Happy Autumn!

Today summer comes to an end in the northern hemisphere and Autumn begins.  It's been a hot summer here in the middle of America and I'm looking forward to some cooler temperatures.

Happy Fall Everyone!

Weekly Ephemera #155

• Forgot to mention last week that I got my Covid and Flu shots.  Take that, RFK jr!
• The Wife and I went to see "The Long Walk".  It is an interesting movie based on a Stephen King novel (writing as Richard Bachman).  It was good and felt ... relevant to our times.
• As for TV, I watched season thirteen of "Futurama" and I soaked in cheesy horror anthologies.
• I had a tough time walking this week.  After two 30 miles (48 km) plus weeks, my body just didn't want to walk.  I forced myself to walk twice, but they were shorter than what I have been doing.  I ended up walking a total of 16.6 miles (26.7 km).  I can already feel that next week won't be much different.

Music: Rilo Kiley W/ Dean Johnson At The Astro

On Wednesday night I went to see the Rilo Kiley reunion tour.  I've seen them before back in October 2007 when they were promoting their "Under the Black Light" album.  I liked that concert, but I was not as fond of the album.  I'd also seen lead singer Jenny Lewis solo a couple of times: first in 2006 at a fundraising show and again at the showdown in 2014.

The warm-up act: Dean Johnson.

The warm-up act was Dean Johnson.  I'd never heard of him before.  He was promoting his second album.  His music doesn't quite fit in any genre though it did have an edge of country and a dash of weirdness.  For example, one of the songs was about forgetting his ex-girlfriend after getting electroshock therapy.  I can't say I liked it and I can't say it was bad either.  It was just some middle of the road quirky music.

Rilo Kiley and a rather minimalist stage lighting.

Rilo Kiley was fun.  Since they weren't promoting new music, and were just having fun playing their greatest hits, I enjoyed the show more.  I knew most of the songs and was pleasantly surprised hearing some older songs I'd missed the first time around.  I had a good time.

The only part of all this that I didn't like was the fact there were no seats.  The venue was the outdoor amphitheater and only VIPs got to sit.  I ended up standing for two hours and forty minutes. It wasn't really that bad, but I am an old man – I was definitely the oldest man in the audience.  It could have been worse.  Rain was in the forecast but we had only a short period of mist.  It did start pouring a half hour after I got home so I dodged a bullet.

You can see a few blurry photos  I took in my 2025-09-17 Rilo Kiley w/ Dean Johnson, The Astro, La Vista, NE Google Photos album.

The Wife's Camino 2025 - Magnet Edition

We purchased eleven magnets during the second part of the Wife's Camino.  Some were from places we already had magnets for but they all caught our eye.  Here are a few of the best:

"Soy Peregrino" = I am a pilgrim.

Galicia, Celtic land.

The end of the Camino, Fisterra.

Who doesn't like a witch on a broomstick?

You can see all seven hundred and eighty six of our travel magnets in my 2006-2025 Travel Magnets Google Photos album.

Weekly Ephemera #154

• Last Thursday was the anniversary of 9/11.  My feelings haven't changed since I wrote about it in 2023.  Based on the other news that occurred this week, it feels like our nation isn't getting any closer to regaining its sanity.
• I walked three times this week.  I've kept pushing myself, though I did shorten my third walk this week.  I walked a total of 31.5 miles (50.7 km) which was very satisfying.
• I finished the last three episodes of "Foundation" season 3 today.  Other than that, the Wife and I have found a safe place in the "Great Canadian Baking Show" on the Roku Channel.
• I re-read some of my posts that I'd written in 2006.  My writing sounded so much happier then.  I do not write as much as before.  I do not take as many pictures.  *sigh*

Book: Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Service Model"

 Book eleven for the year was Adrian Tcaikovky's "Service Model".  I've read a few of this author's books and I like his writing.  This book follows the adventures of an unemployed valet robot as it navigates the decline and destruction of the human race.

The cause of humanity's decline is left vague until the end, but it becomes obvious, as the valet robot goes from one job opportunity to the next, that humanity's destruction is self-inflicted.

The book flowed well and held my interest.  I could see how humanity's dependence on technology could eventually result in our demise.  The book is not uplifting but it was entertaining.

I gave the book four out of five stars on Goodreads.  I enjoyed its portrayal of our bleak future.

Weekly Ephemera #153

• Had a urology appointment this week.  Nothing new to report.  Will be getting an MRI and biopsy in the Spring.
• I watched season two of "Silo".  I like how it's going.  While we have a couple more weeks of Apple TV+ left, I'm kind of burnt out on streaming.  I have a couple things ("Invasion" and "Dark Matter") I could start but they will have to wait until the next time we subscribe.
• Weather, and a need for a short break, resulted in only two walks this week.  I did push those two walks to over eleven miles which I'm happy about.  My total distance this week was 22.6 miles (36.3 km).

Weekly Ephemera #152

TV and walking ... That was it.

• I watched "Foundation" season two and part of season three.  I didn't realize there was a season three.  The last three episodes haven't dropped yet but will be available before our month of Apple TV+ expires.  It's not following the books that closely but it is entertaining.
  
  Next I watched "Murderbot" season one.  I liked it, but the episodes were too short and the voice in the main character's head doesn't sound like the one I had in my head when I read the novella.  Obviously this is more of a me problem than a problem with the show. I look forward to the next season.
  
  I needed a break from binging series so I watched "The Gorge".  This movie is cheesy action and it fit the bill.
• This was a very successful walking week.  I walked three times, totaling 30.6 miles (49.25 km).  More importantly, I felt very good during these walks and I wonder if it's the new diabetes medication.

The Wife's Camino - Photos Along The Way

I didn't take many pictures during the second part of the Camino.  I'm sure the Wife took far more than I did.  She shared her pictures on her Bluesky accounts.  I took a few sunrise pictures and pictures of, and inside of, churches.  I took them all on my phone and a few didn't come out, but the ones that did were pretty good.

Here are a few pictures I took along the Way of Saint James.

Early summer poppies along the Way.

A view from the last 'big' hill on the meseta facing west.

The cottonwood fluffy was everywhere and looked like snow in places.

Sunrise ... the figure on the road is the Wife.

The obligatory shadow shot.

The templar castle in Ponferrada.

My pictures really don't do the Camino justice.  I realize now that I took only half as many pictures during the Wife's Camino than I did on my first two.  I also think I took better pictures during the first part of the Wife's Camino than the second.  I was in a different headspace during the second part and didn't look around enough.  I think I wanted to see it through her eyes and her pictures.

You can see all the pictures I took during the Wife's Camino, both in 2023 and 2025, in my 2023 - 2025 Camino de Santiago (The Wife's Camino) Google Photos' album.

Weekly Ephemera #151

The last three weeks have been quiet, and my Weekly Ephemera posts reflect this.  This last week was just as quiet as the last.  I'm OK with this as I know there is some travel coming soon.  Anyway, this is what my week was:

• We have a vole (or possibly a mouse) living in one of our succulent pots.  Every time I water, it jumps out and nearly scares me to death.  Earlier this week, I spread some vole poison in the pot.   Yesterday, when I watered the pot, it jumped out again, and this time I swear I saw six legs.  I'm guessing it was mama vole carrying baby vole. More poison will be going into the pot.  I suspect when it's time to bring the pots in for the winter that succulent pot will be getting dumped out.
• College football has started up again so Saturdays, the Wife will be in the she-shed, enjoying some sports ball.
• My walking streak is continuing.  I walked three times this week, totaling 23.8 miles (38.3 km).  The walk on Wednesday nearly killed me.  Not sure why but I suspect it was a combination of the high humidity and the fact that the sun came out after several days of overcast.  This coming week will have much nicer weather for walking.
• This week we subscribed to Apple TV+.  I have at least five series to catch up on and a couple that I may start.  This week I watched "For All Mankind" season four.  All I can say is I wish this was the timeline I was living in.  I then watched "Severance" season two, which I also liked, though not sure I would like to live in that timeline.
• A while back I promised a Camino pictures post.  I'll try to get that done this week.