WHAT A WEEK

WHAT A WEEK

Calene had a CT scan on Thursday. You know your world is surreal when CT scans and PET scans are business as usual. I have become a waiting room connoisseur, knowing which have the best chairs and plugs for my laptop. We were running a little late so I dropped Calene off and went to park. By the time I got to the imaging center they'd already taken her back. I sat down and began to write. It was just me and some other guy across the room who was speaking loudly into his phone, using a foreign language I did not understand. I have been blessed with the ability to write anywhere, shutting out distractions as if they didn't exist. I credit being a detached introvert for this skill set.

BOOKS OF 2025

BOOKS OF 2025

It is a strange contradiction that I've read every single day this year but can only remember a handful of books. I figure that means they're pretty special. So as I eschew a list of my favorite Christmas movies, because we all know it begins and ends with Love, Actually, Die Hard, and It's a Wonderful Life…here's my list of favorite books. I have to admit that I'm as surprised as you may be about what stands out.

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HOLIDAY HEAD SPACE

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HOLIDAY HEAD SPACE

A lazy morning on the couch, waiting for the Packers game to start. Cup of coffee, fireplace roaring (hey, it's almost 50 degrees), dogs sleeping on the floor. I don't particularly like the Patriots but I like that they're beating Buffalo, just because I still see them as the underdog. Obviously, I don't feel the same about the Bears beating the Browns. Or the Jets, for that matter.

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FLY YOUR FLAG

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FLY YOUR FLAG

I am trying to give up doom scrolling. The algorithm knows me well, sucking me in and holding my attention. I don't usually pay attention until the evening, when Callie and I are hanging out and I'm not too interested in another episode of SVU.

Doom scrolling doesn't feel toxic in the moment, but in the four nights I have avoided looking at my phone I've slept better. No anxious 3 am wakeup, no need to take deep calming breaths in the darkness. I often lie there and wonder what I'm worried about and have absolutely no answer.

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THE BEAR

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THE BEAR

Greeting from Copenhagen, home to tall men and beautiful women. Callie and I just ran into my good friend (and four-minute miler) Joe Fabris in the train station. Sheer coincidence. Travel and its adventures sometimes yield random moments of wonder like that. Pretty amazing.

I'm researching and writing my way through Europe….

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LONG WALK HOME

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LONG WALK HOME

I was going to write something political for Barack Obama Day but I just don't have the energy. I'm so sick and tired of being fearful. Tired of hearing the word "dystopian." So, with the words of "Long Walk Home" ringing in my ears ("that flag flying over the courthouse means certain things are set in stone; who we are and what we'll do and what we won't"), I think I'll just write about the signing I'm doing this afternoon. Because it gives me great joy, which is very much what I need right now.