Pancakes at the Ranch

Last Saturday morning was the annual Pancakes with Santa at Jake E's Riding Ranch. Ava rides horses here for equine therapy. Below is Ava and her horse Autumn Sky. The pancakes were great!

 

A Good Kind of Chaos

Last Friday was our school's annual Adopt-a-Kid Christmas Parties. Each homeroom class "adopts" a student from our Pre-K and Kindergarten campus who is in need and showers them with Christmas presents. In some cases, these may be the only presents the child will receive during the holidays. The day is chaotic but once you embrace the chaos it's a lot of fun. Good food. Tamales and brisket! In the afternoon we have our Freshman fundraiser, the all school Dodge Ball Tournament. My daughter played on the yearbook team. I am always roped in as an referee. I was indeed pretty tired that night!

 

Replay 2025

You have to take these Apple Replays and Spotify Wrapped lists with a grain of salt. I do listen to a lot of artists on vinyl that obviously won't appear on digital lists. I also do discography experiments throughout the year where I listen to an artist's entire released catalog which can skew the numbers. And sometimes I'll accidentally have artists on repeat. I do listen to a lot of radio (91.7 KKXT). But overall, this is a pretty good representation of my listening habits for 2025. I am always surprised weezer isn't on the lists. Guess I save them for special occasions, quality over quantity. And I listen to a wide variety of jazz artists that don't appear in the aggregate. Was surprised to see Sinatra make the top 15! Pretty accurate list. 

 

Northman

This marching band jacket stayed hidden in the back of my closet for over thirty years. Last year I decided to break it out as a kitschy retro piece. Still fits great. 

 

Think of Christmas

Yesterday I was reading the first story from James Joyce's Dubliners, The Sisters. To escape a nightmare the young narrator says "I drew the blankets over my head and tried to think of Christmas." I think this partially explains why so many people want to jump right into the Christmas season. It distracts us from the scary things of life for a little bit. It reminds us of simpler times. Things may have not really been that simple but in the eye of a child...

And we often fuzz out the bad bits of our past and remember the good. So it is with Christmas. I can empathize.  

December

Good morning! It's December 1st. Life is moving too fast! 

This is one reason why I like to wait to listen to Christmas music and decorate for the Holidays until after the Thanksgiving meal is completed. This runs counter to the opinions of many people I love and admire, including my wife. So, starting next year I have agreed to not complain when Christmas decorations begin to show up in our house before Thanksgiving.

But I believe in taking things one day at a time. I believe in slowing down and enjoying life. I completely understand the impulse to jump to celebrating Christmas. The Christmas season is short, a month at most. And in a stressful world it's nice to re-visit memories from Christmas seasons of your childhood. Nostalgia is a powerful force.

But I'm trying to be more present in my day to day life. I often want to rush ahead to the next thing. However, I have noticed that when I do so I miss out on some great things happening today. I remember Andy Banard saying on the TV show, The Office, I wish someone would tell you when you are living in the good old days.

Anyway, It's Christmas season and I hope to enjoy each day of it.  

 

 

Boomer

Cold but fun game! 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Fire and Fable

 Ate brunch today at Fire and Fable in Rockwall. 

A Really Bad Trip

1950. The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles. I get the sense this book was partly crafted in the presence of opium and hookah pipes. This is a haunting tale of a nihilistic trip through North Africa and the Sahara. It is compelling yet nightmarish and hallucinogenic. A well told story yet depressing and traumatic. I had always kind of wanted to travel to the Sahara but after reading this, probably not.

Too Long

Sometimes you feel like you've been at a place too long. I feel that way today. I know I have it good so I'm not going to go anywhere, at least for two more school years after this one. But, when you've been at a place long enough you see more and more corruption and unethical behavior. Preferential treatment for certain people etc. This happens everywhere. But often, when you're new to a place you don't see it at first. When you've been at a place a long time, serve on committees, been around the block, have seen the same sketchiness happen over and over for a long time...it can beat you down. 

And today I feel beaten down. Administration making appallingly incompetent decisions. Being asked to do their jobs for them (pressuring us to name names of co-workers who aren't doing their job). Allowing some to get away with stuff simply because they go to the right church or know the right people. Promoting people only because of who they know.

Happens everywhere and has happened since the dawn of civilization. I actually have a good situation. But sometimes when you see this stuff...it can bring you down.  

Blue

 Blue Moods

More Geckos

 

In September I posted about buying the new album from the new supergroup collaboration called Geckos. 

I can't tell you how much this album has captivated me. I really hadn't heard anything like it. I like it so much that I actually don't play it a whole lot in the fear that overplays will diminish it's impact. But when I want to relax I'll put it on the turntable or stream it. It's mystical and otherworldly. Just a fantastic record that defies easy categorization.  

Upset?

Hard to tell the difference between the Sooner and Tide coaches. I’m seeing headlines that say OU upset Bama. Is it really an upset when OU beats Bama two years in a row now? 

Bursting

The dam is at the breaking point. The files are trickling out. Believe your eyes. Believe your gut. Occam's Razor is often accurate. It explains so much. Why the man was so deferential to Putin. Why he ran beauty pageants in Russia.The question is...how many will continue to live in denial? How many will indulge in twisted mental gymnastics to rationalize the behavior of the president? How many will swear it's all a hoax? How many will continue to support a monster...a predator who preyed on the young and defenseless? 

Lights

Well, a little bit of the Northern Lights made it to Texas. Not much, but we’ll take what we can get. 

Martyr

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

A strange and powerful book clearly written by a poet. Themes that were often uncomfortable to read: addiction, death, the purpose of life, loss, rebirth, anger, reconciliation to name a few.  Plot twists and new perspectives. A fascinating and poetic read by Kaveh Akbar. 
 

Gone!

 Nico Gone!

Look Up

 Yep. Still being weird. 

Marketing

My daughter and I went to the monthly Farmers and Artisans Market yesterday. 

Stairs

 

Wait

 No disrespect to Santa, but yeah. Let's enjoy The Fall before decorating before Christmas shall we?

Yes!

 Mamdani! 

Halloween Wedding

 For Halloween we dressed up and went to a wedding. 

Time

 They are taking the time change well. 

All Saints

 Happy All Saints Day to you yesterday. 

300

300 day streak on Duolingo Spanish! And I still have trouble ordering at Taco Loco. 

Rubble

 Sad sad sad 

The Jackrabbit Looms

 

Double Rainbow

We had a very nice, full double rainbow this past weekend. Of course, any photo I took did not come close to doing it justice. 

The Wine-Dark Sea

The sixteenth of the twenty volume Aubrey-Maturin Series by Patrick O'Brian. I've been going through this series sporadically since 2003. Now, only four left! Brilliant writing and story telling. The Wine Dark Sea was very leisurely in its pace until the very end which saw a flurry of breathless activity. I have also read this series in a leisurely pace. There was even an unexplainable several year gap where I neglected to continue the story despite it being an excellent form of escapism. Well, now I'm plugging along reading about one or two volumes a year. This is a deliberate choice. I want to savor and enjoy this long and grand adventure story of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin in the British Royal Navy circa early 19th century.

Fedora Guy

This photo came across my feed. One said this dude on the right is a detective investigating the jewel heist at the Louvre earlier this week. Another said this was just a passerby. I hope this is a detective. Either way, I dig the vibe! 

Uh Oh

 

Daily Life

 

Fire Pit

 First fire pit of the season last night 

Pizza

 Dem a lotta pizzas. 

Grovey

 Roy Hargrove would have been 56 today 

Yearbook

Ava is trying something new this year…yearbook. This was her first photo assignment, volleyball. 

 

Candles

Fifth in Dave Egger's Forgetters Series. Reading these somehow makes you feel more human. I have one more on my stack and another one has just been announced. Good stuff.