I lost count of how many "first blog post" examples we read trying to figure out how to ensure that ours wouldn't be boring, bland, unexciting, pathetic, or unoriginal. Eventually, we came to two conclusions:
Firstly, there may not be a way to guarantee everyone is going to find us interesting, engaging, fun, unique, and worth the time it takes to read what we've written. We are, after all, individuals with our own ideas of what we like (and don't like), just like those who seek out or stumble upon our site.
Second conclusion: if we continued trying to figure out how to manage the impossible here, there would never be a first blog post.
We are excited to have our shop open, and we are excited to add content that we think may entertain, amuse, inform, otherwise engage people. Our interests, hobbies, activities, and pursuits are so wildly eclectic and weirdly diverse that we'll never want for lack of ideas... many of which, we hope, you will enjoy exploring with us.
There is a lot of road ahead, and things will inevitably change, evolve, and become (hopefully) more refined as time goes on. But for now, you're likely to find content in this blog clustered around the following topics:
STEM
Since we are both solidly on the geek/nerd/wonk spectrum, this category is a no brainer (ha, see what I did there?) You'll likely find us talking about topics in math, tech, and science proper, for sure, but we also like to find ways to interweave sci/tech with the real world... from the digitalization of music to the algorithmic manupulations of social media. We will chronicle some of our weird projects; review gadgets and grown-up tech toys; share our best advice for harnessing digital tools to increase our organization, creativity, and productivity; and talk about the new discoveries and explorations in medicine, astronomy, physics, and mathematics that fascinate us. We're continually learning and are always bubbling over with things we are excited to share!
Music
Not only do we love making music, we also love how exploring the music of others can really open up new worlds. We explore different musical genres, international music scenes, musicians and bands themselves, and how music affects us individually, culturally, and even historically. One month we may be glowing after seeing the NSO at the Kennedy Center, the next we may bring you tales of EDM under the stars after a burn festival. We can really fall down a rabbit hole in this area... and invite you to come along for the ride!
Adventuring
It's impossible to run out of places to go, things to do, and sites to see - historical and otherwise - when you live in our area, and we're always up to something. Camping, caving, and kayaking are likely to figure prominently, as are treks to fairs, festivals, farmers markets, and forays to see fall foliage. And when life (or, say, your occasional global pandemic) inhibits in-person adventuring, we don't let that stop us... we find ways to do it virtually!
Food
We like it. And the internet *definitely* needs yet another food site, right? But seriously, there are some things that just have to be shared, whether that's how to put together a camping meal plan, where to get the best Ramen in the DC region, the economic and historical importance of black peppercorns, why it's a LIE that Southerners don't put any sugar in their cornbread, or how to make Okonomiyaki or proper smoked pork barbecue. We're here for that.
Fitness
Ok, so maybe blogging about our fitness routines is more about keeping us accountable than keeping you abreast of our Gainz™ (about which we're sure you're totally invested), but there are fun things to talk about, learn about, and try. Watch to learn about Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, CrossFit, yoga, rucking, physical therapy, and more.
These, of course, don’t even begin to scratch the surface of everything we’re interested in. We have both been cursed (blessed?) to be eternal “jack of all trades” or “renaissance” types. Our obligatory short bio can be found on our About Us page, but honestly, you will learn as much about us from what’s in our shop and what we wind up blogging about.
We appreciate your stopping by, and hope you'll check us out as we grow! You can sign up for our newsletter here to stay up to date on our offerings. And don't worry; we aren't spammers trying to inundate your email inbox with sales pitches. Unless something really noteworthy comes along, you can expect one email per week or less (probably less).
Feel free to drop us a line, too... we'd love to hear from you! And thanks for being one of the very first visitors to our site.
Take care and #beawesomed
J & S