Yes Lisa.
Thanks to a friend that’s still on Facebook and a part of a neighborhood moms group, we got the name of a good plumber to help out with the frozen pipe debacle. We’re punting a long term solution for that until warmer temps, but did get our water heater replaced in the meantime.
Water temps are now gloriously more than warm enough.
Until we get organized and have a folder with home appliance updates, I’m making note here where it’s easy to find.
I was too young to understand Jimmy Carter’s presidency as it happened, but my appreciation of his commitment and regard for humanity grew through the years.
Today was the last day for the flag to be at half staff to honor his life and service.
At the end of 2023 a friend put out a call if anyone would like a word.
She’d consider each recipient and write a word or phrase that came to mind — a totem for the upcoming year.
I received a card with mise en place handwritten with a note about the process and intent. I kept that card at my desk throughout 2024.
Often when feeling flummoxed, I’d tidy and find the card buried in the layers.
And things were righted.
My word for 2025 is Perspective and I like the angles it inspires.
Hat tip to Jasper for today’s soundtrack.
Watch the new Bob Dylan movie with Timothée Chalamet that’s over 2 hours long or go to lunch? We chose the latter to celebrate my brother’s birthday a few days late.
His choice was The Old Spaghetti Factory, a place our family visited for special occasions like this. They had this magical warehouse space downtown on Pete Rose Way. It was torn down in 1998 to make room for the football stadium (Details and a few photos on the Enquirer’s website).
They still have a location in Fairfield that attempts to capture whimsy from the old space — a makeshift trolley, overstuffed chairs, stained glass lamps and other antiques. But more important, they pretty much have the same menu. (We’re all about the Mizithra and brown butter.)
With every entree you also get a soup or salad and a scoop of vanilla or spumoni ice cream for dessert. We chose spumoni.
Felt as plump as a Robin spotted by the driveway when I rolled home.
The small silver lining that closed out the previous night was replaced this morning with news our friend had passed.
As much as I’d like to skip this day, persevering felt prudent — in this, and the greater moments that surround us all.
—
I’d lunch planned with Tom. We kept it on the calendar.
We walked in sunshine afterward to grab coffee at a place called Deeper Roots. The temperature was above 40° for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
Tom recommended the Maple Leaf, their cortado with maple syrup and zest of orange.
I’m not a connoisseur of coffee, but this small cup might have inspired a shift in the timeline.
I thought about it long after and can still recall it today. Taste and memory can be steadfast companions.
So as I’m trying to pull words together, not enthused with the actual photo I snapped this Saturday, I went back and got another Maple Leaf this Monday morning.
It was just as good as before.
I regarded it with the memory of our friend.
As someone who tries to stack habits in attempt to encourage healthier behaviors, I wonder if I can introduce long walks to get a good cup of coffee — and while I’m at it, take a beat and honor a spirit.
Am I reaching to connect a particular memory with a heavy one? I do not know. But possibility may grow from moments unrelated.
A drop off at the airport in the wee hours.
Return home to catch a bit of sleep.
Fairly productive afternoon, fighting with software, seeing shapes come into focus.
Work can be a worry stone.
That evening I’d have dinner out, a booth to myself.
Scrolling Andrew Neyer’s Open Source philosophy about promoting transparency and sharing resources.
I notice a logo animation of the mark (Fig. 2) — the motion attributed to Luke Lehenbauer.
His website compact, with a comfortable vibe that totally expands on his Instagram account.
Oh! He also makes music.
I open a tab to listen later — I’m in a restaurant and not a heathen.
The meal is good.
A sliver of brightness arrives by text.
I well up.
Before leaving the parking lot I clean salt and weeks of sludge from the windshield.
This evening was supposed to cap off at dinner celebrating my brother’s birthday. Events transpired to shut down that possibility.
It started to unravel during a shower attempt between Zoom meetings.
There was no hot water.
Thus began frantic explorations of faucets up and down the house, leading to the discovery that there was a leak coming at the hot water heater and a meter was spinning wildly in the utility closet. What kind of meter? I don’t know. It was measuring things in feet.
Just trying to figure out what was happening involved cursing the state of web searches riddled with AI, promoted posts and vertical short form video content.
Long story short, we have a burst pipe. Plumbers were able to isolate the problem, but not access the offending pipe. We’re only out of a few hot water faucets but can limp along fine in the meantime. The water heater needs replaced. We will survive and deal with the rest when the weather gets warmer as it will involve deconstruction.
And this wasn’t the worst part of the day, but that’s not for now.
For now I am grateful this particular situation was temporarily remedied.
That headline is the text I sent to this pup’s companion along with a series of snapshots.
This fine specimen somehow finds enjoyment in this weather (and makes buffalo check look good).
All this to say, I’ve been thinking about permission of late. As technology evolves there’s more than a twinge of concern for putting stuff out there. I’ve long asked parents before posting photos of their children, but that notion needs to expand. I don’t know the answers, but it deserves rumination.
I was reading Tracy’s Guiding principles for my website, and the list resonated — not only as something I’d like to formulate for my own site, but also as a framework for online interaction.
I regarded the Christmas wreath from inside, wondering if it was time to take it down. Cold air seeped around the door frame and I had the grand idea to unload the coat hook and use every protrusion, knob and hinge to form a makeshift barrier.
It feels like it is helping. (Zoom out)
Related: I’ve moved past the lumberjack phase that inspired so many items and gifts of buffalo check. It’s a lovely pattern, but I’m branching out and trying to embrace solids and textures.
Today’s soundtrack is an album that warms the soul, thanks to a tip from Doug Wilson.
Just deleted a 200 word post about going to the store to buy light bulbs.
The only bit I’ll keep is the moment I’m looking at the store’s website trying to locate birdseed while birds were darting around the rafters.
I followed them and found the birdseed.
I don’t know why Edith is upset. I spent a good chunk of time on the couch this Sunday and let her lay on me in all sorts of ways that were uncomfortable. If you don’t care for video games, scroll down and relish her annoyance.
Now on to the nonsense!
I’ve super enjoyed the God of War series since the beginning. In fact, here’s a photo I took from that PlayStation 2 game back in 2006. Look at that CRT! At the time, those graphics were amazing. And next to it? One from the new game:
God of War was controversial at the time — there was a mini-game involving multiple characters in an intimate way. It was salacious, but tame in what I understand of ancient Greek culture.
They’ve since toned those elements down, but each release has become grander in production, scope, and the amount of buttons required to play.
It’s teetering on too complicated for my run-and-jump soul. That’s why I walked away from this sixth console outing release in 2022.
But it’s so very cold outside — like mustache freezing in minutes cold. I remember leaving this game off in some snowy environ where you could hear the sound of your steps crunch in the snow. It felt like the right time to return.
Now I’m fully invested in the grind to fend off looking at other screens.
And it’s… more than a fine grind, it has a solid storyline. I’ve been making notes of dialog…
You can’t change the past. Only how it shapes you.
Freya
Noted.
It is the nature of a thing that matters, not its form.
The lead character Kratos, encouraging another who has lost their will to circumstance
That’s some good writing! And it’s delivered with great voice acting and visuals.
So I’m going to stick with this game for a while. If anything, to have a little place to curl up and escape this cold spell that might last many years.
I’ll keep myself in check though. As much as I believe video games can be meditative, they can also overstep their bounds and become a time suck.
Oh, I’ve been taking virtual photos along the way. I don’t think there are any real spoilers. Scroll past Edie for grabs.
Before the thermometer would dip into single digits, we left the house for dinner with friends.
On the menu? Pot roast, potatoes two ways, carrots and salad. A bit of a splurge as our hosts generally stick to vegetarian options.
I was immediately transported back to this favorite meal from my youth. Mike and I were in agreement, when you got to pick your birthday meal, pot roast was our go to. I’d pair that request with yellow cake and chocolate icing.
Instead of curling up in blankets for a nap after dinner, we played a round of Mountain Goats, a straightforward dice based game that’s quite easy and enjoyable.
Capped the evening with Lebanese desserts from a bake sale to help families in Gaza — this, on the eve of a purported ceasefire.
The list of atrocities in the world seems ever lengthening. Fellowship in the shadow of unnecessary violence offers one way to ease the relentlessness.
I’m keenly aware of how fortunate we are to share in these moments.
