The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck
I find it endlessly fascinating that you can still see the ruts of the Oregon trail. I have half joked with my family about taking a trip to see them myself, but nobody seems to share my enthusiasm. I was excited to see this book at a small bookstore in Michigan. This book hit two points of interest for me, one being the historical education around the great migration of people on the Oregon trail and the other the simple adventure of going across the country and all that can represent.
Spring Break Fun
It is spring break here. Many of the neighbors are gone. I went for my morning run and the streets were quiet. One very nice house up the street looked to be vacant. The normal activity wasn’t there. The driveway was clear. The windows all closed. However, there was a plumbing crew there with drilling equipment, a call-before-you-dig truck actively marking the lot, and a few water restoration vehicles there. They all seemed to be waiting for somebody to let them in.
Nobody is Watching You
Not sure the source, but as a man who is pushing fifty, this is extremely true…
When you’re 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you’re 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you’re 60 you realize no one was ever thinking about you in the first place.
The Last Repair Shop
The Lounge Chairs Project
Earlier this year when I had committed to working on the Lounge Project, I had ordered new chairs for the space. I wanted two simple chairs that fit the space, fit the decor, and reclined. The order was placed in mid-January and they finally arrived in late March.
I am happy with the result. The throw blanket, pillows, and decorative mirror are up. The room is complete.
The New WiFi Project
At the end of last year, I worked on the ‘Network is Slow’ Project which culminated in several changes to the home networking. What did not change was the WiFi mesh system I was using. I had four of the first-generation Google WiFi access points spread around the house. In the past six months, I have started noticing a general degradation in the quality of the WiFi speed. This would frequently happen once per day where the only fix was a reboot of the base system.
Detroit Exploration
We had a quick trip up to Detroit for the weekend. I was able to spend the afternoon looking around downtown. I am blown away with the architecture and extravagance of the grand buildings.
Mexico Recharge
It had been about five years since we vacationed in Mexico. We found a resort we like in Puerto Vallarta, all-inclusive and right on the beach. We have not been back as there have been some changes in the custody schedules, many pets to take care of, and pandemics. The time was right to book a trip and by late February any Midwesterner is ready for a healthy dose of warmth.
Pappyland by Wright Thompson
I know how coveted the Pappy bourbons are, but did not fully understand or appreciate the story behind the whiskey. This was a book full of heart and tied together the author’s own life with that of the Van Winkle family. This book made for a great vacation read.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel
This was exactly what I expected from her novels. Did a lovely job tying together people, places, and events from her prior two novels, Station Eleven and Glass Hotel. The futuristic bit had me cautious, but never once felt like the main theme.