Dearest Rachel – As much as it seems frivolous to do so, we did spend a lot of time together as a family in front of the television (either in its original capacity or as a computer monitor), so I suppose it’s appropriate that this letter has to do with a video Daniel and IContinue reading “The Haunting I Wish For; the Haunting that Comes”
Tag Archives: youtube
An Audience of One
Dearest Rachel – The other day, I got an email from someone, rather out of the blue, who had either been reading these letters or watching the videos I’ve been attaching to the ones I’ve sent you while I’ve been traveling; it wasn’t entirely clear to me as to which, since they referenced the channelContinue reading “An Audience of One”
That’s How They Get You
Dearest Rachel – Technically, this is something I’d consider to be old news by now, having happened a week or so ago, but since it happened after your departure, it would still probably be news to you. You might remember those companies that would offer a DNA analysis service back in the day; I thinkContinue reading “That’s How They Get You”
Intentionally Insensate
Dearest Rachel – Yesterday, after treating Kris to sushi (we were making good on a rain check from the week before, when she had to run out quickly after finishing her work on the house), Daniel and I made a couple of stops on the way home. They were mostly just ordinary grocery stuff, butContinue reading “Intentionally Insensate”
When the People Are Dying
Dearest Rachel – This is definitely not one of the tunes we swapped between us when we were courting after I graduated from college, but it’s true that at least one of Tonio K’s songs was in that lineup. This one has way too much social commentary to be considered a love song, to sayContinue reading “When the People Are Dying”
Same Singer, Different Songs
Dearest Rachel – At the moment, I’m short on both inspiration and time, when it comes to talking to you this morning. The former is probably due to the uniformity of midweek; when days look the same every time you open your eyes to the not-yet-dawn, what’s to tell you about? The latter has toContinue reading “Same Singer, Different Songs”
Down to the Two of Us
Dearest Rachel – As weird as it sometimes is to have Daniel’s friend Logan rooming with us, there are times when he’s almost indispensable. While he hasn’t been the influence toward improving Daniel’s work ethic (but what’s he going to be able to do that will earn him more than his portfolio already does?), he’sContinue reading “Down to the Two of Us”
Watching the Watchers
Dearest Rachel – I’m a little reluctant to tell you about the events (such as there were between Daniel and I) of last night; I don’t like to talk about politics here, even though we didn’t shy from such discussions in life. While the three of us tended to be on various spots within theContinue reading “Watching the Watchers”
“Pretty”
Dearest Rachel – This is entirely the wrong season for this to come to mind (this will normally come up during October, as of late), but it’s not like dreams care about times and seasons. Besides, that’s sort of the whole point of this particular dream – it could be brought to fruition without anyContinue reading ““Pretty””
Get Yo’ Ankles Broke!
Dearest Rachel – With Kris’ help this past Monday, I swapped out the bedding (I think I mentioned how queen size sheets don’t seem to fit anymore – I may need to either ask for king size ones for Christmas, or get some for myself at some point thereafter; I hear January is good forContinue reading “Get Yo’ Ankles Broke!”
Ocular Rift
Dearest Rachel – Since your passing, you’d probably be amazed about how often I’ve checked in with one health care professional or another, considering how little I chose to do so back in the day. I mean, sure, I canceled that appointment with the dietitian that was scheduled the week after your accident, but IContinue reading “Ocular Rift”
The Place to Gather… Eventually
Dearest Rachel – Well, I think you’d be mildly pleased that the house is still a gathering place for the old gang… eventually. It may be as a last resort, but that it’s still considered as such is enough for me to consider it a win in my book. The situation started nearly a weekContinue reading “The Place to Gather… Eventually”
Phone Book Paranoia
Dearest Rachel – I know a few people who are into the “true crime” genre of entertainment; heck, to a certain extent, I’ve started to follow a few YouTubers whose focus is in the genre (which – and I may have asked this of you in previous letters – I’d have been curious as toContinue reading “Phone Book Paranoia”
Music To Fall Asleep To
Dearest Rachel – Last night found me nodding off watching YouTube. I’m sure you hardly find that to be stop-press news, as I used to do that quite a bit when the three of us would be watching this or that in the family room, especially after a draining day at work. This was doublyContinue reading “Music To Fall Asleep To”
Visiting Dreams
Dearest Rachel – Most dreams, especially in those first few moments after you wake up from them, are so outlandish as to be impossible. That’s really what makes them so fascinating; where did our subconscious mind even come up with these scenarios? Folks like Freud and Jung made careers – and history – out ofContinue reading “Visiting Dreams”
Your Regularly Scheduled Lifecast
Dearest Rachel – Well, I think that’s taken care of things; with the Ultimate World Cruise (at least, the single leg I was on for) behind me, and a weekend’s worth of mostly bed rest, I think I’m ready to get back to my regular routine, after a fashion. Sure, I’ve promised myself that IContinue reading “Your Regularly Scheduled Lifecast”
Obeying Whose Orders?
Dearest Rachel – In retrospect, it probably wasn’t the best choice for me to be watching while I was waiting for the girls to show up last night. For all intents and purposes, I really should be talking to you mostly about the dinner we had last night; one last get-together before I ship out. AboutContinue reading “Obeying Whose Orders?”
Not So Easily Said
Dearest Rachel – As much as I’m not particularly fond of their attitudes, I have to give the TikTokers their due. Being able to talk straight through everything, without hesitation, without self-consciousness – I’d say it was easier said than done, but the whole point is that it’s not so easily said at all. For me toContinue reading “Not So Easily Said”
How Broken Am I?
Dearest Rachel – As much as I admit there are things that I need to get done before the end of this week and I head out, there are times when I’m just not motivated to do so. Daniel and I get home from our night working at Sparks, Logan comes down from his room toContinue reading “How Broken Am I?”
Go Pro Envy
Dearest Rachel – So yesterday found me saying one last goodbye to the gang in the booth, as well as the praise team, over the weekend. As I spend more weekends working the booth than not, it’s going to be weird not doing so for at least thirteen straight weekends. While hanging out in the greenContinue reading “Go Pro Envy”
Sub-Celestial Homesick Blues
Dearest Rachel – I’m not sure when exactly we got into listening to Bob Dylan; certainly, it was long after his real moment had passed (although considerably before the Nobel Committee noticed him, so we were at least ahead of those old fogies). Not that we could help it; his peak was before we wereContinue reading “Sub-Celestial Homesick Blues”
A Fever Dream of Dream
Dearest Rachel – I think I may have the bed piled with too many ‘reindeer skins.’ Oh, it’s a comfort in the evening, when it’s just a little too cold to just sit around in, but by two o’clock this morning, I was waking up in a sweat. Then, again, it may have been theContinue reading “A Fever Dream of Dream”
The Way Things Used to Be
Dearest Rachel – What with Logan out of town for the weekend, I don’t find myself needing to sequester myself in the bedroom; the boys aren’t hanging out together in the family room in the evening. It almost feels like the way things used to be, with me and him hanging out in the familyContinue reading “The Way Things Used to Be”
The Effects of Bingeing
Dearest Rachel – I think I’ve filled you in several times already about my new tradition of fasting on Sunday on the weekends when I’m working in the booth. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if you’ve gotten tired of hearing about it; there are times when I get tired of describing what I haveContinue reading “The Effects of Bingeing”
Six Pounds of Scattered Thoughts
Dearest Rachel – Once again, I begin a morning – and a week – with no single, coherent topic to discuss with you today. So I hope that you’ll forgive me for just throwing out a couple of paragraphs here and there as I splash through my stream of consciousness; try not to get tooContinue reading “Six Pounds of Scattered Thoughts”
Don’t Try to Solve Your Problems
Dearest Rachel – I won’t call what I woke up with this morning a dream, as such. There’s no particular story to tell you about, exactly. But in going over the situation as I see it from a distance, there’s a moral to be grasped from it all; not a particularly uplifting or encouraging one,Continue reading “Don’t Try to Solve Your Problems”
What We Would Watch
Dearest Rachel – Last night, while occupying my evening with YouTube in the bedroom while the boys were doing likewise in the family room, I was presented with an AdSense question that, at the moment, struck me as rather strange. It was asking me how often I watched horror films and series, with responses rangingContinue reading “What We Would Watch”
DIY Zombie Karaoke
Dearest Rachel – Since I’m meeting with Lars today, and I just got confirmation that everything is a ‘go’ as far as the church books are concerned (which is to say, everything from last month has finally been entered, and I can run the numbers and assemble the reports for the board members), I haveContinue reading “DIY Zombie Karaoke”
Blue Sky and Memory
Dearest Rachel – I don’t exactly have a dream to tell you about this morning, only a piece of music that was running through my head upon waking up at three in the morning. It was a song that I would claim that I’ve never heard before my iTunes algorithm brought it to my attentionContinue reading “Blue Sky and Memory”
My Timeline and Its Alternatives
Dearest Rachel – It probably doesn’t come as any surprise to you, but I often find myself wondering how different things would be if you were still here. Not just the big, obvious things; even the incremental pieces of a single day’s timeline might be altered in ways I can barely imagine. Still, I’m aboutContinue reading “My Timeline and Its Alternatives”
Bitter Bachelor
Dearest Rachel – I honestly don’t know how these sorts of things pop up in my YouTube feed. It might be understandable that, based on some of the things that Daniel watches and listens to, my feed would pop up with ‘you might also be interested in…’ kinds of recommendations, but he insists that heContinue reading “Bitter Bachelor”
Whiny Little Incel
Dearest Rachel – The other evening, I was browsing through my YouTube feed. It’s probably not the best thing for me to be doing at the end of the night – the last thing I need to be doing is keeping myself up by staring at a screen – but I absolutely hate having thoseContinue reading “Whiny Little Incel”
Politics and the Public Sphere
Dearest Rachel – You know, I really thought I had weaned myself off of my political news feed over the past week and a half. What Internet I could get over in Israel was, to be frank, less than reliable, so its main purpose was to be used to assemble and send my updates toContinue reading “Politics and the Public Sphere”
The Fortress With Two Open Doors
Dearest Rachel – Evenings at the house, if they weren’t falling into something of a routine, and thereby likely to be considered to be ‘normal,’ are, I suspect, anything but that, when observed objectively. While it’s understandable that the boys would hang out together – and that I should stay out of their way, muchContinue reading “The Fortress With Two Open Doors”
Gray Over Tan
Dearest Rachel – After a weekend of completely overcast skies – and the rain to go with it – today is only partially gray. And I’m fine with that. It’s nice that I don’t have to worry about it threatening to rain again today – the sun’s out just enough to assure me of that.Continue reading “Gray Over Tan”
You Can’t Always Just Replace
Dearest Rachel – I mentioned yesterday that, after furnishing it (however minimally), I’m going to have to give up on the ‘yellow-room-as-man-cave’ concept for a while. This leaves me with one less place to retreat to as the boys effectively take over the house. “But honey,” I hear you ask, “weren’t we always just fineContinue reading “You Can’t Always Just Replace”
Injudicious
Dearest Rachel – I told you before I’m trying to tiptoe around the subject of your absence with Daniel, even to the point of not sharing with him about Kerstin’s present for you. I’m not sure how and to what extent he feels your absence, especially after all this time. Occasionally I will ask howContinue reading “Injudicious”
Glitches, Botches, Dreams and Reality
Dearest Rachel – For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been watching several new channels that I’m sure you would’ve appreciated were you still around, hanging out with us in the family room while YouTube was running in the background. We started looking for such channels after watching a video essay on the concept itself,Continue reading “Glitches, Botches, Dreams and Reality”
The Twelfth Pain
Dearest Rachel – I remember your calling me at some point while I was at the ‘office’ last year on this day. “Do you know what’s going on in Washington?” To be sure, I was keeping up with the news feed, but there’s always a lag between the activity and the written word describing it;Continue reading “The Twelfth Pain”
Spooky Stuff
Dearest Rachel – Yes, I know Halloween was over three weeks ago, but the days continue to get shorter, and the nights continue to get longer – and there are still spooky things that come out of the woodwork as time goes by. I woke up this morning with an idea in my head toContinue reading “Spooky Stuff”
What To Do About VidCon?
Dearest Rachel – So, the news has come down the pike… they’re actually holding VidCon this year. It’s going to be in October this year, rather than June or July, but it’s still happening. I wonder how that’s going to fly with its core audience, which seems to be kids who otherwise ought to beContinue reading “What To Do About VidCon?”
Secular Answers
Dearest Rachel – You might remember the many times that we would talk together about various issues of the day, and what’s up with the younger generation. Part of that had to do with one of my ideas for a YouTube channel – I was hoping to illustrate to a younger audience than ourselves (which,Continue reading “Secular Answers”
Trying to Take My Own Advice
Dearest Rachel – I’m sure by now that you’ve noticed a lot of my letters to you seem a little bit disjointed and disorganized. They do tend to bounce around from thought to thought within the alleged confines of the topic I’ve decided to cover in the letter (and even then sometimes it’s hard toContinue reading “Trying to Take My Own Advice”
Dreams of Future Passed
Dearest Rachel – To say that the events of the past few years have upended my plans would be rather a gross understatement. Hey, look, kids, check it out – it’s the latest installment of the adventures of Marvel’s newest superhero, Captain Obvious! Or would he be a DC type of character? I don’t know…Continue reading “Dreams of Future Passed”
We’ll All Be Skeletons
Dearest Rachel – Today was too cool to walk around in thin white cotton, so I decided to wear one of my black shirts. Not sure why I picked this one: I’m actually thinking this might be the first time I’ve worn it in public. I know you thought we might all wear it togetherContinue reading “We’ll All Be Skeletons”
A Game We’ll Never Play
Dearest Rachel – It’s true that, thanks to the likes of Amazon and online shopping, you can come home nearly every day to find a package on your doorstep. After all, I just found the box with Chompers’ wheelchair on the front porch just this past Tuesday. However, that was the last order I’d placedContinue reading “A Game We’ll Never Play”
Launch Day
Dearest Rachel – I’m starting to get the hang of dealing with Chompers, I think: get your rest when he does, or you won’t get much rest at all at night. I dozed off between 9 and 9:30, and after waking just before midnight, taking him out to pee, and settling him down in theContinue reading “Launch Day”
Letters to Rachel 