sustainable systems & storytelling
“Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. It is up to you to give [life] a meaning.” --Jean-Paul Sartre What if we could wrestle down life’s big questions using the scientific method? What if we could systematically improve human thoughts, actions, and environments... Continue Reading →
Hello, internet friends! How has you week been? I can hardly tell the days apart lately, and I'm grateful to be working from home and off social media. I'm guessing there is a lot of political nonsense out there. For those in the US, I hope you choose to use your discernment and exercise your... Continue Reading →
Hello, internet friends! How has you week been? Last weekend, I had the opportunity to gift a friend some homemade baby gifts I've been sewing up over the last few months and every day she's been texting to point out another small detail she just noticed. I can't believe I'm going to be an auntie... Continue Reading →
Hello, internet friends! How has you week been? I've been recovering from a minor surgery to repair broken cartridge between my nostrils and have been so pleased with the results already. I began working with an incredible new physician and I feel hopeful that he can propose new avenues to help me recover; based on... Continue Reading →
Later this month, I will celebrate seven years with the love of my life. If feels like just last month I was nervously chatting with him on the phone for the first time. As with life in general, our time together has been filled with challenges, shared victories, and everything in between. What has remained... Continue Reading →
Hey there! How has the week been to you? Mine has been rather uneventful. Aside from work, I gardened (including stunning 3.5 gallon canna lillies at Costco for only $12!), started brewing two batches of kombucha, and made several South Indian dishes from our farmer's market haul. I have a minor surgery scheduled for today,... Continue Reading →
Hey there! How has the week been to you? Mine has been alright, though I'm looking forward to the weekend. The farmer's market restarts for the season tomorrow, the weather is finally (almost) cool enough to start my fall garden, I'll be gifting my friend some hand-crafted baby gifts, and I'll be working on a... Continue Reading →
Lately, I've been feeling a bit down. We're re-watching Seinfeld because it's the obvious choice when we can't decide what to watch. With each episode, I find myself verifying, "We've seen this before?" Several seasons in, I am realizing that I have absolutely no recollection of any of the content. It seems that I mentally... Continue Reading →
Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you're doing okay amid everything. Over the last few weeks, my health have regressed ever so slightly. However, I've been feverishly sewing up baby things for an expectant friend, it's no longer 120 degrees out, and my boyfriend has rescued several houseplants from the grocery clearance rack on my behalf,... Continue Reading →
For years, I've been contemplating a career switch. While I currently enjoy my work in quality assurance, I can't help but long for something more than documentation, compliance, and perpetual wrist-slapping. I think I would enjoy something more tangible, with an end product or a happy customer. I remember many years ago hearing the suggestion... Continue Reading →
When I started this blog, it was meant as an exploration of the field of human factors engineering, the optimization of thoughts and habits, realization through the art of storytelling, and the space of overlap. In essence, existential ergonomic is the study of how we can design and refine our environment, habits, thoughts, and tools... Continue Reading →
How are you doing, really? 2020 has been a rough year, almost universally. What have you been up to lately? How much has your life changed over the last few months and, perhaps more importantly, has the change in lifestyle revealed a new set of priorities that you hope to carry into post-quarantine life? What... Continue Reading →
After six months of donning a P100 respirator, chemistry googles and nitrile gloves in public, my boyfriend recently mused as to why--of all the verbal assault we had heard about--none had been directed at the most cautious person around. Yesterday afternoon, I received a text stating "It finally happened" and I knew exactly what it... Continue Reading →
It's been quite awhile. How have you been? I hope you're doing well, or at least as well as can be expected with the current state of the world. Five years ago, I left Easter brunch early. After seeing my ghastly complexion and hearing my wet, hacking cough, my family suggested I go to the... Continue Reading →
Hey there! How has the week been to you? Mine has been rough. I need to keep reminding myself that the symptoms are part of the body's healing process. After five years of mostly-normal labs, my body is finally pulling out of low-energy mode thanks to an overload of once-deficient minerals and my labs are... Continue Reading →
I recently listened to an episode of The Art of Manliness podcast in which the host interviewed Ramit Sethi, author of I Will Teach You to be Rich. I first picked up this book nearly a decade ago, as an almost-broke college student trying to figure out how to cut a few more corners. My... Continue Reading →
