The Manhattan Project
As a kid and specifically in high school, where it counted, I was a terrible reader. I avoided reading as much as possible. Needless to say, my grades were not great. There was one notable exception …
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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Breaking the Brain Loop
I have spent the last few weeks sorting through some work nonsense. As humans do, my mind tries to map out every possible scenario, focusing on the bad ones, and repeat until I am reduced to a useless …
But What if We're Wrong? by Chuck Klosterman
I enjoyed Klosterman’s book on the 90’s and this was definitely more in the same style. An interesting book about what we think we know and how our predictions of the future are complete …
Tire Repair Project
Friday evening the teen came home from work and complained their tire seemed low. Since it was late, I said I would check it in the morning. Sure enough, the tire was completely flat. Since I was …
The Great Cellular Outage of 2024
On Thursday, February 22, I woke to my normal routine and noticed my phone had the letters ‘SOS’ where the cellular bars should have been. I quickly learned there was a nationwide cellular …
Uncertainty
When faced with uncertainty, the human animal becomes worried about what the future will bring. These worries are a drain of energy, but they are rooted in survival. Your brain races to find all of …
Backpack Adventure
I was at a company offsite in early November. By chance, I had dinner with a few coworkers in another organization. In conversation it came up about the company issued backpacks and how when we were …
Coffee Heart
Happy Valentine’s Day, to those who celebrate.
Health Goals
As silly as it sounds, the most honest health goal I have right now is to look good in a T-shirt. What specifically do I mean by this? I mean having no gut, having broad shoulders, arms that denote …
How Sicario Fools Its Audience
An analysis of one of the better films made in the past twenty years.