Fragments from November, 2025

We spent a few weeks at Stinson Beach, California. It was a nice time. Then the world kinda ended.

Identity

Has taken the place of
God, of politics, maybe of
What we used to call love
…
I’m often accused of having too much in this realm
Be quiet, my wife says, let others talk
I find this a little strange, as I have always suspected
There is nobody home at all.

Oscar
Before the election, we were at Toby’s feed barn in Point Eeyes drinking coffee and listening to the birds in the rafters. There’s a piano in the middle of Toby’s feed barn, you should play it sometime. Toby’s is run by Oscar and we asked if we could play his piano… it looked like instagram catnip if ever there was any. Oscar asked if we knew any Beatles songs so we turned in a clumsy version of “In My Life”, which turned out to be Oscar’s favorite Beatles song.

Oscar then told us his life story coming from a family in Mexico of 11 brothers and sisters. Some of the sibilings had died, some had cheated. Oscar loved them all, and was heartbroken when some couldn’t see what he could see; as a young boy he joined his father working and learned everything he could. He came to this country and made a life for himself, supporting his family back home through hard work and expertise. I mean, I know it doesn’t always go this way, but even if there’s one Oscar in 1000 people is not what fucking country was supposed to be about?

Preparing for winter

Preparing for winter
Isn’t quite the same
Nostalgia says chop wood
Get the wool down from the shelf,
Whatever.

My house is nicely insulated
And the hot tub costs a bit more to run,
And I hope society doesn’t devolve into a blood bath,
Raving, ravaging, bloody murder,
Before I get another whisky by the fire.