Do Shitty Work
As adults it's easy to define what you're good at and what you're not good at. For example, I know I am pretty good at making videos, I am not good at baking french patisserie or drawing. However, I’ve come to realize that symply defining yourself as good or bad at something has a chilling effect and prevents us from learning new skills and exploring new avenues of creativity. Because we’re “bad,” i.e. inexperienced, at something we tend to stop trying new things.
Guess what? We have to make crap work. Utter garbage. Like, a lot of it.
This is why, everyday in 2025, I made myself do one drawing a day. I can't draw. Like, I really can’t draw but I enjoyed the simplicity of pen and paper and I didn’t let myself stop, even when I knew I was making total shit.
I’m painting with watercolors for 2026, I’m really bad at that too.
Twenty Twenty Six
I welcomed in the new year by walking up Kings Mountain in Oregon’s moody coast range. This was the summit view.
On the winter solstice I like to do a hard physical thing culminating with an offering for the return of the sun, preferably on a promontory. This year the hard physical thing is a 7 mile run with 2,500 feet of elevation gain (braggart much?) and the offering is a cheap domestic lager of unknown age from the basement.
This activity is a reminder that I’m usually more capable than I give myself credit for and that, if I can do it on the shortest day, the rest of the year is plush. So yeah guy, and I'm talking to myself here … you should try that new thing, put yourself out there a lil bit more and stand more vocally in what you believe … but maybe do it with more kindness and empathy. Yeah.
So, here's to the return of the sun and brighter days.
Emmy Noms
Recently two episodes of Stephanie Hanson's Taste Buds program that I edited received Emmy nominations. I’m not sure how this all works but I believe I can now call myself an Emmy nominated Editor.
Working on overcoming my humble Midwesterness, I’ve already ordered a t-shirt that says “TWO EMMY NOMS BITCH!” on the front and “Braggart” on the back in a flecked golden script.
Stephanie’s program has deservedly been blowing up, it is now broadcast in 85 markets including six of the largest ten in the country!! To be clear, it's more due to Stephanie and the efforts of her small but excessively talented crew than my editing chops. I’m just super thrilled to be along for the ride.
East Coast Triptych
I FINALLY finished the edit on the third East Coast SHORELUNCH episode we shot back in the spring! So I present to you here, as a complete body of work, the East Coast Tripych.
For the uninitiated, SHORELUNCH is the hunky fishing and fine rustic cooking program I make with my pal Nate. These were shot in 4 days in Pennsylvania/New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts and made possible by our wonderful ForkCam sponsors and beloved Patreonizers.
If you desire to hear a deep dive on the first two episodes give a lil listen to our bud Joe C’s Cut and Retie episode #134. Yes, I’ve been a repeat guest on a fishing podcast and no, I don’t actually fish.
Weird Relaxing II
Sorry for the rolling shutter, continual heavy breathing and sensor dust but I climbed a mountain.
Steep Beach
We’ve been entertaining a fairly steady parade of visitors lately. Many have been coming armed with must-see lists and introducing us to yet unvisited parts of our adopted state.
While frolicking on the coast yesterday with Amy’s sister and brother-in-law we had a discussion about how in North America the Pacific Ocean is so much cooler that the Atlantic. Sorry east coast friends. It’s not the ocean’s fault, it’s the coast. Pretty yes, but lacking in drama.
RIP 23
This project felt like a slog and an afterthought this year. Perhaps it’s my last second-a-day project … the last traditional one anyway. I’ve already started a more abstract visual project for 24. Let’s all continue bungling generally forward, shall we!?
Oregon City, Oregon
I took the day off Friday to ski but weirdly warm weather was making conditions questionable. I opted for a bike ride instead and decided to shoot some black and white photos along the way.
Sitting about 15 miles south of Portland, Oregon City is the historic end of the Oregon Trail and site of Willamette Falls the second largest waterfall in the United States by volume.
Only Niagara Falls is larger … by volume.
For millennia this was home and a fishing center for native peoples. When white settlers arrived they spread diseases and violently harassed the native population. The tribes were ultimately driven from their land to clear the way for the capitalist dream of filling the valley with abandoned factories.
Oregon Public Broadcasting did a excellent piece last summer on the history and the future of the falls.
The town is built into the steep cliffside and is also the home of the only outdoor municipal elevator in the country.
This is technically a city street. Elevator Street.
It was a meandering ride with many wrong turns, an occasional rocky vista and frequent stops for readling plaques.
Yup its 1933’s most beautiful bridge … Class C.
I made it home about a hour before dark despite some questionable routing suggestions by google.
Is AI already trying to kill me?
I’m stoked about a day spent wandering on a bike and I’m coming to terms with the fact that I’m a person who gets excited about outdoor municipal elevators. 😎
Mountain View II
In the real estate listing, the wide upstairs hallway in our house was described as “the den.” Although the space is used as little more than a passageway, we still snarkily refer to the space as … pause for dramatic effect … the den.
The den offers the only mountain view from our home, albeit an obscured one. The slope of our neighborhood and it’s large evergreens hide the more impressive mountains.
14,411 foot Mt. Rainier, despite being 100 miles distant, peeks out from the flanks of Mt. St. Helens as seen from … the den.
Weed Whipping in November
I’m sitting in in an airport in Omaha, Nebraska being inundated with light EDM and sunshine. Work has been a torrent of travel and unrestful hotel sleep. After this one I’m hoping to not be back on an airplane until at least the end of the year.
I thought I’d take a sec to get caught up, its been a minute and I’ve been called out so I know some of you actually read this.
My adult child Ian visited for his second time since we moved west. We outdoor adventured, including a walk high up on Mount Hood. His choice for footwear, the decidedly un-athletic Converse Chuck T’s, proved to not be the best decision. We chose to leave the trail and scramble to an impressive looking rock ledge five to six hundred feet above. The vantage point was stunning. We drank a beer, ate leftover pizza and watched a series of rock falls far above. They were terrifying despite their great distance. The sound was much delayed and was delivered in haunting swells of whurrs and rumbling.
While chatting we realized that I am exactly double his age and that that will never happen again. I also discovered that, despite that fact, I can still beat him in a two mile run by over a minute. Growing up is weird, I’m doing my damndest to avoid all that.
We also did a 3.5 kilometer hike/scramble through lava tubes on the flanks of Mount St Helens before spending an evening playing classic video games at neighborhood favorite Retro Game Bar.
Fall hits differently in the PNW. The shortening days still weigh on my mood but I don’t have the hibernation dread like I did in Minnesota. I’ll run in shorts all winter. I weed whipped our yard yesterday and winter is setting up above in the mountains for whenever I want to visit.
I Just Came to Terms That It's September ...
… and it’s mid October.
Here’s a coupla pics to prove I still exist.
We Only Have Our Own Coattails to Ride ...
… and we don’t wear coats.
For episode 26 we’re back in the thick midwestern humidity. First episode without a guest since April.