The one where they brought a dog home

Hello Dear Reader

Its been a while since my last post. Predictably life and procrastination has taken hold. I haven't given up on the blog yet. Life is full right now in a mostly good way. About a month ago we brought home an eight week old Golden Retriever named Raya. She's our second dog. We already had a two and half year old Golden named Lucy. Raya is wonderful. In the short time since we have brought her home she has grown into her personality and body. Its been a treat to see. This time in a dogs life is so quick and you never take as many photos or videos as you wish you did. 

Experiencing the puppy phase a second time. Its made me realize how much I had forgotten about what the routine is like. The getting up in the middle of the night. Not sleeping more than 5 hours. At times its felt pretty rough. Any negative feelings I have about the change in routine are fleeting though. Lucy and Raya are best friends and Lucy has become Raya's big sister/mom. We're a few weeks away from being able to take Raya out into public spaces. She has one more set of shots to go. I'm ready to get her out in the world with Katie and I and go on a few adventures. 

Life is so rich.

Lets get onto what I'm watching, reading, and playing this week. This was a big week for TV. Succession ended! Barry ended! Ted Lasso ended! (this last one really hurts.) 

To discuss Ted Lasso and what that show meant to me deserves its own post so I will save my thoughts. I will simply say. I hope we get a spin off of sorts. The world needs more feel good content like that show. 

Watching

Gundam Wing- I decided to dive back into Gundam Wing. I watched this as a teenager. This was one of my first real introductions to anime. What teenager doesn't love giant robots fighting each other. There are 49 episodes. I'm 35 episodes in and the plots a little messy. Its basically a story about child/teenage soldiers piloting giant robots called Gundams which are basically the equivalent of a WMD. (Weapon of mass destruction) fighting to protect space colonies from an earth government that is trying to dominate them. Thats basically the gist. 

It was good to take a trip down memory lane. Nostalgia is the leading cause of death of millennials. lol

Reading

Here's a bit of what I've read over the last few weeks. Check it out.

https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/05/16/rural-electric-co-ops-to-get-10-7b-in-usda-funds-for-clean-energy-grants-loans/

https://www.axios.com/2023/05/16/rising-number-americans-switch-religions

https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/05/17/more-book-banning-cases-emerge-in-oregon-this-year/

Playing 

Zelda- Tears of the Kingdom- This is one of the best games I've ever played. Its permeating the culture. If you play video games or have kids you have probably heard of it. Just play it. Its fantastic. 

Listening 

Macklemore Album- BEN

I'm a Macklemore fan. The Heist is one of my all time favorite albums. I had listened to BEN a few times and it didnt really stick with me. However one day a few weeks ago the song Tail Lights came on while I was driving to work and I really vibed with it. From there I spent the day listening to the entire album and as I sit here its probably my second or third favorite album this year. I'll post the album on the front page. Check it out. 

Tail Lights- Macklemore 

"The light, it was always on glow
And when I was lost I was on the right road
Tail lights ahead as I drive slow
Just a right turn then I find my way home"

Anyway.

Go out and get some sunshine! Enjoy today's quote.

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring — it was peace.” – Milan Kundera (Author, The Unbearable Lightness of Being)

The one with the terrible joke...

Happy Sunday. 

I started typing this on 4/20 and had the corniest opening weed joke. You probably would have hated it. 

It's been a good week. Katie and I picked out the newest member of our little family. We are adding another Golden Retriever to the household. I think we are going to name her Rae. She will be 8 weeks old when we take her home. Our current dog  Lucy a 2.5-year-old Golden Retriever is going to be the most psyched a thing could ever be. I'll put some pictures up eventually. 

Do you want to read something absurd... 

In an effort to consolidate elections and save the state 2.7 million dollars every four years the Idaho legislature passed House Bill 138 that eliminated their March presidential primary and because the bill was poorly written it completely removed their presidential primary instead of having the intended effect of moving it to May. 

 (I swear this is real. Check out the link below)

https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gop-dems-raise-concerns-about-new-law-eliminating-idahos-march-presidential-primary

You can't make this up...  They wrote and passed a bill that was so poorly worded it eliminated their state's presidential election and the very definition of "Presidential Primary".  They will fix the issue but they also have no clear way of calling the legislature back into session unless the governor calls for a special session. Stay tuned... I expect more shenanigans in the future because well it's Idaho... 

What I'm listening to... 

Linkin Park 20th Anniversary release of Meteora

I still can't believe it's been twenty years. Now I know how my parents feel when they bring up an old album they bought new as a teenager. Meteora is still a masterpiece. The bonus content and unreleased tracks are great. If you are into collecting physical media this is a must-buy. 

This album in its way helped me experience some emotional depth that fifteen-year-old me didn't know how to express or describe on my own. The lyrics of every song are etched into my brain.  (Yeah I know that sounds cliché. Who cares.) 

The album is embedded on the main page. Give it a listen. 

RIP Chester. 

What I'm watching... 

Succession- Season 4

Can we talk about the big thing that happened this season?  

Logan Roy finally kicked the bucket in the most unceremonious of ways and it was perfect. No amount of money or power could change Logan's end. They could have given him a grand monologue or dragged on his death for this whole season but I think they did the right thing. Their father and foil are no more. Kendall, Roman, and Shiv are going to have to find their raison d'etre.   How will they deal with that and are they going to find some way to screw up the company sale. 

The official show podcast had a great interview with Brian Cox the actor who played Logan Roy. It's a great listen. The link is below. The episode is titled "Connors Wedding" 

HBO's Succession Podcast (chtbl.com)

What I'm playing...

Star Ocean- Divine Force- Video Game 

In terms of video games, this was a formative game franchise. I remember my dad buying me Star Ocean 2 back in middle school. I picked it out solely based on the art of the jewel case. (yeah things were different back then).
Let me put my nostalgia glasses on for a second. It changed video games for me. Up until that point games were either sports games or platformers with minimal story. In this game, you had this deep story that was a weird mix of medieval fantasy and Star Trek that escalated from being lost on an undeveloped planet to fighting off a galaxy-level threat. The music was incredible. Here's a couple of the tracks. 

https://youtu.be/Yy4e5E62HOY

https://youtu.be/iQH7hcliu68

Since then the series hasn't been all that successful. The last three games in the franchise are average at best with weird character models that look like lifeless dolls. ( I don't know why that's the design aesthetic) I picked up the most recent entry Star Ocean: Divine Force and it's been pretty ok so far. A real 6-7/10 game. The character models are still weird but the music and gameplay loop has been good so far. I'm hoping that maintains and pulls me through the game. For nostalgia's sake, I would like to see this series succeed. 

“I never know how to react when a grown man beatboxes in front of me.” — Keeley Jones, Season 1 Episode 1: “Pilot” Ted Lasso 

Stay high-drated. 

-Nolan 

10 Minutes Late...but maybe that's ok.

We have all been there. You need to be somewhere at a certain time. You do the mental calculus of... Well If I am ready by this time. I will have plenty of time to get where I need to be. You end up in the middle of something a show or a game and you begin revising the math. Actually, I only need x minutes to get ready and so If I leave by this time. I should make it there. So begins the methodical well thought process of being late. In my case, it's always been 10 minutes. Which is why I thought it would make a great name for this project. (It's weird. I'm weird. It's fine.) 

You're asking yourself why a blog in the year 2023. It's easier to post on places like Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. More people will see it and engage with it. (You're right.)  But on those platforms, the end result is a dopamine hit that always ends with some sort of screaming into the void about a world event or some idiot.   

That doesn't mean there aren't a million important things to scream about. It just means from now on any void screaming will be here. In more than 280 characters. 

Anyway. Back to the why. It's here that I intend to write about things that matter to me. Topics will vary from the different types of media I'm consuming. Places I'm visiting or plan to visit, and the trials and tribulations of life.  

So I hope you come along for the ride and check this out. 

Here's a bit of what I'm watching and listening to right now. 

TV Show - Ted Lasso Season 3 

 “These guys are more distracted than a bunch of cats playing laser tag.” -Ted Lasso

Music - Story of the Year- Album - Tear Me to Pieces

If you were ever a fan of this band back in the early 2000s. I can't recommend this album enough. Perfect vibes! It's embedded on the home page. Give it a listen. 

Until next time. 

-Nolan