This is November in San Francisco! Such a glorious day in the park with beautiful people — including my Facebook skater friend Caroline who I actually met in person for the first time! Good times!
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Being Ted Lasso
This year I was particularly happy with my Halloween costume. I got to be the irrepressible Ted Lasso. Or as I like to think of him, “the superhero whose superpower is kindness.” Honestly, this was one of the easiest costumes I’ve ever created. Basically just a cheap mustache, a blue trainer jacket, a whistle and…
‘A Deadly Education’ on Privilege and Magic
I finished Naomi Novik’s wonderful fantasy novel A Deadly Education this week and have been thinking a lot about it. The central premise is what if there were a Hogwarts-type wizard school that had no faculty and lots more monsters roaming about? Much darker and more diverse than Harry Potter, with a mixed race central…
Psalm for the Wild-Built (Becky Chambers)
I just finishing Psalm for the Wild-Built. Such a beautiful, sweet, hopeful, and funny bit of sci-fi from the amazing Becky Chambers. Another one of her books where basically nothing happens. And yet I couldn’t stop reading it, except when I had to put it own to laugh or think about stuff brought up by…
I made a Carrot Graham Cracker Cake!
This might be my new favorite carrot cake: the Smitten Kitchen Carrot Graham Layer Cake. So moist, delicious crumb, pretty simple to make. The occasion was my dad’s birthday. He requested a “not too unhealthy” cake. I’m not sure I met the brief, given all the butter and sugar involved. But I did make him…
Adventures in Ice Cream Making
A few months ago, my mom gave me an old ice cream maker that she never used. I do enjoy ice cream, but am not as passionate about it as I am about French pastry or Korean fried chicken, for example. That said, the idea of making my own ice cream did seem like a…
That Time I Led a Bunch of College Kids to Tijuana to Build Houses
One of my first leadership experiences was leading a group of a dozen college students on a trip to Tijuana, Mexico to build homes for the poor. I was in my senior year at UCLA in 1991. I was still not sure of what I wanted to do with my life, but I was convinced…
Why I Love Waacking: Manifesting the Diva Within
I embrace various dance styles — from lindy hop to house to rhythm skating. I try and remain curious and open to various dance forms I may not know much about. That said, it took me awhile to warm to waacking. There’s something about this style that was hard for me to grok for years….
Jesus on Performative Activism
Jesus had a thing or two to say about performative activism. I’m not a Christian in the formal sense. But there’s a lot in this quote to think about. Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your…
Dancing on Top of the World: Remembering the World Trade Center
The year 2001 was height of the neo-swing era in New York City. There were bars and clubs everywhere offering live swing music and dancing. Young lindy hoppers like me would cruise around the city, going from venue to venue, drunk on this music and this dance that was all around us. There were a…