Reviewed my work calendar for this past week and realized that by the time I get done with today I’ll have had 28 hours of meetings across those days. I know sometimes the meetings are the job, but it’s no wonder I feel like I’ve gotten behind on things this week.

2025 Reads: Into the Unknown by Kelsey Johnson 📚

A delightful and thoughtful look into the scientific mysteries of the universe.

If John Calvin had a bumper sticker…

A bumper sticker below a Subaru Crosstrek logo showing a happy earthworm with the phrase “this worm is an honors student”.

An absolutely epic Australian Open women’s semifinal between Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek. 10-8 tiebreak for Keys in the third set!

So the forecast for this morning (-15F feels like -35F) hasn’t changed since yesterday. Would love to know why last night the school said just a 2 hour delay and then waited until 5 AM today to set everyone’s phones off with a cancellation notice. 😩

Guess it’s the day for the “how cold is it where you live?” contest. Here’s my entry. Thankfully the office is warm and the coffee is abundant.

Cedar Rapids weather: -4F, feels like -22F.

Heckuva win for the Commanders. Fifth turnover for the Lions seems like a fitting way to end the game. Jayden Daniels is something really special.

Phew, feels like it’s been a long week. I’m working to form a new team here at work, and it’s… hard work. Negotiating with others to define goals and practices; making final pitches to execs, project work planning and staffing…

It’s working out well, but let’s just say I’m glad it’s Friday.

2025 Reads: The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates 📚

Brilliant, beautiful writing. Coates lets us follow along through his own growth and (to borrow an insightful word from my friend Kari’s review) deconstruction.

“The moment we root our worth in castes and kingdoms, in ‘civilization’, we have accepted the precepts of those whose whole entire legacy is the burning and flooding of a planet. And then we have already lost.”

— Ta-Nehisi Coates, from The Message. Phew.