>> From WXXI News.

This is Connections.

I'm Evan Dawson.

Our connection this hour is made right now right here in the Rochester Finger Lakes region, with snow covering the ground and holidays approaching.

What is on your radar as you settle in for winter in Rochester and the Finger Lakes?

Are you dreading it or do you enjoy this time of year?

This month's edition of City Magazine is its winter guide, the annual exploration of things to do, including books to read, classes to take, sports to try, art to experience, and more.

And we're joined by the city team for this hour.

The editor of City magazine is Leah Stacy.

Hello, hello.

Hi.

Do you love Winter?

>> I'm accustomed to it.

>> You're accustomed to winter.

That's different than loving it.

Yeah.

Sometimes you just got to get used to it.

Jacob Walshe.

Do you love Winter?

As the art director for City magazine.

>> I find ways to love everything that happens to me.

I like winter because that sounds.

It sounds too rose tinted glasses.

>> Like it came out of your mouth and you felt like that was like false profundity, but.

>> Well, I meant it.

But it did seem like a little much.

And I could have just said, hi, Evan.

Thanks for having me.

Sure.

I do like winter.

>> Okay.

All right.

Well, it's great to have you.

>> I kind of.

>> Like it.

Roberto Lagares, who's a multimedia reporter for City magazine.

Winter.

>> Dig it.

I'm a big, cozy guy.

So this is my season.

Yeah, and I have a lot of hoodies and crewnecks.

So it's like, this is it's time to use them.

>> I'm I like that.

I mean, I like it for like a week and a half.

I think by mid-January I'm like, all right.

>> I was going to say, are you done already or.

>> No, I mean, like, I think you get to December because November doesn't count.

November is the worst weather month of the year for people who are like, I love fall like, you don't love fall, you love September, and you love part of October.

And then it's the worst.

Oh, so right.

November is the worst.

so you get to December you know, at least it feels seasonal.

And then by the middle of January, it's like.

All right, that's fair.

Like, I get it.

>> You think you can persevere in January?

That's when the things start to feel more optimistic.

>> Well, my older son, thing one is a snowboarder.

>> Oh.

>> And so I have had to try to ski again.

I know, look at that.

I have had to try to ski again.

That is not my son on the cover of city.

Oh, but I've had to come out of retirement for that.

And I always, every time I finish a day of skiing, I'm just glad that I'm not injured.

I'm like, all right, nothing tour.

>> Evan I fired up the ski machine, meaning I went skiing for the first time in a decade last winter.

I would love I would love to go skiing with you.

I think the two of us could have a great time on the mountain.

>> Can we make that scary video or.

>> No?

>> Denied.

Yeah.

>> All right.

>> So rip it up too hard.

>> Leah, in your editor's letter you asked some questions, like have I. Am I spending my time?

Well, have I kept up with myself?

And you revisited your personal social media archive to hold yourself accountable and to also use as a way to remember some of what you did.

Tell me a little bit about that process.

>> Yeah.

It's your typical end of year note, right?

I thought I didn't mention George Bailey or It's a Wonderful Life.

Ryan pointed out that I did indeed.

I don't know, it was just.

Yeah, I was reflecting and had some time recently to just sort of go back.

I mean, I turned 40 this year.

I think maybe we've talked about that.

Maybe we haven't.

kind of a, like a marker, right?

Like it it brought some reflection to me, but then just rounding the corner on three years at this job, I've been thinking a lot about the work we do and how that's changed.

And our team has changed.

And, you know, it's part of the reason that I picked the photo of the team as it currently is right now.

just missing David.

But, you know, he's elusive.

>> So he's there.

>> He's there in spirit.

>> Yeah.

>> But yeah, just this I think maybe this.

Maybe I'm getting older.

Evan, I don't know.

I was like reflecting more and wanting to hold on to things.

And I do feel like the healthiest way to use social media is to sort of document these memories.

but then if you get our emails today, I was kind of writing about the opposite of that, like living more fully in the moment.

So maybe I'm just going through something I don't know.

Don't laugh.

>> I'm not laughing.

>> No.

Birdo is.

>> Oh, that's because you guys work so closely together, and he probably knows exactly what you're going through.

No, I'm not laughing.

>> Share a brain cell.

>> I'm not laughing at all.

I mean, every once in a while, there's something that happens in my life where I go, where something I'll see a memory and I'll think that it was a year or two ago, and it was like 12 years ago.

>> Oh.

>> And you go like, whoa.

>> Yeah, that's a different oh, no.

Do I have that level to look forward to next?

>> I'm not that much older than.

>> You.

>> We're both in our 40s.

>> I'm like a fresh 40.

I just want to point that out.

>> I'm a I'm a stale 30.

Yeah.

Which is to say I'm 32.

>> No, I'm a I'm a very tired 40s.

According to Leah Stacy.

I know I'm, I'm just sharing that everybody I think not everybody, but I think a lot of people this time of year do have that take stock kind of thing where you go, yeah.

How did this year go?

>> The end of the year list.

Yeah.

Like is it what.

Like what did I do this year.

>> Spotify wrapped.

>> Spotify wrap.

>> Yeah.

There you go.

but I think there's also a lot of pressure because when you do that, you can look back and say, you know how different is my life than a year ago if it's not that different, am I happy with that, or do I not feel like it was enough?

Yeah.

And I think we we pound ourselves a little sometimes with feeling like it's not enough.

>> Oh, I like to challenge myself that way, but I am trying to be.

Yeah.

Our standards for ourselves, you know, depending on who you are, probably everyone in this room our standards for ourselves are the highest, higher than anyone else holds us to, which is good and bad.

>> Yeah.

Well, coming up, we're going to talk to Flo Cardello about building a dopamine menu and dealing with things like sad seasonal affective disorder.

And we're going to talk about that coming up here.

But let's talk about some of the things that city has going on, including a party, an award show, January 3rd at anthology.

>> Anthology.

>> What's Going On?

>> So everyone knows best of Rochester.

It's been around for a long time.

We have never had a ticketed event, and it's sort of been on my list since I got to city.

You know, I've been a freelancer for city and a long time supporter of city, have gone to the village Gate parties.

We moved it to Radio Social in the last couple of years.

It's always been this sort of free in and out.

Get your award, stay for as long as you want, and I just wanted it to feel more special.

And by that I mean I want there to be a stage.

I want there to be an emcee, a little bit of a script or run of show.

we're keeping the tickets.

It is ticketed, but we're keeping it very accessible.

$15 also includes a drink and a or spirit forward drink.

And we're going to have a really fun night.

We've got some already got some surprises in the program, and there will be some familiar faces from this building on stage.

And perhaps some performances.

And we're building this sort of like Saturday Night Live.

But City's Way, Rochester focused variety show that's going to have the awards built into it.

So instead of Jake being on a microphone and running through all these awards as fast as he possibly can, not eating or drinking for two hours straight, we're gonna.

>> That is how I approached that problem.

Yeah.

>> And and really like, just getting these certificates to people, we're going to make it more of a thing, like, hey, this is a popular vote.

You know, we again, don't choose the winners ourselves.

but to have the population around you, who supports you, voting for you, and choosing you is still a big deal.

And we like to celebrate that.

And, you know, give everybody their, their flowers.

>> So that is the city's best of January 3rd.

It is a Saturday night.

>> It is a Saturday night.

Yeah.

We didn't do that on purpose.

But and I kind of love.

>> That anthology starting at 6:00, you've got the great emcee, Mike McGinnis.

>> Mike, Mike on the mic.

>> Mike on the mic.

>> Yeah.

>> Mike.

>> He's got his own theme song.

Mike and I worked together on Fringe Festival.

We've we've written a couple shows together.

He also worked with me on the team when I was on the on the marketing side there he has got a golden retriever energy that I cannot tell you about.

You just have to witness it.

And he's truly a great show runner, so he's going to be a lot of fun.

>> So that's coming up if you want to put that on your calendar, they'd love to see you January 3rd with city's best of 130 plus winners.

>> Yeah.

>> That would just be like reading straight through.

Yes, that's.

>> That's exactly.

>> What it was.

You.

>> It was kind of it gets tough after like winner number 50 to like keep it interesting.

so last I remember last year, the microphone kept cutting out and that was kind of a thing to sort of keep the stakes a little high.

So can we hear him as a tech.

>> Problem.

>> Hear him?

You know.

>> Oh my.

>> God, we are not planning for that this year.

We're not.

No.

>> That's not written in.

>> All right.

That's coming up on the third before we get to Flo Cardella.

I want Berto because last month I think we missed your photo essay, which is always one of the really fun things here.

So tell us about onboarding here, Berto.

>> Onboarding.

over at Neon Wave.

Yes.

this was great.

Seeing the kids pretty much warms your heart.

essentially it is a program that they kind of taking the reins on.

it was essentially it was started by Burton Snowboards.

I mean, I don't know if they really need an introduction, but like the massive player in, in snowboarding.

>> I didn't even know this.

I so my son's got a snowboard.

Is it a Burton.

Is it probably Burton.

>> Thing?

One probably knows.

>> The answer.

If it's not, he wants one, you know.

but yeah, basically they started a program, I believe it was in 2009.

But anyway, it was designed to introduce kids to snowboarding.

whether they are near snow or not.

through their riglit program.

And since then, they've kind of moved away from meeting kids where they're at.

Unfortunately, and only hosting these riglit programs at resorts, which presents a whole other obstacle in itself.

Like if you can't afford to go to a resort, that's that's a problem.

Just cut out.

>> No, no, no, just.

>> If we have that tech.

>> Issue, just.

>> Keep going.

We're gonna keep going.

All right?

Got it.

but, yeah.

So.

Yeah, it brings the the snowboarding to the kids, regardless of where they're at.

and actually, Neon Wave brings it to you in multiple different places.

This one happened to be at Neon Wave for their fall bash.

And as you can see, the snowboards for the kids have, like, these handlebars on them.

And these, these kids are flying.

>> So the handlebars in your photo essay, that's the first time I've ever seen that as a way of teaching.

Yes.

That's kind of a cool way to do it.

>> It's.

And it's like it removes that barrier.

It removes that barrier.

Like the.

There was kids who were, like, shy at first, and then they just I mean, it was just a constant loop.

and it was great seeing that.

And then they also had a kind of a big I think they called it the Rail Rail Bash.

Or they have like four different names, I heard, but basically the the bigger kids get to ride the rail.

with this huge jump.

That's kind of what you see on the cover.

And throughout the essay.

and they kind of blends the community of snowboarders and skiers, and it was just great to see especially seeing, like, the young kids and how they're being introduced to it.

And some of those kids are now bigger and they're like, they're still riding and they're hanging out with their friends at the the bigger kids side of the park.

but yeah, it was it was really it was really great.

>> I mean, I look at this and first of all, the photos are great.

They're always great.

Burdock is such a great job with this.

everyone is having an absolute blast, even though some of the people in your piece talk about how terrifying it was feeling, like they were bombing.

Yeah.

You know.

Yeah.

I mean but this is a the kind of thing that you could probably do for a long, long time.

I mean, my dad told me growing up, he's like, get hobbies that you'll be able to do long, long into your life.

>> I think golf is like the number one.

Like a lot of people are like, oh, yeah, you gotta golf because you can do that no matter how old you get.

But I feel like seeing this I don't know.

I think this kind of teeters right in the middle because there's some.

They were being real sketchy.

I'll just put it that way.

They're they're doing some sketchy stuff on there.

>> What do you mean, sketchy?

Wild?

>> I mean, wild jumps and, like, grinds, 50, 50 grinds.

Some people were just biting it into the snow, and I was like, are you all right?

>> And I was on the sidelines, like, are we good?

>> Yeah.

>> Should we be shooting wild?

>> but no, I mean, they're having a blast and I'm sure, you know, they probably get sore after a while, but like, there was, there was a few older people there you know, riding too, so it was great.

>> I do wonder about joints, knees, ankles.

Yep.

>> That's it.

My my knees hurt just watching them do it.

And I'm a fresh 30 as we.

>> So how does the stale 30 feel?

>> very cautious about anything that involves any of my joints.

Not to be the, like, young person on the dais who's like, I'm old, but I'm so fearful of hurting my knees, they're already in pain.

I like skateboarding as a kid, and I did karate for 15 years.

I'm shot, I'm cooked, I'm done.

>> You're already.

>> Cooked and I'm getting back into skiing, so I'm.

>> Chopped.

>> As they say, I'm utterly chopped.

>> You do get to a certain point in life where you're like, I really can't afford.

>> I can't.

>> Do it like a torn ACL.

And a friend of mine, like five years ago, a friend of mine was turning 40, and he's like, I'm going to play in like one of those soccer leagues at at TSC, those Monday night soccer leagues.

And he eight minutes into his first game, he tore his ACL.

>> I mean get it out of the way.

It was.

>> Eight minutes long.

>> Oh my God.

>> That's longer than Aaron Rodgers.

>> Yeah yeah yeah.

>> so great job on that boy.

That was.

>> A lot of fun.

>> Thank you.

A lot of fun.

and does not make me want to board.

It makes me want to ski a little bit.

But boarding is a whole different thing.

I gotta have both legs free.

>> You can also just sit by a fire and, like, drink hot cocoa.

>> True.

>> Throwing it out there.

>> That is an option.

That was an option at this event actually.

You could just chill.

>> Man, I wish they had the the the yeah.

For the listener you kind of have to see it to know really what it is.

But I wish they had those handles when I was learning how to snowboard because you fall so hard on your face and then on your backside.

>> Yeah.

The falls are really, really.

>> Much more unforgiving on a snowboard.

You're just taking body after body right on the ice.

Yep, yep.

>> all right, let's let's bring in Florence Cardella.

Who's with us now?

Who is a building a dopamine menu?

And I think that was one of the things there.

Oh, by the way, if you've got seasonal affective disorder, getting out and doing physical stuff is a good idea.

I would just want to say.

Yep.

but there's a whole menu that comes from Flo's piece here.

And.

Flo, are you there?

Hey.

>> Hey, how are you?

>> Very good.

So you start the piece by taking us through a very common challenge that people have this time of year, which is feeling like they literally might have seasonal affective disorder.

And tell me a little bit about the inspiration here for for this kind of piece and how you think about seasonal affective disorder.

>> Absolutely.

So it was a double inspiration, kind of from talking to my own therapist and like what I should be doing around this time of year because I am a person that suffers from seasonal affective disorder, especially with how gloomy it gets in Rochester.

but a combo of that and a friend of mine showed me a TikTok from this girl, Gabrielle, and she basically was like, you know what?

I fight back this year.

I am not going to be succumbing to the darkness and like laying in my bed and rotting all the time.

I want to stay engaged and, you know, participate in my community and like, do the things that make me who I am just all year, as opposed to only when it's sunny and I have energy.

So that kind of was like, huh, maybe, maybe I could do something about this locally.

I pitched it to Leah and she was super down.

and then in combination in high school I had like a connection with Nami, which is a fantastic national organization, but they have a really great local chapter as well, and they have tons of resources for people to utilize to help them, you know, all year round, but especially in the winter, kind of climb past some of the mental health struggles that we all face.

>> Well, you put together your own menu, and each item in the menu has sort of a different location or theme.

So if you don't mind walking us through a little bit here at home, you're making paper rings.

Tell us about that.

>> Yeah, I love to make a paper chain.

I think it's so cute and cozy and something like kind of mindless but also mindful.

You can use scrap paper around your house, like get heavy duty construction paper, whatever you want.

But I think that a fun kind of, you know, in light of the solstice activity that you could do with your paper chain, is writing things you want to let go of, or things you want to work on, and sort of an effort for mindfulness.

I always find that mindfulness is really helpful to me when I'm struggling mentally or with anything really, like any sort of little fidgety task is great.

So this is a great, a great way to kind of get into that.

And who knows, maybe I'll pick up a new crafting hobby with your with your little paper chain.

That was the first thing I thought of for for making art at home easy and accessible.

>> Well, speaking of art on the outside list, something to do?

Visit an art gallery or museum and you're going to the mag.

>> I am going to the mag.

I love the mag.

It's so transportive it doesn't really feel like it's in Rochester to me just because there's so many, you.

>> Know?

>> Hold on a sec, Flo.

We lost the audio feed there, so let's go ahead and see if we can reestablish with Flo.

when's the last time you were at a museum or a gallery?

Leah Stacy.

Oh, no.

I put you on the spot.

>> No, it's it's recently.

I have to remember how recently.

I mean, in November, I think I was at Artisan Works.

The mag Eastman wo.

And some of this is for work, but some of it, some of it was for fun.

And.

Yeah, I mean, not a week goes by that I'm not in one of our museums usually.

>> I think every time I'm at the mag, I'm like, why am I not at the mag more I know it.

Do you feel that way?

It's amazing.

>> Every time.

>> Yeah.

It's great.

>> It is such a great resource.

So cosign on the idea.

They're going down the list here.

I'll go down Flo's list until we try to get Flo back here.

But trying new food and drinks is on the list here.

So again, Flo is writing a piece called Build a Dopamine Menu.

Intentionally dealing with the blues that you might get this time of year.

And I don't say the blues sort of be snarky or flippant.

I'm certainly there is a sliding scale, as her therapist told her, of mental health challenges.

People have.

Seasonal affective disorder can hit you hard.

So at home, she's going to oh, I don't know about chopped.

Are you guys chopped people?

>> Berto told me I was chopped earlier.

>> You were chopped?

I'm 32.

A little bit yeah.

I mean, I'm more of an Iron Chef kind of guy.

Yeah, the original Japanese version.

>> I'm more.

>> Of, like.

>> Get somebody to cook for me.

>> Get somebody to cook for you.

Yeah.

So Flo wants you to do a chopped challenge here, which is like you're raiding your cupboard.

You're not going to look at a recipe, you're going to follow your gut and you're going to make something cool.

I like that, I know.

>> I only shake my head because I know I'm just gonna go to the, like, classic make up, a ramen noodle bowl.

You know.

>> What's wrong with that?

>> That's it.

I mean, every single time, it's.

That's what it's gonna end up being.

>> I think we got Flo back on there.

So if you did the chop challenge yourself here, what did you make?

Flo.

>> I am back.

I'm sorry about that.

I that's how I cook.

Every time I cook at home, I'm like, what do I have?

What do I have?

What can I make with what I have?

Is there something seasonal?

Is there something that's been hiding in the back of my pantry?

Tons of options.

>> All right.

So now we're going to leave the house and we're going to try on your list of the dopamine menu, building a dopamine menu, trying a new coffee shop.

And the city, well, our city, but really the region has a bunch.

>> Oh my God, so many.

>> Has a bunch.

Go ahead Flo.

>> Yeah, absolutely.

>> Abundance of coffee shops.

I feel like when I'm trying to get something done, being in a space filled with people is really helpful.

So Coffee Shop is great for that.

It's already built for you to stay and hang out if you want.

Get to know somebody new if you want, but also, you know, be working in solitude.

My favorites at the moment are Ugly Duck for sure.

and I like the new coffee shop on East Ave, Alban.

They have really cool.

more like globalized coffee.

So those are two kind of really fun, really fun.

Different options.

>> I have not been to the second, been to Ugly Duck many times.

Recently went to Hydra for the first time.

Loved it on Monroe.

>> That was really a good one.

>> Really good.

I mentioned recently for those who live in Charlotte like me, Charlotte is opening in the old charbroil.

>> Oh no, they didn't know.

>> That's what it's called.

It's called Charlotte.

They're not open yet.

Everybody loves a pun.

Leah Stacy get on board.

>> I love a pun.

>> Okay.

>> Not me, that one's just everybody.

>> But Jake loves a pun.

>> It's just too much.

Not not not not Charlotte specifically.

I have love for anyone who's trying to start a small business, but my god, pun no.

>> Okay, well, listen, I'm going to be.

>> You need more coffee shops out there, though.

>> That's true.

>> 100 and that's it, right?

>> So shout out to sips.

I want to say that on Black Friday I ended up out and about a little bit and found my way into sips, and it was like the happiest place that I had been in.

It was just buzzing with energy.

There were people there.

Everyone working there is so excited to see you.

>> My sister works there.

>> Yo.

>> Your sister works there?

>> Yeah she does.

Is that she works there?

Yeah.

>> Well, it's a very happy place.

>> It really is.

It's the happiest I've ever seen her.

>> It was awesome.

And I just love that energy, because this time of year, you can get cynical, you can get down, or you can pick yourself up.

And coffee shops.

I love Flo's idea there.

So a lot of great ones there.

All right, getting outside.

Move your body at home.

Walk around your neighborhood at dawn or twilight y dawn or twilight flow.

>> I think that that's the best light you're going to get during the day is either at dawn or twilight.

Kind of golden hour.

Bookending your days makes everything a little bit cozier, you know, lighter, brighter.

There's if it's snow like there's right now, it's a little bit of sparkle added to the snow.

and at the beginning of the day, the city is pretty clean.

You know, if there's fresh snowfall, there's not any salt anywhere.

It's just kind of beautiful to look around your neighborhood and see it with new perspectives.

And in there is all I mentioned taking a camera with you if you have one, or just bringing your phone and a nod to what Leah was saying.

Sometimes it's nice to take photos and share them so that you can look back and review your life and what's been going on and everything you have to be grateful for, and everything you have to look forward to doing again the next year.

>> I like that idea a lot.

Flo.

in June or July, once a year, I like to get up before the sunrise, which is like 430 in the morning and get out and sit on a picnic table at Durand Eastman Beach and watch the sun come up over the water.

and then hopefully sips is open by them.

And I go, and Bruno's sister serves me a coffee there, so.

But I like the idea of doing that in the winter, because then you have to get up at 4:30 a.m.

it's a it's a later sunrise or twilight.

So that's a fun one.

outside, you're taking a class.

Where are you going?

To take a class.

Flo?

>> Absolutely.

Yeah.

We've got a ton of great local businesses that offer a ton of different classes.

A friend the other day just asked me if I wanted to take a sewing class, which I think sounds really fun, but here I recommended doing something to move your body.

aerial Arts is really cool.

That's like a really unique, like really throwing yourself into something unknown.

Or you can take yoga which is a bit more mindful and slow paced or fast paced.

It depends.

But I think any sort of movement is really good for getting your dopamine going and and pushing you through the winter.

>> and last couple here for creating community at home.

One of the most popular shows we did in recent years was on this movement to get people writing letters again, like actually writing letters.

And you say, do it.

Write a letter by hand.

Why?

>> Yeah, writing a letter by hand, I think is really sweet and nice.

It's for me.

I love having things in people's handwriting because everyone's handwriting is so unique, but it's also fun to get something cool in the mail instead of, you know, a bill or a notice or whatever.

getting a nice, intentional, well thought out.

I took the time to sit down and write this and make it as perfect as I could, and wanted to let you know I appreciate you take letters.

Really sweet to receive.

>> That is wonderful.

And by the way, you can save letters for all the email or texting or snapping or everything.

Other kinds of communication.

It's all ephemeral and it all goes away.

Letters you can keep I love that.

and finally outside taking a mini road trip.

Where are you going?

Flow.

>> Yeah.

>> To Genesee Country Village Museum.

It's a tradition that I've had since I was little.

They do a lot of really fun wintertime activities, which I don't think you would necessarily expect from an 18th century, 19th century village.

but it's just a really awesome way to disconnect from screens.

There's really no electricity or hardly any beyond what's absolutely safety wise necessary there.

And you can walk around, live through a villagers life from, from yesteryear.

This year, I was told the tours are led by a character named Joy, and that was an intentional choice to kind of have people follow the joy of the holidays around the village.

and be able to participate in that as much or as little as they wanted to.

>> Well, thank you for bringing us the dopamine menu flow.

and it's really heartfelt.

I love the way you close, but letting people know about getting in touch with Nami Rock if you need it.

if you feel like you're struggling or you know someone who's struggling this time of year you're certainly not alone.

Great information in city about that.

And a great idea.

Thanks, Flo.

Great talking to you.

Thank you.

>> For having me.

>> There's a lot of fun, and everyone's dopamine menu would be a little bit different.

What might be on yours?

Berto?

>> Food for sure.

>> Food.

>> I mean, that's already on there, but like, a lot of it I'm a big comfort food kind of person.

Really?

I told you, cozy season, man.

This is my.

>> It is cozy season.

My dad invented something called a cheese dream, which is a grilled cheese with peanut butter and jelly.

>> No.

>> Whoa.

>> He calls it a cheese dream.

>> What kind of cheese?

>> American cheese.

>> I'm thinking about it.

What kind of bread?

>> My father hasn't had a vegetable since, like, 1960.

>> Oh, well.

>> That's not much of an eater.

What kind of bread?

I'm sure it's white bread.

>> Sure.

Wonder bread.

>> I'm sure it's Wonder White bread.

>> I'm thinking about it.

>> He cuts off the crust.

>> No.

but grilled cheese with peanut butter and jelly.

His favorite things in the world.

He combined them.

Yeah.

And I was like, you can't.

But now.

>> I get it.

>> The his local place that he goes, they have that on the menu for him.

No.

And I'm.

like I'm like dad.

>> Nobody else.

Yeah.

>> But he calls it the ultimate comfort food.

For me.

It's a comfort food.

>> That sounds, well, the cheese alone.

But we're not gonna get into that.

>> I know you're like, you know, American cheese.

>> Cheese.

I mean, my doctor says I shouldn't eat cheese, but whatever.

>> Really?

>> Oh, yeah.

Lactose intolerant.

Whatever.

>> I tolerate lactose.

>> Jake.

What's on what's on your dopamine list?

>> a grilled cheese with peanut butter and jelly.

No.

>> Nice.

Yeah.

>> I bet.

No, I the the dawn walk is something I do year round.

I love getting up early.

I need to do it.

>> Do you do it in the summer, too?

>> I do it in the summer.

In the summer I get on my motorcycle.

I ride out to a lake, and I go and stare at a lighthouse.

I would say a couple days a week I do that, or I go and hike in Mendon Ponds Park.

>> Days a week.

Man, that's.

>> Every day I'm up early.

Most days I'm outside in the winter, not so much.

I've been.

I've been so exhausted from being sick.

Three weeks ago that I've had trouble getting out of bed these last couple days.

But it's that winter season.

You got to watch out.

That starts to creep a little bit.

So for sure, tomorrow I'm gonna take a walk with a with a camera that I got at an estate sale for six bucks.

It works.

It shoots.

Nice.

I'm gonna do.

I'm gonna take Flo's tip tomorrow morning and put on some boots and get out there before the salt comes out.

I really like the morning, and I really.

I'm an only child, so I really love being alone.

for a little while every day.

You know.

>> That's really cool, man.

That is.

That is.

>> Heaven.

>> No, I love that.

Thank you.

And, I mean, I was like, oh, once a year I do it and Jake's like, I do it twice a week.

>> It's a it's a necessity for me.

It's something, it's meditative I guess I have tinnitus so I can't meditate.

Quiet doesn't work so much for me.

But walking walking meditations you can do feels good, you know, gotta do something to to keep the brain all locked in.

>> what's going to be on your dopamine hit list there?

Leah Stacy.

>> It's three things really fast.

Walking a lot.

lighting in my apartment.

Like a really soft, warm lighting.

That's a twinkly lights, bistro lights.

Never the big light.

We don't turn the big light on.

Yeah.

And my third one is popcorn.

Dinner at the little in, like, a good movie.

That's good.

Just like, settle in hot tea.

Sometimes you have the theater to yourself.

If you go to, like, one of the later showings.

Not that we love that.

Go to the little support the little.

But I do kind of like being one of the only people in there.

It's just so cozy and like, you're not wearing hard pants to the little.

You're not doing that.

>> Once again, that phrase hard pants has come up recently.

>> Kids say you're wearing hard pants right now.

>> I know kids say that they will not wear hard pants.

Anything with zippers, buttons.

>> I think of.

I think of very starched jeans when I hear hard pants I.

>> Like, they could stand by themselves.

Yes.

Yeah, exactly.

>> I think of rodeo pants when I hear hard pants.

>> Anything that doesn't have an elastic waistband.

And if you're under 20, apparently that's just not happening.

The kids are like wearing jeans.

What, am I going to a wedding?

>> This could be a whole fashion show like episode, because it really did get stronger during the pandemic, which, you know.

>> We're talking fashion on Friday when we're talking about what the transportation secretary said about the way we we dress on airplanes.

So.

>> Oh my God.

>> Oh, don't get me started.

>> Catch me on an airplane.

>> Guys, are we old?

Yes.

No, the kids are saying hard pants.

Now I'm hearing.

>> Sorry, I think I think I said hard pants.

>> We're way late for a break, and we got to come right back here.

>> Because when we come back, we're going to talk about the passing of the torch that is happening at the Rochester Brainery.

It's a that's become an institution, of course, in our community.

And we're going to talk to Kellen Beck Mike Krupnicki on the other side, talking about the news at the Brainery with the team from City.

I'm Evan Dawson Thursday on the next Connections.

Pardon me, but maybe we have too many presidential pardons.

It goes back, really to the 1990s, and we're going to talk about the use and the expansion of presidential pardons.

What we've seen in the last week, and what people in the legal system think we could do to reform pardons.

What should the rules be?

We'll talk about it Thursday.

>> Support for your public radio station comes from our members and from Mary Cariola center, proud supporter of Connections with Evan Dawson, believing an informed and engaged community is a connected one.

Mary Cariola.

>> You know, next time we talk to city, I'm serving cheese dreams and Berto's going to have.

>> We'll try anything once.

>> Berto's gonna have.

>> A sometimes twice.

>> Do you like peanut butter and jelly?

>> I love peanut butter and jelly.

>> You like grilled cheese?

>> No, but that's okay.

I'll eat.

>> Anything lactose intolerant.

>> Yeah, I'm just not.

a grilled cheese.

Never really vibed with me because other than bodily.

But, like, it just seems so boring.

>> Okay.

>> Well, I need some, like, protein in there.

That's not just cheese.

>> Phil Dawson wants you to try the cheese dream.

>> It's his.

Give me that cheese dream.

I'll try it.

You can put me on camera.

I'll do it.

Yeah.

>> Cheese dream.

>> This is his second career.

Okay, dad, we're getting it going.

Here.

some big news that the Rochester Brainery.

And I'm going to let Leah Stacy kind of introduce this because Kellen Beck is the writer.

Go ahead.

Leah.

>> Yeah.

So Kellen is helping a lot with city right now because Pat is on family leave.

And I will let Pat announce his happy news himself, but addition to the family.

And so Kellen is doing a little bit more work with us over the next couple of weeks.

And so this is one of the articles he did recently.

again, Rochester Brainery I'm sad Danielle couldn't be with us, but she's been leading this organization for more than a decade.

really is like a one woman wonder, like, can do everything.

And so now she has passed the torch to Mike at Arc and Flame and is still doing a little bit of work.

And I'll let Kellen and Mike talk about the rest of it.

>> Well.

Hello, Kellen.

Hello, Mike.

How are you guys?

>> Hi, Evan.

>> yeah.

>> Thanks for thanks for having us.

>> and, Kellen, I got to tell you one of the first connection shows was the first time Megan Mack was in the studio as a guest.

Because Megan Mack was teaching at the Rochester Brainery.

Am I remembering this correctly?

That's true.

Right.

So this was the early days of the brainery, and Danielle and her business partner at the time were here, and we had this parade of people teaching, and it was this really beautiful idea.

But the question was like, well, is it going to last?

And I think as you found Kellen, it became an institution, didn't it?

>> Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, I mean, it started in 2013 and I feel like it's just snowballed from there.

the amount of classes that are offered across the board are just it's staggering.

Like the different kinds of things that you can do through Rochester Brainery.

>> Well, there's this great quote that Kellen has from Mike.

I'm going to ask Mike about this.

Mike said this about the success of the Brainery said, nobody says a bad thing about the Brainery.

I don't have an opportunity to fix something of an opportunity to grow something that's already great.

And that's kind of a fun challenge for me.

That's a very an interesting distinction, Mike, because sometimes when people buy a business, they might be feeling like, hey, this is in disrepair in some way, and that is not your mentality at all.

Tell me about that.

>> Well, and there's such an interesting range of classes and things that you can learn at the Brainery.

How would you describe it, Mike, if you know, you're home with folks for the holidays and they're going like, I haven't caught up with you in a while.

What is this brainery that you're doing?

What do you tell them?

Mike?

>> Nice.

Full circle.

Just end the show right now.

>> There you go, Mike.

Drop!

Yes!

>> But.

>> Get out of your comfort zone.

maybe have the opportunity to learn something that you've wanted to do all your life and just never got around to doing it.

Well, we want to provide a nice, easy path for that.

So that's my first run at an elevator speech or around the around the Christmas Eve table speech.

>> Yeah.

No, I mean, look, I mean, I know people over the years who've given gift certificates for the brainery certificates for classes as gifts because there's such a range and someone's going to find something that rings your bell.

So when you think about taking something that you have respect for Mike, and you want to make it bigger or better, what what are the next five years maybe look like for you?

>> Yeah.

So, you know, I wanted to take it easy.

I haven't I've tried to be very transparent here in the first three months.

I, we did close back at the end of August and I didn't want anybody to notice that anything was any different than it had been.

but now that I got, you know, three months under my belt, I'm still going to continue taking it slow and not make any do anything too big and bold.

And like I said, I don't want to screw it up on Danielle here, but I'm hoping to get back to having an actual dedicated physical space like Danielle once had.

as I mentioned, I think, you know, there's there's a segment of the population that just doesn't feel comfortable going downtown.

So for those folks, I want to be able to have offerings in the suburbs.

And like I said, I want to just keep my ears to the ground and use, use Danielle a lot.

She's staying on board with me because she is what was it, a one, a one woman wonderland or one woman dynamo that was just mentioned by Leah?

she really is.

And I could spend 100 years and not have the Rolodex of people that she that she has.

So just what what does the public want?

What would be of interest?

And I'm not afraid to have some failures.

Right.

We'll try some things that might not work, and that's okay, but we'll give them all a try and listen to the voice of the customer and see what listen to what they want.

And then at some point, you know, sometimes the public doesn't know what they want.

You got to just kind of figure it out for them.

So, I got got some different ideas there.

a lot of things Danielle has already done, but just not recently.

So we'll resurrect some of those things, like I'm dying to take improv classes.

Well, and I think, you know, to bring that back.

And I think that there is a definite need in industry to make meetings more fun and perhaps comedic.

And so I would like to find some people that can help businesses out with that.

there's also, I'm finding an unbelievable need for events, you know, interesting events for corporate team builders.

so I want to be pursuing that and kind of be Rochester's concierge for team events.

So those are some of my thoughts at this point.

>> Well, you know.

>> The best improv teacher in Rochester is Connections producer Megan Mack.

I'm just saying had a lot of experience.

I took a class and quickly found out in about half an hour that I am very bad at improv.

Very.

Oh, yes.

>> I don't believe you.

>> Oh, no no no, I mean, Megan will tell you it was.

I was one of her worst students.

now, had I not dropped out of that class because of my failure, I might have improved.

Mike.

But you got.

The cool thing in this community is, you know, Mike is there are phenomenal teachers who who will come in and, and do these classes that have such.

You have such a wide range of talent in this community.

It is really, really amazing.

So I wish you well with that.

And I'm going to ask Kellen if you're taking a class.

Kellen, what's it what kind of piqued your fancy in putting this piece together?

>> I'm hoping I mean, I mean, I want to get to the arc and flame building I visited for the first time.

in Chile there, when I, when I talked to Mike for the story and there's so many cool, interesting classes that have to do with blacksmithing.

Like, I mean, you can look at the Brainery website right now and find classes for, you know, making a knife or, you know, glass welding or glass melting.

but I also feel like the cooking classes are interesting.

I feel like possibly your dad could maybe start teaching a class.

>>, cream.

It could be a great you know.

>> Just.

I mean, talk about dopamine hit in the winter.

>> There you go.

Kellen, great work on this.

There's a lot of fun.

and I know we'll talk to you again on a Future City edition here, but great stuff.

Thank you.

Kellen.

>> Thank you.

Thank you for having.

>> Me and Mike.

Good luck to you.

it is an institution.

And anything that lasts as long as it has and has thrived the way it has is obviously important to a lot of people.

And I know they're excited about what you're going to bring.

Stay in touch with us.

Let's talk in the future about some of the things you're doing at the Brainery.

>> I would love that.

And if you could send me Megan Mack the phone.

>> Number or contact.

>> For her agent, I would appreciate that so I can reach out and try and get her booked.

>> I am her agent.

You can email me.

Thank you.

Mike.

That's Mike Krupnicki, the new owner of the Rochester Brainery.

a very important place in our in our community.

And they're still doing a lot of great work, as you heard there.

are you are you going to be teaching or taking any classes?

Leah Stacy what would you be teaching?

>> I have taught in the past.

Yeah.

Do you think Danielle didn't get to me?

Come on.

>> Yeah.

Danielle knows how to.

>> Danielle.

Danielle and I go way back.

We used to run a social media conference together.

and so I taught some things on social media for her.

Yeah, yeah.

>> Shorter class these days, like, just get off it.

>> Use it to record your memories.

>> Well, I, I said, I was saying last hour that I was listening.

It was actually it was Sam Harris's podcast, and he was talking about how obviously he's an adult now.

He's around 50 years old.

It's different than when you're in your teenage years, when you feel like all your interaction is online and you kind of feel you may feel like you have to be on social.

But he was talking about how in recent years he would get Dogpiled on Twitter and get dogpiled by all these, and he felt like he had to stay up late responding to all these hateful messages, and it just destroyed his mental health.

So two years ago, he quit all social media and he was saying on his podcast last week, he's like, people will come to me now and be like, Elon Musk was saying bad things about you.

And all of his followers are now dogpiling your accounts on social.

And he's like, are they okay?

And and that.

>> Doesn't matter.

>> It doesn't.

He had to teach himself.

>> I'm off Twitter.

>> That it doesn't matter.

>> X whatever.

>> Yeah.

Like you get away.

>> From it.

Who knows what people.

Yeah.

Because when I started this job, people were immediately like rag.

And I was like, yeah, I think this is it.

I think we're done here.

>> Oh, you heard from some anonymous account hater stuff?

>> Yeah.

hum.

Yeah, yeah.

>> Which exists.

>> I kind of like inherited Dave's haters to a certain extent.

>> And then.

>> You know, it went from there.

I inherited his city's haters.

They were like, oh, fresh meat.

>> But don't you wish we had all learned at the advent of social guys that, like, you actually don't have to respond and you can just.

>> Yeah, well, we could probably all do with that in our daily lives anyway.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I could, like, take a breath, take a beat, write it down, keyboard, throw it out.

>> And I'm not saying.

>> By the way.

>> I'm not saying that like criticism isn't important.

Like, I get plenty of critical.

>> Emails, valid criticism.

>> Oh.

>> Yeah.

And there are times.

>> There are times where I get very pointed emails and I'm like, no, I think this person's making a good point.

>> Absolutely.

>> I'm talking about the dog piling nonsense from anonymous Twitter accounts that are just made to kind of troll.

>> Yeah.

>> Or just hate everything.

Like, I hate puppies today.

Like there's people hate everything online.

It's just so negative.

>> So misery loves company.

>> But but you you can you can let it go.

You can walk away.

Maybe go take a walk among the trees.

Maybe search for truth among America's trees.

How do you like that.

>> I love it.

>> Oh, another.

>> Yeah.

I don't believe.

>> You're John.

>> John's here.

>> Jon Heath is here.

I'm going to let you introduce this one to Leah Stacy because, well, we we know John's work from city.

You want to tell us a little about.

>> The writer?

Yeah.

John's been writing for us for a few years now.

I always love when John has a pitch and I. If I'm recalling.

Right.

And I'm going to let him weigh in.

I think he pitched this initially a couple months ago, and I held on to it because of the book debut.

Slash the space in this issue.

My memory is not great.

John is going to have to tell me if I'm recalling that correctly, but this story ended up having so much more to it.

And as I was editing it, I actually followed back up with him.

Jake and I were chatting about art and I was like, oh, man, there's this is not just like a book, like, this man has had a journey that is so interesting.

and I just think John did an excellent job with this piece.

>> Well, John's piece is called The Search for Truth Among America's Trees.

Hello, Jon Heath.

>> Good afternoon.

>> so why don't you tell us a little bit about why you were so keen to to put this piece together for City?

>> Yes, absolutely.

Well, thank you for having me.

And.

Leah's right.

So I had pitched this story in the summer.

Trent, the, the author of this book is a Finger Lakes writer.

He lives in Ithaca.

And so I thought it could be a good story for the summer Finger Lakes issue.

But I think Leah's right.

Like, really, it works better.

In December, his book was published just yesterday, and he's telling a story that isn't solely about Christmas trees, but certainly has Christmas trees at its heart.

So.

And but I really I got to know Trent initially from his his first book, which was published a couple of years ago, and my wife had bought it for me from a local bookstore in Fairport, and it was all about a story of his getting to know his father through the process, who had passed away through the process of building a canoe by hand.

And I read it at a time when my relationship with my own father was sort of in a strange place.

He was living in England, and he was unwell.

And it's a really resonated with me.

And then I reached out to him afterwards to just tell him how much this story had had touched me, and he was very kind to get back.

And, you know, tell me that that's exactly why he wrote the book.

And so I'd been playing with this idea of how I could get in touch with Trent in a more meaningful way since then, and then learning that he had a new book coming out this month really fell into my lap.

>> Well, he writes that wood is part of America's first infrastructure, but can also be spiritual and sacred as part of Christmas.

So getting back to the Christmas trees, I. I want to read a little bit here on Trent's Connections to trees.

You write in his new book, Trent Pressler remembers cutting down a Christmas tree with his father on a snow drifted South Dakotan prairie.

He is 7 or 8 years old, yet the memory remains vivid.

He recalls that the young pines stood motionless, waiting to learn which one of them would die.

I mean, that's that's an image.

I cut down a Christmas tree like four days ago, and I'm rethinking the whole thing because of you, John.

>> Yeah, well, I think we, you know, we all grow up cutting down Christmas trees or going to a Christmas tree farm and trying to find the perfect tree for our house.

And so when you do it as a child, I think it's just so much more symbolic.

You're taking this thing from the outside and bringing it inside and putting your own flair on it, decorating it how you want with all your childhood memories and your and hand-me-down memories.

You know, traditional memories from from grandparents and so on, so on and so forth.

So it's yeah, it's it is it has been very meaningful.

>> Well, and I also just want to mention here that I thought it was very interesting that the book would be loosely inspired by Maxine Badat's Unraveled the Life and death of a garment following a pair of jeans from Texas cotton fields to factories overseas.

I think it's always useful when we understand more of the roots of our consumption, the roots of how we kind of go through the world and what we are consuming and what we are interacting with.

does this will this book help us think more in that direction?

John?

>> Yes, I think so.

It's it's I think Trent has learned so much about America's history of wood consumption.

I mean, so much of this book is maybe a doomsday idea of the way that America has been wasteful of its one of its most, you know, one of the strongest natural resources.

But how?

At the same time, we treat wood, we think about wood furniture as being high quality wood furniture.

We think about bringing Christmas trees into our home.

so there's a real strange relationship that we have.

And I think he learned a lot by putting himself into that story, sharing with us some of the memories he has of of spending time with his father as a young person and, and learning so much about trees and wood.

>> It's beautiful stuff.

And, John, it's great to have you on.

I'm with Leah.

We always get excited when we see your byline and city come back.

Talk to us anytime.

We'd love it.

>> I would love to.

And Evan, I got to give a quick shout out.

My wife, Rachel Cooper, would be remiss if I didn't say hello on her behalf.

>> Oh my gosh, blast from the past.

Rachel and I knew his John's wife and I knew each other from our camping days in Western New York way back in.

In another generation of time.

great to talk to you, John.

Cheers.

Thanks very much for joining us today.

>> And thank you, Evan.

Thank you.

Leah.

>> Thank you.

>> They're one of those couples.

You're like, who is smarter?

I like I hate this.

You're like, oh, they're so smart.

>> We love.

>> That I know they're so good.

>> It's going to be their kids.

>> Yeah, exactly.

>> That's how this works.

>> So John's piece, The Search for Truth Among America's Trees, so much packed in, what do we not get to, Jake?

The people need to be excited about to pick up city.

>> Oh my gosh.

I was going to make a book recommendation based on this story.

I'm not prepared to answer.

Leah, take it away.

>> Well, no.

I want you to talk about your illustrations real quick.

>> Oh my gosh, of course.

Yeah, this was an illustration heavy issue for me.

which is a rare thing, but something I enjoy doing.

We're a five person team and it's I would say it's pretty rare that an art director is doing photography, illustration and graphic design all in one month.

But that's, I think, the beauty of, of this job and something I feel very fortunate to be able to do for flows piece.

I reinterpreted the maze from The Shining so you don't reenact what happens in that film.

>> By the way.

>> Great movie.

It's my favorite movie.

It's either that or what about Bob?

I'm kind of split or Toy Story two.

>> Oh, I didn't even.

How did I not even think about that?

That's the shining maze.

>> There it.

>> Is.

the hedge maze.

>> It's a little bit of an Easter egg for folks who are tuned into connection.

I love that movie.

and then what else did I do?

I don't quite remember.

Oh.

>> Front of the book.

Patrick's piece.

>> When you said front of the book, I thought you said you meant the cover.

The very front of the book.

>> Also that.

>> But.

Oh, yeah, we've been using the same arts funding art for the last five years or so.

and we gave it a little refresh.

My, my good friend Sarah gifted me a box of pencils for my 32nd birthday, and that's heavily featured here on Patrick Hosken making sense about arts funding.

>> Great stuff there, Jake.

Thank you very much.

The music is playing, so give me one other thing you want people to see in this, in this edition here.

>> Honestly go look at the photo essay.

I'm gonna do a shameless plug for myself, because I feel like we talk about it, but the magic's in the photos.

That's why it's a photo essay.

Go, go pick up a copy.

>> And as we as we say goodbye this month to city, they'll see you January 3rd.

Leah.

>> Hope so.

>> Anthology.

>> Yeah.

>> 6 p.m.

Best of celebration.

Get your tickets.

>> A great dopamine hit for those post-holiday blues.

Thank you guys.

And I mean that.

>> I know.

Absolutely thank you guys.

Thanks.

This team from city more Connections tomorrow.

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