fredxmertz | Jan. 26th, 2025

Welcome, Humans! ⓗⓔⓛⓛⓞ( ^_^)

May many blessings be on you! May you have a pleasant time reading my nonsense! (b^_^)

New challenges await us in this timeline.

I'm now ensconced up here in my new hilltop retreat. Rent is a f*ck, for sure. I had been used to paying a MUCH smaller monthly rent (for my trailer space at the shop) Now I'm paying the rent for the trailer spot, in addition to a much higher rent than I'd had. BUT! I'm sharing a nice apartment with my good friend, and she has a great cat. I'm enjoying sharing some meals and other kitchen collaborations. The new place is on a hilltop, and has hiking and biking trails very close by. Some of them are clearly enchanted.

I did both Thanksgiving AND Xmas in L.A., driving down both times (like a crazy person) ┗(`O ´)┛

I drove down via the coast route on the way there, and highway 5 (inland) on the way back, both times. Atlas rode with me for the christmas trip. My mom is 86, and her health is not great right now, who knows how long she will be with us. So I was very happy to get both the kids down, James flew in. We didn't drive around much, we did get out to Broken Streets in San Pedro, and the Korean Friendship Bell.

I continue to be a kind of 'shop lead' role at the broom shop (broommagic.com) and our crew has changed a little bit, but production is going well. The owner is a true maverick, and my thoughts about buying out or taking over the shop are probably not reality-based. His kids don't want the business, and Samantha would be the other choice to take over, as she's been involved with the broom shop the longest, but she is busy living her best life on the oregon coast, 60 miles west, and in some ways, a world apart! She continues to rack up commissions as the 'sales arm' of the business (

broomchick on Etsy & IG) and does a booth at the sunday market during spring and summer

For my part, I still have some hopes to accompany Thurman to craft shows in Denver CO, Park City UT and Sun Valley ID over the summer. We'll see how that might play out....