Eclipse Day!

Well, that was one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced. Total eclipse. We were lucky to be in the path of totality. When it got completely dark the world grew silent for three or four minutes. It was a mystical and spiritual experience. 

 

New Believer!

 Friday the newest Believer came in. Three day weekend and an eclipse! 

Live on Radio

I have to admit I didn't re-up my MLB Radio Subscription last year. My subscription from the previous season ended at the end of April of 2023 and the Royals were so pathetic I decided not to fork over the money for another season of broadcasts. I'd still keep up with them online but wouldn't pay for such futility. I did make it to a couple of games, one in KC and one in Arlington. But last season was horrible.

Now it's 2024. Although the ownership still ticks me off with their desire to demolish Kauffman Stadium and build downtown (I'm glad the vote failed!) I did like seeing them invest some money in free agency and extending Bobby Witt, Jr. It was a refreshing change for the Kansas City Royals.

So Opening Day, I re-upped for the audio broadcasts. And I'm glad I did even though who knows how this season will turn out. Listening to Denny Matthews, now in his 56th year broadcasting Royals games, is comforting. Reminds me of my childhood. I don't often get to listen to entire games, but just 4 or 5 innings is a nice respite from the world.

And so far, the Royals starting pitching is looking pretty good! If we can get the bullpen going they might make some noise in the AL Central this year. That's all I want this year...some noise. Give the division a run. Make things interesting. 

Desert Stories

A few months ago I stumbled upon Desert Oracle Radio and have been busily going through their back podcast catalogue. I have a lot of eps to catch up on! The show's host and creator, Ken Layne, also publishes a quarterly field guide magazine to which I quickly subscribed. I thoroughly enjoyed the first issue I received and discovered that many of the earlier issues have been compiled into book form, Desert Oracle Volume One. Got that for my birthday and finished it last night. So enjoyable. Short little vignettes on desert weirdos, wildlife, UFO sightings, myths, history of the Mojave and much more. True escapism for someone like me stuck in the metropolitan madness of Dallas, Texas. Highly recommend the show, magazine and this book. Greatness.

Bewilderment

Richard Powers is a genius. Bewilderment is an astonishing and devastating read. I had to just sit still for awhile after finishing it. Spectacular. I identified with too much of it. It really hit home. 

Thoughts on the word "bewilderment." In this context, of course, the normal definition applies...confusion and surprise about what someone is experiencing. Discombobulation. But I also have to think of be-wild. Things returning to the wild maybe? Or being entranced with the wilds of nature and existence? All of these work with the context of this book. A compelling read.

McKinney Falls

While in Austin we went hiking in McKinney Falls State Park. We were surprised to find it within Austin itself. It is a beautiful park with great trails.

 

Space Age Truck

We were in a parking spot outside of a Starbucks in Georgetown, Texas when this thing pulled up next to us. One of Elon’s Cyber Trucks. I had never seen one in the wild. Very strange looking but they look better in person than in the online photos I had seen. Strangely enough we saw a different one about 10 minutes later. Two sightings in a few minutes. Must be popular in the Austin metro area. 

Easter!

 Happy Easter! This photo was taken in 2014! 

Oasis

The food at the Oasis in Austin is mediocre but the views spectacular. 

 

UT College Visit

 

Opening Day!

Opening Day. No I’m not at the game today. This is a couple of years ago. I’m there in spirit. 

DISASTER!

My home county has declared a Disaster Declaration in anticipation of Eclipse Day on April 8th. 

Multitudes

 

Been listening to Multitudes by Feist a lot lately. Very powerful with layers of emotion and deep harmonic resonance. Highly recommend.

99

 

Recently my wife and I have been watching old episodes of Brooklyn 99 as a way to unwind from stressful days. We didn't watch it the first go around. It's pretty good stuff!

Kane

Yesterday was a rare day when I found that I had the house all to myself for a few hours in the morning. So I popped some popcorn and put Citizen Kane in the DVD player. It was as great as I remembered. It had probably been twenty years since I had seen it last. And now, it resonates with the surreal cult of personality that has surrounded Trump the past several years. A 1941 movie with eerie prescience for the 2020s. 

Totality

 Saw these at the Kaufman Walmart. Better get ready. 

The Eyes

 The Eyes and the Impossible is an all-ages book by Dave Eggers. This was a delightful read and I enjoyed the experience of reading it greatly. A tale told from the perspective of a wild dog who lives in a great urban park. Honestly, I'm not usually interested in these types of stories but I found this one evocative and emotionally wrenching at times. Eggers is a master of prose. The artwork was beautiful, the hard-bound book of great heft. I highly recommend this book.