Almost two weeks have elapsed since my last post. I need to get better about that. I need to get better at a lot of things.
Sunrise and sunset. I appreciate them a little more lately. It’s been a rough week, but I’m down about 7 pounds since first of the month.
Another long walk, and more rain. Thankfully, I didn’t get soaked. A mix of sun and rain all day. Around 1:30pm, a cell rolled through with thunder, lightning, and a bit of hail.
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4 miles today. Picked up a new pair of walking shoes on New Year’s Eve, and broke them in this morning. Harvested the last of the tangerines. The hot tub has a slow leak and one of the fence posts on the south side of the backyard is failing. And, I’m taking the dog to the veterinarian this afternoon because she’s been wheezing the last 36 hours. 2026 is off to a beautiful start.
]]>When you start buying in bulk, your habit becomes a lifestyle.
Reflecting on 2025, and reflecting on dissertation research. I feel like my research topic has shifted several times this year, and that shift seems like a perfect metaphor for this year. Shifting direction. Shifting gears. Shifting objectives.
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Napa, St. Helena, & Calistoga
*earlier this month
]]>Some years, the days between Christmas and New Year feel like living in an alternate universe.
High winds and heavy rain showers on Christmas Eve, with more high winds and rain on Christmas Day. Two of the NFL games were on Netflix, and the evening game was on Amazon Prime Video. Not sure how I feel about that arrangement, but it was delightful spending time with my favorite people.
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A nice night out: Sam Horne’s Tavern, Folsom Hotel (formerly Sturm’s), and Plank
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Limoncello Cranberry Spritzer and meatballs. Heavy fog and loud spaces. A murder-mystery to solve. Still fun after 20+ years.
]]>The fog has lingered for weeks. And, the tangerines are ready to harvest. These are the things I think about before I fall asleep.
2025 Holiday Party
]]>Mealy bug infestation a weeks ago almost devastated a few of my succulents. Neem oil seemed to fix the problem. I’m happy to see that they are now thriving. 🪴
Is it a credenza? Is it a sideboard? It is definitely a lot of parts. Assembly took about 4.5 hours total. Also got some nice, ceramic dinner plates made in Romania and a jar of lingonberry spread.
Day trip. Through the backroads and fog of Sonoma county on the way there. Sunshine and traffic on the return.
Cooper Black 24pt
A quick trip before the seasonal snowstorms interrupt travel over Donner Summit.
]]>An especially bright orange sunrise, with marine layer and smoke from the fires to the south
August 2025
A short trip to Reno this past weekend. Stayed at the J Resort, my new favorite.
]]>I don't see enough people mourning over the slow death of physical media. And I don't just mean TV shows, video games, or movies--which don't even get me started about how we don't really 'own' anything anymore. It includes notes, journals, and letters to one another...so much of our history is lost when we lose a password, a website goes down, a file/hardware is corrupted, or a platform disappears. History that doesn't seem important until you no longer have access to it. Physical media does a lot for memory recall. How many memories will we lose because we don't have something tangible to tie it back to? Something to hold in our hands and stir up those memories we thought were once lost? Sometimes I wonder what the difference between burning a book and losing access to physical media is when someone can pull the plug and remove your access so easily.
The kindest people are not born that way, they are made. They are the souls that have experienced so much at the hands of life, they are the ones who have dug themselves out of the dark, who have fought to turn every loss into a lesson. The kindest people do not just exist – they choose to soften where circumstance has tried to harden them, they choose to believe in goodness, because they have seen firsthand why compassion is so necessary. They have seen firsthand why tenderness is so important in this world.
–Bianca Sparacino
“Love where you live”
Amador County wine country appreciation post.
