Weekly Check-In - February 13, 2026
Me, 2/12/26, San Luis Obispo, Ca
Letter
Dear Reader,
Thanks for being here. Happy Friday the 13th!
This is a new thing I’m starting to share what I’m reading, thinking, consuming, and sometimes dreaming.
Please leave comments! I love knowing how my ideas and experiences land.
Blogs this period:
I was a guest on Dave Congalton’s Hometown Radio Show TWICE. It always feels like a warm welcome home to be on Dave’s show. You can listen to these episodes here:
I’ve been posting a lot of content on Instagram. Follow along here.
Warmly,
Alison
PS a highlight was taking photos of this gorgeous red-tailed hawk that landed on a palm tree across the street here in Grover Beach, Ca. I caught it for just a second before it flew off. But then I caught all these other birds around me!
I’m reminded of the Bukowski poem, “There’s a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out, but I’m too clever…” See the full poem.
On my Mind
The Epstein Files. The more I read about what’s in them, the more shocked I become. Even though as someone who works in child trauma prevention, I know the rates of child trauma are shockingly high, the depths of depravity in the files is just unfathomable. Documents include testimonies and diary entries from alleged victims describing scenarios where they felt like "human incubators". One woman alleged that her baby, fathered by Epstein, was taken away minutes after she gave birth at age 16 or 17. Her diary entries are beyond heartbreaking. It seems too cruel and far fetched to be real, and yet, it doesn’t even seem to be the most disturbing thing in the files.
And yet in another way, when we look at the history of the United States, there has always been unfathomable cruelty. It’s not so surprising that Epstein was breeding new victims among his victims when we remember that owners of enslaved people were doing this openly and freely before emancipation, especially after the transatlantic slave trade ended in the early 1800s, meaning, no new people were brought by ship, so vile owners of enslaved people started to breed the people they had, like cattle. Former President Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I consider a woman who brings a child every two years” as “an addition to the capital.” So, in a way, the atrocities in the files, which are real things that happened to real people and were committed by real people, are a mere continuation of what we’ve always been.
We have to reckon with this fact and envision a new future together in which care for fellow humans, and especially care for children, is the basis, rather than exploitation, profit, and greed.
From this article in the NYTimes:
Was there anything in this latest batch that changed the story for you? New names? New revelations?
So far, it doesn’t fundamentally change our understanding of the story. It does give us more color and a better understanding of people’s attitudes and willingness to hang out with a known sex offender.
One thing I’ve been trying to understand is: Why did all these powerful and rich people want to hang out with Epstein?
I think it speaks to how elite society works around the globe. It reveals the way that money, no matter how it’s gained, brings people attention, which brings more money and more attention, and generates this vast network of connections — even for someone like Epstein. So people saw that he gathered powerful people around him and wanted to be part of it, and that way the circle became bigger.
But as you said, he was a publicly known and officially registered sex offender since 2008?
Yes, and in that way it’s also revealing of how some people in elite society viewed women. There was very much a class aspect to this. A lot of the young girls came from broken homes and poor backgrounds. Some of them had been abused in their own families. And they were viewed, basically, as objects, if not to be sexually used, then to just be around, almost like furniture. They were viewed as disposable people.
I made a video grading Dr. Peter Attia’s accountability letter regarding his name being included in the files, giving him a C, which is a low passing grade, due to his mention of an attempt to provide trauma-informed care to Epstein’s victims and to words that demonstrate that he realizes the degree of harm that was committed.
However, what he fails to acknowledge is that he traded proximity to power and wealth for integrity and, by doing so, supported misogynistic attitudes that contributed to a system that objectifies and exploits women. The attitude and complicity matter. We need men to stop selling out their integrity in exchange for wealth and power. We need more men to say, “wait, this is gross! No! I won’t speak like this about women and girls!”
See my video here:
Here’s an IG post with six books men can read to join the conversation about patriarchy and violence.
Action Item:
“I’m calling for Congress to haul in every person who emailed Epstein about visiting his island.” - Rep. Ro Khanna. See the video here.
Reach out to your congress representatives to demand they hold everyone in the files accountable.
Find your representative here.
Reading, watching, and listening to:
Listening. True crime podcast. Uncover (CBC): Sea of Lies. A body is pulled from the ocean, and a race against time to capture one of the world's most wanted criminals begins. This is the story of a con man who couldn't stop lying. A tale of murder, stolen identities, fine art, a diaper stuffed with gold bars, and a crime solved by a Rolex watch. From rural Canada to coastal England, he lied and deceived at every turn. Award-winning podcaster Sam Mullins (Chameleon: Dr. Dante & Wild Boys) takes you inside the world of a devious scammer whose trail of destruction crosses continents and decades. So who is he? And how did this ruthless villain finally get unmasked?
What I liked about it: at a time when sociopaths are running the world, it’s interesting to get a deep dive into the life of one such man and all of the people he conned, even though it’s desperately sad. Fast pace and great storytelling.
Reading. My friend Laura gifted me a delightful book! It’s called The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig and includes brand new words for concepts we’ve always needed.
Buying/Using:
Skincare. Listen, in this economy, we all need some bargain goods. For those of us not in “the elite Goop class,” we need good products that don’t break the bank.
I’m happy to recommend Trader Joe’s skincare products, which I’ve recently come back to.
I used this product in the past, Trader Joe’s Retinol Night Serum, but didn’t take any with me on my nomadic travels over the past 2 years. I got more last month and have been using it every night. I’m already getting compliments on my skin again! Even at 41 years of age, I get frequent breakouts. This retinol has cleared my skin right up! The best part? it’s $9.99!! Unreal.
Additionally, I’m using their Supreme Hydrating Eye Cream, which is $5.99!
And their Nourish Oil-Free Antioxidant Facial Moisturizer, which is also $5.99.
I don’t love their eye cream as much as DHC Q10 Eyecream, which noticeably reversed wrinkles when I started using it three years ago. But for $5.99, it’s great! (The DHC product is $42, although it’s on sale right now for $36.)
Health & Fitness
Exercise. I started going to Oceano Athletics, my cousin Ben Green’s gym, in my hometown on Dec 26th. I hadn’t done CrossFit in 10 years! I was very sore for several weeks, but now I’m in the swing of things. I started slow because I was so incredibly sore after those first few classes!
You can see from the graph below that I went to 1 class for 2 weeks, then 2 classes the next week, then 3 classes for two weeks, then 4 classes for 2 weeks. Now I’m committed to 3-4 classes a week, depending on where I am in my menstrual cycle (cranking it up during ovulation and taking it easy during luteal and days 1-2 of my period).
Since going to CrossFit regularly, I’m noticing the following differences: every task feels 10% easier, from carrying things up stairs to getting in and out of the car. Mood is better and more constant.
What I’ve also been doing is going running right after the 6:30 AM class, while I still have sweaty workout clothing on. So I’m getting weight lifting/HIIT and a run at least 4x a week.
I’m doing a mix of trail running, road running, and barefoot beach running.
Pictured (R) is a part of the Irish Hills trails in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Social Life:
Social health is a keystone of mental health and a fulfilled life. But I’m also giving into the urge to go to bed at 8:30 or 9:00 PM every night because I find I need more rest in the Winter.
A best girlfriend, Laura, came to visit and we enjoyed wine together with my parents and a good girl-to-girl deep chat until a late hour. That felt nourishing.
My other best girlfriend, Emelia, came over to watch Eyes Wide Shut, the 1999 film by Stanley Kubrick. I’d never seen it, but folks keep recommending it due to the secret society implications of the Ep Files. Wow, that movie is rich with symbolism! I’ve been loving the exhaustive analysis on this blog, by Boy Drinks Ink. It does seem dreamlike, and it does seem to be much more about dreams and the subconscious mind than secret societies. The secret society part was visually interesting, but not as captivating as the protagonist’s mind.
Pictured (R) is a part of the Irish Hills trails in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Pictured (L) is one of my best friends, Laura, visiting. We went to Venteux Winery in Templeton, CA.
