Aaron, Connor, and I drove about 90 minutes east to attend Cousin Megan’s wedding back in October. We stayed much later than we’d originally planned, but we all had a great time — especially Connor, who thanked Megan for making his dream come true of having a dance party.
Now that the film photos are developed, here are my favorite photos from the evening.
You know you’re a #datanerd when you’re happy spending your lunch hour aggregating @GetReporter data about where you ate and with whom.
In the aftermath of the inauguration, I’ve found myself checking Facebook more often than just to respond to notifications, and I’ve found myself actually checking Twitter when I’d been away from it for months. I’ve been seeking out information about what crazy shit the president is signing into effect (immigration reform, portions of ACA repeal), which departments have been forbidden to broadcast information on social media (the EPA and the National Parks Service), and what the president is getting his panties in a bunch over today.
It’s like a train wreck; I can’t look away.
Honestly, though, it’s not doing me any good. If I want to make a difference, I know how to do it: research what’s up for a vote in Congress, then contact my elected officials in the House and the Senate and tell their staff how I want them to vote if they truly represent their constituents. Reading social media and getting either more fired up or more depressed doesn’t do shit if it doesn’t propel me to action.
My politically active friends won’t want to hear this, but I’m probably not going to be calling my representatives. I’m probably not going to attend any protests. Hell, I’m probably not even going to volunteer at the local soup kitchen. The most I’m inclined to do right now is find a good cause and throw money at it — and even that is unlikely, since it would behoove me to throw money at my own retirement accounts instead.
Right now, my action is to be kind and tolerant, and to teach my son the same. To interact with people — the more diverse, the better. To speak up and push back where I see hatred and intolerance. To talk to the homeless guy waiting for his ride. To buy a copy of Toledo Streets for $1.
I created a new folder on my iPhone and named it Hiatus. I moved the Facebook app and my Twitter client of choice into it (along with my favorite game, Two Dots), and I’m going to leave it alone for a while. Once I feel like I can respond to comments and notifications again without getting sucked down the rabbit hole, I’ll return and interact with my online friends. Until then, you can reach me by commenting here on the blog or sending me an email or a text.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Connor told me some time ago that he wants to grow carrots in our little vegetable garden this year. A few weeks back, I started the gardener’s winter task/pastime of browsing seed catalogs for next season, and I picked out which company I would buy my carrot seeds from.
I kind of fizzled out after that.
I still need to buy seeds for some decent sandwich tomatoes (not too big, nice and round), sunflowers, skinny eggplant, some more herbs (thyme comes to mind), and a few others. I just haven’t pushed that to the top of my priority list quite yet. I have time… for now.
In another month or so, the first beginnings of seed starting will commence, complete with my datanerd spreadsheet of when to start which seeds. Come spring, I’ll be ripping up some sod to expand the garden and buying some compost to enrich the soil.
I’m being extra careful not to bite off more veggies than I can chew this year, while still growing enough to make it worth my while. All that careful starting indoors, planting out, protecting from frost, then watering and weeding last year for only a smattering of tomatoes and eggplant and basil? Disappointing.
This year will be a heartier harvest. I hope.
