Archives

A confessional return to blogging after over a year of silence, exploring the tension between living life and documenting it, and the eternal question of what we want to leave behind.

A quick dive into that fleeting moment when Angela Baker breaks the fourth wall in Sleepaway Camp III, and what it reveals about horror cinema and audience complicity.

A reflection on being busy with life changes and gaming, featuring thoughts on Helldivers 2's dark themes, excellent gameplay, and the challenge of balancing time between writing, gaming, and new adventures.

Exploring the rich history of Bremerton, WA through stories of crime, innovation, and community resilience. A personal journey into local history and the connections between past and present.

Wherein I talk a bit about a formerly rather famous detective in the PNW - Luke S. May.

Year-end reflections on 2023, Christmas celebrations, and looking forward to 2024.

Wherein I lay out another week's events but kind of phone it in. I talk about grieving the passing of my father, talk about the week before Christmas, our Christmas Eve Eve tradition of driving past other people's Christmas lights, and I share the photo of an owl.

Wherein I point that that there's barely a week before Christmas, mention that it was Ollie's first birthday, talk a bit about how my father's death is impacting me, and how I've been feeling a bit under the weather for a variety of reasons.

Wherein I discuss grieving my father, my reaction to the movie The Whale, touch on my thoughs abouot Christmas, Fortnite, and Advent of Code,

Wherein I discuss my father's recent passing, dealing with chronic pain, and an otherwise normal week in which I was served food by a robot because the future is now.

Wherein I talk about another week- this one filled with paid time off, giving thanks, and generally living

Wherein I talk about using DEAR MAN, GIVE, and FAST DBT skills to improve communication

Wherein I detail another weeks' events such as the return of Waffle Day, a lovely date I had with my wife at Quiz Night in Manette, a terrifying lockdown at my daughter's school, and a nice little hike today

Wherein I talk about marking 13 years of marriage to Lou, talk about some media consumed, and generally describe the process of the writing this post at the beginning. I think this is rather WIP and I may be back to update it...

Halloween week reflections on gaming, family life, and personal growth in the Pacific Northwest.

The movies I've watched for Spoopy Movie Movie (FKA Halloween Movie Month) 2023

Happy Hallowe'en! Today I'm writing about a scientist's claim that he's proven that you have absolutely no free will whatsoever because I find the idea terrifying! Posted on 10/31 at 6:66 for extra spoopiness lol

Despite everything I'm still feeling pretty positive and hopeful. Even though now I'm having car trouble on top of everything else. I feel like my life is perpetually a country western song. There's only 8 weeks left of 2023 and I'm going to do my best to enjoy them to the best of my ability.

A post describing my views on the hiking meditation and its value to my life.

Hallowe'en is the best holiday. In this post I talk about its long history. Where does Hallowe'en come from and why do I keep adding an apostrophe to it? Find out this post!

Another week in 2023, another post. Some stuff happened. Liz and I played VR. I watched movies. I blogged. I went to Ashley's Pub. Liz and I went to Port Townsend and had a fun little adventure.

Thoughts on Bremerton's Cryptid Shrimpy - I want to believe

I bought my daughter the Meta Quest 3. She's pretty happy. I have thoughts.

After a week where everything has changed I find that the more things change the more they stay the same

A brief explanation for how I became Eph Baum

The final post of ephandlou.com

The first post of the rest of my life

Kitsap Community Food Coop Annual Meeting - KCFC Board Meeting - DSA - Ashley's Pub - Helm's Deep and then some.

Weekly update covering family activities, local events, and community involvement in Bremerton.

Sept. 11th 22nd anniversary rememberance - Lou & I had a walking date - Lou ran for, and was elected to, the board of Kitsap Community Food Coop - cooling temps - 7 miles at Newberry - Lou flew to DC for SCAN - Liz disciplined - The Hobbit

Labor Day reflections on community issues and local policy in Bremerton, WA.

Ozz is now Liz! - Liz is going to a brick and mortar school - a movie date with the kiddo to see the new Indiana Jones movie (on National Cinema Day) - Red Cross at Bremerton Farmers Market (VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND!)

Wherein I talk about the no good very bad AQI in the region, back to school shopping at the Kitsap Mall, reflection, paranormality, and some random bits and bobs

Wherein I reflect on my travel to Minnesota and decision to put my father in hospice, lament the heat, appreciate our new deck and fenced-in side yard, as well as a few additional thoughts and experiences shared

Wherein I am very detailed about one of the most difficult weeks I've ever lived having traveled to Chicago for work only to suddenly need to travel to Minnesota for my father's ailing health with a side order of some more of "Eph's Tragic Backstory"

Wherein I start with a bit of Climate Dread, discuss the busy-ness of the week with Lou hosting family, and discuss my impending viewing of TMNT Mutant Mayhem with the kiddos

Wherein I mark our 4th "Leave Minnesota Forever Day", recount the week 29's trip to Ocean Shores and around the Olympic Peninsula, and then recount the less eventful week 30

Wherein I promise to write a post about our trip to Ocean Shores and our drive around OLYM through Forks resulting in us finally having fully circumnavigated the Olympic Peninsula but then never actually did, apparently. There's a cute picture of Ollie on the beach, though. I should totally get back to this.

Wherein I talk about my car's repair subsequent to its repairs, taking delivery on our "new" Outback, and, you know, reflect.

Wherein I look forward to a busy August, recount our trip to Portland, Independence Day, we lived our lives, serviced one car, bought Subaru to become true PNW'ers,

Wherein I quickly post about our trip to Portland, Oregon.

Reflections on Father's Day, family relationships, and local community events in Bremerton, WA.

Wherein I try not to worry, mention seeing the amazing Across the Spider-Verse film, talk about rearranging the living including moving my workspace upstairs out of the dungeon, talk about seeing the Mariners play at T-Mobile Park again but with the kids this time, talk about the Eisenhower Matrix and dealing with disregulation, playing games with the kids, Oz's last day of school for the year, and talk about Juneteenth and more

Wherein I lament having not actually posted this on Saturday, talk about the weather and how busy things have been, express joy about Michael's return for the Summer, talk about watching some ARG stuff on YouTube with Ozz, and cover a few other topics generally.

Wherein I talk about watching movies and TV shows, hiking on the Olympic Peninsula at Doeswollips and Mt. Walker, and continue to consider my future

Wherein I talk about feeling S.A.D., talk about having been sick, mention our house guest, and generally describe a mundane week around the ol' homestead

Wherein I try to have Google Bard analyze an analogy, discuss an trip to Kitsap Memorial State Park for some impromptu family together time, and babble on, as I do

Wherein I discuss an idea for a project we have to work on for Kitsap CREATE, meander a bit, lament the loss of Hurricane Ridge Lodge in OLYM, explain the title of the post (sorta), talk about attending a fair in Manette for Catalyst school, mention Mother's Day (food & jewelry), and think about a car that's just been sitting for so long in our neighborhood

Wherein I have ChatGPT produce an apology for an incomplete post that I hoped to update (spoiler, I didn't)

Wherein I talk about getting teeth implanted in my head, Ozz's acting class, Ozz's standardized testing, Lou and I updating our IDs, and having an adventure in Steilacoom

Wherein I talk about getting a new waffle maker, seeing the Super Mario Bros. Movie with the kiddos, Lou and I changed our names, our adventures at the Social Security Administration, our first puppy socialization class, attending Kitsap CREATE, and more

Often people have long considered the Internet forever. Joe Rogan's character on News Radio compared content on the Internet with pee in a pool. That's not really so. I've found that, over time, huge swaths of the Internet have simply vanished. This post, which probably may have made more sense on ephbaum.dev, is my toast to the slow churn and erosion of the Internet.

Wherein I talk about my surprise by how much I loved Puss in Boots- The Last Wish, the triggers of Easter, replacing our shower handle cartridges, Ollie's first PNW hike, and some other stuff

Wherein I talk about going out with Lou a couple times, including a movie at the Roxy & dinner at Remedy Speakeasy, Ollie's first puppy class, Lou and I meeting up with friends from out of town in Seattle and catching a game at T-Mobile Park, and various other things of interest from our week

Wherein I talk about all the Springs, Ollie, Ozz' acting class, getting impression molds for teeth implants, getting a new VR headset for Ozz (and my experience w/ BPPV), Ozz' spring break, and some other topics

Ollie is learning - We watched Loot - Checked off TODOs - A cousin passed away - Lou on a trip for Strengthen Families - Doughnuts

Wherein I talk about our son Mikey's return home for his Spring Break, a Sunday trip to Seattle to support Tris' art, some efforts Lou made on the ongoing journey to update our home, celebrated self-care, and lamented Michael's too-soon return to Iowa

Wherein I discuss the long recovery time of COVID and challenges related to focus, hitting level 200 in Fortnite for Chapter 4 Season 1, picking up Mikey from the airport, reflect on a shorter than desired hike at Illahee, Daylight Saving, and a forthcoing trip to Seattle to get Ramen at see Tris' art showing

Wherein I lament the entire family catching and fighting COVID while trying to raise puppy, also we celebrate Tris' 23rd birthday and her artwork being displayed at Yoroshiku in Wollingford, Seattle, WA

Wherein I talk about Oz's twelfth birthday, our new puppy Ollie, our trip to, and return from, Arizona, and, unfortunatley did not yet finish the post.

Wherein I look forward to our Arizona trip, reflect on my job "post burnout", wonder at Lou's crochet and my pride at their begining to write again, note Oz's enjoyment of their acting class, note the "UFO" talk in the news and the Turkey/Syria quake's death toll being over 40k, and I chatted with ChatGPT about the distinction between fear and excitement

Wherein I discuss our planning our trip to Pheonix, AZ, praising Lou's ability juggle all the things, lament our scattered belongings, talk about my Thursday hike on a Friday, reflect on a journal from 2016, and my excitement at the prospect of soon seeing cacti in person again (while thinking about a trip here in 2019)

Wherein I mark the 1/12th mark of the 2023 by recalling 2013, talk about the "spy balloon" over Montana, Lou dying their hair purple, we got a blanket for an allergen test for Oz, Lou crocheted some stuff, the spy balloon was shot down over the ocean of the Carolinas.

Lou's Birthday and Bigger than Roe, I describe Thursday Hikes. The Earth's core stopped spiining. We started watching The Last of Us. We found a breeder for an American Hairless. Watched shows, movies, and played games. My father's colon cancer returned. Footage was released of Tyre Nichols death.

Another "WIP" project post as I tried to get into the swing of writing these posts. It's the first mention of wanting to get a dog. I also mention how important hiking meditation has become to me. I link to a couple of lovely things Lou has made and lament the slow progress on my 2023 goals, which I hadn't defined.

Second weekly Saturday post for 2023 - I'm hesitant, tentative, and unsure. I talked about trying to buy a washer/dryer combo unit and Oz's acting class. Also starting to play Infinity RPG and talked about loving this place where we live. And more. It was a post, get off my back about it.

My first "Saturday Post" based on a commitment I made to myself to post every Saturday through 2023.

This was the about-us page for ephandlou.com, it is captured here now for posterity despite there no longer being Eph & Lou

We took a family trip to Mount Rainier and, despite my injury (and extreme Summer), it was an wonderful experience (that I never captured here - I will have to finish this post eventually).

To truly progress you must move toward that which makes you uncomfortable, toward challenge.

I did an aggressive hike at Wildcat Trail on Green Mountain and wrote a doozy of a post about it. 💪

We took a family trip to Lake Quinault, Quinault River, and the Quinault Rainforest as a family.

We took a lovely Winter hike at Fallsview Canyon Campground in Olympic National Forest. This is the story of that adventure.