Like many other people during the ongoing pandemic, I’ve returned to an old love: stargazing. And judging by the run on observation equipment, telescopes especially, it seems that this backyard hobby has become much more popular while we’re isolating and quarantining. And that makes sense. Technically, stargazing doesn’t cost anything if you’re content with naked-eye […]

Settle in; this is a long one. I’ve been experimenting and struggling with productivity systems since I was in school. When I was much younger, I developed my own simple system that worked for years: I managed all of my school work, deadlines, and more with a simple pocket calendar and tiny flip notebook; I […]

There are so many things I never thought I would see, but which have come to pass with the Trump administration. I won’t indulge in a laundry list here, because I doubt that examples didn’t already spring to your mind when you read that sentence. Yesterday, I did something I never thought I’d have to […]

This morning we said goodbye to Lakshmi. This sweet husky-wolf hybrid who struggled mightily to be a good girl was the inspiration for Heimdall’s dog Laika in the Rune Witch books. She was 14 years and 7 months old. I found Lakshmi (then called Sierra) via a Craigslist posting in early January 2007. My beloved […]

Way back in January—and, gods, doesn’t that feel like a decade ago?—I was out in the neighborhood on my regular morning hike and was being kept company by the “Bodies” podcast. I’d not listened to this podcast before, but this episode called “Anxious Mess” sounded promising. Anxiety is part of living with dysautonomia and I […]

It’s ridiculously difficult to find and purchase a reliable treadmill online. I’ve not been getting enough exercise since I started isolating nearly four months ago, and my health is paying the price. My body is softer. My fatigue is heavier. Other symptoms like GERD, the chronic daily headache/migraine, anxiety, and insomnia are getting worse. I […]

It’s no secret that I have something of a backpack obsession. I’ve written about this previously, on my search for the perfect travel pack. And I find this urge arising again, in no small part because eBags is having a major sale on their inventory in advance of some mysterious changes they’ll be making. But […]