When the going gets tough, it can be challenging to focus on our reasons to be hopeful. This series of gratitudes is an exercise in reflecting on my reasons to be grateful, which is meant to in turn bring hope. So, in effect, this is an exercise in staying hopeful. And as I always say,…
Category: Gratitudes
02/16/2021: well-placed park benches
During the twins’ weekend naptimes, Matteo and I have been getting out and exploring a lot lately. These outings have paired his interest in bombing hills on his bike with my interest in slowly scanning the hillsides for chanterelle mushrooms. One area we’ve come to especially appreciate is around Lake Chabot in Castro Valley, where…
02/15/2021: weird gifts
During the holidays, weird gifts often show up at our house. While they’re not things we’d ever buy for the kids, the joy they provide (and thus, my gratitude) is undeniable. One example is a set of drinking cups received yesterday for Valentine’s Day from a work acquaintance of Michelle’s. The cups employ most of…
02/12/2021: the advent of social audio
For years, I have wondered to myself, “where is the audio-only version of [Twitter/instagram/TikTok/etc…]?” In articles or blog posts where I would hope to find the answer, I would only ever find explanations of why audio was decidedly not a viral format. Viral or not, it has always seemed to me that there’s enough appreciation…
02/11/2021: vinyl
A couple months back while on a morning run, I came upon what looked to be a neighbor’s moving day trash. Sticking out of the pile and catching my eye was a mid-90s SONY stereo, resplendently protected from the elements in its original cabinet–one of those old rolly things with the components on top and…