chasing answers newsletter #33

Something new, Thank you

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” - Edith Sitwell

---

---

Happy Friday!

I didn’t want to send out a newsletter on Christmas day, so I’m landing in your inbox a couple of days early this week. Hopefully, you don’t mind. 

Christmas is almost here, and we just might make it the rest of the way without exceeding five shattered bulbs by Buttercup. Toffee Candy Snowflake is getting ready to head back to the North Pole for the year, and here in Ohio, we’re trying not to freeze to death. 

This week the refrigerator was Toffee Candy Snowflake’s target. Here she is, enjoying our marshmallow sundae topping.

As I type this, the wind chill outside is -32°F, and honestly, when I went outside with the dogs this morning, it felt colder. I’m a cold-weather guy. I’ll take 20° over 90° any day, but when my dogs’ paws freeze to the ground before they have time to take a shit, it’s too cold.

If you’re experiencing the arctic-like conditions sweeping across North America right now, be careful and stay safe this weekend. Hopefully, the weather doesn’t prevent any of you from spending time with loved ones over the holidays.

---

Something New

The new year is almost upon us, and with it, I want to announce something new for chasing answers. In the coming months, I will release the first episode of the chasing answers podcast. I don’t have an exact date yet, but when I do, you will be the first to know.

This has been on my mind almost since I began writing. I have hesitated because I am concerned that I will not have the bandwidth to do it consistently. I work a lot, and sometimes I struggle just to get a weekly newsletter out. I don’t want to start a podcast and then have an episode trickle out every couple of months. If I do it, I want to be consistent with it. Despite these concerns, I’ve decided to give it the old college try. 

What type of format will it be, and what will it cover?

The format will be a mixture of interviews and round-table discussions. The topics will vary widely, but there will be a heavy concentration on climate and parenting. So, if you’re not concerned with the future of our planet or our children, then it may not be for you. 

My goals for the podcast are simple.

1. Try not to suck.

2. Have deep, meaningful conversations with people way smarter than me on topics I care deeply about.

3. Make it informative and entertaining, so others can learn along with me and enjoy doing it. 

I will post updates as I get closer to dropping the first episode.

---

Thank you

I want to thank all of you who have subscribed and read my writing this year. I have never put this much effort into something without a definitive plan. As I have mentioned in past newsletters, I never desired to be a writer. I did know that I needed to do something different in my life, and for years, I tried to plan and lay out a path for what that was. That got me nowhere. 

I wasn’t looking for anything specific when I stumbled across David Perell’s Write of Passage course. It was a mere coincidence that I found it at all, but it turned out to be the perfect place to begin my journey. One that doesn’t have a destination yet, but that I am thoroughly enjoying. 

I don’t know where this thing goes in 2023, but I hope all of you stick around to take the journey with me.

I want to especially thank those of you who have taken the time to leave comments, write me emails, and provide invaluable feedback on my writing. Time is precious, and the fact that you give me yours is appreciated more than you know.

Happy Holidays to all of you, and I will see you in 2023!

randy