Three Things We’re Diggin’
A.J. - The Bill Simmons Podcast
It’s mid-May which means the NBA playoffs are in full swing and because my team, the Boston Celtics, is still competing for a championship, that means my mood is often dictated by each win or loss. When I was a young sports fan growing up in Massachusetts, the act of listening to Boston sports radio in the car was a ritual, a way to gloat in victory and also release my frustration after a tough loss. But now it’s been 15 years since I lived in MA and I don’t have a car so I have to look elsewhere for my sports radio fix. Thankfully the Bill Simmons Podcast is there for me every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. And even though the show’s host is a Boston homer, he has lived in Los Angeles for the past two decades. This perspective (plus his array of guests) gives the show a wide-angle approach to the American sports scene and, more importantly, chills me out when a bad Boston sports loss tears out my heart and sets it afire.
Ashleigh - Taylor Swift
I’m in the midst of TAYLOR SWIFT MANIA. She is in Foxborough, MA for 3 shows this weekend and I will be there for the opening night and it’s been all I’ve been able to think about. I’m just so excited. It’s her ERAs tour and I have been with her through all of her eras. I remember when she was an awkward lanky young girl, with curly hair, cowboy boots, cute dresses and a guitar, opening for country bands and singing about Tim McGraw. That was in 2006, the year I graduated from high school. She followed that up with Fearless, and I can’t tell you the amount of hours my sorority sisters and I spent dancing and singing to Taylor Swift while we got ready, while we cried over boys, while we had a girls night. Love Story, Fifteen, Hey Stephen, Breathe, You Belong With Me… this album is hit after hit, memory after memory for me. If I think about it for too long I actually get emotional, it’s that ingrained in me. Speak Now was I think the first time I saw Taylor headline her own tour at Foxborough. And boy, was it fun. As she does so well through her music, she created her own world on stage and my girlfriends and I never wanted to leave it. We were “Enchanted” if you will and I believe we vowed to go to every Taylor concert, “forever and always” (sorry had to do it).
Red came out in 2012 and that checks out - I was just getting my footing in the working world so this album holds the least amount of memories for me, because I don’t know about you, but I was feeling 22. There are some really beautiful songs on this album though - I love her collaborations on it - Everything Has Changed with Ed Sheeran and The Last Time with Gary Lightbody. Oh baby, then we got 1989 and I will never ever forget the opening of that concert. It’s the first time I saw the whole stadium light up in unison with the wrist bands we all got on the way in. What an exciting, fun, lovely ride that show was. Woooie, THEN we entered Taylor’s “darker” era with Reputation. She was mad, she chanted a lot (big reputation, big reputation) and like always, I ate it all up. Another exciting show, complete with a big ol’ snake and me singing and dancing the entire time. I had a very young baby at the time of this concert, but it didn’t matter, I figured it out and was so happy I did. We did have tickets to Loverfest but, because of COVID it was canceled, so instead I just listened to that album over and over. It’s a real mish mash of themes and topics but it’s a fun one. Folklore and evermore got me through the pandemic. I won’t even attempt to talk about them or tell you how many times I’ve listened to those songs, because it’s actually embarrassing. And I was so surprised to have the gift of Midnights - was not expecting another album so quickly! It’s another ride Taylor takes us on and brings us into her wild imagination. It’s been fun to see her direct her own videos and embrace her quirky, wonderful, creative, colorful style. She is a lesson in believing for yourself, fighting for yourself and never giving up. I believe I saw she’s working on a screenplay that she will (I’m guessing) direct, and honestly, I’m here for it. Taylor has opened up her notebook and her heart and created her own worlds that I love visiting. I’m definitely in my “Taylor” era (I seriously can’t pick just one), and can’t wait for the show - I know it will be a memorable experience I’ll be thinking about for years to come.
Bubba - Olympic National Park
This week, my wife and I have been working out of an AirBnB in Port Angeles, just two minutes away from the Olympic National Park Visitor Center. We can see the snow-capped peak of Mt. Olympus from the back porch. A few short miles in the opposite direction is the Salish Sea. Here’s how the NPS introduces the park on its website: “With its incredible range of precipitation and elevation, diversity is the hallmark of Olympic National Park. Encompassing nearly a million acres, the park protects a vast wilderness, thousands of years of human history, and several distinctly different ecosystems, including glacier-capped mountains, old-growth temperate rain forests, and over 70 miles of wild coastline.” Meaning: You’re not gonna get bored visiting this place.
After signing off each night, we’ve been finding dog-friendly trails to walk our little Boston Terrier, Louie. So far, we’ve visited a couple waterfalls, pristine lakes, dense old-growth forests, and something called the Devil’s Punchbowl. We hiked along the shore to a secluded spot called Eagles Cove last night just before sunset and saw three Bald Eagles glide less than 50 feet over our heads. (I saw this, instantly hoisted Louie up into my arms and began running in the opposite direction, thinking these majestic birds were looking for a tasty snack.) Later today, we’ll visit the Hoh Rainforest and Ruby Beach before making it to our reserved campsite on the shore of Wynoochee Lake.
Trips like this remind me of how big and beautiful the natural world is, and the huge responsibility we have to protect it. Get out there, people. And do your best to ensure that future generations can have their Boston Terriers hunted by an aerie of Eagles.
