On occasion, Anja will compliment me on my ability to recognize people. I don’t know when I first noticed it myself, but there are actors I recognize even if they played minor characters in an episode of a show I watched 15 years ago. Or I might point out that woman I saw on the bus before COVID hit to a confused Anja.

I’m in that supremely annoying stage of prospective dog ownership where I casually interrogate dog owners at parties, curious about their pet’s behavior and the techniques employed, and then silently judge them for their mistakes, exchanging contemptuous glances with Anja in the process.

This morning I got acquainted with the immigrant anxiety felt by Chinese-American journalist Jiayang Fan about her desire to speak accentless English. In an episode of one of my favorite podcasts, This American Life, Jiayang participated in a game show designed around a talent she claims to possess: the unique ability, inspired by her anxiety, to tell at what age a Chinese-American person came to the United States. The show gave her recordings of three people to prove herself. (She got 0 out of 3.)

Sometimes, when bad news arrives, I think to myself “argh, just when I was beginning to think life was nice and steady!” Today is one of those days. I’m immediately thrown off, though mostly by the scenarios playing out in my head. Not because of the particular fact of which I learn.

Among a nest of eight, this little corgi pup immediately stood out because of her deep gaze, friendly cuddles, and millions of kisses. I think we might have found our girl.

In a few days, I’ll hit my one-month mark on the piano. When I bought it and began playing, I made sure to keep an open mind about how I learn best; not following any particular method, but tailoring practices to my interests, speed, challenges, and desires.

More than any other time in my online life am I aware of the value of alt text. I make a point to write image descriptions whenever I can. Kind strangers with a variety of accessibility needs have been helping me understand how to best capture my interpretation of an image. I’ve come to regard alt text as the secret side bar I get to have with blind people and others who need it.