notes, 7 July 2025
In June I set myself a goal to blog every Sunday—no matter how little I felt I had to say, to at least open my writing app and put something down. I’m pretty consistent with journalling but blogging is a bit of a different practice, even though I’m pretty sure this blog has a readership of one (me), since I haven’t advertised it to friends or family; the only way anyone I know would find it is by searching my name online or randomly trying to go to this URL.
Still—what is different, I think, is the public nature of this space. These words are out there. Maybe someone will read them. Maybe someone won’t. But regardless, I feel like my brain shifts modes when writing for a blog vs a private journal. I feel more inclined to get my thoughts into order, and for this post to be a record of some permanence, as permanent as anything can be on the internet (which is both very and not at all).
In any case, I stuck to the schedule pretty well all through June but yesterday I permitted myself a lapse. I was out nearly the whole day after lunch, and was too tired to write before bed. I resolved to write today instead since I have the day off from work. And this might sound like a nothingburger for some but for me, allowing myself to deviate from a routine without feeling like I’ve failed the whole thing and might as well give up is not a small thing.
Some highlights from my past week: watching Pangdemonium’s production of Singapore, Michigan (honest and heartfelt, some of the dialogue and the ending felt a bit rough but the performances were top-notch), playing a lot of Balatro, eating a god-tier udon carbonara at Paaru over a catchup with a friend. As a carbonara-obsessed fiend I have tried it all over the island, and Paaru’s version is one of the best. Excellent quality bacon in generous chunks, a mountain of cheese, no excessive heavy cream!
Also I picked up a pair of wired Apple USB-C EarPods on sale and was reminded that wired headphones truly beat out any kind of wireless, even if they’re cheap basic EarPods that cost me all of 24 bucks. The difference is especially stark now that I’m listening to my own music which is mostly FLAC files. I’m sorely tempted to pick up a spare pair in case anything ever happens to this pair and Apple stops making them, since I really dislike in-ears and this type of flathead wired earbuds aren’t easy to find.
Thoughts I’ve been turning around in my head this week: how can I maintain a sense of fun and play around writing? How can I balance the dedication of of showing up for my writing with the feeling that this is something I want to do, not an obligation? (I don’t have any answers to this, but I don’t actually think there are any, and I guess that’s part of the creative journey too.)