miles here. i’m a curious guy and am interested in the interesting and like to curate this semi-so-often (🤦) newsletter for my friends and anyone else who wants to tune in.
Friends! It’s been a minute. It’s hard to believe we haven’t chatted since Kitchen Swagger in February. Since then I’ve been everywhere from Portland to Progresso, Puerto Escondido to Palos Verdes, Palm Springs, and even a few places that don’t start with P (Oaxaca, Los Angeles, Mérida, Austin, and Minneapolis). Somewhere along the way, my notes went missing. My bad. Here’s a photo of me standing in front of a Johnny Rockets in the Progreso Airport cheesin’ big because I lost my first tooth eating a Johnny Rockets burger after t-ball practice…jeeze, ages ago really. 👴🏻
I’m in Portland now and life is good here where I’m feeling a little more settled. I just sat down to dinner with mom and dad, watched some Olympics, and am enjoying a coffee cup of Moose Tracks Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream while listening to the one and only Summertime by Rosinha De Valencia. You gotta spoil yourself with the simple things sometimes, am I right?
But boy oh boy do I have some 🔥🔥🔥 for you. I finally came up with a good system for tracking all these fun items that I write ya’ll about, and I gotta get all this good stuff off my chest. Without further ado, and wishing you and yours the best of summer times in these (still) strange times, here’s what’s been tickling my Elmo recently.
🎧 what i (was) listening to
Oaxaca2Puerto. Ok so I took this six-hour drive from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido back in February and made this dope playlist to listen to during my drive to and from the Pacific. Little did I know that on the way back (Puerto2Oaxaca; just listen to the playlist backward, obviously) I’d be experiencing a very rough case of Covid on and a very close encounter with some scorpions. It’s now actually a funny story but best shared over a cold drink so let’s grab one as the world opens up.
In the meantime, though, enjoy jamming to the secret beats and antique feats of Kerala Dust, Lenny Kravitz, Caetano Veloso, Nicolas Jaar, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mongo Santamaria, New Phunk Theory, Electric Light Orchestra, Quantic, and so much more in this 85-song banger of a collection. I think this music pairs well with desert road trips, sexy dinner parties or mixers, or upbeat creative work. Also summers.
✈️ what future destination i’m dreaming about
Mont Saint-Michel. I don’t know if I’ve just been ignorant or what, but have any of ya’ll heard of this spot? Mont Saint-Michel is a medieval abbey on a tidal island that remained unconquered during the Hundred Years’ War and is one of the OG UNESCO Heritage sites, and literally looks like it’s out of a fairytale that I actually want to be in. Unbelievable.
📚 what poem i’m re-reading
My mom posted this photo a while back and it’s a good mom post that deserves a son's share. lol.
thanks for reading. i appreciate you. it’s good to be back. 🙏
my best,
miles
PS. Have rare groove(s) I should be jamming to? A quote that’s moved you? A belly-aching video that the world needs to see but hasn’t yet? Send it my way by replying to this email! 🤩
🍔🦷 Miles's Notes #26
You need to check out my favorite band, Polyphia! They’re probably nothing like you’ve ever heard before, and you won’t be disappointed. :-) https://open.spotify.com/artist/4vGrte8FDu062Ntj0RsPiZ?si=A9yeOWtoSw2TSvJlx2THSg&dl_branch=1