Maddy

Category: California

  • Fires, coffee, books (the usual)

    Fires, coffee, books (the usual)

    I woke this morning to a red “Unhealthy” warning on my AirNow phone app. Instead of waking up, rolling over to grab my phone, and checking my work email, my mornings now consist of waking up, rolling over to grab my phone, and checking the air quality maps. What an inspiring way to start the…

  • Fires in the Time of Coronavirus

    Fires in the Time of Coronavirus

    Some things that happened today, Monday, August 24: — I walked to the grocery store in full incognito mode. I hate wearing shades because they make me feel like an asshole but the smoky air left me no choice. Also, am I the only one who feels like shades create a barrier between them and…

  • Poor Planning & Pedialyte

    Poor Planning & Pedialyte

    The weather this past week has been crazy and scary (commence fire season; I woke up this morning to the smell of smoke) but also incredible. I’ve gone to sleep every night sweating on top of my bed sheets (why have I never purchased a fan?!) and got pummeled by hail at Mt. Tam on…

  • Accidental Ode to San Francisco

    Accidental Ode to San Francisco

    I love the elm trees on Folsom Street, and the way their leaves turn a fluorescent green as they capture the early morning light. The other day I hiked up Bernal Heights with a friend and, until she pointed them out, I had never thought to look at those trees from above: One of my…

  • Guys.

    Guys.

    It’s official: I have too many feelings. It’s very inconvenient, to have this many feelings all the time. I keep meaning to finish and post the four other bits of writing I’ve started over the past few days…but, as usual, it’s now 8pm and all I’ve done since finishing work two hours ago is listen…

  • Calm on Corbett

    Calm on Corbett

    I wake every morning before 6am, not to the sound of an alarm, but to racing thoughts in my head. My anxiety has made it difficult to sleep, breathe, sit still, or relax in any capacity. A good portion of my day is spent repeating deep breaths, deep breaths over and over to myself until…

  • Shenandoah Sunsets (for My Sister)

    Shenandoah Sunsets (for My Sister)

    It’s 5:04 pm on a Saturday but if I hadn’t consulted my phone I’d have no idea what time of day it was. The sky has been the same translucent grey since I woke up, making it impossible to distinguish between morning and evening. I’m typing this on my phone as I walk laps around…

  • The High Life

    The High Life

    At exactly 4:07pm on Wednesday, April 8 – four days ahead of schedule – I achieved “To-Do List Zero.”(That’s my version of “Inbox Zero” but, instead of an email inbox, refers to the weekly to-do list I write each Sunday that details everything I want to accomplish that week, both work-related and personal.) I had…

  • Yosemite

    Yosemite

    Here is a visual representation of my last weekend to weekday transition:     Some things to note: I am drinking hot coffee in the first picture, an anomaly in my “iced-or-bust” lifestyle Starbucks is at it already with their holiday-themed cups In a world full of surprises, I make sure to control the one thing…

  • Fall in the Fillmore

    Fall in the Fillmore

    It’s been a while since I’ve gone on one of my long and wandering walk-jog-runs. Today’s edition of “Saturday Streets” was a lot more urban than usual, but don’t worry, I’ve still got some tree and flower pictures because there’s only so urban you can get in a beautifully open-spaced, full-of-parks-and-nature city. (Also, I just…