1. Side B of Abbey Road is often referred to as The Long One. These 10 songs by The Beatles all flow together and comprise, in my mind, the greatest song of all time.
2. I like melancholy music and I love alt-country. Combine the two and you get Uncle Tupelo’s version of Moonshiner — the 2nd best song of all-time.
3. U2 has to have a place on this list. Acrobat finishes a nose ahead of Daddy’s Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car.
4. If I were a shower/car singer (and I’m not, mind you), there would be no better song to sing than Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon. 🎤 In other words, I…love…you!
5. My favorite moment in a song comes at minute 2:42 of The War on Drugs’ In Chains. I could listen to this song over and over (and have).

(Honorable Mention: Sam Cooke’s “Bring it On Home to Me,” “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead and Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime.”)

Autumn

1. Play anything Stevie Nicks or Fleetwood Mac, and you have my approval, but Go Your Own Way will always be my favorite.
2. I love The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The first movie ends with a beautiful and moving song: May it Be by Enya.
3. My running playlist has many great tunes, but Save Tonight by Eagle Eye Cherry is the best. The lyrics and the beat always boost my pace and energy.
4. I can easily name 50+ country songs that are all my “favorite” (especially 90s country). If I had to choose just one, it would be Alan Jackson’s Gone Country. There’s no way I won’t be singing along!
5. If I ever come across a jukebox (do they still exist?), or if I feel like embarrassing myself with my spastic 🦑 dance moves (I try hard, though, darn it!), you’d better believe I’ll be playing Love Shack by the B-52s.

1. I love bikes, and I love my daughters. In 2020, thanks to “Quarantine Bonus Time”, my girls and I went on many bike rides: daughter time & bikes = a delighted dad.
2. I’ve written of my affection for my neighbors more than once. 2020 revealed that more of them is a good thing! We had a socially distanced (SD) concert, SD birthday parties, and SD movies- wonderful medicine for a housebound soul.
3. I discovered a new favorite treat: Natalie’s homemade pop tarts!
4. My wife got to trade in actual work travel for virtual meetings. I loved seeing so much of my beautiful wife.
5. After years of petitioning, my young daughter, using quarantine politics, talked us into a trampoline. Watching her flip, jump and laugh brought us a lot of needed joy.

Autumn:

1. New Beginnings: Leaping into a new career was a huge positive in 2020. Having a lot of time at home made it easy to dive in and learn.
2. Thanks to many at-home date nights, I learned poker. It turns out I’m not too bad!
3. More time spent with family: I’ve always been thankful to have my parents live nearby, but I was especially grateful in 2020.
4. I’m not good at slowing down – unless I’m all studied out and have nowhere to go. The pandemic made me into a real-life gardener! I grew tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions!
5. I found a sense of community during my first year living in Severance. From an outdoor celebration for the town’s 100th Anniversary to a winter fireworks show, my little town found ways to come together.

Devin

5.Their Eyes Were Watching God: It’s hard to beat Moby Dick for best opening line in a book, but Zora Neale Hurston accomplishes just that. And she also brings to life, in Janie Crawford, one of my all-time favorite characters.

4. A Grief Observed: It’s hard to pick just one non-fiction book by C.S. Lewis that I love, so I’m going with the one I’ve read most recently. This book manages to be both incredibly heartbreaking and filled with hope at the same time.

3. Horton Hatches the Egg: There is nothing I have loved reading to my girls more than Dr. Seuss books. And c’mon, how can your heart not jump for joy when what hatches is an elephant bird?

2. Cannery Row: I liked, but didn’t love, East of Eden, and I really didn’t care for The Grapes of Wrath, but I believe in Cannery Row, Steinbeck has written his masterpiece.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird: I can’t explain to you, from a literary point of view, why I love this book — I just do. I love the story, I love the way Harper Lee writes, and of course, I love Atticus Finch. I just love everything about this book.

Angie

5. The Help: I really enjoyed this book. It’s such a good story, and loved each of the characters. It leaves you wanting to know what the women end up doing with their lives.

4. Good Night Moon: This will always be one of my favorite books because it’s one I read to my boys nearly every night when they were younger.

3. Orange is the New Black: This is a true story about a woman’s 13-month stay in prison. It’s a lot different than the Netflix series but that’s what I liked about it.

2. The Kite Runner: I couldn’t put this book down when I read it years ago. It’s an unforgettable story of human resiliency.

1. The Art of Racing in the Rain: What an incredible story about the love & loyalty of family from a dog’s perspective! There is something wonderful about the bond between our four-legged family members and this book is a great reminder of that.

5. I love bikes, but seriously, have you ever ridden a cruiser bike? I suppose they look cool, but they are big and bulky, take up nearly as much room as a car in the garage, and are not all that much fun to ride. Search your soul — you’ll find that I’m right.

4. If you’re at the store, and your bill is, say, $5.91, please don’t give the cashier a $10 bill and then search near and far for a penny. It’s ok to get a nickel & four pennies…you don’t have to have that dime.

3. The phrase “come on in, the water’s fine” should be stricken from the lexicon. No, the water isn’t fine. With few exceptions, the initial splash in any body of water is NOT pleasant.

2. The elasticity in a sweater cuff is finite and dies immediately after it works it’s way past mid-forearm. If you borrow one of my sweaters, and you proceed to push the cuff anywhere near your elbow, we may need therapy to continue our friendship.

1. Not the feet attached to the biggest/roughest oaf in the history of creation, and not the soft/precious feet of my babies…never is it ok to touch my leg with your bare feet.  

Angie:

5. Obnoxious drinking — gulping every sip really loudly then breathing heavily after, or smacking loudly for every bite.

4. Buff fans. (Proud to be a CSU Ram!)

3. The lane is ending ahead, there’s a long line of cars in the lane that’s not ending — the car that cruises past everyone waiting in the correct lane and turns on his blinker!

2. When someone asks you a question and it turns out they really aren’t listening/can’t even hear you because they are wearing earbuds!

1. I didn’t know this was a pet peeve until I read #5 above. Who doesn’t like cruiser bikes? No…seriously, they are comfortable, cute and fun for an easy ride with the family, a date night or with a group of friends.

5. I like to take a picture of what’s inside my fridge & pantry before going to the store so I don’t forget what we already have.

4. When we only have the heel of the loaf of bread, and my kids are hungry, I turn the heel outward sides inward and they never know their PB&J is different.   

3. I’m not a fan of ironing so I either hang the clothing in the bathroom during a steamy shower or throw it in the dryer with a wet washcloth — bye bye wrinkles!

2. When my husband got a new coat, it had a lot of static cling. I put a safety pin at the bottom of the coat — static cling was gone!

1. An old trick my grandma taught me — put a bright ribbon on your luggage and you’ll spot your bag every time and hopefully keep anyone else from taking it!

Devin:

5. I try to burn 1000 active calories a day. This would be impossible if not for my DeskCycle 2. This small machine fits under my desk and allows me to passively pedal (and still get my work done) for hours at a time.  

4. With 5 in our family, we have a lot of shoes. We’ve tried many different ways to keep them organized, but nothing stuck until I created my ‘wall of shoes’ in our garage.

3. I have used DayOne as a family diary for years, but I’ve recently expanded its use. I now have journals for things like yard work, dog records, and receipts. If I need to know the last time I fertilized my lawn I look in DayOne.

2. I hate clutter. This compulsion leads me to find/create order where I can, which in turn led to using velcro to store my computer at work (a Mac Mini) and external hard drive under my desk.  

1. There are many practical ways to use the Amazon Echo, but using it to add items to the grocery list is by far the most useful in my family. Combine this with grocery delivery, and we have to save hundreds of hours/year.

5. I’m a BIG believer in practicing good password habits, and 1Password is by far the best app I’ve found for managing passwords.

4. It’s not my primary task-management app, but if I need something that will bug the snot out of me until I finish the associated task, I use an app called Due.

3. I do a fair amount of writing, and I don’t like Google Docs or even Word…but I love writing within the Ulysses app. I use on my iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

2. Between kids & work, I have many recurring appointments. Cal Paste is awesome for quickly inputting these events in my calendar.

1. Finally, DayOne is a GREAT journaling app. I have separate journals for each of my girls, as well as a general journal for the family. My wife & I get a kick out of looking back on their/our lives.

Angie:

5. I never remember to bring coupons to the grocery store. The King Soopers app downloads coupons to your King Soopers card & applies them at checkout. You can also order groceries online & pick them up at the store (ClickList).

4. My boys (husband included) sleep better with some sort of white noise. When we’re on vacation, Relax Melodies app has been a lifesaver.

3. When we’re waiting in line or bored in the car, Heads Up! is a fun game to kill some time!

2. We recently installed a sprinkler system. Not only do we not have to move a sprinkler around the yard anymore, but with Rachio, we can schedule, or even turn on or off, from anywhere.

1. We have a lot of family/friends who live far away. The video walkie-talkie, Marco Polo is a fun way to stay connected with them!

Angie

5. Long Pond, our neighborhood lake, has become one of our family’s favorite spots. Our summers are filled paddleboarding, kayaking and swimming on/in the lake, and barbecuing on the beach. We have so many fond memories of summers spent at Long Pond.

4. Old Town – I know this is a favorite for many, but we really are lucky to have such a cool downtown. Anytime we have guests in town or something special to celebrate, Old Town is our spot. I love the shops, the restaurants, the ambiance, and the festivals in the summer. Old Town has so much to offer!

3. Breweries – I love a good beer, and I love trying a new beer. Odell is my family’s favorite, but there are many good breweries around the area. And with two young boys, I particularly like how kid-friendly most breweries have become. We drink beer, we play games with the kids, and we often meet friends.  

2. Horsetooth Rock – This is another place we like to take our guests! The hike is relatively easy, offers plenty of trees/shade along the way, and the views from the top are just beautiful.

1. Located in Arapaho National Forest, Poudre Canyon offers something for everyone. From hiking, camping & mountain biking to white water rafting & fishing — there is no end to the fun. I love driving through the picturesque canyon and the Colorado Marathon is one of my favorite races. Definitely one of my favorite spots in all of Northern Colorado.

Devin

5. I suspect everything at Matador Mexican Grill is good, but my favorite meal in town are their fish tacos, made “Matador style.”

4. The Oval at CSU holds many special memories for me. I’ve had classes overlooking the beautiful trees, and my family has enjoyed picnics and fun on the grounds. The Oval is one of my favorite spots to take guests, and one of my favorite things about Northern Colorado.

3. We have so much affection for our neighbors on Concord Dr. We have a neighbor who mows the lawn in pajama bottoms & no shirt (a man — this is a family newsletter); another has not only taught one of my daughters to fly cast but has also installed both a zip line & rope swing in our yard; and another continues to pass down great clothes and gear to my girls. We have everything from young families to a centenarian who served during WWII. Our neighbors are a special, and slightly eclectic, group.

2. My family loves riding bikes, and our favorite routes have always included some section of Spring Creek Trail. Not only is the trail beautiful & well-maintained, but it will take you so many places in Fort Collins.

1. My three girls have all gone to and loved Olander Elementary. Behind their great experiences are dedicated and loving teachers, a gifted counselor and the best front office staff & janitor around. In particular, Mrs. Sutliff, Mrs. Olbrys, Ms. Lauer, Mrs. Besanceney  Ms. Thompson have had lasting and profound effects on our girls.