MARCH 2017

#60 GCF

01 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

When it’s all said and done, the thing I’ll be missing most about Oregon are the people. More than the hard-to-believe campsites, the friendlier cost of living, and the short list of restaurants I look forward to getting a taste of next time I’m back, it’ll be the people.

All that other stuff was waiting for us the moment we arrived in Eugene, but the community we had there, that took some time and effort to cultivate.

Our church felt like a family from very early on.

Many of our GCF friends were walking through some very similar challenges at just the same time.

UO introduced me to quite a few new personalities.

I am happy that it seems like many of the friends we made all seem to be entering new seasons of life, about to start on new adventures or to enter the next stage of an ongoing journey. I’m glad that for a good window of time, we got to get there together.

#61 Valley River

02 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Today I decided to go on a walk and to not stop until I felt like it. The path by the river goes on forever and allowed me to do just that.

I kept thinking about how over the past few years I would compare my life to the one I lived in my early twenties where travel, idealism, and adventure were abundant. The past couple years have been quieter ones and I often wondered if I got "off track" somewhere along the way. Life got too quiet... and I have a hard time with that. (7 trait, def.)

Then... in seemingly an instant, life became full again. I found my way back to being a dreamer, chasing opportunities I can hardly believe are open to me.

But I think I can appreciate this so much more having gone through a much quieter season. I can embrace adventure with a better appreciation for the simple things. I can be an idealist conscious of the hard work it takes to make ideals reality. That wasn't the case four years ago.

God keeps on reminding me that he isn't one to waste time.

#62 David Minor Theatre

03 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I'm gonna miss Eugene's quirky theatres.

As our last date night I'm Eugene- at least for a while, we kept it simple with a movie night and mango hefeweizens and some fantastic beasts.

#63 Joy Friends’ Housewarming

04 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

We started announcing that we were officially moving out at our friends’ housewarming party and it’s been an emotional freefall ever since.

I’m feeling so thankful for the people we’ve been able to get to know over the past couple years here in Eugene. Our friends at Joy Church were a big part of helping us develop and further our sense of community, and there are so many faces that we’ll be missing.

#64 Joy Church Eugene

05 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

A year ago, Deanna and I had yet to find a church in Eugene where we really felt like we belonged. We knew we’d know it when we found it, but also, we had already lived there for a long time to no avail.

A week later, we walked into Joy Church– a small startup group of families and people meeting at a community center by our house. We quickly gathered that they were a new church. Really new. Like, that was only their second or third week of existence. People seemed surprised that we found them, but we knew we found something special.

Between their belief that “every city needs more joy” (really, I was feeling that way about Eugene right around then) and the warmth of community we got when we went out to Killer Burgers right after the service with a bunch of people we just met, we knew that the church was the right fit.

In the past year, they quickly outgrew the community center. Outgrew the first movie theatre cinema, and are quickly about to outgrow the largest theatre in the movieplex. Also, we grew closer to a lot of the families and friends we got to know through this church.

Today they celebrated their first birthday, and it saddens me that it coincides with my first day since moving out of Eugene. But I’m so, so happy for them. And so thankful for the work Jake and Bethany and the staff and volunteers put in to making it a strong community. And so glad our stories got to overlap for a year.

I only wish I had found them a lot earlier while living in Eugene, but I guess we pretty much found them as soon as we possibly could have. Happy birthday, Joy! I hope to be able to keep visiting lots.

#65 We’re Moving

06 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

This change is gonna be so bittersweet.

I took a job offer, a really sweet one, that will start on Monday in San Diego. I drive down next weekend.

I'm going to miss Oregon. A lot. That much is clear. Long before we even started dating, Deanna and I would just talk about how much we liked the Northwest and how we'd probably end up there someday.

And we did. We moved up the week after we got engaged. We've gotten married, finished grad school, switched jobs, made friends, and adopted a dog while living in Eugene. It's a place where we made so many memories and saying my farewells the past few days has been a hard order.

It's a good thing I really like the job I'll be starting soon. And I think I'll like living in San Diego as an adult much more than I did growing up there. I'm sure we'll make it feel like home soon enough. In the meantime this week doesn't feel real.

#66 PDX Farewell Dinner

07 March 2017 // Portland, Oregon

Had to take a daytrip to Portland before leaving Oregon so I could have a farewell with these faces. One of the big things I’ll miss will be being so close to some of our Portland friends– but more reasons to keep visiting.

Thanks Jesse and Raquel for getting married so soon. This farewell dinner was a bit more like “see ya in a month."

#67 Eugene

08 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

It all kind of happened so fast. One day, I get a phone call and the offer for a job in San Diego. I always knew I was going to accept, but I called back a few days later to make things official. I got excited. A new city. A new job. A great job. There was so much to look forward to. Then it started to sink in– Leaving Eugene behind is going to be difficult.

In spite of that, I’m glad that it’ll be hard to leave. That wouldn’t have always been the case. As a smaller city, one with stretches of grey days that would seem to never end, it often tested my patience. I usually wanted more activity, more community, more things to do.

I eventually found those things, but only after it had taught me how to appreciate what was in front of me, how to balance ambition and appreciation. The ironic thing is, that makes it much harder to leave. But that’s a good thing. Goodbyes should be hard. It means you’re leaving behind something good.

#68 Birthday Beignet

09 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Our girl turned two today! (Or sometime roughly around today, but we celebrate her birthday on her adoption day.) She wasn’t so fond of the party hat but I told her it would just be for Insta.

Two is fourteen in dog years, so I guess we now have both a two year old and a teenager at home, in the same fur. 😳

Right when I was in the thick of grad school, Deanna was sure my life would be better with a fur creature in the house. And she was right! Beignet has made some otherwise ordinary nights hilarious with her antics, her silent screaming outside the door when she begs to get into bed with us, her musical outbursts when she thinks we’re about to drive towards the dog park, and her fondness for road trips to Bend.

She’s also been quite a handful at times. We adopted a really high energy dog, and there was that time when she treated herself to an entire package of extremely nutrient-rich maize meal from Africa. But she’s a sweet one and having her in the family definitely adds to our lives.

Happy birthday, Beignet. You’re our girl.

#69 Eugene Farewell Party

10 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Our friend Jordan threw us a nice send off at his ranch on my last night in town.

I’m gonna miss this group of people right here. GCF was a good community to have at a time when a good community was hard to find. It seems like a lot of us will be starting new adventures soon, but I’m glad we all did the Eugene thing together.

Also, most of my farewell events revolved around Code Names and I’m totally cool with that.

#70 Southbound

11 March 2017 // Sunnyvale, California

The long drive between Eugene and San Diego is made much better with this in the middle.

Happy birthday, Daniel

#71 San Luis

12 March 2017 // Los Baños, California

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion.

He hardly knows which is which.

He simply pursues his vision for excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide if he is working or playing.

To him he's always doing both."

–James Michener

Found this idyllic reservoir <30 minutes outside of Gilroy. I knew I had to pull over and go have fun and be thankful.

#72 Day One on the Job

13 March 2017 // San Diego, California

My first day at the new job went splendidly.

Friendly coworkers, a pretty exciting mission, and a Mexican potluck as a welcome. That’s a sign of a pretty good fit.

I’m really looking forward to getting settled in at Plant With Purpose. Plus, I have a medicine ball instead of a desk chair. Here’s hoping it does what it’s supposed to for my abs!

#73 Parental Crashing

14 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Thanks to my parents for letting me crash with them until my new apartment was ready to go.

I couldn’t stay too long because it started to feel way too much like 2004, but it was a huge help when work started a week before my lease.

#74 The Righteous Mind

15 March 2017 // San Diego, California

“If you really want to change someone’s mind on a moral or political matter, you’ll need to see things from that person’s angle as well as your own. And if you truly do see it the other person’s way– deeply and intuitively– you might even find your own mind opening in response. Empathy is an antidote to righteousness, although it’s very difficult to empathize over a moral divide."

–Jonathan Haidt

Book No. 10 of 2017

This is a book I’m very glad I read. Haidt seeks to explore while people are so often divided into liberal and conservative camps, both fueled by a belief that they’re doing the right thing.

That’s something that had interested me too, and although I don’t share every worldview with Haidt, I found his insight into moral palates one of the most satisfying theories about what defines a person’s political orientation. The short version is that there are five “flavors” of morality– care, justice, loyalty, authority, and purity. While liberals will have strong tastes for the first two, conservative tastes would be more distributed across all five.

The long version is worth reading, and I found it to be a rare thing claiming to be a helpful “explanation of the other side” that actually lived up to the claim.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#75 Luna Ave.

16 March 2017 // San Diego, California

“I’m never gonna wait
that extra twenty minutes
to text you back
and I’m never gonna play
hard to get
when I know your life has been hard enough already.
When we all know everyone’s life
has been hard enough already
it’s hard to watch
the game we make of love,
like everyone’s playing checkers
with their scars,
saying checkmate
whenever they get out
without a broken heart.
Just to be clear
I don’t want to get out
without a broken heart.
I intend to leave this life
so shattered
there’s gonna have to be
a thousand separate heavens
for all my flying parts."

–Andrea Gibson

#76 First Week Down

17 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Cheers to a really good week.

After my first week of my new job, I couldn't feel more thankful. I love it. It's exactly the sort of role I dreamt about having years ago- and now it's a reality.

Also, the USA just won the World Baseball Classic and I'm getting close to the end of reading Pachinko. So many good things.

#77 Moving In

18 March 2017 // San Diego, California

I officially got the keys to the new place on Friday and got to start moving in. It made for a fun weekend of IKEA trips, furniture assembly, and picking out a houseplant. And... no more driving around with all our stuff in the car!

Good to be home.

#78 IKEAing

19 March 2017 // San Diego, California

New apartment means a visit to a certain Swedish Meatball restaurant that also lets you try out their mattresses.

#79 Loving This Job

20 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Going to work feels a lot like I’m playing. I have a lot of fun with what I get to do, and I know that’s a privilege for sure. I get to flex creative muscles, work with great people, entertain my international tastes, and do something that I believe helps people.

Case in point– the other day I got to spend about an hour and a half brainstorming ideas for a children’s book. It was a lot like that scene in Elf, minus the angry Peter Dinklage.

#80 The New Jim Crowe

21 March 2017 // San Diego, California

“Racial caste systems do not require racial hostility or overt bigotry to thrive. They need only racial indifference, as Martin Luther King Jr. warned more than forty-five years ago."

–Michelle Alexander

Book No. 11 of 2017

Wow. This book was a challenging and important read for me. It came recommended by numerous people whose intelligence and experience with matters of inequality I respect, so I knew I had to take to reading it sooner, rather than later.

The writing in this book was plain, but in a powerful way. By laying out the statistics and historical episodes that people of color in the United States have faced over the last century I began to deeply appreciate the drastic way the Civil Rights Movement shifted public perception to make overt bigotry unacceptable. At the same time, it helped me understand the new challenges this creates.

Whenever there’s a big step made towards equality, like abolition or the Civil Rights Movement, the old inequality usually finds a new way to express itself. After slavery, bigotry took the form of Jim Crow laws. Alexander convincingly makes the case that after Jim Crow, mass incarceration became the new vehicle for racial inequality- a tougher one to fight because of its lack of an explicit label.

This book was written at the beginning of Obama’s presidency, but in many ways it’s even more relevant with age. I don't know if this would be effective in swaying somebody committed to the idea that the world is post-racial, but I found the information and facts in the book to be extremely important to deal with.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#81 Looking to Run

22 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Finally hitting a groove here in San Diego means that it’s time to start running again. Or to at least find the right trail.

Started down this one this morning for just a couple miles. I think I’m onto something.

#82 In Search of a Good Morning

23 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Still on the hunt for my morning spot- the place I get to when I’m up early enough to watch the sunrise and watch the waves crash. It’s a spiritual experience.

Started today by testing out this bench. I think even the search for the right spot will be good.

#83 Meeting Downtown

24 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Got to spend my afternoon in a meeting downtown in one of the sweetest East Village offices. Good midday visit.

You and I are off to a good re-start, San Diego. Way to be.

#84 Chris Coffee Dates

25 March 2017 // San Diego, California

From public speaking to college housing to podcasting, Chris Ward is one of my all time best collaborators.

Now that we're living in the same city for the first time in a long time, I can't wait to see what happens next.

#85 Ducks In

26 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Final Fo' Baby!

This Duck just migrated south. Still a Duck.

#86 Crossing Paths

27 March 2017 // San Diego, California

“Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment."

–Paolo Coelho

#87 The Bluest Eye

28 March 2017 // San Diego, California

“Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do."

–Toni Morrison

Book No. 12 of 2017

This was an important read that feels like one I should’ve gotten to long ago. I didn’t until now, but I’m glad I finally made up for a little lost time. At first I wasn’t sure how strongly I’d be able to connect with a book that seemed to be about body identity, but hey, I found a few entry points.

It doesn’t feel right to say that I loved it. So much of The Bluest Eye was written for the sake of intentional discomfort– something designed to provoke a little more self awareness in its reader, but in a less nihilistic way than Lolita infamously sought out to do.

It is fair to say that Toni Morrison is a gifted writer I look forward to reading more of. Her writing style is fluid, and this book still manages to be sharply provocative in 2017… all the more so when you consider when it was written. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#88 Sunset Resolution

29 March 2017 // San Diego, California

You know how there are tons of people who live close to some major attraction who never seem to take advantage of it? All the people in Anaheim who never go to Disneyland. All the people in Chicago who can’t remember the last time they just took a walk up the Magnificent Mile. The people in NOLA who know Bourbon St. is for the tourists.

I’ve been guilty of this myself. I went to college for four years right on the ocean. I never learned how to surf and didn’t make a habit of going to the ocean regularly until towards the very end. I grew up in San Diego and still have zero memories of that world famous zoo.

Well now, I live in one of the best places to watch the sun turn everything a blazing orange, and I’m feeling pretty committed to seeing it in person as often as possible. And if I miss one, I’d better have a much more legit excuse than whatever Netflix original.

#89 Moving Phases

30 March 2017 // San Diego, California

3/13 - Get to San Diego; start work
3/17 - Move into our apartment
3/31 - Go back to Oregon; get the dog; drive down the moving truck
4/7 - Back to Oregon again for a wedding; Deanna begins her drive down to SD
4/16 - Being able to eat meat and try a lot of the good looking restaurants in my new neighborhood.

What a month! Needless to say I'm looking forward to getting on to Phase 3 and taking another step towards a normal-ish life.

#90 Moving to Move

31 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Not gonna lie, yesterday was pretty much no fun. Fifteen hours of loading up everything we own into this truck, trying to keep the dog from freaking out too much, and juggling a carpet cleaner, emergency trips to Lowe's to do wall repair, and donating half our things- with more donations yet to come.

This more than makes up for my extended absence from any sort of gym.

In honor of #LiNKWeek I am now going to drive this massive, fully packed vehicle across state lines.

FEBRUARY 2017

#32 Designing Your Life

01 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“Living coherently doesn’t mean everything is in perfect order all the time. It means you are living in alignment with your values and have not sacrificed your integrity along the way."

–Bill Burnett & Dave Evans

Book No. 04 of 2017

This book was one of those business-oriented self-help titles that seemed to make some pretty grand promises on its book jacket. Naturally, I was skeptical. But it did offer some big picture ideas regarding “designing” a life that worked well for you in was including and beyond your career. Being on the job hunt and having the cleanest slate ever, I figured it would be a good time to check it out.

A lot of the ideas in the book were seemingly random. There’s a chapter in there about job interviewing and networking. One about brainstorming and mind mapping. One about evaluating your life. In one way, it made sense, but it also felt like a random assortment of exercises and ideas. Thankfully, the exercises and ideas were helpful and so they had a bit of value.

I’m thankful I read this book. I went through and did some of the exercises, so I think I got my money’s worth out of this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#33 Sinigang

02 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Mission 04: Make a version of this Filipino sour pork soup on par with the stuff you had growing up.

The Results: I mostly used Yasmin Newman’s recipe, with a few modifications. I always thought it was vinegar that gave the soup its sour taste, but it turns out… it’s tamarind! I had a good amount of seared pork belly, some bok choy, and eggplant in here. Sinigang isn’t one of my favorite Filipino foods, even when it’s good, but I thought my version turned out alright alright.

Also, I gotta get some more photogenic bowls.

#34 Pandemic

03 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Some of my favorite nights with Deanna these days is clearing the table off after dinner and playing Pandemic. We badly needed a board game we could indulge in whenever it was just the two of us. Pandemic was the perfect choice.

It took us a little while to engineer the gameplay to just the right level of difficulty, but I think we’ve got it. Great game. My one big complaint is that three of the six pawns are different shades of green.

#35 Alpaca Farm

04 February 2017 // Creswell, Oregon

The other week I took Deanna on a nice little date to an alpaca farm not far behind our house. I know you're all thinking it. Wow! This is something right out of The Bachelor!

Nothing but the best for my sweet girl. And the best means alpacas because they are the best of the best. You may be familiar with their work from the sweaters I've worn to many a Christmas party.

Alpacas. You guys are my favorite camelids and camelids are my favorite livestock. You keep doing you.

#36 Super Bowl LI

05 February 2017 // Springfield, Oregon

Give it up for the real Super Bowl MVP– teamwork. As in New Belgium teaming up with Ben & Jerry’s.

Thanks to Tai for hosting!

#37 The Circle

06 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

"Most people would trade everything they know, everyone they know- they'd trade it all to know they've been seen, and acknowledged, that they might even be remembered. We all know the world is too big for us to be significant. So all we have is the hope of being seen, or heard, even for a moment."

–Dave Eggers

Book No. 05 of 2017

I'll give Dave Eggers credit for something, he knows how to think up a book premise so interesting-sounding that I find it hard not to read. Does he always deliver? That's a different question.

The concept of a Brave New World style dystopia that emerges from some Google-Facebookish mega network sounds intriguing. And it had the chance to make some interesting points.

Unfortunately there were a few things I felt fell flat with the book. First, I don't think Eggers added anything new or substantial to the conversation that hasn't already been said in most anti-social media rants, he just lets those play out to their logical extremes.

Also, most characters lacked a believable or interesting motivation and came across as flat. I've seen the film trailers for the adaptation and I think it has the potential to be better than the book. If anyone can rescue flat characters, I'll take my chances with Emma Watson and Tom Hanks.

⭐️⭐️

#38 Smith Family Bookstore

07 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I suspected that being done with grad school would result in me reading a whole lot more. That ended up being the case. At this rate, I’ll have read a book a week throughout this year. And I’ve already come upon some good ones.

Here are some of the things that have helped me read more–

1) Using travel time well. I finished Trevor Noah’s memoir and The Righteous Mind both on extended airplane trips and with airplane time. There’s something about sitting inside a flying iron capsule that lets me enter a deeper focus I can't in “ordinary life.”

2) Designate time. I’ve been better at reading before going to sleep, mostly because it helps my mind transition and my eyes get ready to shut. But consistency is probably the big reason I’ve done so much reading this year.

3) Read with purpose. I used to force myself to read some books so that impulse purchases from four years prior wouldn’t go to waste. I cut out the impulse purchases, and as a result, the feelings of obligation also went away. Instead I look to mix up my genres, read what I’m passionate about at the moment, follow friends’ recommendations, and things that pertain to my life at the time.

#39 Here I Am

08 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

"There’s a Hasidic proverb: ‘While we pursue happiness, we flee from contentment.'"

–Jonathan Safran Foer

Book No. 06 of 2017

I picked up Here I Am both excitedly and nervously... excited because Foer's other two novels are a couple of my all-time faves, nervous because it's been over a decade since his last and what if the magic wears off?

JSF really doubles down on his style in this book, for better or worse. There's one moment when, in order to show a character's discontentedness, he lists her architectural likes... for a whole page in parallel sentences. A little excessive there, and without a character like Oscar in Extremely Loud, it felt more out of place.

But! There are these moments where Foer rears his brilliance at showing a character's complicated interior life through amazing narration... as he does when the character Jacob realizes the scarcity of moments that make him feel alive.

Compared to his well-received other novels, this book takes similarly great creative risks but lacks a loveable central character like Oscar or Alexander. Jacob is an overly familiar mopey 40-something divorcee and Sam is a more cynical twist on Oscar. While the first half of the book is extremely domestic, it does take a more captivating and creative turn when geopolitical drama surrounding Israel is introduced.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#40 The Waiting

09 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Man, 2017 thus far has been kind of a patience tester. And I normally think of myself as a patient person. Flight delay? NBD I got a good book. But I've found that once I've gotta wait more than 24 hours with a little uncertainty in the mix, then the challenge begins.

It's tough to remember so I gotta remind myself- life wouldn't be the same without a little uncertainty, a little suspense, and a little I-wonder-what's-going-to-happen next. It's only in some messed up Black Mirror world where we know how everything turns out in the end, and even the most miraculous life events are greeted with a shrug.

#41 Lardon Rolls

10 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Mission 05: So there’s this place in Portland– Philippe’s Bread. Maybe I’m (for obvious reasons) biased, but I love their stuff. One of my favorite items is their lardon rolls, which are perfectly fluffy and carry just the right hint of bacon all the way through. My goal was to try and make some on par with that.

The Results: So I didn’t quite do that. Not that mine were terrible, but there’s a reason why Philippe’s Bread is one of the top bakeries in town. I thought mine were alright, but I wish I could’ve figured out how to get the hint of bacon to resonate throughout the whole roll. We did make some of these into buns for breakfast sliders, though, and that was just great.

#42 Early Valentine’s Day

11 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Before I had Deanna in my life, a good Valentines Day would be a rare thing. I thought I just had the worst luck ever when it came to February 14. Maybe I was being overdramatic, but also, I might’ve been right! I’m married to the best girl ever, and yet, being able to properly celebrate the day continues to elude me.

Last year it was being sick. This year I’m in California for some interviews. Maybe I’ll get a rad job and that’ll allow me to afford some pretty sleek dates.

Thankfully, we preemptively celebrated over the weekend. We went to go see A Dog’s Purpose (Giant Beignetface, as I call it) and then had dinner at Membrillo Latin Kitchen and oh my goodness, you guys, I had one of the best dishes I’ve ever tasted there. Seared scallops with black garlic and squid ink chimichurri… yes please!

#43 OMW San Diego

12 February 2017 // San Francisco, California

Good things have been happening lately!

First of all, I just learned that pandas and sea cows are no longer considered endangered due to population increases. This is actually somewhat old news, but it’s news to me. Hooray for them! Especially the sea cow. The best New Years’ Resolution I ever made was in 2014, when I decided to start calling manatees by their proper name.

On a more personal level, I’m en route to San Diego for an interview! I’m feeling cautiously optimistic, but this is the first time I’ve been flown somewhere to interview and that’s an exciting feeling.

And finally, last week I finished Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel series, Boxers and Saints. Long story short, I loved it! I thought the story was so well told, and I don’t normally read graphic novels. I’d be totally down to explore some more, if I can find others of this caliber.

#44 Interviewed

13 February 2017 // San Diego, California

The reason I’m spending a week in San Diego this month: I got an interview with an organization I'm a pretty big fan of.

Every day leading up to it was building excitement and tension. If I get the job, I figured, I would be doing exactly what I'd hope to be doing with my career– as opposed to taking a job just cause it'll feed the family. Plus, if I spent years doing something I was less in love with, I'd be putting myself in line to keep doing that in the future. But I need to nail the interview to even have an option!

Normally I would tell nobody until it was a done deal and I was hired, because that's how I like to roll. But I guess I really wanted the job because I told some people who I wanted prayers from. And I think that paid off. I think they liked me at the interview.

#45 Chris at Bankers

14 February 2017 // San Diego, California

Photography tip: hang out with your friends and get wrapped up in a conversation that goes for so long that the sun goes down and the commemorative photo must be taken using a way-too-bright phone flash and salvaged on Photoshop.

Wait, that’s not a very good photography tip… but it’s a great tip for fun!

#46 Holy Parking

15 February 2017 // San Diego, California

We’re parked!

Remember where you parked.

That should be pretty easy.

Maybe you should drop a pin?

Nah, trust me I’ll remember.

Okay, but just to be safe–

No, man. This is a parking space you won’t forget.

#47 Ballast Blast

16 February 2017 // San Diego, California

The past week in San Diego has been fantastic! And of course Ballast Point with cousins was a necessary part of the week.

A couple other good things–

One of my first favorite albums of 2017 has reared its head. If you like Jack Garratt or James Vincent McMorrow, might I suggest Sampha's newest album? I've been digging it.

Also, I've been learning some fun stuff about Mike Illitch, the Little Caesars CEO who also owned the Detroit Red Wings and Tigers. A lot of the athletes he employed are coming out and saying great things about the guy, who happened to quietly pay Rosa Parks' rent for years until she died. I love it when people do secretly incredible things.

#48 Julian’s Classy Office

17 February 2017 // San Diego, California

Ok so Julian gets the prize for coolest workspace I've visited. I mean, his desk is right over the ballpark and a dozen steps to a beer and kombucha tap.

Thanks for showing me around! Hope we get to have some more meet ups soon.

#49 Baked Bear

18 February 2017 // San Diego, California

I do love some cousin time.

So far this year has gone by at both lightning speed and at a snail's pace. It's been a couple months of hurry-up-and-wait and hoping and dreaming about opportunities that are so close but yet to come.

I have so many ideas I'm looking forward to implement. For now, I've got a couple days more to sit back and trim the excesses from my life to make sure I have ample room for what I want front and center.

#50 Chris at Legacy

19 February 2017 // La Mesa, California

Went to church on Sunday and– oh hey, I know that guy!

For real, though, I'm very proud of Chris and happy to see him in a role he's very much made to thrive in. Plus he spoke on Purim and the book of Esther which is one of my faves and one I've been into a lot recently.

#51 SD to EUG

20 February 2017 // San Diego, California

Spent a whole lot of time yesterday in airports because of crazy weather and flight delays. Thankfully I got to charm my way to some food vouchers! My visit the past week to San Diego was great! Honestly, it was one of the best times I’ve had in a city where I’ve spent a lot of time.

I loved seeing a whole bunch of family and old friends, many of whom have just moved in the area pretty recently. And I got to make some new friends I meshed with just about right away.

I was super happy to see how green it was. All that rain really paid off. I don’t know if I’ve ever appreciated it’s flora so much.

And I love how much new stuff has popped up since I last frequented its neighborhoods. New restaurants, book stores, community groups, and of course, microbreweries.

Here’s hoping and praying that I’m back again in the city very, very soon.

#52 Boxers (& Saints)

21 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“What is China but a people and their stories?"

–Gene Luen Yang

Book No. 07 of 2017

I don’t think I’ve given graphic novels their proper credit or attention in the past, so I sought to rectify that this year. I heard good things about Gene Luen Yang’s Boxers & Saints series, so I decided to start with that and I am so glad I did.

The complementary stories show two different sides of the Boxer Rebellion in China a century-ish ago, where peasants and countrymen in China rose up against the urban elites and the foreign missionaries and Chinese converts to Christianity who were bullying them. Except among those converts were people who Chinese traditions had oppressed.

This story itself does a great job of reminding us that in every conflict there are two sides, each with deeply personal motivations. It’s well told, visually, and the story got compelling right away. The elements of magical realism and heroic iconography were also awesome. The first of the two books focuses on the Boxers’ side of the story, and how one village boy turned his love of opera into his motivation to be his people’s defender. I ranked Boxers above it’s Saints counterpart, only because the story is longer and in the case of this series, that is a good thing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#53 (Boxers &) Saints

22 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“The world will never be exactly as we want it, Vibiana. But regardless of how imperfect things may seem, God’s will can still be found."

–Gene Luen Yang

Book No. 08 of 2017

The sister piece to Boxers– this book focuses more on the perspective of the Chinese converts to Christianity during the Boxer Rebellion, those deemed “foreign devils” by revolting peasants.

Of course, this book/series does a fantastic job of using a simple story to show how things are more complex than that. While many of the missionaries and their governing allies are undeniable bullies, other Chinese villagers have found acceptance among them while their societal traditions have once bullied them. The characters are so well developed, noble and flawed.

I wish that Saints was equal in length to Boxers, as it left me wanting more- but in a good way. The final scenes, in which the two stories are tied together, happen so beautifully and richly that you’re reminded of how people’s differences are equally capable of producing beauty and brutality.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#54 Matcha Shortbread Cookies

23 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Mission 06: I’m not a big sweets guy, but one of the huge exceptions would be shortbread cookies. I think it’s because they’re buttery and give you a bit of that sweet and salty magic. What could make it better? Maybe a little bit of bitter? I wanted to try and add some matcha to make it even better.

The Results: I’m happy! Matcha is one of my favorite flavors, and you really don’t want to do a whole lot to take away from its depth. I ended up using large flake sea salt instead of regular salt in the dough and it turned out to be an improvement– when eating the cookies you’ll get more scattered sharp notes of the crystals and that is one of the things that actually compliments matcha pretty well.

#55 Red Pepper Linguine

24 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Mission 07: I’ve been working on trying to get some better veg-friendly meals going. Homemade pasta seemed like a good bet- and red pepper linguine seemed to be enough of a complex flavor so I wouldn’t really miss the meat.

The Results: In terms of flavor- I’m happy. The red pepper taste was alive and well, and complemented by a modified marinara sauce, sea salt, and crimini mushroom to add a few extra notes. Unfortunately the texture was a bit off. Our kitchen/apartment is a little too small so we don’t exactly have a great space to spread out pasta noodles to dehydrate overnight, so I just had to face the fact that it would get a bit on the mushy side.

#56 Silvan Ridge

25 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

This weekend was an oasis of sunlight in the middle of a month of monotonous winter days. It was too good that we had to get out and had fun.

After getting the dog tired out at the dog park, we headed to the outskirts to do some wine tasting.

It was our first time at Sylvan Ridge… a simpler vineyard compared to the others we’ve tried in the valley, but their complementary tasting had some good malbec as a part of the flight.

#57 Hired

26 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I have degrees in International Studies and Nonprofit Management. I also have a knack for telling stories, communicating, and marketing. A job that contained all these elements would be the perfect fit for me. After finishing grad school, though, I figured I would take one that contained two of the three, or maybe even just one. I’d eventually get to that perfect fit, but I expected to have to work for a little bit in a less-fit role to support the family for the time being.

Then, I checked the website of a nonprofit organization I’d been following for years. Plant With Purpose. I discovered them through my friends Chi, Jihyun, and Youngjin three years ago and kept them on my radar. It turned out they were looking for someone to do their marketing. They do amazing work at reversing deforestation and reducing poverty… and way more people should know about the great stuff that they do.

I sent a resume. They sent emails. I sent emails. They asked me to come to San Diego. I came, ate the best burrito I had in years, and also interviewed. And then I went back to Oregon. They called me and sent emails. I sent emails. And after all that, it became official. I was hired.

And… I found this old newsletter that Jihyun gave me when he told me about them for the first time. Now I’ll be helping to put stuff like this together!

#58 The Seven Story Mountain

27 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“It is only the infinite mercy and love of God that has prevented us from tearing ourselves to pieces and destroying His entire creation long ago. People seem to think that it is in some way a proof that no merciful God exists if we have so many wars. On the contrary, consider how in spite of centuries of sin and greed and lust and cruelty and hatred and avarice and oppression and injustice, spawned and bred by the free wills of men, the human race can still recover, each time, and can still produce men and women who overcome evil with good, hatred with love, greed with charity, lust and cruelty with sanctity. How could all this be possible without the merciful love of God, pouring out his grace upon us?"

–Thomas Merton

Book No. 09 of 2017

I have wanted to read some Thomas Merton for a long, long time. The consensus was that The Seven Storey Mountain and his conversion story would be the right place to start, so I found a sweet eighties copy at a used bookstore and dove right in.

This book and Merton’s thoughts and stories are all pretty meaty and substantive. This memoir starts off a bit slow but then really ramps up a bit before the middle. It’s not the sort of book you can quickly blitz through, but it’s also not the sort of book you’d want to. While this book in particular is about Merton’s gradual embrace of the monastic life, it is scattered with the sorts of thoughts and quotes I came to expect from snippets others have shared.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#59 Dutch Bros.

28 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

One of the worst parts about San Diego? The Dutch Brothers aren’t the same. Literally. I did a search for Dutch Brothers here and apparently all they do is repair cell phone screens.

Here’s one thing I’ll be missing from the PNW for sure.

HIRE PHILIPPE

HIRE PHILIPPE TO HELP TELL THE STORY OF YOUR TEAM, BRAND, OR ORGANIZATION

BOOK PHILIPPE

REQUEST PHILIPPE FOR YOUR SPEAKING EVENT

**Philippe is on staff with Plant With Purpose, an international development organization. For any talks given that focus on or significantly incorporate Plant With Purpose's work and mission, all speaking fees will be used as a contribution to the organization's work. For more information visit plantwithpurpose.org

WHAT I'M READING

I'm an avid reader and I read all sorts of things. I've been trying to get better at writing reviews, since that's something I appreciate as a writer myself. Feel free to click through the links if any of these titles catch your interest and you want to know what I thought.

2017

• Red Letter Revolution: What If Jesus Really Meant What He Said? by Tony Campolo and Shane Claiborne  (✮✮✮✮)
• How to be Everything: A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don't Know What They Want To Be When They Grow Up by Emilie Wapnick  (✮✮✮✮)
• Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine by Sarah Lohman (✮✮✮)
• The Magician King by Lev Grossman  (✮✮)
• Side Hustle by Chris Guillebeau  (✮✮✮✮)
• To Sell Is Human: The Surprisng Truth About Moving Others by Daniel H. Pink  (✮✮✮)
• The Kindness Diaries: One Man's Quest to Ignite Goodwill and Transform Lives Around the World by Leon Logothetis  (✮✮✮✮)
• This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf  (✮✮✮)
• Shadowbahn by Steve Erickson  (✮✮)
• The Mothers by Brit Bennett  (✮✮✮)
• The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson  (✮✮✮)
• Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance (✮✮✮✮)
• Break Open The Sky: Saving Our Faith From a Culture of Fear by Stephen Bauman (✮✮✮✮)
• We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo (✮✮✮✮)
• Lila by Marilynne Robinson (✮✮✮✮)
• Amoris Laetitia: On Faith and the Family by Pope Francis (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Perfect Little World: A Novel by Kevin Wilson (✮✮)
• Truffle Boy: My Unexpected Journey into the Exotic Food Underground by Ian Purkayastha (✮✮✮✮)
• Roadmap to Reconciliation: Moving Communities Into Unity, Wholeness, and Justice by Brenda Salter McNeil (✮✮✮✮)
• Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (✮✮✮✮)
• The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui (✮✮✮✮)
• The Next Worship: Glorifying God in a Diverse World by Sandra Maria Van Opstal (✮✮✮✮)
• Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh (✮✮)
• The Enneagram Advantage: Putting the 9 Personality Types to Work in the Office by Helen Palmer (✮✮✮)
• Universal Harvester by John Darnielle (✮✮✮✮)
• Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond (✮✮✮✮)
• Age of Anger: A History of the Present by Pankaj Mishra (✮)
• The Magicians by Lev Grossman (✮✮)
• Life From Scratch: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness by Sasha Martin (✮✮✮✮)
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Silence by Shusaku Endo (✮✮✮✮)
• It's Only The Himalayas by S. Bedford (✮✮)
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (✮✮✮✮)
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander (✮✮✮✮)
• The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt (✮✮✮✮)
• The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton (✮✮✮✮)
• Saints by Gene Luen-Yang (✮✮✮✮)
• Boxers by Gene Luen-Yang (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer (✮✮✮)
• The Circle: A Novel by Dave Eggers (✮✮)
• Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans (✮✮✮)
• Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me: A Memoir of Sorts by Ian Morgan Cron (✮✮✮✮)
• Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Commonwealth by Ann Patchett (✮✮✮✮)

2016

• Chicago by Brian Doyle (✮✮✮✮)
• Going Somewhere: A Bicycle Journey Across America by Brian Benson (✮✮✮)
• Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE by Phil Knight (✮✮✮✮)
• Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton (✮✮✮)
• Street Life Under a Roof: Youth Homelessness in South Africa by Emily Margaretten (✮✮✮✮)
• The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture by Euny Hong (✮✮✮)
• Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Vicki Robin (✮✮✮✮)
• A Tale For The Time Being: A Novel by Ruth Ozeki (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Garden City: Work, Rest, and a New Way to Be Human by John Mark Comer (✮✮✮)
• Beautiful Ruins: a Novel by Jess Walter (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Cuisines of the Axis of Evil and Other Irritating States: A Dinner Party Approach to International Relations by Chris Fair (✮)
• Laudato Si: On Care For Our Common Home by Pope Francis (✮✮✮✮)
• Homegoing: a Novel by Yaa Gyasi (✮✮✮✮)
• If You Feel Too Much: Thoughts on Things Found and Lost and Hoped For by Jamie Tworkowski (✮✮✮✮✮)
• The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country by Helen Russell (✮✮✮✮)
• Fight: A Case for Christian Non-violence by Preston Sprinkle (✮✮✮✮)
• Born for This: How to Find The Work You Were Meant to Do by Chris Guillebeau (✮✮✮)
• Eat My Globe: One Year to Go Everywhere and Eat Everything by Simon Majumdar (✮✮✮)
• A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers (✮✮✮)
• The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau (✮✮✮✮)
• Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment by Martin E.P. Seligman (✮✮✮)
• The Son of Laughter by Fredrick Buechner (✮✮✮)
• Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (✮✮✮)

2015

• The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro (✮✮✮)
• The Light of the World: a Memoir by Elizabeth Alexander (✮✮✮✮)
• And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseni (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Under the Same Sky: A Memoir of Survival, Hope, and Faith by Joseph Kim (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home by Kim Sunée (✮✮)
• A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami (✮✮)
• Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (✮✮✮✮✮)
• The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (✮✮✮✮)
• The Girl in the Picture: The Story of Kim Phuc, the Photograph, and the Vietnam War by Denise Chong (✮✮✮✮✮)
• NW: A Novel by Zadie Smith (✮)
• A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins (✮✮✮✮✮)
• When Waters Whisper by Dan Daly (friend's book)
• The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan (✮✮✮✮)
• Forever the Road by Anthony St. Clair (✮✮✮✮)
• This Is The Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett (✮✮✮)
• The Global Soul: Jet Lag, Shopping Malls, and the Search for Home by Pico Iyer (✮✮)
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (✮✮✮✮)
• The Invisible Girls: A Memoir by Sarah Thebarge (✮✮✮✮✮)
• State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Home by Marilynne Robinson (✮✮✮✮)
• Scary Close: Dropping the Act and Finding True Intimacy by Donald Miller (✮✮✮✮)
• A Country at War With Itself: South Africa's Crisis of Crime by Antony Altbeker (✮)
• Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder by Ariana Huffington (✮✮✮✮)
• A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity by Nicholas Kristof (✮✮✮✮)

2014

• Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche by Ethan Watters (✮)
• Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche (✮✮✮✮)
• The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau (✮✮✮✮✮)
• India Becoming: A Portrait of Life in Modern India by Akash Kapur (✮✮✮)
• Sergio: One Man's Fight to Save the World by Samantha Power (✮✮✮)
• Moment Maker: You Can Live Your Life or It Will Live You by Carlos Whittaker (✮✮✮)
• Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (✮✮✮✮)
• Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul by John Eldredge (✮)
• Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit by Erwin Raphael McManus (✮✮✮✮✮)
• American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar (✮✮✮✮)
• What is the What by Dave Eggers (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Fingerprints of God: The Search for the Science of Spirituality by Barbara Bradley Hagerty (✮✮✮✮)
• Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Naht Thanh (✮✮✮)
• The Tiger's Wife: a Novel by Téa Obreht (✮✮✮✮✮)
• The Crowd, The Critic, and the Muse: a Book for Creators by Michael Gungor (✮✮✮✮)
• Girl Meets God by Lauren F. Winner (✮✮)
• Into The Mud by Adam and Christine Jeske (✮✮✮)
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Aleph by Paolo Coelho (✮✮✮)
• The Entitled: a Tale of Modern Baseball by Frank Deford (✮✮✮)
• The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy Keller (✮✮)
• Snow by Orphan Pamuk (✮✮)
• With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God by Skye Jethani (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (✮✮✮✮)
• Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katharine Boo (✮✮)
• Holy Nomad: The Rugged Road to Joy by Matt Litton (✮✮)
• Wounded Prophet: a Portrait of Henri J.M. Nouwen by Michael Ford (✮✮)
• Preemptive Love: Pursuing Peace One Heart at a Time by Jeremy Courtney (✮✮✮✮)

2013

• The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson (✮✮✮✮)
• Neighbors and Wise Men: Sacred Encounters in a Portland Pub and Other Unexpected Places by Tony Kriz (✮✮✮✮)
• Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job by Jon Acuff (✮✮✮)
• Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time by Michael Perry (✮)
• Does Jesus Really Love Me? A Gay Christian's Pilgrimage in Search of God in America by Jeff Chu (✮✮)
• In Search of a Confident Faith: Overcoming Barriers to Trusting in God by J.P. Moreland (✮✮)
• Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman (✮✮✮✮)
• The Myth of Certainty: The Reflective Christian and the Risk of Commitment by Daniel Taylor (✮✮✮✮✮)
• In The Shadow of the Buddha: Secret Journeys, Sacred Histories, and Spiritual Discovery in Tibet by Matteo Pistono (✮)
• Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro (✮✮✮)
• A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Can Serve the Public Good by Miroslav Volf (✮✮✮)
• Life After God by Douglas Coupland (✮✮✮✮)
• Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know by David Steinberg (✮✮)
• On The Road: The Original Scroll by Jack Kerouac (✮✮)
• Miracles by C.S. Lewis (✮✮✮)
• The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott (✮✮✮✮)
• The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out by Brennan Manning (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Pursuing Justice: The Call to Live and Die for Bigger Things by Ken Wytsma (✮✮✮)
• Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss One Song at a Time by Rob Sheffield (✮✮✮)
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (✮✮✮✮)
• The Catalyst Leader: 8 Essentials for Becoming a Change Maker by Brad Lomenick (✮✮✮)
• Faith and Doubt by John Ortberg (✮✮✮✮)
• Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall (✮✮✮✮)
• Out of Exile: Narratives from the Abducted and Displaced People of Sudan by Craig Walzer (✮✮✮)
• Around Africa on my Bicycle by Riaan Manser (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Searching For God Knows What by Donald Miller (✮✮✮✮)
• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay: a Novel by Michael Chabon (✮✮✮✮✮)
• The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life by James Martin (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert (✮✮✮✮)
• Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication by Andy Stanley (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Father Fiction: Chapters for a Fatherless Generation by Donald Miller (✮✮✮✮)

2012

• The Storyteller of Marrakesh: A Novel by Joydeep Roy Bhattacharya (✮)
• Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road by Donald Miller (✮✮✮)
• Escape From Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden (✮✮✮✮)
• Muscular Faith: How To Strengthen Your Heart, Soul, and Mind for the Only Challenge That Matters by Ben Patterson (A Friend's Book)
• Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott (✮✮✮✮)
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: A Novel by Mark Haddon (✮)
• Have a Little Faith: a True Story by Mitch Albom (✮✮✮)
• The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff (✮✮✮✮✮)
• The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Out of a Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis (✮✮✮✮)
• The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde (✮✮✮)

2011

• Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (✮✮✮✮✮)
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (✮✮✮)
• Haiti: After The Earthquake by Paul Farmer (✮✮✮)
• Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy by Kevin Bales (✮✮✮✮)
• Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola (✮✮✮✮)
• The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (✮✮)
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (✮✮)
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (✮✮✮)
• The Five Love Languages: How To Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman (✮✮✮✮)
• Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity by Mark Batterson (✮✮✮)
• A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Donald Miller (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell (✮✮✮✮)
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy (✮✮✮✮)

2010

• Never Let Me Go: A Novel by Kazuo Ishiguro (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality by Rob Bell (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
• Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan (✮✮✮)
• Wild Goose Chase: Reclaiming the Adventure of Pursuing God by Mark Batterson (✮✮✮✮✮)
• The Elementary Particles by Michele Hollebecq (✮)
• Gomorrah: A Personal Journey Into the Violent International Empire of Naples' Organized Crime System by Roberto Saviano (✮)
• The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller (✮✮✮✮✮)
• The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University by Kevin Roose (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller (✮✮✮✮✮)
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (✮✮✮✮✮)
• The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects by Marshall McLuhan (✮✮✮✮)
• The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (✮✮✮✮✮)
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni (✮✮✮✮✮)

JANUARY 2017

#1 Welcome to 2017

01 January 2017 // Manhattan, New York

This young year is off to a really, really good start.

I can’t recall the last time I started a year with so much mystery surrounding my life… so much wondering what’s going to happen next. It’s refreshing since last year felt fully planned out from the very beginning. Right now, all I know is to anticipate a handful of big changes… and that’s as specific as I can get!

This year, I hope to live with openness. Open hands, doors, minds, openness for new things and holding on to old things loosely. Not knowing what comes next can be scary, but I’m finding that I really, really like it. Life feels less like a conveyor belt when you’re forced to take things just one day at a time.

#2 Drive to DC

02 January 2017 // Washington, D.C.

Spent the second day of the year driving through several East Coast states and the giant Burger King freeway exit that is New Jersey.

We did it to get to Washington, D.C. to hang out with Deanna’s cousins for a few hours and even though we weren’t able to hang out for very long, it was well worth it.

I’m not always madly in love with Washington D.C., which is kind of a shame because in my field that’s where almost all the jobs are. But it does have its sweet spots.

#3 The Daily Show

03 January 2017 // Manhattan, New York

Now this was fun… Deanna and I took a chance on standing in line for a few hours in the rain and we earned ourselves seats inside a live taping of The Daily Show.

Honestly, I’m pretty partial to Trevor Noah, and I have no doubts that a lot of that fondness is because of my broader love for South Africa. He won me over just after he came to the U.S. with his knack for accents in his half-hour Laugh Factory Special. I know his reception as Stewart’s successor has been mixed, but I appreciate his perspective as a relative outsider. Especially as one who was brought up in the collapse of apartheid.

Anyways, if you watch his episode with Michael Che from a few weeks ago and overhear somebody with a weird laugh that sounds like morse code for ‘IAIAIAIA,’ I did that for you to have an easier time recognizing me.

#4 Manhattan

04 January 2017 // Manhattan, New York

People. Adventure. Generosity. These are the three big components of the life I’ve been trying to build.

You can live well in nearly any scenario as long as you have the right people around you. There are times where I miss the closeness of sharing dilapidated houses with almost a dozen friends, right next door to a dozen other friends who were doing the same thing. I don’t think community needs to look like that exactly, but I do long for more game nights, dinner parties, and heartfelt conversations.

Pursuits are important, too, and I often struggle to put into words why ambition and adventure matter to me. Think of any life you admire, and most likely, there’s been some pursuit behind that admiration. When I shared this idea with a friend who understood what I was talking about, it felt so validating.

The best pursuits, of course, are the ones that help and create opportunity for other people, and there’s so many different ways for that to look. Being a listener. Being a fundraiser. Climbing a corporate ladder but with the goal of changing its culture and giving away your earnings. The more I hear about my older family members’ spirit of generosity, the more resolved I feel to have that be a part of my own raison d’etre.

People. A pursuit. An opportunity to help others. These are pretty much the three things I want to have in my life at all times, and the three things I’ll be taking heavily into consideration as this year likely brings about a new job, a new city, and a whole lot of change.

#5 Fly Newark

05 January 2017 // Newark, New Jersey

One of my favorite feelings is when you’re on the plane en route to whatever next adventure. I put a lot of thought into setting the mood just right. Some playlists that can flow right into my ears those moments before takeoff, a book I look forward to making a lot of progress on, and- if I’m flying out of PDX, a massive banh mi sandwich, because that’s the only airport where I can get that many calories for just a bit over five bucks.

I have only the vaguest sense of what life might look like by December, but I know there are adventures to be had. And I’m glad I’ve got a few miles saved up to make them happen.

#6 Eugene Snow

06 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

We kept comparing the weather on our trip to the weather in Oregon. We were going to Chicago and New York, after all, so we expected COLD.

Almost every day of the trip, Oregon was colder than wherever we were. Chicago was at 20º below the week before we left, and it rose to 40º while we were there. New York only made me put on a single leather jacket. I kept thinking that “wow, bet this is going to be the warmest day of the trip” and it just kept getting warmer.

Now, I’ve come home to snow everywhere. And apparently NYC is getting it too. Weather be weird man.

#7 Beignet Reunification

07 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

The surprise on her face when we got back from our trip and she realized we weren’t dead. Plus, there was snow all over, so it was a great day for Beignet.

Also, she had a stomach ache again… separation anxiety.

#8 Portrait of Beignet as a Young Pup

08 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Beignet is so spoiled.

In college, the first one to pass out is the one who gets drawn all over. Instead, Beignet gets painted in watercolor.

#9 Late Start

09 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Came back home from New York with sleep I wanted to catch up on, a stack of books I was lost in, and snow all over the place.

Plus Deanna was off. It was the perfect recipe for a few nap filled days.

Now, two weeks into it, it feels like the year is actually starting. Finally sitting down to handle to logistics of things like time and money makes it feel all the more real.

And actually, I like having these things to chip away at. We’re officially in the part of my year where I have no idea what happens next.

Side note: I’ve been drinking so much water. It wasn’t even a resolution, I just wanted to wash out a very mild cold, but I’m feeling very proud of myself for it.

#10 Playlist Making

10 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Any other obsessive playlist makers out there? I spent the better part of the day sorting out my favorite songs from the past several years into several different playlists.

One set of songs for the morning, one for the gym, some for dinner parties and road trips and everything else you could do.

The perks of being between jobs. Every single thing in my life gets organized.

#11 Commonwealth

11 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“It was about the inestimable burden of their lives: the work, the houses, the friendships, the marriages, the children, as if all the things they’d wanted and worked for had cemented the impossibility of any sort of happiness.”

–Ann Patchett

It’s gonna be a good year for reading, I can tell.

Ann Patchett’s latest was a good one, though she’s been such a reliable author I’d be surprised if it wasn’t.

This novel chases two sets of half-siblings back and forth between the moment their family branched to their own fallout as adults.

I do often get bored with novels that are about discontented domestic 40-somethings moping about their existence and there are times when Commonwealth bordered on that. But the true-feeling characters and creative approach to storytelling kept the whole thing afloat.

#12 Brail’s

12 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

It’s a bit late, I know, but it’s here! What is it? It’s my list of favorites from the year of 2016– movies, books, albums, TV shows, podcasts, speeches, sports things, all mashed up into one list. By popular demand!

Okay, no one was actually demanding this out of me, but I love making lists, and it was a fun use of a snow day when I got trapped in the house with no power or wi-fi.

2016 was actually a pretty good year if you’re a lover of linguistics-focused science fiction, socially woke bunnies, and dudes that can sing a cool falsetto.

#13 The Kitchen Wall

13 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I don’t know when it’ll happen exactly, or where it’ll be, but I’m really looking forward to knowing where we’ll be living next. It’s been a really long time since I’ve been able to live somewhere without seeing an end to it not so far off and there have been quite a few things that I’d love to finally be able to do with a more permanent home base.

1) Being able to start building up a community around a regular ritual is something I’ve been hoping to do for a while. A dinner party, game night, movie night, anything like that. I’d love to be able to gather people together.

2) I’d also like to start mentoring somebody- and to be mentored. It’s hard to get that going when you might just leave soon enough. To get the most out of these ties, it takes a long-term investment of time. Soon enough!

3) I have two ideas for side projects I’d love to have- one nonprofit and one business service. Again, it’s tough to start these things in a place if you’re planning to uproot. I’ve been working on these ideas as much as possible and I feel like I’ve gotten as far as I can so far without a permanent base.

#14 Deserved Donut

14 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

In an age of misinformation, chaos, a refusal to accept the facts, and blatant deceit– don’t ever forget what’s true.

You deserve a donut.

#15 Born a Crime

15 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“In any society built on institutionalized racism, race mixing doesn’t merely challenge the system as unjust, it reveals the system as unsustainable and incoherent. Race mixing proves that races can mix, and in a lot of cases want to mix. Because a mixed person embodies that rebuke to the logic of the system, race mixing becomes a crime worse than treason.”

–Trevor Noah

I was probably in the minority when I found out Trevor Noah would be the successor to Jon Stewart. I had kept tabs on Noah’s standup and mostly liked his multicultural stuff. When he was named to the Daily Show gig, I figured it would be a nice change to get the perspective of an outsider to the U.S. who is also wildly familiar with things like apartheid and racial tension. As it turns out, that hunch ended up coming true.

Noah’s autobiography was even better than I expected it to be. It’s deeply personal and also features some brilliant essays and commentary on growing up in the time of apartheid and throughout it’s collapse. It examines the poverty he grew up in, his relationship with his comically religious mom, and the last chapter of this book… it was completely unexpected and something else. I enjoyed it totally.

#16 Pisgah on MLK

16 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Nine times out of ten, you’ll notice that whenever something controversial happens that divides people in sides, I default to reminding everyone to try and get along. To avoid trying to take sides, and to find some sort of common goal. Most of the time, I like this approach and I like that I have some sort of built-in avoidance for wanting to take sides.

That said, this isn’t always the right approach.

In an instance where people are being oppressed, when one set of ideas contributes to people being harmed, being put at risk, being separated from family, being vulnerable to hate crimes, being talked about as if they were not entitled to the same treatment as any other human, or being excluded, it is impossible not to choose sides.

To choose to do nothing, to say nothing, or to act like it isn’t happening contributes to the status quo. It allows the oppression to last a little longer, for that many more lives to be ruined. There is no real neutrality in oppression. Yeah, speaking up may result in a few difficult conversations, but there is no improvement without sacrifice.

I think there are ways to do this that are respectful of people while still challenging harmful ideas. And it’s difficult to get it exactly right. But one sure-fire way to not get it right is to let my non-confrontational nature to be an excuse for not showing my Muslim friends, my black friends, my LGBT friends, and all others in my life that I care.

#17 Morning Mugs

17 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I believe that most people want what’s best for their families, their neighbors, their communities, and each other. I believe that in divisive times, attacking each other only makes the division worse. I believe that we must not lose sight of kindness and civility.

But also…

I believe to do nothing during times of oppression is to contribute to it. I believe there are times that we’re called to speak truth against hate, that history is full of examples of the beautiful things that happen when people are bold in standing up for right and the awful things that happen when people ignore problems.

How do both these beliefs coexist these days?

Love people. Evaluate and critique and investigate ideas. Love people. Know that most of the time, our ideas require nuance, but there still is truth. Love people. Attack ideas that do harm to people. Love people. Even the ones who hold espouse those ideas. Love people, and remember that hate harms both its target and the one who hates. Love people to bring freedom to both.

#18 Tsunami Books

18 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

As of the end of January, I’ve completely finished four books and have three others that I’m within pages of finishing. As I’ve suspected, the end of grad school is leading to what will probably be my most well-read year so far.

Here are a few hopes for what I’d like to read this year.

1) Some graphic novels. I’ve never been a big graphic novel guy but there have been enough I’ve heard good things about. I’ve already got Boxers & Saints on its way and I’m hoping to read John Lewis’ graphic memoirs soon.

2) Some of the books on racial justice that have been on my radar forever. The New Jim Crow, Between the World and Me, and Just Mercy. I want to be better educated on some of the things many of my friends have to deal with that I’m unfortunately not aware of like I should be. And for that matter, Hillbilly Elegy and The Righteous Mind have come highly recommended as titles to understand differences in political thought from a sociological standpoint.

3) Thomas Merton. I think this is the year I finally read The Seven Storey Mountain, instead of just taking screenshots of quotes from it.

#19 Thai Tea Donuts

19 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

The mission: Try to create homemade donuts that remind me of the taste of creamy thai iced tea.

The results: Yes! So the texture wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. I ended up unwittingly creating some old-fashioned donuts with a crispy exterior and a crumbly inside, when I was going for a little bit more of a puffy brioche dough. When it comes to the icing, though, I think I nailed that thai iced tea taste.

#20 What To Do Now

20 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I can’t recall a time in my life that’s been as filled with tension, anger, and outrage as the past several weeks. Political drama trickles down and it’s made so many people quite unpleasant. A lot of the anger has been righteous anger- there really is a lot to be upset about. It often feels like that part of the movie where one thing after another has gone wrong, and it seems like the heroes are screwed.

But this is no movie. What do you do when this is the world around you? Can it still be one tension building scene in a great movie?

It’s a season like this one that makes me look all the more forward to having a job with an organization doing work that makes life better for people and to know where my long term home will be so I can begin pouring heavy into that community. I want to channel all of that uncertainty into action- even if it’s just trying to make sure I can do for 20 people what I wish I could do for the world.

In the meantime, it’s a bit of a waiting game. It hasn’t been a passive waiting game, though. I’ve been discovering in random moments a strange sense of calm that doesn’t make much sense.

I think it’s faith. It’s faith that the next chapter will begin exactly when it’s supposed to. It’s a faith that it’s coming, that I’ll have a role to play in taking care of other people, and that I’ll be ready and willing.

#21 Women’s March of Eugene

21 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I’m the product of being Loved well and having strong, positive, encouraging influences in my life, and when I think of who those faces actually are, they are overwhelmingly female! Like… by a long shot!

There’s Deanna, who has to fight every day to have some of the things most of us take for granted, but she doesn’t just settle there. She gives hers to lift kids out of some really dark places.

There’s my mom, who managed to totally put everything she had into raising me after losing my dad and her dad almost within a year of each other without ever using that as an excuse for giving me anything less than the best she could.

Then there are my Aunts, Ella and Fely. Auntie Ella hopped on a plane in the fifties to be one of the first in the family to move to the US and practice medicine. She then basically turned into Mother Teresa, using most of her earnings to support the rest of her siblings and donating her skills on medical missions. These two helped me get a car and a college education and are the most generous people you could ever meet.

Oh, and my Lola, who passed last year. She had the original heart for orphans, the love of hooking people up with a good meal, and the willingness to cross borders for loved ones.

If you think people who treat women like objects are fit to lead, you need to change that. If your vision for the future, the country, the planet, or the Kingdom of Heaven in any way inhibits women from full and equal opportunity, I want nothing to do with it because it’ll always be weaker than it could be with women empowered.

#22 Eugene Canal

22 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Most of the time it doesn't feel real, but it's sometimes sinking in that I don't likely have much time left in Eugene. For the most part, the time feels right, but moving on is always a tough task!

That said, it's time to do that thing I do best and make some lists.

There are lists to be made about the future, the logistics of actually moving. What to keep, what to leave.

More so, there are lists about the present. Things we absolutely need to savor while we're still here. Favorite restaurants. Hiking trails. Dog parks. Friends to see.

All that will ultimately translate into a list representative of the last two years, the dates we went on, the people we met. What we'll remember about this city.

It's a good thing I really like lists.

#23 Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me

23 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“Love always stoops."

–Ian Morgan Cron

Book No. 03 of 2017

This book has been sitting on my to-read list for years. I remember when I first heard about Ian Morgan Cron– people had largely good things to say about his spiritual memoir, and since that’s the genre I write, I went in expecting big things.

At first, I thought the book was missing something… maybe direction. I couldn’t see a central story or pursuit that strung together its different memories and recollections. I guess I have this weakness when I write, so it stood out to me.

Then I realized I was looking at the book wrong. It was a portrait of a long life and a spiritual formation, and when I started reading some of the middle chapters, where some of the roughest points of Ian’s life began to enter something resembling redemption, it took a turn for the beautiful. I began to appreciate the beauty of staring at life with a big picture lens.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#24 Country Bread

24 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Mission 01: Bake a simple but satisfying country bread loaf.

The Results: I think I nailed this one. I'd been on a cold streak of not getting my bread to rise the way I want, but I finally got this right. It's a late start to this year's set of cooking project but I've played catch up before.

#25 Dangerous Things

25 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

It’s a wild thing to be going from one week to the next not knowing if by the weekend life will drastically change for me and my family, or if it’ll be another passage into more waiting and wondering.

It’s gotten me to pray a whole lot more. That’s for sure. And while some people pray with beads, I use my dog’s leash and have the best moments when I get walking.

The past few weeks have been full of small urges, no doubt, as a result. I’ll find myself surprised by what I suddenly feel like I’m supposed to do. Message a friend. Send this email. Call a certain person. Head up to Portland. Even clean the house. I’d be lying if I said it all tied together in a super obvious way, but I also know that there will be more to this story before it’s all over. For now, I’m loving the pursuit.

#26 City of Gold Cocktail

26 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Mission 03: Make a cocktail that reminds me of the City of Johannesburg worthy of the name City of Gold. Do it to commemorate my return this time last year.

The results: Unfortunately I had to choose between working with Amarula Cream or ginger beer- the two drinks that remind me most of South Africa. They don't mix well due to curdling reasons.

I went with the ginger beer and added some lime. Then cognac- which seemed fittingly cosmopolitan but with an edge. I guess that's almost a Moscow Mule. If I had the means, some rooibos bitters would've been the perfect accent. Then I garnished with a maraschino cherry, lime slice, and candied ginger.

I thought it was pretty yummy. Surprisingly smooth.

#27 Job Hunt Grind

27 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

The people who say looking for a job can be a full time job in and of itself are right. I've been at it pretty diligently this month and I feel good going into February.

The biggest challenge of looking for a job, in my opinion, is that suddenly life becomes all about what you don't have. You know, the lack of job. And that's especially true in my scenario where I'm probably gonna relocate. Cause then it gets harder to find non-work things to get involved with since you can't make a long commitment.

But I totally dislike the idea of defining life by what you don't have. I have a lot of great people in my life, an adventurous spirit, and a few secret projects up my sleeve I haven't announced yet. I decided earlier this week that I would try to be the 'Best Unemployed Person' out there. How you even define that, I'm not sure, and the competition's steep with Barack Obama and Chase Utley also on the job market.

I figured one way to start would be to not use up all my time tweaking my resume, but to also use portions of the day to do things I don't get to really do when working. I gave the house a good cleaning to make Deanna happy. I sent a letter getting in touch with South Africa. I've also made it my most well read year so far- January and I've read five and a half books. If these are the cards I'm dealt, I'll wanna be sure to play all of them.

#28 Vino & Vango

28 January 2017 // Springfield, Oregon

Deanna really wanted to do those wine and painting classes for a long time. Here's proof that not everything on our adventures list was totally my idea.

A good date night has the other person in mind, though, so we went out this weekend. I think I scored some husband points. Not just for being one of two guys in a class of thirty women, but also for resisting the urge to paint my tango dancers in the shape of Coneheads.

#29 Hardesty Mountain

29 January 2017 // Dexter, Oregon

Good people can have bad ideas.

'I know good people who voted for both candidates.' 'I know good people who support Proposal X and good people who oppose it.' I've said these things in the past and still believe them to be true.

But good people can also support ideas that harm other people. After all, every year there's a philosophy professor somewhere asking his students how millions of -good German citizens- once allowed Hitler's rise.

When you find a person you want to believe the best about, who supports ideas that harm other people, remember these things:

1) Remember that they weren't created for bad ideas but for good actions. Consider the potential that they could bring if their talents and personalities were used for good. It'll help you to speak in love.

2) Remember that a bad idea also harms the one who holds it. You have nothing to gain from hatred or from fear. When you free someone from hatred or narrow-mindedness, you free both them and the people they harm. It'll help you to speak the truth.

Speaking the truth in love can be one of the hardest but most necessary things.

#30 Yearbook 2016

30 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Instagram is like my journal. And I curate my Facebook albums. And my 365 project goes back seven years on Flickr. But what'll this mean to me in 30 years?

Some people have shoeboxes of photos in attics that get taken out on holidays, or maybe only once every couple years. But looking them over can be kind of magical, and scrolling through my 2011 archives on social media just isn't the same, IMO.

Last year I turned my 365 project, plus other favorite photos into a yearbook. (I used Artifact Uprising - a bit pricier but great quality). Deanna and I spent tonight flipping pages and being thankful. Lots of Beignet, weekend trips, and food pics.

Here's hoping to do this every year- and when the finances allow it, I'd also love to work my way backwards to 2010.

#31 Microprotesting

31 January 2017 // Portland, Oregon

Thankful for Jesse and his activist spirit. Our two man protest last week at PDX may have been very, very, very small, but it was mighty-ish.

Also, I am proud to say it was a peaceful protest. Not one arrest was made.

5CEES

HILLBROW IS ONE OF AFRICA'S ROUGHEST NEIGHBORHOODS

Hillbrow was once the Central Business District of Johannesburg. A complicated string of events after the fall of apartheid, however, led to it becoming saturated with violent crime and gang activity. While the neighborhood has seen some episodes of improvement, it remains a hot spot for violence and a notoriously unsafe area. Regularly, children as young as four fall victim to some of the most brutal acts in the area. Desperation caused by poverty and inequality feeds the spread of illegal activity in the area, which makes things worse for a population of children born at the peak of the AIDS crisis.

IN 2013, I WENT TO LIVE IN 5CEES- A CARE CENTER FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN

Because of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, South Africa has one of the highest rates of orphanhood in the world. Many children who have surviving parents are unable to receive proper childcare because of family illness and poverty, which is the need 5Cees responds to. Christ Church Christian Care Center began as a ministry of Rev. Mike Sunker, and has now grown to accommodate over 60 children. At the time, I came to teach, to mentor, and to provide whatever technical support I could.

AT FIRST I WASN'T SURE I WAS HELPING, THEN I LEARNED WHAT IT MEANS TO HELP

My unsafe surroundings left me mostly confined to the center, where I wasn't sure I was connecting and making the impact I hoped to. But then I started to pay more attention to the lives the kids at 5Cees were living, especially within the context of HIllbrow. I realized the ubiquity of negative influences that regularly surrounded them, and it occurred to me that without positive influences to counter them that were just as present and consistent in their lives, they were really up against unlikely odds. That helped me see the irreplaceable importance of being present, a key value that continues to influence all the work I do.

VIDEO

WRITING

LIBERTY IN NORTH KOREA

North Koreans live in one of the most difficult places on Earth 

Every day, the people of North Korea face obstacles like famine, political oppression, and a broken system of government that allows little freedom. North Koreans are forbidden from speaking out, from gathering, from traveling, from accessing information from the outside world, or from many freedoms that are necessary to pursue a better life. North Koreans who violate these restrictions are subject to extremely harsh punishment, including imprisonment in concentration camps where they face torture and abuse. For these reasons, many North Koreans seek to escape the country, but the journey is extremely risky. North Koreans are frequently caught up in forced labor or sex trafficking, and at any point in the journey through China, they risk getting caught and sent back- where execution is very likely.

Liberty in North Korea is a movement changing the story of North Korea

Liberty in North Korea is an organization that believes nobody should have to live the way many North Koreans are forced to. When North Koreans escape, LiNK seeks to help get them out of China and into a new safe country to be resettled. Ultimately, North Korean refugees become a key player in the country's eventual freedom. Their connections back inside North Korea provide a rare opportunity to communicate and exchange ideas beyond its borders.

Many people outside North Korea primarily associate the country with nuclear weapons and dictator personalities. By changing the narrative to focus on the stories of ordinary North Koreans, the organization pursues a future for the country where its people are not forgotten and are empowered to create a new reality with a better future.

In late 2012, I lived out of a van to raise awareness

To help raise awareness and funds for the organization, I spent weeks living out of a van with two teammates. We traveled up and down the Heartland, from Colorado to Minnesota to Ohio to Texas, speaking at high schools, churches, universities, coffee shops, retirement homes, and for anyone who would listen. We encouraged people to sign up to support the cause monthly, and to keep their focus on the North Korean people. The tour was a success in that it helped raise $75,000 for LiNK's refugee work while expanding the movement's profile. I gained a life-transforming experience, as LiNK is an organization that is all about people. I learned a lot about how to live for others, whether that means those living in persecution in North Korea, or the many, many connections I made at LiNK who would turn into lifelong friends I remain close to.

VIDEO

WRITING

2017

VIDEOS

VIDEO YEARBOOKS

THE CLASSICS

GOOD THINGS ACCORDING TO PHILIPPE

Like Oprah's Favorite Things, but cheaper!

FALL 2017

DECEMBER 2016

#336 Grad School: One Week

01 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Just a little over a week left to go… you can put up with almost anything for a week! Though this week is going to really put that idea to the test.

Two major projects are running full throttle right now. Simultaneously, I have twenty pages of research to write and one exam to get ready for, all within the next nine days.

Grad school really wants to make sure that I don’t miss it too much, I guess.

#337 Grad Finale

02 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Grad school: where if you keep responding to enough emails, eventually somebody gives you a degree. This time next week, I’ll be looking at an empty inbox.

In the meantime, I get to enjoy a weekend with my favorites. We were gonna go visit Santa at PetSmart, but then somebody found a very muddy dog park, and you can’t show up to Santa lookin’ like that.

#338 Amazon View

03 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“I find students today much smarter and more competent than in my time, I also find them far more pessimistic. Occassionally they ask in dismay: Where is the U.S. going? Where is the world going? Or: Where are the new entrepreneurs? Or: Are we doomed as a society to a worse future for our children?

I tell them about the devastated Japan I saw in 1962. I tell them about the rubble and ruins that somehow gave birth to wise men… I tell them about the untapped resources, natural and human, that the world has at its disposal, the abundant ways and means to solve its many crises. All we have to do, I tell the sthudents, is work and study, study and work, hard as we can.

Put another way: we must all be professors of the jungle.”

–Phil Knight

#339 Welcome Mathis

04 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Got to meet my friends’ baby for the first time. His snores were adorable.

Welcome to the world, Mathis. I hope you like it.

#340 Grad School: Final Week

05 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Eugene’s looking a little Scandinavian today. A couple more tomorrows and we’re done.

One essay, the last two finals I plan to ever take, and grading exams for fifty students.

Alright, let’s do this.

#341 Whole Foods Eugene

06 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Whole Foods is a dangerous place when your food budget gets tight. Especially that hot food bar. But here’s a game you can play next time you’re in.

Challenge a friend to get as close to one pound of food without measuring as possible. If you go over, you lose. Closest one to one pound flat wins and the loser pays for the meal.

This is on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Costco challenge.

#342 DWNTWN EUG

07 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

If finishing my Masters programs this week wasn’t tiring enough, we just saw three straight nights of Christmas parties. They were a blast, and they saved us a ton on groceries, but man, I am gonna go into my first week of post-student life ready for a bit of hibernation.

Here are some things making me happy this week.

Okay, so the obvious. Grad school done. Yay!

I also saw Arrival over the weekend and it was an amazing, clever, meaningful film. It’s a puzzle film in a lot of ways but it also had tons of heart and hope. It’s a great work of art.

And Deanna and I also picked up our first Christmas tree. I love living where these grow without effort.

#343 Grad School: Done!

08 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I just took a two hour final. It’s rainy. Miserably cold and most people get to stay home today because of the snow. Not me.

But that doesn’t matter.

Because.

I
Am
Done
With
Grad School.

(Assuming I didn’t overconfidently just bomb that exam. But ya know.)

PTL.

#344 Christmas Party-thon

09 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Tonight we’re going to our third Christmas party in as many days.

Mid December. What it do.

#345 Christmas Tree Farm

10 December 2016 // Veneta, Oregon

Did you grow up in a real tree or fake tree fam? I was raised with a plastic thing that hid in our garage for eleven months.

I always looked forward to the future when our Christmas tree would be a real one that I went to the woods to chop down. Didn’t quite chop this one down myself, but it is an actual tree, so that’ll be a good place to start. .

This Doug is totally dead on one side, so we had that face the wall and saved ourselves at least 40 bucks.

“The Christmas tree…where did that tradition come from? It sounds like the behavior of a drunk man. I can picture it now: ‘honey, why is there a…pine tree in our living room?’ ‘I like it…tomorrow…we’re gonna…we’re gonna decorate it…for Jesus…’”

–Jim Gaffigan

#346 Christmas Deck’d

11 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Oh bargain tree, oh bargain tree.

Your diseases saved us money.

It’s our first Christmas tree since getting married, and now our house is now all properly decked out for Christmas. I like this look. Even our Baymax and Ron Swanson prints look so festive.

#347 Norwegian Potato Porridge

12 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

When I was planning out what meals to make over the course of the year, I mostly thought about seasons and what sort of foods go well as the weather changes. For the most part I did a good job. Then I realize I’ve gone really heavy into Scandinavian type foods the past few weeks. I must’ve gotten the severity of Oregon’s winters mixed up with Norway.

While I’m glad we don’t have as much winter harshness as the Nordic states, I’ll gladly welcome in some of their cuisine, as I did with this potato porridge. Came out a bit on the thick side, but when it’s chilly out, nobody complains.

I did do something right by adding bacon. Sometimes a starchy potato based meal just asks to be matched with a salty pork of some kind.

#348 Going Somewhere

13 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“That morning, we might have learned a boring lesson about foresight and preparation. We did not learn such a lesson. We did not learn so much anything, actually. But we did remember, both of us having long ago imagined the best thing about growing up would be getting to eat candy whenever we wanted. And now, we agreed, we’d been so, so right.”

–Brian Benson

Picked up this book at the PDX Powell’s while I was going somewhere. (Little Rock, I think) I will read most any given book about people challenging themselves to some sort of unconventional journey. Biking the perimeter of Africa. Walking the Appalachian Trail. In this case, biking from Wisconsin to Oregon.

As you might imagine, the Northern Plains offer large stretches of nothing, and this book was pretty tightly focused on the two characters’ journey. Minimal flashbacks, spiritual themes, or side encounters with characters possessing crazy life stories. In most cases I’d like more of those.

To Benson’s credit, his writing is skilled enough to still keep me engaged and empathetic throughout the story. The agonizing Montana winds felt very real, as did the evolution his romantic relationship took on the road.

#349 Attack of the Frost Giants

14 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

They say that many Native American tribes have hundreds of words for different kinds of snow. And I understand why. Not all snow is the same. There is the nice powdery, fluffy kind that is on the ground in Portland right now, and there is this ice-everywhere attrocity that we’ve got in Eugene.

All through the night branches kept cracking and crashing down. A tree completely toppled onto the parking spot next to mine. Beignet wouldn’t stop barking with all the other dogs in the neighborhood.

The power went out, and the Wi-fi was out for the next fifteen hours. The lights shut off just as a character in the book I’m reading died.

When I woke up this morning I went on a little walk to see how bad it was and whose cars were spared. That Civic was completely landed on. A tree landed perpendicularly across six parking spots that I usually take. It looked like some ice apocalypse.

It was also a little pretty. But not too pretty.

#350 Loving

15 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Thanks to all the ice and snow, Deanna and I got to enjoy a day at home and at the movies. Loving definitely makes my short list for favorite movies from this year.

Speaking of, here’s that list.

Arrival – It’s the linguistics-nerd, sci-fi puzzle film we never knew we needed. It’s Spielberg’s whimsy, Christopher Nolan’s inventiveness, and Terrence Malick’s visuals all tied into one story.

Loving – How perfect is it that the couple whose case ended up setting the Supreme Court’s ultimate ruling in favor of interracial marriage had the last name Loving? Obvious answer, it’s too, too perfect.

Zootopia – A second animated feature… but some of my favorite movies in recent years have been Disney/Pixar movies, so maybe that shouldn’t be so surprising. Those were some socially-conscious cartoon rabbits.

#351 5th Street Christmas

16 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I’ve been paying more attention to the difference between Christmas music and Advent music lately. The latter focuses on waiting and a somber sort of hope. It’s why when I’ve heard sugary versions of Holly Jolly and Sleigh Ride (or Twisted Sister’s 12 Days) a few too many times, O Come, O Come Emmanuel really hits the spot.

That song, like many African American Gospel songs or East Asian and African standards, uses the pentatonic scale- one that creates a feeling of tension, unrest, and having not arrived. It’s like melodies speak on behalf of cultures or something.

Advent will never make complete sense to someone who hasn’t seen oppression or injustice in some way. The oppressed were its original audience.

The Book of Common Prayer led me to reading the well known “to us a child is born, to us a son is given” part of Scripture. “And the government will be on his shoulders.” What stood out to me, though, was the part that came right before.

“You have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.”

That is most definitely music our world really needs to hear this year.

#352 Hamilton-ish

17 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This weekend, we treated ourselves to a showing of Hamilton! But since we’re really on a budget, it was a high school performance of Hamilton. And since the school didn’t quite have the rights to Hamilton, it was actually about 70% of the musical plus random other songs from Waitress, Rent, and Chicago.

About a year ago I fell in love with this musical. I wasn’t expecting everyone else to fall in love similarly, otherwise we would’ve been set to see it in Chicago or New York. But thankfully it’s massive success means that high schools are giving it a go. NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour mused that there would be some pretty awful high school performances of the show. This wasn’t one of them. The kids were pretty good. Of course, Oregon doesn’t have the diversity of Hamilton, but the show was a great time.

#353 Kahlua

18 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Celebratory mood, anyone?

My second-to-last cooking challenge item for the year was none other than a batch of homemade kahlua. It turns out that this treat is way easier to make than it appears- just don’t skimp on the vodka because that’ll do most of the work.

I’m really glad I made this batch. Not just cause it was fun, but also cause I drink kahlua so rarely that the amount I made could stretch five years.

#354 Rack of Lamb & Garlic Mashed Potatoes

19 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

At the very end of 2015, I decided that my cooking skills could use some improvement. I liked to cook, and to eat of course, but there was so much I hadn’t made before. I wanted to know the exact impact an adjusted ratio would have on bread, what one more minute at whatever temperature would do to meat, and all that.

After Christmas I made a list of 52 different things to cook over the next year. Most were chosen so I could learn specific skills. I picked some just cause of the time of the year, or cause I really wanted to try making them.

Last week, I got to end the year off with a bang, making a rack of lamb using Julia Child’s marinade and topping it off with a wine reduction. I was thrilled when I cut into the center to find the exact shade of pinkish-red I wanted.

Here’s to challenging yourself and getting it done. Now to figure out something for 2017 in these next few days.

#355 Christmas Carons

20 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Hey family, spoiler alert. Stop reading here and erase the image you just saw from your mind.

(Psh, I know some of ya didn’t 😏)

Man… I keep posting about my low budget lifestyle lately, but that is our truth. When your family is large on both sides but your Christmas budget is small… homemade gifts are a lifesaver.

Thankfully I taught myself how to make macarons earlier this year. They go for about $1.50 a piece at our patisserie, so a single 5 piece box would be worth $7.50. If I was more motivated, this could turn quite a profit. The knowledge paid off this Christmas though. Less than $50 for ingredients gives me gifts for 25ish people… and even more if I didn’t screw up a batch or two.

This was also my first time making macaron flavors other than dulce de leche and chocolate. I improvised and experimented with coffee ganache, red wine and chocolate, and mango… and I surprised myself with how well they turned out.

#356 Chicagobound

21 December 2016 // Portland, Oregon

Yesterday was quite the day of transit for us.

We got up before five so we could drop Beignet off at the sitter. Then we took off to Portland early enough for some errands. We got to get lunch with @jessedmorris and @sunshinebucket at this adorable place, Mothers, in downtown Portland. Then it was off to PDX.

I tried to stay knocked out for as much of the first flight as possible to SFO so I could stay up for the second flight and get some writing done. We arrived in Chicago at 1:30 for a very chatty Uber driver to take us to our hotel.

At around 2:30 AM, we arrived, but realized we’d only had one meal all day. I ran out onto Michigan Ave. in hunt of a grocery store open 24 hours. Half an hour later we were splitting a 3 AM hoagie surprised that it was just that morning we dropped off Beignet.

#357 White City

22 December 2016 // Chicago, Illinois

Some of my favorite times are when it’s the two of us, doing some exploring. Sometimes it’s a new city. Sometimes it’s a familiar place. Sometimes it’s somewhere that’s familiar to one of us, new to the other one, and every landmark is also a personal landmark full of stories from before we knew each other. Some of these landmarks are buildings and statues, and others are sandwich shops and relatives houses.

Then we love meeting up with friends wherever we go. We’re cursed to always be far away from the majority of our friends, but blessed to be near a few friends wherever we wind up.

In other words, the past few weeks have been amazing.

#358 University of Chicago

23 December 2016 // Chicago, Illinois

In high school, I always thought I would end up in Chicago. I was in constant contact with Northwestern and University of Chicago and took a trip out my sophomore year to visit both those schools. I even had this elaborate fantasy image of leaving some cool Chicago coffee shop and looking back to see all my cool Chicago friends in the window.

Then when senior year came around, I just didn’t apply. For whatever reason. It’s like I forgot the school existed during the six months that mattered.

But, I ended up going to school in Santa Barbara and having the time of my life over there. And I even made some cool friends in coffee shops, including my wife.

We wandered around the University of Chicago’s Hogwarts-esque campus for a while, amused at the idea of how it was like staring into an alternate reality of the past.

#359 Christmas Eve 16

24 December 2016 // Moline, Illinois

Took it nice and slow this morning getting out of Aurora. Loaded up the car and set off for an extremely easy two hour drive.

Got to the Quad Cities early enough to hang out and eat the whole rest of the day.

Also, Codewords is a real fun game. Would recommend.

#360 Christmas 16

25 December 2016 // Moline, Illinois

Another Christmas in the bags, and a good one at that. I haven't had one in the Midwest since, I dunno, the early nineties.

For once, we actually got our number one pick at the White Elephant and held onto it up until the end.

You should know that the Oregon Trail card game is a good one, even though snakes will probably kill you just before the end.

#361 Baella

26 December 2016 // Moline, Illinois

Got to see this kiddo for her first Christmas ever.

#362 Chicago: A Novel

27 December 2016 // Chicago, Illinois

"A roaring city, gunfire and applause and thunder. Gleaming but made of bone and stone. Bitter cold and melting hot and clotheslines hung... an American city, with all the violence and humor and grace and greed of this particular powerful adolescent country.

Perhaps THE American city— no other city in the nation is as big and central and grown up from the very soil.... it is itself, all brawn and greed and song, brilliant and venal, almost a small nation, sprawling and vulgar and fowl and beautiful, cold and cruel."

–Brian Doyle

One last read to close out the year, set appropriately in Chicago itself.

This novel was simple and sweet, more of a love letter to the city than anything else. At times it was hard for me to get the groove, as the thrust of the plot was kept pretty subtle.

Instead, this is more about the unnamed character's coming of age in the city, the people he meets, and the way he stretches his independence to discover more and more. And while I never experienced such a thing in Chicago, specifically, I do know what that's like.

This book is quirky and romantic and fun, and made for a great travel companion.

#363 Flatiron Fun

28 December 2016 // Manhattan, New York

I’ve always thought that living fully, humoring your curiosity, saying yes to adventure, and taking along a sense of joy weren’t just good ways to have fun, but that there was something spiritual to the process of coming fully alive.

Enthusiasm has a fun meaning. ‘En’– that means within, and ‘Theos’– that’s God. God Within equals enthusiasm.

I love that, and I know I’m biased because I’m quite an enthusiast. (If you’re an Enneagram nerd, I’m very much a 7.) I have an appetite and energy for life that I need to channel well, but that I don’t want to suppress, because I love loving stuff.

Go where the Love is, and you won’t be lost.

#364 Connecticutted

29 December 2016 // Washington Depot, Connecticut

Two of the states that I hadn’t been to yet were Connecticut and Rhode Island. They’re so small and tucked away behind some much larger cities and frequent destinations, that I never took I-95 East of New York.

I wanted that to be something I did on this trip to put me closer to my fifty states goal, so we did just that, stopping by some Connecticut small towns en route to dinner in Providence. We found some lovely spots and good bites.

Also– Dakotas, Wyoming, West Virginia, Delaware, and Alaska… I’m coming for ya.

#365 Brooklyn Bridge

30 December 2016 // Brooklyn, New York

“It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have yet to get, how much more there is to learn. Maybe that’s enlightenment enough - to know that there is no final resting place of the mind, no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom, at least for me, means realizing how small I am, and unwise, and far I have to go."

–Anthony Bourdain

#366 New Year, New York

31 December 2016 // Manhattan, New York

The past is weird. I mean, does it really exist ? It feels like it exists, but where is it ? And if it did exists, but doesn’t now, then where did it go ?

–Ruth Ozeki

Welcome to the future everybody! So far, it's a pretty good time. 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

2016

NOVEMBER 2016

#306 Grad School: Five Weeks

01 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

During my undergraduate college days, I signed up for the most eccentric classes I could. Middle Eastern Cooking. Japanese Horror Movies. Leadership and Team Building. Thanks to that I got a bunch of pretty neat experiences and learned some fun things.

Grad school makes it harder to go off the beaten path, but not impossible, and during my two years going for a Masters’ I’ve still wound up studying and gaining some knowledge in some things I never would’ve expected.

When I started, I was surprised to find I’d have to learn another language. I speak about five to some degree, but because I haven’t learned many of them in a classroom setting, I don’t have them on my transcripts. So, on a whim, I signed up to learn Hindi/Urdu. I can’t say I speak very good Hindi, or much at all, but I learned a bit about how to read the script and can utter some really basic phrases.

I’ve also learned a ton about local governance, especially when it comes to public finance and budgets. That’s thanks to my nonprofit classes being taught closely alongside public management classes. If it sounds dry, it kind of is, but I actually feel like I understand local government and things like tax considerations way better. I can also empathize with different opinions way better, and that’s always a good thing.

Also, by teaching a course on Africa twice, I’ve gotten quite familiar with some of the topics we’ve covered. One of these includes life in Mali. As a country, it doesn’t get many visitors, and I don’t envision myself being able to make it there any time soon. Glad I could learn a little bit through the process of teaching.

#307 Cubs Win

02 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

So… that… just… happened. Not only did the Cubs break their 108 year old curse, but they also put on the most dramatic game I’ve seen. And I watch a lot of baseball.

I guess this means the apocalypse starts tomorrow, but that game was so much fun, it’ll have been worth it.

Deanna and I don’t have live TV so we went to go and watch at a nearby sports bar, and my what a great decision. I got to befriend several old-guy-pub-dwellers, one of whom called David Ross’ home run a second before it happened. (Not to be outdone, I called the camera panning to Bill Murray a second before that happened). The girls next to me had the best Jason Kipnis specific trash talk. And they’re right… he probably does smell like Axe body spray! We all came as strangers, and left as friends who all never got around to exchanging names.

The Phillies will always be my team, but like any good racism-hating, loveable-loser-lovin’ American, I wanted this year to be the Cubs’ year. (Especially since the Phils’ had a sliver of a percent chance of being any decent). Baseball will feel kinda weird without a mindblowingly win-deprived team, but I’m sure the Cubs fans don’t mind.

#308 Gorgonzola Ravioli

03 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Never has developing a recipe given me as much of a difficult time as this ravioli. What you’re looking at is my third attempt.

This item of my cooking challenge was scheduled for last week when all the ravioli burst while boiling and I settled for frying up an odd mix of squash and cheese and noodles. Then earlier today, the filling soaked through the noodle sheets making them too sticky to shape.

I had to restart a third time and was pretty late to an afternoon class, but finally, I got something I could be pleased with. And Deanna was really pleased and said it was one of her favorites from this year’s challenge.

Sometimes I can get pretty stubborn about working on something until it comes out right. But I did learn a valuable lesson: use flour liberally.

#309 Oakshire

04 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Let’s talk about something a little more pleasant for most people- beer!

I’m in a MBA class on startup planning (Random, I know. Long story.) Our project right now revolves around beer deliveries and we need to do a little market research.

I’m hoping to conduct some interviews so if you’re a beer consumer- I’d love to hit you up with a few questions! No need to be the biggest hop head, but if you are, great! Message or comment or something and I’ll get in touch.

Also, I’m pretty sure Oakshire is taking over as my favorite brewer in town. We’ve got a lot of good ones but their seasonal stuff gets so creative!

#310 McKenzie Beer Festival

05 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I had a chance to go to the McKenzie Craft Beer and Cider Festival. If you saw my post about my startup project… market research! And that meant I got to do a lot of tasting.

After a pretty fun night, here were my favorite three beers/ciders.

Old Craig Ale by Ordnance Brewing –  This beer definitely had an old vintage- tobacco-and-leather sort of quality, but in a good way! (I guess those typically don’t sound like good beverage flavors) Lots of spices and brown sugar left this tasting a lot like winter candy.

Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Porter by Wild Ride Brewing – If you like the taste of roast peanuts or peanut butter, this would be a great beer. They come on STRONG. But in a good way. And the brewery rep gave me a little garnish of a Reese’s cup to go with it.

Doc Fields Banana Mango Cider – I was suspicious over this this cider, I thought it might be a little too much like a fermented Jamba Juice. Turns out it was a pretty good cider and I’d love another taste.

#311 Finnish Salmon Pie

06 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

One of my big dreams is to regularly have dinners where people from totally different backgrounds can get together. I want a big table, good conversations, and of course the food needs to be up for the occasion.

Here’s one thing I’ll have to bring to the table- a new puff pastry technique. Most recipes call for folding butter into the dough over and over. A freezer and cheese grater can end up saving so much time.

I put the new puff pastry to the test and looked to Finland for some inspiration. This pie was filled with chunks of cooked salmon, capers, onion, and sauce. It may be one of my favorites from this past year.

#312 Grad School: Four Weeks

07 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Another week in the bags and another step closer to the finish line. Just some paperwork and a couple assignments left to go. Then what? We’ll find out soon.

No surprise, this has been a terse week around campus. Some are quick to say that today’s student lives in a cocoon of hyper sensitivity- and at times I get why people would think that. But lots of students feel unsafe- and for good reason. We’ve had random people and even a professor (?!) around in blackface. Ugh! That’s really not okay.

I’m often impatient with the end of grad school but this week I’ll thankful for my role as a TA that has allowed me to speak and share some things I’ve seen and experienced that I find helpful in an unpredictable and tense world. And I love reminding anyone that a lot of times the best thing they can do is focus on what changes there are to be made right in front of them, and to give it everything.

#313 Election 2016

08 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I screwed up my mail-in ballot… I left every single chad hanging (and it was a bubble sheet)! So I swung by the community center to set things right.

If you ask me, a lot of these decisions felt pretty obvious to me. But not everyone else feels the same way, so that’s why we have elections.

Voting is important. It’s very important. It’s one of those things that you totally take for granted if you’ve never experienced what happens in places without free and fair elections. It’s also a privilege that was hard earned.

So yeah, hooray for voting. I’m glad I cast my ballot today. It’s a big decision!

That said, it’s also one of millions of decisions you’ll make that shape the world we live in.

All of the people who have influenced me the most didn’t do it with their voting record. Who is in need of care and attention today that you have a chance to help? Who needs a well timed word of encouragement? Which friend is fundraising for something noble that you should perhaps pay attention to? Some of those decisions will have a much bigger impact than anything you or I bubbled in today, and I think these things are worthy of at least as much deliberation and energy.

#314 It’s Quiet Uptown

09 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Perhaps the reason why the election results were so surprising to a lot of people was that we forgot how much of a bubble most of us live in. No matter what results you were hoping for, roughly half the country feels differently.

The type of setting we grow up in, the sort of people we’re around, and all that have a huge impact on what lens through which we see the world. That’s not to say I don’t believe there’s usually a better choice and a worse choice at the end of the day. But it’s another thing to turn my conviction into an assumption that the country falls neatly into two halves of good guys and bad guys.

See, some of the best people I’ve ever met voted for things and people that make absolutely no sense to me. People who taught me everything I know about generosity voted for things I think contribute to inequality. People who taught me how to respect other people voted for candidates with a reputation for crudeness. And if you know enough people, you’ll know someone that this applies to. If not? Well, then that bubble is probably in effect.

One of the best interactions I’ve seen on Facebook was just that. Dad voted red. Daughter voted blue. Daughter was sad, and Dad acknowledged that this was okay. They grew up seeing different things in different times in different places– it was simple, but beautiful.

You don’t have to agree with everything I believe in. I don’t agree with all of your opinions. I’ll probably disagree with a few of them strongly. But I won’t assume the worst of you. I won’t defriend you. We’ll still have a lot to learn from each other.

It’s eerily quiet outside my window. I’m in a young urban area in a very blue state, so of course there’s an atmosphere of disappointment. But it’s also a gorgeous, crisp sunny day in November… and we don’t get too many of those. Disappointing day? Beautiful day? Perhaps both? There’s more than one way to see things and blessed are the eyes that can find both.

#315 Chestnut Bisque

10 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Man, chestnuts are the worst! They taste great and can lend themselves to all sorts of recipes in a way that no other nut can. But they are an absolute pain to get out of their shells to work with. Almost at the end of my yearlong cooking challenge and I managed to score my first injury by scoring a fingertip.

Because of that, I will think long and hard about working with chestnuts in the future, but I will say that they made for a pretty unique bisque.

The flavor of this soup was spot on. Rich and creamy and earthy like a good nut-based soup should be. The texture wasn’t as excellent, with the results coming out a little chunkier than I would’ve liked. Still, it made for a good enough and hard earned winter meal.

#316 Anacortes Ferry

11 November 2016 // Anacortes, Washington

Seemed like a good weekend for some perspective on how meager human accomplishments look next to creation, so I hopped on a ferry headed for one place I’ve always wanted to go.

Orcas Island is just a little off the Puget Sound, accessible only by ferry or personal jet, and boasts all of the natural beauty you might expect from a northwestern island. It’s got a pretty tight community of island dwellers too.

Looking forward to getting cozy on this floating patch of dirt that whales seem to love. I feel like I’ll have a good understanding of why after this weekend.

#317 Orcas Island

12 November 2016 // Orcas Island, Washington

“And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should… with all its sham, drudgergy and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.”

–Max Ehrmann, Disiderata

There’s a lot of stuff to be upset about, and I recognize how legitimate those things are. But I think the sort of rebellion we need is a counterintuitive one. In a contentious, divided world, joy and peace are rebellious. Beauty is subversive when put up next to brutality. I think it’s a better time than ever to be anchored in a joy that can’t be taken, a community of infectious acceptance, and a stubborn memory of the people we were meant to be.

These are crazy days, my friends. But they’re still extremely beautiful ones. To paraphrase Calvin and Hobbes, if we got out to look at the stars more often, we wouldn’t argue about half the stuff that we get worked up over.

#318 Outlook Inn

13 November 2016 // Orcas Island, Washington

While spending the weekend at Orcas, we got in a night at this sweet little inn. It felt like we weren’t in the inn itself for very long but that’s cause we got some real good sleep that night we were there.

The room itself was only a small part of what I really liked about this place. They had a fenced lawn across the street with such an excellent view of the islands.

And their restaurant. Awesome French onion soup and blue marlin carpaccio. Best of all they have some shared tables where they’ll sit you down at a table alongside strangers, and you’ll be able to leave with new friends- or at least some memorable encounters. We enjoyed the company of a couple older seniors out on a date. They shared stories of his late wife and her ex-husband. At times sad but also moving to see two hopeful people not willing to throw in the towel just yet.

#319 The Holy or The Broken

24 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“I say all the perfect and broken hallelujahs have an equal value. It’s a desire to affirm my faith in life, not in some formal religious way, but with enthusiasm, with emotion.”

–Leonard Cohen

Big thanks to my friend Hamaila for gifting me this book after hearing I was fascinated by Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast episode on the rise of ‘Hallelujah.’ That song has a story unlike any other modern anthem. I don’t read much music writing, but Alan Light kept its exploration fascinating.

And speaking of unlikely works of art, Leonard Cohen was such an artistic anomaly. I love that a huge part of his story was how late into his career he was when he hit his stride. Sad that we lost him next week.

Oh and for the record, Hallelujah isn’t even my favorite Leonard song. Dance Me To The End Of Love will always hold that honor.

#320 Pancit Molo

25 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

When we went to the Philippines a couple years ago, there was one dish that Deanna especially fell in love with– pancit molo.

It’s a regional favorite where my family’s from, and it’s a pretty simple wonton soup in a pork or chicken broth with basic sauteed vegetables. And if you do it just right, it’s one amazing piece of Filipino comfort food.

I timed this particular item of my cooking challenge just right for the winter months. Not too shabby for my first time taking a stab at this dish and I know where to go from here for even better results.

#321 Grad School: Three Weeks

26 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

The thing I’m looking forward to the most about being done with my program isn’t the absence of school, it’ll be the opportunity to build something.

The ability to commit to something for a long time without my schedule changing itself every few months is something that’s eluded me the past few years. Now I’m looking forward to dinners that become traditions, becoming a part of things around whatever community we end up in, and forming some more bonds.

Now seems like a good and important time to be building community up and getting connected. I’m ready to dig in.

#322 Blood, Bones, and Butter

27 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“It’s promising and seductive, that huge Italian family, sitting around the dinner table, surrounded by olive trees. But it’s not my family and I am not their family, and no amount of birthing sons, and cooking dinner and raking leaves or planting the gardens or paying for the plane tickets is going to change that. If I don’t come back in eleven months, I will not be missed, and no one will write me or call me to acknowledge my absence. Which is not an accusation, just a small truth about clan and bloodline.”

–Gabrielle Hamilton

After so many of my favorite food podcasts mentioned this book as one of their favorite books on the subject, I was convinced to give it a try.

This book isn’t just about food, but about a career in food, dining, and the paths life takes you down, sometimes without exactly intending to. I read a lot of books by people who were driven by a very concrete goal so it was refreshing to hear from someone who took a more common path- a mix of following passions, doing one thing until it leads somewhere else, and unlikely encounters.

Plus there are moments where she describes her grad school experience and it sounds so similar to my own. Started out as a perfect fit that was slowly outgrew, leading her to discovering other passions.

#323 Making Kahlua

28 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Weekend at home project- making some Kahlua.

Looks okay so far, so now we wait a few weeks for our results.

#324 Foodspotting No. 1 & 39 – Adobo & Lumpia

29 November 2016 // Springfield, Oregon

Holla at ya 🇵🇭. Food week continues with some more Foodspotting.

Adobo and lumpia were two of the easiest items in the Foodspotting Field Guide to find. Well, especially if you’re me. I wasn’t sure if making my own adobo earlier this year would count so I decided it wouldn’t so we’d have an excuse to visit Maynila for dinner.

#325 Tillamook Mac & Cheese

20 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

So this is the thing with mac and cheese- I’ve had some really fancy mac and cheese from so many different high end places, and yet it never quite lives up to the gooey, salty, creamy goodness of that instant boxed stuff I used to eat after school.

Let’s face it, I love any melts cheesy product, and sometimes the fake stuff is just better.

But I believe real cheese can still make for a good mac and cheese and so I went with packs of Tillamook being added to a bechamel like sauce to get it all creamy and such. Turned out pretty good, but that might also be because I added a whole head of garlic.

#326 Grad School: Two Weeks

21 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

So close to the end! And to make things even better, this week barely counts since I’ll be in California staring Tuesday night.

So that’s one thing making me happy. What else?

That Ducks win versus Utah was so, so satisfying. Nobody saw it coming, even after it already came. Our season has been a ship that has been long sunk, but getting the win against a pretty good Utah team was just perfect. Our loss to them last year, in my mind, was the start of dark days for Ducks fans.

Oh, and a couple of my good friends gave birth to their son tonight. Welcome to the world, Mathis! See you when I get back.

#327 Gateway to Cali

22 November 2016 // Medford, Oregon

Passing through the In N Out in Medford means one surefire thing… we’re going to (or coming from) Cali.

Thankful that this pit stop is right off the freeway.

#328 Road to Thanksgiving

23 November 2016 // Kettleman City, California

We can act like we didn’t spend most of the drive taking selfies with Beignet. Or we can own it.

Thankful this one is a road tripper.

#329 Thanksgiving 16

24 November 2016 // Bakersfield, California

Hope your day was as fun and tasty as ours.

Here’s to a much needed weekend of hanging out with family and not doing much else. The next two weeks are gonna be such a power sprint that some time off like this is exactly the right thing.

#330 Noriega’s

25 November 2016 // Bakersfield, California

There’s a first time for everything.

This is my first time eating at a restaurant with both a B safety rating and a James Beard award.

#331 California 99

26 November 2016 // Delhi, California

“The future is built with the present moment and how we take care of it. If you are fearful, the future will be fearful. If you are uncooperative, the future will be divisive. This is very important.

The future is not something that will come to us; the future is built by us, by how we speak and what we do in the present moment.

Community practice is crucial at this time. It’s crucial not to be alone in front of the computer, reading media. That makes the world dark for you. Find flesh. There are still wonderful things happening.”

–Phap Dung

#332 Passing Shasta

27 November 2016 // Lake Shasta, California

“Scratch the surface of any cynic, and you will find a wounded idealist underneath. Because of previous pain or disappointment, cynics make their conclusions about life before the questions have even been asked. This means that beyond just seeing what is wrong with the world, cynics lack the courage to do something about it. The dynamic beneath cynicism is a fear of accepting responsibility.”

–John Ortberg

Be responsible to your convictions. They won’t always win debates. They won’t always pay the bills. They won’t always prevail in times of conflict. But if they’re convictions worth keeping, make sure they don’t lose you. Hope is a conviction. Joy is a conviction. Don’t give them up.

#333 Shoe Dog

28 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“I thought if that phrase, it’s just business. It’s never just business. It never will be. If it becomes just business, that will mean that business is very bad.”

–Phil Knight

Thanks to the UO business school, I got a signed copy of Shoe Dog. I was told to study up on it, so I took to reading and found I enjoyed this book a whole heck of a lot more than I expected to.

This book had a lot of heart, and that’s something I really wasn’t expecting. After all, Nike is pretty much your archetype of a mega-corporation and I didn’t know a whole lot about Phil Knight other than the fact that his name is all over Eugene.

Hearing the stories of their early years, testing out models on the UO track team, having to take on legal challenges from the US government and Japan, and figuring out how to build a team that works kept this on the side of being a good story.

In the end it’s a book about following a Crazy Idea- watch it reveal itself as a calling and pursuing it through disappointment and fatigue.

#334 Office Hours

29 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This week has been utterly ridiculous- in the past 48 hours I’ve had to present the City of Albany with a proposed budget, pitch a startup business idea, and knock out a 15 page paper.

Thankfully, I get a weekend to turn things down a notch before one last week of this finish line sprint. My first true day out of grad school is gonna be such a napfest.

#335 Bolognese

30 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Important beliefs I have about bolognese:

• It should be creamy. Use milk.

• It seems intuitive to add red wine, but go with white.

• Grating your carrots makes for a better texture than dicing.

• A little bit of ground sausage and diced bacon goes a long way.

Seems like an oddly late point in the year to have bolognese be an item on my cooking challenge. I’ve already made lasagna with bolognese as part of the challenge, and I’ve made bolognese a lot in general this year. Oh well. It’s been my busiest stretch of grad school, so it doesn’t hurt to have something I can prep from muscle memory.

OCTOBER 2016

#275 tIhde the Knot

01 October 2016 // Marble Falls, Texas

Congrats to Meghan & Brendan! Deanna and I had such a blast celebrating in Marble Falls- that was definitely a unique wedding experience.

Between your wedding and ours, every time we’ve seen you two together it’s been a really, really fun day.

#276 Rad Mother Clucker

02 October 2016 // Austin, Texas

Doughnut lovers, I’m having cravings. What are your picks for best doughnut shops in the country? I’ll give you my top three.

Pip’s Original Doughnuts (Portland) – Going the route of keeping it simple but executing well. I’m a fan.

Gourdough’s (Austin) – Going the opposite direction with Big. Fat. Donuts. piled high with everything from fried chicken cuts to jalapeño jelly. I’m a fan as well and make it a point to come by whenever I’m in Austin.

Blue Star Doughnuts (Portland) – French brioche dough makes all of their doughnuts good to the breadcrumb. They won me over by tossing a vile of rum on to a caramel brulêe doughnut.

Yup, Portland takes two of three. Although I say this not having tried Daily Dozen in Seattle, which I’ve heard such good things about.

#277 Your Money Or Your Life

03 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“Who you are is far greater than what you do for money, and your true work is far greater than your paid employment. Our focus on money and materialism may have robbed us of the pride we can and should feel in who we are as people and the many ways we contribute to the well being of others.”

-Vicki Robin

A bit of a break from what I usually read, a book about money use turns out to be far more practical, far less romantic, and just as purposeful as anything else I’ve read this year.

I didn’t follow all nine steps for financial independence to the tee. At least I haven’t yet, and while that must make Vicki Robin shake her head, I did start to do a few things. Measuring my income and expenditures in life energy, not just dollars. Figuring out what a “just right” level of income looks like for my family so I know when doing more work stops being worth it. Keeping track of all spending.

Perhaps I’ll take on the rest of the exercises when I have time. Or whenever I have graph paper handy, which is like never.

#278 Grad School: Nine Weeks

04 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Today I submitted my forms to graduate and be done with everything in nine weeks.

While my motivation going into this quarter is mostly propelled by the finish line I’m looking at, I’ve found a helpful way to think about work that provides an extra boost.

Imagine, for a second, what the best possible outcome could be of you showing up and doing your job well? A lot of people can easily drum up the worst case scenario, but what’s the best case scenario. My wife’s a therapist, so in her field it looks like saving a life, preventing suicide, and breaking up abusive cycles in a family. That’s a pretty serious contribution to the world. Do you accept a so-so job because of the healthy pay? Maybe the money you donate to charities, treat friends with, or support your family with are also in the life-saving business. Are you a barista? Maybe your pleasantness and warmth have actually made somebody’s day or turned it around… I can credit a phone rep for Virgin Airlines doing that for me once.

As a teacher of African studies, hmm… who knows? Maybe I strike the curiosity of a kid who one day discovers an efficient way to get antiretrovirals or malaria meds to the people who need them most.

Are these pretty out there possibilities? Yup. Unlikely? Probably. But here’s the crazy thing… if these things end up happening, a lot of times we’ll have had no idea. So we might as well act as if they just might, and by doing so, we’ll really increase our odds of doing meaningful work.

#279 Sunlit Halls

05 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Here’s a fun fact- some studies show that businesses that use totally made up words or names are often more successful than those that use descriptive, already existing words. Airbnb? Much better than ShareYourHouse. Instagram? Beats out Mobile PicShare. Ghostbusters? Better than its Chinese translation, Super Power Dare Die Team.

Here’s the part of that I find interesting… there’s a good part of us that can so easily be convinced we’re looking at something new just by the way it’s presented. Both traditional media and social media have gotten really, really skilled at that. The way to keep you glued is to run up storylines that seem like they’ve never happened before.

Corrupt politicians? That’s actually about as old of a news story as we have. Leaders with dictatorial tendencies? They go pretty far back throughout history. People unable to live peacefully with each other because of race, gender, or a bunch of other qualities? Yeah, unfortunately, that dynamic is much older than we are.

What to make of this? I’m all for staying informed, but also remember, there’s nothing really new under the sun and there’s a good and bad side to that. Unfortunately, progress happens very, very slowly, and many of the world’s big issues will probably outlive us. But the good news is that the world is crazy resilient. There’s still a lot of good that persists along with the bad.

At the end of the day, don’t just respond to the big bold headlines. Listen to what your life has taught you, to the lessons learned from the dirt underneath your fingernails. Don’t let panic take control of your creativity, it was meant to add good into the world, starting with what’s in front of you.

#280 13th to Campus

06 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

There are so many things in life that don’t work out, even though they made total sense on paper. I’ve seen couples break up that seemed like a great fit to me. I’ve had friends not get jobs that they seemed made for. I’ve known people who have started projects that for some reason never got the attention they were worthy of.

What’s the deal? I wish I knew. Unfortunately life is full of these little injustices that don’t seem to have a good explanation.

It’s good to know that this happens, and it happens quite a bit. It’s good to be prepared for this. Hard work is indispensable, but sometimes, it’s not enough. You can make all necessary efforts, all the right choices, and it still doesn’t work out.

It’s probably a healthy thing for everyone to experience this at least once in their lifetime. So many people in rough situations are there through no fault of their own. It’s important to have empathy for that. Not blame, and not a rescuer mentality. Just a deep sense of understanding and compassion.

#281 Chicken Katsu

07 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Katsuuuuuuu!

Chicken katsu is pretty much my go to dish at any Hawaiian restaurant. I’ll venture into other dishes but I always come back home. My lightly fried, breaded, crispy home.

I made some the other night and that was surprisingly simple and easy- with a big lightly fried, breaded, crispy payoff.

#282 Our Guests

08 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Hosting visitors is one of mine and Deanna’s favorite things to do.

Over the weekend we got to have Bre and Raquel and Jesse over for soul food, Ticket to Ride, and more food. Loved it.

We’ve now passed the amount of out-of-town friends we hoped to be able to host in Eugene for our marriage goals, but we have no plans of stopping! We love having people over.

#283 Deanna’s 27

09 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Happy, happy birthday to my sweet and beautiful Deanna! It’s been a good day of church, eating, friends, and hygge.

Life with you is so sweet, simple, fun, and I couldn’t be more thankful for it. I love getting to spend every day with you, taking Beignet out on little weekend adventures, watching our shows, trying to squeeze out every last minute of conversation before we go to sleep, cherishing the friendships we’ve managed to build around town, and dreaming of all kinds of things we hope to do together.

It’s a great life and I love that I get to share it with you.

#284 Current

10 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Wind and rain have this river feeling pretty good about itself.

Here are a few things making me happy this week.

So first, there was the bit of good news we got last week that I mentioned in my last post.

I’m also really loving Johnnyswim’s Georgica Pond album. So much soul and so many songs off the new album sounded great live.

And before the show, I finally got to eat at Tasty and Sons, which was on my places to eat in Portland list for a good while. Get the Asian Bloody Mary.

#285 Lasagna

11 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Lasagna is a birthday tradition in Deanna’s family, and that’s a tradition that I wouldn’t wanna mess with.

I didn’t get to make her some on her actual birthday but that’s cause we kept eating all day. So, Tuesday night, I got busy.

Lasagna is a tricky dish once you’ve been to Bologna. You realize how different the American interpretation of it is, but figuring out how they get their ragú that savory and creamy is a puzzle in and of itself.

My go to methods? A slow cooker. Add some milk. And white wine to break everything down. Sometimes a red wine gets too fruity. Toss in a bit of pancetta fat. And grate or process the veggies. That way you get a smoother filling.

Oh and homemade noodles. Those are a must.

#286 Grad School: Eight Weeks

12 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Know what’s a really, really good feeling? It’s when you don’t know exactly why something happened or didn’t happen to you but still feel really, really at peace with it.

I got hit by that while driving through Texas Hill Country a week or so ago. Suddenly convinced that the end of this year would make for a very important time for me to be learning things.

Last summer, I came pretty close to getting a job that looked like such a right fit on paper. I would’ve loved the work I’d be doing. I would’ve accepted without hesitation.

I realize now that if I did that, there would be no way I’d be able to tie up all the loose ends of my Masters programs like I thought. There’s a bit too much left to do, and I would’ve likely had to pay to do that too if I wasn’t teaching at the same time. I also did some math and figured out the “just right” amount of income for Deanna and I. This would’ve been a bit too far below, and sometimes I tend to underrate income for more idealistic trade offs.

Some stretches of life can feel so slow, with a purpose that’s hazier than mid October mornings. Surrendering what you don’t have control over frees you to unleash your best stuff.

#287 UO East Campus

13 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

With the end of grad school approaching, I often think of all the reasons why I’m looking forward to being done- and there are plenty. Being more financially able to support a family is a big one. So is the urge to contribute towards helping other people.

For the sake of getting the most out of the remaining weeks, though, here are a few things I know I’ll miss once it’s all done.

I’ll miss having so much control over my schedule. If I need to run an errand in the middle of the day, or run home to take care of something, I can do that really easily. It’s rare to find a job with as many moveable parts as mine right now.

I’ll miss the way I’ve acquired a deep and unexpected knowledge on so many random things on the way to getting degrees. World Heritage Sites in Mali. The Public Budgeting process in Oregon versus California. Andrew Carnegie’s writings. One day, when I’m on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, at least a couple of my life flashbacks will have to be to grad school.

I’ll miss the student ticket rates for Ducks games… granted the Ducks aren’t making me miss that so much right now, but one day I will.

#288 Family Selfy

14 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Not gonna name any names, but one member of this family makes taking selfies a lot more difficult.

We’re thrilled, though!

Deanna went to see a doctor for a checkup. When she got really sick last February, her breathing scores dropped from a typical range in the mid-high 70s down to 22. We had a doctor tell us that a lot of people don’t get back to their old numbers after a drop that drastic.

Well since then, I knew she was doing better since we’ve visited lots of places, snorkeled in Hawaii, and ran a half marathon. But how much better?

When she went to get tested at her doctors, I walked Beignet around while praying for a good number. We got it… 80! This sort of comeback is really, really rare.

I’m a believer in never taking what you have for granted, in realizing there are things so much bigger than the usual things we freak out about on a daily basis, and in God working an old school miracle every now and again.

#289 Johnnyswim in PDX

15 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I absolutely love Johnnyswim. We got engaged to our friends playing a cover of Paris in June and left our wedding reception to the tune of Diamonds.

We were absolutely not going to miss our shot to see them play in Portland.

Man this was an amazing show. So much charisma and stage chemistry- I’m loving the sound of the new album already.

#290 Rains Come

16 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Ah the rain has returned in full force after taking a little summer break. My opinion will probably change when February rolls around but right now I love this so much.

Also glad we were able to make it to and from Portland twice while having to basically drive through a lake with all the flooding. On Friday night we ended up backing up on a one way road just to get out from all the water.

#291 Street Life Under a Roof

17 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“For as with Point Place, it is possible for youth to come together to create culturally expressive forms of social life not only for the privileged few, but for anyone who is looking for shelter and, along with it a sense of belonging under a shared roof.”

-Emily Margaretten

Frequently asked question… do books that I have to read for work or school count towards my personal reading goals? I say that they do if I like the book enough.

This was an assigned book for the class I’m teaching, and I’ll get to do two lectures on South Africa and street life next week which should be fun. Reading this ethnography of a researcher who lived in a youth shelter totally took me back to Jozi, even though it’s set in Durban.

#292 City Human Rights Commission

18 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Last night, I got to attend our local human rights commission meeting. I didn’t even know we had one but here’s what I saw.

A representative from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs shared a nasty courtroom experience directed at her while trying to speak on behalf of land belonging to her tribe. Everybody listened empathically.

A member of the ACLU talked about methods of police surveillance that may raise some privacy concerns and a rep from the police department acknowledged the concerns and mentioned some potential benefits of the technology in stopping child predators or kidnappings.

I know a lot of people are so over political discourse, and I get why. But I was also encouraged by what I saw. Local governance offers so many opportunities for regular people to be a part of the process that not many people take. And in a local setting, you can oftentimes have a huge influence.

When you get tired of being a political spectator, maybe try participating every now and then.

#293 Grad School: Seven Weeks

19 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

On paper, this was supposed to be a really challenging Fall for me. I had to request special permission from the University to take twenty credits (twelve is my normal) all while keeping up my freelance projects, my job hunt, and several weekends of travel for family reasons. Plus it’s also the time of year when the sun disappears and everything drops fifty degrees and it’s way harder to feel motivated for anything.

The funny thing is that we’re close to halfway through this quarter and I am loving it. So far it’s all gone by smoothly and I’m surprised often at how efficiently I’ve been able to get things done.

Here are a few things that have been real helpful this term.

Going one day at a time. It’s easy to rush it when you’re close to the finish line, but just making sure each day’s challenges are given appropriate attention.

Before most items on my to do list I ask myself who do I really have a chance to serve with this task. The answer isn’t always obvious but it makes otherwise unmotivating tasks much more fulfilling.

So far I haven’t worked a Sunday, I’ve mostly been able to slow down my Saturdays, and often finish everything by 5 or 6 pm. All that time to enjoy life and not just work through it has finally become a good habit after years of working on it.

#294 College Hill

20 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This summer, I came really, really close to getting what I thought could have been my dream job. I would’ve worked as a director with a really cool organization doing international work, it would’ve been work I’d enjoy doing every day, and it would’ve been in a city where I used to live that I miss a lot.

Part of me was surprised I didn’t get it because it seemed like such a great fit on paper, but another part of me just had a feeling that it wouldn’t work out. And while there was a bit of disappointment, there have been so many times this past fall where I’m glad it didn’t go through. If I got it, Deanna and I would be back living in California right now, and almost on a daily basis, I’ve been thinking, I’m glad I’m still here.

So in honor of understanding and appreciating things better in retrospect, here are a few reasons why I’m glad I’m still here.

Fall in the PNW is gorgeous. The first weather cycle, with the unending rain and grey skies can be a bit overwhelming. The next time around? I’ve fallen in love with it. Grey skies, bright orange leaves, and hygge weather… I’ve been liking this so much. I’ve also grown to appreciate having different seasons, and I’m thankful for this one.

Moving a couple weeks ago would’ve been a huge hassle, logistically. Not just with getting all our stuff and dog to California. We would’ve had to find a place to live. I would’ve had to figure out how to finish grad school remotely- which I now realize wouldn’t be easy at all while working full time. And there are some financial reasons too.

Ultimately, we really aren’t ready to leave where we are right now. Maybe we will be. Maybe soon. But I think we needed this last round to take it all in and to enjoy this stuff.

#295 One In N Out

21 October 2016 // Medford, Oregon

Living in a state with one In N Out > Living in a stat with zero In N Out.

Also, order #32’s number was just called and a family of six stood up and started clapping. Heartwarming moment of the day. There truly is good in thew world.

#296 Congrats Justin & CC!

22 October 2016 // San Francisco, California

This weekend was about as good as it gets.

Deanna and I went down to San Francisco to help our friend Justin propose to his now fiancé, Caytlin. There were tears and corgis and food trucks and beaches involved, and we got to see a bunch of our good friends again.

Congrats Justin and Caytlin- we are so, so happy for you two and we’re looking forward to you two being married!

#297 Friend Brunch

23 October 2016 // Sacramento, California

I hang out with a good looking bunch.

And we eat brunch.

#298 Grad School: Six Weeks

24 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

It’s crazy to think about how close life is to radically changing all over again. I’m both looking forward to it and ready for things in my life to last a little longer.

When I started grad school, I had a whole lot of energy to get things off the ground. I wanted to launch projects, new organizations, groups of people and have them all spring into action. I was ready to hit the ground running. The past few years before that had been so dynamic and full of big changes it seemed like there was only one direction to go.

It turns out that most of the things I attempted to start didn’t work out. There were a lot of false starts and midway through it started to feel like I’d been spending my year doing nothing. Life went from this dynamic journey to being surprisingly still.

I had a friend talk to me about how sometimes we hit these seasons in life where God just wants us to chill for a bit, without much going on. That gets really challenging for my personality and my inclination to want to go everywhere and do everything. But these stretches, slow and frustrating as they might be can be really important and underrated.

Some recipes have steps where dough needs to rise for hours, or flavors need to meld for a day, just so it can come out right. Some pieces of pottery need to chill for a week so they don’t shatter when used. Some songs need to rest after a big note before going on to the next movement so the listener can take it all in.

I don’t think God’s one to waste time. And when we can trust that there’s a point to these.

#299 Boeuf Borgignon

25 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Now that we’ve hit that fall-winter part of my cooking challenge, I’ve been having lots of fun with these heavier, heartier meals- this week’s being no exception.

I gave making bouef borgignon a shot, or as Julia Child calls it, bouef b£•∞¶£on. Speaking of Julia, I essentially used her recipe, but without a dutch oven, I had to adapt and improvise to work with our slow cooker.

I got to come home to a great meal and a great smelling house. Not much I would’ve changed about how it turned out, except that I wish I made even more.

#300 The Birth of Korean Cool

26 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“So how does Korea manage the work ethic and maniacal drive to be number one? The underlying national psychology that motivates the country is not a salutary one. I remain convinced that ‘han’, that culturally specific, millennia-old rage against fate, is a huge motivating force in Koreans’ stamina and persistence.”

-Euny Hong

This was a fun little read about why Koreans are so darn cool. And it was very clearly written in late 2012 when Psy was at optimum Gangnam style.

Actually I learned quite a bit about how the ROK government has invested in its own entertainment industry in such a methodical way to get Halyu to take over the world.

#301 Week of Lectures

27 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Throwing back to my days as a substitute teacher by being a guest lecturer.

It’s so much easier when you have the chance to lecture about something that you could talk about forever and ever. In this case, street life in South Africa, concepts of masculinity, ghost stories, and township life. And a whole bunch of personal anecdotes from my own experiences.

#302 Great Fall

28 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Duuuuude the days have been stunning lately.

A couple weeks ago in Portland, Johnnyswim shared the inspiration for their song Drunks. Apparently there’s this bar in Nashville where all the hardcore soccer fans go. And during a match, things can get pretty nasty. One side yelling up a storm at the other. But there are these Irish folk songs that kick in after the game, and once they start, everyone sings. No matter who you were cheering for a minute ago.

Living in the USA right now feels like the country needs an Irish drinking song. This isn’t the first time of wild contentiousness, nor will it be the last, but a good time out would do wonders.

I used to think having the right facts could solve a lot of our problems. But if I doubted it before, this year has confirmed that people will gravitate towards “facts” that confirm what they already think is true and find ways to dismiss anything else. The right facts won’t change the world.

There’s something about beauty, though, that can still stop people in a single moment. For a new parent holding a tiny life in a maternity ward, the election is so far on the back burner it’s just white noise. For someone in the middle of this year’s most gorgeous weekend, next week need not come.

Our hearts were made to worship, and wonder still gets us where information fails us. Small fragments of starlight that can spell out true north.

#303 Mazed

29 October 2016 // Junction City, Oregon

This weekend was a great one for corn mazes and mud.

#304 The Pint Pot

30 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Gray mornings call for a classic Irish Pub. Thank goodness for The Pint Pot. An Irish coffee and a full Irish breakfast are exactly in order.

Here are a couple other things making me pretty happy this week.

I discovered that Terrence Malick’s film To The Wonder was streaming for free on Prime, and I loved it even though it wasn’t the most accessible of movies. In typical Malick fashion, it was full of amazing visuals, cryptic layers of meaning hiding beneath simple-but-poetic dialogue, and Javier Bardem being a priest. The film itself was so beautifully shot, despite being set in mostly sterile, suburban environments… but I kinda think that was supposed to be the point.

And on the other end of the spectrum, there’s that YouTube video of a dog’s favorite Gumby chew toy being brought to life by it’s owner in a Gumby costume. I’ve lost track of the amount of times I’ve watched it, I love it so.

And then there’s freaking baseball. What a game.

#305 Chill Halloween

31 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Happy Halloween my friends. We had a laid back dinner with friends kinda night, but I had some good reads to help me keep the day all spooky and such.

Also, we had zero trick or treaters! What’s going on, modern day children? I even heard some kids trick or treat at the door right across from us, never to come by.

Now I’m stuck with the dangerous prospect of endless fun size candies around the house.

SEPTEMBER 2016

#245 Ceviche

01 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I am a huge fan of ceviche. In between the fresh flavor of uncooked fish and the meatiness of cooked fish is cured fish.

The citrus was a bit strong on this one and I would’ve loved to add a bit more jalapeño heat. The fish texture came out great, though. I’m glad the guys at Newman’s recommended going with the snapper.

This also paired up pretty well with my leftover tortillas from yesterday, though some corn tortillas would’ve been nice too.

#246 Eugene Emeralds

02 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Congrats and good luck to the Eugene Emeralds on their playoff run, and a really good season after all. I’m glad we got to make it to a few games this year.

One of our marriage goals was to make it to four different Emeralds games, and we closed out the season with our fourth one. If I had to pick a favorite, I’d go with puppy night against Hillsboro a couple weeks ago.

#247 NEEDTOBREATHE

03 September 2016 // Bend, Oregon

On the unofficial last night of summer, we got to hang out at the park by the river with what felt like the entire city of Bend and watch a few really great bands put on a really great show.

There wasn’t a bad act in the lineup, but NEEDTOBREATHE was the headliner and so they brought some serious oomph with them on stage. I’ve heard from lots of people that they’re good live performers, and those people were right. Lately, I’ve been all about the song Happiness… the lyrics of that chorus telling me I wasn’t made for the simple life… that resonates the way a meaningful song does.

It’s all for you, in my pursuit of happiness.

#248 Sisters

04 September 2016 // Sisters, Oregon

So glad we were able to spend one of our last weekends of the summer in Sisters.

Food plus hikes and mountains plus campfires with roasted s’mores and garlic. Yes.

#249 Labor Day Weekend

05 September 2016 // Sisters, Oregon

Lets talk about this past Labor Day Weekend. Was it the best one of my life? I can’t really remember a past Labor Day off the top of my head, so probably!

We spent it sitting on this patio for hours and sipping chardonnay with coconut custard pie. Also, visiting Bend, camping at Sisters, listening to good music, roasting garlic by campfire, discovering amazing poke at Safeway of all places, and hiking to lakes.

This was a memorable summer. Lots of good. Lots of hard stuff. Lots of learning. It’s been a while since I’ve learned this much about myself. I’m glad we got to give this season a proper sendoff.

#250 Liberty Update

06 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Time to update our friends on one major bucket list item of ours… funding the rescue of a North Korean refugee.

One of our marriage goals is to raise $3,000 to fund the rescue of a refugee from North Korea to get safely out of China and into resettlement in the U.S. or in South Korea. We wanted to do this within our first 1,000 days of being married and we decided to make the year of 2016 our phase one. Raising the first half, or $1,500.

I’m happy to announce that this phase is complete and successful… and it’s all thanks to a ton of our friends and family who have helped contribute to our donation page or attend our various fundraising events that we’ve done. Here are some of the ways we’ve gotten to the amount so far: Everybody who pitched in $15 at our murder mystery party last Halloween, all those who helped give when we ran our half-marathon in May, everyone who paid at our charitable carbo-load the night before, lots of birthday gift donations on my birthday, and setting aside small portions of our paychecks.

Hats off to you! Now it’s time for phase two.

We’re about to launch a new fundraising page for the year ahead and you can see that it’s basically the same goal as last year. $1,500, or the second half of the rescue! We’d love it if you could give us a nice little boost to kick things off, and we’ll be brainstorming some other fun fundraising things we could put together soon.

#251 Beautiful Ruins

07 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“The smaller the space between your desire and what is right, the happier you will be.”

–Jess Walter

Man, I loved this book. It doesn’t end with a pretty bow and leaves room for life to be unexpected and difficult, but it does end with optimism, hope, and redemption, which I wish I could say was true of more books I read. Beautiful is in its title and the book lives up to the adjective.

The storyline jumps… a lot. From Italy to LA to the Pacific Northwest and London. From the sixties to World War 2 to a year or two ago or a script that exists outside of time. The characters are well defined and mostly likable. You wonder how a story can give so much of itself away so early, but still have more places to go as you read on. This book and Homegoing were my two favorite summer reads.

#252 Glenwood with GCF

08 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Maybe it’s the place, maybe it’s the stage of life, but when we first moved up to Eugene, Deanna and I had a much harder time finding community than we expected. There was a lot of meeting people, “we should hang out” exchanging, with nothing ever really happening.

A few years later, we really value the friends we’ve made here and the bonds we’ve formed. We are far more thankful for the community we’ve managed to grow into over time. There are times in life where you meet people right and left and times where that happens way more slowly. Either way, though, you’ll always need people.

#253 Chicken Inasal

09 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Chicken adobo isn’t the only Filipino chicken dish worth knowing. Chicken Inasal is the regional dish of Iloilo, and for a roast chicken recipe, good execution makes all the difference. The meal itself is kind of simple… chargrilled chicken marinated in a blend of spices. The marinade blend is what sets it all apart, though.

The end product should be a flavorful anatto and lemongrass chargrilled chicken. Neither of those two ingredients are very beginner friendly, but their flavors are amazing when used well.

After I plated this, I decided to amp up the chargrilled feature by throwing it under the broiler for a bit. It charred the skin and improved the texture, but the first version was the more photogenic dish.

#254 Hellgate

10 September 2016 // Grants Pass, Oregon

One of the most fun things I’ve done since living in Oregon was going on the Hellgate jetboat ride. I’ve heard so many people who’ve done it talk it up. Rightfully so.

The jet boat goes thirty-six miles down the Rogue River and into Hellgate Canyon. It’s a lovely and scenic ride with the wind in your face and waving hi to all the fishermen.

After reaching Hellgate Canyon, we spun around to a boat-in only restaurant where we got bottomless mimosas, and a pretty full breakfast. Because what better way to wrap up a nice boat ride than with brunch?

Then then Hellgates open. Unfortunately for anyone who overindulged at brunch, the jet boat ride back is a bit more of a thrill ride. The captain steers the boat over as many choppy waters and into as many spins as they can manage. Everyone gets wet. Especially the guy in the first row who was celebrating his 75th birthday.

So much fun.

#255 Inasal Tacos

11 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Sunday afternoons are for no-rules. Alright, there’s one rule. Nothing that feels like work, and just spend time with people or doing inspiring things that birth new ideas and energy.

Today’s inspiration came in the form of Emiril’s Amazon show and looking through the pictures and words in what might be my new favorite cookbook. Oh and a nice can of passionfruit juice.

Feeling pretty inspired after that, I put together my leftover chicken inasal with some spicy papaya salad to make yet another Filipino style taco.

#256 Summerbier

12 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

With summer coming to a close a little too fast, I went to go buy up some of my favorite limited release summer beers before they went away and became impossible to find. Here are my top three from this year, all available in cans.

Oakshire Cucumber Belgian Ale – Not so much of a sour that it turns into a pickle beer, but a perfect mix of everything that’s in its name. It’s a summer afternoon beer, and I prefer not to have it with food, since it’s got an interesting taste of its own.

Anchor Brewing Meyer Lemon Lager – Much like the Cucumber Belgian, this is also a beer that hits the spot after a long day. It’s a mellow lager, which means it can kind of act as an afternoon session. The amount of lemon is just right.

Mazama Brewing Mosaic IPA – Hey, something from Corvalis that I like! And an IPA that I like! This is all kinds of unlikely. The hops that go into this beer are actually pretty flavorful and not bitterly repugnant. This isn’t an exclusive summer release, per se, but that’s when I think it goes best.

#257 Candied Jalapeño Cornbread

13 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I seem to have a little knack for cornbread. I never made it prior to this year, but I’ve gotten some pretty happy feedback each time.

If that’s the case, I thought I should step my game up with candied jalapeño cornbread. Jalapeños plus sugar plus patience.

It was a success! And Deanna made some chili so it was a double win.

#258 Garden City

14 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“We need to learn to embrace our potential and our limitations. Because both of them are signposts, pointing us forward into God’s calling on our life.”

–John Mark Comer

This was a good book to read as I look to re-enter the job market. Job hunting, to be honest, is one of my least favorite things to do.

Garden City offers a broader perspective on the role of work, the role of rest, and the bigger idea of working towards the reinvention of the world. I appreciated so much of this outlook on how as different as one person’s responsibilities might look from another person’s, all are part of the world being restored.

What I appreciated was how this book affirms how all jobs can be potentially significant when it comes to this task. It isn’t just the humanitarian, the political leader, or the child surgeon who gets the privilege of being part of changing the world, but really, almost all jobs and roles play a necessary role.

I’m also challenged by some of this book because I definitely have jack-of-all-trades tendencies, and Garden City explains very well why it’s important to do something well and to be dedicated to it. I’m definitely wired to be an experiencer, but deep down I agree it’s important to hone a skill to develop.

#259 Trivial

15 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Another pretty good trivia night in the bags.

I’m calling shenanigans on the trivia master’s use of Wikipedia for info, though.

#260 That Kinda Day

16 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I know that based on my social media posts, one could easily believe I live a problem free life, driving fancy sports cars and sharing mimosas with my famous rapper friends without a worry or care. It’s a good life, no doubt, but here’s a humble reminder that it isn’t all gold flakes and tiramisu.

I spent most of today trying to put out a fire, helping a client get his urgent email back up and running after some web work got a little out of hand. I was in the office all day until I needed to go pick Deanna up from work and it felt like one thing after another. Unfortunately, this also meant Beignet had to wait on the patio for me to get home for an unusually long time. I took her to the dog park and when I got back I was ready to do absolutely nothing.

It was a long day with lots of surprises I wouldn’t have wanted, but somebody wise once said that once you realize the sets of problems other people face you would gladly accept your own. I think it might’ve been Lil’ Wayne. Sorry I couldn’t take your calls today, pal.

#261 Thor’s Well

17 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This summer went by fast and slow. I saw some really difficult moments within my family but fell in Love with simple weekends with Deanna more and more. I seemed to go somewhere every weekend and yet I felt like I stayed home the entire year. This was the summer that contradicted itself entirely.

It’s over now, and it’ll take a while to get my head around everything that happened in the past few months. I do know that I’ve learned quite a bit about myself. These things will help me make better choices in the upcoming year when life gets a total makeover and when I’ll probably have to make more than one tough decision.

1 – I learned that I place an extremely high value on experiences. It’s really hard for me to be just satisfied with dissecting an idea with textbooks and theories, I need to actually try stuff out and do things. That means I have to find out what endeavors are right for me by trying out a variety of things and discovering what doesn’t work. Knowing that helps me be more patient with myself when it comes to figuring out what I want to do and more gracious with myself when things don’t go right.

2 – Related to that, I have an unusually high amount of energy for doing things and for variety. Doing the same thing all the time sounds like a death trap to me, and it takes zero effort for me to start planning my next idea. It’s been really important for me to learn this so I can be careful not to wear out other people around me, since few people are built with a similar energy. Knowing this has helped me be more compassionate to those closest to me, and has made me conscious that I need outlets for that energy.

3 – I thrive when I’m connected to a cause, when I can use my energy to get other people fired up for something that I sincerely believe matters. Times in my life where I’ve done really well have been when I’ve had a cause pretty centrally positioned in my life– North Korea, kids in South Africa, working at an autism center. I’ve put an incredible amount of effort this decade towards trying to find a role that fits me well that allows me to pour that energy into. That project still isn’t complete, but learning this has helped.

#262 The Fix Up

18 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I’ve come to love cutting back on the things I own. Taking old clothes to be donated. Giving old books away to friends or selling them at Powell’s. I swear to you I didn’t just find out I’m dying. It’s just better in so many ways to own just enough… not more and not less.

I’m sure I’ll always have a few things I’ll accumulate quickly. The bookshelves will replenish themselves soon and it’s hard to say no to a useful kitchen gadget. I’ve spent most of my adulthood so far pretty low-budget, so I turned into an excellent scavenger. Hopefully I can keep up these new habits though for the benefit of other scavengers.

I got to spend a good amount of time today tidying up and I’m quite pleased with the look of our living room.

I don’t know when this change happened but I’ve come to love the look of my space when it’s all cleaned up and neat. Growing up, I was kind of a messy kid. Now, having a house with everything squared away feels weirdly energizing.

#263 Last Week Off

19 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I have this week off, more or less. Some errands and odd jobs and freelance projects to tinker with, but mostly a week off.

Stopping myself from doing too much work this week. I can do this so easily when I start to get spare time. I like to take on a bunch of projects, and sometimes having nothing to do for a week gives my brain too much space to start taking on even more projects.

My goal right now is to not let that happen. Weeks like this don’t come by very often.

#264 GCF Welcome

20 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Spent some time welcoming new grad students onto campus. Here’s some of the things this week making me happy.

I’m loving the show Galavant. I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard at a TV show in a long time.

I love Rover. The Airbnb of pet sitting. We needed to find someone for Beignet this weekend while we’re in Austin. I hope to get myself listed there as a dog walker soon enough!

I loved watching the Marlins play for the first time on Monday since Jose Fernandez’s death. By now a bunch of people have seen headlines and replays of Dee Gordon hitting a home run on the first at bat any one of his teammates took after the tragedy, but watching it in real time was unbelievable. By far the most emotional oomph and heart I’ve ever seen out of a game, personally, and I’m glad I gave this a watch on Monday night. We all could do with some reminders of how human we are.

#265 Jeremy Visits Eugene

21 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

A visit from Jeremy wouldn’t be complete without taking him to get his shots.

#266 Andrew Pham

22 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Heads up, Eugene! If any of you are looking for a piano teacher or if you need somebody to play for you or accompany you at some event, Andrew Pham is your guy!

He and I got to take some headshots together to update his site and they are coming together.

#267 A Tale For The Time Being

23 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“Life is fleeting. Don’t waste a single moment of your precious life. Wake up now! And now! And now!”

–Ruth Ozeki

This book. I’ve been mesmerized by it since reading it. I’m completely fascinated by the amount of invention in the idea of this book and the amount of vividness in the way it was executed.

Ruth Ozeki essentially wrote herself as a character, interacting with another character she invented. Oftentimes, this book hardly feels like a work or fiction and you genuinely feel like you’re with Ruth, reading the discovered diary of Naoko in Japan. It feels like all this is happening just off of Vancouver Island in real time, as you read, which is quite a feat. There are more magical elements like disappearing pages, alternate futures, ghosts and superpowers, and yet it still feels realer than some biographies I’ve read.

The character voices in this book were so vivid and likeable. There are some horrific moments, but also coming to terms. This book straddles between timelines, fiction and nonfiction, magical realism and naturalism, darkness and light so quickly. Overcoming duality seems to be at the center of these stories and they accomplish their goal. There are some heavy themes in here, but if you like fiction that provokes some thought, I can’t recommend this enough.

#268 Oregon Ducks

24 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I’ve had the perk of getting Deanna and I into games for fifteen bucks the past couple years, but this will be our last season to take advantage of that.

Unfortunately our five game sample size gives us a losing record.

W vs. Colorado, 2014
W vs. Georgia State, 2015
L vs. Utah, 2015
L vs. Washington State, 2015
L vs. Colorado, 2016

Always leave things better than you found them. I love this idea. Sadly this won’t be the case with Ducks football. We came in during their best season ever.

Anytime Marcus Mariota wants to take a gap year from the NFL for grad school is fine by me.

#269 Joy Worship

25 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Over two years ago, Deanna started telling me that she wanted to get involved with a worship music team. She’d never really done it before, except for a little stint with a college gospel choir. She just felt real strongly that it was something she was being pulled towards. When she told me this we just moved to Eugene and hadn’t even found a church up here yet.

On Sunday she supplied our church’s music team with some female vocals. It was basically Sister Act.

Sometimes, you know that you’re called to do something but then you have to wait a while. Don’t rush, don’t quit. Just stay ready

#270 Grad School: Last Round

26 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Today, I started my very last quarter of grad school. Ever feel restless with your current life? I do.

I wish I could say that I was a little more excited for the term. To be honest, though, I’m feeling pretty ready to be finished with school and ready to be working full time.

I look forward to have a job that involves helping people more directly- not to say you can’t through academics, but that’s so not the way I’m built. Lately, I’ve felt a bit like a bench warmer when hearing people describe their jobs- especially ones where they get to work directly with people. Even when I hear about their really stressful situations, I remember how restless I get with theories and theses and I get a pretty bad case of put-me-in-coach!

At the end of summer, I came super close to ending early to take a job I would have loved and given my all. And it didn’t quite work out, so now I’ve got an anticlimactic feeling going into the term. But I know the reminder I need.

The way to get to where you wanna be starts with giving the present your very best.

I have ten weeks to do as good of a job with my current work as I can possibly do. And even if it’s not an apparent high stakes situation, I’ll have students to help learn about the world… and who knows what any of them might do with that knowledge. These ten weeks are ones I’ll never get back once they’re finished, so I’d better make them count.

Contentment can be a challenge for me, but it’s important to learn. But if I can learn some things about it over the next ten weeks, then it’ll be time unwasted.

#271 Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Horseradish

27 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This week’s challenge dinner was a little bit labor intensive. Prep took a bit longer than usual. I sacrificed a pepper grinder in the process. And it was all worth it.

These two items paired together beautifully. I don’t know which component I liked better, the tenderloin or the garlic horseradish. Considering that one’s a meat and the other’s a sauce, I guess that says a lot about how well slow roasted garlic and horseradish meld… not that this is any surprise to me. Those are two of my favorite tastes.

I didn’t really nail this dish. I slightly overcooked the tenderloin and reducing the cream for the sauce got really messy. But it was still so satisfying in spite of all its flaws, meaning it’ll be really worthwhile to gain some mastery of it.

#272 Short Haired Dee

28 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna bet on the Ducks this weekend and had to cut her hair all off.

Kidding.

She did cut off about a foot though to donate. Stylish and charitable!

Deanna now looks the way she did when we started dating, and that’s the circle of life pretty much.

#273 Texas Sized Pregame

29 September 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Leave the dog at the sitter– check.

Pack up more books than you have days on this trip– check.

Phils cap to take care of morning hair– check.

Coffee, coffee, coffee– check.

Just had a fully loaded Thursday and still found some time to pack up the Osprey.

Onwards to Texas, amigos. Got a 2 AM start to the day’s journey

#274 Marble Falls

30 September 2016 // Marble Falls, Texas

“That scene still haunts me. The explosion and then five minutes. If only I… If only I… and then the capsule hits the water, it’s all over. Then you realize it’s all the same– five minutes, five days, 50 years. It’s all the same, for it’s over before we realize…. It may be the last time… stop, appreciate the blessings you have. ‘If only I could’- you still can, you’ve got today.”

–Rabbi Berger

The New York Times ran a really interesting piece on Rabbi Kenneth Berger this week. The Rabbi gave a Yom Kippur sermon the year of the Challenger Explosion that contained the above quote, reflecting what it would be like to stare at death from five minutes away. Only a few years later, in 1989, the Rabbi and his wife experienced exactly what he preached about, being killed in a plane crash over the Midwest.

Time is a crazy thing. This year I’ve had to say goodbye to two family members who’ve lived very long and full lives, and yet they felt too short. I’ve had to wait and countdown the weeks until grad school is finished, and that feels like forever. And all while this is going on, I’ve got no idea how much time I’ve got left.

Something about life’s brevity and uncertainty gives it so much value, and it gives today so much value. There are nights where it’s tempting to want to go from one errand to the next, connecting the dots into the next day. You’ve only got so much time to do that before you don’t get to anymore. Not with the people around you right now. Not in the place you’re in right now.

AUGUST 2016

#214 Cold Brew

01 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I don’t know why, but the tweet that’s made me laugh the most out of all the tweets I’ve ever read was this one:

“When drinking cold brew, it is proper etiquette to stand up, look the barista in the eyes, and say ‘damn, that brew is COLD!’

#215 Mango Salsa

02 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I am giving myself a pretty big pat on the back for being able to anticipate what sort of meals I’d like to be preparing mid-summer… the meat-and-starch-heavy, labor intensive projects have been on break for a while, giving way to more light and refreshing summer fare.

Chips and salsa were due up next, and not only was this a pretty easy task, but salsa is one item that you can really get creative with and transform with endless combinations.

Although, if you’re me, you’re such a big fan of mango salsa that submitting anything else as an entry for my cooking project was simply unthinkable.

#216 Sonny

03 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Not everybody gets to have lunch with Sonny Van in their town in the middle of the week. #blessed am I.

Ninkasi, sushiritos, and good chats about what life’s been serving us lately, which isn’t always easy but at least it doesn’t have to be a solo act.

#217 Chocolate Coconut Coffee Seltzer

04 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I listened to an episode of The Splendid Table that got me all into the idea of afternoon seltzers, spritzers, and aperitifs.

Here’s one that I managed to whip up, a chocolate coffee coconut seltzer. Sort of a West Coast upgrade to the traditional egg cream.

Bonus points: just a little splash of amarula.

#218 Cuisines of the Axis of Evil

05 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“This plan of attack presumes you are feeding a crowd of eight esurient diners.” .

–Chris Fair

Oh man… I really wanted to like this book! In theory, it seemed to have all the markings of a book I’d enjoy. Food as a tool of understanding some of the most difficult nations to get our heads around! Cooking as diplomacy! Maybe those raised my expectations way too high, because I was severely disappointed.

Unfortunately, this book suffers from a pretty big identity crisis. Instead of coming across like an experience or firsthand account, each chapter reads like an overambitious textbook that tries to cram an entire nation’s history into five or six pages before abruptly turning into a cookbook. The book jacket talks about the author sharing meals with Delhi prostitutes and Talibs in Peshawar. The book itself shares none of those stories, instead going for information that could be easily found online and flat attempts at humor.

There were also so many points where Chris Fair’s writing got so distracting as I would read over sentences and think of how each one could have been better written. I don’t know if it’s her academic background, or what, but she never chooses the clearest way to say something when there are million dollar vocabulary words available. If only big words made for good writing. Her excessive vocabulary and lack of filters for what details to include resulted in sentences like the above quote.

I will point say that I did learn something new– that in India you can hire a coach to help you cheat on exams. And I have yet to actually try out her recipes, so perhaps there’s room for redemption there.

#219 Miike Snow

06 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This weekend was niice. With two i’s.

Of all the concerts I’ve seen in the past several years, I was probably the least familiar with Miike Snow’s music before going to their show. But hey, I like Animal and Genghis Khan and a handful of others, and I had an inkling that they’d be a fun bunch to see live.

They were! And it isn’t very often that bands like them drop by Eugene.

#220 State Street Evening

07 August 2016 // Santa Barbara, California

This summer couldn’t end without another mostly unplanned, rather unexpected trip. Thankfully it wasn’t to the other side of the world this time, just Southern California.

This trip enabled me to see my aunts, and to go to my cousin’s birthday party. That also meant pounds and pounds of Filipino food for lunch.

And then the evening came and I got to see Matt and treat him out to fro yo for his birthday. And I got to wander State Street for a bit. If only I had a bit more time to see people while in SB. But I’ll take this.

#221 Short SB Stint

08 August 2016 // Santa Barbara, California

Took a very quick, almost unplanned, and way unannounced visit to Santa Barbara today. I really wish I had the ability to stay much longer, because there would’ve been so many people I’d have loved to see. Unfortunately I was in town for mere hours, so I ended up making it just a quiet solo visit.

This was my first time back here since I got married over a year ago. That’s also officially the longest amount of time I’ve spent away from Santa Barbara since I started living there almost a decade ago.

I still like the way the streets feel. And I know that there’s a sense of home here that I’ll never fully erase no matter what happens.

#222 New Year’s Resolution

09 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This is my view from the couch. I never intended the couch to be my primary workspace, but that started when I adopted the dog and continues on to this summer.

I stare at this corner wall, kind of an awkwardly designed corner the more you look at it. This location has managed to sell a decent portion of my book’s copies.

Also, my new resolution was to finally put some photos in that window-style frame. New year’s resolution accomplished!

#223 Cherry Pie

10 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

It is summer, therefore, I will make pie.

I am making a pie, therefore I will make it out of as many cherries as I can get my hands on while they’re in season.

Well, I feel accomplished today.

#224 Cornbread with Cheri

11 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

It’s been a pretty busy week- I had a presentation of some sort nearly every day, but that’s over and now it’s time to go explore some Oregon small towns in the middle of nowhere.

Current musical fixation: Oh Wonder. Phantogram-esque production with more restraint and way better harmonies.

Also, I watched The Little Prince last night. Wayyyy different from what I was expecting but that movie was romanticism and whimsy.

#225 Bryndzové Halusky

12 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Six years ago, I was wandering around Slovakia. A friend I met on the airplane decided to hunt for a meal with me. We went into a nameless restaurant in a rustic old alleyway. I was served a tall pitcher of beer and a meal I’ll always remember, even if I never got its name. The best way I could describe it was something like a goat cheese gnocchi with large chunks of seared bacon or pancetta on top. It was Central European comfort food at its finest. 

Flash forward to several months ago and I find an article in Anthony Bourdain’s Roads & Kingdoms online magazine about the mysterious Slovakian masterpiece, bryndzové halusky.

While I couldn’t find all the right ingredients (the cheese is a special Slovak cheese that makes for an impossible scavenger hunt in the US) I learned enough about how to take on making this recipe myself using chèvre, a couple potatoes, and uncured block bacon. I’m pleased with these results.

#226 Eastern Oregon

13 August 2016 // Joseph, Oregon

This has been one of the strangest summers for me on record. A lot of new things, a lot of challenging and difficult things, and a lot of unexpected things. Most of all, a lot of not really knowing what comes next.

I recently realized that there was so much ambiguity in my life that I can’t really make any plans beyond September. Then it also occurred to me how much I liked that… just having to take things weeks at a time, and soon enough, days.

The summer’s winding down, and I’m not even sure if it felt fast or long. That probably means it was both in some ways. There were times where I was so busy that it felt more like a really warm March.

At the same time this summer has also been full of some really beautiful moments, like getting out of a car I had spent seven hours driving just in time to witness the sun finally go down in a part of Oregon I’d never seen before– the mysterious, sparsely populated east. Deanna and I needed to cook dinner and ended up being shifty and “borrowing” a fold out table from a laundromat to get by. It was an unexpected challenge, but one all the more memorable because of that.

#227 The Wallowas

14 August 2016 // Wallowa Lake, Oregon

I’ve heard the Wallowas refered to as the Oregonian Alps, so naturally, I wanted to head over there last weekend.

Great mountains and backpacking trails that stretch for days. Literally. It was hard for us to find a hike that could be done within a couple hours.

We weren’t able to stay for very long, but this place was gorgeous- and I’m glad the Seven Wonders of Oregon campaign included something from the less visited Eastern Oregon.

#228 Market of Choice

15 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I love buying groceries in bulk. Seriously one of the best ways to save a lot of money and to reduce food waste.

This is one of the reasons I like Market of Choice. Most of the time I think of it as an expensive grocery store, which is true if you buy the seven dollar cookies on display right by the door.

But, if you know how to hunt around for basics, find some of their special deals, or spend some time discovering their massive bulk section, it’s a great spot.

#229 Poké Stroll

16 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This is the part of town that is always flooded with Pokémon Go players. There’s been a crowd over here for two months now. People sit on the corner by the creek on lawn chairs with their phones out.

There are three Pokéstops at the intersection, and all of them always have lures. The Bier Stein is right here and I wonder if they love the foot traffic or find it a nuisance. My guess is that they like it, and my sneaking suspicion is that they’ve been planting the lures. And why not? If I owned a business near three Pokéstops, I’d spend a good ten bucks a day to keep foot traffic pretty heavy in front.

I joined the crowd for the first time last week with my friend Andrew. We mostly went to try and take over as many gyms as we could. A successful outing.

#230 Coach Pro

17 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Sometimes new endeavors and opportunities spring up out of nowhere and take off way faster than you’d expect. Doesn’t always happen, but sometimes it does, and it’s one of those things I like a lot about life.

This summer, an unexpected side hustle showed up. I’ve been doing work on copywriting and content consulting with different organizations to help make their messages more clear, more energized, and more empathetic. This sort of stems from a realization I had earlier this year about how people are designed to thrive off of helping each other.

So far, I’ve really enjoyed doing this! One of the companies I’ve had a really fun time working with has been Coach Pro, that does customizations and repairs on big coach buses. I’ve got to go inside some of their vehicles and Xzibit would be totally jealous. These guys have a lot of fun making a bus just right for whoever they’re working with– whether that’s been converting a coach into a camoflauge-patterned man cave or making a big RV disability-friendly. Their old website was informative, but it didn’t quite showcase what a great service they did for their clients. Their new one does.

So far these projects have been a really good fit for me, and I look forward to taking on more in the upcoming months. If you know someone who could use a storyteller, give me a holler.

#231 Guest Room

18 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Our guest room has a futon bed, fully loaded bookshelves, and lots and lots of maps on the wall.

Spent a little bit of time in the afternoon getting the guest room ready for Justin and Caytlin over the weekend.

When we were looking for our first apartment together we knew that one thing we really wanted was a guest room. We love it when friends come to visit.

#232 Waffles in Town

19 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This is gonna be a good weekend– we’ve got a visit from CC and Justin and of course, Charlie Waffles the corgi.

Good times on the Ninkasi porch with two puppies in tow.

#233 Wildwood Falls

20 August 2016 // Culp Creek, Oregon

We loved having visitors, as we always do. Caytlin and Justin came to town to pay us a visit, and Charlie Waffles came with them.

It was a great couple days of eating great food, going out into the woods and finding a waterfall to go splash in.

One of the hardest parts when we first moved to Oregon was being far away from some of our closest friends. One of the best parts was having endless nature to go be mesmerized by. Last weekend was a combo of that first problem being solved and that second gift being enjoyed. Perfect.

#234 Picnic After Church

21 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

One of the earliest moments when I decided our church would be a good fit was when everybody went out to grab burgers together after the service on Sunday. Churches that eat together are my favorite.

Today after church, a friend’s parents were in town and the weather was nice and warm. A bunch of us ended up gathered at the park to enjoy a simple picnic.

We had some amazing grilled barbecue chicken, some tasty burgers, and seemingly bottomless chips. Sunday afternoons like this are great.

#235 Southeast Asian Food Night

22 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

My small group at church is responsible for me getting to enjoy one fantastic meal every week.

This week we had an Asian food night, which turned out to be noodles galore.

I got to try my hand at making pad see ew, which is my favorite Thai dish, for the first time. Came out a bit salty but people seemed to like it.

#236 Emeralds Puppy Night

23 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Beignet got to go to her first baseball game this week. The Emeralds hosted puppy night at the ballpark as a fundraiser for the shelter we adopted her from.

There were dogs everywhere at this game. If you love baseball and dogs, you would’ve thought you were in the best place on earth.

I think Beignet liked the game. She at least liked the sasquatch mascot. She was less thrilled by all the stairs we had to climb on the bleachers and the scary foul ball that came our way.

#237 Prosciutto, Arugula, Mozzarella Pizza

24 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

We made it a pizza night, and I got to try out a new recipe.

Made the crust from a recipe that mostly resembled my baguette dough. I added a little rosemary because that’s fun. And for toppings, prosciutto, arugula, and mozzarella. I love the way a deep cheese blends with he saltiness of prosciutto and the bitter spike from the arugula leaves.

Pizzas are some of the best meals to make at home. High reward for a pretty simple process.

#238 Hop Valley Trivia Night

25 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Went to Hop Valley’s trivia night for the first time. Showed up. Signed up. Dominated.

First time I’ve ever placed as high as second, and we could’ve had a good run at first if only we remembered Ellen Degeneres’ short stint as an American Idol judge.

We did good enough for me to win a $10 gift certificate for burgers in Albany, though.

#239 Deanna Rocks!

26 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I don’t get to brag about Deanna nearly enough, but she does really meaningful work and really difficult work. And she’s really, really good at it.

It’s impossible to know how many crises she’s averted or how many lives she’s saved through hard work, but I know she’s helped a ton of people. At the very least, there’s one kid out there this week who is in a much safer situation thanks to Deanna.

I get to be married to an actual hero. How cool is that?

#240 Camp Agape

27 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

My friend Andrew invited us to come check out a camp he’s been involved with for a couple years, and we’re so glad we took his invitation yesterday to come hang out at the campgrounds yesterday.

The site was awesome- it was everything I remembered from my childhood summer camps, but with even more. Mini golf, a zip line, bumper boats, even this pulley system so kids could be yanked 60 feet in the air.

The best thing of all though was that the camp sends these kids home with messages of being Loved and not being alone. All of them have parents in prison, and that’s not a population I think of a whole lot, but man, they have it rough in so many ways. I’m glad this camp exists for them.

#241 Vietnamese Spring Roll

28 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Vietnamese fresh spring rolls are probably my favorite dinner during the summer.

For the most part, ingredients are pretty cheap and basic. I can fill my belly at a low cost, and that doesn’t always happen. There is also very little cooking with heat needed- just to boil the rice noodles and somewhat cook the shrimp. And most of the ingredients are the crisp, cool type perfect for summer.

#242 Powell’s Rummage

29 August 2016 // Portland, Oregon

A quick trip to Portland for errands would not be complete without setting aside an hour for exploring, preferably bookstore exploring.

I decided to skip out on the usual Powell’s spot for the smaller but easier Powell’s on Hawthorne. It’s still a Powell’s so I did not walk out empty handed.

Books, I look forward to the time we’ll be spending together soon!

#243 Bijou Art Cinema

30 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Thanks to this little indie theatre that runs out of an office suite, I’ve gotten to see a pretty good pair of movies this week that you can’t find in most theaters.

Deanna and I went to see Captain Fantastic, which truly was fantastic, and not at all a superhero movie. (Otherwise I never would’ve gotten Deanna to go). Viggo Mortensen plays a “fight-the-power” hippie dad who has to figure out if he wants to continue raising his kids in the woods after their mom dies. It’s a little bit Moonrise Kingdom meets Into The Wild, but also it’s entirely own thing. I don’t think I’ve seen such an honest portrayal of an alternative way of living in a movie.

Then I got to see Don’t Think Twice which I liked. It was a bit insidery to the whole world of stand up comedy and theatre, but way, way back in the day I did my share of improv, so I liked it.

#244 Tortillas

31 August 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I took a stab at handmade tortillas tonight, these were perfect for helping us finish off a batch of leftover carnitas.

Conclusion: these were great and kind of fun to make, but I don’t know if I’ll be doing it again anytime soon. Getting the flour thin enough was so time consuming, and a pack of tortillas at the store is pretty cheap. At least I made enough for a stack of leftovers.

This gives me new appreciation for the lady I met in San Antonio who cranks out stacks of these every hour by hand. I think she held a record or something. The shop where she worked sold shirts with her picture on it that said Rage Against the Tortilla Machine.

JULY 2016

#183 French Toast

01 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

The very first thing I learned how to cook ever was french toast. It seemed appropriate that one of the items on my list should be trying to perfect my very first recipe that I made as a kid.

I was at my aunt and uncle’s, and my Auntie Ella would always prepare me these massive breakfasts with all the classics. Sausage links and eggs and bacon and O.J. And french toasts would be an important part, too. One time she asked me if I wanted to give it a shot. I don’t recall it being any different from a typical french toast recipe. A wash of eggs. Cinnamon. Powdered sugar.

That being my first recipe and all, I wanted to make sure to do it justice when making it as a part of my cooking project. That meant the non-negotiable were truly non-negotiable. Texas Toast, even though some lady at the grocery store tried to pitch a discounted loaf of white bread. A double wash of the eggs. A bit of butter and vanilla extract. Just the right frying time.

A couple of maple sausage links on the side and the world has come full circle.

#184 St. John’s Bridge

02 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I’m in Portland. I love this city so much. Every single time I’ve come here, I’ve gotten this feeling that I belong. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve felt it so deep. There’s something about the spacing of the buildings downtown, the contrast of the muted red tones of brick buildings against the green shade of trees, the way the city feels so intimate and endless at the same time.

I wish I could put this feeling into words a little bit better. It reminds me just a little bit of the feeling I’d get from Santa Barbara, the last place where I ever felt truly at home. I wish I had the words to explain this to Deanna, as we start to deliberate where we want to live next. I wish I had the words to explain this to my family, who all anticipate my return to California. That’s the logical thing to do on paper, and there’s probably a pretty good chance that we’ll end up there, but for now, I’m in Portland and it’s amazing.

#185 Ivy & JB in Portland

03 July 2016 // Portland, Oregon

How do you Portland in 36 hours? Basically, you eat. Pick berries, then eat. Go see a waterfall, and eat. Powell’s of course, then more food.

That was basically our task at hand when Ivy and JB came up to visit us for the weekend but only really had one and a half days to spend exploring my favorite big city. There was Pok Pok and Powell’s and Salt & Straw and all the things I’d deem as a Portland must. Not an easy task when that’s an ever growing list.

I’m satisfied with all we got done. Most of all, it was great getting to spend some time with these two again.

#186 Fourthland

04 July 2016 // Portland, Oregon

It was a very good 4th with some very good friends to wrap up a very good weekend.

This week will once again be full of hustle and work and contemplating options and balancing money and trying to figure out what’s next in life.

None of that matters while fireworks are going off. While the sky is on fire and flecks of gold rain down on the waterfront.

#187 The Olympic Trials

05 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

The Olympic Trials are in town!

For the most part, this means my favorite restaurants will be unusually packed and that I’ll have to start parking somewhere else to get to the University.

Other than that, though, it’s pretty great having some of this excitement around Eugene.

#188 Thesis Revisions

06 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Thesis crunch time is in full swing!

I don’t know how my advisor did it, but in about a week she managed to make corrections and edits for all 240 pages. Hopefully she’s still got some energy left for the final copy which I’m hurting to get done tonight.

Less than a week until I defend this thing. End in sight!

#189 Five of Seven

07 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

After selling back a ton of extra books to Powell’s, Deanna and I made quite a decent amount of money in the form of Powell’s gift cards that we should have no trouble using up.

We started by trying to recover the lost childhood artifact of the entire Harry Potter series.

For less than $50, we’re off to a good start. In one swoop I managed to find used copies of everything but books two and seven, all in the familiar friendly paperback covers we’ve come to love.

#190 Ellie & Sabrina Visit

08 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

We got the treat of having our friends Ellie and Sabrina come through Eugene on their epic Portland and Yosemite road trip.

Per usual we got to take them out to Sweet Life.

To absolutely nobody’s surprise, Beignet loved them too much and I had an excuse to test out a chicken nugget recipe I’ve been wanting to make.

#191 Emerlads Night

09 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Baseball parks are pretty much my favorite place to be this time of the year.

Truth be told, the main reason we went to this game was because we thought it would be the Emeralds’ tribute night to Prince. Unfortunately I read the schedule wrong and they were wearing pinstripes instead of their special Purple Rain jerseys, but we had a good time anywho.

Baseball is summer, even when you’re at the lowest level of minor leagues.

#192 Pokémon Go

10 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Ah, Pokémon Go, I’ve been waiting for you!

So far, it’s been as fun as I thought it might be to run all over town to catch ‘em all. And Eevee looks like my dog, which kind of explains why they keep flocking to my house.

Thankful for technology that brings a world that was a blast to explore during childhood into (augmented) reality. And to the dog park at Alton Baker for being the best place to catch Pokémon. I’m sure Beignet is thankful as well.

#193 Mom & Aunt Viv Visit

11 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Mom & Aunt Viv got into town yesterday. We are getting visitors left and right this summer and we absolutely love it.

Later this week, Deanna’s family gets into town.

Also… Slowbro!

#194 Thesis Defended!

12 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Twelve months of writing, three months in South Africa, 240 pages of work, and I can now celebrate a Masters’ thesis successfully defended!

Honestly, today was the fun part. I just got to stand in front of my committee and talk for thirty minutes about my time working with orphans and vulnerable kids in South Africa. Those kids are the best though and I can easily talk about them for hours.

I’m so thankful to have the kiddos as a part of my life for forever in some way, to have Deanna so willing to join me on my research trip, for the staff at 5Cees being accommodating, for my academic committee actually being really fun to work with, and for my friends and family willing to sit through academic jargon to watch me defend. I’ve got a great team!

#195 Day at the Public Market

13 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Spend the day acting as tour guide to my mom and aunt and took them to the one part of town I’m most confident that they’d enjoy… the Fifth Street Public Market!

I got to treat myself to a slice of Mereguez pizza with some amazing lamb sausage, plus a bottle of drinking vinegar soda on the side.

Also, while they were shopping, I managed to grab myself a Sandslash. Pretty swell.

#196 Energy Bars

14 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I hit the halfway point of my 2016 cooking goals! Of course, right when I hit the halfway point, I started to get busy and skipped a few weeks.

I felt pretty determined to not let another week pass me by without crossing anything off, so in spite of this week probably being my most sedentary week of the year (I’ll be sitting on a plane for over 60 hours) I cooked up my most high octane food item. Power bars.

Considering most power bars taste kinda weird and have a weird texture, I figured it would be hard coming up with a standard to gauge how well I did this recipe. I somewhat based a lot of the ingredients off what I could recall from a Good Eats episode with peanut butter, tofu, wheat germ, and oat bran being the main components. I also got pretty excited at my grocery’s bulk section when I found things like dried whole bananas and cherries to include.

When it was finished, I actually thought it was pretty good for a power bar. The texture was still a little bit funky, I blame the tofu, but everything kind of melded together and formed a cohesive taste that was dominated by the peanut butter and bananas- and that’s a solid combination right there.

#197 Lola’s Love

15 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Sometimes I wonder what qualities exist in the type of person God allows to live that long. I think it’s a strong suggestion that Lola’s presence on the earth was needed for nearly a century. Her Love. Her gentleness. Her care for her family.

When she would wake up at three, I wondered what she was doing. How many things were there for her to do at three in the morning?

She prayed. For each of her kids. And grandkids. And eventually, great-grandkids.

Lola’s Love was so large that it ends up sounding statistical. Ask anyone in her family and they’ll start rattling off a tally of family members. Kids? 9. Grandkids? 20. I guess it makes sense that she lived so long, she always put up astounding numbers.

Lola’s very long life was spent surrounded by Love, and at the end of the day, no matter how many years we get, I think that’s all we could really want. To know that we have Loved and been Loved. Lola spent nearly a century giving and receiving Love as freely as possible.

#198 Sweetwater Grill

16 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Thanks to Deanna’s family coming into town, I had the chance to eat at the Sweetwater Grill for the first time.

This place sits right on the Willamette River, with an outside patio area adjacent to the North Bank bike path. I used to run right by it while training a lot, but I didn’t realize it was connected to the Valley River Inn and I definitely didn’t realize how delicious it was.

I ordered some fish and chips, and they were great! It was a thicker but less floury breading unlike most fish and chips and it was great. It refrained from ever getting soggy and had a great crisp that went well with the quality of the fish. I also tried a bit of Deanna’s dungeness crab chowder… that was a really good soup! The menu wasn’t the biggest or most inventive, but the tastes I got were all well-executed.

#199 Skinner’s Butte

17 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

We spent the day showing Deanna’s family around town, her grandma in particular, since she had never been to Eugene before.

We did some wandering around campus and Hayward Field in particular. Then we had lunch at the market (finally got to try their cubano) and found ourselves on Skinner’s Butte.

I feel pretty ready to move on from Eugene, but I also want to rack up the goo memories for as long as we have left.

#200 Top of Lillis

18 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

It’s official– my job hunt for life after grad school has gotten underway!

I’m looking widely. Mostly communications work or nonprofit work, especially interested in jobs in cities that’ll let me be a lot closer to family and to be ready for a new season of life.

So far I’m feeling pretty good and excitement. Hopefully that translates into something good.

#201 In Laws In Eugene

19 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This past week has been one of the craziest ones this year. It’s been a difficult one for obvious reasons, but there were a lot of good things that happened too.

One of those good things was having my in laws visiting Eugene for the week, along with Deanna’s grandma.

Lots of good nights on backyard patios, wine tasting at vineyards, playing tour guide around Eugene, and reintroducing them to Ticket to Ride brought a lot of needed light into this week. Glad for that.

#202 Layover in the City

20 July 2016 // San Francisco, California

Spent quite a while in San Francisco’s airport today. A six hour layover flew by surprisingly fast. Actually most of this day flew by surprisingly fast.

I’ve never been the biggest fan of SFO. Too expensive, for sure. Also, massive and kind of impersonal.

Today, though, I discovered that it makes for a pretty nice workspace. I guess that’s a sweet perk of being such a start-up hub.

Philippines, here I come.

#203 Hong Kong Layover

21 July 2016 // Hong Kong

I’ve made it to Hong Kong to stretch my legs! Being on international flights, in new airports makes me wish I weren’t on this journey for such a short time and under these circumstances. There are so many places and people along the way that I’d love to see and I’m getting flashbacks of our adventure two years ago that stir up good memories I’d like more of. I’m glad to be on my way to see family, though.

On the plane I discovered a Korean detective movie and actually really liked it, which was good because the three other movies I saw were big letdowns! I had much higher hopes for Deadpool and Hail Caesar.

Also, I finished Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Loved it so much I can’t wait to give it a fuller review.

I can’t wait to be with my family in just a few hours. It’ll be good to be with everyone, even if the reasons aren’t so happy.

#204 Lola’s Memorial

22 July 2016 // Iloilo City, Philippines

Hearing stories from the past week have helped me realize how many traits my grandma passed on to me. Traits i’m really proud of.

Lola loved to cook, especially for others, and I’ve always wondered where I got that interest, since my mom and most of her siblings don’t enjoy cooking at all.

Lola was also a traveler, especially for a Filipina woman born in the 1910’s. (Most of them just didn’t do that back then!) She did it for those she loved, and that’s the best reason to travel.

Lola also loved orphans and vulnerable children. Yesterday, I met the boy (now almost fifty!) she took in as a foster child after she had raised nine of her own. She also essentially adopted her sister’s family. I wonder if that same heartbeat is the one that drove me to South Africa.

#205 Lola’s Life

23 July 2016 // Iloilo City, Philippines

“Imagine… you could have all this!”

–Lola

The last time I saw my grandma, she was so happy to see me and to meet Deanna that she got up and slowly walked us around the house to give us a tour. Four times in a row. We went from the living room, to her bedroom, to the garden, again and again. Each time we got to her room, she picked up this plate with her portrait that somebody made for her as a birthday present. She would look around the room and say those exact words. “Imagine… you could have all this!”

Maybe she was just really excited about her plate. Maybe she was talking about “all this” as in us. Visitors. Family. One that would keep on growing and keep on traveling in order to stay together. I think that’s more likely. It still makes me glad to know that my last memory of Lola will be of her flooded with joy and gratitude.

I asked her caretaker Alice if she knew what plate I was talking about, and she remembered exactly. I’ll be bringing this back home with me as a reminder to always go where the Love is.

#206 Surprise Tokyo Trip

24 July 2016 // Tokyo, Japan

This doesn’t always happen to me, but some days I wake up and unexpectedly finish the day in Japan.

For unknown reasons, my connecting flight between Narita and San Francisco was cancelled, along with all other flights between Japan and the US for the rest of the day.

I wound up needing to take an extra day off (I know, there are far worse sacrifices that people have made) and got to spend the night in a pretty fun Tokyo hotel for the evening. The results of this mishap turned out to be hotel fun, an unexpectedly amazing and cheap meal, and a pretty good day of Pokéhunting.

#207 Lunch with Chika

25 July 2016 // Tokyo, Japan

I landed at my Narita layover to find that my flight to San Francisco had been cancelled, along with pretty much every flight to the United States. What to do?

First, I treated my free hotel stay like it was Home Alone 2, complete with complimentary bathrobes!

Then I tried to see which of my friends in Japan I might be able to meet. It was a bit of a puzzle navigating the Tokyo railway, but I made it to the city in time to eat lunch with my friend Chika who I haven’t seen in two years. Not bad for a cancelled flight.

#208 Homegoing

26 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“The need to call this thing “good” and this thing “bad,” this thing “white” and this thing “black,” was an impulse that Effia did not understand. In her village, everything was everything. Everything bore the weight of everything else.”

– Yaa Gyasi

I finished the book Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi on the plane and the timing of me reading this book could not have been better. The novel follows two branches of a family tree across several generations. Each chapter explores a moment of another family member, and subtly reveals how pain and heartache and sins and strengths and resilience were passed down the line for years and years.

This book is important. So important. Not only was it really well written, but its themes were so important to both personal experiences and current events. One line of the family is brought from Asanteland into the United States via the slave trade while the other remains in modern-day Ghana. While the novel was fiction, the events that interfered and oppressed many of the characters on both sides were so unjust they’d make you angry. At the same time, the delicate strands of relationships, often estranged ones, that connected people to each other were undeniably beautiful.

This wasn’t a perfect book, but its mild flaws are totally forgivable in light of its importance. Midway through, I began to tire of the formula it had followed for 200 pages. Then I hit the chapter about “Yaw.” It was the one I connected with best, and the last chapters were especially beautiful and powerful.

I value knowing where you came from, but for many minorities and other cultures, that can be a painful knowledge. And a beautiful one at the same time.

#209 Laudato Si

27 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely. Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face. The ideal is not only to pass from the exterior to the interior to discover the action of God in the soul, but also to discover God in all things. Saint Bonaventure teaches us that “contemplation deepens the more we feel the working of God’s grace within our hearts, and the better we learn to encounter God in creatures outside ourselves.”

–Pope Francis

I’ll be honest, I’m quite partial to Pope Francis and I’ve been hoping to read his encyclical on climate change for quite some time.

I’ve never read an encyclical from any Pope before, so I don’t know how it compares to other writings that precede it, but I do think it explained the rationale for a spiritual motivation to care for the earth really well and to step beyond throwaway culture and the worship of exclusively technological solutions.

#210 Sauerkraut

28 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Still trying to get my yearlong cooking project back on track… I’ve got some fairly simple summer recipes for drinks and appetizers coming up though, so I think we’re getting there!

Tonight I tried to make some sauerkraut. Cabbage and onion and a surprise ingredient– beer! I guess the yeast helps with the curing of the dish.

Special guest beer appearance by a McMennamin’s Wheat!

#211 Toy Story in the Park

29 July 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I spent our evening in the park trying to watch a movie under the stars… or we tried to at least.

Beignet couldn’t really handle all the stimulation.

But we also did get some Five Guys… and we made it as far as Sid’s first appearance.

#212 Crater Lake

30 July 2016 // Crater Lake, Oregon

Checked off another wonder of Oregon… and the one that I’ve been trying to visit for over five years. Crater Lake.

When I studied in Argentina during college, I remember my roommate told me that Crater Lake was the most beautiful place he’s ever been. He lived in Washington, so I figured his standards were pretty high. And all the pictures and everything I saw since seemed to confirm. That Blue.

I was surprised to find that Crater Lake was a national park seemingly more meant for a day visit. Driving the rim was gorgeous and pretty easy, and Deanna, Beignet, and I had a great time. We also got to explore some of Roseburg on our way back and now we have so many more places we’d want to eat.

JUNE 2016

#153 Relief Nursery

01 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Today I did something that should have probably been on my bucket list, except it’s not really something I imagined myself doing. I got to help give away a giant check.

The funds went to the Relief Nursery as part of a class project I’ve been a part of. I also got to physically hand them the “real” check for $15,000, which is the most money I’ve ever given away. It wasn’t my money, but I physically got to give it away, so that counts for something I guess.

The Relief Nursery is one of the things making me pretty happy midweek. I visited their campus and was pretty impressed at the parental support they offer to low income families with the goal of putting an end to child abuse.

What else? Hmm… I’ve been loving the Chance album lately, like most other people who are aware of its existence. It’s one I really don’t mind on repeat over and over and over.

And I’m also pretty happy with Xurroland in Portland. Yet another dessert spot in the City of Roses that I hope to make part of my routine whenever I pass through.

#154 Redmond City Hall

02 June 2016 // Redmond, Oregon

One of the fun things I’ve been able to work on over the past couple months has been setting up a homeless shelter or service of some sort in the city of Redmond.

Today I got to give a presentation at Redmond’s city hall, which reminds me of some sort of Art Deco Deli.

Good times. And Hop Valley SaiBlack to celebrate.

#155 Buttermilk Fried Chicken

03 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Summer heat calls for summer meals, and it’s hard to skirt a classic. Buttermilk fried chicken.

Pickled corn, store-bought cole slaw, homemade ice cream, and chili pepper beer all work together to fight back against a weekend in the upper nineties.

This is the sort of recipe where I start to see the results of my yearlong cooking project. I used to never be able to get a handle on anything breaded and fried, with the breading almost always coming apart when moving things in and out of the oil. This year, I’ve been able to solve that problem for fish and chips, milanesa, and the much beloved fried chicken.

#156 Bohemia Saddle

04 June 2016 // Bohemia, Oregon

Close to triple digit temperatures… also known as a good time to hike, apparently.

Jordan took us to go see the highest point in Lane County, somewhere pretty deep in the Umpqua National Forest. Then to Bohemia, an abandoned mining town that hasn’t been used in a century. Creepy. And cool.

Beignet loved her time on the mountaintop too. A little too much. She got away from us for about an hour. Good thing she loves snow as much as she does. That made it way easier to go find her.

#157 Drinking from a Salt Pond

05 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

My favorite thing about getting into running has been being able to dig into some podcasts and good music a lot more.

Every few months or so I put up a blog post featuring some of my recent recommendations. No surprise that the most recent one happens to be dominated by what’s been coming in through my earbuds.

On the music side of things: Run River North, Gallant, and Jack Garratt have been getting a lot of plays from me lately.

Some fun podcasts: The Splendid Table, Gastropod, NPR’s Embedded, Sounds Good, and NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour.

#158 Mayonnaises

06 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Homemade condiments are the best. Homemade things generally tend to be better, but condiments are one of the things that really allow you to taste the difference.

I made a batch of spicy mayo and a batch of herb mayo to go into different things over the next week or so, starting with tonight’s dinner of crab rolls. Mayo lends itself well to quite a few summer recipes, so the timing is perfect.

Plus, I have leftover egg whites. Macarons soon?

#159 Black Panther

07 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve bought a comic book. At least a dozen years, but probably longer.

What triggered this purchase? Ta-Nehisi Coates.

When I found out that the writer of what might be this decade’s most important book would follow up that piece by writing a line of Marvel Comics, I was intrigued. But it was great source material for him to be working with. Back when I was much more into the superhero world, Black Panther was one of the coolest characters, king of a technologically sophisticated African nation. It’s been fun to get back into the world of Wakanda.

I’ve mostly been going through these first few issues while trying to relax, and I’ve been enjoying them so far. Team T’Challa, all the way.

What else am I stoked about today? Well, Team USA proved they’ve got some fight in ‘em, with a pretty decided win against Costa Rica. I have a feeling the real Team USA is much better than they displayed against Colombia en la COPA.

Also, when I wake up tomorrow, it’ll mark four years that Deanna and I have been dating. My goodness. Life’s been sweet for a while now.

#160 Anniversary 4

08 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I’m the lucky one.

The past four years have been wild. Both of us have gone through grad school, we’ve moved from Santa Barbara to Bakersfield to Oregon, we’ve done long distance while I’ve lived in a van or in Africa, and we’ve shared some of the best adventures ever together. We drove across the country with a brake missing. We’ve also had to carry each other through stressful jobs, tragic news, and rough transitions, and we’ve been experiencing the excitement of getting married and talking about what sort of family we want to build.

There’s absolutely nobody I would rather be sharing this amazing and often ridiculous life with than my best friend. I’ve told her again and again that so many others become better people just by being around her, and I get to benefit from that the most by being around her the most.

I Love you, Hun. Thanks for saying yes to me on the Goleta Pier four years ago. I think it’s worked out pretty well.

#161 Grown Up BLT

09 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

BLTs are classic favorites, no doubt, and one of the best things to be eating when the weather gets this hot.

I wanted to try and come up with a recipe for perfect “grown-up” BLT. I tried thinking through what an upgrade to each of the main ingredients would be.

Bacon became uncured smoked bacon with pork rind flakes, though I was originally trying to get pork belly to work. Lettuce became a romaine salad cut with arugula. I kept some full tomato slices in but also added in some sundried aioli. And since the most obvious upgrade to a BLT is avocado, I threw on some, along with homemade mayo all on homemade sourdough bread.

#162 Fight

10 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“Loving your enemy. Doing good things for evil people. Never taking vengeance. Responding to violence with nonviolent love– even if it brings suffering. These are not options, but the primary character traits of those who claim to follow a crucified God.”

–Preston Sprinkle, Fight

Now this was a thought-inducing read.

I don’t find many authors who tackle pretty weighty theological matters like violence as honesty and sympathetically as Sprinkle. This book had intellectual merit, while still coming across as very relatable.

For me, Christianity and nonviolence have always seemed to go together. Turning the other cheek and loving your enemy were distinguishing marks of the faith from its beginning. Then again, historical Christianity doesn’t seem to have a spotless record when it comes to that. And the Bible can be a pretty violent text at times.

Preston Sprinkle goes through by looking at the trajectory of scripture, era by era. It gets weighty at times, but it’s an important topic and this has been one of the more accessible approaches I’ve seen to some of these questions.

What I appreciated most was his apparent lack of an agenda. He definitely takes a stance and makes his understanding clear, but not in a way that recycles mantras and oversimplified arguments from cookie-cutter viewpoints. He stands for nonviolence, but not in a way that seems lost in empty idealism.

It was refreshing to see somebody unpack a issue in such an honest way. This book was written not to advocate a specific viewpoint, but to wrestle with some often-complicated questions.

#163 Kona Prep

11 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

My to-do list today was about twice as long as it usually is.

At the end of the day, I got it all done. Setting Beignet up with her babysitter. Packing my backpack. Getting a haircut.

It’ll all be worth it next week.

Kona, here we come.

#164 The Office Bar & Grill

12 June 2016 // Tacoma, Washington

After our travel plans went all wrong, we found ourselves unexpectedly in the middle of Tacoma with big appetites and some time to spare.

We found our way to The Office Bar & Grill on a quiet Sunday downtown. The outdoor seating was serene in the early summer and a perfect spot for people watching while mimosa sipping.

This place has a great happy hour… the fish and chips are pretty good, and I’m even more fond of their macaroni and cheese balls. Each was a pleasant surprise.

#165 Place of Refuge

13 June 2016 // Kalaoa, Hawaii

Getting to Hawaii was a long, wild, unexpected ride.

We’re here now though, and things are beautiful.

#166 Hookena Beach

14 June 2016 // Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Hawaii routine: Wake up early, breakfast of guava toast or spam and eggs.

Beach in the morning. Play in the water a bit, snorkel, then sit, read, and sip on La Croix.

Come back for lunch, possibly a nap, and explore somewhere else.

Big dinner and family time at night, and call it a day.

#167 Nephews in Hawaii

15 June 2016 // Kalaoa, Hawaii

Swimming and boogie boarding with this kiddo marks the perfect start to summer.

I miss having my nephews close by. The six months in between Christmas and our Hawaii trip was the longest stretch of time I’ve gone without seeing them since they became a part of my life.

A week in Hawaii with the boys was great. And now I’m constantly counting down the weeks until I can move somewhere that allows us to see them much more often. Before they get a whole lot bigger. That’s a real race against the clock.

#168 Dolphins

16 June 2016 // Captain Cook, Hawaii

Deanna and I got to snorkel with dolphins around the Captain Cook monument and we had so much fun. It was most definitely mating season out there.

We kayaked out a couple miles to get to the spot. It was a good workout, but it was totally worth it. Being able to get really, really close to the dolphins was amazing.

The dolphins were pretty interesting, and so was the hippie mermaid who kept singing Joanna Newsom style while underwater. For obvious reasons, most people thought she was pretty nuts until her singing lured the dolphins towards her and she hitched onto one for a piggyback ride.

#169 Dinner at Huggos

17 June 2016 // Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Huggos is one of the most noted restaurants in Kailua-Kona, and we got to grab dinner there on our last night in Hawaii.

I got to enjoy a Hawaiian inspired fettuccine and some guava braised ribs. Large order, I know, but I couldn’t decide between the two and figured it was a fancy enough occasion.

So thankful for this week.

#170 Lava Tubes

18 June 2016 // Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Deanna and I had a full day, an island, and a rental car all to ourselves before we needed to get back to the mainland, so we figured we shouldn’t let it go to waste.

We spent most of the day eating and exploring Kailua-Kona, but before we left, we figured we should go check out a nearby state park.

On our way there, we got a bit sidetracked by some lava tubes. This is some of the newest land on the planet and we spent some time climbing through caves, tossing around weightless volcanic rock, and getting a glimpse of what the island would be like without people.

#171 The Mileage Club

19 June 2016 // San Francisco, California

Thanks to a couple of guest passes from Deanna’s dad, I got to enjoy a taste of life inside a airline mileage club lounge. In San Francisco the day of Game 7 of the NBA Finals no less.

We arrived early but got to grab coffee, bagels, and then a mimosa while people watching and working in some fancy recliners. It’s fun in here. I’ll have to pay better attention to all those travel-hacking blogs I follow to get back in here the next time I take a trip.

This summer, my focus will be on preparing myself for the end of grad school. Professionally, spiritually, personally. I’ll hope to do more copywriting, bulking up my portfolio before my job hunt goes full swing. (Seriously, if you need some writing done, send me a message!) I’m aiming to think and pray through what I’d want out of life after grad school and what my top priorities are. And of course, taking things a bit slower and enjoying the sun.

I won’t be doing a whole lot of travel this summer, which feels odd. Instead, I’ll be doing more short-term getaways around the Northwest since we may or may not get another summer here. We’ll also be hosting a lot of visitors which I always enjoy.

#172 Kare Kari

20 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

One of my cooking goals within my overall cooking project has been to learn some Filipino dishes. Sometime in the future, maybe I’ll set up a whole year-long project to actually get proficient at Filipino cuisine. In the meantime, figuring out a few go-to dishes sounds like a good idea.

Kare Kari is one dish I definitely wanted to be able to master. First off, oxtail is a real pleasure and it was fun to get to learn how to work with it. Tripe isn’t everyone’s favorite, but I like it and it allows me to live out my “use-as-much-of-the-animal-as-you-can” philosophy. Most of all, the peanut butter stew it’s cooked in is one of the most unique tastes across the spectrum of Filipino cuisine.

My first attempt wasn’t so bad! And for a cheaper option in the future, it can always be made with pork hock in lieu of the oxtail, and I do hope to make this again soon.

#173 Kare Kari Tacos

21 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I usually always pull for Argentina’s National Team whenever they play. Spending a semester in college made them my surrogate soccer country. There’s one massive exception to that, though, and it’s whenever they play my actual country. Tonight, I’m all for the underdog.

To throw in some more cultural mishmashing into this post, I whipped up some kari kare tacos, taking on a Filipino favorite, Mexican style.

And to tie it all together, the world of sports and the world of tacos, here’s a courtesy reminder to grab your free Taco Bell taco courtesy of the Warriors and the Calves.

#174 The Year of Living Danishly

22 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“I am not important. If I take a break, no one dies. And this is A Good Thing.”

–Helen Russell

I wanted a light and fun, but deeply interesting read to bring on a summer trip, and this book turned out to be the perfect choice. It offered a pretty entertaining look at Danish culture and society, all through the lens of why they continually rank among the highest countries in terms of happiness.

I’m not too hard to please with a good book that takes on the premise of “I’ll try this out for a year and then write about it,” and this book fits that description to a tee. The writing is light and engaging enough to make it easy to fly right through its pages, yet contains enough statistics and odd facts to keep you intrigued. Did you know that Danish women can get an ovulation discount for booking their travel around a ripe time for them to procreate? I do now.

After a while you get the formula of each chapter: an anecdote, a few statistics, an interview with a randomly found “expert,” and the constant questioning of various Danes about how happy they are on a scale of 1 to 10. That said, the book manages to be pretty interesting in spite of its persistence upon this formula, so I suppose that’s a big win.

As far as Denmark goes? I could probably do without the tax rate (although, that comes with some major benefits), cultural homogeny, and the never-ending darkness come November, but there’s a lot about the Danish Way that I do appreciate. The lack of self-importance reflected in that earlier quote… I think that’s refreshing. And I love the way they’re able to enjoy their work. Not to mention the practice of hygge and getting all cozy as a sport.

#175 Fish Fillet

23 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Fish Friday struck a day early this week.

Seasonal cooking gets especially fun in the summer, when I move away from thicker, richer foods and have to think through how to use cooking to actually make something more refreshing. The zesty flavors that can go into a lot of fish items through herbs or citrus end up being one of my favorite summer tactics to rely on.

I’m so thankful our northwestern summer has finally come. Here’s to a weekend of the coast life.

#176 Astoria

24 June 2016 // Astoria, Oregon

I fell in love with the City of Astoria last weekend.

Peaceful is the perfect word for this city. It’s the ideal spot to walk around, get cozy in coffee shops, stare off into the ocean, and admire the views.

It’s got a history, a long and rich one, but it’s still fully alive in its gorgeous surroundings.

Small, but not too small, surprisingly good food all over the place, and it’s hard to argue with some of the stellar views this place has of both the ocean and the woods.

#177 Beignet Love

25 June 2016 // Seaside, Oregon

This dog was such a nutcase when we first adopted her. All puppy energy, no idea what to do with it.

Over the weekend, we took her with us to the Oregon Coast, which was the most dog-friendly trip I’ve ever taken. And the whole time, Beignet’s behavior was actually pretty exceptional. We haven’t even had her for four months and that’s made such a huge difference.

As a treat to our puppy for making good life choices, I tested out my long held hypothesis that her mind would be blown going into the ocean. My results at Seaside confirm my hypothesis.

#178 The Oregon Coast

26 June 2016 // Cannon Beach, Oregon

The Oregon Coast is pretty much amazing.

Thus far, all I’d really had the chance to see were Florence, Reedsport, and really small towns on the Central Coast, but I knew the good stuff was on the Northern Coast. Deanna and I went up to Astoria for our anniversary weekend and also spent some time in Seaside and Cannon Beach.

Man. These places were fun and quirky and gorgeous. I was surprised with how much good food there was on the coast. I was unsurprised about how pretty it was, but still impressed all the same. I’m glad we chose this as our destination for our first anniversary. Simple but great.

#179 One Year Anniversary

27 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna, it’s been a year since we got married and having you as my wife has been beyond incredible.

Shortly before I got married, somebody told me that marriage is too fast. Seems kinda weird. How can a commitment you make that’s supposed to last you the rest of your life be too fast? Well, we’ve been married for a year as of today, and I get it. Slow down! Being married has been a big adventure, a long conversation, and a beautiful process.

Even though the year feels like it went by in a hurry (especially those first six months!), we’ve done so much together. Nashville and Johannesburg and Kona and New Orleans. A half marathon. Adopting Beignet. Discovering even more relatives. Hospital beds and bank accounts that run too low too quickly. Campsites and hiking trails and geocaches. Fast as it was, it’s been a very full year.

Happy anniversary, Mrs. Bun. I love being able to dream with you, to go places with you, to cook with you, to stay in and watch our shows with you, and to get even closer than we knew was possible.

#180 Vero Espresso Meeting

28 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I’m taking on as many communications projects over this summer as I can find! I’m in the process of trying to boost my portfolio and so I’m looking to take on copywrite projects, websites audits, and all good things.

Today I met with Eugene City Club to see how I can help them build up their outreach for sponsors. Looks like it’ll be a pretty good team up.

#181 Quelf

29 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Quelf! I don’t think I’ve played this game in years but I’ve just been reminded of how much fun it is.

These summer weeks are exactly what I’ve been needing lately.

Currently reading: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi… I’m only into the very early stages of the book but I already get what all the hype is about. People have been saying some very nice things about this generation-spanning novel of African and African-American family trees. I can’t wait to dig deeper.

Currently loving: Pok Pok’s drinking vinegar. I had a limited release black pepper flavor last weekend and now I wish that was one of the ones I could find in stores.

#182 If You Feel Too Much

30 June 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“What if all those things that make up your story, the hard stuff and the good stuff, all the fears and dreams– what if all of it matters?”

– Jamie Tworkowski

I’ve been reading If You Feel Too Much by Jamie Tworkowski. Many of the essays and thoughts in this book were familiar pieces I’d already seen floating around online, but reading a bunch of them in succession was really kind of amazing. It accomplished it’s goal of painting a picture of life as an incredible, often difficult yet worthwhile thing.

This book lived up to my expectations. It lived up to its title. It was centered on the feelings of life, and in a very substantive way. It had a gritty edge along the side of its words.

This may come across as high praise for the book, and if it does, good. That’s what I mean it to be. This book made me want to write again. I know I already write a lot, but this reminded me so much about what I loved when I started turning thoughts into words.