Elsewhere in our building, the sun makes for a delightful mood.

Three wins

1. Walked on tip toes as soon as I formed the conviction that hiking boots reign supreme.
2. Spent the entire Tuesday with Anja at Studio Pansa, where I made my first two wheel-thrown pots. Looking back, the whole thing was too wet, which is confirmed by the ridiculous amount of clay I brought home on my clothes. Between drying, trimming, firing, glazing, and more firing, it could be months before I find out whether I did it right. I find that quite exhilirating.
3. This feels like a bit of a sad win, but I’ve cancelled my YouTube Premium account, putting an end to three months of near non-stop background videos, and bad reality TV on repeat. I’ve replaced it with discovering new music through NTS Radio, which continues to delight me.

Daddy Cross, my friend and coworker with the best nickname in the world, is usually a very bold woman. The kind of power house I imagine Julia Louis-Dreyfus to be. Speaks truth to power in a voice that can do all sorts of things. Best physical comedy I’ve ever seen in a person. But I shouldn’t be surprised, because she’s a total theater kid. Last week, as I hobbled my way past her desk, she asked, in a squeaky voice: “Are you busy, like, in general?”

I’m never busy. I learned early on in University that answering the question “How are you?” with “Oh my, I’m so busy” was both boring and unproductive. I always reserve space for emergency design work, on-the-fly meetings, and time-sensitive requests. But Daddy Cross’ question wasn’t about work.

One of the sweeter developments of 2025 so far has been our commitment to watch all of Seinfeld. Expecting the dull inner laugh unnoticeable to any bystander that I produce under Friends, I’m struck by its brilliant writing, hilarious approach to nihilism, and the string of supporting characters who went on to become stars.

Seinfeld, however, wouldn’t be where it is today in our home (halfway through season five) if we hadn’t first watched Curb Your Enthusiasm, the mockumentary about Seinfeld creator Larry David.

Black boy on the tram: “So, why are you into Trump?”

Black girl: “He is a sugar daddy!”

I don’t know what to be: glad that this girl doesn’t know Trump would never take a Black woman as his sugar baby, or sad that this girl doesn’t know Trump would never take a Black woman as his sugar baby.

Three wins

1. Finished the first stage of our bathroom remodel. While Anja, did the vast majority of the work, we managed to collaborate well on putting together the medicine cabinet. I quickly lost the ability to understand anyone who does not have storage space behind their mirrors.
2. I walked from the office to a favorite coffee spot with coworker C., mostly without crutches! It was a win, endurance-wise, but a failure in self control. I spent the rest of the week feeling the ramifications of this adventure.
3. Anja and I took an amazing pottery workshop at Pansa. She has been a member there for years, but hadn’t been since her head injury in April. I was hoping this beginner’s workshop would give her back her confidence, and I seem to have succeeded. Of course, I, too, will be signing up for their full workshop.

I dreamed I added my profile picture to an IndieWeb directory. Upon visiting the website in question, I noticed how my initial difficulty to correctly operate my phone’s photo library had resulted in two pictures. The first one showed my face, and the second did, too. Scrolling down, though, any viewer would immediately be met with my bare chest. I panicked, and thought about people who fall victim to revenge porn. “Would my pictures be eligible for removal”, I wondered, “even if I was the one who committed the act?” I spent the rest of the saga stressed and horrified. Moments later, I wake up to Valentine’s Day, fully clothed.