Random Ramblings Regularly
The Enchanted Forest is a family owned theme park started by Roger Tofte. When I say “started” I mean he spent YEARS building the first part of the park by hand, by himself. I admire Roger’s (RIP) dedication to this crazy idea (and his family for keeping it going). The Enchanted Forest is as odd [ ]
Marisa’s sister and her kids were in town for several days, which was nice. As part of their trip Raina always goes to the Oregon Coast to harvest some rose hips for Folk Potions. I, generally, don’t attend this trip since I was in Pennsylvania. This year, since I was in Oregon, I joined the [ ]
True fact about me: I don’t remember ever living in a freestanding house before we bought our current house. Sure, when I was a baby we might have lived in one (I don’t think we did but records are spotty from that time in history) but for as long as I can remember I’ve lived [ ]
You don’t need me to tell you that Ray Bradbury was a great writer. One of this most famous stories, amongst many famous stories, is “There Will Come Soft Rains.” It tells the story of a smarthome at the end of the world. It is quite moving, and takes place on August 4th, 2026. If [ ]
Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer ★★★★☆ (Read in Jul 2026) Who doesn’t like a mystery featuring an unlikely detective? I don’t have Asperger’s so I can’t speak to how accurate the portrayal in the book is, but I can say after reading this book I bought another one of her mysteries. Dead in the Frame by Stephen Spotswood ★★★★☆ (Read on Jul 5, 2026) The 5th in a series that I’ve been reading (along with…
I’m a believer in learning by doing, but sometimes it can be rather annoying. Marisa and I wanted to get some presents for the boys that would encourage them to go outside and avoid screens. I bought a set of nets which you can take down because it seemed like it could be fun (and [ ]
Just the other day I was blogging about our first year in Portland and now our children seem to have turned 7 years old. This seems impossible, but I’m told it is true. They are crazy little dudes (who don’t like it when I call them dudes, but whatever, dude) who have endless energy, endless [ ]
Time and space. They sure are funny things, huh? Several years ago, when we were telling people that we were going to have kids we often heard, “The days feel like years and the years feel like days.” As I barrel towards whatever awaits me at the end of this journey it does feel like [ ]
My Name Was Gerry Sass by Tiffany Hanssen ★★★★☆ (Read on Jun 28, 2026) When a hit man gets hit what happens to his daughter and his priest? And his radio station? I do enjoy reading novels in which the characters just keep making bad choices, and this one delivers that in spades. Murder Crossed Her Mind by Stephen Spotswood ★★★★☆ (Read on Jun 27, 2026) Another one! And this one features a shut in…
Or a guy who got a Pendleton hat for super cheap?
It is hard to believe that Sammy and Declan have finished 1st grade! Today was their last day of school before summer break, and then onto second grade. Wowzers! That also means that we re coming up on the end of our first year in Portland, Oregon. I don t really have anything profound to say about [ ]
May s reading was dominated by my required reading for the Incomparable Bookclub. We ve been reading, and then discussing, all the Hugo and Nebula award nominated novels for years. It is a lot of fun and gets me to read things I d never have read on my own. Sadly, for me, some of this year s nominees [ ]
Another month is in the books (and I m sure I used that lame joke before) and I managed to read a few books. We are entering into my assigned reading period wherein I read the books that have been nominated for the Hugo and the Nebula (you ll see some of them below!) in preparation for [ ]
I wasn t expecting any trick questions when renewing my passport (no, I m not trying to get one of the Trump passports ) and yet above you can see the options for hair color in the application. Here is my new passport photo: As you can tell from my selection above, in my mind I ve ignored the [ ]
When you work from home, in a different timezone than the one you live in, there tends to be a tendency to stay home. When you’re a hermit by nature this tendency becomes nearly impossible to overcome. That’s why, from time to time, I take myself on a walk in my neighborhood. There isn’t all [ ]
Yesterday was Independent Bookstore Day, so Marisa and I did our duty and visited a few bookstores. Now, since we live in Portland you might assume we’d just head over to Powell’s but did you know there are more bookstores in Portland? I had no idea. We went to the Alberta Street Book Row to [ ]
The other night after I had read to the boys and Marisa was singing their nighttime songs I heard a very loud meowing. Since we don’t have a cat, this struck me as slightly odd but not too odd. We have a couple of neighborhood cats who frequent our backyard (Spy cat likes to watch [ ]
Many years ago I visited my in-laws’ and admired their next door neighbor’s fiberglass crab. It stood guard under their deck and it delighted me. Over the years that crab remained. Exposed to the weather, but still maintaining its watch. And its distain for the world in general. Then last year we moved to Portland [ ]
A teenager in crisis is still alive because their parents put a lock on that gun. A mom mixed baby formula with safe drinking water and did not have to think twice about it. An asthmatic kid did not have to go to the ED, because an air quality alert went out after a wildfire. [ ]
Yesterday was a banner day in my life as a homeowner (yes, we bought a house in Portland, Oregon! I need to write a post about that too): I can report that I didn’t enjoy either activity, but needs must. Lawns, as Thorstein Veblen said, are a prime example of conspicuous consumption. They don’t add [ ]