WORD IS BORN

I started this blog WAY back in 2007 as "Word Is Born." The spirit remains the same: my thoughts and photos, random as they are. Enjoy.

Latest Grams:

WE THREE ARE ITALIAN CITIZENS! 🇮🇹 🎉 (Note: Super weird to celebrate anything considering COVID-19 and Black injustice crises.) Twelve years ago -- way before I had kids, right before I met Amanda -- I started exploring dual citizenship. Perch&egra

WE THREE ARE ITALIAN CITIZENS! 🇮🇹 🎉 (Note: Super weird to celebrate anything considering COVID-19 and Black injustice crises.) Twelve years ago -- way before I had kids, right before I met Amanda -- I started exploring dual citizenship. Perchè no? I didn't know what the future would hold, but I knew opening more doors for education and work in my father's country and greater EU would be good for me and future generations. Oh, and the history, culture, landscapes, pride of lineage, etc. I wanted to power up from half Italian to full citizen. I set a first citizenship appointment in San Francisco in 2010, the same year Amanda and I married, but didn't get enough paperwork together time. I had some other stops and starts but thanks to some major legwork led by cousin @mikebaiocchi I finally set an appointment two years ago for a January 2020 appointment at the consulate in San Francisco. We made it a fun little family vacation. The appointment itself went well (after some fair shaming about my language progress). We came home and waited for confirmation but of course COVID-19 devastated Italy, and I didn't expect to hear anything soon. Well, the surprise came in the mail today 🙌🏻. Eliza and Matteo automatically gained citizenship. Amanda has a few more steps (notably a high level of language achievement) to gain citizenship through marriage, but I am super pumped to reach this longtime goal! Forza Italia! 🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹

Took the family for a (peaceful protest) walk around the neighborhood. 👊🏻👊🏽👊🏿

Took the family for a (peaceful protest) walk around the neighborhood. 👊🏻👊🏽👊🏿

Last day in Kent HQ (but not my last at REI!). I've spent some of my best years here in the Kent valley.

I remember after leaving Eddie Bauer, my next stop had to be REI. They had a co-op model, big stores, real community events! I knocked on t

Last day in Kent HQ (but not my last at REI!). I've spent some of my best years here in the Kent valley. I remember after leaving Eddie Bauer, my next stop had to be REI. They had a co-op model, big stores, real community events! I knocked on these doors and many kind people responded. @nattyluna and @jordowilliams kindly met me for informational interviews. @lux2, after intense interrogation, finally conceded and offered me a job on the social media team to join @kelly_ann_walsh. Shout out to some of my other bosses over the years: @rowleycraig, @sarahjeanneisme @mrajet and @ph9er. Too many colleagues and teammates over the years to tag but so appreciative of the shared time. The work we did in this place will define my career and the brand for years to come. OptOutside, Force of Nature, etc. I’ve been able to pay it forward and meet people for informational interviews and hire some of them myself. I’ve met a lot of great people and forged a kit of friendship with people who were also willing to come to Kent. Because the location doesn’t matter so much as the mission. Shout out to those who literally drove with me and endured the I-5 commute that future generations won't comprehend: @jruckle @angelafgow @halleyrebecca @shelb_hall. Next stop, REI Tacoma (work at home) and a smattering of new Bellevue HQ. Onward.

I published monthly letters for these Puget Sound saltwater 🐟. Link in profile. #deareliza #dearmatteo

Dear Eliza, 92 Months Old

June 10, 2023

Welcome to summer break, kiddo. I know it’s not always as exciting as the bill. You shift from getting to hang out with friends at school for hours a day to hanging with family around the house and yard, albeit in much nicer weather. Of course, you’ll see friends and get your play dates, too. We won’t be as entertaining as your first grade class was this past year, but we’ll try!

Oh my gosh, you are going to be in second grade this fall! That’s the earliest grade I can remember. I had Mrs. Reilly and my homeroom was called Nehalem. It’s all coming back to me.

To help up the ante on the home front, we bought a family boat. Ahem, a family project. The boat is a wonderful, 17-foot Triumph with a center console and 70 horsepower Suzuki engine. I bought it from a motel owner in Federal Way who, by all means, was honest and fair in how he listed the boat and communicated with me throughout the sale process.

All that said, the engine overheated on our first outing and I haven’t been able to fix the problem yet. I’ve had a few buddies over to help with fixes. Like cars, boats can be expensive to fix in the shop. After replacing an impeller (circulates water into the engine to cool it) and now a thermostat (helps regulate the temperature), I’m hoping we solved it so we can proceed with a dreamy boating summer. Oh, and I also had to fix the plugs because we were taking on quite a bit of water. Like I said, it’s a boat but it’s also a project. But I’m learning a lot!

I appreciate, by the way, how patient you’ve been with the boat project and the gazebo project before it. Typing that, I have signed up for a lot of projects already this summer! These things take Dad time away from play time and I’m sensitive to that. The point of these things is to keep us more together, but sometimes you have to build things to enjoy them.

We are going to have an awesome summer, I promise. You have some camps that Mom signed up for and we’ll spend plenty of time at the pool and beaches at Harstine Island and hopefully spending some time on the boat.

Love, Dad