• Friday Notes

    It’s been a busy week around these parts. First, crazy ass weather. Sunday night/Monday morning we had our fourth snowstorm in the past two weeks. This time we got somewhere between 3–4” of snow. We received almost as much snow in those two weeks than we had gotten all of this winter before then and last winter combined. Weird. We…

  • Friday Playlist

    https://open.spotify.com/user/224aiwksicafjldlua6nnpo4y/playlist/662p9IpNCDQyfhrNp4Maxb?si=QwGRMmWoQx2mA0nXwaErLw “Twisted Highway” – Erika Wennerstrom. While her excellent band Heartless Bastards takes a break, Wennerstrom decided to record a solo album on a whim. If this, the first single, is any indication, there will be no loss of quality compared to her work with HB.  “Gauntlet in the Sun” – Ricky Lewis. I feel like my general music tastes…

  • Reaching for the Stars, Vol. 6

    Chart Week: March 26, 1983 Song: “Little Red Corvette” – Prince Chart Position: #27, 5th week on the chart. Peaked at #6 for two weeks in May. A few weeks back I heard Prince’s first Top 40 hit, “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and wondered when the first time I ever heard a Prince song was. “Lover” reached #11 in…

  • Reader’s Notebook, 4/4/18

    The Kremlin’s Candidate – Jason Matthews Interesting timing, with this coming out right around the same time as the movie adaptation of Red Sparrow, the first book in the trilogy it completes. Matthews has been lauded by folks who know a lot more than me as an author who can combine good spy novel plot with offering realistic tradecraft, something…

  • KU Hoops: So Bad It Didn’t Hurt

    There’s something to be said for losing in the Final Four in blowout fashion to a team that breaks a couple NCAA records along the way. To start off, you’re already happy your team made the Final Four. Even more so if you beat arguably the most talented team in the tournament, a team that you’ve hated for over 30…

  • KU Hoops: 8s and 4s

    Some week. We’ve had a stomach bug run through the house. There’s been plenty of middle-of-the-night puking and I’ve had a sick kid home three different days. As I mentioned yesterday, the weather has been strange, careening between February snows and April showers. We are hosting our family Easter celebration on Saturday, so in between dealing with kids I’ve been…

  • Friday Vid

    “Devil Inside” – INXS. Only a video this week. I have plenty of music backed up I could share, but I also have a very busy day lined up in preparation for our family Easter celebration tomorrow. The girls also get out of school early today and we’re watching one of my nephews after that, so this will have to…

  • R’s: Opening Day

    In the past week we’ve had more snow combined that we had received all winter. Four inches fell last Thursday followed by over six inches Saturday.[1] In each case the snow melted quickly. Thursday it was all gone before the girls got home from school. Saturday’s snow was almost completely gone by Sunday evening. Now we’ve transitioned into warmer days…

  • Reaching for the Stars, Vol. 5

    Chart Week: March 8, 1986 Song: “Kyrie” – Mr. Mister Chart Position: #1, 12th week on the chart, second week at #1. One of my favorite things to do when I hear old music is consider artists who had really brief, but really amazing runs. “Did so-and-so have the best year ever?” I’ll ask myself when I hear a song…

  • Reader’s Notebook, 3/27/18

    It’s pouring rain outside, I have a sick kid on the couch, so today seems like a good day to get caught up on books. Round Ireland with a Fridge – Tony Hawks. This was a timely read, found at the library on a shelf of books pulled in advance of the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. It is exactly what…