Sighing with relief as a brand new coworker agreed with me about the Bad Bunny halftime show being fantastic. 😅

My dog typically destroys plushie toys but he just got this lamb chop that he LOVES and it’s so cute.

One of my coworkers just came back to work after 3 months off & announced to me that she doesn’t believe in the moon landing anymore. This is gonna be a long shift.

Applying to jobs like “Hello, I am nearly 40 & have had so many different types of jobs, I know how to job, give me one job please.”

Having fun with synthesizers & old movies again… Here, have some weird Beethoven techno. 😁🎹🤘 #synthesizers #electronic #beethoven

It’s been awhile since I’ve just sat down in my music room to make some noise & see what happens. This feels like a good day to get back into that.

I was hesitant to start “A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms” because I assumed it would be dark & depressing but I just watched all 4 available episodes & had a great time. The tone is different than the other two shows, which is refreshing. It doesn’t rely on CGI & also it’s funnier than I expected!

Forever trying to find the balance between staying informed & endlessly scrolling. It’s so hard to do without just throwing my phone into the ocean (which I do not want to do, that would be bad for the fish & also bad for me because then I wouldn’t have a phone).

Please enjoy this photo of my dog Prince being sassy.

Cleaning out my closet & finally put all of my “performance attire” into a storage bin. (For context, I used to play in a Bowie cover band. I haven’t for about two years.) Was thinking about how much I miss playing out & realized I mostly just miss having a group of friends that I see weekly. 😂

Yesterday I was going to exercise & instead I made focaccia bread & ate it with a big bowl of pasta, which might actually be the exact opposite of exercising.

I keep thinking it would be fun to make some weird music inspired by Myst & Riven using samples from the games. 🤓

Finished my nostalgic play-through of the original Riven. Beat the game & then got to enjoy the prize, which is this end credits music. 🤘 youtu.be/FuXTG8qN3zI?...

At work there’s a whiteboard in the kitchen where the cook writes the lunch special everyday. Today under the date it said “Ground Hog Day!” And for a minute, I forgot that today is Groundhog Day & I just thought the cook was getting wild with the special. 😂 Anyway, happy Groundhog Day.

Went to the symphony last night & there was an older woman in front of me pumping her fists in the air at the end of Grieg’s piano concerto, which was incredibly heart-warming & also probably the only correct response to Grieg’s piano concerto. That one is a banger from beginning to end. 🤘🎹

Planted some tomato seeds inside today, good luck little guys! 🍅🌱💪

From the inevitable sober corner at the function: Guy drinking ginger beer: So one time I blacked out & ate a live lizard. Me drinking non-alcoholic IPA: I get hangovers from simply eating French fries, everything in life gives me a headache. BEING 38 IS COOL. 🤘

Forced myself to be social last night & had a good time but now I get to spend the next 48 hours replaying every word that came out of my mouth & critiquing my horrible smalltalk skills, nice! 🎉

Reminder that even though a total economic blackout is a great idea, rent is due soon & a lot of small businesses can’t afford to close. If you’re spending money today, have it be at a small business & pay cash! A lot of places in Portland are donating a percentage of their earnings today to PIRC.

New Hällas album is out & everything I’ve heard from it so far is fantastic. If you like epic prog rock, give it a listen. 🤘

Went to Costco yesterday & now I’m living in a world of snacks.

Rediscovered this Richard Dawson album & have been listening to it this week. It’s a bit intense but it’s so good! youtu.be/bupUrA5yvog?...

Today’s snippet is another scene in a recording studio (which is where a lot of this story takes place). #WIPSnips

People who like experimental, ambient, and/or noise music, what’s the funniest thing you’ve ever mistaken for part of the music you were listening to? For me, I think it was the time my phone got disconnected in the car without me realizing it & I listened to five solid minutes of radio static.

There’s a magical land that my characters travel to in my novel & I’m still figuring out exactly how that all works, but here’s a snippet from Russell’s first trip there. #WIPSnips

I think we all need to come up with something new to say to each other that isn’t “How are you?” or “How have you been?”

Today’s snippet takes place in a recording studio. The guitarist, Charles, wants everyone to do another take of a song before moving on. The rest of the band is getting irritated. #WIPSnips

I got the gross cold that’s been going around just in time for my weekend, so yesterday I did nothing but watch “Death by Lightning.” It was great, I recommend it.

Another snippet from “Obsidian Streets,” the silly novel about a 1970s prog rock band that I’ve been working on for awhile. In this section, the record producer is having some regrets. #WIPSnips

Letting this blueberry lemon cake bread thing cool before I glaze it. First time making this recipe & it looks a little sloppy but hopefully it’s tasty. (This is what happens when I binge watch The Great British Baking Show.)

I’m gonna bake some blueberry lemon bread, what album should I listen to?

Was looking at the musician ads on Craigslist (just out of habit/for fun) & I can’t tell who’s joking & who isn’t anymore. 😂

Somehow, I don’t have the word “activity” anywhere in my draft. So here’s the introduction to one of my favorite characters, who is doing his favorite ACTIVITY (reading in the corner while eating snacks & daydreaming about being a Hobbit). #WIPSnips

The cold times are here. 🎉

This year of reading is off to a fun start. 📚

Riven update: I made it to the fire marble puzzle & have been stuck there for awhile. 😂

Here’s a fun one. 😂 In this scene, a character simply known as “Frog Man” goes to an open mic night at a dive bar. #WIPSnips

Here’s Prince being a sassy little snuggly guy.

I finished rereading the first draft of my novel & today I’m going to start the editing process. I’m a bit new to all of this, I think I’m going to make a list of all the plot/character problems to fix & then I’ll go from there. 😬

Sharing another snippet from “Obsidian Streets,” the novel I’ve been working on. It’s 1973 & two characters are backstage before a concert. #WIPSnips

Here’s a silly conversation between two record store employees from the novel I’ve been writing. #WIPSnips

Today one of my coworkers told me that the big gossip going around about me this week is that I’ve started eating bagels on my break. I’ve done it! I’ve officially become the most boring person at work! 🎉

I’ve been saying this for a long time, but I am so embarrassed & ashamed to be an American.

I went to see “Song Sung Blue” with my parents today & it was honestly a really great movie.

I’m sad enough that I’m going to try exercising, oh no.

Hesitant to share this but I think I’ve reached the point where I can talk about it without immediately crying (maybe). A week ago today, Gertie passed away. She was tiny dog w/ a huge personality & the house just doesn’t feel right without her in it. Happy to have had the time with her that I did.

Read through the first draft of my novel & realized that about 75% of it is people either listening to or playing fictional prog rock songs. 😂

Tiny piano student: These notes are Gustavo. Me: What? Who’s Gustavo? Tiny piano student: You play them like this! *plays the notes short* Me: Oh, staccato! 😂

I picked up a book I had never heard of called “The Whyte Python World Tour” at the library yesterday because the title made me laugh. I’m only about 60 pages into it but so far it’s hilarious & fun. It’s also putting me in the mood to listen to hair metal. 🤘😂

Setting reading goals for the year. Last year I set my goal at 35 books & read 43, but I’m going to do 35 again. Used to do 50 but that would get stressful & reading is supposed to be fun. 🤪 Anyway, now that it’s January it’s what I have come to think of as “cozy reading season” & I am excited. 📚