iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 5h

"Oh, no...what if they have an accident?" Oh, no -- an accident at 15 mph/24 kph (tops; likely less!) vs. 70 mph/113 kph. And hell, on a Texas back road, 85 mph/137 mph...even worse... (Image in the replies...)

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 20h

Just backed this. The first two books are wonderful, and I look forward to the third! (And if you've not read any of the Khumalo Trilogy, you can get all three books in various formats.)

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

AJ narrated a story I wrote with multiple characters that I'd not have handled as well. (I've narrated fiction for over a decade.) But more than that, he was fun and easy to work with. So, if you need narration or a voice actor, I highly recommend him.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

On Hobbit Day, despite its flaws, I pay tribute to one of the few books that changed me. Reading this in fourth grade...having a best friend who went by Bilbo and having this and Dungeons and Dragons all hit in 4th and 5th grade was the best! That book took me places...

The opening page of JRR Tolkien's THE HOBBIT. Text seen reads: "Chapter I An Unexpected Party. In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit... followed by broken text...

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I moved to Texas in 1984...to Southlake. It was a as racist and homophobic then as it is today. I gave a friend many suspected was gay rides to school. (He is.) I was told I deserved to get AIDS and die by association. This podcast is a taste of the place: www.nbcnews.com/southlake-po...

nbcnews.com

Southlake podcast: Inside a critical race theory battle - NBC News

The “Southlake” podcast hosted by Mike Hixenbaugh and Antonia Hylton tells the story of how a Texas suburb became the center of a critical race theory battle.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Dad-gummed Millennials and their avocado toasts and fancy coffees! 😉

A small plate with two pieces of toast. On each piece of toast, a tomato, sliced avocado, hemp seeds, and Yellowbird habanero hot sauce. Also, some baked small potatoes and salsa. (And a glimpse of a coffee cup behind it all.)

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

AJ was soooooooo easy (and fun) to work with. He did a MUCH better job with this particular story than I could have. So, yeah: if you need narration, audiodrama cast, or just want to work with someone really cool, AJ it is! 😀

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

My wife is traveling to Missouri today to settle some things following her mom's death. It hit me: aside from a weekend, here and there when I was younger, I have never been alone at home for more than a few days. It will be an odd week and a half 1/5

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The mighty @ajfidalgo.com lends his voice to this accurate bit about writing 😀

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Just posted a long bit about World Suicide Prevention Day. The short versions is trans and other LGTBQ+ care is suicide prevention care! Something as simple as using one's preferred pronouns or name might keep them here and help them prosper. (Why would anyone be against that...except: evil!)

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

This might get long... My brother in law died by suicide. I have other friends who lost brothers to suicide. I've lost friends who were like brothers to me by suicide...

Image reading WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY - 10 SEPTEMBER - WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY - www.iasp.info/wspd

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I suppose it depends on TV show (Speed Racer), or movie. But I'll go with movie... (Well, no gif for this...)

The movie poster for the 1974 (1976 release in the U.S.) of Jack and the Beanstalk.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Driving home from work yesterday, I saw people on the side of the north Airfield Drive through DFW International Airport. I figured some old plane must be coming in. I spotted it, and then realized what it was: Cheeto Mussolini's Qatari-gifted 747-8 (Boeing VC-25B Bridge) on final approach...

Qatari-gifted Airforce One, in Dumbass Trump-branded livery, flying over Airfield Drive on the north end of DFW International Airport. Yeah, I normally keep my phone in my pocket, but it WAS a weird thing to just happen upon. It seemed like people were not allowed to stop in this little zone, but before (and especially after), there were a lot of parked cars all over and people waiting to get a glimpse.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

My mother in law died earlier this week. So, we've been getting outside to do things she liked seeing us do. (And my mom, as well...who died a little over a year ago.) This morning was the the Ray Roberts Lake Greenbelt. The Denton side is open. Sand wrecked me on the way back, but a good ride! ❤️

A gravel trail in a grassy prairie, opening to sunny morning skies. Trees in the foreground and distance.

A dusty 1991 GT Timberline mountain bike leaning against the railing of a bridge on a gravel trail cutting through the woods.

A gravel trail cutting through a prairie forest dappled by sunlight.

The dusty top of a cycling water bottle held in a gloved hand.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

It's been quite a week. Getting out this morning and spotting cottonmouths, a new plant (for us) and relaxing by Denton Creek was a nice way to begin a day...

A wee cottonmouth. When they are this young, they are easy to mistake for copperheads. But...the pixelation and eye stripe -- not to mention the head ridge -- give it away.

The wee cottonmouth in a defensive posture, looking back at us.

Snow on the Prairie. A white, starish bloom with little white flowers against dried brown prairie ground.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

For DECADES a song has been in my head. And in my mind, it was, "Blah blah blah blah fuckin' world" (X2) Let's all bring it down." I love this album, but have it on tape. So I've likely not listened to it in full sine 1990. Today, its 46th anniversary, I found the song! youtu.be/3d00ioQ66Mo?...

youtu.be

Forward to Death

YouTube video by Dead Kennedys - Topic

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

A big congratulations to the mighty John Picacio! His work on THE INVISIBLE PARADE is stunning, but then...he kinda has that down when it comes to the work he does (and has done for decades) 😉

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

So many Gen-Xers: "We drank from garden hoses and rode bikes everywhere (without helmets, even)...and we're better for it!" Meanwhile, the same people [largely] refused to let their kids wander nearby unattended. (And [smartly] insisted on helmets for those who DID get to ride around on their own.)

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

While I mostly ride an endurance road bike, my wife and I still drag out the old mountain bikes (1991 GT Timberline and 1998 GT Outpost Trail). We've been wanting to check out the trails in and around Ft. Worth when it cools down. I now want to even more... tpwmagazine.com/adventure-re...

tpwmagazine.com

Two Bike Riders Find Urban Adventure Along Fort Worth’s Trail System

Cowtown route visits iconic mountain bike trails and city’s notable and diverse landmarks.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Okay...one more. I have tried getting through The Lord of the Rings many times over the years. Closer... Ever closer...

The cover to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King on an old, outdated Kindle Fire...

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

While the next Not About Lumberjacks story looks like it will be a novella and is mostly done, I decided to record two of its seven sections today.

A view inside a closet. In the background: boxes and clothing. In the bottom left, a MacBook Air opened to a blank Adobe Audition file. A tube of DryMouth toothpicks on the computer. In the rest of the image, a pop filter in front of a Shure SM7B microphone and the first page of the story on a stand. It reads:
"PART ONE
THE WALL

Strange Days in Mûn Dell

Ruth Pearson is making bread in the kitchen when it happens: her Thermador oven and range morphs into a wood-burning stove and fireplace before her eyes. The lighting dims, and she believes for a moment that she’s having a stroke, but when she turns around, the pendant lights over the center island are replaced by candles. The marble surface is now an oak slab. A magazine-worthy designer kitchen transformed into something looking like the rustic set from a fantasy movie in an instant."

An Adobe Audition recording on a MacBook Air computer. Green waveforms and markers cover most of the screen. The file name: The Wall.

An Adobe Audition recording on a MacBook Air computer. Green waveforms and markers cover most of the screen. The file name: Mun Dell.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

From a hike last weekend. We're HOPING to get on a trail we've not been on in some time this weekend (with the old 90s mountain bikes), heat be damned. (Greenbelt Corridor from the Denton side.) Here's hoping I can get my old '91 GT Timberline in shape tomorrow.

Cynthia Griffith, in hiking boots, black pants, an orange t-shirt, carries a backpack as she walks away from view on a sandy hiking trail through taller grass. Before her: trees and sunlight peeking through.

A sandy trail cuts through grass. It is shades by a cluster of trees. More trees and a cloudy blue sky are in the distance. Morning light in the middle region.

From one side of a slow, wide creek looking across. Foreground: bushes and some driftwood. A small sandbar with a cluster of bushes on the right side is in the middle of the water. Beyond: grass, trees, and puffy clouds.

Looking down a rocky dried creaked. Some green vegetation on the sides, but the grasses are dried. Trees and clouds and sky beyond.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

As a technical writer who also writes fiction, I gotta support other tech writers who write fiction. This is a lovely (and wonderfully written) short story...

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

A short update about the next Not About Lumberjacks story, "Strange Days in Mûn Dell." nolumberjacks.com/august-2026-...

A hand drawn map in black pen with red points and day markers. In the upper right, and section labeled "Harrowed Lands." To its left, "Steppes." A river cuts through mountains where a town called Sangol lies to its north...and Valmorne to the south. "Skags" is written below that, with an arrow pointing south. There's a forest and plains to the west of Sangol, where "Mûn Dell" is written and circled.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..." And yet, the Declaration of Independence also mentions "merciless Indian Savages" -- and the majority of [only] men signing it owned Black people (and treated them like shit). The ripples of that echo 250 years later...

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Today marks the beginning of Year 34 with Cynthia. We don't make a big deal about it (going out; things like that). She requested pizza, so...the poolish gurgles away, and it will be a snazzy day!

A selfie of Christopher Gronlund and Cynthia Griffith in a hiking trail along a small stream. Both wear floppy hats, sunglasses, and backpacks with hydration tubes so they don't perish in the Texas heat. But it's pretty shaded and it is rumored they survived...

A top-down photo of bubbling, wet flour dough in a container.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Been a little while. We had to plan a trip to Missouri to visit my mother-in-law and help her get more settled in a nursing facility. But...things are returning to normal. I'll likely share more photos this weekend, but even though it was a somber trip, it was not without its moments...

An orange sunrise over the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Above, spotty clouds catching the rays.

Grass and trees in the foreground at the overlook at the top of Hot Springs Mountain, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In the distance (very small), trees and buildings below in the morning haze. A thin layer of clouds and a bit of blue sky above.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Luke's dev videos are always great, and this one is particularly fun... youtu.be/gb0dY7VyoBg?...

youtu.be

I made a golf game with video.

YouTube video by Luke Muscat

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Never a bad time to share this tune, but today seems especially pertinent. If you care about "the troops," you don't send them to die for corporate interests. youtu.be/JEmI_FT4YHU?...

youtu.be

Bob Dylan - Masters of War (Official Audio)

YouTube video by BobDylanVEVO

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Jeremy writes neat things and makes creatures you actually want in your home…

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Thirty years ago, one of my [many] favorite ska punk tunes came out on this band's first studio album... youtu.be/odNgkwLOCNE?...

youtu.be

No Face

YouTube video by The Suicide Machines - Topic

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Picked up SWAMP THING #88 today, and...it takes a LOT to make me nostalgic. With he old ads, it got me. And it made me REALLY want to drag out the @nancyacollins.bsky.social issues, 'cause that run is sooooooooo good! ❤️

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Good advice here. I know it's not easy to make the things you love when life is a stress cage. But if you're able to work on things you love, it's at least a bit of time lost in better things. (Also: You should totally follow Julia 'cause she's badass!)

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

And, because I hear SOME people are into some "May the Fourth Be with You," Star Wars thing, I MIGHT have insisted everyone call me Luke after seeing Star Wars: A New Hope when I was eight...

A kid's drawing in blue pen of Star Wars stuff. It is broken into several sections: ships, people, and droids. In the ships section, the escape pod, a star destroyer, I guess an X-wing fighter, a tie fights, and Vader's tie fighter. In "People" is a Jawa, a stormtrooper helmet, Vader's helmet, and Luke, Han, and Leia. In droids, we have C-3PO, R2-D2, the Death Star mouse droid (MSE-6 series repair droid), R5-D4, and the "spider" droid (WED-15 Septoid Treadwell). At the top, Star Wars is written and circled. Near that: To Mom From Luke. And then, in the lower right corner: "May the force be with you."

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

It's May 4th, so you know what that means... (Yep, Tibetan monks breakdancing in honor of Adam Yauch/MCA of the Beastie Boys!) youtu.be/_Q6NqX2bxtA?...

youtu.be

Watch Tibetan Monks Breakdance For Beastie Boys Adam Yauch Gothamist

YouTube video by Lhu BOOM

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Today is Bandcamp Friday--a day when @bandcamp.com waives revenue fees so artists and labels get the full share. Go buy some cool music! daily.bandcamp.com/features/ban...

daily.bandcamp.com

This Friday is Bandcamp Friday

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

I've been considering an edit and another round of queries with the last novel I wrote. What it's about, and why I'm considering this, here: www.patreon.com/posts/anothe...

patreon.com

Another Round? | Christopher Gronlund

Another Round? by Christopher Gronlund on Patreon. Join Christopher Gronlund's community for exclusive content and updates.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

We almost had an "Idaho Stop" bike law in Texas. The state Senate approved it, but then the House sat on it. Here's hoping it one day becomes a thing in the Lone Star State. (Three out of four bordering states allow it.) youtu.be/KCs5nDEZpoM?...

youtu.be

We Finally Have the Data on Cyclists Running Stop Signs

YouTube video by Shifter

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

And here I didn't think the day could get any better. But some on, this is glorious! 😀

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

In the early 2000s, a large pituitary tumor was discovered my head (when it hemorrhaged and messed me up). Since then, I've had regular treatment, but some blood draw results have always been out of range. Today was the first day EVER that everything was where it should be! 😀

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

I agree with this sentiment. This is one of the best things I've read in some time...

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

My wife was out on a walk and spotted a cottonmouth and a plain-bellied watersnake. (I guess, technically, a yellow-bellied watersnake in our area after a taxonomic shift to the subspecies. Anyway, cool snakes! 😀)

A beefy cottonmouth water moccasin at the edge of a clear stream. The shoreline is rocks and dirt. Most of its body is in the open, but its head/neck is in some greenery. (But still very visible.)

A plain-bellied watersnake (yellow-bellied subspecies) swims away in a shallow, clear stream. Beneath it: rocks. It swims toward some green vegetation growing in the stream.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Oh! I never shared this clip from the last behind-the-scenes look at the most recent Not About Lumberjacks story. It’s about being an atheist using Christian imagery and faith in the occasional story. nolumberjacks.com/behind-the-c...

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

It was a blood draw morning (the usual twice-a-year draw for ye olde pituitary tumor). On the way in, I saw a new Ford Bronco with a fresh SASQUATCH tire cover on the back. And then, in the parking lot, this. (Clearly, Bigfoot loves me...)

A white Sasquatch/Bigfoot silhouette sticker on the tinted window of a white car. Bigfoot plods along with his arms above his head. With his fingers, he makes a heart shape.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Yesterday was a dang nice day for a bike ride. (But then, even cold and rainy days are good days for a bike ride. [Hell, there may be a day when I say even hot and sunny days are good days for a bike ride, but probably not anytime soon!])

A POV view from a bike on a compacted gravel path running along a wooden fence to the left. Trees and blue skies in the background.

A long bridge/elevated multi-use path cutting through trees. Blue skies beyond.

A field of grass with trees in the distance. A gravel path cuts through the back end. Blue skies above.

A green/lichen Trek Domane AL5 Get 4 leaning against a white 2013 Toyota Corolla. The bike isn't dirty, but it's also not clean.

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Christopher Gronlund @cgronlund.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

In addition to the link to the @bywilliamjmeyer.com video I shared, there's also this: ko-fi.com/bywilliamjme... William's a Midwesterner, and I know how hard it is to ask for help. If you're in the LA area and in need of motion graphics, editing, or writing, he's a snazzy guy!

ko-fi.com

Support William J. Meyer

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