Captivations is a bi-monthly(ish) post with links, stories, and news that captivated me.
July, August, September 2026
Hi! Here are a few notes from the last few months:
- I really like escape rooms. There are a few options in Austin and maybe when I’ve tried all of them, you’ll see a guide. Until then, check out one that I visited recently – Paniq Room
- You know I’m a Marvel fan. I have a soft spot for Spider-Man, and the new one, Brand New Day, is a good one. The last few years have been building to a new Avengers movie – Doomsday comes out in December!
- I’ve been to a few events by Siete Foods recently. They know how to throw a fun event! My favorite products: grain-free tortilla chips and the Mexican Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Please Use AI
This post is not what you think, and it’s worth re-reading often. Let it be messy and clumsy. Let us inconvenience others so that we choose connection over being efficient.
You’re Not Busy
“Let’s stop telling each other how busy we are.” If busy is your constant response, maybe it’s time to edit your time. Busy is sometimes nice, but so is resting. You don’t have to measure time by what you accomplish. Some great points in this article on Be More With Less.
Top Airports for Flight Deals
Looking for flight deals? This informative post by Going has the info you need! Surprisingly, Austin ranked in the top 10 for international flight deals while American Airlines took the top spot for airlines.
Optimizing
Are we over-optimizing our lives? This article on Zen Habits is a good one. What if, in optimizing, we are constantly seeing lack? Not everything needs to be tracked, and not everything needs to be efficient.
Magical Birthdays
“What if — now that we are the grown-ups — it’s our job to make the birthdays of the people in our lives special?” I like celebrating birthdays and making sure people feel celebrated on their birthdays. My not-so-uncommon tip for remembering birthdays: it’s its own calendar on Google Calendar. This post shares ideas for making birthdays more magical.
World Games
I found this daily game site to test your knowledge about the world: geography, flags, languages, and more.
On the Defense
One of my goals: being less defensive! If this is one of yours, here are some tips from Self.
Red Flags
This article about relationship advice was eye-opening. We are trained to evaluate people. I think it’s for mind organization or efficiency. We’re trying to get steps ahead to understand another person or come up with conversation topics. Sometimes the cues we’re given make us judge people. But as the article explains, connection isn’t built through analysis.
10,000 Steps Daily
Is your goal 10,000 steps a day? Very admirable and impactful, though that arbitrary number became popular because of a marketing campaign! New studies show 4,400-7,500 steps is a good place to be, with more benefits to more steps, which makes sense. Regular movement is related to mental and physical health.
20 Brilliant Short Books
I aspire to be more well-read, and this list of shorter yet impactful novels makes it less daunting. Sorry, Lonesome Dove and East of Eden, I’ll take the time one day!
5 Songs I Love Lately
- Cool by Dua Lipa
- The Knife by Gracie Abrams
- Soup by Remi Wolf
- Middle of Nowhere by Kacey Musgraves
- Hush by Muse and Ellie Goulding
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