This year, I read 89 books. (As I write this, there are still six hours left in the day, and I am determined to hit 90. I just never count them before they’re finished.) Of the 89-soon-to-be-90, I have read a lot of 5 star books, so many that a few are tied for second […]
Personal
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My Dirty Mug
Maritime. As one of the oldest industries, it comes as no surprise that it is deeply entrenched in history, tradition, and folklore. As result, the amount of maritime superstitions is too many to mention. A few of my favorites include: No women aboard. Do no rename a boat / ship. Do not set sail on […]
Life is better
Life is better on two wheels.It’s better with brisk winds, autumn views, and waterfalls.It’s even better with camping gear.And with chicken wings and beer.And with a near full moon on a silent stretch of the ride.Life is better at the the top of a big ass hill after a hike-a-bike climb.And even better with some […]
El Mejor
After a day spent in Old San Juan, my brother and I were ready to explore the rest of Puerto Rico. We both prefer things more off the beaten path, so we wanted to see as much of the rest of the island, the non-touristy places, as possible. We grabbed breakfast first before heading out […]
How to Read
A “library cormorant” is a phrase cleverly coined by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Omnivorous and voracious in my reading, I identify as one myself! As a kid, I read and read and read! I was always all in for the Book-It monthly Pizza Hut personal pan pizza monthly contests, the Accelerated Reader program at school, you […]
Malong’s Meditation
I had just entered the North Cascades. Newhalem, Washington is the first little town I came to as I enter the park from the west along SR-20, the North Cascades Scenic Highway. I decided to start my weekend in the park by hiking the Trail of the Cedars, a short and intimate little trail with […]
A Picnic Table, The Sun, and Me
I set out to write a good story. I had just finished reading A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. It’s a book about how to write a good story. “Story” and “Life” are used interchangeably throughout the book, both literally and metaphorically. So it also happens to be about how to […]
Get Bored on Purpose
Put your phone away. Get bored on purpose.Eliminate distractions.Be a conscious observer.Take in the world as it is. Bring back the Huh.Resurrect the Why. Think thoughts.Sit alone with them.Then think thoughts about those thoughts.And repeat.Forever.Never stop. There are a lot of places to turn to for inspiration about how to enjoy solitude, what to do […]
Write something.
Write something. Then improve it. Then write something else. Repeat this process until you have a post. Then post it. Then repeat this process. There’s no such thing as writer’s block. There’s simply a fear of bad writing. Do enough bad writing and some good writing is bound to show up. And along the way, […]
Family recipes
I was taking a walk the other day and thought about how I had recently turned 35 and thought maybe this would be my year to run a marathon. I thought about kicking off my training by turning my walk into a walk/run interval workout. And then I thought about my grandma. She once told […]