Shorter posts, links, or thoughts. No schedule, not heavily considered.
-
AI can be useful!
It’s the start of the school year —our first, as Jack is in Primary One— and we’ve received an email from the school outlining policies, teaching plans, and the like. The email included two PDFs, one was the letter with the aforementioned details, the second was a list of all the major events to look…
-
Crucial Track – 25 August 2026
What song makes you want to forgive someone? After my first divorce I entered what I call my discovery phase. I lived life hard, tried many different things in an effort to better understand who I was. I had a girlfriend, and then two —polyamory— and it was hard. It could’ve been easier if I’d…
-
Elizabeth Strout
I don’t tend to follow the work of an author, whilst I read my fair share of novels (25-30 a year), I switch up between various categories as I’m more interested in the wordsmithery, the imagery, and the storytelling of a novel than the genre. I’m as happy reading a ‘beach book’ —typically a police…
-
Crucial Track – 24 August 2026
What’s your favorite song about hope? You can picture the footage, hand held black and white shots of a teeming throng of young women, screaming, jumping up and down, hands in their hair, completely out of control and under the thrall of the new fangled rock music that was starting to impact the lives of,…
-
Recently Read
A weekly recap of the articles and posts I’ve read that I think are worth your time. PSA: Know What You’re Doing | The Art of Manliness — Amen to this. I’d also add an addendum around being ready to finish your transaction as well. The number of people who can’t figure out how to…
-
Crucial Track – 23 August 2026
Share a song that perfectly captures longing. The early days of relationships are wonderful things, all that new relationship energy in your system, spending as much time soaking up this new person, learning them, hearing them, feeling them, touching them, and all the time just wanting more and more and more. But life continues, jobs…
-
The best cycling buddy
He’s not 5 yet, and we stop for a lot of little rests, but hearing him “wheeeeee” down hills makes my soul soar and my heart sing.
-
Crucial Track – 22 August 2026
What’s a song you associate with your biggest mistake? We’ve all been there. That sense of feeling stuck in a situation of our own making, of knowing that we need to change something but holding on to it with the hope of what you thought you had, what you thought you’d get. It’s easily my…
-
Wasps
It’ll be wasp season soon —he says, well aware that the very idea of “seasons” is an increasingly futile one— and so any slight buzzing has me frantically scanning for something, anything, I can use as a weapon. I don’t think I’ve ever told the story of when I was stung. It was, I think,…
-
Crucial Track – 21 August 2026
What song makes you want to write poetry? Has to be Guy Garvey, a wonderful weaving wordsmith. And while there are many songs to choose, and while I already feel the tears creeping to my eyes, it has to be Scattered Black & Whites. Why? This is why: Been climbing trees I’ve skinned my knees…
-
My Favourite TV shows
Apropos of nothing, a list. Roughly ordered. The West Wing Severance The Sopranos The Thick of it Blackadder Mr. Robot Hannibal Slow Horses Luther Frasier Breaking Bad 24 Fawlty Towers The Wire Gilmore Girls Red Dwarf Line of Duty The Office (UK) Friends Ted Lasso Cracker The Studio Fleabag Only Fools and Horses The Detectorists…
-
Crucial Track – 20 August 2026
Share a song that captures the feeling of being brave. The album, News of the World, was a seminal moment for my youthful ears. I’d discovered a copy of Jazz in my parents record collection when I was around 10, and my Dad mentioned that I could probably find other albums by the band in…
-
The Plateau
Day 88. I think he sees it now. I thought as much last week but, for sure, this morning confirms it. 107.1 107.1 106.9 107.1 It’s consistent for sure. It’s a plateau. He forgets I can see that he’s gotten away from what he was doing. He’s eating a little less carefully, his exercise levels…
-
Crucial Track – 19 August 2026
What’s a song you’d want to hear while watching the sunrise? Songs are memories. I was a bleary eyed 17 year old, pulling his first all-nighter. I’d visited clubs that are now legendary —Amnesia, Space, Ku— that at the time were just places to go and drink and dance and connect. Even as a horny…
-
Crucial Track – 18 August 2026
What’s a song you associate with your favorite photograph? We have black and white version of this framed on our wall. A quiet moment for Becca. A moment where our future is captured before it has arrived. I knew she was going to be a wonderful mother, and this image captures that for me, the…
-
My son starts school today
Let me just say that again, because I can’t quite believe it. My son, our little bundle of joy and chaos, starts school today. He turns 5 in October and is very very ready for school. I think. No, he is. He is most definitely ready, and ohhh so excited. I’m not sure I am…
-
Crucial Track – 17 August 2026
Share a song that captures the feeling of being understood. I can’t recall what she said, not exactly, as we lay in bed facing each other, inches apart. We’d been talking for a while, enjoying being close to one another. It was dark now, the hours had slipped forward. We were still learning. Still harnessing…
-
Recently Read
A weekly recap of the articles and posts I’ve read that I think are worth your time.
-
Shinrin-yoku
A Japanese practice that involves spending time in a forest to promote relaxation and connect with nature. The term (森林浴) translates to “forest bath”. The idea of forest bathing —of taking time to be in nature, of slowing down and paying attention to the sights, sounds, colours and textures around you— is not a new…
-
Stop moaning about AI
It’s a great topic. AI. Easy to dismiss. Easy to praise. But it isn’t everything. Not everything needs to be in comparison with it. Not every thought shared needs to take a stand for, or against, it. Not every article has to include a reflection on it. Sometimes you can just forget AI exists. Post…