Hey AR,

Happy new year. I hope you are doing well. It’s been a good chunk of change since my last letter. The absurdity in the fact it’s the end of april is not lost on me; I do respect the general statute of limiations on the new year greeting. But in this instance I took some liberites, since it really brings out the sheer magnitude time passed since our last correspondence.

I’m married now. I still don’t proof read. I still live in the same apartment. Now you know how it looks and feels like. I re-signed the lease for another year this week. Or at least, my wife and I have. New York city has a funny guarantor system, that exists for people who don’t have credit scores. Back when I did not have a credit score, I needed someone with a credit score to “guarantee” me. Now, I have a stellar credit score. But it costs $300 to have my guarantor removed. Would someone with a stellar credit score be so fiscally irresponsible to drain their account of $300 just for a minor document update? No. And that’s why I am waiting for my aunt (my guarantor) to sign the lease.

I bought the book you recommended, zen and the motorcyle boy. I am on the third chapter, and I quite enjoy it. I can tell why you enjoy the book, and I can tell I’d probably enjoy it too. But one can’t deny, the author has a smugness that I can’t tell if he sees himself. So far, I am having a good time. I was also listening to it as I went for my 4.78km run around central park yesterday, right before I bought about 300g of sushi-grade tuna that with the intention of making a pokebowl lunch (which I succesfuly made and devoured, to great satisfaction. It was an experimental recipe, something of a “request” pokebowl¹).

I am a big fan of the “elevenlabs” app – the same app I used to convert the ebook version of the book into audio while I went for my pre-poke bowl. A couple of months ago, I finally finished the powerbroker². A good chunk of it, I consumed as an audiobook using the elevenreader app. It’s free right now. I wonder when the venture funded party will end and it become paid.

Due to the tardy arrival of this correspondence, there is a lot more I have to say, and share. But for now, I will leave with with the “request” pokebowl recipe.

A’s request pokebowl

1. Take some rice (any kind really)
2. Get some kewpie mayo. I happened to have some at home, it’s creamier than normal mayo – it uses yolks and something umami (don’t fact check)
3. get some furikakke seasoning, if you can
4. cut your sushi into cubes
5. take a bowl, add some kewpie mayo, some red chilli flakes, a touch of sriracha, and some garlic sauce I had at the time. Also, some fish sauce.
6. Cube the tuna, and in a bowl, let it marinate in a concotion of freshly grated ginger, soy sauce, and some hot honey. Probably do this step first, so it sits in the marinade for longer.
7. Take the rice, add some apple cider vinegar (that’s all I had, it wasn’t half bad)
8. Throw in the marinated tuna with all the liquid into the rice bowl.
9. Add some of that special kewpie sauch mixture.
10. Add some furikakke seasoning.
11. Squeeze some kewpie mayo on top for “style”.
12. Top with some toasted, roasted almonds.
13. Request, and enjoy

Until next time, A