The Walking Man by Jiro Taniguchi
The epitome of "restful", this graphic novel is chapter after chapter of a nameless guy (the walking man) going for a walk, often with his loveable dog (Snowy), and occasionally met or welcomed back by his wife (I call her walking wife). The plots are tiny and low-stakes, which is ideal for when one needs respite in a frantic world. Sometimes, I'll pull it off the shelf and leave it near my bed or on the ottoman in the living room, reading a chapter a day for a week or two as a peaceful in-between. The Expanded Edition has a few stories at the end that aren't 'walking man' stories, but I like Taniguchi's other works as well so I appreciate the extras. Apparently, there was a TV series of this book on Japanese television. I haven't seen it, but it's probably boringly perfect.
Banana Bread
When I have 2-3 over-ripe bananas and like 15 minutes* I make banana bread. It's easy, delicious, and my family eats the entire loaf in less than a day. The Joy of Cooking (75th anniversary edition) recipe works every time**. I ditch half the sugar but add a little vanilla extract, chocolate chips, dried orange peel, and a dash of cinnamon. Photo: Latest banana bread after three hours on the counter. * - Baked for an hour, but the oven is doing all the work there. ** - Which is not a whole lot since banana bread is a difficult to mess up.
A&F Brass Releasable Key Ring
My keys were a minor annoyance -- they were bulky in my pocket, occasionally fell off their keyring, and were frustrating to separate -- so when I walked into a little select shop near downtown Los Angeles and saw this object, I chose to buy it. It's eminently functional, addressing all of the tiny problems above, and also a little bit beautiful. Because I imagine 'reccers would appreciate it (I'm not sure, I'm new here), here's a tiny bit of background: This key ring is made by A & F, an enduring Japanese outdoor supply company founded by Akatsu Takao in 1973. The keyring can be found at several select shops in North America (The Good Liver in Los Angeles and SORT in Vancouver, to name two) at quite a markup. Just for fun, I found it on the A&F website (in Japanese), where it's available in delightful colors: https://aandfstore.com/products/008000129
Getting your portrait drawn by a kid
This is me as envisioned by my daughter (age 4) for Fathers Day 2026. 10/10, no notes.
