Islands

Turtles

2023-03-24: I’m seeing an error message at the top of the page here in Micro.blog. Never realized there …

2023-03-24: Solved today’s Wordle and laughed out loud. This word has been one we’ve said too many …

2023-03-24: Picked up a used copy of Songdogs by Colum McCann, now my McCann library is almost complete. Will …

2023-03-19: Spring day, sky is blue Redbuds bloom along highway Bald eagle above

2023-03-18: Just finished reading: The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid 📚 Such a beautiful story. The racial plot …

2023-03-18: Red-tail hawk near the farmers market with hectoring jays and mockingbirds.

2023-03-18: Chilly morning visit to the Carrboro Farmers Market to get more bloodroot for the forest. At $5 a …

2023-03-18: Found in the woods this morning.

2023-03-13: Taking a break from work to inventory the lumber we milled in 2019.

2023-03-04: Always a joy to post an early spring photo of the bloodroot in bloom.

2023-03-03: Solitude is an empty gravel road to walk along when checking the mailbox.

2023-03-03: Up early this morning, well before the usual 6:30 a.m. alarm. After my shower, decided it was a good …

2023-03-02: And now a second post to test Dave’s updated script for publishing to Micro.blog from Drummer.

2023-03-02: Updated the public link to this microblog.opml file in Drummer and gave Micro.blog the new url . …

2023-03-01: Day one of the photo challenge and day two of my new identity as adult orthodontia patient but I …

2023-02-24: Been a U2 fan since 1985 but honestly I don’t know how I feel about the new covers of U2 hits by U2 …

2023-02-22: I’ve tuned into the Champions League early, and Thierry Henry and a couple of other guys are …

2023-02-22: Out of the ortho urgent care and back home, having learned a new phrase: medial gastrocnemius …

2023-02-22: A perfect morning for playing soccer with the guys. I was playing well, but then got kicked in the …

2023-02-21: Just finished watching The Swimmers, about Olympian Sara Mardini and Syrian refugees.

2023-02-10: A sunny and warm start to this Friday, and the week’s work has made me feel good, but …

2023-02-09: Using a Uni-ball Signo micro 207 in red to edit documents. Will be ordering the new red and blue …

2023-02-06: About to start reading: The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid. I read Exit West last year. 📚

2023-02-06: I was stoked to read this NYTimes Magazine Eat column about ‘buttery garlic shrimp’ on …

2023-02-06: Stepped out to warm the car and was met with the deep drumming of a pileated woodpecker somewhere …

2023-02-05: Finished reading: The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull A sci-fi novel, set in the U.S. Virgin Islands, …

2023-02-04: A close Duke-UNC men’s basketball game tonight. Our family pulls for the Tar Heels (a master …

2023-02-04: A new shemagh arrived from Afghanistan (via Combat Flip Flops), and Erin promptly asked if she could …

2023-02-01: Having grown up with a plan to be a Peace Corps Volunteer — my father served in the Dominican …

2023-01-30: Oliver and his cousin are in the kitchen making cookies, listening to country, and now he’s …

2023-01-28: A walk in the woods this beautiful morning.

2023-01-27: Took my brother to the Carolina Hurricanes hockey game to celebrate his 50th birthday. Canes win in …

2023-01-27: I’m reading The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull. Anna gave me this for Christmas, knowing I would …

2023-01-25: Today is a boot day. Played soccer this morning, now heading into the office wearing my black …

2023-01-07: What a stunningly bad speech to have to listen to as I wait to pick up my family at the airport.

2023-01-05: In the pre-dawn dark a single sound in forest weak squawk of a baby owl With the morning light …

2023-01-04: Erin, Anna, and Malia are in El Pescadero, Mexico visiting relatives. The other day they swam near a …

2023-01-04: Waiting in the orthodontist office with Oliver. He tried an AI app for first time by asking for six …

2023-01-02: Last day of this winter break from work but that doesn’t mean I suddenly learned how to relax. The …

2023-01-01: Justin Watt has time on his hands in a new city, so he let Craiglist know that he wanted to help …

2023-01-01: Firewood stacked in the new rack. Very satisfying.

2023-01-01: Sunday soccer this morning, great weather for a pickup game. I scored three goals mostly by being at …

2022-12-31: Day dawned in mist, then turned to rain, so I worked under the carport to make a firewood rack from …

2022-12-29: Oliver had just healed from the navicular fracture in his foot. Now he’s got a possible …

2022-12-29: Heard the news of Pele’s death while I was driving my son to ortho urgent care to get his wrist …

2022-12-25: Dropped family at the Duke Chapel for Christmas service and I went to walk the Al Buehler Trail. …

2022-12-25: These cinnamon rolls were out of the oven before any of the family had awakened.

2022-12-24: Family in other room watching Little Women, with a fire warming the house. I’m enjoying a …

2022-12-24: Test post to see if my linking to my Mastodon account let’s me see this post over there (in …

2022-12-24: Stepping through the instructions to connect my Micro.blog posts to Mastodon: my Mastodon-compatible …

2022-12-23: Power has been out for a few hours. Wheeled the generator to side of house and plugged into panel. …

2022-12-21: Just paid into omg.lol, where I’ll be mistersugar again.

2022-12-21: Cutting our Austin trip a day short to beat the arctic bomb cyclone. Weather here was cold and gray, …

2022-12-19: On this rainy day in Austin, I chilled at the house; went for coffee at Radio; bought a sweatshirt …

2022-12-19: I have been let into Post.news, so I’m mistersugar over there. Let’s see where this …

2022-12-18: Watching World Cup final in cold Austin air at Meanwhile Brewing Company.

2022-12-17: Fun first day in Austin visiting brother and his family. From airport to Meanwhile Brewing Company …

2022-12-14: Played pickup soccer this morning in the cold (about 34ºF). The guys from Morocco and Algeria were …

2022-12-11: Sunday pickup soccer this morning was fun. A few of the guys are from Morocco, so there were smiles …

2022-12-09: Upgraded MarsEdit to v5 (always happy to pay fo this great tool); trying micropost feature here.

2022-12-03: Bummer for USA. For next game I have donned my Socceroos jersey I picked up in Australia in 2018.

2022-12-01: My latest blog post reflects my chagrined surprise about the richness of the UNESCO list of …

2022-11-28: Warm cinnamon rolls a great way to start the week.

2022-11-27: I have a pan of cinnamon rolls in the fridge ready for baking in the morning. Planning to start the …

2022-11-26: My Serbian friend came over for dinner tonight. I made chicken shawarma (NYTimes recipe) and we …

2022-11-24: Whoa that could have been an astounding end to the Portugal-Ghana match! I had just taken this …

2022-11-23: I’m home alone for the holiday, family up in Cleveland while I stay back to keep an eye on the …

2022-11-20: Just booked flights for me and my son to visit family in Austin in December. That means I’ll …

2022-11-20: World Cup time! I played soccer with the guys this morning, even scored a couple of goals, made some …

2022-11-15: I gave up hope on getting back into my Twitter account, so I created a new handle, but in the …

2022-11-12: Cloudy but warm day in NC. Dropped son at a bar mitzvah and then drove to Pittsboro for a pop-up …

2022-11-11: I listen to the U2X station on SiriusXM; been thinking about what 5 U2 songs I’d recommend for …

2022-11-11: Picked up Malia from Amtrak station in Raleigh for weekend home from college in Washington. Last …

2022-11-11: I’m still locked out of my Twitter account, but now I’m on Mastodon (as @mistersugar, …

2022-11-08: Swing in morning light

2022-11-08: In line to vote. 6:45 a.m. Chapel Hill, NC. 55°F breezy and no clouds. UNC Health helicopter passes …

2022-11-07: standing in moonlight in forest beyond I hear great horned owl calling

2022-11-07: Washington Post has an article that quotes a Musk tweet but it swapped a word? Vomiting for voting? …

2022-11-06: I can no longer log into Twitter because 2FA doesn’t send a code to my phone. Tough times at …

2022-11-06: Sunday soccer with the guys (30s-70s, from all over the planet) was much fun today, though weirdly …

2022-11-05: Detail in one of the passageways on Duke University campus. We’re here to watch women’s basketball …

2022-11-03: I moved the Meyer lemon tree from the garden to our inside laundry room. Tree has dozens of blossoms …

2022-10-30: Soccer Sunday: played pickup with the guys early; returned home to watch Premier League matches; now …

2022-10-28: oh my gosh, I watched a YouTube tutorial about the espresso machine I recently bought, I made a good …

2022-10-24: Lots of activity down at the build site, including the bagging of a big buck by one of the …

2022-10-23: After soccer, my son and I drove to Greensboro for brunch with Anna (nursing student). On the way, I …

2022-10-22: Here in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, we have a stationery shop called Crazy Alan’s Emporium. I …

2022-10-22: My quandry: A family member needs to have a conference call with me and others. She wants us to use …

2022-10-21: Visit to the periodontist yesterday left me with a bad taste in my mouth - teeth are sticky and …

2022-10-19: Making one last batch of hot sauce on my makeshift outdoor kitchen. This is with the chiles from the …

2022-10-18: Owl In The Chilly Night Cleaning up the kitchen and heard an owl so stepped outside to record the night sounds.

2022-10-16: A long day doing what I love: playing soccer with an international group; brunch with friends; …

2022-10-16: Here is a gift link to the Washington Post article about the award-winning short film about the …

2022-10-16: iPhone 8 Plus ➡️ iPhone 14 Pro Looking forward to contributing better photos to the timeline.

2022-10-16: Brunch at the neighbor’s house. Met another neighbor, who invited me to pick chiles in his garden. …

2022-10-15: Just relinked Drummer to Micro.blog so I can post from my outline.

2022-10-15: The forest outside is raining acorns. Not sure if there’s anything to make of them.

2022-10-15: At the Carrboro Farmers Market this morning, I bought a few containers of larger roselle calyxes, a …

2022-10-14: Just posted my picture for the microblog photo initiative. Not great image. My phone is quite old …

2022-10-14: Friday, October 14, 2022, 11:11 a.m., Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.A., North America, Planet …

2022-10-08: “That this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by …

2022-10-07: On this beautiful morning in Chapel Hill, I am grateful for the Micro.blog community, which has …

2022-10-06: One of the cats left this juvenile rat snake near the front door. It was alive but injured. I moved …

2022-10-05: I have a page on my Zuiker Chronicles site to explain What I’m Doing Now. I’ve finally …

2022-10-02: Sunday morning soccer in Durham with a large group (enough for two games side by side). Always fun …

2022-10-01: I did go yesterday to Raleigh to meet my uncle John at the IBMA World of Bluegrass festival. The …

2022-10-01: Out walking the property to assess damage from tropical storm Ian yesterday. Lots of small branches …

2022-09-30: Rains and wind from Hurricane Ian are here in North Carolina. Expecting downpours later as the storm …

2022-09-25: Out in the woods again this afternoon with the chainsaw at the fallen hickory tree. This turtle …

2022-09-24: Clearing fallen branches and cutting firewood today. Turned a decaying log and saw this salamander …

2022-09-23: So far this morning, I’ve seen a ruby-throated hummingbird outside my office window, and that …

2022-09-23: Holy cow! Just saw a bald eagle swoop down roadside here in Carrboro, NC. And to think I went all …

2022-09-20: I haven’t seen many turtles this summer during my walks in our woods. This one turned up near our …

2022-09-18: Last day at the pool Reading ‘bout Benin bronzes French fries with ketchup

2022-09-15: That Phoenix post by @maique reminded me of something we did in the early years of blogging: we took …

2022-09-10: I do not like centipedes. But this one was inside an old beer bottle that I kicked out of the ground …

2022-09-05:

2022-09-03: Stunning day on the Outer Banks near the village of Avon. We’ve come to visit with Carrboro friends …

2022-08-31: I used the Rode PodMic, Zoom PodTrak P4, and my aging iPhone 8 to record a couple of interviews for …

2022-08-30:

2022-08-30: I struggled to get today’s Wordle. I stayed up too late watching a movie, and I have a lot on …

2022-08-24: A strike/rally/sit-in making move-in day at American University very slow and interesting.

2022-08-23: Dinner last night my my uncle John and cousin Kristin; breakfast this morning with my uncle Michael …

2022-08-21: In Washington D.C. to take Malia to college (at American University). Need to find the local bar …

2022-08-21: Erin and I went to dinner with Malia last night, her last in Chapel Hill before she embarks on …

2022-08-20: A couple of years ago, I chopped down a few princess trees (Paulownia tomentosa) out in the woods. …

2022-08-18: Out for another walk and came across this, another type of millipede here in North Carolina.

2022-08-18: Out for a walk.

2022-08-14: Coffee and laptop on the screened porch on a still, cool Sunday morning. Hummingbird just visited …

2022-08-13: Family movie night was Thirteen Lives, a dramatization of the dramatic cave-diving rescue mission in …

2022-08-07: The pepper plants in the garden are starting to drip with red, and the Carrboro Farmers Market …

2022-08-06: Our big gardenia bush finished with its flowers a couple of months ago, but we’ve had 2 late blooms …

2022-08-05: Tonight Anna, my oldest daughter, and I went to Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro to hear Blue Cactus.

2022-08-04: “Well, I wouldn’t be made at a chocolate bar if they had one,” says Wade the …

2022-08-02: Erin and I have been rewatching Treme. Tonight we’re on the episode that pays tribute to Steve …

2022-07-31: A long post (on my Zuiker Chronicles blog) about the cruise to Alaska and why I’m lucky to be …

2022-07-31: What a great match between England and Germany. #euro2022

2022-07-31: A pot of onions cooking slowly (for French onion soup later), and I’ve settled in to watch …

2022-07-30: Erin and I looked under the tarp at the pile of lumber that’s been drying for the last 3 years. …

2022-07-29: Short post with latest version of MarsEdit to say thanks to @danielpunkass. I’ve been using …

2022-07-29: Good morning, Micro.blog community. Your advice, please: I need new voices & perspectives in my …

2022-07-26: I’m feeling well today, glad to be past that COVID illness (though I presume I’m still …

2022-07-25: Tiny mushroom out in the woods. There is a pleasant breeze cooling the forest. Feels good to be …

2022-07-23: COVID Chronicles: Still sequestered, still sucking honey-cherry lozenges. Checked my email to catch …

2022-07-23: The July 25, 2022 issue of the New Yorker is doing as much (or more than) the ibuprofen and tissue …

2022-07-22: Fauna, too. This looks to be a katydid. (‘Wedding of the Bugs’ is one the most fun songs ever!)

2022-07-22: Flora Funga out back.

2022-07-21: I keep telling my wife that my purchase of notebooks and pencils is done, but then Blackwing went …

2022-07-21: My post-vacation blog chronicles is delayed because I am possessed of Covid, shivering in bed but …

2022-07-18: Enjoying good Seattle coffee (in sleepy Magnolia neighborhood) after a week at sea. Cruise to Alaska …

2022-07-17: Still on the cruise ship, headed south back to Seattle. Much to report (when back home) about our …

2022-07-12: On the Quantum of the Seas heading north to Alaska. On the pool deck giant screen this morning was a …

2022-07-11: Arrived in Seattle late last night. Woke up this morning and looked out the hotel window (43rd …

2022-07-08: As we construct a new house on the back lot, a variety of trucks have parked in front of our house. …

2022-07-08: Box turtle crossing the driveway last night. 🐢

2022-07-07: The FMail app (for my Fastmail account) continues to give me a spinning beach ball. Not sure why …

2022-07-02: Long travel day yesterday from Rhode Island to North Carolina with too much time sitting in cramped …

2022-06-30: I had the best father-son day today on our trip to Block Island -Oliver and I biked and talked and …

2022-06-29: I want to use Font Awesome icons in a post. Maybe I have misunderstood the FA plugin, which states …

2022-06-29: Are there instructions for how to use the new Font Awesome plug-in? I have a FA Pro account; is …

2022-06-29: Biking with my father and son to Snug Harbor for breakfast, through a neighborhood of new houses, …

2022-06-28: Flowering milkweed in the Trustom Pond wildlife refuge, costal Rhode Island. Beautiful day today …

2022-06-27: Travel day: flying from Raleigh-Durham to Rhode Island with my son. Prepared for whatever delays may …

2022-06-25: Got today’s Wordle on fifth line, but questioned whether it was a real word so I opened the …

2022-06-24: I’m on the porch with my coffee (in the Flyleaf Books mug) and the new issue of The Atlantic. I’m …

2022-06-23: Asking this great Micro.blog community for recommendations of what to see, do, eat, or drink in …

2022-06-23: I get sad to my core when I come across a smashed box turtle on the gravel driveway.

2022-06-22: Up early this morning to monitor the concrete pouring into the footings of our new house. First …

2022-06-21: Wow. Today’s session of the Select Committee on Jan. 6 was riveting and powerful. I stand in …

2022-06-20: After lunch with Erin, I went out to the wood pile to split firewood (sourwood, maple, princess …

2022-06-20: I wanted to prepare dinner yesterday as my Father’s Day gift to my family. We had chicken …

2022-06-19: I’ve spent much of this Father’s Day on the patio with coffee, a magazine, and Our Own …

2022-06-19: My latest blog post celebrates my daughter’s graduation from high school and pending …

2022-06-18:

2022-06-18: Oliver and I are getting haircuts this morning. First time we have been to the barber together. …

2022-06-18: Listening to a new track by a young woman whom we’ve known since she was a toddler. You go, delia-h! …

2022-06-16: The lightning has passed, and now the forest around our house is filled with lightning bugs. So …

2022-06-16: Big thunderstorm blew in an hour ago, and we’re still seeing flashes and now hearing deep …

2022-06-15: I’m reading the newsletter from James Fallows, and I’m delighted to see he mentions …

2022-06-15: I played soccer this morning, and quickly felt the heat and my lack of recent exercise (and too many …

2022-06-14:

2022-06-12: I couldn’t go to Levering Orchard to pick sour cherries yesterday because Malia graduated from high …

2022-06-11: I’ve been in the Dean Dome for UNC basketball and a Barack Obama rally and Erin’s law school …

2022-06-09: So bummed that I will miss the one day of sour cherry picking at Levering Orchard on Saturday. Means …

2022-06-08: My dad sends a daily email, with one to five photos, to a long list of family and friends. …

2022-06-08: Studio 4 I recorded a short message of thanks to my Duke University colleague Stephen Toback for the amazing …

2022-06-08: Graffito on the Libba Cotten Bikeway to UNC.

2022-06-06: Reminiscent of my Peace Corps experience in the South Pacific, we’re at the table lit only with …

2022-06-04: A typical Saturday morning: first in the house to wake, feed the dog, make coffee, slip out to visit …

2022-06-01: The first of the blossoms on the gardenia bush opened over night. Big, fragrant, beautiful white …

2022-05-30: Another wildflower observation in the woods around our house. This is rattlesnakeweed (Hieracium …

2022-05-27: Another photo from my walk in the woods. This is heart-leaf ginger (Asarum virginicum) and there’s a …

2022-05-27: A few hours ago I was casually walking through our woods looking at flowers and ferns. Now I’m …

2022-05-27: Rattlesnake fern in the woods on the slope down to the creek.

2022-05-27: Big rains the last few days. A cluster of these striped wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata) have …

2022-05-25: The magnolia tree out back has many big blossoms this year.

2022-05-22: Championship Sunday! I’ve got Tottenham-Norwich on the big TV and ManCity-AVL on my laptop. May put …

2022-05-21: In his newsletter, food writer Michael Ruhlman mentioned that Ann Hood (his wife) has a new memoir …

2022-05-21: Out back clearing fallen branches and using chain saw to cut firewood. Very hot but feels good to …

2022-05-19: How am I just now hearing John Prine’s Dear Abby?!

2022-05-19: Leaves of a tulip tree along the gravel driveway as I walk back from the mailbox.

2022-05-19: Getting ready to make strawberry mango jam. Also drinking a Blue Moon mango wheat beer and listening …

2022-05-19: Excited to see Robin Sloan has written a new novel. I enjoyed both Sourdough and Mr. Penumbra’s …

2022-05-15: Walked out to the clearing where we’re building a new house and saw the lunar eclipse, clouds …

2022-05-15: Wish you all could smell these berries we just picked at Waller Family Farm. Hot out there in the …

2022-05-14: Only found that one turtle on my slow walk through our woods. Now the rain is back so I am on the …

2022-05-14: Heavy rainstorm just passed over so I came out to the woods to look for turtles. In five minutes I …

2022-05-13: Sitting in the Durham Food Hall with a cortado, rereading Atul Gawande’s brilliant Being Mortal, I …

2022-05-12: Last Saturday I made a rock wall and flower garden at the top end of the new paved driveway. …

2022-05-12: Finally downloaded the images and videos from the GoPro camera we took to St. Croix in March. …

2022-05-04: Via DF, I see an uplifting story about how the internet helped Noah Grey, the creator of the early …

2022-04-29: Pre-show dinner at trattorria at 44th St. & 9th Ave., window seat watching so many people walk …

2022-04-29: With Erin and Oliver in NYC to celebrate Oliver’s birthday #12. A gorfeous day to walk. Just sat …

2022-04-27: A moment of confusion every time I hear the opening notes of Change by War on Drugs as I think I’m …

2022-04-27: Glad to get a haircut from my regular barber Kirby (Arrow North Hills), and on her recommendation I …

2022-04-23: Fiddling with the Smol Blog, adding a new page to pull in all posts about the various islands …

2022-04-18: Lots of rain today, but once it stopped I went for a walk out back and happened upon these (maybe a …

2022-04-17: Our daughter, Anna, is 21 today. So proud of her and grateful for how she has brightened our lives.

2022-04-17: Blew out a quad muscle during warmups this morning, so had to leave the Sunday soccer just as the …

2022-04-16: The 2011 Ford Ranger went to the shop for an oil change. Two days later, the power windows stopped …

2022-04-09: Just watched the first episode of Tokyo Vice. Very intriguing.

2022-04-09: Got lucky today. Wordle 294 2/6 🟨⬛🟩🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

2022-04-02: We’re traveling on my birthday and have arrived CLT with layover that nicely coincides with the …

2022-04-01: Snorkeled F’sted pier: blue tang, cuttlefish, green sea turtles, pencil fish. Now at Dorsch Beach. …

2022-04-01: Woke early and walked solo to the beach, strung the hammock, relaxed with my thoughts and a …

2022-03-30: Over on my Storian blog, I’ve posted a mid-vacation update from the U.S. Virgin Islands. In …

2022-03-30: I started reading Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell last fall, took it with me on the winter vacation …

2022-03-29: Sitting poolside at the Fred, a boutique hotel in Frederiksted on the island of St. Croix. Just had …

2022-03-27: Back on Sandy Point for the final day of public swim. Turtle nesting season is starting.

2022-03-19: Such a glorious day, warm and breezy and buzzing with life. I was glad to see the bloodroot bloomed.

2022-03-15: Reading about the large Joro spiders that are moving up the East Coast of the U.S., I’m …

2022-03-13: Regretting that my work and family responsibilities kept me from attending MicroCamp, but I’m …

2022-03-13: Making red beans and rice for family meal, and new classic brownies. Recipes by Pableaux Johnson and …

2022-02-24: I’m working from home in blue jeans, hip Nike shoes, a comfortable new hoodie. Was a time that …

2022-02-21: Reading the NYTimes obituary for Dr. Paul Farmer. Trying to keep composed, but reading that other …

2022-02-20: Played soccer with the guys this morning. Helped my sister-in-law move into her new house a hundred …

2022-02-18: Updated the What I’m doing now page on my blog.

2022-02-18: If this is a simulation, I wish to thank you who programmed Friday nights with good Thai takeout, …

2022-02-14: Great day shopping and eating on South Congress Street in Austin. Now chatting with frosé at the …

2022-02-13: Gorgeous day in Austin, Texas. We gazed from Mount Bonnell, brunched at Tiny Boxwoods, shopped in UT …

2022-02-13: Waking up in Austin. Visiting my brothers. Glad to have a few days off.

2022-02-11: Family movie night was Marry Me, the new musical rom-com with Jennifer Lopez and Luke Wilson. I …

2022-02-06: Uncle John Zuiker and my cousins made this sweet music video to honor the family and our memories of …

2022-02-05: Looking forward to visiting my brothers in Austin next weekend.

2022-02-01: Wordle 227 4/6 🟩🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Fun game, and easy to paste into M.b.

2022-01-23: Desperate to drop Dropbox, so I’ve installed Nextcloud on my webhost for a try. That got me …

2022-01-10: Cold night setting in. Outside with a fire before we head in for dinner.

2021-12-31: Got a full night’s sleep, and woke up glad to be home but missing the fun we had in Hawaii. Today …

2021-12-30: One of the amazing Hawaii moments was seeing this endangered Hawaiian monk seal resting on Sandy …

2021-12-30: The Boeing 777 that just brought across the Pacific from Hawaii was nice, big, mostly comfortable. …

2021-12-26: Morning trip to Oahu’s Waianae Coast for boat ride: Hawaiian spinner dolphins, humpback whales - we …

2021-12-25: A day for the beach: today at Kailua, sunny and windy and relaxing. Adding to my collection of …

2021-12-24: Family hiked up to the top of Diamond Head crater in Honolulu. Good exertion but scary to be so …

2021-12-22: The joys of watching my children learn to surf, then later introducing them to shave ice. It’s nice …

2021-12-16: We’re celebrating Malia’s early acceptance to American University, and we’re …

2021-12-16: This story about building websites from a pen-and-paper notebook reminded me of the typed cards that …

2021-12-15: Anna joined me for an afternoon fireside chat.

2021-12-15: Boosted!

2021-12-11: The family scattered tonight, postponing our tree trimming until tomorrow, so I was left alone on …

2021-12-09: Dad and Dot returned to St. Croix for the winter, and what they thought was an iguana that had …

2021-12-07: Erin and I have started watching Yellowstone, with Kevin Costner and others. Just three episodes …

2021-12-05: At the Steel String Brewery’s Pluck Farm to hear the Loose Lucies (Grateful Dead cover band) and …

2021-12-03: Just met a few colleagues in person for the first time, a year into my job at DCRI on the RADx-UP …

2021-11-28: I’ve worked at Duke University since 2007 (and known the editor longer), but it’s only …

2021-11-27: Headed home after the Thanksgiving holiday in Cleveland (and a 5k race with Oliver and the rest of …

2021-11-24:

2021-11-13: Soccer tournament in Greensboro. Oliver scored goal in 4-1 loss, tough game. Picked up Anna at UNCG …

2021-11-11: This is good bye: Gathered two eggs and scattered meal worms for the hens. They are about to leave, …

2021-11-05: Family night out to UNC’s Memorial Hall to hear the Clef Hangers men’s student a cappella group. …

2021-11-01: So happy to have finally learned how to connect the two Ultimate Ears Wonderboom speakers, and now I …

2021-10-28: I have to be careful with my derisive laughs during this Bachelorette premier. Erin just reminded me …

2021-10-28: Date night with Erin, dinner at a newish Italian restaurant, now home again. Erin is helping Oliver …

2021-10-25: Beautiful, warm day to tour American University, the National Gallery of Art, and the Mall.

2021-10-24: Washington Metro. Waiting with Malia, on our way to dinner.

2021-10-23: Papaya in the garden box, got there via the compost, and won’t survive the cold but reminds me of my …

2021-10-21: Greetings from Durham, North Carolina and the Duke Clinical Research Institute. I’m working …

2021-10-20: A new Harbinger V2310 just delivered to the house, so I unpack it, plug in it, power it up, connect …

2021-10-19: Quick trip to Fitch Lumber to meet with the window guy. He’ll try to make sense of our house …

2021-10-18: Anyone in the Micro.blog community associated with American University? Taking my daughter there for …

2021-10-18: That chickens post, and this one, are being sent to Micro.blog from Drummer. Great new functionality …

2021-10-18: That chickens post, and this one, are being sent to Micro.blog from Drummer. Great new functionality …

2021-10-18: The chickens always produce more eggs in the days after I clean out the coop and put fresh pine …

2021-10-18: Erin is driving to check her mailbox and grab some items for the chicken soup (Oliver has come down …

2021-10-16: Backyard concert in Carrboro, North Carolina.

2021-10-13: Shopping for beer for the first time in 3 months (was on meds that kept me off alcohol) and there …

2021-10-12:

2021-10-10:

2021-10-09:

2021-10-09: Rain through the night but Burlington Shoot Out still on so I drove Oliver here for his soccer …

2021-10-05: Went 3 miles with the Carrboro Run Club. Felt great to be moving again after the craziness of the …

2021-10-04: Heading to bed but heard owls so I stepped outside to listen. The scent of the white ginger lily was …

2021-10-03: We’re back in our house after a three-week plumbing project to update all of the piping in and …

2021-10-03:

2021-10-01: Don’t touch - look and smell.

2021-09-30: Mural on the other side of the building in Durham. Full mural and story is here.

2021-09-30: Mural in Durham, North Carolina.

2021-09-26: Morning walk on Raleigh’s Crabtree Creek Trail, and now coffee and a bagel with a good book at Brew …

2021-09-20: Bumblebee on goldenrod.

2021-09-18: I guess this must be how we get new turtles in our forest. 🐢

2021-09-18: Is anyone in the Micro.blog world in the business of embroidery? I’m looking to order some …

2021-09-15: Rising in the forest.

2021-09-12: I walked into town this morning for coffee and reading the New Yorker. As I walked back I thought …

2021-09-12: Erin just noticed this male box turtle eating a fallen pear in the backyard. 🐢

2021-09-11: We had our first fire of the season out in the fire pit. Perfect night.

2021-09-11:

2021-09-10: I am working from the DCRI office in the Durham Centre in Downtown Durham, North Carolina. It is …

2021-09-09: Crew was here earlier to demo my office, part of a costly, disruptive project to update all the …

2021-09-09: In the forest this morning, the crows are harassing a great horned owl while a red-tailed hawk …

2021-09-06: Labor Day holiday, walked into town, coffee at favorite cafe then migas at the co-op, reading the …

2021-09-05: We gathered Anna from her dorm for a family hike on Greensboro’s Lake Townsend Trail, part of North …

2021-08-31: Carrboro Run Club night. I went 4 miles. Now enjoying a thirst-quenching Pilsner from Craftboro …

2021-08-31: Stepped outside. Cicadas are loud, but I hear tapping high in an oak tree, am lucky to spot the …

2021-08-26: This autumn clematis is beautiful, but it is invasive and damaging the azalea.

2021-08-25: Micro Camp sticker arrived yesterday. Thank you @jean @manton and all the presenters for a great …

2021-08-24: When dad saw the Rolling Stones News today that Charlie Watts, the drummer for the Rolling Stones, died, so I called my father, …

2021-08-24: Just had an idea: I should keep a scratchpad of all the messages I type but don’t send in …

2021-08-17: Angles and shadings. This is the hickory that toppled yesterday. Forest around it looked beautiful …

2021-08-17: Glad to have finally discovered a way to use Micro.blog categories: I can now tag my turtle photos …

2021-08-17: Yesterday’s loud crash as winds picked up turns out to have been large hickory tree that fell out …

2021-08-16: Fresh wood chips beneath the swing.

2021-08-14: Family movie night was CODA on Apple TV+ and it was so so good. I cried a lot, and smiled, and …

2021-08-11: Waking up in the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill, a staycation just few miles from our home, for our 25th …

2021-08-10: The photo from @cheesemaker is better but inspired me to snap one of my own. Back at Gray Squirrel …

2021-08-08: Finished reading: Exit West: A Novel by Mohsin Hamid. Very much enjoyed it, and found it thought …

2021-08-06: The pear tree is heavy with fruit this year (we trimmed it way back a couple of years ago). I think …

2021-08-04: I had such a great vacation on St. Croix last month - swinging in my hammock - that I decided to …

2021-08-04: So glad to see the first of the ginger lily emerging.

2021-08-02: This is great: The 25 Most Significant Works of Postwar Architecture - The New York Times

2021-07-29: Started the day making hot sauce, cooking the mash outside on a wood-burning stove so the house …

2021-07-24: I had neglected the garden and the weeds had overtaken the spaces between the boxes, so this morning …

2021-07-20: I read Little Eyes: A Novel by Samanta Schweblin on my island vacation last week. I found the novel, …

2021-07-19: 45 minutes before it is time to pack up and head home to North Carolina? No worries, mon. 2 min to …

2021-07-18: Last full day on St. Croix has begun with more great weather, stunning views, cooing doves and …

2021-07-15: Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI. Alexander Hamilton walked here.

2021-07-14: Dorsch Beach, St Croix, the water and view as relaxing and beautiful as ever.

2021-07-12: Spider at the sea grape tree, Sprat Hall Beach.

2021-07-12: Back on St. Croix. Island is green, temperature is pleasant, air is hazy with Saharan dust.

2021-07-08:

2021-07-04: Sitting beside my family and 200 others underneath the big shade tree in front of Carrboro Town Hall …

2021-07-03: Second day in a row, another female eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) at our doorstep …

2021-07-02: More rains this morning and, yes, turtles. Usually I find them out in the woods or down the gravel …

2021-06-20: Oliver and his cousin, both 11, are making a movie. They showed a preview just now. It includes a …

2021-06-20: After a nice Father’s Day breakfast inside with the family, now with cup of coffee and this Atlantic …

2021-06-19: Hey @ron look what’s awaiting you!

2021-06-16: I wish I could share with you all the delightful scents of this gardenia bush. Each June we get …

2021-06-14: Processed the sour cherries that I picked on Saturday: 3 quart jars of cherry pie filling, a cup of …

2021-06-13: After a trail run, returned home and with Oliver’s help rerouted the path through our woods to the …

2021-06-12: On orchard hillside the sour cherries picked clean bamboo distraction

2021-06-12: Steve and I left Chapel Hill at 6am and arrived at the Levering Orchard gate at 8. Already a line of …

2021-06-11: Found this box turtle hiding in one of the flower beds behind the back deck. Been a week of …

2021-06-05: Finished the project, then worked up a sweat cleaning out the hen house and used the chicken poop …

2021-06-05: Sent my soon-to-expire passport in for renewal, and I feel uneasy and trapped. But maybe it was …

2021-06-04: This novel belongs at the top of my Favorites and Re-reads page: One Hundred Years of Solitude by …

2021-06-04: Still thinking about how much I enjoyed reading: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel on my …

2021-05-29: Champions League final on the screen here in our room at the Elmar Boutique Hotel in Lauderdale by …

2021-05-27: Juggling multiple work priorities today in preparation for weekend trip with Erin. Heard the alarmed …

2021-05-22: Drove the red Ranger to Pittsboro for a cortado at Aromatic Roasters and garden supplies at Chatham …

2021-05-14: Last day for this visit to St. Croix. In my hammock at our favorite, empty beach. So calm and …

2021-05-13: At Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge; gates are opened for a brief time so locals can go for an …

2021-05-12: Just paged through the 1984 yearbook of The Good Hope School here on St. Croix. I was in the eighth …

2021-05-12: My step-brother Aaron is co-founder of Leatherback Brewing in The US Virgin Islands. He is looking …

2021-05-11: A beautiful sunset over the Caribbean Sea. Now, more than an hour later, the sky that way is glowing …

2021-05-11: Learning about the red-tailed boa on St. Croix, snakes on the loose.

2021-05-11: My first beach read for this week on St. Croix was Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Read it …

2021-05-10: Sprat Hall Beach, west end of St. Croix, U.S.V.I.

2021-05-10: Waking up on St. Croix.

2021-05-07: Went for a walk with the puppy in the woods yesterday, then pulled off another tick last night - …

2021-05-06:

2021-05-06: Got my nose plumbed for SARS-CoV-2 yesterday, and received a negative result by dinner, so I …

2021-05-05: Oliver used some of his birthday cash to buy a Rubik’s cube. He’s already figured out how to solve …

2021-05-02: Weekend activities: Drive to UNC Greensboro to visit Anna. Take a load of junk to the county …

2021-04-27: Camping solo in the back woods tonight. Family walked out to join me around the fire. Now I am …

2021-04-19: Awesome reference! My copy of The Weblog Handbook is always at hand. @terrygrier

2021-04-18: Birthday brunch to celebrate Erin. I made cinnamon rolls and they were a hit. Now we’re in the front …

2021-04-16: The view from my grill. Looks out onto the back acres of our lots and the stack of lumber from when …

2021-04-16: I just feel good. The week at work was nonstop and rewarding. Family gathering in the house is …

2021-04-16: Family visiting for the birthday weekend (Anna and Erin consecutive days) and the request came in …

2021-04-14: I am enjoying the M.b posts about watches. I saved up and recently bought a Tissot, partly foe …

2021-04-09: Showed up for my colonoscopy today and the doctor remembered that a few years ago we had staged a …

2021-04-07: Starting two days of liquid diet in preparation for a colonoscopy, and I’m so glad that I had …

2021-04-04: Out in the hammock.

2021-04-02: So nice to have a day off to unplug from the laptop, the Internet, and the phone (mostly carried as …

2021-04-02: Took the day off to enjoy my birthday. Drove with Oliver to the farm store for supplies, then to …

2021-03-30:

2021-03-28: We sold our Ford Ranger this morning. Then gathered up the rusty barbed wired along the property …

2021-03-27: Early visit to the Carrboro Farmers Market for plants and seedlings (bloodroot, camellia, basil, …

2021-03-24: Got my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine today. As luck would have it a good friend was there at …

2021-03-21: Erin helping Oliver get ready to return to school tomorrow. She retrieved his backpack and …

2021-03-21: Here’s the more established bloodroot that’s at the base of the big white oak tree next to the …

2021-03-21: Twice this weekend I stopped the car to get out and move this box turtle from the gravel driveway.

2021-03-21: The bloodroot I planted last spring out behind the firepit has awakened with the warmer weather.

2021-03-14: Pi Day? Ok, went to my go-to pie, sour cherry with the filling I canned last summer from cherries …

2021-03-14: Catching the sun’s rays on Spring morning.

2021-03-12: A piece of wood out on the back slope, looked like an animal skull when I first spotted it. My …

2021-03-11: One of the early flowers that are poking up around the yard.

2021-03-11: Every one of the 10 hens gave an egg today.

2021-03-06: Tools I have many tools to note what I am noticing and mark what I observe. I have a main blog and a …

2021-03-06: Father-and-son weekend getaway. Here’s Oliver at Wrightsville Beach.

2021-02-27: Spring’s first color.

2021-02-19: I am going to watch every single video by the Marsh Family! Sweet COVID-19 relief. Read here and …

2021-02-14: For 15 years Krankies in Winston-Salem has been our go-to stop for coffee on our trips to and from …

2021-02-14: The cold rain in Charlotte was too much so I retreated to Winston-Salem yesterday, walked the …

2021-02-13: Weekend getaway to unwind and reset,read, write, last night drove to Charlotte. Woke early from a …

2021-02-02: Just finished watching The Dig about Basil Brown, Edith Pretty, and the Sutton Hoo excavation. …

2021-01-13: I retrieved this brown egg and one of the pointy white eggs from the coop this morning. I bet the …

2021-01-09: Lucky day: Went to YouTube to find a review of the Audient EVO 8 audio interface, found this one and …

2021-01-09: Cold morning in Chapel Hill but clear after yesterday‘s rain. I brewed coffee, filled the chickens’ …

2021-01-01: Our family movie night was with the delightful Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

2021-01-01: A pair of great horned owls are out in the woods tonight, female hooting first and male answering, …

2020-12-31: Family sat around the table with back issues of Dwell, talking about what features we want in the …

2020-12-28: Do have a gentle day Richard Gildenmeister died this month at age 88 (obituary here). He was a legendary bookseller in …

2020-12-27: Saddened by the news that my good friend, Richard “Book General” Gildenmeister, died …

2020-12-27: Recipe hunting for the pork belly I bought yesterday from Cane Creek Farm at the Carrboro Farmers …

2020-12-26: Cold, clear day in Chapel Hill. I stopped by the Carrboro Farmers Market, picked up vegetable broth …

2020-12-25: Just talked to my father in Honolulu. He’s still sifting through the many photos & slides …

2020-12-24:

2020-12-23: This red tailed hawk was stuck in the fencing around the chicken yard. While Malia rounded up all 10 …

2020-12-22: Breakfast and coffee at the dining table, looking south, noticing the sun slanting through the woods …

2020-12-21: Warm tamales just delivered from another neighbor.

2020-12-21: So lucky to have a neighbor who is a hobby astronomer with good telescopes. He set up on the hill …

2020-11-24: Turkey necks and wings have been roasted, and now are nestled in a pot of water for a 12-hour simmer …

2020-11-24: Internet restored after two days (since wire cut in construction mishap). Was very difficult to work …

2020-11-19: In week two of a new job so not a lot of time to be online. Last night discovered the show Ted …

2020-11-07: Car Horns Carrboro, North Carolina is celebrating the Biden/Harris win!

2020-11-07: Carrboro, North Carolina is celebrating.

2020-11-07: Stepped outside to blow the bubu shell (triton shell from South Pacific) to celebrate win by Joseph …

2020-11-03: Watched a crew building a new shed next to our house, found it astonishing how meticulous and …

2020-11-01: I have had an active summer with lots of running and I was feeling quite healthy. But I woke on this …

2020-10-27:

2020-10-18: Colors, seen on my way through Carrboro today.

2020-10-18: My mouth is on fire! Made a batch of hot sauce this morning (jalapeño, habanero, Thai, ají, serrano …

2020-10-17: I have voted! I am thankful for democracy.

2020-10-17: Saturday morning. Drove Ranger to get load of wood chips. Cleaned chicken coop. Watched a bit of …

2020-10-16: The Coconut Wireless: Hard floors A microcast for a rainy Friday morning from my desk in the center of the house.

2020-10-15: Stepping out of house for run to the coffee shop. Acorns are falling from the many oak trees, …

2020-10-13: Chapel Hill, North Carolina (U.S.A.) at 1:40 p.m., 75°F. The swing is waiting for you. …

2020-10-13: Went for a morning run along Chapel Hill’s University Lake. Mist over the water as a rower glided …

2020-10-12:

2020-10-11: Steady rains in Chapel Hill today, but I went out for an afternoon run nonetheless and had a good …

2020-10-10: “To be kind to others. To stand up, stand tall, and stand for something good.” Last few months have …

2020-10-09: Monarchs visiting the flower garden.

2020-09-28: The Coconut Wireless microcast for Sept. 28, 2020 Notes: Podcast episode I mention: The …

2020-09-27: Sitting at the kitchen island, updating my LinkedIn profile, watching EPL ⚽️, waiting for the county …

2020-09-25: Oliver has us watching the new Dynamite K-pop video on Fortnite. Bouncy music goes well with the …

2020-09-25: Fall flower.

2020-09-16: Satisfaction is sitting on the deck after a good run, drinking cold well water, looking over the …

2020-09-15: Last week, after an oil change and a haul of gravel, the Ford Ranger sputtered and wouldn’t move. …

2020-09-15: I was looking for another mango beer and saw this local brew made with guanabana (we called it …

2020-09-09: Wearing cowboy boots and blue fedora. Listening to latest album from The Killers. Wishing my father …

2020-09-06: Cherry pie

2020-09-06: Hedychium coronarium

2020-09-03: We are at the first outdoor movie night in the Shine On Black Stories series at Chapel Hill’s Lumina …

2020-09-01: I’ve been using M.B since the beginning, but I’m still perplexed when I see one of my …

2020-09-01: The Coconut Wireless: Two turtles For many years, I thought of my blog (archived at mistersugar.com; I blog now at zuiker.com) as the …

2020-08-30: The hot sauce, finished. Tastes sweet on the tip of the tongue and then a burst of heat at the back. …

2020-08-30: Making the hot sauce outside on the gas grill. Have discovered it’s best not to do this in the …

2020-08-29: Oliver and I went for a drive in the pickup to the county recycling center to drop off garbage and …

2020-08-29: Two weeks ago, I bought habanero chiles at the Carrboro Farmers Market. Last week I bought habanada, …

2020-08-26: Out walking the land with the puppy, came across this turtle.

2020-08-12: The young great horned owl stopped its squawking out in the woods last week, but just now it …

2020-08-09: Have had little alcohol last two months, but today just felt right to make a rye cocktail with the …

2020-08-09: I was outside with puppy and chickens. Come inside to reports that house had just shaken. I missed …

2020-08-08: The view changed! Closest rainbow I’ve ever seen.

2020-08-08: The view from the back porch, to the garden and chicken coop, as rain pours down.

2020-08-08: Starting to read this now, and am expecting to have my view of history and current society expanded. …

2020-08-08: The Aug. 3 & 10, 2020 issue of the New Yorker is filled with good reading, including pieces on …

2020-08-07: We’re taking a #daytrip with Indiana Jones and the Lumina Theater, pod D1 on the Southern Village …

2020-08-07: Our local independently owned bookstore puts a bookmark in each book.

2020-08-07: A day or two behind, but here is a #bisect image.

2020-08-05: Mind the flow, please.

2020-08-05: There was an old blackjack oak next to our house when we bought it. It dropped big leaves and small …

2020-08-02: Every photo I posted to MB before was square but with that bball photo I discovered I can post the …

2020-08-02: Always wished I could float like MJ. #mbaug

2020-08-01: Ginger is blooming. This rhizome is watered by the air condition condensation drain pipe so moist …

2020-08-01: Lemon drop and cayenne chiles from the garden. Thai (they grow #up), habanero, and serrano still to …

2020-08-01: Dined out for first time in 5 months, patio at Hawthorne & Wood in Chapel Hill. Main was …

2020-07-30: I’m feeling dejected today, but listening to President Barack Obama give the eulogy for Rep. …

2020-07-29: We watched three seasons of Broadchurch in just a few weeks. Dark story lines but exceptional acting …

2020-07-29: Planning a refresh of the Zuiker Chronicles and thinking I’d bring back the original logo, a …

2020-07-29: After A Storm Once the afternoon thunderstorm passed over us, I walked out in the woods and encountered the …

2020-07-28: Looked up from desk today to see a pileated woodpecker in silhouette pecking at silver elm. Later, …

2020-07-26: Sitting on the back deck as evening comes. Talked with one of my brothers in Austin. Listening now …

2020-07-26: My dad’s been in the U.S. Virgin Islands since January, worried about hurricane season in the …

2020-07-26: Reading Our remote work future is going to suck and all these feelings and frustrations that have …

2020-07-22: Stepped away from the desk, out into the warm day, checked the garden, picked tomatoes and lemon …

2020-07-20: Family watching the end of The Greatest Showman, one of our favorite movies. Before I die, I want to …

2020-07-18: Haven’t seen my mother since January so this morning we each drove 1.5 hours and met in Smithfield, …

2020-07-18: Department of Being Stupid: Needed a run, thought I could beat the rain, laced up the shoes and …

2020-07-15: Home alone, and this house is quiet, still, calm. But this serenity won’t last long. The …

2020-07-12: Pleasant Evening with Birdsong I am enjoying the peace of the front patio and the birds in the tress above.

2020-07-12: Sunday morning, buttermilk biscuits in the oven, sorting out our banking - bank-merger regulations …

2020-07-11: Two friends came over this morning to help me make a trail in the woods. We completed about 60 …

2020-07-11: Honey bee on the flowering allium.

2020-07-01: Box turtle near the carport.

2020-06-28: On our last day at the beach, we did our usual family jump photo. Had a great time at the Outer …

2020-06-18: Been an intense week preparing for tomorrow’s annual presentation by the chair of the Duke …

2020-06-16: I was disappointed I couldn’t make my annual pilgimage to Galax, Virginia to pick sour cherries at …

2020-06-15: Almost to my anniversary as a blogger, I came to a realization that for as much as I’ve …

2020-06-07: On the front patio with coffee, researching how to deal with a brooding hen, listening to the wind …

2020-05-31: There’s a juvenile great horned owl out in the woods tonight begging for food with its …

2020-05-30: Out for an afternoon drive to see a house being built by a contractor we might engage on our next …

2020-05-30: Green dragon in the flower garden this week after rain.

2020-05-25: Family walk down gravel road. Encountered dead copperhead snake.

2020-05-24: Family movie night was Hugo. Great cast, sweet story, homage to early cinema.

2020-05-24: On the back porch with the NYTimes, McCann’s Apeirogon, coffee. A mourning dove cooing behind me, …

2020-05-23: Day’s End and Evening Birdsong After dinner, I walked out to the back woods to listen to the birds as they prepared for the night.

2020-05-21: Yes, The English Game made me cry. I am proud to be a lifelong football player and fan.

2020-05-17: It’s that time of year that I start calling the Levering Orchard hotline to find out when …

2020-05-16: I’ve had this Peace Corps patch for 20 years. It fits perfectly in the new Field Notes Vignette …

2020-05-16: Feels like I may be halfway through this work-from-home experience, so I’ve moved my desk back …

2020-05-16: New post with iA Writer Saturday. Slept in. Went to Carrboro Farmers Market, returned home to put plants into …

2020-05-13: Cherries are ripening on the old tree in the front yard. Blue jays and red-headed woodpecker have …

2020-05-12: Pull tab.

2020-05-03: Just out of the oven. #dutchovenbread per Michael Ruhlman recipe.

2020-05-03: Cleaned chicken coop. We’re down to 5 hens. Had to kill one yesterday after neighbor dogs attacked. …

2020-05-03: Hot sunny day in Chapel Hill. Out in the garden and yard planting and tending. Fragrant, ripe meyer …

2020-05-01: Thank you Jason Kottke for posting link to this amazing mashup of songs from 1984. I was 14 that …

2020-04-30: Microcast from my home studio, i.e., a desk at the foot of the bed where I’ve been working for …

2020-04-25: Spent the afternoon in the woods clearing a trail to our campsite. Now just boiling water on the …

2020-04-20: To mark the arrival of the Mark One Apollo Edition pen, a Kickstarter from Studio Neat, I made an …

2020-04-20: Elephants in Cleveland Wildlife photographer Peter Beard has “died where he lived: in nature.” The NYTimes has …

2020-04-17: Just lost another hen to a hawk. It was the buffed lace Polish that looks cool but can’t see well. …

2020-04-15: A cooler morning still wet from rain in the night. I went for a run on a nearby trail. Now settled …

2020-04-14: Was on a few Zoom meetings for work today, now in Google hangouts for cocktail mixology with Chapel …

2020-04-12: All five of us gathered in the kitchen to make brunch - crepes with mushrooms and goat cheese or …

2020-04-10: Needed a break from the laptop so I came outside to sit on a log, read the New Yorker, boil water on …

2020-04-08: Erin and Malia stopped by the farm store and now we have four chicks chirping in the living room. …

2020-04-05: Major cyclone Harold hitting Vanuatu right now, will be going across some of the bigger islands and …

2020-04-04: Delighted to discover the Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot) I planted at trhe base of the big white …

2020-04-04: Determined to make a grape trellis for a muscadine vine I bought last year. Will use cedar from our …

2020-04-02: New blog post to mark this special day that’s turned out very differently than I had planned - …

2020-04-02: Oliver giving me a report about the various buildings represented in the LEGO Architecture series …

2020-04-02: I’m reading Apeirogon by Colum McCann, intense story that, combined with the pandemic chaos, …

2020-04-02: Sitting at the dining table, looking out the windows at the flowering dogwood dwarfed by the …

2020-04-02: Hoping to learn why MarsEdit (awesome app) is giving me ‘Unexpected response code 500’ but log …

2020-04-02: I’m taking the day off to run, blog, bake, read and eat cake; family are in their respective …

2020-03-20: Roselle wasting no time, springing to life, reaching for sunlight and garden freedom.

2020-03-20: Working from home, desk at foot of bed, door to back deck open, mourning dove cooing and coffee …

2020-03-14: Playing ‘Name that tune’ and making s’mores around the firepit, an evening of normal amidst these …

2020-03-04: Snapshots in Idaho Wednesday Tuesday Monday Sunday

2020-03-01: I am in Boise, Idaho 37 years after I left with my family (for the US Virgin Islands). Good to be …

2020-02-27: Yesterday I stopped by the local book store on my way home from work, walked out with a copy of …

2020-02-27: We lost a hen yesterday to a red-tailed hawk.

2020-02-20: Snow falling in Chapel Hill, so I went for a run as I do on such wintry evenings here. So solitary …

2020-02-20: Blossoms on the peach tree. Snow storm expected this afternoon.

2020-02-16: Vanilla beans have been resting for nearly six months in a mix of vodka and rum. Today was good day …

2020-02-14: Warmth from a shot of homemade visinata, this bottle made with Cruzan rum and sour cherries I picked …

2020-02-08: Cold day. Hot fire. #contrast

2020-02-07: In 2020, I will have been in my job at the Duke Department of Medicine for 10 years, I will have …

2020-02-07: Big rains and high winds bringing the snakes to high ground. Shot this from #above as I drove up the …

2020-02-05: The hens are out, scratching and pecking. My omelet this morning was simple and good from fresh …

2020-02-02: A walk in the woods, a sight through the trees.

2019-12-31: Cocktails last night at Cleveland’s Velvet Tango Room, with Erin, her sisters, and husbands while …

2019-12-29: My brother-in-law convinced me to create an account with Untappd beer app to track the microbrews I …

2019-12-29: Family day in Cleveland’s University Circle and Little Italy. Walked through this Philip Johnson …

2019-12-21: Saturday Morning in December Emptied the truck at the dump, stopped for coffee and reading (Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson), got …

2019-12-03: Erin found a single blue egg in the chicken coop this morning, the first from our eight hens.

2019-11-24: Just read this Washington Post article that suggests culling the cords that collect at home. …

2019-11-22: Picking up a growler of Damascus Steel Stout from Craftboro Brewing Depot.

2019-11-22: Stopped by Cliff’s Meat Market in Carrboro to get turkey necks, which are roasting in the oven …

2019-11-22: I don’t spend as much time on the MB Discover tab as I should. There must be a way to look for …

2019-11-17: Worked in the shed, up on the roof, and in the chicken coop. Now enjoying a fire.

2019-11-17: I am once again a member of the North Carolina Peace Corps Association. (I served in the Republic of …

2019-11-16: Cold, windy day here in Chapel Hill. I started the morning cleaning out the garden boxes, feeding …

2019-11-16: Happy for my younger brother, who purchased his first home yesterday, in Austin. I’d like to …

2019-11-14: Deval Patrick is running for president. Makes me think back to how I serendipitously wandered into …

2019-11-11: Updated mistersugar.com for first time since 2015, to point to my current (and original) blog at …

2019-11-11: More live music last night, this time the New Pornographers at Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, NC.

2019-11-09: Went to Cat’s Cradle with my daughter last night for The Dip, fun band from Seattle.

2019-11-07: Is there a trick to taking an Overcast-generated podcast clip share and embedding it into my blog …

2019-11-07: Shed my week’s allotment of tears courtesy of the latest episode of This Is Us. (Had to reach …

2019-11-06: My latest blog post is about the communications strategic plan I’m writing at work, and …

2019-11-06: Thankful for the excellent Textile reference site. What’s Textile? It’s a markup language …

2019-11-02: The Hedychium ‘Daniel Weeks’ ginger lily purchased from Plant Delights Nursery and planted in front …

2019-11-02: Dinner party tonight with super cool friends, so I reached into the pantry for a jar of the cherry …

2019-10-19: Hiking With My Brother, Joel On the Little Mountain Falls Trail in Fairy Stone State Park, Virginia.

2019-09-14: The goldenrod along our gravel lane makes me slow the drive up to the house and savor the moment.

2019-09-14: Early to the Carrboro Farmers Market, coming away with 20 pounds of tomatoes for canning and 20 …

2019-09-12: Stayed home today to attend to some family needs. Went for a short run, then a walk in our woods. …

2019-09-08: At the Carrboro Farmers Market yesterday, I bought scuppernong grapes, yellow tomatoes, roselle …

2019-09-08: A Nobel-Winning Economist Goes to Burning Man A Nobel-Winning Economist Goes to Burning Man: At Levi’s bar, we were given cups of something cold …

2019-09-07: Erin will soon be home from the county animal shelter, where she’s exchanging the rooster for …

2019-09-02: Our backyard chickens includes a buff laced Polish that developed into a rooster. We’d prefer not to …

2019-09-02: Spent the night at River and Twine tiny house hotel in Rocky Mount, NC and sampled brews at the …

2019-08-31: The Shape of Everything: What to Do When You See Something Sketchy at the Climbing Gym - another …

2019-08-30: Getting to know NetNewsWire, testing the Share button: Julia Evans: Get your work recognized: write …

2019-08-29: Time to get serious about blogging again, so I’m making sure MarsEdit is configured on all of …

2019-08-25: Making a batch of hot sauce, per recipe by Cathy Barrow. Last few years did this inside and family …

2019-08-12: Been silent, focused on family. We took our eldest child to college today, happy to see her grown …

2019-08-04: I am sitting solo on the patio of Walking Man Brewing in Stevenson, Washington enjoying good beer, …

2019-08-01: Finding shelter from the winds.

2019-07-28: Sunday morning relaxation with cherry hand pies and the paper. Sat and talked with Erin about the …

2019-07-27: Odd, posted a note but it’s gone and lost. Anyway, I noticed Micro.bog MacOs app now gives …

2019-07-27: Just seeing that the Micro.blog app on MacOs now gives me the option a post’s page in a browser. …

2019-07-27: Went to a friend’s birthday party, and met his father, who had served in U.S. State …

2019-07-21: Where to dine in Portland, Oregon on a Tuesday evening in August? Recommendations appreciated. …

2019-07-19: Here’s a photo I want to use on my About page, and I think the way I do that is to upload it …

2019-07-07: The tree I thought was a cherry, then a plum, turns out to be a peach. 10 gorgeous orbs ripening …

2019-07-06: A very pleasant evening in Saxapahaw, NC for live music (West African kora!) under the trees and …

2019-07-03: We are committed to joining Rev. Barber in Washington on June 20, 2020 for the Mass Poor …

2019-07-03: My daughter made chocolate chip cookies. I poured a stout. Erin began to stream Rev. William J. …

2019-07-01: Birdsong On Summer Eve Just before heading out to dinner, I sat and listened.

2019-07-01: Am out for dinner. I recorded a short microcast with Ferrite on my phone. How do I get this to my …

2019-06-24: Inside Cleveland’s Veteran’s Memorial Bridge on Saturday’s open walk, part of Cuyahoga50 …

2019-06-21: It’s gorgeous weekend weather in Cleveland for the summer solstice, father-in-law’s 80th …

2019-06-20: As we remake our land, we keep uncovering piles discarded junk. Here is a collection of soda …

2019-06-13: While my daughter hosted a party for 20 classmates to celebrate final day of freshman year, I worked …

2019-06-12: I was bummed last year to miss cherry picking at Levering Orchard - the one-day window for sour …

2019-06-01: Fun time at Durham’s Beer Study for the Champions League final. Disappointing game but great energy …

2019-05-31: Late afternoon thunderstorms are drenching Chapel Hill, and the box turtles are on the move. Found …

2019-05-24: After a great week at work, I took a drive into the country with my daughter. First stop was Maple …

2019-05-22: Not your usual job title When I was younger, I wanted to be a magazine editor (National Geographic, New Yorker). I didn't set …

2019-05-17: Delighted that my friend Russ @RCC3NC is now using Micro.blog. His first ‘memory etching’ is up.

2019-05-17: We received our new Kammok Mantis all-in-one hammock tent. Oliver and I will probably camp out back …

2019-05-10: I changed name of my micro.blog to Wan Smol Blog, homage to Wan Smolbag Theatre Company in Vanuatu. …

2019-05-10: Enjoyed a great show by Son Volt at Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, NC, last night.

2019-05-08: And these! Picking tomorrow morning. To become cocktail cherries for the old fashioneds to be …

2019-05-08: I wish I could share the delicious frangrance of the North Carolina honesuckle with y’all.

2019-05-08: This little raccoon was in this spot under the big oak tree four days ago, alone. I moved it into a …

2019-05-04: Beauty in the backyard.

2019-05-02: Oliver interviewed me for his third-grade music report. We covered Doudou N’Diaye Rose, barbershop …

2019-05-01: As we make our property bird, bee, and butterfly friendly, the carpenter bees are methodically …

2019-04-30: Walking up the path from the bus stop, I overturned a rock and saw this earth snake.

2019-04-29: Oliver is 9 today and requested ‘burn your lips chicken,’ the family name for the Chicken with …

2019-04-28: Why can’t we have chilli tuna in the U.S.A.? Such a luxury after a long day in the yard and garden. …

2019-04-24: Reviewing details about my town, Chapel Hill, NC. Found a map of the urban service area. Wondering …

2019-04-20: The blackjack oak on the mill made for some beautiful slabs.

2019-04-20: Yesterday’s big storm just missed us. Sawyer Randall is running late today for our milling project - …

2019-04-19: Zuiker Family is camped out in the hallway as our area is under a tornado warning. House is still, …

2019-04-19: We successfully pulled off a surprise birthday party for my wife, Erin. Friends and family had a …

2019-04-18: Pulled into a space on top level of parking deck at Duke and the shiny exhaust tubes on the medical …

2019-04-15: Scripting News: Instant tech bootcamps for journalism A really good idea from Dave Winer:Instant tech bootcamps for journalism: When journalism discovers …

2019-04-11: I’m late to the game, no doubt, but am glad to have just learned about Snickelcasts from …

2019-04-11: Photo from Frederiksted, iguana climbing palm tree.

2019-04-11: That bloodroot I planted next to the big oak tree has been doing well. It’s sheltered by the …

2019-04-11: Spring snake season in North Carolina. Workers found a couple under the shed this morning. Will be …

2019-04-03: Old house noises don’t scare me. They just worry me. What’s about to break? How much is …

2019-03-30: Sitting with my father at Leatherback Brewing Company first anniversary party. He’s having a passion …

2019-03-30: What makes a great flight? Arriving in Miami, exiting plane at gate directly across from La Carreta …

2019-03-21: We’ve posted the 15th and final episode of the pilot season of Voices of Duke Health. This one …

2019-03-19: For last few months, I’ve been using iA Writer and MarsEdit for most of my drafting of work notes …

2019-03-17: Texture and Color Clear, cool morning in Chapel Hill. Took a walk on our land to listen to the birds and look around.

2019-03-07: The pilot phase of our Voices of Duke Health listening booth and podcast is nearing its end. We …

2019-03-07: Today’s blog post is inspired by @Ron and @garciabuxton - zuiker.com/to-give-a…

2019-03-07: I’ve used Textile for 15 years, which is why I cannot get Markdown code right. :)

2019-02-01: My MacBook Pro laptop keyboard B doesn’t always work.

2019-01-31: Jeff Tweedy’s memoir, Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back) is so good. I listened to the …

2019-01-19: With my daughters in Chicago.

2019-01-13: Lukim yu, Mungau I was astonished, and saddened, to see an obituary for Mungau Dain in today’s NYTimes. He was …

2019-01-13: Taking my teen daughters to Chicago next weekend. I see the Chicago International Puppet Theater …

2019-01-12: And the precipitation wastes no time - starts as mini hail.

2019-01-07: Time (again) to look for a reliable web host that doesn’t force me to use Cpanel and …

2019-01-04: Family movie night is one we haven’t seen in years, and it’s bringing tears to our eyes …

2019-01-02: More genealogy tonight, tracking through my Radio3 linklog.

2018-12-30: My new blog post gives an update on my nearly complete decade of narrative (aka my 40s). Thankfully, …

2018-12-30: Planning a family trip to Ireland. Will gladly take suggestions for lodging & activities, in …

2018-12-26: A Christmas cold for me, so it’s a cup of coffee, a box of tissues, and Boxing Day football …

2018-12-19: Clarification: I’m getting rid of most, if not all, of my social media accounts, but planning …

2018-12-19: Just deleted my inactive Instagram account. Flickr next to go. I ditched Facebook 5 years ago. …

2018-12-09: Snowstorm in North Carolina. Oliver and I went out for a few minutes.

2018-11-30: I like Friday mornings at Duke University Hospital. We get Medicine Grand Rounds started, then I sit …

2018-11-22: Cherry pie ready for the Thanksgiving table. Turkey is in the oven.

2018-11-15: Just arrived from the Netherlands (via Etsy), a beauty of a typing machine, Olympia SM2 1952. On my …

2018-11-13: Can’t put up with this any longer: I hate the keyboard on my MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017).

2018-11-10: Real Friends at Cat’s Cradle, 11.09.2018 (Boston Manor opened and was quite good).

2018-11-10: My brother and sister-in-law are visiting from Austin (the ‘live music capital of the world’). …

2018-11-07: My trip to Austin gave me flight-time to finally write a long post about our homecoming to Vanuatu …

2018-11-03: I am in Austin for AAMC (medical schools) annual meeting, and we are hearing from Dallas Street …

2018-09-17: Heaviest rains yet from Florence, this morning in Chapel Hill. The deluge reminded me of the rains …

2018-09-09: Another big rain, another box turtle on the move, this one in my path as i walked to retrieve the …

2018-09-03: I was out walking woods again, checking on the fire ring we cleared Saturday and almost stepping on …

2018-09-02: Discovered cool photo features of my new iPhone 8 Plus: profile mode with lighting options. Used it …

2018-08-28: Sounds of the South Pacific We’ve been back from our epic South Pacific trip for nearly two months, and only now am I …

2018-07-30: Another big rain, another creature crawling across the yard. This an Eastern box turtle.

2018-07-19: During our trip to Vanuatu, I was happy to see World Cup fever, with many people flying the flag of …

2018-07-19: One photo from our evening atop Yasur volcano on Tanna Island in the Republic of Vanuatu. If things …

2018-07-09: Home again. Our grand family adventure in Vanuatu is complete.

2018-07-06: Final day of our South Pacific adventure. We’re in Sydney, headed to the Glebe Markets, a dance …

2018-06-27: Vanuatu, here we come!

2018-06-19: Box turtle near car wheel.

2018-06-13: Beside myself with anxiety, stress, excitement, exhaustion: moved into our newly renovated old …

2018-05-21: The box turtles are on the move today across the Triangle. Found this one in my neighborhood, and …

2018-05-11: Was worried about that turtle and the ant, but should have been focused on what might be clamped on …

2018-05-11: Walked the land at my new house and came upon a box turtle with a black ant clamped to its eyelid. …

2018-04-13: Threatened: A Green-Haired Turtle That Can Breathe Through Its Genitals - The New York Times: Take …

2018-03-22: Morning walk in the rain to see the Pacific, Seattle waterfront. In 3 months will be across the …

2017-11-21: Making plans for a family trip to the Republic of Vanuatu - where Erin and I️ served as U.S. Peace …