# Evan, Perhaps
> Evan Mercer records grief, cats, office life, and a city increasingly full of unexplained public absurdity.
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).
## Pages
### Index
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/index/
Last updated: 2026-04-26T19:51:32.000Z
_No content available._
### Archive
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/archive-meta/
Last updated: 2026-07-05T17:17:34.000Z
_No content available._
### Start Here
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/start/
Last updated: 2026-07-11T01:45:53.000Z
![Evan Mercer](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/evan_face-1.jpg) 

Hi, I’m Evan. This is my life, such as it is.

**Editor’s note:** This site purports to document the daily life of Evan Mercer, a tech worker living alone in the city. As yet, his existence remains unverified.

The archive begins shortly after he returns to work from an unspecified absence.

[ Start with the first post Read Evan’s feed from the beginning. ](https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/trying-to-get-back-into-a-routine/) [ Latest posts Jump to the newest entries. ](https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/latest/) [ Monthly archive Browse posts by month. ](https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/archive/) [ Tag index Find recurring people, places, and motifs. ](https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/index/) [ Just joke posts The funny and strange stuff, with less continuity. ](https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/just-jokes/) [ Just story posts The posts most connected to the ongoing story. ](https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/just-story/)
### Just jokes
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/just-jokes/
Last updated: 2026-07-04T16:24:06.000Z
_No content available._
### Just story
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/just-story/
Last updated: 2026-07-04T16:50:51.000Z
_No content available._
### Latest
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/latest-meta/
Last updated: 2026-07-05T17:00:59.000Z
_No content available._
## Posts
### Doug had to be told yet again that having four tires is not sufficient to qualify as a vehicle.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/yet-again-doug-is-informed-that-having-four-tires-is-not-sufficient-to-qualify-as-a-vehicle/
Last updated: 2026-08-14T20:20:04.000Z
![Doug stands at a drive-through speaker wearing four car tires as hoops around his torso and waist while cars wait behind him.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/fri_4tire_drivethru-1.jpg)
### I made the mistake of making eye contact. I now serve and obey only Glorious Master.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-made-the-mistake-of-making-eye-contact-i-now-serve-and-obey-only-glorious-master/
Last updated: 2026-08-14T12:35:04.000Z
![A sleeping train passenger wears an eye mask printed with wide-open eyes, staring alertly from a window seat.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/08/fri_mask_eyes-1.jpg)
### The horse’s other half bolted after finding out what kind of petting zoo they’d been hired for.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-horses-other-half-bolted-after-finding-out-what-kind-of-petting-zoo-theyd-been-hired-for/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T22:32:16.000Z
![A lone front half of a brown pantomime horse walks along a suburban sidewalk, its empty rear costume dragging behind.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/08/thu_half_horse-1.jpg)
### Interlude - LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/interlude-lcd-soundsystem-north-american-scum/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T16:00:58.000Z
_No content available._
### Looks like a good crop of laces this year.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/looks-like-a-good-crop-of-laces-this-year/
Last updated: 2026-08-12T22:25:36.000Z
![Several gardeners plant shoes upright in neat soil rows while colourful shoelaces sprout from older rows like flowers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/wed_laces_crop-1.jpg)
### He asked why I don’t wear the armband.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-asked-why-i-dont-wear-the-armband/
Last updated: 2026-08-12T12:10:26.000Z
![A commuter poses on a train platform, pulling up his sleeve to show a purple armband with a narrow gold stripe.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/wed_armband_question-1.jpg)

We don’t know each other, but I’ve seen him at the station before. He must have seen the site.

I said, “I’m not religious.”

“It’s not a religion,” he said.

“It’s just not for me,” I said.

He said, “OK,” and that was that.
### Don’t you hate getting stuck behind someone who decided to do all their banking at once?
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/dont-you-hate-getting-stuck-behind-someone-who-decided-to-do-all-their-banking-at-once/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T16:58:13.000Z
![An irritated ATM queue waits behind a bald retail mannequin; one customer wears a purple-and-gold armband.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/tue_mannequin_atm-1.jpg)
### The pigeons weren’t fooled, but the real one kept asking if they wanted to "inspect his pedestal."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-pigeons-werent-fooled-but-the-other-one-kept-asking-if-they-wanted-to-inspect-his-pedestal/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T16:05:11.000Z
![Bronze-painted performer beside a matching statue, covered in pigeons while pedestrians pass along a busy downtown sidewalk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/tue.statue_performer-1.jpg)
### The door has been inspected and is certified to be substantially present.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-door-has-been-inspected-and-is-certified-to-be-substantially-present/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T19:37:16.000Z
![Two Reconciliation Services workers certify an ordinary office door while the maintenance man watches in the hallway.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/mon_door_certified-1.jpg)
### Interlude - Thee Oh Sees - Lupine Dominus
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/interlude-thee-oh-sees-lupine-dominus/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T16:00:03.000Z
_No content available._
### The Second Sky (part 1)
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-second-sky-part-1/
Last updated: 2026-08-14T19:29:00.000Z
I’ve been thinking about Leah more lately. She loved this story, and she loved telling it to me.

It’s a folk tale passed down in her family for generations. Since Leah can’t pass it on herself, I’m going to pass it on for her. I hope she’d approve.

It begins with her grandmother telling it to her when she was a young girl.

![Young Leah asks her grandmother about the aurora during a cozy winter evening. Her grandmother replies, “The first lights.”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/second_sky_part01_page01-1.jpg)

![Pale-haired villagers work beneath a vast green aurora in a snowy coastal settlement, carrying fish, wood, baskets, and sleds.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/second_sky_part01_page02.jpg)

![Under a bright aurora, pale-haired Sela directs workers, checks supplies, settles a dispute, and notices a troubling shortage.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/second_sky_part01_page03-1.jpg)

![Even this guy has more fans than I do.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/second_sky_part01_page04.jpg)

![Aurora-lit northern villagers share meals, mend tools, and welcome frost-covered Rovan home before settling in for the night.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/second_sky_part01_page05.jpg)

![Under a blazing aurora, Sela notices a birdless shore while Rovan finds an inland stream frozen too early.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/second_sky_part01_page06.jpg)

To be continued...
### She pretends she’s monitoring it, but I think she likes the company.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/she-pretends-shes-monitoring-it-but-i-think-she-likes-the-company/
Last updated: 2026-08-09T15:14:29.000Z
![Mabel crouches behind a robot vacuum on the living-room floor, following it with cautious, curious attention.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_mabel_vacuum-1.jpg)
### It had been warned to stop picking fights with bigger buildings.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/it-had-been-warned-to-stop-picking-fights-with-bigger-buildings/
Last updated: 2026-08-08T18:12:46.000Z
![Workers apply a giant adhesive bandage diagonally around the corner of a downtown office building.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sat_building_bandage-1.jpg)
### Apparently caring for a head baby is exhausting.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/apparently-caring-for-a-head-baby-is-exhausting/
Last updated: 2026-08-08T14:11:18.000Z
![A tired commuter on a city bus cradles a sleeping duplicate of his own head while nearby passengers ignore it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sat_head_baby-1.jpg)
### They’re really biting today.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/theyre-really-biting-today/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T17:23:21.000Z
![Three office workers fish through open upper-floor windows as bags and briefcases pile up beside them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/fri_bag_fishing-1.jpg)
### How else do you think the moon gets home after a night's work?
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/how-else-do-you-think-the-moon-gets-home-after-a-nights-work/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T12:10:29.000Z
![Two people struggle to push a huge handmade papier-mâché moon through the doorway of a commuter train.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/fri_moon_train-1.jpg)
### She angled the bag toward me before I even took my phone out!
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/she-angled-the-bag-toward-me-before-i-even-took-my-phone-out/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T21:25:10.000Z
![The Shopping Lady looks knowingly at the camera while presenting a worn tote packed with mismatched cabinet doors on a commuter train.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/thu_shopping_lady_showing-1.jpg)
### Interlude - Of Montreal - The Past Is a Grotesque Animal
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/interlude-of-montreal-the-past-is-a-grotesque-animal/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T16:00:44.000Z
_No content available._
### I briefly considered waving, but I didn’t want to find out what came next.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-briefly-considered-waving-but-i-didnt-want-to-find-out-what-came-next/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T02:31:30.000Z
![A suburban house at night, with a different human silhouette standing in every warmly lit window, watching the empty front yard.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/wed_housedold_observers-1.jpg)
### Inside, I asked how long the wait was. She asked how I felt about heights.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/inside-i-asked-how-long-the-wait-was-she-asked-how-i-felt-about-heights/
Last updated: 2026-08-05T16:20:47.000Z
![Four restaurant booths are stacked up an exterior wall while a server uses a ladder and a safety cushion waits below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/wed_vertical_patio-1.jpg)
### All he wanted was a little quiet alone time.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/all-he-wanted-was-a-little-quiet-alone-time/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T22:32:09.000Z
![Firefighters rescue a giant stuffed rabbit from a tree while its young owner directs the operation through a megaphone.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/tue_tree_rabbit-1.jpg)
### Worst drive-in I’ve ever seen.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/worst-drive-in-ive-ever-seen/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T17:00:21.000Z
![Rows of empty cars face a worn couch in a parking lot, as if waiting for the world’s worst drive-in movie to begin.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/tue_couch_drivein-1.jpg)
### The date says no.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-date-says-no/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T18:27:37.000Z
![Evan holds an old employee badge dated 2019 above a drawer of tangled lanyards; the photo strongly resembles the Formal Man.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/mon_fm_lookalike-1.jpg)

Facilities is installing new badge readers, and I’ve been tasked with testing some old badges for compatibility because I’m apparently the only person who knows where they are.

This was the third badge I picked up.

For a second I thought it was you know who.

It can’t be him, though. The date is too recent.
### Interlude - Viagra Boys - Milk Farm
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/interlude-viagra-boys-milk-farm/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T15:59:44.000Z
_No content available._
### Run pasta boy, run!
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/run-pasta-boy-run/
Last updated: 2026-08-02T19:49:58.000Z
![A man in a giant ravioli costume runs down a city sidewalk as a laughing crowd chases him with oversized forks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_pasta_boy-1.jpg)
### It was clearer after midnight.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/it-was-clearer-after-midnight/
Last updated: 2026-08-02T14:30:50.000Z
![Mabel watches an old yellowed baby monitor on Evan’s coffee table late at night, beside batteries, a mug, and a glass of water.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_monitor_first_sounds-3.jpg)

I left it on channel two for about an hour. Mostly static and what sounded like someone washing dishes.

Then a woman said something like, “No, she’s asleep. Leave it.”

A little later the same sounds started again. Same dishes, same pause. Except this time I heard, “No, he’s awake. Leave it.”

I may be forcing words onto static after listening to it too many times. No lullabies, but something at least.

Recording attached. Headphones probably help.

Channel two after midnight

0:00

/120

1×
### "Despite its precarious construction, the adult office giraffe can remain in one place for several days. Its only natural predator is Facilities, which recognizes neither camouflage nor artistic intent—only twelve missing chairs."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/despite-its-precarious-construction-the-adult-office-giraffe-can-remain-in-one-place-for-several-days-its-chief-threat-is-facilities-which-recognizes-neither-camouflage-nor-artistic-int/
Last updated: 2026-08-01T20:16:09.000Z
![Six people tend a giraffe built from stacked office chairs in a plaza, while one feeds it leafy branches from a ladder.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sat_office_giraffe-1.jpg)
### Initially, Bob was excited to be part of the city’s campaign to put faces to public services.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/initially-bob-was-keen-to-be-part-of-the-citys-public-faces-for-public-services-initiative/
Last updated: 2026-08-01T16:51:42.000Z
![A man disguised as a public bench supports two seated strangers while another waits nearby in a downtown plaza.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sat_public_face-1.jpg)
### Found this note slipped under my door. Guess I’ll give it another shot.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/found-this-note-slipped-under-my-door-guess-ill-give-it-another-shot/
Last updated: 2026-08-01T02:33:20.000Z
![An old baby monitor sits beside a note reading “Channel two is clearer after midnight,” while Mabel watches from a nearby chair.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/fri_monitor_note-1.jpg)
### They were told to prepare for a VIP. Nobody thought to clarify the "P".
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/they-were-told-to-prepare-for-a-vip-nobody-thought-to-clarify-the-p/
Last updated: 2026-07-31T16:32:57.000Z
![Five workers hurry to lay and reuse a red carpet beneath a pigeon crossing a downtown plaza.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/fri_vip_pigeon-1.jpg)
### Apparently the emergency is us.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/apparently-the-emergency-is-us/
Last updated: 2026-07-31T02:10:20.000Z
![Headless mannequins with bright rotating red-and-blue police lights reach through a rain-wet plaza at night.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/thu_mannequin_sirens-1.jpg)

I should have takem a video dammit. With the spinning lights and sirens it was quite a scene. I'm sure you can find it on YouTube.
### Interlude - Pavement - Platform Blues
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/interlude-pavement-platform-blues/
Last updated: 2026-07-30T16:03:42.000Z
_No content available._
### Introducing a new participant to the excitement of standing near lights.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/introducing-a-new-participant-to-the-excitement-of-standing-near-lights/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T23:33:37.000Z
![Evan takes a selfie with Nora beside glowing pinball machines in a worn local arcade.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/wed_nora_arcade-1.jpg)

We grabbed a bite, caught up for a while, and I talked Nora into playing a few games afterward. She humored me. I may have taken the pinball portion more seriously than necessary.
### Many children dream of becoming astronauts, doctors, or scientists. Then there’s Gordon.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/many-children-dream-of-becoming-astronauts-doctors-or-scientists-then-theres-gordon/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T16:14:00.000Z
![A man uses a tiny remote-control excavator to lift mashed potatoes from his restaurant plate toward his open mouth.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/wed_motorized_mash-1.jpg)
### I respect the commitment. I have concerns about downstream logistics.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-respect-the-commitment-i-have-concerns-about-downstream-logistics/
Last updated: 2026-07-28T21:10:45.000Z
![Man at a bus stop carries a full office water cooler on his back and fills a paper cup through a tube.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_cooler_backpack-1.jpg)
### They kept asking him if he was sure he hadn’t parked in both realities.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/they-kept-asking-him-if-he-was-sure-he-hadnt-parked-in-both-realities/
Last updated: 2026-07-28T16:30:12.000Z
![Two city workers measure overlapping parking spaces around a sedan beside a van labeled Reconciliation Services.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/tue_parking_reconciliation-1.jpg)
### She will deny this later.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/she-will-deny-this-later/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:55:00.000Z
![Mabel sleeps in a sunbeam, pressed comfortably against the ceramic clown bust on Evan’s living room floor.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/mon_mabel_clown_sun-1.jpg)
### Interlude - Queens of the Stone Age - Better Living Through Chemistry
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/interlude-queens-of-the-stone-age-better-living-through-chemistry/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T16:13:13.000Z
_No content available._
### Festival of Feasts
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/day-of-feasts/
Last updated: 2026-07-26T23:36:34.000Z
(AKA Feastival AKA Feastivus)

Wow!! They really outdid themselves this year! I listed these in chronological order.

![Paleolithic diners in hides eat roasted meat around a low fire in a modern city park as joggers pass behind them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_paleolithic-1.jpg)

Paleolithic feast — Upper Paleolithic Europe, c. 20,000 BCE.

![Neolithic diners in woven tunics share grains, bread, fruit, and clay vessels on mats beside a modern park path.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_neoloithic.jpg)

Neolithic feast — the Levant, c. 7000 BCE.

![Bronze Age diners in draped garments share a low wooden feast with bronze cups and pottery in a modern city park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_bronze_age.jpg)

Bronze Age feast — the Aegean, c. 1600 BCE.

![Ancient Egyptian diners in white linen and jeweled collars feast at low tables while attendants hold feather fans.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_egypt.jpg)

Ancient Egyptian feast — Thebes during the New Kingdom, c. 1400 BCE.

![Iron Age diners in wool tunics share bread and bowls on blankets, with shields and spears beside them in a modern park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_iron_age.jpg)

Iron Age feast — Britain, c. 300 BCE.

![Roman feasters recline around a lavish spread in a city park while armored guards stand watch and joggers pass.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_roman.jpg)

Roman feast — Rome, c. 100 CE.

![Byzantine diners in purple-and-gold robes share an ornate low banquet on carpets in a modern urban park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_byzantine..jpg)

Byzantine feast — Constantinople, c. 800 CE.

![Viking diners in wool, fur, and leather feast at rough wooden tables with shields and drinking horns nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_viking.jpg)

Viking feast — Scandinavia, c. 950 CE.

![Medieval diners in period dress gather at a long outdoor feast with banners and guards in a modern park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_medieval.jpg)

Medieval feast — England, c. 1350 CE.

![Aztec diners in feathered regalia and woven garments share food from painted pottery on mats in a city park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_aztec.jpg)

Aztec feast — Tenochtitlan, c. 1500 CE.

![Benin courtiers in coral-bead regalia and patterned robes share a formal feast with brass vessels in a modern city park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_benin.jpg)

Kingdom of Benin court feast — Benin City, c. 1600 CE.

![Mughal courtiers in jeweled robes and turbans dine on carpets amid brass vessels, fruit, and attendants in a modern park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_mughal.jpg)

Mughal feast — Agra, c. 1650 CE.

![Edo-period diners in kimono share lacquered dishes beneath parasols and cherry blossoms in a modern city park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_hanami.jpg)

Edo-period hanami feast — Edo, c. 1750 CE.

![Rococo guests in pastel gowns, brocade coats, and powdered wigs dine at an ornate table in a modern park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_rococo.jpg)

Rococo feast — France, c. 1770 CE.

![Contemporary guests share a lavish white-tablecloth picnic with flowers and wine in a sunny city park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_modern.jpg)

Contemporary feast — North America, 2020s.

![Futuristic diners in metallic clothing sit around a reflective high-tech banquet table in a modern park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_feast_futuristic.jpg)

Futuristic feast — North America, late 22nd century.
### As promised, the Sock Siren lured the hipsters out of the neighborhood. But at what cost?
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/as-promised-the-sock-siren-lured-the-hipsters-out-of-the-neighborhood-but-at-what-cost/
Last updated: 2026-07-26T17:16:42.000Z
![A woman in a cape of unmatched socks leads a laughing, dancing line of hipsters down a city sidewalk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_sock_siren-1.jpg)
### Everyone else wondered what he was doing. I was mostly impressed he found a power outlet.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/everyone-else-was-wondering-what-he-was-doing-i-was-mostly-impressed-he-found-an-outlet/
Last updated: 2026-07-25T18:51:53.000Z
![A man vacuums a patch of grass in a public park while nearby visitors watch and a long extension cord trails away.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sat_vacuuming_grass-1.jpg)
### He’d had enough of coin-wishing. Time to try some wish-fishing.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/hed-had-enough-of-coin-wishing-time-to-try-some-wish-fishing/
Last updated: 2026-07-25T14:34:55.000Z
![A serious man fishes with a tiny toy rod in a shallow public fountain filled with coins while pedestrians pass by.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sat_wish_fishing-1.jpg)
### He kept putting it against walls and yelling, "It doesn’t work!"
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-kept-putting-it-against-walls-and-yelling-it-doesnt-work/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T19:51:19.000Z
![Man on a city sidewalk holds an old framed window against a wall while pedestrians pass, testing whether it “works.”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/fri_portable_window-1.jpg)
### Interlude - Parquet Courts - Freebird II
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/interlude-parquet-courts-freebird-ii/
Last updated: 2026-07-24T16:31:51.000Z
_No content available._
### Caught!
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/caught/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T21:45:12.000Z
![Older woman on a commuter train raises one eyebrow at the camera beside a canvas tote packed with umbrellas.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/thu_caught-1.jpg)
### They started manifesting after she sat down. Must be nice to have followers.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/they-only-started-appearing-after-she-sat-down-must-be-nice-to-have-followers/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T16:10:55.000Z
![A woman sits alone in a café booth as human-sized greasy handprints cluster on the window behind her.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/thu_hand_prints-1.jpg)
### The door is back, apparently, and with a vengeance.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-door-is-back-apparently-and-with-a-vengeance/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T20:45:58.000Z
![Barred office door glowing green while smoke leaks from the edges and a maintenance man shrugs nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/wed_door_returns-1.jpg)

I asked if we should evacuate or call 911\. He said, “Give it ten minutes. Sometimes these things settle.”

He was right.
### Everyone else brought laptops like cowards.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/everyone-else-brought-laptops-like-cowards/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T19:52:38.000Z
![A café customer uses a bulky desktop computer at a small table while other customers sit nearby with normal coffee-shop gear.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/wed_coffeeshop_desktop-1.jpg)
### Leah
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/leah/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T02:09:20.000Z
Been going through some old photos of Leah and me. For the first time in a long time I can think about her without completely falling apart.

There's something about her.  
There's something...  
*Something.*

![Leah holds an oversized vegetable at a modest farmers’ market.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/tue_leah_market-1.jpg)

![Evan and Leah stand near gray water on a cold, windy beach day.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/tue_leah_breach.jpg)

![Leah naps on the couch with Mabel asleep against her.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/tue_leah_mabel_couch.png)

![Evan and Leah sit bundled on a winter park bench with coffee.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/tue_leah_park.png)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/tue_leah_store.jpg)

![Evan and Leah take an awkward selfie in a dim aquarium or museum exhibit.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/tue_leah_aquarium.jpg)

![Leah sits on the floor with Mabel settled inside a cardboard box.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/tue_leah_box.jpg)
### Interlude - Squid - Terrestrial Changeover Blues (2007–2012)
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/interlude-squid-terrestrial-changeover-blues-2007-2012/
Last updated: 2026-07-21T16:00:15.000Z
I'm posting this for no better reason than I like it and have nothing better to go with. I'll probably make this a recurring thing.
### This is what hybrid work was always leading to.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-is-what-hybrid-work-was-always-leading-to/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T20:06:00.000Z
![Empty office cubicle with a jacket seated at the keyboard, sleeves on the keys and monitor glow lighting the hollow collar.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/mon_hybrid_work-1.jpg)
### Portable, collapsible, enforceable perimeter. I like it.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/portable-collapsible-enforceable-perimeter-i-like-it/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T12:40:06.000Z
![A packed commuter train passenger wears an open laundry drying rack as a personal-space barrier.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/mon_portable_perimeter-1.jpg)
### Recent developments in sand.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/recent-developments-in-sand/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T00:53:31.000Z
Wholesome fun for the entire family!

![Enormous sand head wears a many-legged parasite like a crown while beachgoers look on.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_sand_parasite.png)

![Giant demon sand sculpture appears to pull itself from the beach as visitors stand around it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_sand_demon.jpg)

![Huge screaming sand heads form a semicircle around an empty conductor platform on the beach.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_sand_choir.png)

![Giant sand kitten playfully bats at a Cthulhu-like sand monster on a busy beach.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_sand_chtulu.jpg)

![Huge alien sand sculpture rises from a crowded beach while beachgoers watch calmly nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_sand_alien.jpg)

![Massive sand pipe organ is played by an enormous many-fingered hand emerging from the beach.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_sand_organ.jpg)

![Giant human skull sand sculpture has tiny worker figures cleaning its teeth with ladders.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_sand_skull-1.jpg)

![Huge sand spider looms over a human-shaped sand figure while beachgoers observe the installation.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_sand_spider.jpg)
### This is why you shouldn’t leave your laundry unattended.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-is-why-you-shouldnt-leave-your-laundry-unattended/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T14:00:29.000Z
![Two laundromat customers try to evict a man from their buttoned duvet cover, with only his shoes and one hand visible.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sun_duvet_man-1.jpg)
### The Witness Cloak
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-witness-cloak/
Last updated: 2026-07-18T18:48:38.000Z
![Public performers sit facing away from a central figure wearing a dark coat covered in sewn-on fabric eyes.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sat_witness_cloak-1.jpg)
### I think they were demonstrating virtual-particle-pair creation from fluctuations in quantum fields. Or a workplace disagreement with better costumes.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-think-they-were-demonstrating-virtual-particle-creation-from-fluctuations-in-quantum-fields-or-a-workplace-disagreement-with-better-costumes/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T20:02:12.000Z
![Two public performers in a plaza point at each other, one covered in mirrors and one wrapped in black fabric.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/sat_quantum_occurence-1.jpg)
### Someone accused them of having tunnel vision. Big mistake.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/someone-accused-them-of-having-tunnel-vision-big-mistake/
Last updated: 2026-07-17T20:15:37.000Z
![Coworkers build a cardboard tunnel between cubicles while a woman crawls through it holding a laptop.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/fri_tunnel_vision-1.jpg)
### "Here the North American plaza bird incubates its egg, relying on camouflage, stillness, and everyone’s unwillingness to get involved."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/here-the-north-american-plaza-bird-incubates-its-egg-relying-on-camouflage-stillness-and-everyones-unwillingness-to-get-involved/
Last updated: 2026-07-17T16:20:38.000Z
![Person in gray bird costume sits in a plaza nest made of scarves and paper, warming a large egg as pedestrians pass.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/fri_plaza_bird-1.jpg)
### This is what happens when you try to cut through Project Management. They removed what they could and released him back into Accounting.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-is-what-happens-when-you-try-to-cut-through-project-management-they-removed-what-they-could-and-released-him-back-to-accounting/
Last updated: 2026-07-17T01:40:40.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/wed_department_bramble-1.jpg)
### Local theater group performing an adaptation of 'The Sound of Music.' I may have missed some setup.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/local-theater-group-performing-an-adaptation-of-the-sound-of-music-i-may-have-missed-some-setup/
Last updated: 2026-07-16T16:00:02.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/thu_dinosaur_musical-1.jpg)
### He’s trying very hard to make "Puddin’ Shoes Mike" happen. Still better than "Tarantula Pants Mike" was.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/hes-trying-very-hard-to-make-puddin-shoes-mike-happen-still-better-than-tarantula-pants-mike/
Last updated: 2026-07-17T01:41:08.000Z
![Office worker walks carefully down a hallway in dress shoes filled with vanilla pudding while coworkers avoid eye contact.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/07/wed_puddin_shoes-1.jpg)
### Shade delivery was inevitable.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/shade-delivery-was-inevitable/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T17:00:40.000Z
![Woman with a patio umbrella strapped to her back shades several people in a sunny plaza, with a tip jar nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/wed_shade_delivery-1.jpg)
### One question answered, I guess.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/one-question-answered-i-guess/
Last updated: 2026-07-14T17:15:39.000Z
![Shopping Lady stands in a dry mall fountain, picking through discarded objects and placing them into her large canvas bag.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/tue_fountain_shopping-1.jpg)
### They had come to see if the rumors were true.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/they-had-come-to-see-if-the-rumors-were-true/
Last updated: 2026-07-14T16:03:09.000Z
![A man sits inside a mall display window while mannequins stand outside the glass watching him.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/tue_mannequin_rumors-1.jpg)
### He said it needed time to breathe. I said I needed time to call his case worker.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-said-it-needed-time-to-breathe-i-said-i-needed-time-to-call-his-case-worker/
Last updated: 2026-07-13T16:20:20.000Z
![A diner customer solemnly inspects ketchup poured into a wine glass while fries sit nearby on a modest restaurant table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_ketchup_inspection-1.jpg)
### The lid data suggested the city’s unregistered tiny coffee-drinking population was much larger than previously thought.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-lid-data-suggested-the-citys-unregistered-tiny-coffee-drinking-population-was-much-larger-than-previously-thought/
Last updated: 2026-07-13T12:44:23.000Z
![Commuter kneels by a public trash can, sorting discarded coffee lids into careful concentric rings on a busy sidewalk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/wed_tiny_lids-1.jpg)
### Zoo day
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/zoo-day/
Last updated: 2026-07-12T23:57:51.000Z
Had a great time at the zoo with Nora and Julie.

Julie’s favorites were the orangutan, the elephants, the giraffes, the penguins, and the gorillas.

Good day. Everyone came home tired in the correct way.

![Julie watches an orangutan through zoo glass while Nora stands nearby on an overcast day.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_zoo_orangutan-1.jpg)

![Evan takes an awkward partial selfie as Nora and Julie feed or watch giraffes at the zoo.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_zoo_giraffes.jpg)

![Nora and Julie look into a tiger enclosure while the cat rests nearby behind the barrier.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_zoo_tiger.jpg)

![Nora and Julie watch large Anisodon Grandes in a zoo enclosure, including one standing on long forelimbs.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_zoo_anisodons.jpg)

![Nora and Julie watch elephants in a zoo habitat on a warm, overcast day.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_zoo_elephants.jpg)

![Nora and Julie stand at a zoo rail watching tall flightless azhdarchids in a wetland habitat.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_zoo_pterosaur.jpg)

![Evan takes a partial selfie while Nora and Julie watch gorillas through the zoo viewing glass.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_zoo_gorillas.jpg)

![Nora and Julie watch a line of penguins at the glass, with one penguin heading the wrong way.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_zoo_penguins.jpg)
### Nobody tells you photography is mostly advanced crouching.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nobody-tells-you-photography-is-mostly-advanced-crouching/
Last updated: 2026-07-12T14:30:55.000Z
![Wedding photographer crouches awkwardly for a shot while dressed-up guests blur behind him at a modest outdoor reception.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_crouching_photographer-1.jpg)
### This is why the shot clock was introduced.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-is-why-the-shot-clock-was-introduced/
Last updated: 2026-07-11T18:21:15.000Z
![Pickup players lie flat across a park basketball court, each calmly holding a ball to their chest.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sat_basketball_shot_clock-1.jpg)
### "Each year, the mannequins begin the long crawl back to the spawning grounds while shoppers carefully pretend not to notice."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/each-year-the-mannequins-begin-the-long-crawl-back-to-the-spawning-grounds-while-shoppers-carefully-pretend-not-to-notice/
Last updated: 2026-07-11T23:56:57.000Z
![Department store shoppers browse around face-down mannequins spread across the clothing aisle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sat_mannequin_spawning-1.jpg)
### A routine amount of impossible.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/a-routine-amount-of-impossible/
Last updated: 2026-07-10T23:00:10.000Z
![Server carrying six dinner plates through a crowded family restaurant during a busy dinner rush.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/fri_busy_waitress-1.jpg)
### Someone said, “I think it's the cat door guy!” It wasn’t.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/someone-said-i-think-thats-the-guy-who-got-stuck-in-the-cat-door-it-wasnt/
Last updated: 2026-07-10T21:15:52.000Z
![Commuters film a man tying his shoe on a train platform after mistaking him for someone from a local news story.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/fri_filming_circle-3.jpg)
### The synchronized laundry team looked strong today.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-synchronized-laundry-team-looked-strong-today/
Last updated: 2026-07-09T22:26:27.000Z
![People lean into open laundromat washers in a synchronized row, like a laundry-day swim team.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/thu_synchronized_laundry-1.jpg)
### A brief pause for driver recalibration.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/a-brief-pause-for-driver-recalibration/
Last updated: 2026-07-09T12:50:33.000Z
![Uniformed bus driver stretches beside a stopped city bus during a layover while passengers wait nearby at the curb.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/thu_bus_stretch-1.jpg)
### This was not helpful, but it was sincere.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-was-not-helpful-but-it-was-sincere/
Last updated: 2026-07-08T16:40:00.000Z
![A joyful clown jumps beside roadwork as balloon-tied traffic cones float away while workers hurry back too late.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/wed_cone_flight-1.jpg)
### Formal man update
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/formal-man-update/
Last updated: 2026-07-08T12:51:49.000Z
![Older formal man checks a pocket watch beneath a station clock while commuters pass, including one with a purple-and-gold armband.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/wed_formal_man_update-1.jpg)

I've seen him a couple of times since our meeting. He never even acknowledges my existence no matter how much I stare at him. I still can't figure out what his story is. Nora suggested he was like her, someone who saw my site and decided to have some fun. He doesn't seem like the type, but who knows.

Government agent seems unlikely. Maybe a private investigator? I don't know what he could be investigating I would know anything about. Was thinking about calling him "The man in black," but that's too on the nose. Until he gives me his name "The formal man" it shall be.
### You could tell he had already said “come on” many times.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/you-could-tell-he-had-already-said-come-on-many-times/
Last updated: 2026-07-07T22:45:06.000Z
![A man drags a microwave down the sidewalk by its cord like a stubborn pet refusing to keep walking.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/tue_microwave_walk-1.jpg)
### Having now attended meetings with both oversight and undersight, I prefer email.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/having-now-attended-meetings-with-both-oversight-and-undersight-i-prefer-email/
Last updated: 2026-07-07T14:00:55.000Z
![Office workers continue a meeting while a man lies under the conference table as if providing undersight.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/tue_meeting_undersight-1.jpg)
### The last time they said “Just put on the damn shoes,” the argument lasted forty minutes.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-last-time-they-said-just-put-on-the-damn-shoes-the-argument-lasted-forty-minutes/
Last updated: 2026-07-06T21:44:55.000Z
![Man in socks crosses a sidewalk on carpet squares while two people move the squares ahead of him.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/fri_carpet-sample_walk-1.jpg)
### He’s the head scientist at my company.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/hes-the-head-scientist-at-my-company/
Last updated: 2026-07-06T12:30:19.000Z
![Head scientist sits on a commuter train strapped to one seat with several belts while other passengers ignore it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_train_belts-1.jpg)

I asked him what’s up with the belts. He would only say "Just in case."

 Why does everyone keep saying that?
### Some days you just sit where the day puts you.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/some-days-you-just-sit-where-the-day-puts-you/
Last updated: 2026-07-05T19:40:58.000Z
![A man in a suit sits cross-legged in a shopping cart centered in a parking space, holding coffee in an overcast lot.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_cart_sitting-2.jpg)
### He stood there like the bench was the one embarrassing itself.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-stood-there-like-the-bench-was-the-one-embarrassing-itself/
Last updated: 2026-07-05T16:40:53.000Z
![A man in a red cape stands beside a park bench, keeping his dignity while the cape is caught in the wooden slats.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sat_cape_caught-1.jpg)
### The Mouth of the Void nearly pulled me in, but I remembered I needed paper towels.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-mouth-of-the-void-nearly-pulled-me-in-but-i-remembered-i-needed-paper-towels/
Last updated: 2026-07-04T19:14:50.000Z
![Empty transit escalator descends from a fluorescent tiled concourse into a dark lower level.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sat_mouth_of_void-1.jpg)
### The pancakes had obtained a human host and immediately used it to order pancakes.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-pancakes-had-obtained-a-human-host-and-immediately-used-it-to-order-more-pancakes/
Last updated: 2026-07-10T02:28:21.000Z
![A man in a diner booth reads a menu with a stack of syrupy pancakes balanced on his head.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sat_pancake_hat-1.jpg)
### She won the building raffle, but the prize was a "unit sanitation event."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/she-won-the-building-raffle-but-the-prize-was-a-unit-sanitation-event/
Last updated: 2026-07-10T02:27:35.000Z
![Woman reads a letter in an apartment lobby while neighbors in party hats celebrate around her.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/fri_raffle_winner-1.jpg)
### "Having reached the end of his larval stage and now enclosed in the safety of the cocoon, this management hopeful’s old form will begin to dissolve and rearrange. If all goes well, he will emerge soon: damp, blinking, and asking for the Q2 numbers."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/having-reached-the-end-of-his-larval-stage-and-now-enclosed-in-the-safety-of-the-cocoon-this-management-hopefuls-old-form-will-begin-to-dissolve-and-rearrange-if-all-goes-well-he-will-e/
Last updated: 2026-07-03T14:22:32.000Z
![Bubble-wrapped office worker being lowered into his chair by coworkers in a plain cubicle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/fri_office_cocoon-1.jpg)
### None of them would admit to being a photo of Derek.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/none-of-them-would-admit-to-being-a-photo-of-derek/
Last updated: 2026-07-02T16:20:19.000Z
![Man stands proudly beside a park bench covered with framed portraits of himself in different sizes.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/thu_bench_portraits-1.jpg)
### The office has begun preparing for gentler emergencies.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-office-has-begun-preparing-for-gentler-emergencies/
Last updated: 2026-07-02T13:30:43.000Z
![Office workers move through a hallway holding pillows like shields while a supervisor directs a safety drill.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/thu_pillow_drill-1.jpg)
### He walked to the center, stopped, and said, "This is where the other me is supposed to be."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-walked-to-the-center-stopped-and-said-this-is-where-the-other-me-is-supposed-to-be/
Last updated: 2026-07-04T20:11:02.000Z
![A man stands at the center of a lobby circle while pedestrians calmly loop around him like he has become part of the route.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/wed_roundabout-1.jpg)
### At first he scoffed at fish walking, but he had to admit he’d never been more popular.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/at-first-he-scoffed-at-fish-walking-but-he-had-to-admit-hed-never-been-more-popular/
Last updated: 2026-07-10T02:26:20.000Z
![Man walks a goldfish bowl on a wheeled platform while neighborhood cats follow with interest.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/wed_fish_walking-1.jpg)
### The bags brought a spare human in case of emergencies. Or doors.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-expedition-had-packed-one-human-in-case-of-emergency/
Last updated: 2026-06-30T21:15:58.000Z
![A commuter waits on a train platform covered in backpacks, as if the bags packed one human for emergencies.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/tue_transit_expedition-1.jpg)
### They were demanding to know what the plant had done with Dennis from Payroll, how long it had been pretending to be him, and where it gets those amazing crullers.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/they-were-demanding-to-know-what-the-plant-had-done-with-dennis-from-payroll-how-long-it-had-been-pretending-to-be-him-and-where-it-gets-those-amazing-crullers/
Last updated: 2026-06-30T14:30:41.000Z
![Office workers interrogate a potted plant under desk lamps while a third employee takes notes on a clipboard.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/tue_plant_interrogation-1.jpg)

Still don't know what to make of what happened yesterday. I will post more about it later. In the meantime, if he wants stupid jokes, he gets stupid jokes.
### "Hello, Evan."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/hello-evan/
Last updated: 2026-07-10T02:37:24.000Z
![Formal older man in hat and gloves sits at a rainy coffee shop window with a coffee cup and black briefcase.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_formal_man_meeting-1.jpg)

This happened this morning. I'm still processing.

He had a higher voice than I would have thought, and spoke with an accent I couldn't categorize let alone identify.

![Evan sits alone at a rainy coffee shop table. A formal older man sits down uninvited and greets him by name.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_formal_man_page_1.jpg)

![The Formal Man tells Evan he has seen his site, asks what Evan knows, and calls Evan’s posts “Portents.”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_formal_man_page_2.jpg)

![Evan says the posts are stupid jokes. The Formal Man looks stunned, then says “Interesting” as Evan offers to remove his pictures.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_formal_man_page_3.jpg)

![The Formal Man urgently tells Evan not to change the site, says to keep going, and asks Evan to take his picture.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_formal_man_page_4.jpg)

![Evan hesitates to take the photo. The Formal Man says Evan will post the meeting on his site and insists, “You must!”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_formal_man_page_5.jpg)

![The Formal Man explains the meeting qualifies as interesting, Evan takes his photo, and the man leaves Evan alone and shaken.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_formal_man_page_6.jpg)
### He was a visitor to our country, and unfamiliar with our ways.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-was-a-visitor-to-our-country-and-unfamiliar-with-our-ways/
Last updated: 2026-06-29T16:30:23.000Z
![Server shows a diner a laminated chewing diagram during lunch while nearby customers act like it is normal.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_eating_diagram-1.jpg)
### I am under cat arrest until further notice.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-am-under-cat-arrest-until-further-notice/
Last updated: 2026-06-29T02:11:06.000Z
![Evan lies on the back couch with Mabel the tuxedo cat sprawled across his chest, pinning him in place.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_cat_arrest-1.jpg)
### We’ve all had days like this. Hers just came all at once.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/weve-all-had-days-like-this-hers-just-came-all-at-once/
Last updated: 2026-06-30T01:53:01.000Z
![Shopper tangled in produce bags calmly inspects peppers in a grocery store aisle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_grocery_chrysalis-1.jpg)
### I asked, "Is the void fresh-squeezed too?"
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-asked-is-the-void-fresh-squeezed-she-took-my-dollar-and-said-no-this-is-the-kind-that-waits/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T20:09:51.000Z
![Girl at a lemonade stand with a sign selling lemonade for 25¢ and void questions for $1.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sat_lemonade_void-1.jpg)

She took my dollar and said, "No. It is older than time and more final than death."

Worth it.
### You never think you’re going to see one in the flesh. It seemed dangerous, but apparently it survives entirely on pizza and beer.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/you-never-think-youre-going-to-see-one-in-the-flesh-it-seemed-dangerous-but-apparently-it-survives-entirely-on-pizza-and-beer/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:42:39.000Z
![Three movers hidden under one beige moving blanket carry furniture through an apartment hall, making it look like a six-legged creature.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sat_couch_move-1.jpg)
### He called his supervisor "Mommy" at the department meeting.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-called-his-supervisor-mommy-at-the-department-meeting/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:42:26.000Z
![Office worker hidden under a coat at a cafeteria table, eating with one fork while coworkers ignore the situation.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/fri_cafeteria_shame-1.jpg)
### Nobody likes to talk about how packing peanuts are grown.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nobody-likes-to-talk-about-how-packing-peanuts-are-grown/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:42:07.000Z
![A customer exits a shipping store covered in white packing peanuts while another customer waits inside.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/fri_packing_peanuts-1.jpg)
### Yet another meeting has escaped containment.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/yet-another-meeting-has-escaped-containment/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:41:37.000Z
![Coworkers stare up at open ceiling tiles above a cluttered conference table after a meeting appears to have vanished.E](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/thu_ceiling_escape-1.jpg)
### Fork amnesty day.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/fork-amnesty-day/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:41:23.000Z
![Customers line up at a restaurant side window, each holding a fork for return while a worker collects them in a tub.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/thu_fork_amnesty-1.jpg)
### People really need to make sure to wipe their shoes.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/people-really-need-to-make-sure-to-wipe-their-shoes/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:41:11.000Z
![Muddy footprints climb one stairwell wall, cross the ceiling, and descend the other while a janitor mops below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/wed_muddy_footprints-1.jpg)
### Nobody complained until it started leaving a trail of secretions near Reception.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nobody-complained-until-it-started-secreting-near-reception/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:40:57.000Z
![Two coworkers’ faces poke from opposite ends of a long silver HVAC duct stretched across a bland office hallway.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/wed_office_worm-1.jpg)
### Best to keep your distance when someone is displaying their noodles.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/best-to-keep-your-distance-when-someone-is-displaying-their-noodles/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:40:40.000Z
![Neighbor in apartment lobby carries pool noodles and yoga mats radiating outward, blocking the entrance like a soft sea creature.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/tue_noodles_deployed-1.jpg)
### Quest completed just in time. Probably saved the timeline, or at least a library late fee.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/quest-completed-just-in-time-probably-saved-the-timeline-or-at-least-a-library-late-fee/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:40:16.000Z
![A commuter kneels on a train platform, holding a book up to someone inside the train before the doors close.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/tue_quest_complete-1.jpg)
### After failing to adapt to domesticity, he was being returned to the wild.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/after-failing-to-adapt-to-domesticity-he-was-being-returned-to-the-wild/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:39:58.000Z
![A man crawls down a city sidewalk under an upside-down laundry basket while a friend with coffee walks beside him.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_sidewalk_crab-1.jpg)
### I said “Office Olympics?” They looked at me like I was an idiot and said, “No. Supplies.” Okay then.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-said-office-olympics-they-looked-at-me-like-i-was-an-idiot-and-said-no-supplies-okay-then/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:39:40.000Z
![Three office workers drag supplies down a carpeted hallway on a flattened cardboard box, with one riding on the back.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/mon_office_olympics-1.jpg)
### I think she likes her new judging tower.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-think-she-likes-her-new-judging-tower/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:14:52.000Z
![Mabel sits formally atop a new scratching post beside Evan’s coffee table, using it more like a judging tower.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_judging_tower-1.jpg)
### A normal man would have torn them. A wise man would have used the knife. He chose a third path.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/a-normal-man-would-have-torn-them-a-wise-man-would-have-used-the-knife-he-chose-a-third-path/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:39:17.000Z
![A diner customer calmly cuts pancakes with small scissors while a fork and knife sit unused on the counter.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/06/sun_diner_scissors-1.jpg)
### Nobody wanted to confront the park's bench bully.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nobody-wanted-to-confront-the-parks-bench-bully/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:38:23.000Z
![Three adults squeeze onto a tiny park bench while one pigeon occupies a long empty bench nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_bench_bully-1.jpg)
### I’ll pass. I’ll ask Nora if she’s interested.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/ill-pass-ill-ask-nora-if-shes-interested/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:17:18.000Z
![Three men laugh while trapped together in one oversized sweater under a “3 for 1 Sale” sign.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_3for1_sale-1.jpg)
### Too many witnesses. Botched proof-of-life photo. Might be one of the worst fake kidnappings attempted by a rubber plant I’ve seen.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/too-many-witnesses-botched-proof-of-life-photo-might-be-one-of-the-dumbest-fake-kidnappings-attempted-by-a-rubber-plant-ive-seen/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:17:04.000Z
![Residents watch a neighbor photograph a lobby rubber plant holding a newspaper as proof of life.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_plant_kidnapping-1.jpg)
### First known field test of the basting suit.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/first-known-field-test-of-the-basting-suit/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:16:54.000Z
![Man outside a dry cleaner wearing a makeshift clear plastic garment-bag suit over normal clothes.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_basting_suit-1.jpg)
### This is why I avoid being first through revolving doors.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-is-why-i-avoid-being-first-through-revolving-doors/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:16:43.000Z
![Office worker waits beside a revolving door with a large fishing net in a plain downtown lobby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/thu_door_net-2.jpg)
### Probably just water damage. Probably.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/probably-just-water-damage-probably/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:16:30.000Z
![A commuter tunnel wall has a huge mouth-shaped water stain while commuters pass, one with a purple-and-gold armband.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/thu_tunnel_mouth-1.jpg)
### "Just in case," he said.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/just-in-case-he-said/
Last updated: 2026-06-17T20:57:14.000Z
![Maintenance man gestures at emergency gear around a blue-taped missing-door outline in a bland office corridor.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_emergency_supplies-1.jpg)

I joked "In case of what? An alien invasion?"

"Let's hope not," he said.
### "They all longed for it, but today only one would find its forever bathroom."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/they-all-longed-for-it-but-today-only-one-would-find-its-forever-bathroom/
Last updated: 2026-06-17T17:44:07.000Z
![Customer in a hardware-store plumbing aisle tests plungers stuck to the floor while other plungers wait nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_plunger_adoption-1.jpg)
### Management wanted a waterfall feature. This is what Finance approved.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/management-wanted-a-waterfall-feature-this-is-what-finance-approved/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:16:07.000Z
![A man carefully centers full cups of water on each office stair while another person waits on the landing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_stairway_waterfall-2.jpg)
### She said this was better than what the leg wanted.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-woman-said-this-was-better-than-what-the-leg-wanted/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:08:39.000Z
![A sidewalk line waits to shake a mannequin hand sticking from an older woman’s crowded beige shopping bag.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_mannequin_handshake-1.jpg)
### He wasn’t sure he believed in time anymore.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-wasnt-sure-he-believed-in-time-anymore/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:15:47.000Z
![Man wearing many wristwatches asks another commuter for the time on a busy train platform.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_many_watches-1.jpg)
### She thought they were bronze enough, apparently.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/she-thought-they-were-bronze-enough-apparently/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:15:25.000Z
![Older woman applies sunscreen to the child figures of a bronze family sculpture in a sunny public square.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_statue_sunscreen-1.jpg)
### I waited for the next one.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-waited-for-the-next-one/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:15:07.000Z
![Open office elevator with passengers facing the back wall instead of the doors, one wearing a purple-and-gold armband.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_elevator_backwards-1.jpg)
### He thought the labels were keeping them from becoming themselves.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-thought-the-labels-were-keeping-them-from-becoming-themselves/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:14:24.000Z
![A shopper in a grocery aisle peels labels off canned goods while another shopper watches and other customers pass by.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_removed_labels-1.jpg)
### Something behind the wall was learning the difference between names and bodies.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/something-behind-the-wall-was-learning-the-difference-between-names-and-bodies/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:14:05.000Z
![Three adults press one palm each to a blank concrete wall, standing silent as if listening to something inside.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_palms_against_wall-1.jpg)
### The tour group was not respecting the itinerary.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-tour-group-was-not-respecting-the-itinerary/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:13:50.000Z
![Man points down a city sidewalk while pigeons cluster at his feet like a confused tour group.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_pigeon_tour-1.jpg)
### This was either a gift or a warning.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-was-either-a-gift-or-a-warning/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:15:20.000Z
![Mabel sits in Evan’s hallway, looking innocent while her toy mouse is tucked neatly inside one of his shoes.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_mabel_mouse_shoe-1.jpg)
### They wouldn’t tell me who or what was calling the numbers. Or why.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/they-wouldnt-tell-me-who-or-what-was-calling-the-numbers/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:26:45.000Z
![Three adults hold numbers beside an empty park bench with a taped-on dispenser.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_bench_tickets-3.jpg)
### The committee agreed the haunted copier was technically improving morale, since people had finally started believing in something.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-committee-agreed-the-haunted-copier-was-technically-improving-morale-since-people-had-finally-started-believing-in-something/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:11:41.000Z
![Five coworkers casually gather around an office copier like it has become an accidental breakroom.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/thu_copier_morale-1.jpg)
### The duck was his emotional support, legal counsel, and ride home.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-duck-was-his-emotional-support-legal-counsel-and-ride-home/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:11:20.000Z
![A suited man brings a calm duck in a bag to a store customer-service counter while an employee listens.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/thu_duck_return-1.jpg)
### The barber made the same "mop top" joke he apparently makes every time, then gave him the usual.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-barber-made-the-same-mop-top-joke-he-apparently-makes-every-time-then-gave-him-the-usual/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:11:07.000Z
![Barber seriously trims a mop propped in a barbershop chair under a cape while a waiting customer barely reacts.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wetd_barbershop_mop-2.jpg)
### The last person who took the briefcase home came back with a different laugh.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-briefcase-was-not-evidence-it-was-a-witness/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:10:48.000Z
![Suited man buries a black briefcase in a gray park while a nearby commuter holds coffee and does not react.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_briefcase_burial-1.jpg)
### Not sure this is how you launder art.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/not-sure-this-is-how-you-launder-art/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:05:42.000Z
![A woman carefully rinses a large framed painting in a public fountain while passersby mostly ignore her.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_fountain_art-1.jpg)
### A hard place, briefly softened.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/a-hard-place-briefly-softened/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:05:25.000Z
![Golden sunlight casts long revolving-door shadows across a polished brutalist office lobby floor.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_sunlit_lobby-1.jpg)
### There were signs a ritual had taken place, or possibly even budget planning.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/there-were-signs-a-ritual-had-taken-place-or-possibly-even-budget-planning/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:05:09.000Z
![Spreadsheet pages, calculators, coffee cups, and a dead marker form a ritual-like circle on an office conference table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_ritual_or_budget-1.jpg)
### The machine was not falling for this again.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-machine-was-not-falling-for-this-again/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:04:55.000Z
![Two adults hide around a corner while a coin trail leads to a vending machine that refuses to move.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_vending_machine_trap-1.jpg)
### Sunday bike ride
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/sunday-bike-ride/
Last updated: 2026-06-07T22:30:39.000Z
Went for a bike ride with Nora along the river. Great weather. Fun afternoon.

![Evan and Nora take an awkward sunny bike-ride selfie by a river, with helmets, bikes, railing, bridge, and skyline behind them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_ride_selfie-1.jpg)

![Nora pauses with her bike on a riverside path beneath a bridge, small in sun beside a sweeping diagonal shadow.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_ride_bridge_shadow.jpg)

![Birds lift off over a sunlit river as Nora stands by two bikes at the railing on a bright summer ride.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_ride_birds.jpg)

![Soap bubbles drift across a sunny riverside bike path as Nora pauses with her bike, Evan’s handlebar at the lower edge.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_ride_bubbles.jpg)

![Geese block a sunny riverside bike path while Nora waits with her bike behind them, along with other cyclists in a polite jam.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_ride_geese.jpg)

![Bikes and helmets by a riverside railing as a boat wake breaks sunlight into bright zigzags on the water.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_ride_wake.jpg)
### "Here we observe the urban birdwatcher: patient, cautious, and unwilling to jump to conclusions. After sustained observation of the nearby gull, this eager novice had narrowed it down to 'probably bird.'"
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/here-we-observe-the-urban-birdwatcher-patient-cautious-and-unwilling-to-jump-to-conclusions-after-sustained-observation-of-the-nearby-gull-this-eager-novice-had-narrowed-it-down-to-prob/
Last updated: 2026-06-07T19:00:15.000Z
![A man uses binoculars to study a seagull standing a few feet away beside an urban transit bench.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_birdwatcher-1.jpg)
### Backup shadow. Sensible.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/backup-shadow-sensible/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:04:42.000Z
![City worker tapes a matte-black paper “backup shadow” under a public trash can’s real morning shadow on a sidewalk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_trashcan_shadow-1.jpg)
### The higher the buildings rose, the less they belonged to the street.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-higher-the-buildings-rose-the-less-they-belonged-to-the-street/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:04:19.000Z
![Apartment towers rise through early morning fog above a wet residential street, their upper floors fading into low cloud while a few warm windows glow in the gray dawn.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_apartments_fog-1.jpg)
### His owner was almost done becoming warm again.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/his-owner-was-almost-done-becoming-warm-again/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:04:03.000Z
![A polite dog sits in front of an opaque laundromat dryer, waiting beside a laundry basket in a quiet, ordinary laundromat.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_dog_dryer-1.jpg)
### I don’t think people are wishing anymore. I think they’re feeding it.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-dont-think-people-are-wishing-anymore-i-think-theyre-feeding-it/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:03:46.000Z
![Dead mall fountain filled with mannequin parts, office supplies, cables, batteries, glasses, and other strange debris instead of coins.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_mall_fountain-1.jpg)
### Her new box is working perfectly. The fountain is also here.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/her-new-box-is-working-perfectly-the-fountain-is-also-here/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:15:40.000Z
![Mabel sits in the cat fountain’s cardboard box on Evan’s dining/work table while the assembled fountain sits ignored nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/thu_mabel_fountain_box-1.jpg)
### Nobody wanted to be the first person to admit this wasn’t necessary.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nobody-wanted-to-be-the-first-person-to-admit-this-wasnt-necessary/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:03:31.000Z
![Three adults wait in a neat line on a city sidewalk in front of an ordinary public trash can near a bus stop, each holding something small to throw away.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/thu_trashcan_lineup-1.jpg)
### "The office plant leaned toward the new intern with the quiet hunger of middle management."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-office-plant-leaned-toward-the-new-intern-with-the-quiet-hunger-of-middle-management/
Last updated: 2026-06-03T19:10:13.000Z
![A tired office plant leans toward a nervous new intern while coworkers pretend not to notice.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_leaning_plant-1.jpg)
### You can find a pattern in anything if you stare at it long enough.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/you-can-find-a-pattern-in-anything-if-you-stare-at-it-long-enough/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:03:11.000Z
![A cracked urban sidewalk where the worn seams and dark weathered lines accidentally form a clear rabbit shape, with two long ears, a rounded body, and a small dark spot like an eye.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_sidewalk_rabbit-1.jpg)
### The version of me between versions of me.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-version-of-me-between-versions-of-me/
Last updated: 2026-06-02T22:13:42.000Z
![Close train selfie of Evan leaning back, turned toward the window, with his ear and partial profile in front as tracks pass in early evening light.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_wistful_train-1.jpg)

Home approaches  
I gather the smaller selves  
and pretend there’s one
### Parts for a door that has not committed to being here.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/parts-for-a-door-that-has-not-committed-to-being-here/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:57:47.000Z
![A maintenance man stands by a cart of hinges, screws, and a handle beside a blue tape outline of a door on a blank office wall.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_door_parts-1.jpg)
### Nobody likes the new copier, least of all the entity that haunts it.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nobody-liked-the-new-copier-least-of-all-the-entity-that-haunted-it/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:02:54.000Z
![A line of office workers waits to use an old battered copier while a clean new copier beside it sits ignored and repurposed as a surface for a mug, stapler, and papers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_new_copier-1.jpg)
### He was cold, rigid, and financially demanding. But the heart wants what it wants.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-was-cold-rigid-and-financially-demanding-but-the-heart-wants-what-it-wants/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:02:20.000Z
![A woman on an ordinary city sidewalk leans in close to a parking meter as if kissing it, while parked cars and muted office buildings sit in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_parking_meter_kiss.jpg)
### Nora called this “not groceries.” Fair.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nora-called-this-not-groceries-fair/
Last updated: 2026-05-31T19:43:00.000Z
![Evan’s partial hand holding a basket with cat food, batteries, cereal, and one banana while Nora’s hand adds more sensible groceries.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_shopping_nora.jpg)

Apparently “cat food and batteries” is not a meal plan.  
  
In my defense, there was also one banana.
### "The restless adolescent returns to the herd, chastened by the discovery that freedom, in the end, is mostly parking lots."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-restless-adolescent-returns-to-the-herd-chastened-by-the-discovery-that-freedom-in-the-end-is-mostly-parking-lots/
Last updated: 2026-05-31T18:09:49.000Z
![A lone metal shopping cart sits awkwardly outside a cart return corral in a mostly empty overcast parking lot, angled toward a long row of nested carts as if trying to rejoin them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_restless_cart-1.jpg)
### No ancient lullabies yet.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/no-ancient-lullabies-yet/
Last updated: 2026-05-31T01:40:53.000Z
![Mabel, a tuxedo cat, watches an old yellowed baby monitor on Evan’s apartment table, surrounded by keys, batteries, a mug, and night-window clutter.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_monitor_home.jpg)

Took the baby monitor from the lobby as a joke.

So far: static, one weird click, and once again Mabel questioning my taste from across the table.

A disappointing start.
### The client had thoughts, but couldn’t quite put them into words.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-head-had-concerns-but-limited-options/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:02:03.000Z
![An ordinary woman sits on a worn park bench holding a salon mannequin head in her lap and showing it a handheld mirror while pigeons wait nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_mennequin_head.jpg)
### Though technically prohibited, raccoon taunting remains popular among those without adult supervision.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/though-technically-prohibited-raccoon-taunting-remains-popular-among-those-without-adult-supervision/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:01:47.000Z
![An ordinary man on a city sidewalk lowers a banana peel on a string toward a public trash can while a raccoon inside reaches up for it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_raccoon_taunting.jpg)
### "Here, among the ficus, pothos, snake plant, and assorted others, the visitor remains almost perfectly still, and by midday the office flora have accepted her as one of their own."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/here-among-the-ficus-pothos-snake-plant-and-assorted-others-the-visitor-remains-almost-perfectly-still-and-by-midday-the-office-flora-have-accepted-her-as-one-of-their-own/
Last updated: 2026-05-29T16:30:34.000Z
![An adult visitor sits alone in a waiting chair in a bland office reception area, with potted plants placed around the room so they visually surround her.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_waiting_plants.jpg)
### Nobody knew who booked the conference room for “revenge,” but Procurement had been quiet all day.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nobody-knew-who-booked-the-conference-room-for-revenge-but-procurement-had-been-quiet-all-day/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:01:26.000Z
![A dull office conference room table arranged with a perfect circle of office supplies and a sealed envelope alone in the center.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/thu_procurement_revenge-1.jpg)
### He heard the first breaths of something too old to hurry. Presumably.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-heard-the-first-breath-of-something-too-old-to-hurry/
Last updated: 2026-07-04T20:11:27.000Z
![A business-casual man kneels on a busy sidewalk with one ear pressed to the concrete, looking startled and awed as pedestrians walk around him.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/the_sidewalk_listening.jpg)
### The elevator opened on the wrong floor and everyone briefly considered becoming different people.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-elevator-opened-on-the-wrong-floor-and-everyone-briefly-considered-becoming-different-people/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:00:53.000Z
![Five office workers lean out of an open elevator into a bland fluorescent office hallway, looking around with hesitant curiosity as if deciding whether to step out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_elevator_wrong_floor.jpg)
### He said if the shadow gets any longer, there’s a risk it may detach and start following people home.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-said-if-the-shadow-gets-longer-than-this-it-undergoes-mitosis/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:00:40.000Z
![An ordinary person crouches on a city sidewalk, carefully measuring a lamppost’s long shadow with bright orange surveyor’s string.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_lamppost_shadow.jpg)
### The baby monitor picks up lullabies from before babies.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-baby-monitor-picks-up-lullabies-from-before-babies/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:00:18.000Z
![An old baby monitor on an apartment lobby free-stuff table has a note that says picks up lullabies from before babies.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_baby_monitor.jpg)
### The plant was fake, which made its promotion even more controversial.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-plant-was-fake-which-made-its-promotion-even-more-controversial/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:59:48.000Z
![Coworkers hold a bland Tuesday meeting around a fake office plant placed near the head of the table, its dusty plastic leaves subtly implying authority.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_plant_promoted.jpg)
### The hallway narrowed near Accounting, as hallways often do when they know too much.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-hallway-narrowed-near-accounting-as-hallways-often-do-when-they-know-too-much/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:59:35.000Z
![A fluorescent-lit office hallway crowded on both sides with filing cabinets, banker boxes, carts, binders, and old paperwork, leaving only a narrow path down the middle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_accounting_hallway.jpg)
### The elevator was full, but mostly with tension.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-elevator-was-full-but-mostly-with-tension/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:59:01.000Z
![A crowded office elevator seen from the lobby, with tense office workers surrounding a masked medical courier holding a warning-labeled transport package.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_elevator_medical.jpg)
### She has decided I shouldn’t be alone today.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/she-has-decided-i-shouldnt-be-alone-today/
Last updated: 2026-05-25T11:30:09.000Z
![Evan’s torso and hands are partly visible as Mabel, a black-and-white tuxedo cat, sits upright inside his open, half-packed work backpack.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_mabel_backpack.jpg)

I’m OK, mostly.

And don’t worry. The silly posts will return.
### “Who’s that?”
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/whos-that/
Last updated: 2026-05-25T01:30:58.000Z
It was the question I’ve been avoiding.

So here it is.

I hope you’ll forgive the way I’m presenting it. I can’t fully explain it, but I still need this little bit of distance.

Also, making it this way kept my mind busy on a day that might have gone badly otherwise.

I showed it to Nora first. She said it was okay to post it

![Simple square comic page in three panels. Julie points at a framed photo of Evan, Leah, and Mabel and asks, “Who’s that?” Nora looks concerned and says, “Julie...” Evan answers quietly, “It’s OK. That’s Leah.”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/comic_page_1.gif)

![Simple square comic page in three wide couch panels. Julie, Mabel, and Evan sit on the blue couch. Julie asks, “Is she your girlfriend?” Evan says, “Yes.” Julie asks, “Where is she?” Evan says, “I don’t know.” Julie asks, “What do you mean?” Evan says, “One day she went to work and never came home.” Mabel behaves like an ordinary cat throughout.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/comic_page_2.gif)

![Simple square comic page. Julie, Mabel, and Evan sit on the couch. Julie asks, “What happened?” Evan says, “I wish I knew.” Two solo panels show Evan explaining, “We looked everywhere and talked to everyone she knew,” then, “Nobody knew where she was.” The final panel shows Julie looking down, thinking silently.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/comic_page_3.gif)

![Simple square comic page with sparse, quiet panels. Julie asks, “Is she dead like Uncle Peter?” Nora reacts silently, looking suddenly still and concerned. Evan answers, “I don’t know.” The final panel shows Julie quietly thinking with no dialogue.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/comic_page_4.gif)

![Simple square comic page in three wide couch panels. Julie, Mabel, and Evan sit together on the blue couch. Julie asks, “Do you miss her?” Evan says, “Very much.” Julie asks, “Does Mabel miss her?” Evan says, “I think so. Especially at first.” In the final panel, Julie says, “I’m glad Mabel has you.” Evan says, “Me too.” Mabel settles close to Evan.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/comic_page_5.gif)
### Then this happened.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/then-this-happened/
Last updated: 2026-05-23T21:30:59.000Z
![Julie kneels on the blue couch in Evan’s living room, facing the gallery wall and pointing up at one framed photo while the rest of the room stays quiet and ordinary.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_whos-that-2.jpg)

![Closeup of a framed household photo showing Evan, Leah, and Mabel together, displayed among the other living-room pictures.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_portrait-1.jpg)

"Who's that", she asked.
### Her face says, “This was not part of the briefing.”
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/her-face-says-this-was-not-part-of-the-briefing/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:53:53.000Z
![A child with her face hidden by her hair sits on Evan’s living room couch holding Mabel, a black-and-white tuxedo cat, who looks wide-eyed and alert toward the camera.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_julie_mabel.jpg)
### Tidy enough for company?
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/tidy-enough-for-company/
Last updated: 2026-05-23T01:14:11.000Z
![A modest apartment living room with two couches, a coffee table, a cabinet, a ceramic clown bust, a small plastic dinosaur, and a wall of blurred framed photos.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_tidy_living_room.jpg)

Turns out Julie (not her real name) left the dinosaur in my backpack on purpose.

Apparently she saw Mabel on here and decided she needed to meet her “in real life,” so she created an excuse.

Nora texted to apologize, then asked if they could come by tomorrow afternoon so Julie could reclaim the dinosaur and conduct a formal cat visit.

I said yes.

I have done what I can.
### The portrait looked disappointed, which was unfair because no one had asked it to attend.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-portrait-looked-disappointed-which-was-unfair-because-no-one-had-asked-it-to-attend/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:58:33.000Z
![Bored office workers sit around a conference table beneath a formal portrait that appears disappointed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_disappointed_portrait.jpg)
### Found a stowaway.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/found-a-stowaway/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:16:47.000Z
![Small plastic dinosaur among keys, earbuds, coins, receipts, and workday debris on a wooden table while Mabel investigates.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/thu_stowawy.jpg)
### "Every Thursday, the office chairs chose one employee to learn the old songs."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/every-thursday-the-office-chairs-choose-one-employee-to-learn-the-old-songs/
Last updated: 2026-05-21T19:52:40.000Z
![Rows of rolling office chairs facing one uncomfortable employee in a plain conference room.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/thu_chair_choir.jpg)
### Starting to wonder how many doors we’re missing.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/starting-to-wonder-how-many-doors-were-missing/
Last updated: 2026-05-20T20:17:51.000Z
![Old office key bin filled with faded tags and mismatched keys, with one brass key beside a blank door-shaped tag.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_box_of-_keys.jpg)

I was just looking for a spare key to a locked cabinet.
### All three claimed to be the original pants.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/all-three-claimed-to-be-the-original-pants/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:58:20.000Z
![Man in shorts studying three pairs of dark dress pants on hangers outside a dry cleaner.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_three_pants.jpg)
### Three satisfied customers.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/three-satisfied-customers/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:53:27.000Z
![Sticker-covered tablet on a park bench beside a small plastic dinosaur, a juice box, and snack debris, with a child’s hand, Nora, and Evan’s hand partly visible.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_tablet_return.jpg)
### There’s supposed to be a door there.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/theres-supposed-to-be-a-door-there/
Last updated: 2026-05-19T14:36:10.000Z
![Maintenance man pointing to a taped door outline on a blank office corridor wall beside an old floor plan.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_missing_door.jpg)

That’s what he said, anyway.

According to the diagram, there’s supposed to be a door there. I asked him how he explained the discrepancy.

He shrugged and said, “They come and they go.”

Then he walked off.

Okay.
### The dinosaur is acting suspiciously innocent.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-dinosaur-is-acting-suspiciously-innocent/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:53:13.000Z
![Child’s sticker-covered tablet on a coffee shop table with two coffees, a juice box, a napkin, and a small plastic dinosaur.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_niece-tablet.jpg)
### "No one liked the new intern, especially after the water cooler began calling him Father."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/no-one-liked-the-new-intern-especially-after-the-water-cooler-began-calling-him-father/
Last updated: 2026-05-18T15:23:19.000Z
![Young intern standing proudly beside an office water cooler while coworkers react with concern.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_intern.jpg)
### Said I’ll give it my best shot.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/said-ill-give-it-my-best-shot/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:52:58.000Z
![Smartphone message screenshot showing Nora asking Evan to look at her niece’s tablet.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_nora_text_request2-1.png)
### I hope someone’s checking on him.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-hope-someones-checking-on-him/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:58:07.000Z
![Artificial potted palm belted into the front passenger seat of a compact car.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_plant_car-1.jpg)
### "The sandwich had been offered in good faith. The statue remained unmoved."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-sandwich-had-been-offered-in-good-faith-the-statue-remained-unmoved/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T17:06:34.000Z
![Man holding a sandwich toward a bronze statue in a neighborhood park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_sandwich_statue.jpg)
### Routine checkup. She’s fine. The vet asked about her name. I told her someone else chose it.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/routine-checkup-shes-fine-the-vet-asked-about-her-name-i-told-her-someone-else-chose-it/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:17:04.000Z
![Black-and-white tuxedo cat inside a closed carrier in a modest veterinary clinic waiting room.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_mabel_vet.jpg)
### He was already here, which is somehow less comforting.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-was-already-here-which-is-somehow-less-comforting/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:56:26.000Z
![Older man in a dark overcoat and brimmed hat standing in a plain municipal-building hallway.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_forml_man_gov_office.jpg)
### Just coffee.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/just-coffee/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:52:42.000Z
![Two plain coffee cups on a small coffee shop table, with two people only partly visible.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_nora_coffee.jpg)
### This feels like either the aftermath or the invitation. Not sticking around to find out.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-feels-like-either-the-aftermath-or-the-invitation-not-sticking-around-to-find-out/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:57:45.000Z
![Shopping cart filled with glowing lamps in a dark parking lot, with an extension cord trailing across the asphalt.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/the_cart_lamps.jpg)
### Preparing for another wild day of single adulthood.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/preparing-for-another-wild-day-of-single-adulthood/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:59:13.000Z
![Person holding a shopping basket with bread, batteries, paper towels, a screwdriver, and a lemon.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/thu_morning_shopping.jpg)
### This was supposed to be disconnected years ago.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-was-supposed-to-be-disconnected-years-ago/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T15:53:06.000Z
![Person using a cable tester on an old office wall jack connected to a retired beige desk phone.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_phone_line.jpg)
### Made two by mistake. Still happens sometimes.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/made-two-by-mistake-still-happens-sometimes/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:17:21.000Z
![Two ceramic mugs on a wooden apartment table by the window, with a tuxedo cat sitting nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_two_mugs.jpg)
### Nearly at the point where “find the adapter” becomes “observe from a safe distance.”
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nearly-at-the-point-where-find-the-adapter-becomes-observe-from-a-safe-distance/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:57:21.000Z
![Person pulling a long tangled chain of old adapters, dongles, and cables from an office storage bin.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_adapter_chain.jpg)
### The bus driver waved to nobody in particular. Nobody in particular waved back.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-bus-driver-waved-to-nobody-in-particular-nobody-in-particular-waved-back/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:56:33.000Z
![City bus stopped at a bus stop while one commuter waves back at the driver among waiting passengers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_nobody-1.jpg)
### "The mailbox, unsatisfied with their brief daily encounters, attempts a more lasting arrangement."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-mailbox-unsatisfied-with-their-brief-daily-encounters-attempts-a-more-lasting-arrangement/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T15:49:16.000Z
![Man in an apartment lobby with his backpack strap caught on a wall of mailboxes.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_mailbox.jpg)
### This is where the manual gets vague.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-is-where-the-manual-gets-vague/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:56:13.000Z
![Coworker kneeling in front of a jammed office printer while holding a stack of copy paper like an offering.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_printer_ritual.jpg)
### A collection of small emergencies.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/a-collection-of-small-emergencies/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:55:43.000Z
![Library lost-and-found table with a mitten, glasses, water bottle, toy car, doorknob, ceramic frog, and framed photo.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_lost_and_fount.jpg)
### Somewhere, a scientist is getting fired for this.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/somewhere-a-scientist-is-getting-fired-for-this/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:55:13.000Z
![Outdoor chess table in a park with toy dinosaurs facing green plastic army men instead of chess pieces.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_timeline_chess-1.jpg)
### He found the exact line between crisis and inconvenience.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-found-the-exact-line-between-crisis-and-inconvenience/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:54:48.000Z
![Man crouching beside a storm drain while holding a wrapped sandwich and using a flashlight.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_drain_search-1.jpg)
### Found some of Mabel’s old things. From before me, I think.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/found-some-of-mabels-old-things-from-before-me-i-think/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:17:37.000Z
![Person crouching in an apartment entryway beside old cat items while a tuxedo cat investigates a carrier.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_mabels_old_things.jpg)
### Nora, I tried. There were objections.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nora-i-tried-there-were-objections/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:52:24.000Z
![Evan seated at a wooden apartment table with an open laptop while Mabel lies across the keyboard.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_nora_obstructed.jpg)
### He came prepared for several possible conversations.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-came-prepared-for-several-possible-conversations/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:54:18.000Z
![Man outside a laundromat holding a small bouquet and a large bottle of laundry detergent.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_bouqet_detergent.jpg)
### Not my finest performance. At least it’s Friday.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/not-my-finest-performance-at-least-its-friday/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:28:05.000Z
![Person seated on a commuter train with spilled coffee across their lap and backpack.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_coffee_spill.jpg)
### She has concerns about the handling of her treats.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/she-has-concerns-about-the-handling-of-her-treats/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:17:58.000Z
![Person resealing cat treat packets at a wooden apartment table while a tuxedo cat interferes.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/thu_mabel_treats.jpg)
### Existential dread level: normal. Whatever he did seems to have worked.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/existential-dread-level-normal-whatever-he-did-seems-to-have-worked/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:51:16.000Z
![Plain office storage room with shelves, cable bins, old phones, paper boxes, and a freshly repaired wall panel.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/thu_storage_room_fixed.jpg)
### No one wanted to sit down after the machine said, “Do not mistake the body for the patient.”
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/no-one-wanted-to-sit-down-after-the-machine-said-do-not-mistake-the-body-for-the-patient/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:53:27.000Z
![Empty pharmacy blood-pressure machine with three adults standing around it at a respectful distance.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_bp_machine.jpg)
### He had narrowed it down to two cards and one fruit.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-had-narrowed-it-down-to-two-cards-and-one-fruit/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:58:44.000Z
![Man comparing greeting cards in a pharmacy aisle while holding a loose banana.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_cards_banana.jpg)
### My work here is done. Her ruling, not mine.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/my-work-here-is-done-her-ruling-not-mine/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:18:14.000Z
![Black-and-white tuxedo cat lying across a person’s lap and forearm on a couch, with cat treat packets on the coffee table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/wed_evening_mabel.jpg)
### I shouldn’t have let Mabel pack my lunch.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-shouldnt-have-let-mabel-pack-my-lunch/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T15:35:33.000Z
![Person seated at a cluttered office cubicle desk with cat treat packets instead of lunch.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/tue_cat_reat_lunch-1.jpg)
### "The bench was dedicated to a man who, by all accounts, preferred standing."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-bench-was-dedicated-to-a-man-who-by-all-accounts-preferred-standing/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T15:34:20.000Z
![Empty stone memorial bench with a large plaque in a quiet neighborhood park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_bench.jpg)
### "No one could prove the Ficus was in charge, which was exactly how the Ficus wanted it."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/no-one-could-prove-the-ficus-was-in-charge-which-was-exactly-how-the-ficus-wanted-it/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T15:33:32.000Z
![Large potted Ficus sitting at the center of an office conference table with workers gathered nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/mon_ficus-1.jpg)
### Nora. Formerly “the shoe lady.”
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nora-formerly-the-shoe-lady/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T17:04:23.000Z
![Evan and Nora sitting together at a small coffee shop table, holding an old sneaker and a blue suede shoe.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_nora-3.jpg)

We had a good talk. Turns out we have a few things in common, which I’m not going to get into right now. But I’m glad we met. Looking forward to seeing her again.
### "The ducks accepted his apology, but not his version of events."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-ducks-accepted-his-apology-but-not-his-version-of-events/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T15:31:57.000Z
![Man kneeling near a park pond with open hands while a group of ducks faces him.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sun_ducks.jpg)
### The first rule of puddle club is no one admits they’re in puddle club.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-first-rule-of-puddle-club-is-no-one-admits-theyre-in-puddle-club/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:52:46.000Z
![Three people gathered around a small puddle on a city sidewalk, with two of them taking photos.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_puddle_club.jpg)
### "The statue’s arm was raised in triumph, though historians now believe he was just hailing a cab."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-statues-arm-was-raised-in-triumph-though-historians-now-believe-he-was-just-hailing-a-cab/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T15:29:50.000Z
![Bronze statue in a city plaza with its raised arm lined up with a passing taxi.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/sat_statue.jpg)
### There it is. Blue. Suede, even. A suede blue shoe.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/there-it-is-blue-suede-even-a-suede-blue-shoe/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T15:28:53.000Z
![Women’s blue suede shoe on a sidewalk with a folded note tucked inside.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/05/fri_blue_shoe.jpg)

Small update: the blue shoe did have contact information in it, which I am obviously not posting here.

We talked for a few minutes. She seemed lovely, and also very aware that this was an unusual way to introduce herself.

We’re going to meet for coffee on Sunday.
### There was no policy for fruit with unclear intentions.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/there-was-no-policy-for-fruit-with-unclear-intentions/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:51:39.000Z
![Three office workers standing around a single banana on a plain breakroom table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_banana.jpg)
### I don’t think he was reading the schedule. I think the schedule was reading him.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-dont-think-he-was-reading-the-schedule-i-think-the-schedule-was-reading-him/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:51:09.000Z
![Older man in a dark overcoat and brimmed hat standing near a blank timetable board on a commuter train platform.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_formal_man_schedule.jpg)
### She says the clown did it. I believe her.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/she-says-the-clown-did-it-i-believe-her/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:50:23.000Z
![Broken ceramic mug and spilled coffee on the floor beside a wooden apartment table, with a tuxedo cat nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_shattered_mug-1.jpg)
### The machine had taken liberties with the sacred text.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-machine-had-taken-liberties-with-the-sacred-text/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:49:05.000Z
![Office worker holding an open printer manual and gesturing dramatically toward a large office printer.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_printer.jpg)
### Everyone asks who watches the watchers. Nobody asks if they’re doing okay.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/everyone-asks-who-watches-the-watchers-nobody-asks-if-theyre-doing-okay/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:47:59.000Z
![Man giving a thumbs-up to a dome security camera outside a plain office building.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_surveillance.jpg)
### This time there was a note.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-time-there-was-a-note/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T15:21:59.000Z
![Dirty white sneaker partly tucked under a concrete ledge with a folded note inside.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_shoe_note.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_note.jpg)

I wasn’t scared, exactly. Just a little weirded out. I look forward to seeing your blue shoe.
### He said it happens sometimes. He did not specify what “it” was.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-said-it-happens-sometimes-he-did-not-specify-what-it-was/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:46:30.000Z
![Maintenance man kneeling beside a closed office utility door with an open toolbox and flashlight.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_storage_room_maintenence.jpg)
### There appears to have been a botanical incident.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/there-appears-to-have-been-a-botanical-incident/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:45:13.000Z
![Three office workers carrying potted plants outside an office building, including one plant on a rolling chair.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_plants.jpg)
### I think she’s laundering reality in small batches, in more than one sense of the word.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-think-shes-laundering-reality-in-small-batches-in-more-than-one-sense-of-the-word/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:44:32.000Z
![Older woman on a commuter train beside a canvas tote holding a laundry drying rack, wooden hangers, and fabric.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_shopping_lady_laundering.jpg)
### This is either maintenance or containment. Either way, progress.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-is-either-maintenance-or-containment-either-way-progress/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:43:35.000Z
![Maintenance cart parked outside a closed office utility door in a plain back corridor.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_storage_maintenance.jpg)
### "The feline’s posture may suggest a sun-induced torpor, but this would be a mistake. One ear remains active, monitoring for snacks, birds, and procedural violations."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-felines-posture-suggests-sun-induced-torpor-but-this-would-be-a-mistake-one-ear-remains-active-monitoring-for-snacks-birds-and-procedural-violations/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:18:33.000Z
![Black-and-white tuxedo cat lying belly-up in a patch of sunlight on a wooden apartment table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_mabel_sunlight.jpg)
### Management asked for a panic room. Finance approved mild concern.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/management-asked-for-a-panic-room-finance-approved-mild-concern/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:38:49.000Z
![Office cubicle with a small blanket fort, pillow, mug, and lamp tucked under the desk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_panic_room.jpg)
### I don’t think the other side is sending their best portals.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-dont-think-the-other-side-is-sending-their-best-portals/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:38:10.000Z
![Man kneeling on a city sidewalk and measuring a small curbside puddle with a tape measure.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_puddle.jpg)
### Not everyone can pull off suitcase potatoes.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/not-everyone-can-pull-off-suitcase-potatoes/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:37:21.000Z
![Woman sitting near transit beside an open suitcase filled with loose potatoes.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sun_potatoes-1.jpg)
### Honestly? Good for them.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/honestly-good-for-them/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:36:38.000Z
![Ordinary man sitting on a park bench beside a life-size cardboard cutout of a bear.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sun_bear.jpg)
### Not sure what isn’t here yet. Don’t love that there might be an answer.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/not-sure-what-isnt-here-yet-dont-love-that-theres-an-answer/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:34:58.000Z
![Community notice board in a neighborhood park with faded flyers and a letter panel reading “NOT YET.”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sun_not_yet.jpg)
### A strange amount of ceremony for chips.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/a-strange-amount-of-ceremony-for-chips/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:33:59.000Z
![Glowing vending machine in a dim, mostly empty institutional corridor at night.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_vending_machine.jpg)
### "In this enclosure, the worker performs small acts of competence for reasons not fully understood."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/in-this-enclosure-the-worker-performs-small-acts-of-competence-for-reasons-not-fully-understood/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:19:52.000Z
![Person seated at a cluttered office cubicle workstation with monitors, coffee, notes, cables, and desk supplies.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_cubicle.jpg)
### "The early commuter is a cautious creature, preferring corners, windows, and low expectations."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-early-commuter-is-a-cautious-creature-preferring-corners-windows-and-low-expectations/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:20:05.000Z
![Person seated alone at a small coffee shop table with a paper coffee cup by the window.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_coffee_shop.jpg)
### "Having secured a place aboard the train, the commuter enters a state of stillness that is not quite rest."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/having-secured-a-place-aboard-the-train-the-commuter-enters-a-state-of-stillness-that-is-not-quite-rest/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:20:46.000Z
![Person seated on a commuter train with a backpack, looking out the window during the ride home.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_train.jpg)
### "Takeaway container in hand, the subject retreats to a quieter location to feed."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/having-secured-a-takeaway-container-the-subject-retreats-to-a-quieter-location-to-feed/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:21:00.000Z
![Person seated on a park bench with a takeaway container in their lap during a weekday lunch break.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_lunch.jpg)
### "Here, in the soft light of morning, the household supervisor has resumed her post, overseeing a breakfast operation in which she has no formal duties, but considerable influence."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/here-in-the-soft-light-of-morning-the-household-supervisor-has-resumed-her-post-overseeing-a-breakfast-operation-in-which-she-has-no-formal-duties-but-considerable-influence/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:21:17.000Z
![Person seated at a wooden apartment table with breakfast while a black-and-white tuxedo cat sits nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_mabel.jpg)
### "Each evening, countless individuals return to their nests carrying provisions in thin plastic sacs."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/each-evening-countless-individuals-return-to-their-nests-carrying-provisions-in-thin-plastic-sacs/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:21:36.000Z
![Person walking home at dusk with a white plastic grocery bag on a quiet apartment-lined sidewalk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_shopping.jpg)
### Nice to see somebody here with a practical relationship to reality.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nice-to-see-somebody-here-with-a-practical-relationship-to-reality/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:33:16.000Z
![Maintenance man replacing a fluorescent tube from a step ladder in a plain office corridor.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_maintenance_man.jpg)
### I’ve never seen him at my station before.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/ive-never-seen-him-at-my-station-before/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:32:34.000Z
![Partial selfie on a commuter train platform with an older man in a dark overcoat and brimmed hat standing farther down the platform.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_formal_man.jpg)
### Mabel does not consider him lap-worthy.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/history-will-misinterpret-this-completely-2/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:32:14.000Z
![Person sitting on a couch with a ceramic clown bust on their lap while a black-and-white tuxedo cat sits nearby looking annoyed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_mabel-1.jpg)
### History will misinterpret this completely.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/history-will-misinterpret-this-completely/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:31:50.000Z
![Full-size mannequin in a cluttered thrift store wearing sunglasses, beads, a colander hat, a necktie, and a handbag with a baby doll inside.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_mannequin.jpg)
### This feels like a metaphor with poor supervision.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-feels-like-a-metaphor-with-poor-supervision/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:30:27.000Z
![Damaged yellow caution sign patched with tape beside a small puddle on a city sidewalk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_caution.jpg)
### Everything becomes archaeology if neglected at the correct speed.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/everything-becomes-archaeology-if-neglected-at-the-correct-speed/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:29:42.000Z
![Plastic storage bin filled with old office telephones, tangled cords, and mismatched handsets.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_phones.jpg)
### An ambitious amount of not my problem.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/an-ambitious-amount-of-not-my-problem/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:28:35.000Z
![Flooded office lobby with missing ceiling tiles, buckets, caution signs, and standing water on the floor.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_flood.jpg)
### Had a weird dream last night. Don’t remember most of it, just a few images. Tried to recreate one of them here. I guess the shoe thing is getting to me a little.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/had-a-weird-dream-last-night-dont-remember-most-of-it-just-a-few-images-tried-to-recreate-one-of-them-here-i-guess-the-shoe-thing-is-getting-to-me-a-little/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:26:58.000Z
![Distorted nightmare image of a commuter train with a grinning woman holding a tote full of single shoes.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_nightmare.jpg)
### Not every omen has ambition.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/not-every-omen-has-ambition/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:35:49.000Z
![Upright vacuum cleaner standing alone on cracked pavement near a parking lot and patchy grass.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sun_vacuum.jpg)
### "Old now, and with little strength left for the movement of the herd, he has withdrawn to the edge of the territory to wait for the end alone."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/old-now-and-with-little-strength-left-for-the-movement-of-the-herd-he-has-withdrawn-to-the-edge-of-the-territory-to-wait-for-the-end-alone/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T14:46:16.000Z
![Single metal shopping cart sitting alone at the far edge of an empty parking lot.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sun_shopping_cart.jpg)
### She’s calling it teamwork. I have doubts.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/shes-calling-it-teamwork-i-have-doubts/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:06:59.000Z
![Black-and-white tuxedo cat lying inside a laundry basket full of clean clothes in a small bedroom.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sun_laundry_mabel.jpg)
### Maybe this is all identity is in the end. A shape left briefly in the world.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/maybe-this-is-all-identity-is-in-the-end-a-shape-left-briefly-in-the-world/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:06:27.000Z
![Deflated basketball lying near the edge of a dirt path in a neighborhood park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_basketball.jpg)
### Is it you, little buddy? Are you the one behind the shoe thing?
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/is-it-you-little-buddy-are-you-the-one-behind-the-shoe-thing/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:06:00.000Z
![Chipmunk standing upright near a person’s shoes beside a park bench.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_chipmunk.jpg)
### The pigeon was giving a little “what are you going to do about it.” Poor Mabel.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-pigeon-was-giving-a-little-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it-poor-mabel/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:05:22.000Z
![Black-and-white tuxedo cat stalking a pigeon outside the window from a wooden apartment table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_pigeon_mabel-1.jpg)
### I’m beginning to suspect she has a master plan.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/im-beginning-to-suspect-she-has-a-master-plan/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:44:19.000Z
![Older woman standing on a commuter train beside a canvas tote filled with empty picture frames.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_shopping_lady.jpg)
### If twice is coincidence and three times a pattern, then four times means somebody is messing with me.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/if-twice-is-coincidence-and-three-times-a-pattern-then-four-times-means-somebody-is-messing-with-me/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:43:44.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_shoe.jpg)

Single old sneaker partly hidden beside a wall on an ordinary city sidewalk.
### Good turnout tonight.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/good-turnout-tonight/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:43:12.000Z
![Partial living room selfie with takeout on a coffee table, a tuxedo cat, and a ceramic clown bust nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_dinner.jpg)
### The criteria for ascension remain unclear.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-criteria-for-ascension-remain-unclear/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:42:37.000Z
![Single rolling office chair sitting in a bright patch of sunlight near a window.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_chair_sunlit.jpg)
### He looks like he expects the day to justify itself.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/he-looks-like-he-expects-the-day-to-justify-itself/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:41:02.000Z
![Older man in a dark overcoat and brimmed hat reading a newspaper near the doors of a commuter train.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_formal_man.jpg)
### Nobody else is supposed to still be here.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/nobody-else-is-supposed-to-still-be-here/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:40:32.000Z
![Thin line of warm light showing under a closed office utility closet door in a plain corridor.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_storage_room-1.jpg)
### "The first wave is modest, but unmistakable: the herd's spring migration has begun."
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-first-wave-is-modest-but-unmistakable-the-herds-spring-migration-has-begun/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T14:32:10.000Z
![Small group of shopping carts scattered across a cracked service road near an office area.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_shopping_carts.jpg)
### This was already in progress.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-was-already-in-progress/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:37:20.000Z
![Black-and-white tuxedo cat lying across a person’s face and chest in bed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_morning_mabel.jpg)
### Mannequin lady is back. Her errands continue at a level I do not understand.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/mannequin-lady-is-back-her-errands-continue-at-a-level-i-do-not-understand/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:36:50.000Z
![Older woman on a commuter train with several lampshades protruding from a canvas shopping tote.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_shopping_lady.jpg)
### I was searching for batteries, and found mortality.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-was-searching-for-batteries-and-found-mortality/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:45:09.000Z
![Open office storage drawer filled with old employee badges, lanyards, access cards, and badge reels.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_badges.jpg)
### Third solo shoe I’ve seen lately. Not sure if this is actually common or if I’ve just trained myself to notice weird little things now.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/third-solo-shoe-ive-seen-lately-not-sure-if-this-is-actually-common-or-if-ive-just-trained-myself-to-notice-weird-little-things-now/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:35:55.000Z
![Single abandoned women’s flat shoe near a curb on an ordinary city sidewalk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue-shoe.jpg)
### I’m choosing not to ask.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/im-choosing-not-to-ask-2/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:35:10.000Z
![Do Not Disturb door hanger on an office supply closet door in a plain workplace corridor.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_do_not_disturb.jpg)
### Looks like middle management has molted.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/looks-like-middle-management-has-molted/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:34:42.000Z
![Men’s necktie draped over a low branch of a sidewalk tree near office buildings.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_tie.jpg)
### Everybody else was going to work. He seemed to be going to an arrangement.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/everybody-else-was-going-to-work-he-seemed-to-be-going-to-an-arrangement/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:33:07.000Z
![Older man in a dark overcoat and brimmed hat standing near the doors of a commuter train.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_formal_man.jpg)
### The line between squirrel and deity has narrowed.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-line-between-squirrel-and-deity-has-narrowed/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:32:27.000Z
![Squirrel perched on top of a small stack of stones in a neighborhood park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sun_squirrel.jpg)
### There was no attempt at diplomacy.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/there-was-no-attempt-at-diplomacy/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T23:25:17.000Z
![Toddler in a Viking helmet chasing pigeons with a toy sword in a neighborhood park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sun_viking.jpg)
### They’ve agreed to keep it professional.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/theyve-agreed-to-keep-it-professional/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:29:12.000Z
![Black-and-white tuxedo cat lying on an open newspaper beside a ceramic clown bust on a wooden apartment table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sun_clown_mabel-1.jpg)
### She’s threatening a veto.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/shes-threatening-a-veto/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:28:40.000Z
![Black-and-white tuxedo cat hissing at a ceramic clown bust in a modest apartment entryway.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_mabel_clown.jpg)
### This feels less like an offer and more like a warning.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-feels-less-like-an-offer-and-more-like-a-warning/
Last updated: 2026-05-17T03:27:21.000Z
![Cardboard free box on a city sidewalk containing a single ceramic clown bust.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_clown.jpg)

I took it, because of course I did.
### An uncomfortable level of relatability here.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/an-uncomfortable-level-of-relatability-here/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:27:25.000Z
![Single cantaloupe sitting alone in a mostly empty grocery store produce bin.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_shopping.jpg)
### I’m choosing not to ask.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/im-choosing-not-to-ask/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:27:02.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_train_mannequin.jpg)

Mannequin arm and leg protruding from a large shopping bag on a commuter train.
### Something must have gone very wrong, very fast.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/something-must-have-gone-very-wrong-very-fast/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:26:27.000Z
![Office breakroom microwave with its digital display stopped at 00:01.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_microwave.jpg)
### Bed-making remains a negotiated process.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/bed-making-remains-a-negotiated-process/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:26:02.000Z
![Person making a bed while a black-and-white tuxedo cat rests on the rumpled bedding.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_morning_mabel.jpg)
### I’ve been overruled.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/ive-been-overruled/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:25:25.000Z
![Black-and-white tuxedo cat lying across a person’s hand and laptop keyboard in a modest living room.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_evening_mabel.jpg)
### They have chosen a leader.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/they-have-chosen-a-leader/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:24:52.000Z
![Three office chairs stacked neatly in a plain office corner.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_chairs.jpg)
### A difficult connection, apparently.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/a-difficult-connection-apparently/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:06:37.000Z
![Single black dress shoe left on a bench inside a damp city bus shelter.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_busstop_shoe.jpg)
### Pretty sure this is the building’s brain.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/pretty-sure-this-is-the-buildings-brain/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:04:54.000Z
![Person lifting a tangled mass of cables and adapters from a bin in an office storage room.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_tech_tangle.jpg)
### She remains deeply committed to oversight.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/she-remains-deeply-committed-to-oversight/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:03:49.000Z
![Simple breakfast on a wooden apartment table with a black-and-white tuxedo cat nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_breakfast.jpg)
### Dinner with management.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/good-to-have-it-in-writing-2/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:03:11.000Z
![Partial selfie in a modest living room with takeout on the coffee table and a tuxedo cat nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_dinner.jpg)
### Good to have it in writing.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/good-to-have-it-in-writing/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:02:24.000Z
![Damaged printed notice on a metal office door showing only the words “THE INCONVENIENCE.”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_inconvemience.jpg)
### Actually, this is Mabel. We’ve been through a lot together. She’s helped me more than she knows.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/actually-this-is-mabel-weve-been-through-a-lot-together-shes-helped-me-more-than-she-knows/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:01:58.000Z
![Person holding a black-and-white tuxedo cat at a wooden apartment table, with the cat’s paw partly covering their face.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_mabel.jpg)
### I appear to have been issued a cat.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/i-appear-to-have-been-issued-a-cat/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:01:31.000Z
![Black-and-white tuxedo cat sitting in a modest apartment entryway.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_mabel.jpg)
### Looks like this meeting broke containment.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/looks-like-this-meeting-broke-containment/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:01:15.000Z
![Two office chairs left outside near a planter and plain building wall.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_chairs.jpg)
### Same platform, same carefully cropped participation.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/same-platform-same-carefully-cropped-participation/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:00:48.000Z
![Person waiting on a commuter train platform in a partial selfie, with a bag strap visible.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_morning_platform-1.jpg)
### Why no face?
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/why-no-face/
Last updated: 2026-04-24T18:05:46.000Z
I know it’s a little odd to keep posting around my face instead of just posting a normal picture. Sorry about that. I know it probably makes this feel stranger than it needs to.

I think I got used to hiding a little too well while I was away, and I’m not quite ready to be fully out there again yet. Not for any mysterious reason worth building suspense around. It just turns out that once you’ve been gone from your own life for a while, even small returns can feel weirdly loud.

That said, I had a quiet weekend, did some ordinary things, and showed up for them. I’m calling that enough.
### Quiet enough to hear myself overthink.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/quiet-enough-to-hear-myself-overthink/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T21:59:41.000Z
![Person seated alone at a public library table with an open book and small stack of books.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sun_library.jpg)
### Somebody missed the meeting.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/somebody-missed-the-meeting/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T21:59:05.000Z
![Small group of pigeons on an empty sidewalk, with one bird turned away from the others.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sun_pigeons.jpg)
### More atmosphere than usual, same amount of me.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/more-atmosphere-than-usual-same-amount-of-me/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T21:58:18.000Z
![Person eating alone at a modest diner table with a simple meal.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_dinner_out.jpg)
### Not sure why this made me sad.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/not-sure-why-this-made-me-sad/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T21:57:28.000Z
![Child-sized sneaker lying on the ground beside a playground swing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_shoe.jpg)
### Trying to get ahead of next week for once.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/trying-to-get-ahead-of-next-week-for-once/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T21:56:53.000Z
![Laundry basket on a stool beside washing machines in an apartment laundry room.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_laundry.jpg)
### Decided to really let loose and stand near some lights.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/decided-to-really-let-loose-and-stand-near-some-lights/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T21:55:15.000Z
![Person standing at a pinball machine in a modest arcade.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_arcade.jpg)
### There’s probably a lesson here, but I’m at lunch.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/theres-probably-a-lesson-here-but-im-at-lunch/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T21:54:35.000Z
![Stray balloon caught in the branches of a sidewalk tree near office buildings.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_lunch_balloon-1.jpg)
### Somebody’s day went sideways.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/somebodys-day-went-sideways/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T21:53:29.000Z
![Sealed bouquet of flowers discarded in a sidewalk trash can.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_morning_flowers.jpg)
### Wrapping up the day with a little structured loitering.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/wrapping-up-the-day-with-a-little-structured-loitering/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T21:52:31.000Z
![Person waiting on a commuter train platform after work in a partial selfie.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_afternoon_platform.jpg)
### Took it too far and entered a second aisle.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/took-it-too-far-and-entered-a-second-aisle/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T01:58:05.000Z
![Person holding a shopping basket in a fluorescent-lit pharmacy aisle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_pharmacy.jpg)
### Why I'm doing this
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/untitled/
Last updated: 2026-05-09T17:23:13.000Z
I’m still not used to posting things.

Most of my camera roll is just accidental photos of my shoes or the inside of my pocket, so this has been a weird little experiment. I think I started this because the days were getting away from me too easily. Work, train, coffee, dishes, sleep, repeat.

Which I know is basically everyone’s life, or at least a version of it. Still, it helps a little to pin one thing down and say this happened, I was here, the day was real.

Anyway. Very exciting week in office supply photography.
### Trying a more open-concept disappointment.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/trying-a-more-open-concept-disappointment/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:05:30.000Z
![Takeout lunch and drink on an outdoor courtyard table near an office.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_lunch.jpg)
### Back on my preferred form of staring into space.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/back-on-my-preferred-form-of-staring-into-space/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T18:13:20.000Z
![Seated commuter holding a coffee cup on a morning train.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/wed_morning_train.jpg)
### Cooking remains more of a concept.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/cooking-remains-more-of-a-concept/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:56:06.000Z
![Takeout container on a neighborhood deli counter with a person’s hand nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_deli.jpg)
### The glamorous side of the profession.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/the-glamorous-side-of-the-profession/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:55:22.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_storage_room.jpg)
### Too early to go to work, too late to go home.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/too-early-to-go-to-work-too-late-to-go-home/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:54:26.000Z
![Paper coffee cup on a small coffee shop table by the window.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/tue_coffee_shop.jpg)
### Still getting used to this again.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/still-getting-used-to-this-again/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:51:49.000Z
![Person seated at a cluttered office cubicle workstation with monitors and desk supplies.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_cubicle.jpg)
### This is probably fine.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/this-is-probably-fine/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:34:09.000Z
![Seated commuter holding coffee on a train with a bag in their lap.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/mon_morning_train.jpg)
### Resetting for the week.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/resetting-for-the-week/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:33:42.000Z
![Person holding a full laundry basket in a modest apartment entryway.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sun_laundry.jpg)
### Calling this a successful evening.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/calling-this-a-successful-evening/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:32:00.000Z
![Microwave meal on a coffee table in a modest apartment living room.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_evening.jpg)
### Running errands.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/running-errands/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:31:18.000Z
![Shopping basket with everyday errand items in a modest neighborhood store.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_errands.jpg)
### Letting the morning happen.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/letting-the-morning-happen/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:50:59.000Z
![Coffee mug on a table in a modest apartment on a quiet Saturday morning.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/sat_breakfast.jpg)
### Done for the week.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/done-for-the-week/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:29:58.000Z
![Apartment entryway with shoes, backpack, and jacket at the end of the week.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_home_entrance.jpg)
### This’ll do.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/thisll-do/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T21:55:36.000Z
![Simple lunch on a breakroom table in a plain office.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_breakroom_lunch.jpg)
### Hope it found its person.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/hope-it-found-its-person/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:26:37.000Z
![Open umbrella left to dry beside an office building entrance.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_umbrella.jpg)
### Running a little early today.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/running-a-little-early-today/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:25:29.000Z
![Commuter train platform on a quiet morning.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_morning_train.jpg)
### Not helping the motivation level.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/not-helping-the-motivation-level/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:29:49.000Z
![Rainy morning view from a modest apartment window.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/fri_morning_rain.jpg)
### Long day.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/long-day/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:28:39.000Z
![Takeout meal on a table in a modest apartment at night.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_evening_home.jpg)
### Back at it.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/back-at-it/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:21:34.000Z
![Cluttered office desk with monitors, keyboard, cables, and workday supplies.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_desk.jpg)
### City looks better before I’m fully awake.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/city-looks-better-before-im-fully-awake/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T22:29:32.000Z
![Morning city commute seen from a sidewalk in soft early light.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_street-1.jpg)
### Trying to get back into a routine.
URL: https://www.smallfailuresofreality.com/trying-to-get-back-into-a-routine/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T17:09:03.000Z
![Simple breakfast on a table in a modest apartment.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/88/e88830a3-d951-4682-b91c-ff9b3de17f28/content/images/2026/04/thu_breakfast-6.jpg)