A New Writing Implement

It’s an odd experience drafting a blog post on paper, but here we are. ...

October 31, 2022 · 4 min · 814 words · Mark Richard

A Potential Change to This Blog

Whenever I think about this blog, I feel slightly disappointed in myself. My internal impression is that many of the posts are written at the last minute about nothing with any lasting interest. Most frustratingly, I want this blog to be a tool to improve my writing and communication, yet I’m not convinced I’ve set up a framework that lends itself to that goal. I began to think about a change. ...

October 24, 2022 · 3 min · 462 words · Mark Richard

My Disc Golf Bag

I’ve been playing disc golf for nearly a year and a half.1 It’s an incredibly fun activity that I play mostly by myself in California, and love meeting up with friends to play while back in Minnesota. It’s relatively cheap to get into, lets me explore fun bits of nature, I get to directly compete against myself, and have a clear way of seeing whether I’m improving. My set of discs has mostly stabilized (with the exception of losing a disc here or there), so I thought it would be good to talk through each disc and why I like to use them. ...

October 17, 2022 · 8 min · 1518 words · Mark Richard

When the Moon Hits Your Eye

Driving south offered the perfect view of the evening sky. I first noticed the red-orange moon rising to my left, hovering just above the Wyoming plains in the distance. It looked unreal, as if someone had set it there for me to reach out and grab. Somehow the moon looked to be angled ever so slightly, as if it were a flat circle that had rotated just a little to make it clear that it had no depth. ...

October 12, 2022 · 2 min · 220 words · Mark Richard

Permission to Relax

Immediately after coming back from my honeymoon this weekend, I came down with a bad cold. (COVID test was negative, so just your regular funk.) I’m trying to be better at balancing pushing myself to hold to expectations I set regarding my various hobbies and side projects, and giving myself the leeway to relax and take care of myself. Last night, Grant and I recorded a shorter episode of Comical Start without any comics, and I barely did any editing. And for this week, I’m writing this post as a stopgap. ...

October 4, 2022 · 1 min · 113 words · Mark Richard

A Hurricane?

Just a quick note, since I’m on my honeymoon: There’s a hurricane on its way through Florida. That’s not something we expected to deal with during our time here, but I think we’re in a reasonably safe spot. It messes with a few of our plans, but we’ll certainly be together for whatever happens.

September 27, 2022 · 1 min · 54 words · Mark Richard

Thoughts From the Aftermath

Erin and I got married on Saturday, September 17. It’s been a few days, and we haven’t yet gotten used to calling each other husband and wife. They still sound like overly adult terms. It’s a funny feeling. There’s so much building up to just a few moments in a day when you move from engaged to married. Then everything is over, you enjoy a party with friends and family, then that is over too. You’re left with a scattershot of memories from a whirlwind of an evening, and a lifelong partner. It’s a lot to take in. ...

September 20, 2022 · 1 min · 145 words · Mark Richard

The Wedding Approaches

I’m writing this over the course of several days before Erin and I get married. I’ll note when these thoughts were written down. ...

September 12, 2022 · 2 min · 413 words · Mark Richard

Back to The MN State Fair

I haven’t been to the Minnesota State Fair since 2017, just prior to my senior year of college. Since then, my travels home haven’t aligned with the event, so I’ve missed out on the fun and festivities I was lucky enough to enjoy for so many years. Finally, with Erin and I being back for our wedding, we were able to return. We only spent about 4.5 hours there, but we enjoyed an abbreviated version of the fair trips we looked forward to each year of college. It was genuinely exciting to go back, to have the familiarity of the sights and sounds and smells, and spent quality time together in the unique atmosphere the fair provides. ...

September 6, 2022 · 1 min · 152 words · Mark Richard

Buncha Crunch Revival

In sixth grade my mom took me to our local Hollywood Video so I could rent Fellowship of the Rings. I had started reading the trilogy, and wanted to watch each movie as I finished the corresponding book. Shockingly, my mom acquiesced — I’m guessing she wasn’t wholly familiar with its contents. More importantly, I saw a box of Buncha Crunch on the shelf. ...

August 29, 2022 · 3 min · 580 words · Mark Richard