Sycamore Press February 2024: OK, okay!

Much like the bird clock in our home playing a different bird song each hour of the day, this mailing list has become a grim reminder of the unrelenting passage of time. Still, I am relatively satisfied with how 2024 has gone so far. Let's get into it, a little!

This program is too demanding so I hope that it stays in an eternal sleep. If we must air this program, I can maybe handle it once every six months. The physical, emotional fatigue afterward is comparable to broadcasting a three-hour marathon.

— Kenji Fukui (Announcer, Iron Chef)

General Life Updates

We're really settling into our new place, I think, so I've been able to focus more attention on our relationship, on myself, on being social, and on creative ventures. I have grown quite the attachment to a local bar where my face, if not my name, is recognized. I have started learning bass clef, which will later give way to learning the bass fretboard and some music theory. (You've had that bass for how long without doing any of this??)

The end goal of all of this is to be more creative, to have a disciplined approach to creating, and ultimately to share things that I create. Music will hopefully be one avenue for this. I'm still not devoting as much time as I'd like to this because of my looming comprehensive exams, which are definitely weighing on my mind. But by April they will be All Done! Wish me luck! I increasingly think that the biggest predictor of "success" in academia is the amount you are willing and able to endure.

Oh, by the way, we've been doing a lot of birdwatching recently! Having some decent binoculars makes a huge difference, and we can't get enough lately! Lots great birds at local spots and even right outside our place. The cats have gotten to watch the acorn woodpeckers from the safety of their stroller.

Arts & Entertainment

For my part, I've not really hit the fresh 2024 releases too much yet. My two main spins lately (that weren't already regularly spinning) are Car Seat Headrest's 2014 How To Leave Town, a classic, and Sea Life Park's 1999 self-titled, an ~obscure~ and really pleasant slowcore record. For my up-to-date listening, check my Last.fm. I also just finished James Joyce's Dubliners, hopefully the first of, uh, several books, for once.

Sycamore Official Webcomic!

Hey, remember what I said about sharing some kind of creative output? Not sure how regular this will be, but I might share more art in this vein (that is, cartoon animals smoking weed) here on on my Cohost.

Reflections

Yeah, yeah, I'm still feeling down in ways both new-ish and deeply familiar. But my paychecks are finally coming again (long story), and I've realized that some of the most profound joy I can experience right now comes from creating in any (often shitty) way I can muster. I just got back from a cool work trip, and I'm feeling pretty inspired to work on my science as well. And while it's been a while since I've talked to many of you, I promise that you are all a huge part of my ability to feel whole and loved. Thank you sincerely for being a friend and a reader of my mailing list, ha! Sorry I still had no cooking pics -- I'm always in such a rush to serve+eat when I finish a particularly elaborate or sexy-looking meal.

Until next time! I love you!!!!!

--N