Since Marley started kindergarten, I had only dropped her off at school the very first day. Mom was there, little sister (Luna), and even grandpa. I remember having all sorts of mixed emotions, I might even shed a tear or two. Thereafter, it was grandpa dropping her off and me picking her up at the end of the day. Picking her up is way easier by far.

Today, grandpa was not available, so it was up to me to drop her off, alone this time. I wondered how it’d go, and it was, okay.

What I enjoyed the most was getting things ready at home. Prepping her lunch bag, getting specific instructions on what would go where in the lunchbox. The excitement, of Marley, on leaving for school.

Marley: Papa we need to leave now, grandpa always leave early

Me: grandpa lives about 20 minutes from the school, we live 5 minutes from it (even less)

She was an eager little beaver.

We drove by the school, I parked, she got her backpack, she asked to cross her, and once she was close to the classroom…

She’s gone, like I didn’t exist 😅

This afternoon, I get to pick her up, I am working from home, so I will just walk to the school — with her scooter 🛴

When it comes to video games, if you give me a sword, the bigger, the better, and I will hack and slash my way through. The more overpowered you can make me, and crazy combos — even better. Shooters, I will go Rambo on them mother frackers, guns blazing, wrath of god, Old Testament, and then some.

Last week, I started playing ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights on the Nintendo Switch. This game is a dark fantasy 2D RPG, or at least that is the description, which it’s accurate. Furthermore, I would say, it has a very Souls-like feel and style.

I have a big sword, sort of, but I cannot hack and slash my way through like I would in a Warriors/Musou-style or action RPG game. This game requires more patience, knowing your enemies patterns and know when to strike. This becomes a problem where I lose my coolness, when I forget this is not a hack and slash, and I need to be more thoughtful of my course of action and movements.

The game is gorgeous with beautiful crafted dark environments that make contrast with the main character. The music, it’s great, creating a serene atmosphere within all the darkness in this adventure.

The main character, her name is Lily, and you awake after an unforeseen descent of the rain that transformed all living things into undead monstrosities known as the Blighted. And you pick up a ‘Spirit’, and this is how you would fight and defend yourself through this dark adventure. You also collect more spirits along the way, that will add different abilities to your character.

Although I have had to make adjustments to my playing-style, I am truly enjoying it. I am about 2 hours into it. I have died a lot, and mostly because of my own impatience. Bosses — and mini bosses — are very punishing, they can take a big chunk of health. I do find myself leveling up and gaining experience rather quickly, not sure of this is standard for these games. You heal by praying or resting at specific spots, also known as respires, where you would — again — respire when you die. You don’t lose any of your experience or progress. Yes, you might end up farther back since you’ll respire and your latest saved location but any doors you unlocked or items you picked, you don’t lose those. You can also fast-travel between these. At these spots you also heal all your stats, you can upgrade your souls and charms. You can also visit memories, which is basically that you can fight bosses you have already beaten. Why would you do that, I don’t know, perhaps to level up?

This is really a fun, beautiful indie game. I am enjoying it quite a lot. Lately, I am into this indie, souls-like, rouge-like games phase, and I think the Switch is the best way to play these (in my opinion).

I do hope I can finish it and if I do that it will give me the confidence to play other games in this genre.

The list (I did not make)

1. Ground Turkey
2. Fizzy water
3. Tomatoes
4. Onions
5. Shredded Cheese

The Outcome

1. Ground Turkey
2. Fizzy Water
3. Tomatoes
4. Onions
5. Flowers
6. Vending Machine Toys

🤦‍♂️

The Importance of having a list, by Gaby Santiago , brought you by Micro.blog 🤣

Since I had made a list of all the games in my backlog, I thought I should also make one of every Nintendo Switch game I have played and enjoyed the heck out of.

Diablo III: Eternal Collection

I am sure I can find out exactly how many hours of gameplay I have on this game, but it requires some digging and setting up. Now, I am confident, I have at least 60 to 80 hours. I have replayed this game so many times. I enjoy it every single time I play. Hack and slash dungeon crawler — love it.

ASTRAL CHAIN

Anime, action RPG. This is easily a triple AAA game, and I am almost positive is a Switch exclusive, I think. The animation is wonderful, the story is great, the hack and slash fighting style. There are some “detective” style gameplay elements besides all the action. I cannot recommend this game enough.

Streets of Rage 4

I still play this game, especially since they recently released additional content for it. I am a sucker for beat em’ up games, ie, Ninja Turtles in Time, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Double Dragon, etc. The art style is outstanding, the soundtrack is probably one of the best soundtracks I have listened in recent years, I play it while working as background music all the time.

Neon Abyss

Neon abyss is a rogue-like action-platformer, kind of shoot em’ up style. It is so much fun and challenging. It does have an easy mode but some boss battles, specially “The Managers” can be challenging. But the same way is challenging, it can be addictive, no matter how many times you die, and you will die, you can’t help it but to go at it again.

NINJA GAIDEN: Master Collection

Ninja Gaiden games have a special place in my heart. I loved them back in the day and I also loathe them, they are tough games and very frustrating. Luckily for me, on this remastered collection, the added and easier mode and the game was much more approachable and fun to play. I did finish all three and had a blast.

Ys Origin

This is and action RPG, dungeon crawler like. I loved this game, I enjoyed every bit of it. It has two characters to start with, each with their own story and challenges within the same overall plot. Once you beat the game with these two main characters, you unlock a third one, and that story is just wonderful. I played and beat the game with all the characters, the third one being my favorite story, in all honesty. It is still installed on my Switch, as I plan to replay it at some point. I did not find it very difficult, I want to say it was an easy mode as well…

WARRIORS OROCHI 4

I am a sucker foe Musou games, so there’s no surprise I love this game so much. This iteration though, it is nuts because it has all the Orochi games characters, 3 before these, plus all the Dynasty and Samurai Warriors game, plus all the new character in this very game. So much gameplay and way to many characters in this game. Worth it, though.

Octopath Traveler™

Old school turn-based RPG. Eight characters with 8 different stories of their own. This game is beautiful and a blast to play.

Fire Emblem Warriors

Another Musou game, this time featuring characters from the Fire Emblem franchise. I like when KOEI TECMO GAMES take franchises like this and turn them into Warriors-like games. You would think, “oh, this will be another mindless hack and slash”. Well, it is, but it isn’t. At least on this game there are more elements to it, there’s more strategy involved. It has lots of more story and events aside from the main game story line. It is a fun one.

Samurai Warriors 5

This one has been my poison of choice since it came out, up to, a day or two ago. So almost a moth. I have cleared and S ranked every stage, unlocked every character, I have not unlocked every special weapon year, but I am working on it. Again, hack and slash Musou style game set in Japan. Nobunaga Oda is the Man!

Currently, playing and enjoying

Timespinner

This one is what they call a metroidvania action platformer. It is very inspired or influenced by the 90s gaming era. Many people compare it to Symphony of the Night in some aspects. I am having a blast with it, I easily have a couple of hours in, and I cannot stop playing — yet. It has an easy mode where you pretty much just concentrate on the story, you pretty much never die, like at all. Apparently, it has multiple endings, which adds to the replay-ability of the game. Whether I will be replaying it — if I finish to — or not, it remains to be seen. I love the pixel-art and the music is great too.

Today is day two of Marley's kindergarten and her first full day at it. Furthermore, it is my first day and picking her up, by myself after a full day of schooling. I am not even thinking about all the things I have to do at work today. In fact, at our morning check-in meeting, when we are asked to talk about our plans for the day, the one thing I mentioned was, "to not forget to pick up my kid from school". 

I am a little stressed by this, I mean, Marley, at school, like a full-on real school. Not the pre-K thing she was last year. It was only 4 days a week, 2 and half hours, and almost no other kids other than her classmates. 

I don't know, it feels very different and I cannot stop thinking about it. Now she will be spending more time out. Will she get used to it or will it be an issue? What about homework and such?  Playtime, etc. I know how lazy she can be about eating. Will she be eating at lunch like she's supposed to, or her snacks? 

There's a lot of overthinking here, I am sure, and most likely everything will be okay, I would hope. That being said, I cannot stop thinking and stressing out about it. I am sure this won't last long but I feel like I need to put my worries out so one day, when I opened my on this day, and read this, I may laugh about it and about myself.

These are all the game titles, that I have bought over time. Some I bought and haven't even played them again. Some I started and something else came along and abandoned them. Others, well I may have just rage-quitted. Some of these I really want to play them and do my best to finish them. Some are still on my wishlist and eager to play the! Most of them are indie games, with beautiful pixel art and soundtracks. I am a sucker for pixel art. Also, most of these games have an amazing soundtrack, I'm a sucker for video game soundtracks.

• Wizard of Legend - played a bit
• Timespiner - even forgot I owned this game, played a bit
• The Messenger - played a few hours/not finished
• The Liar Princess and The Blind Prince - Unplayed
• Stardew Valley - played a bit...
• Star Renegades - played a bit
• Shiren The Wanderer: The Tower of Fortunate and the Dice of Fate - played a bit
• Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin - played a bit
• SaGa Frontier Remastered -  Unplayed
• River City Girls - played a bit
• RetroMania Wrestling - played a bit
• Penny-Punching Princess - played a bit
• Panzer Paladin - played a bit
• Moonlighter - played a bit
• Monster Sanctuary - played a bit
• Kingdom Two Crowns -  Unplayed
• Katana ZERO - played a few hours/rage-quitted
• Hyper Light Drifter - played a bit
• Hotline Miami -  Unplayed
• Hollow Knight - played a bit
• GRIS -  Unplayed
• Dungeon Limbus -  Unplayed
• Dex - played a bit
• Devil Slayer - Raksasi - played a bit
• Children of Morta -  played a few hours/not finished
• Child of light -  Unplayed
• Chasm - played a bit 
• Celeste -  Unplayed 
• Blasphemous -  played a few hours/rage-quitted

• Aegis Defenders -  played a few hours/not finished

• Legend of Mana -  Unplayed
• Hades -  played a few hours/not finished
• Axiom Verge 2 - Wishlist . I am enjoying the heck out of the soundtrack, though.
• Cross Code  - played a few hours/not finished
• Arietta of Spirits -  Wishlist
• Eastward - Pre-ordered
• art of rally -  Wishlist
• Eldest Souls -  Wishlist
• Mighty Goose -  Wishlist
• ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights -  Wishlist
  
• Touhou Luna Nights -  Wishlist
  
• Morbid: The Seven Acolytes -  Wishlist
  

I have made a list with all these titles on my task manager on rotation. I will try my best to attempt to go thru most of these, before the end of the year. Then again, it seems like an impossible task, given my tendency to buy more indie titles, especially when they are on sale, plus anything else that's coming.

We shall see...

I will be blogging about my progress, if any.

Oh! And, again, these are only the "indie" titles, not even including other games i.e. The Xenoblades or the Resident Evils, etc, etc...

Tomorrow is Marley's first day at school. I don't know who is more nervous or anxious, me or her? She did like a pre-pre-K school thing last year and she did well but this is an Elementary school now, it feels different. Not the small church, with a small group of students. She's excited, she can't wait. Me, I am... don't know, mixed feelings I guess. I am nervous, anxious, happy, there's some fear as well, all the feelings.

I hope it all goes well and that we can help her the best we can, this is new, not like last year's. 

Until tomorrow then...

Today was another failed effort to be at work on time, also, more proof that free will does not exists. I had mentioned before that no matter how I do it or what I do to me right on time, it almost never happens. Today, I woke up earlier than I have been in the past few weeks. Again, I was frustrated by failure.

Wake up, (grab a brush and put a little make-up), get the coffee ready, showered quickly, and get ready. At this point, I am making good time. Normally, it would be a matter of rally Marley to the car, grab a half-asleep Luna, and go.

Luna: I want my shoes!!!

Me: Okay, here.

Luna: No, not those ones!

Me: ugh, these?

Luna: yeah!

To the car we go. Marley gets in, Luna gets in, I buckle them - GO! That's the ideal or the norm and not what happened.

Marley gets in, Luna gets in, and takes her time to get on her car seat. Once she's on the car seat and buckles her, I get in, seatbelt on, turn the car on.

Marley: I don't have my snuggle buddies, I want my snuggle buddies.

Me: Uhg! Where are they?

Marley: on mama's bed, there's Baby Fred and Papa Fred.

I run to the house, get the Fredeses!

After all that, I still made it to work by 7:15, the same damn time, I have been, in these past few weeks.

I give up!

The other day, a good friend asked me about the benefits of using Ulysses. Instead of trying to convince him of why he should be using Ulysses as his main text editor, I listed the reasons why I prefer it. In the past, I have used Drafts and iA Writer to compose and publish to my Micro.blog hosted site. My main problem with Drafts is that it doesn’t handle images well. It always felt like a hack to try to make it work. iA Writer was fine, but I don’t like seeing all the markdown and wasn’t a fan of “publishing” and then opening Micro.blog’s draft window and then publish.

Ever since Ulysses added Micro.blog support, I immediately paid for my yearly subscription.

Reasons why I prefer Ulysses;

• I find Ulysses much more cleaner. I like a clean canvas when I write.
• I like how it hides most of the markdown stuff. I don’t like seeing a bunch of URLs when adding links within my text, I find it messy and distracting. I guess that doesn’t bother most if you’re using a big screen but, I mean, my MacBook Pro is only 13”, my iPad is 11” and if I am writing on my iPhone, bruh! I rock an iPhone 12 mini!
• I like how it formats the text in the way I’d expect the text to be shown/formatted on my site. I feel like Ulysses does most of the formatting job for me. I don’t have to make sure there’s a line in between lines when for example posting a quote. (Make sense?)
• I can add images in between text and publish and don’t have to worry much about it.
• No extra steps when publishing. You just publish, it doesn’t go to Micro.blog’s drafts. I am not certain if iA Writer got rid of that or not.

The impression that I get, is that most markdown purists don’t like Ulysses as much because of the way it handles markdown. I think? And probably those are all the reasons of why I love it? 🤷🏻‍♂️

This is the way I can best explain it. I hope all of this makes sense. 😎

I ❤️ Ulysses.

IN OTHER NEWS:

I have no idea where I’m going to put my MicroCamp sticker on. 😅

There’s a new game in this house. Guessing which movie Marley wants to watch and with very vague (to almost no) clues.

Today, she wanted the one with the balls… (colored balls)

After a few questions with also very vague answers, I, somehow, guessed. How did I connect balls and the movie, Inside-Out, is beyond me? Perhaps the fact she said, colored?

The other day she wanted to watch the movie with the green fury and lives in a rock, and has a dog.

That one was easy, The Grinch.

Gaby, back in 2015 wrote,

Song covers

The interesting thing about song covers is that you either love them or hate them, and for many reasons. Maybe you grew up listening to the original or maybe the cover is just plain bad, whatever the reason is we’re always going to have an opinion about it. In some cases, though the cover can sound even better than the original, but that’s rare -or so I think- but they can be fun, they can be a new refreshed version of that original song that we at one point fell in love with. For example, most people don’t know this, but I have become a huge fan of The Rolling Stones. I’ve always been familiar with them and heard their stuff, but as my taste and appreciation in music has changed I’ve been listening to them more lately and one of my favorite songs for some reason is “Can’t you hear me knocking”. I don’t know what it is, but that song just rocks, and this week I found an album by Bernard Fowler — The Bura. And it has a cover of the Stone’s song and I have got to say that even though, I hold dear to the original song, this one was pretty solid and enjoyable. It felt like a modernized version of it. Then again, nothing like the original, but he made it his thing in a way, and I’m fine with it. It could be that I’m more open to this kind of things. I’m sure they’re people that will hate it, but I liked it, and it was a fun listen.

Found this in my Day One, it came up in the “on this day” thingy. I remember writing this and nowhere to post it, didn’t have a blog back then, but this was the beginning of the idea of having one.

Note-taking

Turns out, I don't like Obsidian. Yes, I like the fact that it has native apps on all the platforms I use but, I don't like it. I would like to use ROAM but, it is expensive, especially when I know that it would be used mainly for work. And they don't have an iOS or iPadOS app,  and yet, I am doing the trial.

Email

About a week ago, I had stopped forwarding my email to Hey. In a way, I had given up using it. I had been using Newton, which I kind of wrote a bit about it recently.  I stopped using it and I am back at using Airmail. However, I do find myself missing Hey a bit. I think is mainly because is the only way to have access to all my email at my work computer. For whatever reason, I am not allowed to sign in to iCloud 🤷‍♂️

Task managers

TickTick for work, free tier. Things 3 for personal. 

And I don't want to talk/blog about it 😎

I have recently shared all the things I like about Glass and I am still very much enjoying the service. Now, where other services, apps, platforms that I am currently using may or may not compare to Glass? 

Instagram

We all know that Instagram is no longer about photos. To me it is about content creators, yes you get to display your photos too but that's not the main target anymore, I feel like. And then there's the dumb (or numb) scrolling, scrolling, and scrolling, double-tap, scrolling some more, double-tap some more. There are all the ads, all the suggestions, kinda like, Twitter (the official app, that is). Ever since I had discovered and started using Glass, Instagram has already lost most of its value, if it ever had any, to me.  It's just a place a go now to look at funny Reels and may see my friends post, stuff.

Flickr

I have tried for years to get into Flickr. I may have had a few accounts around the years. The one I currently have was my final attempt to get into it once more. I am even paying for the Pro and still, I forget it's there, I forget it exists. I never ever open it to scroll and watch what the people I may follow are posting. Guess Flickr never really clicked for me.

Micro.blog

Micro.blog, before its social aspect, is first and foremost my personal blog's hosting service. Where I share my thoughts, the things I like and enjoy, and my photos. There's even a menu tab exclusively for my photos. I would say a good portion of my photos are exclusively on my blog, maybe a few on Instagram, and mostly about the girls so my family can see them.  Flickr, well, I will upload a few when I remember.

Twitter

eh!

Mastodon

Crossed posted from Micro.blog

Glass

What more can I say about it? I am really enjoying it. I like that unlike Flickr, it did click for me. I actively open it and look at the photos in my timeline, no numb scrolling, no double-tap, I comment, I interact, and likewise, other people interact with me. I am not sure if this is the effect of the platform/app/service being young still, but in the week or so I have had it, I have gotten so more good comments and feedback on some of my photos, that I never got on Instagram in all these years.  I like that the app, in some way, encourages interaction.

If you are in the Glasses there, you can find me at, Gabz

Last night, was my first day at the new gym.  I got to say, it was fun, in some ways.  And when I say new gym, I  mean to say in Name. This building, before it was what's known as Crunch, it used to be Idaho Athletic. Annie and I used to come to this gym way back then. At the time it was $40.00 for both of us and we used to love their kickboxing class, twice a week. In fact, we got to the point that we would just go to the classes and maybe use the rest f the gym on Saturdays. Until, due to health issues, the instructor went from 2 classes a week to one, and then we couldn't justify the forty dollars for one class a week and again, we weren't using the rest of the facility.

Anyways, fast-forward to 2021, now it is called Crunch, it is about 21 USDs and I can bring Annie anytime I want at no extra cost. After all these years, the place hasn't changed, at all. Same layout, pretty much the same machines with the addition of a few new ones. The main difference now is where they used to have the basketball court, now is like an open area with all sorts of toys, and there, is where I will be playing the most. They've got the rowers, sleds, kettlebells, TRX's, monkey bars, pull-up bars, free weights, etc, etc...

There were not that many people, I don't think I was ever any closer than 6 feet from anyone else, the place is pretty big and again, after 8 at night, it's pretty empty. I did spend a lot of time roaming around trying to remember where everything was or what I wanted to do. I really didn't have a plan for yesterday. Clearly, I need to make plans, workout routines, and such.

But I felt good going and about the place...

One thing though, people, if you are swinging a kettlebell in front of me and you don't know what you're doing, I will judge you. Sorry, not sorry, but there were people that clearly looked like they wanted to get hurt I guess.

I remember back in 2018 or so, I was unemployed, and sitting at a local coffee shop with my late 2017 13"  MacBook Pro, job hunting. I also remember I was eating a delicious pastry from a local "French" Bakery called Gaston's, a Raspberry Danish, the coffee shop used to sell their stuff. 

Anyway, that is probably one of the few good memories of those times. I also remember getting an email with a 50% off of the year subscription for a little email application and service called,  Newton. So of course I signed up for it. I mean, I'm unemployed but sure let's use the severance package monies, whoooo, YOLO!!

I think, at the time, it was one of the best options out there, in my book. Good features, clean UI, sync between devices was, is, pretty solid. I know this app/service has been dead and resurrected, I can't remember how many times or what is the current state of their business, I do not know. 

This past weekend, I signed up for Setapp and I was pleased to see that Newton is part of the applications bundle the service offers. I installed the app, set it up, and... It was very anticlimactic. To me at least, it looks, outdated. Not sure if is the Hey-effect or even apps like Airmail look much better, it's like Newton didn't age well.

Sorry, vevé, is not you, is me...

I did a thing yesterday. I joined a gym, again.

I had dropped the gym thing right after the pandemic started. I have been trying and failed to do the home workout routine ever since. I am still a little skeptical, I mean, we aren’t done with this pandemic and there is a new variant out there. That being said, I need to get back into being active and a place to go to. I need it not only for my physical health, but also for my mental health. The place seems to be following all the necessary protocols and I will be visiting the place when it’s almost empty.

Let’s see how this goes, if for some reason I don’t feel safe, well, I’ll stop and see what we can do. There’s no contract whatsoever, so I can drop my membership at any time.

Wish me luck!

This morning on my morning commute, like in everyone, I was listening to a podcast radio show, Supernatural with Ashley Flowers.

Today’s episode, ALIEN: Ancient Aliens

Fragments of a map from the 1500s sparked a theory that’s been going strong for decades. It holds that extraterrestrials have been visiting Earth for thousands of years, gifting humans with advanced tech far beyond our means. Today, we investigate the mysteries that make aliens seem almost plausible.

I don’t talk about this often, or rather, I don’t blog or have conversations online about this particular topic, perhaps because it has been beaten to death. But I am a sucker for all things aliens or theories on ancient technology and such. So, this episode was very fascinating to me. Then, something was addressed that blew my mind. Something I had never considered before or was brought up to my attention until now.

In the last five minutes

And speaking of Europe there’s something we need to address with the exception of Stonehenge all of these ancient alien theories revolve around non-European cultures as tons of actual experts have pointed out this reinforces the old imperialist idea that nonwhite cultures are inherently less capable like no one ever questions are the ancient Greeks built the Parthenon or how the Romans perfected aqueducts even hardcore ancient alien theorist Hindu accepted yes the evidence is clear they did that themselves cultures in Africa or the Americas accomplish something similar the reaction is somehow there’s no way they could’ve figured that out on their own

Wow!

(And yes, I used Drafts’s new transcribe feature for this) 😎🎙

Superman Returns (2016)

I remember watching this movie at the movie theater back in 2016, when it was released. I still remember seeing the first picture of Brandon Routh wearing the Superman suit, and oh boy, I was an eager little beaver and could not wait to watch this motion picture show.

I am trying to recollect my thoughts of the movie at the time, I think I enjoyed it. I mean, it had been, what, twenty plus years since our last honest-to-goodness Superman movie? Superman was my favorite superhero growing up, and still to this day. I had probably watched it a couple of times afterwards and then never watched it again.

I am not sure how I got this idea in my head that, this was a bad movie and that I dislike it. I blame the internet for that. Or perhaps a few comments of friends and coworkers every time this movie was brought up in a conversation. Who knows at the point?

Today I revisited this motion picture show, and it was not as bad as I was turned/made to believe it was. I really enjoyed it, I had my cool comic-book Superman moments. Yes, it is very much a love story, but is still Superman. Perhaps I am watching it now with a different set of eyes than I did back then? If I had one complaint, It’d be Lex Luthor and would have preferred a different villain, but again, this is a “direct sequel” to the Richard Donner’s Superman movies as I understand it.

In conclusion, this is a great movie, for the Superman fan and the little kid in me. I’ll give it three out of three chocolates!

🍫🍫🍫

I’m always around. Goodnight, Lois.

— Superman

1. No ads
2. No algorithms
3. Simple beautiful timeline of photos
4. Real people, no celebrities — so far or that I am aware of
5. I can’t see who posted what until I open the “post”, so there’s no bias, the photo itself of the protagonist
6. No likes, real human interaction
7. With interaction comes feedback on your photos (at least I’ve gotten some)
8. Love how it uses metadata to identify your equipment used, with old pictures I often forget what I had used for them

For all the reasons listed above, I am more than happy to give them my rupees to keep it afloat and free of ads.

Liquid Poem Double IPA by Stone Brewing

9.4% ABV

100 IBU

Rating: A+

It does not taste like a double IPA… so smooth

Hops, used artfully, can be a lyrical journey for the palate. What you have here is the liquid equivalent of some old school classic punk rock poetry. We took the path less traveled 25 years ago, and it could be accurately argued we were a bit noisy in our adventures co-pioneering the West Coast style IPA. People heard that noise and joined us in the hoppy mosh pit, and the path has gotten even more lively since then. We based this recipe on the classics, with citrusy-piney Centennial, Chinook and Columbus hops, plus a dash of ‘new classic’ Citra for good measure. Big yet refreshing, bold yet nuanced. Undeniably LOUD. Just as we like it.

It’s down to the science! No matter what I think, I do to speed things up in the morning or any prep the day before even. I will always arrive at work exactly — not a minute early, not a minute late — one hour from the moment I get out of bed. If I get out of bed at 6:05am, I will arrive at work at 7:05am. This is proof, that free will is an illusion, laughing out loud.

That being said, my coffee this morning it’s delicious.

• Beer
• Donuts
• Cameras
• Cheeseburgers
• A clean text editor
• Pockets, the more the merrier, pockets and more pockets

Every so often, I do miss using my MacBook Pro as my main computing device. That being said, I have been here before. I start using the Mac, I am happy and delighted for a while, and then, a little later, I am back to the iPad.

It is and endless circle and I guess at this point, I have made my peace with the fact. I mean, I own both devices and like them both. Why commit to just one, right?

It has a ring to it, Gabzorg. Don’t it? Anyway, I did a thing, I changed my domain name — gabz.org. Not like gabz.me was bad, but one day, browsing for domain names, as you do, I found the .org was available. Not only was available, but also for dirt cheap — ish.

Gabzorg!

There are a few things in my life that I unnecessarily keep looking into or trying to get things replaced for no reason whatsoever. That what  I already got is good or good enough, and yet, I find myself going down rabbit holes over them.

And that is,

• Domain names
• Note-taking apps
• To-do apps
• Camera gear
• and Backpacks

It's a sickness and obsession of sorts, and I can't stop it.

Domain Names

I look at domain names almost every week. Many of them, do make it to the check-out cart. Then, I close the browser tab and move on. I think the main reason I chicken out on domain names is that then everyone that may follow my blog, would have to resubscribe, and if there is a way to change domain names and not people not having to resubscribe, I don't know about it. 

(I found gabz.org for dirt cheap)

Note-taking apps

The truth of the matter is, I really don't, well, more like I rarely take notes. The only times you might see me taking notes is at work and I much rather use pen and paper. If I do any type of note-taking on my phone, for example, it would be something quick and I use Drafts for that. All my writing happens on Ulysses on my iOS devices and Mac, other sources when at work. I am Playing with Quill today. That being said, I have been playing a little bit with Obsidian for some note-taking and work-journaling, simply because it has a Windows native app and if I wanted to, it can sync with iOS, and there's an iOS app. More on that later...

To-do apps

Well, this is my major struggle, in a way. I know for sure, that I like using Things, but I'd like to have access to reminders and tasks everywhere and I work on a Windows PC, unfortunately. This leaves Things sort of out of the question. I tried bringing my iPad to work and use it as a little hub where I could keep using Things but that was causing a lot of friction. Thus, I am left with either Todoist or TickTick. Therefore, I am back at experimenting on TickTick and see how that goes. So far is work-related things only but we shall see.

Camera Gear

I am a photography fan and enthusiast, it is a passion of mine and I love doing it. The camera Gear a currently have, an Olympus OMD E-M10 Mark III, is a decent camera, I believe I have taken a decent amount of decent-to-good pictures with it, and yet I can't stop trying to justify the need to buy,/replace/upgrade to the next thing.

Backpacks

It'll be two years since I got my latest backpack now in August, the Everyday Backpack by Peak Desing. It is probably the best backpack I've ever owned and the most expensive too. It fits my needs, great quality, love it. Yet, I have recently started looking at other options, just because, I really have no reason whatsoever on why should I replace it, and still.

So yeah, I think I am sick.