What I've been up to - Summer 2025

Where I went

Some family members of mine pooled credit card points and gave Anna and I a trip to Ventana in Big Sur. It’s undoubtedly the swankiest place I have ever been and probably ever will be. I felt like such a fish out of water. But it was also an incredibly relaxing time in the middle of what was a very stressful season of life. The view was stunning. The food was included and great. Our room had binoculars. Binoculars! So I took a morning walk our first day there and saw loads of woodpeckers. Few things make me happier than walking and seeing loads of woodpeckers.

If I have one criticism, it’s the vinyl situation. Each room has a record player and the reception lobby has a library of albums to take back to your room. Awesome! Except the turntable is a Crosley suitcase player. I’m not trying to be a snob, but the quality was awful. It would not take much to upgrade that significantly.

What I played

I got a Nintendo Switch 2 as a combined birthday present from a lot of my family. I’ve been really enjoying it! Mario Kart World is the main game I’ve played on it, although I’ve dipped my toes into Spiritfarer and Persona 5. I also have been playing Minecraft again with my nephews, which is such a joy. Crazy to me how long that game has been relevant.

This month, I’ve been doing a lot of late night baby-holding so I was looking for another game to hold my interest. I’ve had Divinity: Original Sin II in my Steam library for ages, but never really played past the tutorial area. I’m trying it out again and enjoying it a lot. It has a very funny & interesting world and the combat/skill building is a lot of fun. I’ve already spent an inordinate amount of time planning out my party’s skills and attributes in a text document. It’s like math, but for magic!

What I read

I’m continuing to hurtle through Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere books. In the past few months I’ve read up to The Bands of Mourning in the Mistborn series and I’m currently working through Oathbringer from the Stormlight Archive. It’s all very very good stuff. Oathbringer in particular has been pretty moving for me so far. I’ve been reading them mostly through my library’s ebooks via the Libby app (and a used Kindle), while also using an Audible deal I got to listen to the audiobooks simultaneously. That way I can read it when I have downtime and switch to the audiobook when I have to drive somewhere or fold laundry (which is all the time these days).

What I listened to

These albums dominated the last few months for me:

• Straight Line Was a Lie is The Beths’ fourth album and it’s fantastic. I think they might be my favorite band (but it could be a tie). Their lyrics never fail to sweep me away.
• Double Infinity by Big Thief has been less on my rotation, but it’s still very good. I’ve only listened to it a couple times through. First impressions say it doesn’t quite hit their usual highs, but it’s still a very solid album with some standout songs.
• The Mario Kart World Soundtrack is not officially available anywhere which is tragic. It’s simply some of the best video game music of all time. There are new arrangements of some of the most obscure Mario themes. It’s my go to soundtrack for getting work done.
• Anna and I loved The Weepies, so it was a nice surprise to see a new album from Deb Talan, half of the now-inactive duo. I Thought I Saw You is really nice. A great album to drive to.
• Not new albums, but I’m rediscovering Hem’s albums Rabbit Songs and Funnel Cloud lately. They’re a welcome intro to autumn.

What I watched

I didn’t get out much to watch new movies. What else is new? But I was able to go see a few. I saw Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning, which was just as ridiculous as I hoped. Fantastic Four: First Steps was a nice Incredibles-esque entry into the MCU (but Incredibles still stands head and shoulders above it). KPop Demon Hunters was fun and I get why people are obsessed! But it didn’t completely hit home for me. Perhaps it was the setting I watched it in (a hospital... just how the filmmakers intended...?).

What I worked on

I run video & communications for my church, and so most of what I’ve been working on is lots and lots of interviews. What’s nice about doing so many in a row is that I was able to set up the lighting and cameras once and then mostly just leave them in place (with a few tweaks here and there). That being said, cutting down a 30-45 minute interview down to 3 minutes every week is brutal. Talk tracks are always the hardest part of an edit for me.

I’ve also been doing a lot of thinking about how to work & communicate more effectively. I’m trying to move us away from email for internal comms, for example. And I’d like to move our external comms away from social media and towards posts on our own site (POSSE, baby). With every passing day, I feel like most social media is just not worth pursuing as means to reach our members. But it all feels a bit like redirecting an ocean liner, so we’ll see where things go.

Who I met

Well, one person in particular caught my eye...

We welcomed our second daughter to the world on September 7th. We’re exhausted, of course. Sleep is a rare commodity in our house these days. Our first daughter slept through the night pretty early, so fingers crossed for the same here.

I’ll leave off with this: Nothing quite puts life in perspective as witnessing the birth of a human being. We all come from the same place. We are all born to a mother, tiny and helpless, and live only due to the care of those around us. Not every child is loved, but every child deserves love.

I’ve been trying to avoid doomscrolling late into the night (to preserve the aforementioned little sleep I get), but I can’t avoid the news. I have a lot of thoughts and emotions regarding the national events of the past month, that don’t yet feel fully formed in my mind. But I think above all, I feel sorrow.

We’ve been doing a poor job of loving and caring for those around us. I feel sorrow for the flames of hate being stoked. For the othering of our fellow human beings. For the denial of basic rights. For the lack of action to prevent death. For the actions that cause it. And especially for hateful words designed to hurt someone’s child.

The world is not a hypothetical. There are real ramifications for words spoken. Let your words be words of love and not hate. Think — really think — if what you’re doing and saying is born from love.