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Stories & SNippets : 2020
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January 2020
The Strokes’ The End Has No End and its wailing guitar and Velvet-dripping vocals.
Aside from a steady diet of NPR, classical, and jazz in the mornings…I’m not sure if I’ve listened to anything else this month other than the twin masterpieces of 1980, Springsteen’s The River and Echo & The Bunnymen’s Crocodiles.
Haven't I told you, girl, how much I like you
I got a feeling that you like me too
- Springsteen’s Rendezvous from The River (1980)
Echo and the Bunnymen, Springsteen, Grateful Dead on a very wet January Sunday. Killer.
January 01
Also known as another Wednesday. We get up. Cereal, tofu, coffee, spirits high. High-ish. First installment of a fam council in which we discuss health. The Countess and I take a coffee date with a plus one. Iced americano, hot coffee with whip. The OG3 watch a certain movie with a certain song about Letting Go. The nine-year old still cares for it little. I am called to help with phones, Apple ID recovery issues, and to move an outdoor swing for a second time this week. Burritos and the children’s’ first rated R: Captain Fantastic. Minus two. Becca giggling the whole way and eyeing me every time Viggo’s on screen. And thus it is. A first day. Oh, and the sweetest little sick three-year old you ever did know.
January 03
A Friday in which I awaken in a living room, on an air mattress with two boys who are rolling and coughing and through a combination of miracle and Herculean immune system keep myself sickless. But the night is a long one; a three year old up every ten minutes or so. Zombieland 2 kept me going. A worthy sequel. In the daylight hours, a woman worked, kids played and read, and I alternated amongst feeding children, changing children, reading with children, and getting children to sleep, before beginning the process again. My Tucson brother arrived, along with his Cali girl, in time for haystacks and homemade brownies. Becca promised to have a cup of coffee with me, but she is sleeping.
January 04
Shabbat - Two children (mostly #3) not yet ready for communing with other kids upon this seventh day, due to continuing leaky sieve of a nose and hacking cough that is pathetically covered eighty percent of the time, with varying levels of containment. Our visitors arise earlier than they may have desired, due to, uhh, having four children who awake early. A fast trip to Steamboat Landing to say farewell to Jamilla; a long rainy date with Jamey at DB - his treat, where we discuss politics, film, and life, and I talk with a couple early teen boys with cameras who are way into photographing airplanes. Cool lads. James picks up Pizza Hut, they inadvertently double the order, we watch It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood together; then he and I view Soderbergh’s 2013 Side Effects. Number Four then declines to sleep most of the night. Stomach?
January 05
There is the opposite of a full night’s rest, and I must admit we are not unfamiliar with the phenomenon; a phenomenon that is less aberration and sometimes more ritual. But Saturday night was particularly brutal, thanks to No. 4. Poor little coughing fellow. The morn was nonetheless brightened by the presence of Admiral James awakening on the couch, followed by his departure and a meeting with him at Starbucks. White chocolate mocha. Coffee for me; we discuss his White House app, amidst other topics, and I wrote for a bit after he left, with Becca’s encouragement. Arriving home, we eat leftover haystack items, dig into brownies, and discuss mountains and rivers of the world at the table. Three is excited for me to sleep with him, and is asleep quickly. We play UNO, the Countess takes two rounds and the children one apiece. I am not okay with this turn of events. I finish Shyamalan’s Signs with One in bed. “…theas was soo good,” she says. “I think that’s one of my favourite films.” So worth it. A child is restlessly awake next to me while his mother reads Crawdad and I contemplate continuing Ted Chiang’s Babylon. An attempt to lay the babe down is unsuccessful. I am not hopeful for tonight.
Music 🎵 : Confusion in the Marketplace / The Hold Steady (2019)
January 06
Morning blasts across Monday too soon, and two boys still do not sound good. Forty-five minutes in the rain to drive two to our formal educational institution, where I drop them off in a rare occurrence and head home with the littlest littles. I do puzzles with one all morning, then they both slumber in a pleasant surprise. Back up for pickup, then music. One is not going to represent 7th in the National Geography Bee, the other is in three-way tie with Dillon and Elliott. Disappointing for the former, but she has handled it with aplomb. Whole wheat penne and steamed peas. Captain Fantastic. A three-year with a bad dream who flung himself on me and fell back to sleep while Becca and I chatted on couch. She is now on p. 108 of Crawdad. And falling asleep.
Oh, and looks like 45 is starting a war with Iran.
January 07
A wet mass of rain dropping, Iran preparing for payback after Dear President’s impetuous assassination of top general Qasem Soleimani, school on the Homefront…just another day. Some days are easy, other days are less easy. This might qualify as the latter. But there are always good moments. Such as the wonderful salad Becca made, such as my new gameification of mathematics and history (what is Abraham Lincoln times Rutherford B. Hayes?), and a season 1 finale of Fleabag over blueberries and yogurt.
January 08-10
What is this feeling? I don’t get sick. I don’t. Every three years. Apparently I have not tracked the calendar properly, for it is destiny. I am fallen. Throat, cough, light head, sinus, miserable…and there is a difference between being sick when you can relax, recuperate, and get yourself better, and being sick when four charges, ages four months to 12 years, are your (co)responsibility, with their varying needs and demands. Hit hard.
Also, Iran accidentally shot down a Ukrainian commercial jet with 176 people on it. And Dear President salivates at the thought of getting to take his military to war.
January 11-12
Weekend sick. Ick. Becca takes kids for a while, bless her bottomless little heart. Mags and I watch The Adjustment Bureau. A brother is displeased upon learning this. UNO, homework, much praying for snow on the part of some, puzzles, mediocre coffee, start a Tarantino, finish Taylor Schilling’s Family, et cetera. Toronto has two sets of parents to roam with. They watch a Saturday night movie about a civil war hero.
January 15
Our youngest hits five months. Snow. Classes. Library. Brief chats with my friends Tracy about Ted Chiang and Daphne du Maurier and Susan about Where the Crawdads Sing, 1491, and Talk to Strangers. I use my Dutch Bros freebie to get a giant iced caramelizer, light ice, extra shot, on a cold rainy day. It is strangely perfect. Family Gardening veggie tasting. Costco with my super awesome band of helpers. A boy doing his best southern Republican impersonations and a girl getting buried in Code Name Verity. And sad news about an old friend whose passing was finally confirmed, via identification in the Columbia.
January 20
There is nothing to kick off a Monday like a three-year old assembling 100-piece puzzles in the living room before 7am. I love the ages these beasts are at. 12. 9. 3. Five months. It ain’t easy, not always. But it is exciting. A day filled with MLK’s I Have a Dream speech; one which never fails to give me goosebumps. Followed by a vigorous discussion of his life and legacy, followed by a vigorous discussion of just how Hillary Clinton could have won the popular vote by three million people, yet lost the election. One of my greater achievements today might be my simple and apparently-effective diagram and explanation of the electoral college. Anyway. Lots of wrestling, painting, music-making, puzzle-assembling, reading, and vigorous conversationalizing. The youngest is huge into talking and jabbering away. Love it. Becca and I watched a wee bit of Bombshell; the tale of Roger Ailes and his reign over Fox News.
I go months at a time without watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the network cop comedy procedural my brother Jamey told me about in 2013. But then I pop it on to finish a long-ago started episode and am always glad. Its 23-minutes cram in plenty of jokes, gags, flying repartee that usually make me laugh way more than necessary…but its heart is the buddy dynamic between by-the-book stoic precinct Captain (Andre Braugher) and immature genius-ish detective (Andy Samberg). So much heart, especially in the way that it consistently weaves in some tough ideas throughout while rarely weighing down the funny. Perfect snack for little bits at a time.
January 23
Day 1 of President Trump’s impeachment trial. Also, we find out in April that this is the first day he received an intelligence briefing on COVID-19. In good people news, Day 1 of my mom turning 67.
January 25
A fast day trip to the coast to celebrate with my mom by taking her…us! We brought ourselves. It was either that or get her a bee car. My dad baked cookies with the kids, we ate hard, discussed the sad state of Mike Pompeo’s ethics and intellect, sang a Bob Dylan song with my dad, and listened to Cohen and Kings of Leon while two watched Black Panther in the back seat on the dark drive home.
January 26
Kobe Bryant, gone at 41 in a helicopter crash, along with his 13-year old daughter and seven others. This has hit me hard.
January 27
A Monday. A drenching, soaking, sopping wet Monday in which I did some routine things, such as spend $1.08 on mediocre coffee and get two boys asleep while simultaneously assisting 3rd and 4th graders on a project about the Hudson Bay Trading Company. Our three-year has a megaphone voice made for libraries and classrooms, and a fan base roughly the size of Beyoncé in the early years. A teacher interrupted my conversation with another teacher to inform me that our nine-year old son is going to be in her classroom next year, and there’s nothing left to talk about. My heart is warm. Library, music, cinnamon rolls, finish Doc Strange with kids 1 and 2, part of Handmaid S2E1 with Becca. I can hardly watch, my blood pressure is squeezed sky high. Impeachment trial in the Senate, looks like 45 is going to skate free, thanks to a spineless pack of lying hypocrites hiding behind…behind what? There is nothing. There is no evidence or facts that are favorable to him, so it is to their advantage to disinclude any further information. Judgment will come. I have to believe. But let it be soon.
January 31
The WHO officially informs the world that the coronavirus is a global emergency.
February 2020
I will not hide behind bedroom doors and read Where’d You Go Bernadette.
I will not hide behind bedroom doors and read Where’d You Go Bernadette.
I will not hide behind bedroom doors and read Where’d You Go Bernadette.
I will not do that…for very long.
February 04
It is a Tuesday, and more importantly, it is my little first sister’s birthday. I spoke to her but sadly did not facetime, although we did try, though probably in the midst of festivities. A president gave a State of the Union in the room where he was recently impeached. I hope it shall be his last; his rule and role is a travesty and a wart upon the face of this country. A cancerous growth that has spread; is spreading and needs to have its power to destroy taken away. Anyway. Becca studied and learned with the kids, a task that is simple to write as a one-sentence wrap up of a day, but can be an all-consuming, emotionally intense roller coaster over the course of managing and prioritizing the often-very diffferent needs and wants of four different children at overlapping times. They are fine children. I would go so far as to say they are not wicked. They are full of fire and questions and curiosity and energy and mischief, as befits their ages. We have chosen this life and it leaves us far from couch-bound; yes, we go hard.
February 05
The President gives his version of a State of the Union address. Nancy Pelosi tears a copy of it up while on stage.
More importantly, or rather, closer to home: not one, but two trips crammed into the library around school and a lunchtime & coffee meetup with Becca. I love, love, love to see our three-year old’s developing relationship with the library and his love for hunting down books. “This is soooo beautiful!” as he walks into the periodical space. Book club (Code Name Verity) that warms my heart to the perfect temperature every time as two 12-year olds excitedly converse about literature from Harper Lee to Veronica Roth. And our oldest son knocked off Jason Reynolds’ 300-page Long Way Down in one evening - loved it. I intended to work…but started and finished Joker. Lot to process. Thrilling and emotionally exhausting performance.
February 06
President Trump is acquitted by the Senate. Senator Mitt Romney is the only - the only - Republican who votes in favor.
February 08
Trump goes on the revenge trial, post-impeachment hearings. Alexander Vindman and his brother lose their jobs. And careers, and much else. Why? For stepping up with integrity and honesty.
February 10
Parasite takes Best Picture at the Oscars. I comfortably watch from a vantage point where I can almost taste Niagara Fall spray. My youngest sister, far away, begins the first day of ever being 24.
February 18
After China reports 16,000 coronavirus cases, 100 million+ go into lockdown.
February 23
The wind blew hard; I largely stayed indoors today, though not yesterday, in which we braved the north highway adjacent to the Columbia and ventured to tiny Kate’s Creek to traverse the wilderness with our wee four. With aplomb and courage we did trek a trail, and ate chocolate at the end, before racing home swing by a birthday event and then watch part two of the nail biting historical drama Harriet. Today? The maintenance of life. Thus it unrolls.
Harriet the film. Much more suspenseful than I was expecting. I like how they handled the violence: not shying away from the horrific nature of slavery, but making it possible for a wider-aged audience to see. Something I see as a good thing. Kids were moved by it (minus the three-year old, in bed). Up there with Selma. The way that horrific ideas become normalized at an institutional level. Kids need to understand the nature of the cycles of history and how these things are not simply something that happened once, and now we move on and read about it in the history books once in a while. Foundations are laid that allow terrible things to happen, and we need to learn and teach how to read the signs preemptively and fight for equality, justice, and respect for all.
February 25
Harvey Weinstein found guilty of rape.
February 29
United States signs a peace deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Twenty years of war. I remember when it started.
March 2020
Absolutely loved Danny Boyle’s Yesterday; the musical fantasy in which a struggling musician is in an accident and wakes up to a world in which The Beatles never existed…and the moral quandary he’s in as he begins performing their songs as his own and becoming a worldwide celebrity. Full of romance and lovely moments; uplifting and the right amount of good-natured not-too-deep thought-provoking. And plenty of great music. I am becoming a big Lily James fan. Oh, and the scene where he plays Let It Be for his parents for the first time…sidesplitting funny. Almost crying. A beautiful cinematic family moment to experience with the kids.
One of my new fave sports films: 1993’s chess drama Searching for Bobby Fischer. No joke. So much more nuanced and powerful than I expected…and should be required viewing for parents, coaches, teachers, etc who have trouble with pushing kids beyond the limits of appropriate developmental health in the name of winning. So good. Bonus: Ben Kingsley as a sort of godfather to JK Simmons’s character a couple decades later in Whiplash. A beautiful film with some beautiful moments.
Rarely have I enjoyed a first episode of something as much as FX’s Breeders. What’s it about? Two parents negotiating with themselves and each other over how to get their young children to sleep. Profane, hilarious, hits the mark frequently with the paradoxes of parenting and the accompanying love and frustration. Not for kids to watch. But very, very funny. Thanks for the recommend, brother James.
Other picture books we have enjoyed this month
The Animal Awards / Martin Jenkins and Tor Freeman
Black and White / Dahlov Ipcar (1963)
Have You Seen My Duckling? / Nancy Tafuri
The Presidents : Portraits of History / Leah Tinari
Roger is Reading a Book / Koen Van Biesen
Song of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems / written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beckie Prange
The Three Pigs / David Wiesner
Wolf in the Snow / Matthew Cordell
Other books I have been enjoying this month
The 100 Greatest Americans of the 20th Century: A Social Justice Hall of Fame / Peter Dreier (2012)
Booklist’s 1000 Best Young Adult Books Since 2000 / edited by Gillian Engburg and Ian Chipman (2014)
Stories of Your Life and Others / Ted Chiang (2002)
The Story of Mankind / Hendrik Willem van Loon (1921)
Crowded Democrat primaries. Coronavirus awareness rising fast as cases multiply every day. Infections hit a hundred thousand worldwide. First cases hit the U.S. Events start canceling, emergency measures start to drop into place increasingly fast. Stocks dropping. Unemployment rises sharply as everything starts closing and shutting down. Pence in charge of coronavirus response.
March 10
Oh, it the sun that is bringing smiles to many. Including, I must admit, mine this season. I am an autumn and winter person and love the rain and fog and snow…and for the second consecutive year, I think I’m ready for sun and for spring. Crazy. But I think I’m ready. There were things that went well, and other things, and we voted and it appears Biden is besting Bernie in some meh states, including Michigan. The kids are ramping up interest in the proceedings, though two are disappointed that Pete Buttigieg is out, although his impact was enough that our three year old named his beloved stuffed bear for him. Literally. Anyway. Work in my cold dungeon, a (business) phone call with the representative of a certain restaurant in my namesake town, music lessons, library, finish up the wonderful, magical Yesterday…oh, how I love experiencing cinema with our children. And pizza. And I am tired. So may I sleep gently, and perhaps a chunk not contorted between two sprawled out tiny, not so tiny boys.
March 12
All U.S. travel is suspended by President Trump due to COVID-19. The NBA cancels the season.
Technically, it is after 1am on a Friday morning, not the Thursday I am counting this entry as. As such it is. What is the big thing this week? COVID-19. Known better as the Coronavirus. There are still those insisting it’s not that big a deal. There are also a handful of those suggesting it’s a fairly big deal and something that should be taken seriously. Those people would include the CDC, the WHO, every epidemiologist in the world, and uhh, people who understand that because they’re not sick in the moment, it doesn’t mean everything’s fine for everyone else. Anyway. Tom Hanks and his wife have it. Pulling for them. Also, the NBA cancelled the rest of the season, as did the NCAA with March Madness, as have theaters, public venues, churches, and schools all over. Also, after an 11-year bull run, the market is tanking. Shoulda sold in February. Also, my mother-in-law made another batch of her unbelievable bread. Seriously the best.
March 17 : Coronavirus lockdown, day 001
I do not know how to categorize this day. It has been building up for a week now with various restrictions and changes happening daily. But this is the first full day where bars and restaurants are closed to sit-down customers and a variety of other changes are rapidly affecting the country at a nationwide level, including places and parts that seem to have not been touched by the virus. Yet.
So. A rush trip to eastern Oregon to pick up precious cargo, some good coffee, and a few memories. COVID-19, known better as Coronavirus, has changed the country and world in less than two weeks. Bars and restaurants in Oregon and Washington, amidst other places, shut down. Suddenly everyone knows exactly what social distancing is. No schools, libraries, etc. Gonna go get my little sis in California later this week. Times like no other. Mind blowing. May we be well and get well. All of us.
March 18 : Lockdown, day 002.
Woke up to find that non-essential travel to and from Canada is now barred. 45 assures us it won’t affect trade, in a rambling, circular conference in which he takes on the cape of a wartime leader and tries not to sound overly excited. Note: he does, in truth, use the word “exciting” multiple times. Stimulus package rolling through Congress, dental offices closing up for all non-emergency treatment.
Yeah. Becca’s now out of work.
Six kids with the sunshine out, some good books, cranked ABBA and Beatles, a chess match, exploring in the woods, and front-porch art making. The day has been won and we exist still.
March 22 : All is normal
A little boy watches a slightly bigger boy exercising with his mum in the living room. He watches with great interest. That is his world: the world of his beloved mom, one of his beloved siblings, doing feats of great dexterity. He is mesmerized. What goes on in the greater world currently? For him, for some, there is little context or awareness. Elsewhere, a 9-year old reads The Book Thief, engrossed completely. Later, he will bounce to Prince Caspian; balancing page turns with one hand while eating cold cereal with another. A 12-year old sprawls out in her books and studies. Later, we will burn brush for a fire. A 3-year old will clamber his way to a stepstool to valiantly wash hands independently; a task he will repeat many times over as he deems necessary, and he does deem it necessary. The same lad lies down later; I lay with him while he gains much needed post-lunch slumber. The sun shines. I re-read Catcher in the Rye on the front porch. Today is a day similar and different, and sometimes the world is contained in a small space and you choose what to pay attention and what to ignore, for little bits, at least.
28 - The CARES Act - an economic stimulus bill to battle coronavirus - is passed.
APRIL 2020
The Stranger…limited series on Netflix, based on the Harlan Coben novel (have not read), and recommended by Jeremy. A wonderful example of well-balanced drama and melodrama; mystery and character sometimes not always making sense and a constant sense of over-emoting, but thoroughly enjoyable and suspenseful and…well, not altogether happy, of course. I like these limited run deals. The ones that have an end in sight.
Homeland, season 8. Final one. Claire Danes as one televisions great all-time heroines. Believable. She’s believable. Like she learned how to act from living life rather than from acting classes. No one more expressive than her. There’s been up and down seasons. But with three episodes to go, I still have hopes they’ll find the right note to close things out on.
The second episode of Psych, where the title character, Shawn, ends up #spoiler alert# reading - or rather, having to make up - words for a regional spelling bee. “The word is…banana.” Tears were flooding my eyes.
flora cash. Love loving the Swedish duo’s latest album, a sexy, mumbly, earnest xx-channeling stream of longing and love.
Cast Away. The sparking of multiple conversations about how stories and films should end, and how much we the viewer are owed.
Millions. Yes, we do watch non-Danny Boyle films as well. This, about a young Brit boy who has a load of cash (in pounds) dropped on him from the sky right before England changes to the euro, is another stylized, spiritual, what-would-you-do romp through childhood and the loss and regaining of innocence. Like Yesterday, a fantastical take on life with Boyle’s special brand of magical realism. Charming, thoughtful, and fast-moving.
One million cases reported worldwide. Mask recommendations start to segue into mandates. Trump suggests he knows more than CDC, recommends hydroxychloroquine will work, starts undercutting Dr. Fauci. Unemployment over 22 million. Hospitals filling. Social distancing starts to become a thing. Reports start coming out detailing how intelligence agencies were warning Trump about coronavirus in January, but he skipped reading the reports.
April 5 : Three weeks down.
So hard to fathom how much the world has changed in a matter of weeks. It’s a Sunday. I count it as the roll-over day for when everything really changed, as it was then that PNW states started implementing mandatory protocols and shutdowns (e.g. restaurants). So here we are. At home.
At home. Like much of the country. Not enough of the country; there are still hold-out states and regions that seem to not quite understand the reality: this virus is not something that sort of magically only affects big cities, or Democrat-populated states. In the same sense that God is probably not going to slam on the brake for you if you’re heading straight toward a cliff, God is probably not going to prevent congregations from getting sick if their pastors are idiots and continue holding (physical) services. Brains, people.
Dear Leader continues to insist on his expertise over that of the intelligence, medical, and public health communities. As always, the interests of his majesty take precedence over those of any subjects (also known as citizens).
Our house, like many, magically gets smaller every week. We’ve had a lot of practice spending lots of time together, but much of our time has always been split between home and the road. Now it’s almost all…home. The importance of nature, the wild, the outdoors has rarely been more apparent. To not be roaming in a three-hour radius of here is strange.
We got out yesterday for a secret hike to a secret place in the Gorge forest that culminated in a fast-moving and beautiful body of water in a gothic-woods setting; there was messy mud and creek-crossings and much laughing; one boy led an ongoing discussion over what creatures were more to be feared in a fight:
Cougars, sharks, or grizzly bears?
No contest.
We started Psych with the older kids tonight, after a long and sweaty day of working outside. The giggles at Shawn and Gus’s banter made it all worth it.
I would be so happy to have all children sleeping through the night. A certain seven-month old has been a source of my great displeasure due to his nocturnal life that has poorly intersected with mine. And my wife’s.
April 10 : Assorted (four weeks in).
Planting trees. Arborvitae. A communal family effort.
flora cash. Loving.
A boy wanting to live outside sunup to sundown. Age: three.
Readings including: Hunger Games, Brave New World, Book Thief, Animal Farm.
Many conversations involving a boy’s fear of bees, wasps, whales, and…cows. The spouting of annual statistics over humans killed by sharks (5) versus cows (22).
Backyard camping. Totally worth it. You make the moments and hope they stick forever.
Viewing: Psych, Millions, Homeland
April 18
A Quiet Place…with our nine- and twelve-year old. What a lovely experience. “This was my first thriller, right?! I loved it!” - Untitled boy.
April 20
Arrival…also with our nine-and twelve-year old. Appropriate? Don’t know. But I felt given the hundreds of hours of conversations we’ve spent discussing ideas of import, and their growing interest in thoughtful films of depth and substance, that it was time. So we did, over a couple nights. Still holds up; what a beautiful story full of suspense, science, love, language and communication, non-linear orthology, big ideas…and what the moments we live in mean, or should mean to us, regardless of where we eventually end up. Amy Adams remains a singular actor; a generational talent.
April 22 : Earth Day.
It rains. Yet one of our beloved new family members, Arborvitae #11, appears to be drying and dying. No.
There is discord amongst the student ranks over certain orders given by me, particularly when trying to teach them how to conduct along to Handel’s Messiah. We live in a time where experts seem to be reviled; why can’t they accept that maybe they could learn as much about conducting from me (or Donald Trump) as Leonard Bernstein?
Becca made banana bread, alongside a young chef in a tall hat. Later, she made sweet potato curry, solo, while the same young man danced along to Sesame Street.
I gently kept nudging a nine-year old lad back to various studies as he weaved on and off the…schedule; generally taking detours to draw, illustrate, or watch a YouTube video involving Quentin Blake. Excuse me…Sir Quentin Blake. Also, I went to the post and mailed a letter to Sir Quentin Blake from the above-mentioned young man. I think that the woman helping me was rather impressed with the artwork on the envelope. The reason that I think this is because she said “tell your son that I am very impressed with his artwork on the envelope.”
We played UNO after hours. I won. Then a child won. Ugh. Then I won again, and life was as it should be. Then I yelled them off to bed.
Somewhere in there, there was conflict involving me exhorting certain children to be respectful in their responses to their parents. Perhaps there is room for both children and adults to continue growing and becoming better and kinder people. Perhaps.
April 26 : A Sunday.
I sharply veered off the road yesterday; a sign caught my attention. We rolled across concrete and gravel until we found ourselves with a majestic mountain range view that I had never experienced from that vantage point. A logging access road with no visible ‘no trespassing’ or ‘closed for pandemic’ signage. So we hiked in a ways along a track that paralleled a moist, dark, beautiful, thick forest overlooking a creek. Wondrous.
I left a sweatshirt there inadvertently, so we piled in the vehicle this morning and went to retrieve it. Eighteen minutes. Becca surprised us with hot coffee and chocolate to enjoy on a spectacular vista of a Sunday morning. Then…
…back to work on the homestead. Outside for the day; all the maintenance that goes into trying to keep a house and five acres surviving, or at least from falling apart.
The youngest walked around with a shirt, mismatched crocs, and nary a stitch of clothing on bottom half; toilet training afternoon. He stayed busy with Bob the Worm; a worm was never so lovingly cared for - aside from work-napped from his original home and transplanted fifteen feet away in the grubby hands of a three-year old.
A lovely supper handmade with zest and delight by the delicious Countess. Baked potatoes, beans, salad, sour cream, fresh tomatoes…and an iced coffee later.
A match of UNO was conquered by the 12-year old. Nicknames were revived, though Ejvindr’s self-given moniker is no longer popular: he no longer wants to be called “Death.” Truly the greatest competitive nickname a three-year has ever given oneself.
A mom and her boy watching City of Ember upstairs.
A dad and his daughter watching Contagion downstairs.
And finally, the two of us snuggled up, just us and a bowl of cold cereal, watching the last episode of The Stranger. She is not feeling exceptionally wonderful about the ending. I’m okay with it. Melodrama and overacting done well.
And now it is 11.40 and there is an eight-month in bed with us. I am displeased.
MAY 2020
Little Fires Everywhere…one episode in. And we’re in. Kerry Washington’s character comes across as edgy, street smart, and not overly likable. Reese Witherspoon’s as not edgy, socially smart, and not overly likable. A version of her off Big Little Lies. Moms balancing their lives, careers, relationships, and especially kids. I’m invested in seeing where things go.
The Strokes’ Why Are Sundays So Depressing? Makes me want to put together a good mix of them, Television, and Syd Barrett, with maybe a little TV on the Radio swirled in.
The Princess Bride with the kids. Ah, true love. “…know this: I shall always find you.” Never gets old.
Trump prances around minus mask. Over one-point-five cases in the U.S. Deaths close to 100k. Trump starts going full Trump on Fauci, as Fauci warns against a brutal COVID winter ahead. Protests all over U.S. after police murder of (Black man) George Floyd. And (Black woman) Breonna Taylor. And others.
May 16 : a Shabbat.
I run our kids hard. Not rough. Not mean (not most of the time). But hard. We go hard and I know what they’re capable of; though I accept wherever they’re at, I also expect them to consistently bring a sense of self-confidence, respect, humility, kindness, curiosity, imagination, and attentiveness to every day. How is this relevant to what I’m about to write? I don’t quite know. I am aware that we go hard. And that often after intense days of learning, education, playing, exploring, working, and trying to get along, one of the bonding and binding activities for family is…film. Cinema. Not mindless television. Of course that’s okay once in a while. But good films and magical movies. I love, love, love how much our kids love a good story, in books and on screen, and how they recognize the joy that comes from plunging into a deftly-told plot with delicious dialog. I love, I love the experience of watching with them - right now we’re finishing the 2018 British film The Bookshop. It’s quiet and slow build and forces you to pay attention to the dynamics developing. But we’re all into it. Well…our three-year old is trying mightily and not likely following it all. 😊 But he’s absorbing some great accents and settings and experiencing the beauty of phrasing, intelligent banter, and the rhythm of a tale told well. Sometimes I’m excited about all the films I still have ahead to watch with them. And other times I’m sad about all the ones we won’t get through in their childhood. But I love, love, love, love the ritual of gathering round and doing it together.
Soon: Big Fish, Emma, Sense & Sensibility, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Green Book, Roman Holiday, North by Northwest, Searching
May 19 : a Tuesday.
A 9-month old circumnavigates the room, and any part of the house he can get to, often with various toys clutched in one hand. Both hands are prohibitively difficult. Later, his elder brother practices performing certain activities on a little red chair contraption in the bathroom. He parks out, barefoot, with a drawing pad, canister of markers, and an impossibly cherubic countenance, his bum-bum squeezed onto this special training chair for certain activities all must learn at some point. After a while, his mum offers a little Veggie Tales watch on her phone, which serves as a desirable incentive to continue his training.
An 8th- and 5th-grader study together, each on decade-old MacBooks. The 9-year old sports a pair of sunglasses for his light-sensitive eyes, as he explains. Later, he sticks the light-blocking spectacles atop his head while he takes a break to encourage his sibling (see above) to graduate to the larger waste receptacle. Together, the brothers wait and banter and hang out. Then, there is again one.
Later, the 3-year old steps into the rain for a stroll, or rather, to play in his beloved outdoor kitchen in the downpour. The rain does nothing to diminish the angelic nature of presence, his blond curls leaking out from underneath raincoat hood while drops splatter and slide down his nose. His kitchen is a mass of weeds and grass and dirt. Or rather, soil.
Supper is a family affair, as almost-always, with soup, cucumbers, fresh bread from my mother-in-law, who makes incredible fresh bread, and cherry tomatoes. A 9-month old, off another hard day of circumnavigator explorations, sits atop a (different) red chair on the table, glopping down the same fare as the rest of us. Later, not quite quenched, he takes dessert, courtesy of his mom, after all others sibs are in bed.
May 27
George Floyd killed by police kneeling on his neck. Black Lives Matter protests all over.
JUNE 2020
I cannot even say how much I loved Hulu’s adaptation of Normal People. Beautiful. Experiencing the chemistry of the two leads and the exquisite banter and heartrending dialogues pulled from Sally Rooney’s novel…moving and lovely.
Trump pulls out a Bible as he walks to a church in D.C. cleared for his visit. It does not go over well. Protests in the aftermath of George Floyd ramp up. The Pentagon shoots down Trump’s idea to use military to suppress protests. Two million COVID cases in U.S; 120k deaths. NASCAR bans Confederate flags. Yes, this is the year 2020. Trump tries to block John Bolton’s book from being published. Reopening, Phase 1 and 2 begin, as playgrounds and open air dining returns.
JULY 2020
The Old Guard. Charlize Theron leads an army of, umm, four in a fight against bad people. Fortunately, they’re immortal, so that helps…mostly. One extremely disturbing scene that is much worse for me than the graphic violence. More thought provoking than expected in dealing with the downside of immortality. Worth a watch. Not for kids, by a long shot. (2020, Netflix)
…In a World. Lake Bell written by and starring. Wonderful little comedic drama or dramatic comedy film about a voice over artist looking for her big break, and the cast of characters supporting and dragging her down. Great script.
Police declare riot (twice) in Portland with ongoing BLM protests. Phase 3 reopenings. Half a million COVID deaths worldwide, 14 million cases, 150k dead in U.S. Portland Mayor tells federal agents to get out, while nightly protests continue against police violence for second month. Major League Baseball starts up, without fans. Trump lies about the Yankees inviting him to throw out the first pitch.
12 - Trump wears a mask in public for the first time. Why? Who knows. Yes, the date is correct: July 12.
22 - Trump (finally) suggests maybe people should wear masks.
July 28
Playlist “A Little Sad”
Follow the Leader - Matthew Ryan
Baby’s Eyes - Brendan Benson
No Cops - Night Beats
Victory Waltz - Matthew Ryan
AUGUST 2020
Border on Hulu. Swedish fantasy drama…sort of. One of the strangest fairy tale films I’ve seen, and I can recommend to few people. Very, very out there. Nothing I’ve seen quite like it. A woman who can smell people’s contraband and guilt…I was halfway through before I could really figure out where it was going.
Lost Bullet on Netflix. Here’s the thing: sometimes I want a b-grade action thriller…but I still want to feel I’m not completely wasting my time on the same regurgitated junk. Enter this: a French fast cars, criminal good guy on the run accelerating and kicking his way through and around everything and everyone as he tracks down the car carrying the bullet that will prove he’s not a cop killer. Fast, visceral, and a little different flavor than the thousand American versions you’ve seen of this. (2020, Netflix)
Courtney Marie Andrews’ newest album. A couple folk-root yearning gems. Sooo good. Guilty, If I Told You.
The Americans, season 1. Old fashioned Cold War espionage…and am I really pulling for “the bad guys?”
Five million COVID cases in U.S. Trump praises QAnon. California wildfires. Proud Boys try and tangle with BLM and anti racism protestors in Portland. Trump starts really laying groundwork for election fraud and says Democrats are already trying to steal the election. Protests begin in Kenosha, Wisconsin, over police shooting of Jacob Blake. Two are killed by a 17-year old with a rifle. Chadwick Bozeman dies at 43. The month closes with 180k plus dead in the U.S.
August 19
Joe Biden nominated as Democratic candidate.
August 25 : a Tuesday
Amidst the chaos of our home is the chaos of the Republican Convention on television. I will take the former over the latter.
August 28 : a Friday.
Is there really a possibility this man could win re-election? Are there really those who would, who could, who will vote for him again, knowing who he is and what he represents? It is still so difficult to comprehend, and I love our childrens’ interest and enthusiasm for following the election process and national politics. We are citizens and we must listen, learn, question, and stand up when necessary.
Also, Orville Peck’s Summertime is one of my defining songs of this season.
And Becca and I drank good coffee together at 10pm while we laughed and reminisced about when our older kids were young. The time. It goes. So fast.
SEPTEMBER 2020
Totally, completely caught up Cobra Kai and the masterful way it picks up Karate Kid thirty years later with the same protagonist and antagonist facing off…but in unexpected ways. A beautiful reminder of how important empathy is in trying to understand how people can end up being who they are.
Les Miserables 1978 version with the kids, for the third time. The most spiritual of all the renditions I’ve seen, and still my fave. Richard Jordan and Anthony Perkins are the duality of this beautiful yet adventurous romp through the human experience and the ways in which we relate to each other…and the role society plays people’s lives.
The kids have been doing Cosmic Yoga on YouTube. The British instructor, Jaime Amor, simply…magnificent. Her joy and vivacious energy, coupled with high production value and concepts, make for a wonderful experience in diving into yoga. Love. If you need a quick intro: Google “Cosmic Yoga” and “My name is Joe.” Or I guess you can click here (opens in YouTube in new window).
California wildfires get worse, as do a number in the Pacific Northwest. Almost a hundred major fires on the West Coast. The air quality is toxic. Half a million under evacuation orders. Bob Woodward releases tapes of his talks with Trump, including him stating how easily transmissible COVID is, while saying the opposite to the public. Trump refuses to say whether or not he will step aside if he loses the upcoming election. He nominates Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ginsburg.
September 05
Portland’s 100th day of protests.
September 12 : a Shabbat.
Wildfires all over. Half a million Oregonians evacuating. Currently we have the worst air quality of any city in the world (Portland, across the river from us - and our current air quality index of 500+ is matching). So…an indoor day. Completely. A very strange thing for a family who loves the outdoors. A pandemic? Tough. But we’ve found many ways over the last six months to make experiences outside. Now, we are confined to a couple thousand square feet, amidst a major flooring project and house renovation. Some highlights: several good cups of coffee with Countess, starting the 1978 rendition of Les Miserables, looking through photo albums and playing piano with our daughter, playing chess with our ten-year old, watching my Dad masterfully tell a story over Zoom…and many others. Small spaces with big personalities for sustained periods of time isn’t always challenge-free. But it was good. We are thinking heavily and thoughtfully about how to help the many people affected by the fires.
September 15 : 18 years.
Eighteen. The title of a good Moby album. Also the length of time, in years, that the lives of me and the Countess have been intertwined formally. Today, oh wow, a day that the federal government refuses to acknowledge as an official today, we continued with schooling and keeping alive our four, and somewhere in there found some beautiful moments to do yoga (all six), have some mediocre coffee, make a Grocery Outlet run, listen to some Kings of Leon, play with wood blocks, eat some good haystacks, and start North by Northwest with the children for the first time. A day of days; a unique day and an also absolutely chaotic, frenetic, loud, beautiful day filled with music and love. Eighteen years of that, with some new living instruments added every few years.
September 19
Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87. Becca and I celebrate our 18th anniversary.
September 29 : wreck
First debate. Biden Trump. The former refuses to condemn white supremacists and interrupts over 100 times. So much worse than I was expecting, and I was expecting the worst. This man is the leader of our country. He not only gave a marketing tag line to new-fascist Proud Boys, he tripled down on his transparent resolve to fight the results of any election which doesn’t declare him the winner. A pathetic, underdeveloped, sad figure who has divided this country like no one else. On the upside: watched with our kids and I love how much they care and are interested in the process. Even if it is a new low.
October 2020
Enola Holmes on Netflix. A delightful detective romp with joy, suspense, Wes Anderson-inspired quirk, and a heroine with moxie to spare. Wonderful.
Thirteen right-wing militia are charged in a conspiracy to kidnap and murder Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Amy Coney Barrett confirmation hearings. Presidential debates. Trump reminds everyone that QAnon is super against pedophilia. Trump keeps calling Fauci names and railing against him as an idiot. Murder hornet nests found in Washington State. Dodgers win the World Series.
October 03
Trump gets COVID, taken to Walter Reed
October 06
Trump leaves hospital and takes off his mask, with a big smug smile.
October 14
Midnight Special on Netflix. A wonderful little science fiction gem from 2016 with a sharp cast led by Michael Shannon as a dad who will do anything to protect his eight-year old son…who has some extra-human issues going on. Shades of E.T., Close Encounters, Frequency, and the best chase films. Also, Adam Driver continues to impress me in ensembles.
October 15
Cobra Kai. Wrapped up season 2, and oh boy, what penultimate episode, what a final episode. A school fight scene to end school fight scenes. Totally ridiculous. And the ways in which I find myself caring about the relationship between the antagonists…just get along! Amidst the humor, hyperbole, melodrama, crushes, crazy family dynamics, and angst, are some beautiful ideas about empathy and the capacity to change. Or not change. Can’t wait for season 3 coming January 8, 2021.
October 16 : Friday
These days. A race, a lap that is not longer marathon, it is 100 meters. They fly.
A moment: our 14-month old wrestling - or trying to wrestle - down our 10-year old so he’d keep reading to him.
October 17 : Hood
Day at the mountain. A really good one. Good spirits, good memories…we needed it.
October 18 : Bibliophiles
Our youngest loved reading with me for a bit today, loved it. Curled up with me on the couch. A girl helped leaf-blow the driveway. A decade-old fellow did homework, dutifully and faithfully, all day.
October 27
Barrett confirmed to the Supreme Court. Conservatives now have a 6-3 majority.
November 2020
Bruce Springsteen’s newest, Letter to You, is wonderful. Not a slow-grow wonderful, which is often the case with me enjoying his work, but a rapid grow. Especially love the opening track and If I Was the Priest.
A little sci-fi gem on Prime : The Vast of Night. Been a while since I’ve seen a film that was equally in love with dialog and visuals, and that made me want to make movies like this one did. Lot of talking, lot of fiddling with equipment, lot of exposition expertly handled and just…crackling dialog. Reminded me a little of another debut a while back : Rian Johnson’s Brick.
Final campaign events. Biden has Obama and Stevie Wonder. Trump has a bunch of people minus masks. His supporters go after a campaign bus in Texas, and block bridges elsewhere. Trump reminds everyone that votes shouldn’t be counted after Election Day. Pfizer announces vaccine that is 90% effective. SpaceX sends four astronauts to the International Space Station; the first private flight for NASA. U.S. hits 250k dead of COVID.
November 03
Election Day. A hundred million have already voted.
November 04
Still don’t know.
November 05
The Countess working. Half day. Back on socials to “…let my voice be heard.” Into it already. Trying to balance engaging - or battling - that with being dad and teacher. Alone up here. Or feeling lonely.
Brina, please do not talk to me in that tone of voice!
-he orders his 10-year old bro to speak to him more respectfully (note: Brina is his moniker for his elder sibling)
Biden needs six more electoral votes.
November 07
Georgia runoff will determine control of the Senate.
November 08
Biden declares victory.
November 09
Rudy Giuliani gives legendary, infamous, and almost too-comitragic to believe press conference outside Four Seasons Landscaping and begins his new career as leading expert on election fraud.
November 12
Trump refuses to concede, citing voter fraud.
November 15 : wet
We hike 365. Not literally every day of the year. But there is not a day of the year that we consider off-limits for going. In fact, this is one of my favorite months to go. Drenching, colorful, the foggy mist of this area’s rendition of Flannery O’Connor gothic. Love it. The trails with some snacks, hot chocolate, and bouncy hearts. And dry socks waiting in the car. Also, Joe Biden won the Presidency earlier this month. The current President still hasn’t acknowledged, let alone conceded. But it did happen, regardless of a certain population’s propensity for disavowing reality. Also, Becca and I have been sleeping horribly as of late, and the reason for this can be contact-traced to two creatures under the age of four…
November 20
Trump grasping for anything to support his fraud claims. Tries to get Michigan GOP to White House. They decide to follow the law instead of a lame-duck President.
November 29
Pennsylvania Supreme Court tosses out Repub’s attempt to have 2.5 million mail-in ballots invalidated.
A boy up at 6am, hoping to watch Alien Christmas. BIG on his mind after seeing a picture on Netflix. So he climbed in with his sis and had her up considerably earlier than she had planned. Finally, we settled in to watch the 42-minute holiday masterpiece (see above) and finish Christmas Chronicles 2. Whew. That’s how to accomplish a Sunday morning. Stopovers at TB and McD’s for wifi so a certain 10-year old could download Klaus to his iPad. Other viewing this weekend: Princess Switch 2, Becca and I finish The Undoing. Not a favorite.
December 2020
The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
Some Christmas stuff. Most notable new edition: the wonderful The Man Who Invented Christmas.
Attorney General William Barr - appointed by Trump - announces his findings: there was no massive fraud in the election. This does not go over well with certain people. “Stop the Steal” protests get going in various states. The first Pfizer vaccine shipments start go out. U.S. deaths are at 300k, or, approximately 1 in every 1,000 citizens. Russian hacking is determined to be much more serious than previously thought. Trump insists it’s actually China and reminds everyone he really did win the election. Goes on a rampage pardoning a bunch of people, including those who lied to Robert Mueller, and also Roger Stone. Also, continues refusing to allow Biden to get security briefings. Big battle with Congress/Administration over COVID relief bill.
December 08
First Pfizer vaccine approved in the West is used.
December 09
The Supreme Court - the one with a 6-3 conservative majority and three Trump-appointed justices - refuses to overturn the election results. This does not go over well with certain people. Eighteen Republican Attorney Generals back Trump.
December 15
The first COVID vaccine in the U.S. is given. AG Barr resigns.
December 16 : unplanned
By subtitling this “unplanned,'“ I infer that it can be accepted that when I don’t write ‘unplanned,’ that it should be assumed that we are deep creatures of pattern, ritual, habit, scheduling, and…planning. Go ahead. Think that. Also, I’ve learned that when it comes to automobiles, that things come up that are unplanned. Also, it’s more entertaining when you have to deal with motor car issues during a pandemic to do so with a one-year old along as assistant. I tried to leave without him, but he was frantically trying on shoes and grabbing coats and felt like it was a great idea to wingman alongside, so I said yeah kid. Come on. And we did. We rolled hard, sang some songs, waited in a 20-minute post office line, and wheeled around Costco for a few hours. We held hands and amidst the unplannedness, there was a moment or two. I’ll take em.
Mitch McConnell recognizes Biden as the President-Elect. This does not go over well with some.
December 18
18 - Listening to The Crystals’ classic Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)
Be My Baby - The Ronettes (still remember hearing it for the first on Eddie Money’s rendition)
December 29 : alien Sunday
A boy up at 6am, hoping to watch Alien Christmas. BIG on his mind after seeing a picture on Netflix. So he climbed in with his sis and had her up considerably earlier than she had planned. Finally, we settled in to watch the 42-minute holiday masterpiece (see above) and finish Christmas Chronicles 2. Whew. That’s how to accomplish a Sunday morning.
Rest of day: put lights, miscellaneous organizing, laundry, walk, read Grinch and nap. Rest of crew back around 5pm, after stopovers at TB and McD’s for wifi so a certain 10-year old could download Klaus to his iPad. Also texted and bantered with my niece, six hours away.
Other viewing this weekend: Princess Switch 2, Becca and I finish The Undoing. Not a favorite.
2020 Movies & Films I loved.
My 22 Favorites
Da Five Bloods
Enola Holmes
Hamilton
The Invisible Man
The King of Staten Island
Minari
Nomadland
The Old Guard
On the Rocks
One Night in Miami
Promising Young Woman
Riders of Justice
Save Yourselves!
Sound of Metal
The Social Dilemma
The Trial of the Chicago Seven
The Vast of Night
The Whistlers
Honorable mention
Alone
Bad Education
Birds of Prey: …Harley Quinn
Emma
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
First Cow
The Gentlemen
Greyhound
His House
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Palm Springs
The Rental
Run
Selah and the Spades
Shirley
The Way Back
All ages
Onward
Soul
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made
Holiday
Happiest Season (Hulu)
Guilty pleasures
*Coming soon*
Not great, but worth a once-through
Borat : Subsequent Moviefilm
Want to see
13th (Netflix, documentary)
The 40 Year-Old-Version
American Utopia
The Assistant
Bacurau
The Beach House
Beanpole
Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
Blow the Man Down
Boys State
Color Out of Space
Cuties
The Devil All the Time
Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix, documentary)
Driveways
Gretel & Hansel
The Half of It
The Humans
If Anything Happens I Love You
Kajillionaire
Les Misérables
Lucky Grandma
The Midnight Sky (Netflix)
My Octopus Teacher
The Night House
Over the Moon
The Painter and the Thief
The Personal History of David Copperfield
Prom (Netflix)
Radioactive
Relic
Sea Fever
She Dies Tomorrow
Small Axe (Steve McQueen, Prime - anthology of films)
Sorry We Missed You
Soul (Disney+)
Tesla (Prime)
Time (Prime, documentary)
Uncle Frank (Prime)
What the Constitution Means to Me
The Wolf House
Wolfwalkers
Underwhelming / disappointing
Ava (Jessica Chastain contract killer)
i’m thinking of ending things
Project Power
——
Back to Film Index by Year
Essential Music of 2020
My favourite 11 albums
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
flora cash - Baby, It’s Okay
The Grahams - Kids Like Us
James Dean Bradfield - Even in Exile
the Killers - Imploding the Mirage
Run the Jewels - RTJ4
Sea Wolf - Through a Dark Wood
Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You
The Strokes - The New Abnormal
Honorable Mention
Alanis Morissette - Such Pretty Forks in the Road
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - X: The Godless Void and Other Stories
BOAT - Tread Lightly
Brendan Benson - Dear Life
Built to Spill -Built to Spill Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnston
Charley Crockett - Welcome to Hard Times
The Chicks - Gaslighter
Cornershop - England is a Garden
Courtney Marie Andrews - Old Flowers
HAIM - Women in Music Pt. III
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions
Tennis - Swimmer
The Waterboys - Good Luck, Seeker
Disappointments & underperformers
Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways
Haven’t listened / haven’t spent enough time with yet
James Blake - Before
Deftones - Ohms
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
I Break Horses - Warnings
Ka - Descendants of Cain
Deftones - Ohms
The Microphones - Microphones in 2020
Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
Shirley Collins - Heart’s Ease
Stephen Malkmus - Traditional Techniques
Sunny Jain - Wild Wild East
Supercrush - SODO Pop
Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
Taylor Swift - folklore
Neil Young - Homegrown
My favorite 44 songs of 2020
Bad Decisions - the Strokes
Be Afraid - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Blood Pact - Sea Wolf
Born in the Slumber - flora cash
Cosmonauts - Fiona Apple
Everchanging - the Waterboys
Heart, Mind and Soul - Built to Spill
Honey I Sure Miss You - Built to Spill
I Know the End - Phoebe Bridgers
Love Is In The Small Things - flora cash
My Own Soul’s Warning - the Killers
Rise Up in Love - Moby
Together or Alone - Courtney Marie Andrews
We’ll Make It Through - Ray LaMontagne
2020 Playlists by month
January
Morningside - Moby
Born in the Slumber - flora cash
I Know the End - Phoebe Bridgers
Be Afraid - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Bad Decisions - the Strokes
I’m a Wooden Soldier - Cornershop
Under the Spell Again - Sea Wolf
Heart, Mind and Soul - Built to Spill
Blade of Wind - …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
From the Hands of - James Dean Bradfield
Mother of Muses - Bob Dylan
Electricity - flora cash
Coast to Coast - Ed Askew
Dear Life - Brendan Benson
Fear of Failure - Sea Wolf
Nemesis - Alanis Morissette
Seeking the Room - James Dean Bradfield
All Who Wonder - …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Everchanging - the Waterboys
Through the Sunlit Door - …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Rise Up in Love - Moby
When the Dreams Run Dry - the Killers
February
Love Is In The Small Things - flora cash
Run Away With Me - Sufjan Stevens
Blood Pact - Sea Wolf
I’ll Haunt You - Tennis
Together or Alone - Courtney Marie Andrews
We’ll Make It Through - Ray LaMontagne
Honey I Sure Miss You - Built to Spill
At the Door - the Strokes
Surrender - Natalie Taylor
One More Heartbreak - the Grahams
I’ve Made Up My Mind… - Bob Dylan
Her - Alanis Morissette
Cosmonauts - Fiona Apple
Carnival Dream - Courtney Marie Andrews
Sleep at Night - the Chicks
You Love Me - flora cash
I’ll See You In My Dreams - Bruce Springsteen
Need a Little Love - the Fratellis
Feistier - Masha Orella
The Divine Chord - the Avalanches
It’s Ok If You Forget Me - Astrid S
Chinese Satellite - Phoebe Bridgers
Golden G String - Miley Cyrus
March
This Is Us - Jimmie Allen & Noah Cyrus
Heavy Balloon - Fiona Apple
The Steps - HAIM
Gaslighter - Dixie Chicks
Everything That … - Cornershop
Kids Like Us - the Grahams
You’re Somebody Else - flora cash
What I’ve Done to Hlep - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Don’t Give Your Heart - the Grahams
How Many Birds - Erin Lunsford
Little Bit Sweet - The Wood Brothers
Spring of the Following - Ron Sexsmith
Shameika - Fiona Apple
St. Marie Under Canon - Cornershop
It Gets Easier - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Strong Enough - Ray LaMontagne
Keep It Clean - Watkins Family Hour
Love Letters - the Grahams
My Best Friend’s Wedding - The Chicks
Rainin’ In My Heart - Charley Crockett
Down Past the Bottom - Lucinda Williams
Televised Mind - Fontaines D.C.
A Mulher queue foi tuna - Lina_Raul Refree
Arkansas - Chris Stapleton
April
Missing Home - flora cash
One Minute You’re Here - Bruce Springsteen
La Partida - James Dean Bradfield
Two of Us - Sea Wolf
Little Eyes - Ed Askew
How You Get Hurt - Courtney Marie Andrews
Letter to You - Bruce Springsteen
Why Are Sunday’s So Depressing - the Strokes
Kids - Orville Peck
Swimmer - Tennis
Diagnosis - Alanis Morissette
Good Morning You - Built to Spill
England Is a Garden - Cornershop
Loneliness Kills - BOAT
I Want You To Love Me - Fiona Apple
First Rose of Spring - Willie Nelson
Not the Same Anymore - the Strokes
The Ballad of Gaz - BOAT
Impossible Love - Built to Spill
For Her - Fiona Apple
Reasons I Drink - Alanis Morissette
Frank O’Hara - Sea Wolf
Little Clouds - Ed Askew
Wreck Me - Charley Crockett
Under the Mimosa Tree - James Dean Bradfield
Paint It Blue - Charley Crockett
Low Down in the Broom - the Waterboys
Fools Ride - Kathleen Edwards
Lightning Fields (feat k.d. lang) - the Killers
May
In the Water - BOAT
Tell Me Now - Built to Spill
Painted Desert - the Grahams
Lost - SKIA
Know Your Worth - Khalid & Disclosure
Lay Your Head On Me - Major Lazer f. Marcus M.
The Adults Are Talking - the Strokes
Echoes - Tennis
So Long - Diplo
Young & Sad - Noah Cyrus
Lose Somebody - Kagoshima & OneRepublic
The Juice - G. Love
The Holy Name - Cornershop
Zombie State of Mind - BOAT
Runner - Tennis
I Believe in the Principle - BOAT
Smiling - Alanis Morissette
Boy With Luv - BTS & Halsey
Baby’s Eyes - Brendan Benson
Break My Heart - Pentatonix
Texas Man - the Chicks
No Glory in the West - Orville Peck
Lasting Lover - Sigala & James Arthur
RITMO (Bad Boys for Life) - Black Eyed Peas
Somebody - Dagny
Bored Again! - Buddy Ross
Lie Like You Want Me - Yumi Zouma
June
March March - the Chicks
I Fall to Pieces - Loretta Lynn
Good Job - Alicia Keys
Fake Records of Rock - Built to Spill
One Uncareful Lady… - Cornershop
No Studying - Dirty Projectors
Come to the Beach - Winnetka Bowling League
I‘m in Love - Brendan Benson
Bad Babe, Losin’ Touch - the Claudettes
Los Angeles - HAIM
For Once In My Life - Noah Cyrus
Bit My Tongue - the Grahams
Cologne - Pentatonix
Ba Da La - Songhoy Blues
All I Need - Jake Bugg
Si Veo a Tu Mama - Bad Bunny
47.48 - Childish Bambino
My Shot - Hamilton Cast
July
I Quit - Brendan Benson
Searching the Milky Way - the Grahams
Blinding Lights - Pentatonix
Apricot - SKIA
Summer Girl - HAIM
The Steps - HAIM
Letting You Go - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Richest Man - Brendan Benson
Edge of Midnight - Miley Cyrus
Running With the Wolves - Various
Realize - AC/DC
Gabe - Songhoy Blues
Blinding Lights - The Weeknd ft. Rosalia
45 - Bleachers
Bad Karma - Miley Cyrus
August
Summertime - Orville Peck
Home - Pentatonix
Now I’m In It - HAIM
Running With Our Eyes Closed - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Mountain Top - Built to Spill
Eternal Summer - the Strokes
Celebrate - the Black Eyed Peas
Dreams - Pentatonix
Highly Amplified - Cornershop
Overseas - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Up From A Dream - HAIM
Back to the Wind - Sea Wolf
If I Told - Courtney Marie Andrews
Sandbox Love - Alanis Morissette
Midnight Sky - Miley Cyrus
Run Horse Run - Charley Crockett
Drumset - Fiona Apple
Cash Money - Cornershop
News Today - Black Eyed Peas
Caution - the Killers
Blowback - the Killers
Summer of Now - James Blake
September
Dying Breed - the Killers
I Wasted You - flora cash
Life in Vain - Built to Spill
Just What You Desrve - the Grahams
How Lucky - Kurt Vile
Letting You Go - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Key West - Bob Dylan
Burnin’ Train - Bruce Springsteen
Selfless - the Strokes
My Own Soul’s Warning - the Killers
Stars - the Psychedelic Furs
Italy theme - El-P
Welcome to Hard Times - Charley Crockett
This Forgotten Town - the Jayhawks
So Many Reasons - BOAT
Nostalgist - Caspian
I Went Up, I Went Down - Sea Wolf
Metabolism - BOAT
Man From the Magazine - HAIM
Highway to the Sun - Ray LaMontagne
Everybody Loves You - the Chicks
When the Dreams Run Dry - the Killers
The Boy from… - James Dean Bradfield
Lightning Fields (with K.D. Lang) - the Killers
Wildfires - Sault
It’s Quiet Uptown - Hamilton cast
October
Tecie - Moby
They Own This Town - flora cash
Guilty - Courtney Marie Andrews
Two Hearts - Zola Blood
Don’t Bring No Ladder - Clem Snide
Ode to the Mets - The Strokes
Love Is All We Share - Cut Copy
Honey Go Home - flora cash
Mr. G - The Grahams
Only Children - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Drive Me, Crazy - Orville Peck
Break It Down - Sea Wolf
Pedestal - Alanis Morissette
Weeping Willow - Ray LaMontagne
Yes, I Have Ghosts - David Gilmour
Who Haunts the Haunter - …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
waste - Lovelytheband
Big Black Train - Lucinda Williams
Wrong Train - The Psychedelic Furs
Recuerda - James Dean Bradfield
Whole Wide World - Joan Osborne
There’ll Come a A Way - James Dean Bradfield
Cold Water - Cut Copy
When the Way Gets Dark - Lucinda Williams
Ghosts - Bruce Springsteen
Tennessee Special - Charley Crockett
Late Night - Tennis
Birds Tricked Into the Trees - Damien Jurado
Terror Australia - Midnight Oil
My Only Love - Moby
Turn - I Break Horses
Describe - Perfume Genius
We Had a Good Time - Bullion
Les sangs mélangés - Antoine Corriveau
November
Don’t Cry - Charley Crockett
St. Peter’s Autograph - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Thirty Thousand Milk Bottles - James Dean Bradfield
If I Was the Priest - Bruce Springsteen
Chinatown - Bleachers
Still Alive - flora cash
Moving Colors - Sea Wolf
Reckoning - Alanis Morissette
Dreamsicle - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
The Boy That Invented Rock and Roll - The Psychedelic Furs
Santiago Sunrise - James Dean Bradfield
In My Time on Earth - The Waterboys
House of a Thousand Guitars - Bruce Springsteen
Wind In My Head - Midnight Oil
All Visible Objects - Moby
My God (feat. Weyes Blood & Lucius) - the Killers
Risk It - Austra
A Bloody Morning - Owen Pallett
Anything - Adrianne Lenker
Island of Doom - Agnes Obel
Forever - Moby
We’ll Go Into Hiding - The Dears
Idle Fever, Out of Tune - Camille Delean
Hello Stranger - The Fratellis
Savior Complex - Phoebe Bridgers
If You Call - Angie McMahon
December
We Go On - The Avalanches
Marjorie - Taylor Swift
When the Party’s Over - Pentatonix
My Wanderings in the Weary Land - The Waterboys
Running Out of Time - The Grahams
Forever Nevermore - Sea Wolf
The Last Song - James Dean Bradfield
Uluru Statement from the Heart - Midnight Oil
My God - The Killers
Snowstorm - The Raveonettes
Good Luck, Seeker - The Waterboys
Through the Mists of Time - AC/DC
Imploding the Mirage - The Killers
Back to Music I
2020 Blog Posts Below
