I worked three days this week. Those days were…productive. Lots back-end database work to support requirements tracking in the new fiscal year, and a seemingly never-ending stream of paperwork. I’m kind of done with it, which is good, because it’s Friday afternoon.

Between traveling back from WSNC, and taking off Wednesday for a doc appointment that got canceled at the last minute, I did get a couple of days’ break from the grind, which included a nice date night with my lovely spouse to see James Gunn’s Superman, (which is totally worth your time; joyous, wholesome, and wacky comic-book goodness, with plenty of deep-cut character cameos and of course, Krypto the Super-dog) on Tuesday evening, and taking advantage of that postponed appointment to make a day trip out to the coast to hit three more State Parks, including what is perhaps my favorite, False Cape State Park, on periphery of the Virginia Beach, and is not actually accessible by public roads; visitors have to hike or bike in a few miles (primarily through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge) to get to the park. It is, however, totally worth the effort, being some of the last undeveloped natural space on Atlantic coast. There’s something special about putting five or six miles under the mountain bike, then hiking in over the dunes to find oneself on a beach completely untouched by civilization, and being the only human for miles:

For me, that’s thirty-six of forty parks down; one more camping trip to the deep southwest corner of the state (which I’d love to do in early fall if the world allows) and I’ll have finished of Trail Quest, which has been a really cool project to take on over the last two years or so.

I’ve got nothing of any particular note on the agenda this weekend apart from the usual responsibilities. Pretty sure I’m just going to take it easy and enjoy the silence for once.

Anyway, tunes. Tons of 80s/90s alternative and adjacent:

1. “Hawthorne” – thatdog.
2. “Radiation Vibe” – Fountains of Wayne
3. “God Is A Bullet” – Concrete Blonde
4. “Raspberry Beret” – Prince
5. “Blood and Roses” – The Smithereens
6. “I Will Dare” – The Replacements
7. “Gepetto”- Belly
8. “Train in Vain (Stand By Me) – The Clash
9. “Tenderness” – General Public
10. “I Go Crazy” – Flesh For Lulu
11. “Love Is The Law” – The Suburbs
12. “Switchin’ to Glide” – The Kings