Month: <span>September 2026</span>
YouTube Videos
I watch a lot of YouTube. If I had to get rid of all of our paid streaming subscriptions, YouTube would be the last one I would get rid of. I have a ton of channels I subscribe to from tech, travel, van life, vlogs. Just anything that I find interesting and can hold my attention for the whole video. I thought I’d share some good vids.
The Pacific Crest Trail is a hiking trail that goes from the Mexico border in San Diego all the way to the Canadian border. Titus Humphreys filmed his two attempts to finish the entire trail. I love hiking and to think that there are people who set out to do this epic hike is insane.
One of the smaller channels I follow, Garret the Nomad is a van lifer who travels around the country in his Storyteller van. That’s it. That’s his channel.
Harman Hoek will say he’s a hiker who films his hikes, but I’d argue he’s a filmmaker who hikes. Beautiful cinematography, music, and nature sounds. Great to leave on in the background while I work.
There’s a whole genre of YouTube channels that just go around filming their drives in real time. I know I’m lucky to live where I live when the drive along Coast Highway through Laguna Beach tends to come up as a frequent subject of these videos. Relaxing Scenes Driving is one of those channels.
This one is a weird one. I like to listen to something while I fall asleep. It could range from subliminal, motivational speaking to ambient sounds to sound baths. John Michael Godier is an author who does videos on science, astronomy, and mysteries of our universe. He has a low, calm voice and the way he narrates his videos easily makes me fall asleep. It’s weird, I know, but it works and his content is fascinating.
Crystal Cove
It is almost the end of September and the weather is finally starting to cool down. I decided to take Clifford for a walk at Crystal Cove State Park. Here are some photos from our 1.5 mile walk.
I’ll never take for granted where we live.
Chad Gilbert Death: New Found Glory Guitarist Dies at 45
On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep,” the band wrote. “He left this world surrounded by friends and family and took his final breaths with his wife and mother by his side, just as he wished.
The Florida group continued, “We are devastated and shocked by how quickly he left us, yet so grateful for how peacefully and smoothly he went. The amount of visitors that crowded the hospital lobby at a moment’s notice is a testament to how beloved and cherished Chad was, and always will be. He was a legendary musician, but his favorite accomplishment was being a husband and father. His biggest dreams came true.
If blink–182 was my first favorite pop punk band, NFG was the first band I was introduced to after getting into the genre. I immediately latched onto their music and if blink was ranked 1a on my list of favorite pop punk bands, NFG is definitely 1b.
During my time at the Apple Store, I met the lead singer of NFG, Jordan, on one of my shifts. It’s not the same as meeting Chad, but I definitely let him know that they were one of my favorite bands.
Thanks for all the music and memories, Chad. Rest in peace.
★New Apple CEO, John Ternus
On September 1, Tim Cook stepped down as CEO of Apple. John Ternus was appointed CEO, having previously served as SVP of Hardware Engineering.
Apple recently updated their leadership page. Turns out I have something in common with John Ternus. At the end of Ternus’ bio:
Prior to Apple, John worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
I, too, have a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
★