Bask in the glow

Connections absolutely wrecked us tonight.

My wife and I sit down to play Wordle, Connections and the day’s crossword from The NY Times games app.

I look forward toward to Connections everyday. It’s one of those small joys that connects us.

But wow, today we did not get a single one.

“One away…”

You’ve heard of Picture-In-Picture. New! From Netflix comes Picture -ON-Picture!

Netflix showing the ui across three quarters of the screen size while the show itself fills the screen.

Dark-Eyed Juncos hanging out with cardinals, house sparrows and squirrels.

Remember: Move Fast is followed by And Break Things.

16

Screenshot of the calendar and weather all both saying 16. It’s January 16th and 16 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

Snowy trees and gray winter skies

Large nest on a tree branch with snow. Snow tree limbs against a gray sky late in the day. Gray sky with distant tree. A single bird outlined against the gray sky.

A sunset with stripes of pinks and purples and reds across a gray winter sky.

Snow Day trip to the movies

Lake with trees and a raid in the background. Square windows of metal with trees and snow visible through themYellow cardboard movie poster display ad for The Beekeeper showing Jason Statham surrounded by bees. Snowy boardwalk next to a lake with AMC movie theater in the background. AMC theater marquee sign

Man sleeps with CPAP
In an out, whining motor
Sleep box prevents sleep

I’ve been keeping a diary for thirty-three years and write in it every morning. Most of it’s just whining, but every so often there’ll be something I can use later: a joke, a description, a quote. It’s an invaluable aid when it comes to winning arguments. ‘That’s not what you said on February 3, 1996,’ I’ll say to someone. — David Sedaris , Writer

Everyone whines into their journal.

Found via the Field Notes email from today.

Building tiny foods and baking them in place with resin is very satisfying. I deeply enjoyed placing popcorn kernels and tiny noodles into my chicken noodle soup.

They’re called MGA’s Miniverse - Make It Mini. There’s food and lifestyle ones and other kinds.

Tiny bowl of plastic popcorn with tweezers, a tiny spoon, popcorn bag and a bottle of resin. A tiny box of chicken stock holding resin, tiny noodles, chicken strips, vegetable cubes, an empty bowl and tweezers and a spoon. Collection of tiny pastries, churros, popcorn, chicken noodle soup, cactus, snow cones and a crystal sitting on a tiny table in the background.

📺 Obliterated (2023)

Obliterated poster

Absolutely as absurd and cheesy as you would guess. But I still enjoyed its mindless “screwups save the day” story.

At the end of the ride it’s just one man’s search for a sandwhich. Or taco. Maybe a cake. Or perhaps just a little bit of chocolates.

Finished reading: Starter Villain by John Scalzi 📚

Absolutely loved it. Read part and let Wil Wheaton read part. Light and silly fun to start the new year.

Hello 2024. The machine I sleep with has a dying motor. So instead of peaceful sleeping, I get a motor whine that changes pitch when I breathe. Friday can’t come soon enough. I hope this appointment leads to a new CPAP.

I’m looking for a Nintendo Switch game to play with my wife that is Minecraft in its crafting, foraging, exploring. But 1) has a story of some kind 2*) doesn’t look like Minecraft 3) is couch coop. Anything meet that mark?

(*We lived through the 8/16-bit eras. We are ready for round edges.)

Happy New Year’s Eve!

Fireplace with fire burning. A stack of wood to the right of the frame. A mantle full of 15 Santa Clauses with holly and berries.

Laid in bed last night solving NY Times mini and “midi” crossword puzzles and enjoy ones Connections.

Simple nights. Togetherness. ❤️

(“Midi” is their term for their medium crossword but it bothers me as an ancient internet boy.)

Woman in her hometown - Necessary Salt by Joy Sullivan

Nothing hurts like a hometown, especially Dayton, Ohio. Cornfield after cornfield. The notorious HELL IS REAL sign off of Highway 35 that, after all this time, still makes me sweat. I contain multitudes and apparently all of them are anxious. 

After nearly three years away, my hometown now feels like a sweater left too long in the dryer. Familiar but unwearable, itchy at the edges.  

Beautiful prose that I feel every time I read turned to my two stoplight home town. Different town. Same anxieties and ghosts of my past.

Generl Store

Little building with a sign saying Generl Store. General was missing the A.

Please enjoy this cooler I saw at the thrift store today.

Cooler with hand painted words saying “Cutie with a Booty.” 👀Cooler lid with hand painted hearts that says We kick it, they kiss it. Hand painted side of cooler saying 10 beers later in a sponge bob “three hours later” meme style.

Roku knows everything I watch on its devices. It would be nice to have that data too. So I could send it to Trakt or something.

Watching my sister-in-law play hockey.

It’s wild to me she plays at the Utah Olympic Oval.

Just your local ice rink.

Illuminated sign saying Utah Olympic Oval

There has to be a happy medium between “Stab your knees woth metal and your Tray table tips because it can’t sit flat” and “How about 8” of freedom and movement. Oh, and you can even extend your legs at the knee.”

Left is standard seat. Right is exit row. United flights.

Pair of legs with knees in contact with the seat in front and a tray table up. Pair of legs with 6” between knees and seat with a backpack visible on the ground and tray table up.

I agree with every crying child in the airport. This is terrible. Nobody wants to do this.

My Christmas wish is being able to travel from the East Coast to the West Coast by train in hours and not days.

Between Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, Walk Up Wednesday, Thank You For Spending Thursday and Final Day Friday, I’d forgotten Christmas is still a couple of weeks away.

The artists I follow reminding me to order by… or I wouldn’t get my order reminded me.