A Mid-summer Night’s Update

We’re into the thick of summer and the days have been long and hot—just the way I like it.

Pushing the One and Only Edge

Back in March, I mentioned having some ideas but wanting at least one edge to push. Turns out, the only edge I pushed was using scroll-based animations. Dullest edge pushing ever. I did the bare minimum and what do you know, I’m happy with it. I’m happy to have the new design, the new tech, and being able to write more regularly and feeling less constrained—especially tech-wise.

I’ve continued to tweak things since the launch. Still on the to-do list is to update the favicon and take a look at view transitions. I’m also considering different post styles or themes that are specific to content types. Some of the ideas I have might mean that I toss out the scroll-based animation on the logo but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

New MacBook

Speaking of tech, in my long running series of “how can I simplify my life”, I had given away or sold my old Mac gear, leaving me with just a Mac mini for my day-to-day computing and development needs.

For writing, I can use my iPhone or iPad, since I can write markdown pretty much anywhere. But the new post publishing process uses a desktop (or laptop) computer configuration to handle updates via Git and sync them to the server. I’m sure I could jury rig a setup that would allow me to publish from a mobile device but I imagine those solutions are going to feel like sandpaper and I want buttery smooth.

That means that if I want a portable post publishing process then I need a portable post publishing personal computer. Like, say, a MacBook. I’ve had this Mac mini for about five years now, so I don’t feel like I’m being frivolous with a new purchase. I stopped in at the local Apple store and after reviewing sizing and features, I settled on the 13” Air. They didn’t have the configuration I wanted in stock so I ordered online and will need to wait a couple weeks for its arrival.

Travel

Speaking of portability, what a better way to use said MacBook Air than on a trip. And yet, not a lot of travel planned for the near future. Perhaps a trip out to the west coast for some food adventures and catch up with friends I haven’t seen in awhile.

The last few months have included a number of trips including an Alaskan cruise to celebrate my mom’s birthday and get her one step closer to finishing her bucket list. (Huh. It would seem my mom is also a bit of a completionist.)

There were also a few trips mostly centered around food: Plenitude in Paris, Sushi Sho in New York, and Pearl Morissette in the Niagara region. All of them were spectacular meals and definitely worth going out of your way for, if you get the chance.

It wasn’t just food, though. My girlfriend booked us a tour of the Palais Garnier in Paris, the home of the Phantom of the Opera. (Fun fact, PotO was the first music CD I ever bought.) In New York, she got us tickets to see Cats: The Jellicle Ball. I watched the original Cats before going and thought, “how was this ever a hit?” The Jellicle Ball, on the other hand, felt like everything worked. The concept actually made sense and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Position Sticky

For now, things are quieter as I am enjoying sticking around and basking in the warm weather and slower routines.

Since I am around more, I’ve finally settled on a new challenge, unsurprisingly centered around food: try all (well, most) of the taco places in Ottawa. Ottawa isn’t really known as a hub of Mexican cuisine. For the longest time, it felt like the best we had to offer was mediocre Tex-Mex. The Mexican community has grown and along with it have been a number of new taquerias. I have a list of almost 30 places to try. I might document this adventure here on the blog, hence the desire to play with theming. I’ve already been to two restaurants on the list over the past week so I better get cracking!

Minus One

Being within walking distance of most things, I don’t drive much anymore. As such, having multiple cars was a little ridiculous. And as such, I decided to sell off my 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo. I enjoyed the car but I always felt a slight sense of anxiety while driving it. I would never think to take it on a long road trip and it wasn’t the most versatile for short trips. It was loud and smelly. Which, when I just wanted to cruise for an hour, I enjoyed. Driving it maybe five times over the summer before having to put it away for storage for the winter just showed me it was time to find a better home for it.

One thing I’ve learned about myself is that I’m content with having had the experience, even if it was a lifetime dream. Owning a classic vehicle like this was wonderful to have experienced but I feel no sense of loss now that I’ve sold it. I have the memories and that is enough.

Enjoy the Summer

Other than that, life continues on uneventfully—delightfully so.