My eldest thought The Pains of Being Pure At Heart was a hilarious name.

Best Dad moment ever re the carpenter ants

It was like, if you want “depressing,” Dad, I can put on “Closer” and really give you a reason to worry.

My dad came into my room while I was listening to The Undertones’ “Hypnotised” and asked, “Can I ask you a question, Mike? Why do you listen to such depressing music?”

The track that sent him over the edge was “My Perfect Cousin.”

There’s an international food market nearby that has the Israeli and greater Middle Eastern products on adjacent shelves. I think of it as a small contribution to coexistence, intentionally or not.