I believe I found the next iteration of the walking tank known as Metal Gear 😅

We finally found a name!

Born November 15 at 6:36pm, in Boise Idaho, 4 lb 6 oz (give or take), 17 and 3/4 inches long. She couldn’t wait long enough to meet us so she decided 33 weeks and 2 days was long enough. At the moment we are yet to decide on a name, so for now we are calling her “Baby Dolphin” as her sister (Marley) does. Mom is fine, baby will probably spend sometime in the NICU before she can come home with us but everything is looking good.

Can I have a beer now? :)

HorrorMovieBBQ.com:

Today in 1989, Batman was released on VHS!!!!! And it would proceed to be a cornerstone in every thrift store, church rummage sale and flea market you’ve ever been to. pic.twitter.com/OE3bqsjZjN

Still my favorite Batman.

And so it starts!

PR COMIC CON:

You wanted people to do good, to be a better version of themselves, to fight for what they believed in: THIS is what made you a real life superhero. Rest in peace, Stan.

Sad day.

Removing some old sticker from my MacBook Pro was kind of a pain.

Micro.blog (Again)

This week I had decided to give Micro.blog another visit. I have tried this service before with different approaches every time. Unfortunately always found a reason to stop using it and keep my personal blog hosted with Wordpress. I like Wordpress, it is relatively cheap, works as intended and don’t have to fiddle too much with it. What got me into Mb was it’s simplicity. Wordpress gives me too many options to fiddle with, I know that may sound strange to complain about. With too many options about customizing my site, it’s a problem for me, I can never stick to one theme or design, I am always changing it. With Micro.blog it’s more simple, there are only a few options available and that is it. Yes, you can get a little more technical and change things here and there but that’s not something that I’m neither interested or too knowledgeable about doing.

Anyway, this time around I am fully into microblogging, I am truly having fun with it. Not having to worry about too much about the format I post, it doesn’t have to be long format, it can be a simple post and I don’t feel guilty about it. Yes, it is a very different community compared to twitter and sometimes I feel like I’m having difficulty fitting in. But its definitely a good opportunity to connect with a different set of good people, we’ll see.

IN OTHER NEWS:

I had decided to remove about 50 percent of the stickers I had on my MacBook Pro this morning, it was rough.

Today was cleaning day in our house and of course I got the closet that no one wants to deal with, specially me. This closet houses many mysteries! Nah, its usually coats, shoes and empty boxes, yup, empty boxes. I am a box hoarder I think, I tend to hold on to new-tech boxes and can’t control myself. Why? I don’t know. Is it because they are pretty? Collectables maybe? I really don’t know, maybe I’ve got issues. The thing is that I go through this type of “empty-box-cleansing” a few times a year. This time around this are all the empty boxes I found in my closet.

• iPad Pro 10.5
• 2 iPhone X
• iPhone X🅂
• MacBook Pro
• Apple Watch series 3
• Apple Watch series 4
• Amazon echo
• Apple TV 2nd gen?
• 2 Apple TV 3rd gen?
• iPad Pro Smart Keyboard
• iPad Pro pencil
• Playstation 4
• Nintendo Switch
• Super Nintendo Classic Edition
• HomePod

Okay, do I want the new iPad Pro? F Yes. Do I need it? No. Would I still buy it? Yes. Can I justify the price tag?…..No.

The new iPad Pro looks like a great piece of hardware And I’m sure it’s worth every penny but is not for me (or is it?). The thing is, I’m sure many people can justify spending this kind of money for the new hardware. People that are looking to replace their laptop as their work machine or people that they just prefer to work on iOS versus a MacOS for example. And I totally get that. I personally own a 2017 13" MacBook Pro and I love it. I love working on it, it makes more sense to me in my head that replacing it for an iPad. I do also own a 10.5" iPad Pro and I love it as well, but is not my main working “machine”. My main use for an iPad, honestly is media consumption, watching videos and reading comics, that’s all I use it for. And thus I can’t justify the new iPad and its price tag, it’s not going to replace my laptop and is not gonna get the kind of heavy-power-use most people will give to this hardware. This why I won’t be buying one, at least for now.

If I were to buy a new hardware it’ll probably be an iPad mini, currently mu 10.5 it’s been taken hostage by my 2-year-old daughter. Playing some kid’s games and movies. So I might get her the mini just so I can get my 10.5 back. Many times I’d rather carry that in my backpack and leave the MacBook at home.

All that said, just watch and see how I get one sooner rather than later!

As far as my weight goes, it’s about the same as a few weeks ago. Some of the changes I have made trying to stay in shape.

• I have stopped drinking during the week (trying to stick to once a week)
• I work out every single day, at least 30 minutes (make sure I close all those rings)
• I run every other day (still sucking at it though)
• I try to move more often at work
• Trying to hike more often (as i used to)
• Less pizza and donuts (so sad)

Like I’ve said, weight wise, I’m still the same. But I have noticed a few little things here and there that make me think something’s working.

• I can use the second hole on my Apple Watch’s band (before it was the third)
• Certain shirts don’t feel like I’m suffocating in them anymore.
• I feel a little more fitted and less bleh!
• I don’t get fatigued when performing certain tasks at work or around the house.

There’s still a lot of work to do and improve upon. I feel like I’m building some discipline and heading in the right direction. Although, sometimes it feels like it’s still not enough. Maybe because all the working out it’s done at my own house. I am yet to decide on which gym I want to go for whatever reason.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Loving Muse’s new album

One Year Ago today I made this entry.

Olympus OMD-EM10 Mark III Today I received my new camera, the Olympus OM-D EM-10 Mark III. Been wanting to upgrade my camera for a while and after watching a couple of reviews it seemed like an obvious choice. The controls and options are easier to access, making it more user friendly. Not just that but the addition of new technology. So it was a justifiable upgrade coming from the first generation or model. So I went out downtown Boise to snap some pictures, using my Leica 25mm lens. It has been a while since I went out so excited about taking pictures so I had a lot of fun.

Gaby’s Log • Wednesday, Nov 8, 2017, 4:21 PM MST • 3047 S Bown Way, Boise, ID, United States • 48°F Cloudy

I am still in love with this camera.

• Diminished memory recall
• Poor mood and emotional regulation
• Worse cardiovascular and health outcomes
• Weakened immune system
• Dampened decision making ability
• Lowered impulse control
• Inability to concentrate
• Decreased alertness

Sounds about right.

What if, this “crusade” to find the “perfect” task manager, is not so much a fault of the app/system itself but me ?

I have been thinking about this for a while. Maybe is not that the application(s)/system I’m using aren’t serving my needs in the way I want to. Maybe is just me and my bad lazy habits and I blame the app for it. When in reality is me saying “I don’t wanna do it! leave me alone!” Maybe this is the mental friction I feel when using task managers. The fact that there’s a system constantly reminding me about things that need to get done and how much of a procrastinator I am. One thing I do know for sure, I need these system in my life in one way or another. I need to get reminded of things. I need to know what’s coming up, more so the “older” I get. Maybe one day I’ll reach a “Task-manager-nirvana” but until then, I will continue in this crusade.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Still playing a lot of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey but probably will drop it a bit to play Diablo 3 on the Switch.

Spider-Man

Finally! I have started playing Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4 this week and I think I now get why the hype. At first I was a little concerned that it was going be too “I-feel-like-I’m-just-doing-chores” type of game but it’s actually not bad at all. There are a lot of missions that may seem repetitive and “chory” at times but they aren’t too annoying. The upgrade system is simple and unlocking new costumes it’s probably my favourite part (I’m a sucker for extra costumes).

I am having a blast playing this game, I highly recommend it (go get it!). Specially if you’re a Spidey fan, you gotta play it!

IN OTHER NEWS:

I cheesed my pants today. 🧀👖

Octopath Traveler

Octopath reminds me a lot of old RPG games I used to play like Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger and Children of Mana (which it isn’t that old, 2006 if I recall). The combat it’s turn-based system, very similar to some of the games previously mentioned, nothing too complicated.

So far I have gone through the stories of seven of the characters, one more to go before moving on to the next chapter. I would say I have got roughly eight to ten hours of gameplay so far and it’s been fun. It is definitely a change of pace from what I have been previously playing, like Destiny 2. Will see how far I’ll go before I either get bored or rage-quit it!

IN OTHER NEWS:

I got Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4, I haven’t played it yet.

Seattle

He had a vacay! It has been a while since the last time we had a family vacation of sorts. Last weekend we took a trip to Seattle, rented an Airbnb for the entire family and stayed for 6 days. The ”premise” or reason for this trip/vacation was the Ed Sheeran’s concert at the CenturyLink Field. However, the reason I was excited about the trip wasn’t necessarily the concert, but the city! I love street photography and I thought Seattle would be the perfect scenario for me to go nuts — and it was. I’m not gonna lie, I enjoyed the concert a lot more than I thought I would, Anne-Marie opened the show and she was amazing, followed by Snow Patrol and they were awesome too and, of course, Ed Sheeran as the “main event”. I gotta say I was pretty impressed by his performance, I did enjoy him quite a lot. Also, this is the first time I have ever been in such a huge venue. Most of the concerts I have ever been in are in much smaller venues so I felt a little overwhelmed. Regardless, we had a good time and enjoyed the show.

But, like I’ve said before, to me it was all about walking the streets of Seattle and take pictures! We visited some places like The Pike Place Market, the aquarium, the space needle (of course), among other places. I don’t think I have ever taken so many pictures in my life in the span of 6 days. The “photographer” in me was in heaven. Food was also a big highlight, we went to a couple of restaurants, food stands, and whatnot. The best place I’d say we went was to Pike Place Chowder, probably the best chowder I have ever had in my entire life! The line was ridiculously long the first time we passed by during the weekend. Then during the week, we came back, the line was much more decent and then, we understood. If you like chowder as much as I do, you’ve got to go there.

I could go about the things I didn’t like but I don’t need that kind of negativity here. ;)

Here are some of the pictures I took on my trip. For more you can always check my Instagram

IN OTHER NEWS:

Why is summer still a thing??

Something that I have struggled with for years is managing time and tasks. Not the best organized person by default, also the most forgetful one. Always having ideas, things to do in my head and no system or way to recall them. Thats how it had been all my life until around 2010? If remember correctly, when apple introduced it’s own to-do list application, Reminders with iOS 5? I might be wrong. Anyway, that was the first to-do/task manager app I have ever used.

Then I discovered Clear, a very minimal interface, and gesture-based to-do/lists app. It was amazing to use and I got by with that for a long time. Then I discovered other applications over the years like, OmniFocus, Things, Todoist, 2Do, TickTick, among others. And yes, I own and have used them all. The one that I have used the most and always seem to come back to it’s OmniFocus, something about this app that clicks with my brain in ways the others have failed. Things 3 is another one that usually works with me pretty well too.

And yet, I struggled to keep up with any of them, there’s always a mental stress about having task managers, at least for me. Sometimes I find myself serving the app instead of the app serving me. I find myself indecisive about what application to stick with and switching/trying different ones way too often. So this week I have decided to break my tasks managers. I have deleted them from my phone and I am left with just Reminders.

Having the Apple Watch , I am a huge fan of the Siri watch face and how it shows reminders/tasks that are coming up. Also been able to dictate any tasks to Siri with ease (yes third party applications do have access to Siri but I find it that it works only 50 percent of the time, whereas with reminders, it works 90 percent of the time) Because the Reminders app is so “limited”, it makes it a much simpler system. On top of that, both my personal and work life aren’t so complicated that would require a complicated system to manage them, I think. All I need is a place where to put things so I don’t forget about them later. Then again this is just an experiment to see whether or not I can survive without a more “complicated” task managing system (I say complicated in quotes because things are as complicated as you make them).

All that being said, maybe I just haven’t found my ideal system or I’m just overthinking this way too much.

We will see!

IN OTHER NEWS:

I am going on a trip to Seattle this week, I’m very excited about that.

Pocket City

IN OTHER NEWS: Still Playing a lot of Destiny 2, I probably need an intervention.

DESTINY 2 on Xbox One

I can tell I really like this game because after finishing the main story, even though you can still play much more after, I started a new character right away. I am not so much about completing every single mission, collect every single special gear/upgrades/weapons and whatnot. I am more in it for the ride and have fun playing. (But man I do suck at PvP lol)

Anyway, If you are playing this game (still) on the Xbox, feel free to add me at Batbriel, and maybe we can all play together — or not, it’s all good.

IN OTHER NEWS: It’s too hot out!

“Kept you waiting, huh?” (a few will get that one). Been a while, since I last posted something here. In our last episode our hero was unemployed, a stay at home dad, coffee snob, photographer wannabe, philanthropist and Egyptian assassin (too much Assassin’s Creed: Origins?). Later at the beginning of May I received an offer for a new job. Next thing I know I am flying to Spokane Valley, Washington (of all places) for training. It has been about almost two months since then. So yeah, I have been busy hence why I haven’t been posting. My time in Spokane was a very interesting one, the new job is good — very different to what I used to do before, met awesome people and had really good beer. So let me tell you a little about my experience in Spokane Valley. There are many things I could tell you but I would like to talk more about the people I have met here. Yes it is not the most flamboyant/fancy city (depending on your standards) but the people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, that’s what I take with me (besides all the new knowledge and extra pounds because of all the beer — and pizza — but that’s not the point). I have met very amazing, helpful and caring people which in a way it took me by surprise. In my mind this visit was just going be another stepping stone, another thing to plow through. I wasn’t here expecting to make friends and actually I wasn’t even sure if I’d really care about any of it, but as it turns out! It has been one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had in a while.

I will always be grateful for the friends I made and mentors I had while training for my new position, thank you and I appreciate you all. And the amazing folks at Badass Backyard Brewing. If you ever visit Spokane, WA — you got to give them a visit and check them out! Not only you’ll have some amazing beer (like the Adrenaline Seeker IPA or the Mojo Coffee Stout) or play board games but you’ll get to meet some lovely people in there — trust me.

Now after all that training and all that traveling back and forth, I am back home for sure. I am back to my reality and to my family. I actually start at my new position at my own site this week and will see how it goes. I can’t honestly say how much I like my new gig, it’s still too soon to tell, but I’m optimistic and I’m sure I’ll write about in the future (I think). And again, I am very grateful to the people that spent their time training me and showing me about my new job and responsibilities. The ones that just helped me in one way or another. To the ones that just wanted to chat and have a good time. The ones that played Rummikub with me while enjoying some delicious beer. I will miss them all.

It’s good to be home!

IN OTHER NEWS:

My subscription to Grammarly has expired so I apologize for any grammar errors. Too expensive to renew at the moment. 😁

I am sure I’m very late to the party but this week I have been enjoying Casey Neistat YouTube channel a lot, and his new “368” project. I have been very much enjoying the content and the production of it. Although it is true that I have been enjoying this channel (this thing) this week, that’s not it.

I got a new job this week (finally)!! Last Monday I received a long-awaited and exciting call — a job offer. It has been over two hundred and seventy days or so (not like I am counting) without a job. I am very excited (and scared) about this new opportunity/adventure. I will be flying over to Spokane Valley, WA on Monday (the 16th) for training and not only excited about the new gig but also to visit a new city. I will be taking my camera with me, and hopefully, there will be good weather for goods pictures.

Exciting stuff is happening!

Yesterday I was listening to one of my favorite podcast, Nerds on Draft. One of the topics, or pretty much the entire podcast, revolved around subscriptions. Whether they were services, content or apps. And it made me think about my own subscriptions situation. Especially since I have been thinking a lot about simplifying things recently. I am a nerd and a sucker for productivity apps (or any kinds of apps really), but in reality, I don’t need all of these complicated apps. I don’t have a super busy and complicated life. I am not a self-employed person nor a “writer.” So I own many apps that I honestly don’t use much, or if I do, there are very underused. I am trying to see, which apps I have that are subscription based. Which apps I genuinely use and get real use from. Are there any alternatives to these apps that I am paying a subscription for? Stuff like that. Not that I am against the subscription model, but as they discussed in the podcast, when you have too many, they do add up. Is not just apps, also services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Internet or even my Wordpress subscription, etc. So I am evaluating to see which ones to keep and which ones to cancel. Will be keeping my Wordpress subscription for sure, of course. ;)

In other news… I honestly don’t have anything new this week worth mentioning. :)

We had an excellent time (my wife, my mom, Marley and I) Saturday morning enjoying delicious donuts.