I have my daughter every other weekend, and I try and plan something to do together when she's here - even if it's just running to Target or the grocery store, or going to visit my Mom. But she's also 14, which means she prioritizes Snaps and TikToks over pretty much everything else. So when she is with me, she's in her room and on her phone.

And it's fine. I don't feel slighted or anything. She's a teenager and wants to do teenage stuff. And I don't always feel like doing stuff, either.

A neat thing she did on Friday was help give a presentation on Betty Friedan with a classmate for her school's "History Day". I was so glad that she was feeling better and up to the task, having been diagnosed with Strep earlier in the week. School has been a bit of a struggle this year, but she's really turned it around since winter break. She made her choices for which high school to attend in the fall and seems generally enthused about her future.

Something else that happened Friday was that I received some results regarding DNA testing I did in conjunction with my insurance company. They tested for pretty basic stuff: ancestry, traits, and health.

The results I got pertained to ancestry and traits, both containing both fascinating and incomplete tidbits about my genes. For example: my caffeine highs last a lot shorter than other people's, so I'm prone to drinking stronger coffee. (true) I'm predisposed to having curly hair (true, at one point) and blue eyes (also true). And my pee is less likely to stink after I eat asparagus. (can't say I know one way or another)

I thought my ancestry would be pretty straightforward. My Mom's family tree is pretty well-documented, while my Dad's isn't. So while the 94% Northwestern European result was not the least bit surprising, the 5% Persian absolutely was. Like, really wild. But there's not much there to read into. I still only know half of my story.

I haven't received the health results yet, but that's the one that has me most anxious. There's a history of a gene mutation (BRCA2) on my Mom's side of the family that increases the risk of certain cancers developing, like ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic. So I think it's important to know where I am in that regard.

I took this about a half-block east of Matt's Bar while I was waiting for the light to turn green (yeah, I know). I was immediately drawn to the garage in the foreground. And then there are the barren trees, punctuated by the few leaves that are barely clinging to life. And as always: the classic symmetry and vanishing point of the power lines. I like to see how far they go.

I finally got around to nuking my Instagram and Facebook accounts last week, having paused them some time ago. It was bittersweet, but it was the right thing to do. I've met some neat people through Instagram, but it stopped being enjoyable a while back and became more of a habit. (I have a history with habits)

Facebook? Well, it's Facebook. I'll miss finding out about events I'm interested in going to but have no intention of actually attending.

m u s i c b r e a k

The Lemon Twigs - They Don't Know How To Fall In Place (2024)

I'm sure I've heard these guys before. When or where, though? No clue. But I came across this song on TikTok of all places. Great sunshine/power pop that reminds me of some of the late-90s Elephant 6 stuff, with a little bit of Quasi Rocksichord thrown in for good measure. The video itself reminds me of a mix of The Monkees and the shorts that Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd made. Definitely a fan now.

Take care,

-AG