I don’t know if it’s because it’s already been an awesome year for music, or because I’m consciously seeking it out, but I’m starting to enjoy the release of new music like I used to. Today I’m excited to hear Spoon’s Lucifer on the Sofa (listening to it as I type these words), and Big Thief’s Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You.[1]

The peak of this was probably in the early to mid 2000’s, when I’d read a review on Pitchfork and then head over to Soulseek[2] my local record store to acquire the music. I listened to less music, but was more intentional about it, at least in my memory.

And so I’ve been trying to be more intentional this calendar year with music (we’ll add this to my other resolution: eat more Taco Bell), and really only listen to one or two new records a week. Maybe three if I find something I get really jazzed about.

This, so far, is working. For the last few years, I’d have 6-8 records and hundreds of songs in a playlist I was slowly trying to work my way through, and it became a sort of job. I’ve been keeping that playlist much smaller this year (currently: 3 records, 40 songs). I think this means I see and hear the songs in a different, more specific way, and just generally enjoy them more.

My long list of songs I like from the year will get updated here: Best of 2022

Gratitude: wood-burning fireplace, back pain almost gone, kind strangers, old friends, wife’s support and patience, collaboration with teammates, good sleep (when it happens)

Delights[3]: Having a fire on a cold and rainy winter day, the smell of coffee that permeates my sleep, then being woken up by Rosie licking my face (but also unfortunately biting the septum of my nose), sleeping in on a weekday, realizing I still have coffee left in the mug, reading with coffee, getting in the car after standing outside for a while and feeling it heat up my whole body starting with my feet, the moment in the evening when you think it’s later than it actually is, a good stretch

Media Intake:

• Reading: The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge, Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
• Listening to: I liked Animal Collective’s Time Skiffs and Mitski’s Laurel Hell, but the album that’s really had my attention is Ants From Up There by Black Country, New Road (check out Chaos Space Marine).
• Watching: Mythic Quest, Righteous Gemstones, Euphoria, Abbott Elementary

Day	Sleep	Meditate	Exercise	Presence & Listening Reflections
Monday	8 hours	2/2	40 mins yoga	Overall a pretty good day with the exception of one thing: a period where I was snacking kind of mindlessly before dinner and ate too many snacks and got full before dinner.
Tuesday	8 hours	2/2	30 mins yoga	Today felt busy—lots of small tasks to be taken care of. I don’t know that deep presence is required or easy to find on days like today.
Wednesday	9 hours	1/2	25 mins x-train	Hmm…? Forgot to write, which usually means…
Thursday	8 hours	2/2	25 mins yoga	Went to the stupid dentist and have a stupid cavity. Makes me feel like I’ve 10 years old again, in the bad way. Also woke up just feeling kind of sad and hopeless, which happens from time to time. Meditation and music help, but it’s not really something, for me, that you do something to get out of. It tends to just pass over time. It makes everything 10x harder though.
Friday	7.5 hours	1/2 (as I type)	Going for a long walk later	We’ll see, it’s early as I type this. But I feel a lot better today, so that’s a start.

---

[1] This is a long title for a long record, 20 songs, 80 minutes. Damn!

[2] Or Soulseek NS, for the old heads.

[3] I stole the distinction between gratitude and delights from someone I coach. Delights are, in her words, smaller and often more material things.