feb-2026
i seemed to have taken a lot less pictures in february. it came and went so quickly i even forgot to start this entry.
january and february combined for the most snow ive seen in some time. which im grateful for but it sure did start to get grey and dull in february. combined with a degrading work environment, the month took its toll.
nevertheless this month i found myself still finding the nooks and crannies of my life that store joy.
dinners together. family visits. music.
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as if the snow in philadelphia wasnt enough i found myself in michigan visiting my brother. i had been to visit him in ann arbor before but never on my own. this trip i found myself enjoying some time to walk around the town. enjoy some of the cafes and see what his life is like there.
we watched some hockey games and got to skate together :^)
despite our age gap i feel very close to my brother and am always inspired by his perseverance especially when it comes to learning something. he really refuses to give up at times (maybe he could learn to let go a little sometimes ;)). its really nice that im able to have the ability to visit him and i really enjoyed the quick trip.
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the month continued on in the bitter cold. but there was beauty to be found. a nice walk in the woods with kayla indulged moments of silence as the trees creaked and the snow cracked.
and despite the cold life was found in, well, quite a few mourning doves visiting our home in the mornings.
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im finding myself enjoying coding again. but this time for creative purposes. i recently got a monome norns and spent some time going through some resources learning the open-source music computer that relies on a linux-based operating system and using the lua language.
i do a lot of coding for work and after about five years of it i started losing my spark for the tool. engaging with something like the norns has lifted my spirit in enjoying the creative side of coding, something i had originally enjoyed when i first started learning.
this little computer is a bit of an idea machine for me in that there is so much functionality you can think of both in terms of pure audio mangling but also visualization.
at present im working on a simple program to run my field recording samples through to allow me to edit and trigger them as i wish for performance. more on that next month im sure :^)
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another highlight was a seed and garden dinner at our home which saw many neighbors come over with seeds and books to discuss planting goals and trade.
im not too good at planning for the garden (as much as i love it). i simply wait wistfully for the day when i can pick that first ripe tomato (dont get me wrong i happily water the garden too, but kayla does most of the planning). but i did make a big pot of chili for everyone :^)
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ive been dreaming a lot more about opening a cafe of some sort. maybe serve soup and focaccia. just something much more tangible and direct.
for the month some additional highlights to be sure:
- movies -- the secret agent (a really great story, style, and performances) 4 stars -- sirât (absolutely miserable plot. no one comes out okay. soundtrack is a banger though) 3 stars
- music crit -- semi-hosted and attended a music crit session with some other artsits. really lovely to listen deep on what others are working on and give feedback and to receive feedback.
there are many things to look forward to in the coming months. im running a workshop of sorts. sharing my love for field recording and exploring sounds out in the world.
i have a new project coming out at some point and the weather will be warm enough to regularly play soccer again.
heres to all of that. see you then.
