cap and looks sideways at the camera; in another, he wears a black cap and patterned shirt with a necklace; and in the largest color photo, he wears a black cap over a bandana, looking closely toward the camera with a trimmed beard and mustache.

26. 36. 46. 🎂

Matt B holds a small white unicorn-shaped lamp with a gold horn and white shade close to his face, smiling slightly at the camera. He wears a dark graphic T-shirt and glossy dark red nail polish, with the lamp’s cord visible and a dimly lit room in the background.

Yes. Unapologetically, yes.

A small white table lamp shaped like a seated unicorn features a gold horn and a white fabric shade. A gold stem connects the unicorn base to the shade, and the lamp is shown against a plain white background.

On my way to the registers, I spotted another white ceramic lamp. Unicorn-shaped.

Labeled: “Kids Lamp.”

Slightly bigger than the sensible, grown-up lamp in my cart.

“Matthew,” I told myself, “as of today, you are a 46-y/o man. Are you really going to put a kids’ unicorn lamp in your bedroom?”

A white table lamp with a sculpted, wavy ceramic base and a wide white fabric shade sits on a wooden surface. A silver stem connects the base to the shade, with stacked white books and a plant leaf partially visible in the background.

As I was walking through the department store doing a little birthday shopping, I remembered I needed a new bedside lamp.

First, I found this sleek white ceramic swirl lamp. Clean, minimal, and mature. It would match the trim in my room perfectly. Into the cart it went.

Matt B stands indoors wearing a dark graphic T-shirt, looking at the camera with a slight smile. A colorful overlay of fireworks, confetti, and presents surrounds him, with large decorative text across the image reading “Happy Birthday!”

🥳

Shirtless Matt B poses indoors, resting his fingers against his chin, with dark red nail polish visible on his nails. He has a shaved head, short beard, red gemstone earrings, and chest hair visible, with a softly lit room in the background.

Prest-o Change-o. Goodbye, winter beard.

Alt text: Matt B stands next to a television displaying the streaming menu for Iron Man (2008). The screen shows the title “IRON MAN,” the Marvel Studios logo, a PG-13 rating, runtime of 2h 7m, and options like Play and Trailer, with Iron Man’s helmet and supporting characters pictured. Matt B looks toward the camera from the right side of the frame, wearing a dark shirt, with his shaved head and beard visible.

Screw it, I’m starting from the beginning.

Making dinner tonight…
I made green beans, got some olive oil on my thumb, licked it off.
I made riced cauliflower, got some more olive oil on my thumb, licked it off.
I put a couple pots in the sink to soak, got some dish soap on my thumb…

BLEH. YUCK. UGH.

I didn’t think I’d ever have to ask my cat, “How did you get avocado on your head?” but here we are.

Matt B stands indoors wearing a red fleece zip-up onesie patterned with colorful lucha libre masks. He rests one hand on his hip and bends the other arm at the elbow, leaning on a doorframe, showing silver chrome nail polish, with a wooden door and wall behind him.

It’s not a onesie, it’s winter armor.

I want to get back into Marvel before "Doomsday" releases, maybe even catch up on what I’ve missed.
But at this point, there's so much content, the MCU feels less like entertainment and more like homework.

Alt text: Matt B sits on a couch holding an orange cat close to his chest. Both Matt B and the cat have pixelated black “deal with it” sunglasses added over their eyes; Matt B has a shaved head and beard, and the cat’s face is centered in the frame with its ears visible and nose pointed toward the camera.

😎

Alt text: Close-up of Matt B’s face with his hands held up in front of his mouth and nose, showing metallic silver nail polish on short, neatly shaped nails. His brown eyes look directly at the camera, and his shaved head and dark eyebrows are visible in the tight crop.

Using my shiny chrome nails to distract people from the zit on my face.

Every Wednesday or Thursday, I’m convinced: "This is it. This is the weekend I go out and *do* something."

Then the weekend arrives and I’m like, “I just wanna nap, watch TV, and *not* do things for a while.”

Alt text: A collage of photos from Matt B’s year, showing him in various settings and outfits, including sipping a colorful drink while wearing a bucket hat and sunglasses, posing in museums and public spaces, taking selfies in hats and casual clothing, standing outdoors in a mesh tank top and pants, and relaxing at home with his cats. Other images include a ginger cat lounging, a gray cat curled against Matt B on a couch, a group picnic scene under a pavilion, a playful shot of Matt B in a blue bear onesie at a table, and family members sitting and talking together in a living room decorated for the holidays.

Hubz and I were *in* the Pride Parade in 2025, and we also carved out some quiet time together in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. While there are definitely parts of ’25 I don’t want to repeat, I hope I keep making memories with friends, family, and, of course, the kitTeas.

... celebrating my birthday in the city at the Art Institute of Chicago, going out to bars and reconnecting with friends I hadn’t seen in nearly a decade, and riding roller coasters for the first time in forever.

It would be easy to judge my 2025 solely by its more recent, stressful moments. But as I went through my photos, I was reminded of how many genuinely good things filled the year. I spent a lot of 2025 stepping out of my routine and getting out of the house...

Alt text: Goodreads “2025 Year in Books” graphic showing Matt B’s reading stats: 3,733 pages read and 14 books read, with his name “Matt” displayed below a small black-and-white circular profile photo of Matt B in side profile. The background is a warm yellow and pastel abstract design with stars and shapes, and the word “goodreads” appears at the top.

Alt text: A collage titled “MY 2025 BOOKS” showing book covers from Matt B’s 2025 reading, including Fault Lines, Like a Love Story, Our Polyvagal World, No Bad Parts, Myth America, The Body Keeps the Score, The Bluest Eye, Introduction to Internal Family Systems, I’d Rather Be Reading, Traveling Black, The Deal of a Lifetime, The Sirens’ Call, The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control, and Box Hill. Some covers display five-star ratings beneath them, and the books are arranged in a neat grid on a white background.

I didn’t quite hit my goal of 22 books in 2025. Life had other plans. Now that things have settled a bit, I’m looking forward to finding my reading rhythm again in 2026.

Alt text: A tabletop spread of party snacks includes sliced white bread on a paper plate, a bowl of celery sticks and baby carrots with a container of herb dip, and a charcuterie plate with crackers, salami, pepperoni, and assorted cheeses topped with dried apricots and cranberries. In the foreground is a large bowl filled with green grapes.

NYE party for two 🥂

A Christmas tree ornament shaped like a pale green tree hangs among lit branches, holding a small childhood photo of Matt B as a boy wearing a Cub Scout uniform with a yellow neckerchief and patches. Warm white tree lights glow softly in the background.

Look at that handsome lil devil.

Matt B faces the camera in a crowded outdoor holiday market, wearing a black knit beanie, layered hoodie and jacket, with a short beard visible. Behind him, a banner over the entrance reads “Willkommen to the Christkindlmarket Aurora,” with large nutcracker decorations and a dense crowd of bundled-up visitors.

Against my better judgment, I went outside yesterday.

Matt B appears in a close-up, side-lit selfie showing his shaved head, neatly trimmed beard, and bare shoulders. Warm light highlights the details of his face and brown eyes against a dark background. The overlay text reads “Saturday 12:05 pm.”

Beard season coming along nicely

Matt B holds a fortune-cookie slip between his fingers, showing blue text that reads, “October will bring you inner peace and serenity.” His green-painted nail is visible at the edge of the frame against a dark, blurred background.

Bitch, it's November.

Matt B holds a decorative green, pink, and gold tin labeled “MUNCHKINS — Donut Hole Treats,” with silhouettes of two Wizard-of-Oz–style characters on the front. He’s wearing a textured cap and a blue hoodie, with his green-painted nails visible on the tin. He looks at the camera with a small, amused half-smile, standing near a bright window.

Marketing: 1. Me: 0.

Matt B sits on a couch wearing a bright green Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-shirt, holding a small orange tabby kitten curled up and sleeping soundly on his chest. He looks at the camera with a neutral, slightly tired expression while the kitten rests peacefully against him.

11/12/2018: Throwback to baby Pekoe, already defying the laws of comfort and gravity.

A green plastic container holds a colorful salad with grape tomatoes, snap peas, shredded carrots, red cabbage, sliced mushrooms, and crispy tortilla strips in red, yellow, and blue. A metal fork rests inside the container.

Not pictured: the candy bar I’m rewarding myself with for having such a healthy lunch.

KitTeas don't believe in an extra hour of sleep. 🫩

An orange bin with leftover Halloween candy (Airheads, Twix, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, and Milky Way) topped with a discounted bag of Reese’s, KitKat, Whoppers, and Milk Duds.

Picked up some markdown candy today. Even though we still have leftover Trick-or-Treat candy, it’s apparently not the kind Hubz likes, lol.

Matt B sits at a table with a laptop, giving two thumbs up while wearing a fuzzy blue onesie designed like a Care Bear with a raincloud and hearts on the belly. He has a work badge and lanyard around his neck, smiling playfully at the camera.

Work outfit. Here at the [REDACTED], we care... bear! 🐻