Uncategorized – The Rookery

Van Life in Japan

This is worth watching for the cinematography and the focus on off-the-beaten-path destinations! youtube.com/watch

Spencer the Bernese Mountain Dog Gets a Bath

Watch this if your Tuesday is being a little too Tuesday….

Recent Audiobooks: The Summer War by Naomi Novik

I have a mostly-love, slightly-hate relationship with Novik’s retelling of European fairytales (or her brand-new fairytales, which this novella is). On the one hand, man, can she tell a story. Even if I’m annoyed by the main character, or meh about the generic Northern European worldbuilding. I still totally get hooked into the main character’sContinue reading “Recent Audiobooks: The Summer War by Naomi Novik”

“Walter, NO….”

ESC #49 and Truffle Hunting!

So one of the very first recipes in my To Try file (the OG version, in an actual filing cabinet on actual paper), was a French fish dish. Not terribly chef-y EXCEPT for the fact it called for fresh white summer truffles. Yeah…. So, it sat in the old To Try file, and then migratedContinue reading “ESC #49 and Truffle Hunting!”

Recent Audio Books: Silence of the Girls and Marrow Thieves

These were both good–well-written and read well by the voice actors. And each in their own way perfect to listen to across the long desert miles between the Sierra Nevada and the Sangre de Cristos over Spring Break. The Silence of the Girls, Pat Barker: This is part of the recent trend of revisiting/revising theContinue reading “Recent Audio Books: Silence of the Girls and Marrow Thieves”

Hahn’s Atelier: Bag Re-make

I think I’ve reposted this guy’s content before: here he’s remaking a leather bag for a student of Korean medicine. I love the low-key jab at AI, too!

Funny Corvids

Sorry, I can’t resist a good Corvid Compilation:

Albino Squirrel!

I have a soft spot for these guys: there was one on my grad school campus that hung out in the oak trees on the East Quad, and I would look for him everytime I walked from my building over there to catch the shuttle home. Long may their luxurious white tails wave!

Sumo Update: January Basho (Hatsu Basho 2026)

Man, it’s an interesting tournament so far! My man Takayasu is doing decently (6-3); Wakatakakage not so much…; his injuries seem to be holding him back still. But the big news is that Kirishima (Sekiwake, lieutenant regional leader) is leading the tournament so far at 8 wins and 1 loss. Both the yokozunas (top fighters)Continue reading “Sumo Update: January Basho (Hatsu Basho 2026)”