Between March and September 2021 we more than doubled the size of our house here in Contra Costa County, going from 1,500 square feet to just over 3,900. It took more than a year to go from our first drawings to the finished product, with permits and construction both taking about six months. In my… Continue reading How we did our home addition and remodel
Above-average mediocrity
I started writing this a while ago and am publishing it now even though I don't feel this anymore. Nonetheless, I edited and finished it because I think the vibe is interesting and might be helpful to another fellow "bottom of the top 1%"-er. So here we go. I'm going to chip off a piece… Continue reading Above-average mediocrity
The importance of electrification
This is a long post. And to make my long post even longer, I begin with a preamble. I visited my mom recently and spent a lot of time in her house. She entertained my kids and my wife talked for a while with my stepdad. I stumbled upon a pamphlet I recognized while rummaging… Continue reading The importance of electrification
My unannounced and inconsequential break from social media
I took about four months off of regularly reading and somewhat regularly posting to social media. I took Facebook off my phone entirely and removed all Facebook email notifications a while ago. LinkedIn followed. Then Twitter. With each step away from the incessant drone of snippets and soundbites my overall well-being improved. It felt like… Continue reading My unannounced and inconsequential break from social media
In memory of Irving Katuna
Edit: I've turned this blog post into a eulogy that I'll give at Rossmoor for my grandpa's funeral. He passed away early in the morning on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. My grandpa, Irving Katuna, was born on January 12, 1929 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It was a Saturday, and it was cold. A light dusting of… Continue reading In memory of Irving Katuna
It’s been a long, long time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsPBNcUw-jA A year or so before the pandemic, which would be about two years before today, I took singing lessons in the "piano room" at our house. We called it the piano room because it's where we put my grandmother's piano. This was a behemoth of a piano -- a beautiful black seven-foot long Baldwin… Continue reading It’s been a long, long time
Welcome letter to my search marketing class
I'm teaching my first community college course in a couple of months. It's exciting. It's intimidating. It's an incredible amount of prep work, since it's completely online, so it's tiring too. However, I'm already feeling proud of this course despite being nowhere close to ready. The online course I took at DVC about teaching an… Continue reading Welcome letter to my search marketing class
Read Write Play: 2020
In a normal year I would have posted my RWP summaries every quarter, as I've done since launching this blog in its current form in 2018. However, this is no ordinary year and my reading, writing, and playing schedule got tossed about as one might expect amidst a global pandemic and prolonged school shutdowns. Thus,… Continue reading Read Write Play: 2020
A new routine
By Day It starts at about 5:30am. My wife gets out of bed first, her iPhone flashlight leading her way down the hallway. I stretch and look out the window, a soft gray backdrop against the silhouettes of large oak and bay trunks. The sun won't rise for another hour. I lie awake for ten… Continue reading A new routine
On community
This post has been in draft form for a long time. On this Sunday morning, I'm reminded that I have a natural park in my backyard, a resort-like setting, and a 16-inch 2019 MacBook Pro to warm my lap as I type. What could be better than to spoil this moment by writing about politics?… Continue reading On community