#12 - Meditate Every Day for 28 Days

I've been working on committing to a daily meditation practice for awhile now. This is the longest streak I've ever had though.

I usually use the Headspace app, though every now and then I do a silent meditation, especially if I'm out in nature. 

I've often heard the recommendation to practice in the morning, to ground, set an intention for the day, etc., but I usually practice in the afternoon. I already fall asleep sometimes when I meditation, and considering how much I hate mornings and how hard it is for me to wake up, I both would rather use morning times to sleep and would likely fall asleep while meditating anyway. Afternoons allow me a chance to pause and reset, and it's something I look forward to after rushing around, trying to be productive. 

What I've learned is that a daily meditation practice helps me stay mentally healthy when I feel mentally healthy. It's very difficult for me when I'm anxious. My mind just spirals in the quiet, and sometimes I leave the practice feeling more anxious. So, moving forward, I am likely going to try to keep up the daily habit but will give myself permission to skip it or to do an exercise (such as a breathing exercise) instead of meditation when I'm feeling especially anxious.

If you're meditation curious, I highly recommend starting with an app, such as Headspace. I have friends who use Calm. Headspace had a beginner's course for free. I am also always happy to send a link for 30 days of free access to the paid version. I don't get any benefit other than spreading meditation, and I believe the more meditation there is in the world, the better our would will be! The paid version of Headspace also has mindfulness exercises, education, and lots of sleep options. I'm obviously a fan :)

Wishing you all the energy and care you need to get through today!

#29 - See One of My Favorite Bands Live

I was such a Green Day fan in middle school. I became a fan with Dookie and immediately went and bought Kerplunk! and 1,001 Smoothed-out Slappy Hours. While I like some of their later stuff, that's my Green Day era. But somehow, even though I've been a fan since the mid-1990s, I've never seen them live. So, when Dan Burns yet again had Riot Fest tickets, I was stoked to see them.

On Friday, I went to about 6 hours of Riot Fest and then 9 or so hours on Saturday, so I was wiped by Sunday. Still, I got on that train and got there, right on time, and was shocked to see how large the crowd was, much larger than I'd seen it for any other show in previous years. (Of course, they weren't playing against anyone.) I managed to find Bryson and immediately gave up on trying to weave through the dense crowd to find Washo. My brother then made it to us, and we jammed out.

I have to say, my favorite part was the beginning. They started strong with some political stuff and "American Idiot." 

Post show

Then, Billy Joe said he had a head cold, and I was a little worried he was going to phone it in, but instead, he asked the crowd who knew the next song and the people in the front row pointed out this kid (probably a high schooler). They pulled him up on stage, and this kid Argyle up on stage, and this kid rocked out. They even timed out a pyrotechnic jump for him. So cute. And even cuter when Billy Joe posted on Insta a comment from Argyle's mom saying they'd camped out all day in front of the stage, and Argyle's mom just had to run to the bathroom at one point and couldn't get back to Argyle through the crowd. She was super worried and then looked up and Argyle was there, on stage, singing with the band.

I mean, c'mon. So cute.

The rest of the show was fine. Not as much political stuff and for me, not nearly enough early stuff. Like, several songs from Dookie but I think only one from Kerplunk! and I don't know if there were any from 1,001.

But still. We had a blast. Super fun Riot Fest this year.

#28 - See One of My Favorite Comedians Live

No pics during the show but
The Den is a cool space!

I've been a fan of Gareth Reynolds for many years now. I don't know when I started listening to the podcast he co-hosts with Dave Anthony or how I even found out about it, but it's definitely the podcast I've listened to the longest and the most often.

The premise is that Dave Anthony tells a story from American history to his friend Gareth Reynolds, who doesn't know what the story is going to be at all. They're both comedians, and the roles they've created for themselves and each other are well done. Dave is a great and funny story teller. Gareth is amazing at reacting and riffing. At the start of the podcast, Dave mostly told really stories about really ridiculous, as in hilarious or strange, stories. Then, he got a bit more political. And then he just leaned all the way into that, so most of the stories are stories that we should have learned in school or only know a limited version of. In general, if you're a topic of a Dollop, you're probably a terrible person or terrible things have happened to you. So, Gareth definitely has his job cut out for him to keep things comedy.

Then, Gareth created a new podcast with Jake Johnson, who played Nick on New Girl. And Jake Johnson is kinda a smart version of Nick from New Girl. (Gareth also had a very important role on New Girl as a security guard, so you may know him from there too.) Their podcast is a call-in advice show, where people bring very ridiculous problems, and Jake and Gareth try to "help." The problems, however, are things like, "15 years ago, when I met her, I told my now best friend that I'm allergic to coconut, and she still thinks I'm allergic to coconut, and I can't take it anymore. How do I tell her?" Or "My husband thinks he's a survivalist. He'd never survive on his own though. And to prove it, for his birthday, I kinda want to dump him in the woods and tell him he's on his own. Please help me plan that." Just silly, fun, hilarious problems with equally hilarious answers.

As I told Gareth after the show, I listen to The Dollop to learn things I should know about our country and I listen to We're Here to Help when I just can't take this country anymore and need a break. Balance.

So, I was super excited when Gareth announced he'd be stopping in Chicago on his tour and, even more exciting, he'd be taping his special in Chicago.

Laura Masters kindly agreed to go with me to The Den, and we made a whole night of it in Wicker Park. It was way fun, and it was super cool that Gareth actually came outside, very quickly, to meet and take pictures with anyone waiting around. He was a delight. Very fun.

With the We're Here to Help van!

#57 - See a Friend I Haven't Seen in at Least 3 Years

Like this happens nearly every time I've checked this off the list, it happened by happenstance. 

Well, maybe this one wasn't quite happenstance because it happened because my friend and 2x former roommate got married!

I was so pleased to receive K Rob's text sharing his engagement and asking for my address to invite me to the wedding. I was even more pleased to attend. 

On the Friday before, he invited the out of towners to the Pizza Port in Carlsbad, and I was reunited with Kevin, met his fiancee Aimee, and then got a huge bonus when Smitty and Kelly, Smoky and Chanel, Dino and Veronica, Lams, and Jivs were all there, all with their children, ages ranges 2 to 16. It was so joyful to spend time with them again, and I really hope that it becomes a regular happening because I knew I missed them but didn't realize how much. 

K Rob and I have done an off-and-on job of catching up, something that definitely fell off during and due to the pandemic. He was there during some of my toughest and best years: undergrad and my doctoral program, and we were roommates for around 5 years total. I was so honored to be there for his big day and loved that it was super quirky and personal.

The rest, well, they were my best friends in undergrad and the years after, the guys who always treated me like one of the guys and also still always looked after me and made me feel safe and cared for. 

It was so nice to see all of them again, to see them partnered and not, and all parenting lovely kids with big personalities. 

I am bummed I didn't really take pictures at the wedding!

Before the wedding, I also popped up to see the brilliant Dr. Kai Mathews, and that was super delightful.

I also had the bonus of seeing Tyler, who popped over to play trivia with John, Jenny, Conor, and me. I know Tyler from my years of Big Ten kickball in San Diego, and I'm hoping to see him and more of that crew next time I'm in town.

What a great trip. My cup is very full right now.

#7 - Put in 52 Hours of Service to My Community

 Just getting my label counts in there :)

#7 - Put in 52 Hours of Service to My Community

Post-meal at LPCS

A few years ago, I learned how much I didn't know about board service from my former classmate Dr. Jennifer Jones. It inspired me to join a few boards, and now I'm the Secretary of the Board of Directors for Steep Theatre, Chair of the Associate Board for 826CHI, and on the Auxiliary Board for the Rebuilding Exchange (RX).

Steep: Steep is the quintessential storefront theatre – that iconic breed of Chicago theatre that makes our cultural landscape unlike that of any other city. Steep is committed to producing new and under-produced plays that tell the stories of ordinary people in extraordinary situations – small stories that illuminate larger societal issues. 

826CHI: 826CHI is a non-profit creative writing, tutoring, and publishing center dedicated to amplifying the voices of Chicago youth.

Rebuilding Exchange: Rebuilding Exchange invests in our communities by reusing building materials, reducing construction waste, and training, supporting, and connecting people seeking careers in the building trades.

One of the bands at RX's RE:fest, our annual summer festival

Each of these experiences has taught me a ton. I've been able to learn about nonprofit structures and functions, theater operations, planning fundraising events, grants, navigating city of Chicago permitting procedures, constructing a new theater, maximizing budgets, planning street fests, in-kind donations, workforce training for the trades, table saws, environmentally friendly deconstruction, soliciting donations, and all kinds of things I'm not thinking of right now.

I've also been trying to organize a bi-annual meal provision with Lincoln Park Community Services, which is an opportunity the organization offers to have groups bring groceries and cook a meal for their residents. I love cooking with others, and I believe cooking for others is a really special way to care for others. It's really fun to do a little work in the kitchen and to provide residents with something a little different. You can just sign up on their website! You can also donate items listed on their Amazon Wish List, work the front desk, or offer an educational opportunity. So many ways to contribute to this organization that helps people transition to secure and stable lives.

Lincoln Park Community Services: Lincoln Park Community Services brings communities together to empower individuals facing homelessness and poverty to secure stable housing and make sustainable life changes.

The mighty lunch squad

I also tried to do regular volunteer service with Care for Real, but once I injured my knee, that became difficult to follow through on, especially since the volunteer positions that most appeal to me require being on your feet. Plus, they moved from a quick 5-minute walk from my place to a location that's about a 30-minute walk.

Care for Real: Through locations in Edgewater and Rogers Park, Care for Real (CfR) provides food, clothing, referrals, and additional services with compassion to improve the health and well-being of low-income residents to foster a stronger, healthier, equitable, and more stable community.

If you're curious about board service in general, check out Jenny's work!

We're actively recruiting members for 826CHI's Associate Board, so if you're interested in that, hit me up!

I'm also happy to share more about my experiences with Steep and the Rebuilding Exchange!

And Steep is soon going to start massive renovations to create what will be a beautiful new theater space in Edgewater. I'd love to catch a show with you!

That all said, I am still unlearning a lot of harmful capitalistic practices, and nonprofits can contribute to that harm by providing short-term relief instead of fighting the systems that lead to the problem they claim to be fighting. They also often replicate harmful capitalistic structures, further harming their staff and the people they serve. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the role I take up in serving my communities. I found the book Mutual Aid by Dean Spade a short, helpful guide in thinking about how to push for liberation and good for all.

Here's a quick log of my hours, sprinkled with a few photos of some fun times.

January (9 hours; 9 hours total)

1/15/25 - Steep Theatre: Board Meeting (1.5 hours)

1/17/25 - Steep Theatre: Dress Rehearsal (1.5 hours)

1/18/25 - Rebuilding Exchange: TA for Table Saw 101 (3.5 hours)

1/25/26 - Shopping for Lunch Provision at LPCS (1 hour)

1/26/25 - Lunch Provision at LPCS (1.5 hours)

February (5 hours; 14 hours total)

2/3/25 - Rebuilding Exchange: Monthly Meeting (1 hour)

2/18/25 - Rebuilding Exchange: Summer Planning Meeting (0.5 hour)

2/19/25 - Steep Board Meeting (1.5 hours)

2/25/25 - Rebuilding Exchange: Summer Planning Meeting (0.5 hour)

2/26/25 - 826CHI Associate Board Meeting (1.5 hours)

March (3 hours; 17 hours total)

3/4/25 - 826CHI Trivia for Cheaters Committee Meeting (0.75 hours)

3/11/25 - Rebuilding Exchange Summer Committee Meeting (1 hour)

3/18/25 - 826CHI Trivia for Cheaters Committee Meeting (0.75 hours)

3/25/25 - Rebuilding Exchange Summer Committee Meeting (0.5 hour)

Bowling Fundraiser for RX

April (5 hours; 22 hours total)

4/1/25 - Rebuilding Exchange Summer Committee Meeting (0.5 hour)

4/4/25 - Rebuilding Exchange Kick Off Party (1 hour)

4/7/25 - Rebuilding Exchange Monthly Meeting (1.5 hours)

4/15/25 - 826CHI Trivia for Cheaters Committee Meeting (0.75 hours)

4/15/25 - Rebuilding Exchange Summer Committee Meeting (0.75 hour)

4/29/25: Rebuilding Exchange Summer Committee Meeting (0.5 hour)

May (5.25 hours; 27.25 hours total)

5/9/25 - RX Meeting (0.5 hour)

5/13/25 - 826CHI Trivia for Cheaters Committee Meeting (1 hour)

5/13/25 - Rebuilding Exchange Summer Committee Meeting (0.5 hour)

5/20/25 - Rebuilding Exchange Summer Committee Meeting (0.75 hour)

5/21/25 - Steep Board Meeting (2 hours)

5/27/25 - Rebuilding Exchange Summer Committee Meeting (0.5 hour)

June (14 hours; 41.25 hours total)

6/1/25 - RX Fundraiser: Bowl-o-Rama (3 hours)

6/3/25 - Rebuilding Exchange Summer Committee Meeting (0.25 hour)

6/18/25 - Steep Countdown to Lights Up Committee Meeting (0.5 hour)

6/18/25 - Rebuilding Exchange Summer Committee Meeting (1 hour)

6/18/25 - Steep Board Meeting (1.25 hours)

6/22/25 - RE:fest (8 hours)

Dan trying to take down Danny at RE:fest

July (7.5 hours; 48.75 hours total)

7/7/25 - Rebuilding Exchange: Monthly Meeting (1 hour)

7/16/25 - Steep Countdown to Lights Up Committee Meeting (0.5 hour)

7/16/25 - Steep Board Meeting (2 hours)

7/22/25 - Call (0.5 hour)

7/24/25 - Steep Board Meeting (2 hours)

7/31/24 - Steep New Member Welcome Happy Hour (1.5 hours)

August (3 hours; 51.75 hours total)

8/20/25 - Steep Board Meeting (2 hours)

8/29/25 - Steep project (1 hour)

September (3.5 hours; 55.25 hours total)

9/8/25 - RX Auxiliary Board Meeting (2.5 hours)

9/10/25 - Steep CLU Meeting (1 hour)

#33 - Try Reiki, Accupuncture, Rolfing, or Cupping

Well, I wish my first completed item of the year was more pleasant and that I had tried cupping under much more pleasant circumstances. 

In February, I tore my ACL.

In April, I had surgery, where the surgeon took a bit of my quad muscle and then inserted it into my knee, replacing my ACL.

So, I go to physical therapy three days per week.

Right now, I'm in the period where there's just a lot of physical manipulation, trying to dispel scar tissue, loosen up tight spots, and regain my full range of motion.

Last week, my PT started massaging my hamstring, and while a massage sounds nice, instead, it felt like a burning, stinging sensation because it's so wildly tight. So, my PT pulled out a cup, sucked my skin into that cup, and then ran it along my hamstring. Jkdsl;afdja I did not enjoy that. 

I do think it might be kinda nice on my upper back and to loosen up other areas, but this version just hurt. I do hope to try it again because I'm curious about the benefits, which you can find here.

p.s. I highly recommend my PT, who is with Rush, but we're in a very unfun period of recovery.