Doing some 2024-in-review this weekend. First step: update my /now page.
Reading
How to Take Smart Notes
Sönke Ahrens
books
Finished reading: Rocket Men by Robert Kurson
The success of Apollo 8 is one of the biggest achievements of American spaceflight, or possibly all human spaceflight. I love space stories, but I knew Apollo 11 and 13 far better than this one, so we …
Fool of a…
photos
Getting some coffee and WiFi at Downshift Brewing in Ruidoso. Got a few hours of work in with a view of the river and some decorations being taken down.
Hopefully we’ll be back later today to, uh, downshift from caffeine to alcohol; their beer is …
books
Finished reading: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
This story is so epic it deserves better treatment. Unfortunately, this narrative weaves in dozens of names and focuses on a few, almost exclusively black women and white men (with few …
books
Finished reading: Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe.
Damn, what a book.
We follow a number of major characters in the Troubles of Northern Ireland from about 1968 to about 2016. I learned much more than I’ve ever known about this history.
The …
photos
travel
This road trip has given us the opportunity to compare many fried chicken chains across more than a thousand miles so far. We’ve hit Whataburger (I know), Popeye’s, and just now Bojangle’s for lunch.
Best chicken: Popeye’s Best biscuit: Bojangle’s …
One of the best parts of roadtrips is long-form audio, which I avoid on my short daily commutes because it breaks up the text too much (I devour podcasts instead).
We’ve really been enjoying Say Nothing about the Troubles. We’ll finish today, but I …
Halfway through the first of three long drives this Christmas. Eleven hours today and we’ll be in the right place for Christmas.
versenotes
This evening I’m trying to maintain motivation to keep going with Chapter By Chapter by looking at how far I’ve come.
There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible, which is daunting, but I’ve already written about 405 of them, which is …
versenotes
I don’t think Paul Simon was thinking of Psalm 88:18 when he wrote “The Sound of Silence”, but the NIV translation sure sounds like it:
You have taken from me friend and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.
We designed New Year’s cards today (because we’re too late for reliable Christmas cards). I am very happy with them.
We’re trying something new this year: having them addressed and shipped for us, because the next two weeks are way …
photos
Took a few days off to stay at a Postcard Cabins cabin, which is a (very) tiny house with a campfire and some chairs. It’s almost secluded enough to feel alone in the hill country. We had a great time, burned a lot of wood, made smores, and …
versenotes
Spent the last afternoon of this mini-vacation writing summaries of psalms; I’ve finally crossed the halfway point (all the way to Psalm 77). I might finish by New Year’s after all.
photos
My primary desk for the last twenty years or so has been a door that I stained and added a fir border and collapsible legs. It gives me a huge workspace, and it reminds me of my grandfather, who helped me make it before I left for college. However, …
books
Finished reading: Fated by Benedict Jacka
These books are always recommended for folks who keep re-reading the Dresden novels because nothing compares.
Indeed, nothing compares. The feel is mostly the same—urban wizard who has a day job sucked into …
books
Finished reading: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
I read this book to try to understand why it’s so popular, and I failed. It has all the trappings of a rollicking fantasy: a poor girl from the north is kidnapped by an evil magical …
books
Finished reading: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
What an absolute mess of a book. But it’s clearly fantasy for somebody, and the world is definitely interesting. A better author could tell some great stories in this universe; this author …
books
Finished reading: The Magicians by Lev Grossman.
It was not at all what I expected. Quentin is an unlikable main character; Penny and Eliot are hardly fleshed out; and Alice… well, I like Alice a lot. I really get the feeling Alice is the true main …
The Hokies and the Mustangs both won yesterday (even if the Mustangs win was maybe the ugliest I’ve ever seen), and we hiked a few miles together this morning. Can’t ask much more out of a weekend.
Europeans who feel superior about social welfare programs should be reminded that every European city inescapably assaults visitors with secondhand smoke. So gross. Please fix.
travel
Beer and cold cuts by the Duomo Milano is a great way to start this trip.
Perfection?!
Conlextions #394 🟪🟦🟨🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨
Solve Time: 1 minute, 27 seconds
It was bound to happen; today it did.
Six Appeal #191
I solved Six Appeal #191 in 7 seconds!
Real words guessed: 1 × 100 = 100 Remaining guesses: 6 × 200 = 1200 Time bonus: 293
Total score: 1593
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ ✔️ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⭐