Good book. I cared about the characters. I was on edge the entire time (which is not always my jam but I enjoyed this one). Definitely recommend this one. #Reading

53 years ago today, the last U.S. combat troops left South Vietnam, ending America’s direct role in the Vietnam War. I remember seeing this anti-war PSA back then. Its message is sadly still very relevant today as Trump drags us into another unpopular war.

Author won Nobel prize for literature, so I don’t need to pump this book up with my words….unlike anything I have ever read (heavy on astrology, which is not my thing, but works well in the narrative).

This is about as ‘snow day’ as it gets…

I am in a long line at gas station, but not sweating a thing, Waxahatchee keeping me company.

Very interesting read about the fall of the Shah of Iran. If you ever need a reminder that the people we put in power are just flawed humans that make terrible mistakes, read some history my friend.

Saw Jesse Welles tonight, just a great show. SG Goodman definitely a top level opening act.

I really enjoyed this book, ha, despite an awful review from the Times…a short read and well worth the time.

The author changed up the formula for this book, very enjoyable but not quite the same vibe as the first too books, expect something different.

more MLB players probably know what cloud seeding is than have read a single book in the last five years

Ah, the ‘you think we are having midterm elections, lol?!’ dipshits are out on full force today.

In solidarity with today's ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA blackout, MinnMax is donating $1 to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota for every share of this Bluesky post for the next hour.

My library reading program suggested a book about sports, so I picked up Ball Four, and what a great choice it was. So amazing to see the inner workings MLB through the eyes of a player. #Books

Does this picture suck? Why yes it does. But those black dots you can barely make out are part of a convocation of 20+ bald eagles that were flying over the Iowa River in Iowa City. I had never seen anything like it, but was way too cold to unpack the car and get my camera.

Does this picture suck? Why yes it does. But those black dots you can barely make out are part of a convocation of 20+ bald eagles that were flying over the Iowa River in Iowa City. I had never seen anything like it, but was way too cold to unpack the car and get my camera.

Went to the Iowa - Michigan St game Sunday, pretty full house by tipoff, on Sunday night in a snow storm. Iowa supports women’s basketball like no other!! And what a great game it was!

Feeling that special kind of melancholy that occurs when the holiday break is over and you start taking down Christmas decorations…

Finished Greedfall yesterday, will be the last game I finish in 2025. I enjoyed the game and the story…I had an unfinished run a year back but started fresh and found it entertaining this time around.

Hadn’t read a Sherlock Holmes book since I was a teenager, and this was a great take… I cannot recommend ‘the all of it’ enough, 147 pages and not a word is wasted.

Good morning, Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! Christmas Eve day was lovely in its simplicity..walk to coffee shop w/friends, lemon/blueberry puff pancake, 5k run, carols/candles at Unitarian gathering house, watching A Boy Called Christmas..prepping presents.. Now quiet moment b4 presents..

Some books I finished recently…a really interesting fantasy book from Martha Wells and the Booker Prize winner which doesn’t need any hype from me (and which I finished in one day on a too cold to go outside weekend).

Went to daughter’s Drama/Broadway recital tonight. Yesterday was her orchestra concert. Between this, writing group, ice skating, and chess club, I am constantly at her events/practices. Good problems I guess.

I finished XCOM 2 yesterday. I had completed the game up to the final mission many years ago. I see why I put it down…this was by far the most unbalanced, unfun, ridiculous final mission in any game I can remember.

Went pond skating twice this weekend. Watched Iowa WBB, Kansas MBB get wins…and now Packers beat bears!

Gamers help me… Recently finished… Witcher 3 Warhammer Rogue Trader KCD 2 Baldur’s Gate 3 Cyberpunk RDR2 Wrapping up Outer Worlds 1 What should I play next? I want an immersive RPG with moving story. Please repost if you are a gamer and see this so I can get a broad range of input. Thank you!

Ha, I almost…ALMOST, got involved in a discussion with a fucking muppet that was spouting off on the WNBA negotiations and all sorts of misinformation about profitability. I need to remember there are plenty of sheep for the patriarchy on this app, just less than on some other apps.

Carver Arena in Iowa City the night before Thanksgiving (crowd filled in by tipoff)…love to see women’s sports supported. Highlight of the day was seeing Taylor Stremlow and Layla Hayes at the Bread Garden a few hours before game.

I drove to the food pantry to donate some items and ended up sitting in my car fucking weeping because of the line of people waiting in the cold for food. We need some solutions, and some leadership to get people out in the fucking streets doing something. Fuck the midterms, people are hungry.

This was an amazing read, highly recommend. Magical realism but will teach you a lot you didn’t know about the Dust Bowl Midwest.

Some books I read while sick this weekend…

As a family, we really love NCAA basketball…last night was first official action for Iowa women and Kansas men…easy victories against a couple of tomato cans.

Doug Martin - beloved former NFL player known as “Muscle Hamster” - died in police custody. 36 yrs old No details on what the police did to him. Only the police version of events right now where they say “We took him into custody after a scuffle and then he became unresponsive.” That’s all we get.

Sadly, no matter how much people want to argue over ‘what went wrong’, this explains the main issue. In the swing state of Wisconsin, you put two white people on the ballot statewide and the Dem wins, you put a black person on the ballot the GOP wins. It horrifies me that this is true, but it is.

The biggest scandal in US public life *ought* to be that we are the richest country in history & yet our infrastructure sucks, our transportation choices suck, our cities suck, our healthcare sucks, our public administration sucks, & in dozens of little ways, our daily lives suck.

Did a short Labor Day weekend road trip to Minneapolis. Great time, such a cool city. This pic is from a walk in early morning mist.

•Sid Meier’s Civilization •Elder Scrolls •Fallout •Baldur’s Gate (Forgotten Realms)

I finally finished Wolf Hall. I don’t need to add my praises, it deserves the acclaim it has received. What drove me mad is the parallels to our world today…sycophants tripping over themselves to give a despot what he wants, grifting off his scraps while the common man suffers.

Thunderstorms and feels like 97F, so what do you do??…put on some shoes that many, many people have worn and roll a ball down an oiled lane… #Bowling

This!!!! Is sickens me that fanboys for billionaires don’t understand the very simple fact that one person can not generate that type of income without exploiting the labor of others.

Book fair in the town square today…a series for the kid and something for me as well…

This poster highlights a huge problemaverage voter thinks tariffs aren’t that bad because they haven’t seen the impacts. The issue of that companies are playing games with front loading inventory because no one wants to be first one to raise prices and lose market share. Price increases will happen.

I really...REALLY struggled to get out of bed and do a run before it got hot...mission accomplished...the rest of the day revolves around a matinee of Wicked the Musical in Madison, WI...

Took a short hike yesterday (muggy as can be and the bugs were out in force)...Yellow Bellied Sapsucker was being industrious....

Cedar Waxwing…just a beautiful bird….looks like a little miscreant with the eye mask… #birds

Padres up 8-1, should be safe to go on a bike ride with the family and neighborhood friends and come back to a win….right!?!? Go Padres!!

Saturday so far…changed bed linens, redid the litter box, finished Red Dead Redemption 2 epilogue, went for a run in the hot murk, came home for sun tea and a shower… Later: Bowling with kid’s friends and their parents, Grilling something delish, WNBA all star game…. #weekends

I can not recommend this book enough, although I have to warn that it touches on very dark themes of domestic abuse and sexual assault. #books Charlotte McConaghy is an excellent writer, and I have her bestseller Migration on a shelf to read in the near future.