Showering the old friends but new parents. Weekend getaways in Palm Springs. Mick Jagger inspiring me to work on my cardio. The men being boys in Denver. Vampire Weekend at Red Rocks. Time with the kiddos by day in Seattle, and head banging to Metallica by night. Hot chicken and endless drinks in name of love in Nashville. Dancing with Future Islands downtown. This was summer.
King of Sweden by Future Islands.
I’ve worked entirely from home for the past four years. I love it, and will likely never go back into an office again. That said, it’s not without its flaws.
My role at work is typically a solitary one, without much collaboration. Working in a vacuum, so original ideas have the opportunity to bloom, as opposed to being influenced or echoing what other artists around you are doing. It’s not unusual for me to go a day or two without speaking to anyone at work. Combine one of those days with one of the many late nights my wife has at her office, and I’ll go 14 hours straight without speaking a single word. It’s a weird feeling, and if I’m being honest, a comfortable one, but undoubtedly unhealthy.
I decided I needed community in my life. I don’t practice religion, so I went for the next obvious choice. A run club. I found a group that meets in my neighborhood every week, and met up with them for first time this past summer. It’s funny, but walking up to a huddle of strangers that first night, felt as nerve-racking as the first day of school. Unsure what to expect. But man, I’m so glad I did. It’s been an awesome, lasting experience. People there know my face, my name, and notice if I’ve been gone, and I can say the same about them. I found community.
Since that first run, I’ve met up with them nearly every week since and always look forward to it. Lesson being, get uncomfortable.
Family in Florida. Friends in LA. Lazy rivers in Palm Springs. A train ride along the Pacific. A hurricane warning in Los Angeles. Endless bands in Chicago. This was summer.
Wooly Mammoth by Local Natives
8 Planes. Countless bands. Easter in Palm Springs. Racing in Long Beach. Playgrounds in Seattle. Sunburn in Minneapolis. Toasts in West Hollywood. Nostalgia in Pasadena. A flipped kayak in Nashville. Near internet infamy in Boston. Too many drinks in Bel Air. Watching the kids get taller and friends go grayer. This was Spring and I’m tired.
We’ve Been Had by The Walkmen
Alexis turns Thiry-Five and makes everyone wear ugly sweaters.
First crossing on the new 6th street bridge. It’s days like these that bring on that strange feeling of missing a city I already live in.
The good times, with the good people. A lot of bands on the roster for “This Ain’t No Picnic” in Pasadena, plenty of which my “age to coolness ratio” didn’t qualify me to have even heard of before. Even still, we caught plenty of music. LCD Soundsystem, Idles, Beach House, The Strokes, and I finally got to see Pheobe Bridgers for the first time. She’s been on heavy rotation through my speakers the past few years.
“Someday” by The Strokes
I’ve loved this song since I first heard it, over twenty years ago. Long back enough that younger generations are starting to cover it, and I’m falling in love with it all over again.
“Someday” by Julia Jacklin
We always have a fun time on our annual Boggs Family Adventure, and this year was no exception. From poolside and the mountain tram in Palm Springs, to discovering the hidden inner workings at Disneyland. Steph’s brother works at Disney and was able to walk us to the front of the line for a bunch of rides. That’s about as good a deal as it gets, but even still I’d have to say the highlight was Indiana Jones breaking down while we were on it, and having to get out of our cart and walk through the ride on foot. Most of that walk was in darkness, with all ambient sounds and music shutoff, but with the animatronic Indiana Jones’ still moving. With no other sounds, the grinding of Indie’s internal gears was all you could hear. Really the stuff of nightmares, but I wouldn’t trade it for the normally functioning ride any day.
Summer’s right around the corner, which means I’ve just barely got around to sorting through photos from winter. Once upon a time I couldn’t imagine neglecting this place as much as I have. Not sure how much that really says though. Lot that goes on that I couldn’t have imagined.
In any case, time brought some sights along with its endless march through winter. A Santa bar crawl. A very good boy who let us adopt him for a few weeks. Fireworks on The Queen Mary. Apocalyptic skylines from the wildfires. Snowball fights with the kiddos in Tahoe. Possibly setting a Guinness World Record for most rides ridden in a single day at Disney. This was Winter.
Knowitall by Phantom Planet
