The Music
Like most music nerds, I used to spend hours perched by the stereo with a box of Maxell XL-II cassettes, building the perfect mixtape for friends and family (but mostly for myself).
In the age of CD-Rs, it became easier -- no more taping in real time, watching the tape reels as they spun around, struggling to find a song that would perfectly squeeze into the remaining space before the tape flip without running over.
These days, I've cut way back -- who still plays CDs? Spotify makes it simple to create online playlists, though some of the magic is gone -- no 80 minute time constraints, no permanence once you've burned the disc, and you're limited by what's available on the streaming service. I still make myself the occasional CD mix, but I'll also throw together a Spotify copy for travel, the gym, or sharing with others.
You can see my playlists on my Spotify page... but I'm gradually linking them on the pages that follow. Enjoy!