Honestly, I don’t care if one of the upcoming Kamala Harris interviews is with allegedly one of the most popular podcasts out there. A podcast where half the episode titles include the words “b##w jobs” has no appeal to me, and makes me sad for the state of our culture these days.

Catching up here. I spend most of my online expression time on Threads, which I realize is a cardinal sin against the gods of the indie web. But I might as well update this place with random thoughts this weekend.

  • Work still busy. It will always be busy.
  • Started on Wegovy more than a month ago. I’ve only logged a net loss of 5 pounds so far. Tired and nauseous but finding it easier to act appropriately when the shot diminishes my appetite.
  • C has been out of town a lot for work in Iowa. Employer allegedly going to keep him home after this week with a new assignment, but his employer is a flighty and reactive pain in the ass. I’ll believe it when I see it actually happen.
  • Padres baseball brings me tremendous joy.
  • Trying to live somewhat sanely and healthier. Attempting to pull back on late nights catching up with work and getting a decent amount of sleep.
  • Distancing myself from my old parish, heretofore referenced here as St. MAGA’s, and considering transferring entirely to our neighborhood parish down the street from us.
  • Wrestling with a lot of complicated emotional pain as fall hits. This was my sister’s favorite time of year. Hard not to think of her as the leaves turn.
  • The run-up to Election Day is deeply fraught with hope and anxiety.

It’s going to be a long couple of months.

Not shown: white-on-black Black Flag-esque logo T-shirt for errands about town.

Posted this yesterday on Threads. (Yes, it should be “he’d” rather than “he’s.”) For a post not referencing Taylor Swift, the engagement is surprisingly off the charts.

And no, I don’t hang out on Threads or any other platform (including this one) for the engagement. But I appreciate it when people applaud me publicly amusing myself.

I spent 20+ years in “legacy media” until I left before I became a layoff statistic. It’s sad to see how public trust in the media, even the hallowed New York Times, has plummeted. It’s sadder to know how often I share that distrust these days.

Welp. Those get-out-and-vote postcards to Texas ain’t gonna write and send themselves. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

His timing is impeccable, even while he’s speechifying.

Recliner. Muumuu. Padres game on the TV. I needed all this today.

Honestly, this is like finding out that a person you thought was dead actually just passed away.

Watching video of Tim Walz at a Wisconsin rally in the hot outdoors and pausing a while as someone in the audience got help for heat exhaustion.

“Take care of one another,” he told supporters, making sure that person got treatment and water. He kept an eye on the person being treated and asked others nearby if they needed water, too.

Ultimately, he said this campaign “[is] not about mocking. It’s not about name calling.” It’s about taking care of one another.

I don’t know who this Canadian broadcaster is, but I want her glasses and her earrings.

I think I know who I’m rooting for in the Kamala Harris veepstakes.

My office intern is a big fan of watching YouTube sports talk from San Diego.

Showed F a package of mini naan from Whole Foods and she went “Awwww” like I showed her a litter of orange kittens.

For once, I’m prepared properly to watch my Padres at home here in greater Chicagoland.

This is Monday around 6:30 a.m. Central time at Chicago O’Hare. This may explain why our Delta flight from San Diego was canceled the day before and why we drove to Phoenix to catch a flight home (because there were none to be had from anywhere in Southern California).

So we’re finally laying my sister to rest tomorrow. Been in town tying up loose ends. Had hoped to help our brother with cleaning the house today but ended up bouncing around three different bank branches to close out my sister’s account. That was surprisingly tiring.

Did get to spend time with her at our hotel, which she was very fond of. They served her favorite chilaquiles at breakfast. Brought her some this morning. Her favorite iced mocha came later.

I find myself tired a lot lately. Had to go nap after breakfast with friends this morning.

Hoping that a cold brew during a little Hobo(nichi Weeks) time will revive me this hot Saturday afternoon.

Thought long and hard about whether to try road-tripping to Fort Wayne tomorrow to check out Yu Darvish’s start with the High-A TinCaps. But even with the day off work, it’s almost a 4-hour drive each way for a night game, and C and I have to work the next morning.

Still looking to head over for a Sunday day game before the season is over, though. Yu (hopefully) won’t be starting then, but that’s okay.

Six months after setting this up, I am playing significant catch-up with my Hobonichi Weeks, complete with new Raygun stickers.

So, now we’re looking at a mid-July graveside service for E and a “celebration of life” reception afterward. The initial plan was to do this sometime this month, but a COVID spike in California made me especially leery of scheduling something in June. I know, it might not necessarily let up in July, but at this point, it just needs to be done.

The funeral home wasn’t much help after leaving me hanging for 2 weeks on plans for a June event, anyway. I finally have a phone appointment with them next Tuesday to work out graveside details. (I’m looking at a restaurant or event venue that will be far cheaper and have better and more generous food options than the overpriced memorial park.)

Now I have something new to distract me: ideas for an informal reception where we can eat, drink, and share stories – and where we can be as generous to friends and family as Eleanor was in life. There will be sadness, yes, but there will be food and laughter. That’s the goal, anyway.

Sometimes I just want to just scroll through a social media timeline without the pressure of a post prodding me about what I’m doing or thinking.

Guy made baseball history with 13 straight strikeouts. This is how he celebrates.

Respect.

Proud of myself for celebrating National Italian Beef Day one day late on Sunday with a Portillo’s drive-thru order.

Another weekend, another Pokemon Go Community Day with the teenager. Here’s my friend code if you’re a fellow traveler.