Marking March Madness with some record-breaking magic, Jared McCain earns his first Dazzler of the Day crowning thanks to a spirited performance this past week as a Blue Devil. Of greater interest, and more potent power, is his confidence in pulling off painted fingernails in the manner of the trailblazer that he is.
When you work at home, the best way to demarcate the end of the work day and the start of real life is to have a meditation session. Mindfulness matters.
Out of all my younger years, I think it was the year I turned 14 that was my favorite. In so many ways, it was the last year of real innocence, and the first year of many awakenings. It also seemed to mark the beginning of the age when memories solidified into the soul I hold to this day. The age of 14 was when I started to become the young adult I would end up being. For those reasons, this is a very special birthday for the Ilagan twins.
My niece and nephew, Emi and Noah, have celebrated thirteen of these days before, and given the promising section of life they are entering, it feels like a fine time to look back over those previous thirteen celebrations. Here we go…
#13 ~ In which a letter to Noah and a letter to Emi marked their entry into the teenage world.
#12 ~ In which a dozen years have flown by like eggs in a carton.
#11 ~ In which a full year of COVID wreaks its sustained havoc but there was still time to celebrate.
#10 ~ In which a decade of the Ilagan twins finds us looking back again.
#9, 8, 7 ~ In which a few years get away from me posting wise (and the best parts of life take place offline).
#6 ~ In which a birthday celebration takes place in a children’s museum.
#5 ~ In which the twins and their friends rounded the half-decade mark.
#4 ~ In which a birthday double-header brings happiness to the family.
#3 ~ In which a ride in the Radio Flyer signifies a Happy Birthday.
#2 and #1 ~ In which the birthday blog posts were part of all those lost in a revamp. We lived then, offline, and in all the glory that being off the grid entails.
Happy Birthday Emi and Noah! See you for dinner tomorrow!
Only when the power goes out does one truly hear and feel the difference modern technology has imprinted upon our senses. First and foremost, obviously, there is the question of light. Without electricity we are at the mercy of natural daylight, and when that goes, wow does it go. In the absence of the moon in the sky, the darkness is deep and impenetrable. Second, and perhaps more powerfully in this day and age of non-stop sensory overload, is the absence of noise. All television and music is instantly silenced – the difference of that alone is startling. More shocking is the absence of all the background fuzz and static – the running of the refrigerator or dishwasher or heating system – things that normally fade into the periphery, suddenly given new prominence in their noticeable absence. Even the barely-there humming of a problematic light or the never-before-noticed whirring of a humidifier make their disappearance felt. It is a profound and reverent silence, and one which I appreciated despite the annoyance of the recent power outage.
Almost every room or space in which we find ourselves is rarely without all sources of sound. The absence of power illuminates a meditative opportunity, as the only noise eventually becomes your own breathing, or the creaking and crackling of your body, the brush of clothing or the footfalls as you walk from one silent room into another. It was a moment that begged for mindfulness, that practically demanded one stop and take notice of our suspended state. For that, I was grateful, and almost wished we could have half an hour every day of being without the usual distractions and noise.
I’m strange that way. Most people get immediately and unbearably bothered by such silence and stillness. We are so accustomed to the noise and the stimulation. Embracing this quiet, I seek it out now that it has receded. In the reflection of a window during the recent storm, a group of candle flames looks as if it is emanating from the pine bough. You only hear the sound of a burning candle when it’s extra quiet, and it’s enchanting.
Sneezing while peeing doesn’t happen often, but when it does, watch out.
Most Fridays are good, but this one has been officially christened as such by the doctrines of the Catholic faith. That’s right, it’s Good Friday, an ironic name given the story that takes center stage on this day in Catholic history. And while we’re soaking up the irony, here’s me in a baseball cap – the same Red Sox cap I’ve had for a couple of decades. Ideal for bad hair days, or lazy non-shower days (hey, it’s that why this is the de facto accessory for straight guys?) the baseball cap is far too ubiquitous for me to don with any sort of regularity, but once in a while, when I’m feeling down, or just want to blend in unnoticed, I’ll slip it on like some not-so-elaborate disguise that instantly puts me below the radar. My own little invisibility cloak. Perfect for a Friday good or bad.
With a rising television and entertainment profile, Scott Nevins offers a pretty face backed by a witty take and killer bod that merits this crowning as Dazzler of the Day. Check out his online presence here for further evidence of his brilliance.
I cut an onion three days ago and my hands still smell like it. This is why I shouldn’t be cooking.
A spring ice storm is an infuriating event. Even under the best of circumstances, which would typically find them blowing quickly over, the ice and snow disappearing as quickly and easily as they came, they are an annoyance, lending danger to a time of the year when we just want to get out from under winter. Our recent bout with an ice storm took out several power lines and plunged us into a cold darkness that lasted three days.
After COVID, and after last year, a few days without electricity was merely annoying, and not as trying as it would have been without a bit of perspective. Andy and I grew a little closer in the shared endeavor of basic survival in ‘Little House on the Prairie’ fashion, lighting candles and warming our tea kettle on the gas fireplace, sole source of warmth in our basement. Suzie would later remind me that I’m more Nellie Olsen than Laura Ingalls, and who could argue with Suzie?
By the time the electricity came back on three days after we lost it, Andy and I both seemed to feel a little let-down at the not-so-sudden return to bright light, television noise, and all the beeps and bells and humming wizardry of modern technological advances. As much as I had missed the convenience of electricity, I also suddenly missed the quiet and stillness that the power outage had given us, whether we realized how much we wanted it or not.
A recommendation from Suzie’s household, Son Heung-Min is our Dazzler of the Day, who has wowed football fans the world over for his on-field prowess and leadership for Tottenham Hotspurs. I like that team already. According to Suzie, he’s just pure class, full of sunny attitude, and friendly as fuck. More impressively to me, he was a Calvin Klein ambassador, who will likely be seen here again shortly.
It’s ok if the garlic dies.
It might be hardy enough.
I have to let the lilacs go.
If they grow back, great, if they don’t…
You know what’s going to survive?
Me.
You.
That’s going to live.
Those roots are intense.
Every poo-poo time is a pee-pee time, but not every pee-pee time is a poo-poo time. Attributed to Tik Tok via Pat.
During the first season of ‘Downton Abbey‘ it was Theo James who ignited the most dramatic fall-out following a dalliance with Lady Mary (and unfortunately expiring in her bed). Since then, he’s gone on to make a name for himself, and his body, with head-turning performances in ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ and ‘The White Lotus‘. With this, he earns his first crowning as Dazzler of the Day, and these GIFs are more than ample justification for that… and more.
Like other intriguing double-sworded events, an ice storm can be as beautiful as it is dangerous (and fucking annoying). I captured these photos at about the same time that our interior house temperature fell to what was outside (just kidding, it only felt that way). As the power is not yet on as of the time of this writing, if you don’t hear from me I’m either unable to post or I’ve expired from the cold. Fingers-crossed.
