2026 Reads: Homebound - A Novel by Portia Elan 📚

Amazing how much the temperature affects my running. It’s been rough the last couple weeks, but today we had rain and the temps stayed in the 60s. Got out after work and ran 8 miles at a 9 min/mi pace, and felt good doing it. Needed that.

Wanted something to liven up my podcast queue. Realized there are feeds full of old time radio shows from the ‘30s and ‘40s. I used to listen to reruns on AM radio late night when I was a kid. Looking forward to revisiting them.

Two hours later, in tears at the end of Glen Hansard’s funeral. Not so much for Glen, but for seeing that community. What do you do in mourning and loss? Get together, pray, and everybody brings their instrument to sing and make music. Powerful.

Watching the stream of Glen Hansard’s funeral being held at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. Somehow hearing the reading from Revelation in an Irish accent just hits different. Phew.

glenhansard.com

2026 Reads: The Fortunate Fall by Cameron Reed 📚

At the local blues festival tonight, observing that for middle aged men who want to give off a certain artsy vibe, the headwear of choice is a fedora, usually paired with a bowling shirt.

I’m… uncertain about the wisdom of this trend.

Some Cedar Rapids Gazette readers gonna be disappointed when they turn the page.

Front page of the paper, subhead says Red Hot Chili Peppers will be playing at the new casino.

Inside page: oh, it’s actually the Red Hot Chili PIPERS.

2026 Reads: Lost and Found in the Cathedral of Cinema A Spiritual Journey by Jeffrey Overstreet 📚

Wonderful book.

While it has by no means rained the whole day, when it has rained it has really dumped. We’re up to almost 5 inches since about 3 AM.

#iawx