Work and This Website, and Another Life Update
August 20th, 2025
I found another use for this website that may benefit me and my co-workers later on. It's a hidden page, but it just has links to our work's website with reports and such, so the links would not work for anyone else, anyway. I had built a dashboard with several reports and a decent layout that my team (and anyone else who saw it and asked for access) has used since the beginning of me working in this field 7 years ago. Apparently too many people have built reports and dashboards that do not run well and, of course, the bad apples are ruining it for everyone. Access to reporting and dashboards is already limited where I cannot share them with new people, but here soon, all the reports and dashboards are going to be deleted and access to create them are not going to go out to just anyone anymore. So this morning, I reached out to my manager with the idea of building a page on this site specifially to encompass the links we need the most so there's no hunting around. He greenlit it, so that's what I did this morning. I think it turned out well, thought we'll all miss being able to actually see counts of things on the dashboard.
The company is pushing everyone toward using two very convoluted dashboards that nobody on my team likes. So whilst this solution isn't perfect, it will at least benefit me and hopefully anyone new that comes along.
In other news, this weekend is a free marriage conference that me and my wife are going to attend a few hours away. My parents are going to watch our daughters this weekend, so we'll be able to enjoy some time together. I'm looking forward to it.
We'll also likely visit Goodwill Bins while we're in the city. It's rather fun to dig around in the bins... or just people watch the vultures that attack the new bins as they come out. We also need to get some clothes for my eldest daughters, so this will be a cheap way to accomplish that. Maybe we'll find some goods to sell on eBay as well. My wife has had good luck with older toys lately. My eBay hasn't really had any traction... but I need to list more things, too.
Seriously, if anyone is reading this, send book recommendations, advice, coffee, or just say hi!
The company is pushing everyone toward using two very convoluted dashboards that nobody on my team likes. So whilst this solution isn't perfect, it will at least benefit me and hopefully anyone new that comes along.
In other news, this weekend is a free marriage conference that me and my wife are going to attend a few hours away. My parents are going to watch our daughters this weekend, so we'll be able to enjoy some time together. I'm looking forward to it.
We'll also likely visit Goodwill Bins while we're in the city. It's rather fun to dig around in the bins... or just people watch the vultures that attack the new bins as they come out. We also need to get some clothes for my eldest daughters, so this will be a cheap way to accomplish that. Maybe we'll find some goods to sell on eBay as well. My wife has had good luck with older toys lately. My eBay hasn't really had any traction... but I need to list more things, too.
Seriously, if anyone is reading this, send book recommendations, advice, coffee, or just say hi!
Side Hustles and Cutbacks
August 19th, 2025
As mentioned in the previous post, finances are terrible. And unfortunately my wife's health situation hasn't really improved, so we still need to hire help. Her conditon also makes it where she wouldn't be able to go work anywhere. She's applied to over 100 jobs she could do from home, but no luck so far.
Because of this, I'm needing to find a side hustle. I'm trying and hoping to get into transcribing or data annotation (like AI grading), but am currently in the process of taking the tests to get into a couple of those sites. The first transcribing one I tried has legal transciption positions open only, and that test is very strict and I failed it. Have to wait two weeks to take it again.
It would be best if I got something I can do from home as well due to the health issues my wife has. But I also have signed up to be a DoorDash dasher. Maybe I'll be able to go do that occasionally while looking for something else.
Other than financial stress, things are going okay. Girls are healthy and mostly happy, other things are working out, etc.
I don't know how frequently I'll update this page, honestly. Usually during my lunch breaks at work, I'd read, do this, or practice programming, but the aforementioned stressor is taking over lunch with searches and surveys. I'll try to update at least once a month, though. If not for anyone but my future self.
If anyone is out there reading this... firstly, why? Secondly, say hi! And thank you.
Because of this, I'm needing to find a side hustle. I'm trying and hoping to get into transcribing or data annotation (like AI grading), but am currently in the process of taking the tests to get into a couple of those sites. The first transcribing one I tried has legal transciption positions open only, and that test is very strict and I failed it. Have to wait two weeks to take it again.
It would be best if I got something I can do from home as well due to the health issues my wife has. But I also have signed up to be a DoorDash dasher. Maybe I'll be able to go do that occasionally while looking for something else.
Other than financial stress, things are going okay. Girls are healthy and mostly happy, other things are working out, etc.
I don't know how frequently I'll update this page, honestly. Usually during my lunch breaks at work, I'd read, do this, or practice programming, but the aforementioned stressor is taking over lunch with searches and surveys. I'll try to update at least once a month, though. If not for anyone but my future self.
If anyone is out there reading this... firstly, why? Secondly, say hi! And thank you.
Floors Buckled In More Ways Than One
August 6th, 2025
This past week, we had a part of our floor bubble up to the point where we could not open our bedroom door easily. I cut out a section of the carpet and discovered it was the original hardwood floor that bubbled. I can only assume it was due to the recent weatherization we had to our house. The AC probably works better than ever and the difference caused the bubble. Who knows. Either way, I'm no carpenter, so I replaced a small section of flooring with linoleum to match the living room. So it's like a small entry transition. Doesn't look terrible.
Finances are terrible. That's all I'll say about that. Buy our stuff?
My wife has been organizing more and more lately, which is good. She won't tell me where she hid all the mugs we have, though... She put out a few and said she's going to rotate them out occasionally. I have no idea where she stowed the rest. We put most of the eBay stuff out in the our storage shed, so the room that stuff was in is looking much better, too. She's been motivated and it's starting to look good.
I also just finished the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas. It was pretty good, I'll say. I likely will not be reading any of her other works, though. Now I'm going to read a few random standalone books, then I'm not sure what series I'll start. Thinking about The Dark Tower series by Stephen King or the Halo series by various authors. I have a good size list with a reading order for the Halo books. Definitely would not be reading every one of them out there, though.
So if you have any book recommendations, email them to me via zachalope@zachalope.com - it should forward to my actual email.
Also, I haven't seen neurology yet, but I am driving. They still can't get me in sooner than September. There's been no issues other than the day of the shock, so... Life goes on.
Our daughters are doing good, though my oldest got into some fire ants and complains she's itchy. We're doing what we can to help that. And our youngest fell down the concrete steps and scratched up her face, so she looks a little rough... She still won't go down those steps a couple weeks later. Poor girl.
Finances are terrible. That's all I'll say about that. Buy our stuff?
My wife has been organizing more and more lately, which is good. She won't tell me where she hid all the mugs we have, though... She put out a few and said she's going to rotate them out occasionally. I have no idea where she stowed the rest. We put most of the eBay stuff out in the our storage shed, so the room that stuff was in is looking much better, too. She's been motivated and it's starting to look good.
I also just finished the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas. It was pretty good, I'll say. I likely will not be reading any of her other works, though. Now I'm going to read a few random standalone books, then I'm not sure what series I'll start. Thinking about The Dark Tower series by Stephen King or the Halo series by various authors. I have a good size list with a reading order for the Halo books. Definitely would not be reading every one of them out there, though.
So if you have any book recommendations, email them to me via zachalope@zachalope.com - it should forward to my actual email.
Also, I haven't seen neurology yet, but I am driving. They still can't get me in sooner than September. There's been no issues other than the day of the shock, so... Life goes on.
Our daughters are doing good, though my oldest got into some fire ants and complains she's itchy. We're doing what we can to help that. And our youngest fell down the concrete steps and scratched up her face, so she looks a little rough... She still won't go down those steps a couple weeks later. Poor girl.
No Driving, Just Waiting
July 24th, 2025
Not being able to drive is not very fun. I like driving. It's just one of those things I can sit back, relax, and enjoy. Listen to podcasts whilst getting to and from work. It's rather peaceful.
The soonest appointment I could get into a neurologist locally is September 9th - and I've been calling them every few days to see if there are cancellations. I also had a referral sent to a place an hour away in case they can get me in sooner, but haven't heard from them, either. I'll call them again in the morning.
In the meantime, my co-worker that lives nearby is my ride. I find I don't really care for other people's driving. But it could be worse. At least I my coworkers will get me where I need.
Life otherwise is about the same. My wife is finally starting to go to the gym occasionally to get herself moving more, which is helping her feel a little bit better. Her health still has ups and downs. But we're getting there. Our house still has much too many things in it, but we're slowly figuring out organization and getting rid of more things. And by we, I mainly mean my wife. She's been doing good. When I'm home and she's doing that, I'm usually corralling our kids and making sure they don't get in the way. There's been a few days they hadn't had much screen time and they were content with a movie so I could help, though.
But yeah, please pray I get a sooner neurology appointment. My ride will unfortunately be leaving the job before the current appointment. He's an apprentice and there isn't a full position available for him to fill.
The soonest appointment I could get into a neurologist locally is September 9th - and I've been calling them every few days to see if there are cancellations. I also had a referral sent to a place an hour away in case they can get me in sooner, but haven't heard from them, either. I'll call them again in the morning.
In the meantime, my co-worker that lives nearby is my ride. I find I don't really care for other people's driving. But it could be worse. At least I my coworkers will get me where I need.
Life otherwise is about the same. My wife is finally starting to go to the gym occasionally to get herself moving more, which is helping her feel a little bit better. Her health still has ups and downs. But we're getting there. Our house still has much too many things in it, but we're slowly figuring out organization and getting rid of more things. And by we, I mainly mean my wife. She's been doing good. When I'm home and she's doing that, I'm usually corralling our kids and making sure they don't get in the way. There's been a few days they hadn't had much screen time and they were content with a movie so I could help, though.
But yeah, please pray I get a sooner neurology appointment. My ride will unfortunately be leaving the job before the current appointment. He's an apprentice and there isn't a full position available for him to fill.
A Shocking Turn of Events
July 8th, 2025
Well, last Thursday, the day before Independence Day, my wife had to have her wisdom teeth removed. That all went smooth, but whilst I was getting food for her, I was messing with a smart bulb that kept disconnecting from the WiFi and apparently got shocked in such a way that it put me into a seizure. For two minutes, according to my wife. All I know is one second, I'm touching the light bulb, next thing I know I'm being loaded into an ambulance.
I received two CTs, an MRI, and EEG testing on top of the normal vitals and had to stay overnight. It was weird being on that end of things. My job is fixing and calibrating medical equipment, including the deveices I was hooked up to. I'm glad my team handles the equipment well - no worries about our stuff being below standards.
It was defintely a reminder just how fragile we are. Something as trivial as changing a light bulb nearly did me in, after all. I think it scared my wife more than it did me. Although, because it put me in a seizure, by law I cannot drive until cleared by a nuerologist... My primary could not clear me for it today. Hopefully I'll meet with the neurologist soon and be cleared since there is no history of seizures in my family and this was likely caused by the electric shock...
I'll definitely be more cautious with electricity from now on.
If you're the praying type, please pray for us recovering from this and my wife's wisdom teeth removal. It's been... interesting to say the least.
In other news, eBay is still going well for both of us. My wife sells things faster with her promotions and care, whilst my store is more of a slow burn, but that's okay. Currently the main thing I have on it is iPad keyboards/cases. I did just get a laptop with no SSD or charger to fix and resell, though. If that goes well, I may start doing that for a little profit as well.
Anyhow, hope you all had a better 4th of July than my wife and I did. We're just glad our daughters were with my parents and they were able to keep with the several days this chaos spanned accross.
Here's to hoping my next update is nothing special.
I received two CTs, an MRI, and EEG testing on top of the normal vitals and had to stay overnight. It was weird being on that end of things. My job is fixing and calibrating medical equipment, including the deveices I was hooked up to. I'm glad my team handles the equipment well - no worries about our stuff being below standards.
It was defintely a reminder just how fragile we are. Something as trivial as changing a light bulb nearly did me in, after all. I think it scared my wife more than it did me. Although, because it put me in a seizure, by law I cannot drive until cleared by a nuerologist... My primary could not clear me for it today. Hopefully I'll meet with the neurologist soon and be cleared since there is no history of seizures in my family and this was likely caused by the electric shock...
I'll definitely be more cautious with electricity from now on.
If you're the praying type, please pray for us recovering from this and my wife's wisdom teeth removal. It's been... interesting to say the least.
In other news, eBay is still going well for both of us. My wife sells things faster with her promotions and care, whilst my store is more of a slow burn, but that's okay. Currently the main thing I have on it is iPad keyboards/cases. I did just get a laptop with no SSD or charger to fix and resell, though. If that goes well, I may start doing that for a little profit as well.
Anyhow, hope you all had a better 4th of July than my wife and I did. We're just glad our daughters were with my parents and they were able to keep with the several days this chaos spanned accross.
Here's to hoping my next update is nothing special.
eBay eBay eBay
June 24th, 2025
Well, my wife's eBay store is going well. Defintely going to be a viable thing for her to keep going, just need to figure out organization a little better. That's like a plague in our house currently... but we'll get there! Anyway, she takes nice pictures and makes her eBay listings look very well. Resaling is something she didn't think she's ever do, but it's become fun for her.
My eBay, on the other hand, will be a slow burn. I've sold a couple of things, but not for much profit. Still, it's fun to list. Good news is I was able to change my username to just "zachalope," so I'm pretty happy about that. I'd like to focus more on electronic stuff, but I'll sell things my wife doesn't think fit her aesthetic as well. Currently I have 5 iPad keyboard cases listed. Would be cool if they sold.
I also bought a couple of things on eBay recently. One of which is a Dell Inspirion Mini 10 netbook. I had thought I could use it around the house for a tiny laptop to update the blog on, but it only runs x32 bit things and also has issues with the keyboard... It's not worth fixing to me, so I'll just list it back on eBay later on. The other things I bought are for work - a sit stand desk converter and dual monitor mounts to use with it.
I'll have to completely re-arrange my area, but I know I'll utilize standing up a lot at work. Plus, the desk converter was only $60 on sale when I couldn't even find a decent used one local for that price.
Anyway, if you decide you want to check out my wife's or my shops, there's Crimson Cardinal Skincare, Crimson Cardinal Products on eBay, and then my eBay. I don't have an actual storefront there. Maybe if things kick off, I'll pay to get one. My wife does, though. She takes pride in her storefronts and wants to make sure everything is good quality.
Everything else in my life is essentially the same. A lot of projects needing to get done, work, kids, etc. Life is life, but life can be fun.
My eBay, on the other hand, will be a slow burn. I've sold a couple of things, but not for much profit. Still, it's fun to list. Good news is I was able to change my username to just "zachalope," so I'm pretty happy about that. I'd like to focus more on electronic stuff, but I'll sell things my wife doesn't think fit her aesthetic as well. Currently I have 5 iPad keyboard cases listed. Would be cool if they sold.
I also bought a couple of things on eBay recently. One of which is a Dell Inspirion Mini 10 netbook. I had thought I could use it around the house for a tiny laptop to update the blog on, but it only runs x32 bit things and also has issues with the keyboard... It's not worth fixing to me, so I'll just list it back on eBay later on. The other things I bought are for work - a sit stand desk converter and dual monitor mounts to use with it.
I'll have to completely re-arrange my area, but I know I'll utilize standing up a lot at work. Plus, the desk converter was only $60 on sale when I couldn't even find a decent used one local for that price.
Anyway, if you decide you want to check out my wife's or my shops, there's Crimson Cardinal Skincare, Crimson Cardinal Products on eBay, and then my eBay. I don't have an actual storefront there. Maybe if things kick off, I'll pay to get one. My wife does, though. She takes pride in her storefronts and wants to make sure everything is good quality.
Everything else in my life is essentially the same. A lot of projects needing to get done, work, kids, etc. Life is life, but life can be fun.
Going Forward with Website Coding
June 12th, 2025
So going forward with the website, I'm not using any builder. I took the template I had make using Silex and am in the process of renaming and decluttering the CSS coding to better fit my needs. Now, I'm using VSCode to edit my coding and a live-server plugin to see changes before pushing it to the site via git with Github Pages. It's nice, really. I just finished updating all the CSS for my blog entries, so if I want to change the look of them, I'll only need to update one area. Previously it would have been one at a time.
I still have a ton to learn about CSS and HTML, so I'll continue The Odin Project on my laptop and Mimo on my phone occasionally, but I'll probably be slower paced at it now that I've got this setup in such a way I can easily update the blog. Likely, I'll spend more lunches reading now.
I still have a ton to learn about CSS and HTML, so I'll continue The Odin Project on my laptop and Mimo on my phone occasionally, but I'll probably be slower paced at it now that I've got this setup in such a way I can easily update the blog. Likely, I'll spend more lunches reading now.
Rain, Goodwill, and eBay
June 6th, 2025
This morning I was late for work due to a tornado a few miles from my house. I was abou to leave for work when we got the message, so my family all went outside to our storm shelter in the backyard. Storms are not well liked by my wife, so she was a little disheveled, but she did fine. Now that we've been in the shelter during a storm, I think she's a little more comfortable with the idea, as she compared to a basement, just outside. We, and everyone we know, are fine.
Last Friday, my wife had an appointment in Oklahoma City. My mother was able to watch the girls for us that day, so my wife and I enjoyed the time. The girls love their grandparents' house, anyway. But whilst in OKC, we went to a Goodwill Outlet. If you've never been to one, it's a warehouse full of huge rolling bins that the workers cycle out with new bins every some odd minutes that are piled with things normal Goodwill stores could not sell. They have them sections by books, clothes, and then everything else. It's pure chaos. My wife enjoyed it more than I did, but it was still fun. We got a few items of clothing, toys, and stuffed animals that we'll try selling on eBay or Facebook Marketplace. Which, my wife has already managed to sell three of the things, so that's a new market from her business namesake. Recycled goods, I think she calls it. Either way, it's better than a landfill - seeking decent items, cleaning them up, and reselling them. It's something I've been thinking about doing with laptops and such - getting decommisioned work laptops and changing the hard drives, adding RAM, etc, then reselling... But I don't have the time or money for that currently.
As just mentioned, we're venturing a little into eBay. Her skincare business is doing okay, but it's a little hard to do markets and stuff with her health issues going on, so she's taking a summer break as the heat really affects her. She's got booths in a few local places and the website Crimson Cardinal Products is still up and running. Her eBay page is the same name. I also have an eBay I'll be selling things I find interesting on... or items she doesn't think quite fit her niche. I don't mind not having a niche. My account is thezachalope. I assume just Zachalope was taken at the time of making it 8 years ago. It happens.
Anyhow, hope everyone is safe and happy. If you're reading this, feel free to shoot me an email. I'd love to know how you found this and why you bothered reading it.
Last Friday, my wife had an appointment in Oklahoma City. My mother was able to watch the girls for us that day, so my wife and I enjoyed the time. The girls love their grandparents' house, anyway. But whilst in OKC, we went to a Goodwill Outlet. If you've never been to one, it's a warehouse full of huge rolling bins that the workers cycle out with new bins every some odd minutes that are piled with things normal Goodwill stores could not sell. They have them sections by books, clothes, and then everything else. It's pure chaos. My wife enjoyed it more than I did, but it was still fun. We got a few items of clothing, toys, and stuffed animals that we'll try selling on eBay or Facebook Marketplace. Which, my wife has already managed to sell three of the things, so that's a new market from her business namesake. Recycled goods, I think she calls it. Either way, it's better than a landfill - seeking decent items, cleaning them up, and reselling them. It's something I've been thinking about doing with laptops and such - getting decommisioned work laptops and changing the hard drives, adding RAM, etc, then reselling... But I don't have the time or money for that currently.
As just mentioned, we're venturing a little into eBay. Her skincare business is doing okay, but it's a little hard to do markets and stuff with her health issues going on, so she's taking a summer break as the heat really affects her. She's got booths in a few local places and the website Crimson Cardinal Products is still up and running. Her eBay page is the same name. I also have an eBay I'll be selling things I find interesting on... or items she doesn't think quite fit her niche. I don't mind not having a niche. My account is thezachalope. I assume just Zachalope was taken at the time of making it 8 years ago. It happens.
Anyhow, hope everyone is safe and happy. If you're reading this, feel free to shoot me an email. I'd love to know how you found this and why you bothered reading it.
Life Update and Shameless Plug
May 13, 2025
Still haven't finished the plumbing needing done, but it's okay. It's not backing up anything since I dug what I've dug and it's fenced off separately so my daughters cannot get to the mote line. I should be getting a deck for my lawn mower. A different brand (Craftsman and I have a Cub Cadet), but I think it'll work as their both MTD and look very similar. I'll have to do a little TLC, but it doesn't have holes in it like my current deck. Another thing on the list to get done, though.
Haven't really played anything more, but did decide to learn HTML and CSS during my lunch breaks. It'll be a slow process, but eventually I'd like to not depend on no-code site builders like the ones I've used. I probably know enough to already maintain a website at this basic of a level and could just do a template (which I will probably do soon), but I'd still like to have a better understanding of things and see how to make it a little better. Speaking of the no-code builders, I think I fixed my navigation links again. Had to unassign and reassign them to link to the pages. It thought they were still linking, so unsure why it wasn't working. Such is technology at times.
My wife's health is not improving really yet, unfortunately. She's on a new heart med that hopefully will help, but only time will tell. She's still in the adjustment period whilst her body gets used to it. What doesn't help is we never fully learned how to communicate to each other, so we're trying to figure that out during this chaotic time. With a one and a two year old. And her starting this skincare business (CrimsonCardinal.skin). And all the other chaos life is throwing our way. It gets difficult at times and there's a lot I've got to improve on with reactions and such. Energy is at a low all the time again.
She's also feeling discouraged with her business as it hasn't gotten as many sales as she'd like. And she's had to cancel a couple of booths at events due to her health. So if you need skincare things like sugar scrubs, lip gloss, chapstick, etc... please consider her products. She makes them all by hand. We're still trying to figure out how to organize everything, but products ship out within 3-5 days... Anyway, she's got a booth this weekend she's nervous about since her health hasn't been the best. Hopefully she was able to prepare some products today...
My children are both healthy, but my youngest is teething hard. She is upset a lot of the time and boy does she know how to scream.
Anyway, if you're the type, please pray for my family. We're struggling in a lot of ways. But we'll make it. I am trying to go to God more than I have been, but that's always been a struggle for me personally.
If you have any tips or questions, feel free to click the email button. It should forward the email to me, but if you don't hear back, something is probably broken on that front, too.
Haven't really played anything more, but did decide to learn HTML and CSS during my lunch breaks. It'll be a slow process, but eventually I'd like to not depend on no-code site builders like the ones I've used. I probably know enough to already maintain a website at this basic of a level and could just do a template (which I will probably do soon), but I'd still like to have a better understanding of things and see how to make it a little better. Speaking of the no-code builders, I think I fixed my navigation links again. Had to unassign and reassign them to link to the pages. It thought they were still linking, so unsure why it wasn't working. Such is technology at times.
My wife's health is not improving really yet, unfortunately. She's on a new heart med that hopefully will help, but only time will tell. She's still in the adjustment period whilst her body gets used to it. What doesn't help is we never fully learned how to communicate to each other, so we're trying to figure that out during this chaotic time. With a one and a two year old. And her starting this skincare business (CrimsonCardinal.skin). And all the other chaos life is throwing our way. It gets difficult at times and there's a lot I've got to improve on with reactions and such. Energy is at a low all the time again.
She's also feeling discouraged with her business as it hasn't gotten as many sales as she'd like. And she's had to cancel a couple of booths at events due to her health. So if you need skincare things like sugar scrubs, lip gloss, chapstick, etc... please consider her products. She makes them all by hand. We're still trying to figure out how to organize everything, but products ship out within 3-5 days... Anyway, she's got a booth this weekend she's nervous about since her health hasn't been the best. Hopefully she was able to prepare some products today...
My children are both healthy, but my youngest is teething hard. She is upset a lot of the time and boy does she know how to scream.
Anyway, if you're the type, please pray for my family. We're struggling in a lot of ways. But we'll make it. I am trying to go to God more than I have been, but that's always been a struggle for me personally.
If you have any tips or questions, feel free to click the email button. It should forward the email to me, but if you don't hear back, something is probably broken on that front, too.
Hectic Days
April 30, 2025
What a hectic couple of weeks it has been. Two weeks ago, we found out my wife's grandma passed away. She was 100, but it was still hard on her family. My parents watched our girls pretty much all of last week and weekend as we flew to Pennsylvania for the funeral and family gatherings. All things considered, it went pretty well. As soon as we got back, I had to sleep, then go to work. Right after work, we left for Hot Springs, AR for our 3rd year anniversary. Which was a nice time, but made the endcap of the week even more exhausting.
Now we're back on the grind; girls not sleeping super well, health issues, and non-stop things to do. For instance, the last time I mowed, the mechanism for engaging the PTO to the blades on the riding lawn mower broke off of the deck. And the deck lost another wheel. I should be able to fix this with a large bolt and a couple of large washers, but I could really use a new deck entirely. The mower itself is still good.
I definitely am happy with the Steam Deck. I didn't play it much during the trip last week, but it was nice being able to hop into some Dave Mirra's Freestyle BMX 2 on an emulator in the hotel. I also went ahead and purchased Runescape Dragon Wilds and played a little of that - only made it so far to build the starter house. I grew up playing Runescape (started in 2005), so it's a bit nostalgic with the Runescape elements in it. It is early access, but I'm rather excited for more skills to be added. As weird as it may sound, I'm hoping it is a bit of a grind like the OSRS and RS. I just hope it doesn't focus too much on the base-building aspect so I can get by with just a simple camp and exploring. I'm a little excited to see where it goes. The initial success of it makes me think it won't just die out like Jagex's previous projects. I do fear a bit for monetization, though.
Now we're back on the grind; girls not sleeping super well, health issues, and non-stop things to do. For instance, the last time I mowed, the mechanism for engaging the PTO to the blades on the riding lawn mower broke off of the deck. And the deck lost another wheel. I should be able to fix this with a large bolt and a couple of large washers, but I could really use a new deck entirely. The mower itself is still good.
I definitely am happy with the Steam Deck. I didn't play it much during the trip last week, but it was nice being able to hop into some Dave Mirra's Freestyle BMX 2 on an emulator in the hotel. I also went ahead and purchased Runescape Dragon Wilds and played a little of that - only made it so far to build the starter house. I grew up playing Runescape (started in 2005), so it's a bit nostalgic with the Runescape elements in it. It is early access, but I'm rather excited for more skills to be added. As weird as it may sound, I'm hoping it is a bit of a grind like the OSRS and RS. I just hope it doesn't focus too much on the base-building aspect so I can get by with just a simple camp and exploring. I'm a little excited to see where it goes. The initial success of it makes me think it won't just die out like Jagex's previous projects. I do fear a bit for monetization, though.
Why not add a mote?
April 17th, 2025
Started digging up that plumbing yesterday, following along the current line and it feels like I'm digging a shallow mote. Especially when I met the area that's backing up and water flowed down the channel. It would be rather neat to own a medieval style castle look-alike and have a mote integrated with a creek. But I imagine there would also be some complications in owning something like that. Worth it, though?
The project will take a little longer than anticipated... I was hoping to complete it tonight, but that's not going to happen. Rain is coming this weekend, as well, so no digging then. No big deal, though. The leak will just flow into the channel and slowly soak into the ground around it until completion. I was planning on getting all the replacement piping today, but there's a chance I won't be able to due to life circumstances. If I can't today, I'm sure I will within the next few days.
Also, I decided to mess around a little with ChatGPT and the like. I work on medical equipment and like the art-deco style, so I had it create an image of me around medical equipment. Whilst I never wear a lab coat and such, this is definitely me.
The project will take a little longer than anticipated... I was hoping to complete it tonight, but that's not going to happen. Rain is coming this weekend, as well, so no digging then. No big deal, though. The leak will just flow into the channel and slowly soak into the ground around it until completion. I was planning on getting all the replacement piping today, but there's a chance I won't be able to due to life circumstances. If I can't today, I'm sure I will within the next few days.
Also, I decided to mess around a little with ChatGPT and the like. I work on medical equipment and like the art-deco style, so I had it create an image of me around medical equipment. Whilst I never wear a lab coat and such, this is definitely me.
Projects and Nothings
April 15th, 2025
The Steam Deck has been nice to have, though I still haven't played much. Slowly getting through Beyond: Two Souls. Last night I had some insomnia and decided to download some emulators on it. Starting with Dave Mirra's Freestyle BMX 2 on the PS2. I'm not sure why for the PS2, as I grew up with a GameCube, but it runs really well. Such a fun little game to pick up for short sessions, as it's 3 minutes each time. I also downloaded a few Gamecube games I'll play eventually. More to come, surely.
I've got some plumbing I need to dig up and replace at my house, but time is... full. Finding time for a lot of projects and must-dos is hard at times. I've got the plumbing to dig up and replace in a certain area, need to replace some of the flashing between the house and back porch area, fix the lawn mower deck (and start mowing again!), organize inside the house, and the list goes on and on. But such is life. We'll figure it out, somehow. On the bright side, since the last update, all my clothes are in the wardrobe I got. Minus a few winter things, but the closet they used to be in is being utilized for the girls' clothes. Baby steps are still steps.
All in all, I can't complain too much. The girls are happy usually. There's a chance we'll move to a slightly bigger house out in the woods sometime next year, but that's not a definite yet. My parents' own the property it's on and would love to have us close like that. And we'd still have our privacy. We'll just wait and see how it turns out.
I've got some plumbing I need to dig up and replace at my house, but time is... full. Finding time for a lot of projects and must-dos is hard at times. I've got the plumbing to dig up and replace in a certain area, need to replace some of the flashing between the house and back porch area, fix the lawn mower deck (and start mowing again!), organize inside the house, and the list goes on and on. But such is life. We'll figure it out, somehow. On the bright side, since the last update, all my clothes are in the wardrobe I got. Minus a few winter things, but the closet they used to be in is being utilized for the girls' clothes. Baby steps are still steps.
All in all, I can't complain too much. The girls are happy usually. There's a chance we'll move to a slightly bigger house out in the woods sometime next year, but that's not a definite yet. My parents' own the property it's on and would love to have us close like that. And we'd still have our privacy. We'll just wait and see how it turns out.
Too Little Time
March 28th 2025
Six days ago, I turned 29. It was just another day, but I had a large soft cookie, at least. The girls have been a little hectic, but I love them so. Two days ago, my wife went a little manic and moved a few things around. It required my help right after work, but the changes will be good once completed. Which I'm hoping we make good progress tonight on it. In the end it'll be the girls being in the back room by themselves at night instead of co-sleeping like they currently are. I snore a lot apparently, but don't have apnea enough to warrant a CPAP (I've been tested for it), so my wife may have a hard time adjusting. She's been having a rough time again, too.
My mouth is healing nicely. The Steam Deck is nice, though I don't have much time to play. Dark Souls 3 runs really well on it, as does the Master Chief Collection of Halo. I've started playing through Halo 1 again and have put in a few multiplayer matches. I'm not used to controllers for shooters, so I'm not great, but I'll get better I suppose.
Our grey water line is having issues still. I need to dig it up and replace it, but when? I also need to repair some flashing that the wind recently pulled up. And move my closet things. And this, that, and the other. The list never ends. It's like a hydra. One thing down, two replaces it. Such is life with two small children and a wife with chronic issues. But hey, diagnoses mean hopefully more treatments to alleviate her symptoms!
I'm trying to keep a better perspective of things. Not letting little things get to me so much anymore or not getting overwhelmed by all aspects of life coming at me with full force. It's not an easy thing to do, but I feel like I've been doing pretty good lately. I want to be the best husband and father I can be, despite the chaos of life.
My mouth is healing nicely. The Steam Deck is nice, though I don't have much time to play. Dark Souls 3 runs really well on it, as does the Master Chief Collection of Halo. I've started playing through Halo 1 again and have put in a few multiplayer matches. I'm not used to controllers for shooters, so I'm not great, but I'll get better I suppose.
Our grey water line is having issues still. I need to dig it up and replace it, but when? I also need to repair some flashing that the wind recently pulled up. And move my closet things. And this, that, and the other. The list never ends. It's like a hydra. One thing down, two replaces it. Such is life with two small children and a wife with chronic issues. But hey, diagnoses mean hopefully more treatments to alleviate her symptoms!
I'm trying to keep a better perspective of things. Not letting little things get to me so much anymore or not getting overwhelmed by all aspects of life coming at me with full force. It's not an easy thing to do, but I feel like I've been doing pretty good lately. I want to be the best husband and father I can be, despite the chaos of life.
Teething Steam Decks
March 13th 2025
So I haven't been able to mess with the Steam Deck much. It came Monday evening instead of the Wednesday it was supposed to be delivered. I've downloaded a few games and put in maybe 30 minutes total playing Halo and Euro Truck Simulator. It feels lighter than I imagined and so far, so good. I think it'll be a nice thing to have to pick up and play occasionally.
Today, I my mouth feels mostly okay. Still weird and some pain, but ibuprofen is enough to handle it now. They took out all four wisdom teeth and the molar in front of the left bottom wisdom tooth due to a cyst that was eating away at its roots and my jaw. I had to have a bone graft for that area. I'll see them again in a couple of weeks to ensure it's all healing properly. The last several days have not been fun, pain wise.
My wife's heal seems to be getting worse, and financially we're operating in a deficit. I'm not sure how to handle things very well currently. But we'll just keep on keepin' on best we can. The tax return didn't help as much as we thought it would, to be honest. I just look at the numbers and scratch my head. The big cost is hiring help to assist my wife with the girls most days... But with her health, we can't really not do that. If it weren't for that, we'd at least break even. Such is life.
My youngest daughter is teething pretty hard right now. She's wanting held constantly and sometimes decides she doesn't, just to cry about being down... it's just a season, though. A very hard season in many aspects... but a season, nevertheless. There will be a day the flowers bloom. What a day that will be.
Today, I my mouth feels mostly okay. Still weird and some pain, but ibuprofen is enough to handle it now. They took out all four wisdom teeth and the molar in front of the left bottom wisdom tooth due to a cyst that was eating away at its roots and my jaw. I had to have a bone graft for that area. I'll see them again in a couple of weeks to ensure it's all healing properly. The last several days have not been fun, pain wise.
My wife's heal seems to be getting worse, and financially we're operating in a deficit. I'm not sure how to handle things very well currently. But we'll just keep on keepin' on best we can. The tax return didn't help as much as we thought it would, to be honest. I just look at the numbers and scratch my head. The big cost is hiring help to assist my wife with the girls most days... But with her health, we can't really not do that. If it weren't for that, we'd at least break even. Such is life.
My youngest daughter is teething pretty hard right now. She's wanting held constantly and sometimes decides she doesn't, just to cry about being down... it's just a season, though. A very hard season in many aspects... but a season, nevertheless. There will be a day the flowers bloom. What a day that will be.
A New Challenger Appears
March 3rd 2025
Well, not really. Another diagnosis for the wife: confusional migraines. It's like a more severe migraine that can cause other issues, which do line up with her symptoms. That, POTS, and arthritis in her spine just like to keep her down. Our helper is leaving next week for an opportunity in her field of study, which is great for her, but means my wife is interviewing more people to help her during the days. So that's added stress for both of us, which causes even more issues. ♪♫ Life is but a dream ♫♪
We'll make it through everything, though. Our girls are doing well, at least. No more sickness. Our youngest is finally crawling more (she was only butt-scooting for months) and she's standing up a lot. She'll be walking soon.
I won a bid on eBay for a Steam Deck - it's an LCD model with the drive already upgraded to 1TB. It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm really hoping it will before Friday (it's shipping out today, a Monday). Hopefully it'll be in good working order. If so, I'll be able to finally play more of my Steam library - and tinker with it to get my GoG games and other sourced games working. Likely I'll install Baldur's Gate III, Halo MCC, and Beyond Two Souls first. And then slowly get through my backlog. I like the idea of it suspending my place so I can pick it up a few days later and jump back in. If it doesn't work correctly, I suppose I'll have to go through the eBay support, as it is covered under buyer's guarantee and listed as working... But surely it won't come to that.
Friday will not be a fun day for me, however. There's a cyst growing by my left bottom wisdom tooth that wasn't there a year or so ago, so it's got to go. And since they're already there, I'm having them go ahead and remove all 4 of my wisdom teeth. I've taken off the following Monday and Tuesday, just in case. My parents will be watching the girls all weekend to ensure proper care and rest for the first few days, which is nice. Very blessed to have my parents. My wife's dad actually just brought us 6 boxes of diapers unexpectantly as well, which is also a huge blessing. But yeah, that's why I'm hoping to have the Steam Deck by Friday. To have free time in recovery to mess with it. If I even feel up for it - unsure how the extractions are going to leave me.
We'll make it through everything, though. Our girls are doing well, at least. No more sickness. Our youngest is finally crawling more (she was only butt-scooting for months) and she's standing up a lot. She'll be walking soon.
I won a bid on eBay for a Steam Deck - it's an LCD model with the drive already upgraded to 1TB. It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm really hoping it will before Friday (it's shipping out today, a Monday). Hopefully it'll be in good working order. If so, I'll be able to finally play more of my Steam library - and tinker with it to get my GoG games and other sourced games working. Likely I'll install Baldur's Gate III, Halo MCC, and Beyond Two Souls first. And then slowly get through my backlog. I like the idea of it suspending my place so I can pick it up a few days later and jump back in. If it doesn't work correctly, I suppose I'll have to go through the eBay support, as it is covered under buyer's guarantee and listed as working... But surely it won't come to that.
Friday will not be a fun day for me, however. There's a cyst growing by my left bottom wisdom tooth that wasn't there a year or so ago, so it's got to go. And since they're already there, I'm having them go ahead and remove all 4 of my wisdom teeth. I've taken off the following Monday and Tuesday, just in case. My parents will be watching the girls all weekend to ensure proper care and rest for the first few days, which is nice. Very blessed to have my parents. My wife's dad actually just brought us 6 boxes of diapers unexpectantly as well, which is also a huge blessing. But yeah, that's why I'm hoping to have the Steam Deck by Friday. To have free time in recovery to mess with it. If I even feel up for it - unsure how the extractions are going to leave me.
Falling and General Technology
February 20th 2025
There's definitely sickness in the house. My daughters are both running fevers and my wife got prescribed something for her issues. I have yet to see a doctor, but I'm on the up and up anyway. My girls will see their pediatrician later today.
My wife has been falling fairly often with her issues, which they just diagnosed as POTS. Hopefully they'll find something to help her. I got her an Apple Watch a couple weeks ago, and it shows how her heart rate jumps nearly 40 bpm just standing up. We've had bad weather this week, which means the helper we usually have over for the girls was not able to come. I had to miss a day of work, which I'll need to make up this weekend. My mother is going to get off work early today to help my wife with our kids, as she's fallen a couple times today and is struggling. I don't know how to help her. I can't really... Which is very frustrating. So again, hopefully with this new diagnosis, they'll find a way to help mitigate the symptoms. It's gotten worse lately.
And now time for something completely different... I've been eyeballing the e-ink phone market. There's only a few that offer full-fledged Android without limitations, and they don't work very well with US bands. There's one just releasing from a small company that might fit the bill, but I'm not sure. I won't need a new phone for hopefully years (currently rocking a Galaxy Z Fold 3 and don't use the inside screen much) so maybe there will be a few viable options by then. I just feel like having an e-ink phone display would be cool and a good way to limit usage. I'd just need to be able to still use the important apps, as I don't use my laptop often.
I've also been checking out the Steam Deck or similar. You can find them used for ~$300 and I feel like I'd use it more than the laptop. It would certainly be able to play more of my games! And be easier to just stop if a girl woke up. Once we see the tax return numbers, maybe it'll be in for consideration. We're on a very tight budget currently.
My wife has been falling fairly often with her issues, which they just diagnosed as POTS. Hopefully they'll find something to help her. I got her an Apple Watch a couple weeks ago, and it shows how her heart rate jumps nearly 40 bpm just standing up. We've had bad weather this week, which means the helper we usually have over for the girls was not able to come. I had to miss a day of work, which I'll need to make up this weekend. My mother is going to get off work early today to help my wife with our kids, as she's fallen a couple times today and is struggling. I don't know how to help her. I can't really... Which is very frustrating. So again, hopefully with this new diagnosis, they'll find a way to help mitigate the symptoms. It's gotten worse lately.
And now time for something completely different... I've been eyeballing the e-ink phone market. There's only a few that offer full-fledged Android without limitations, and they don't work very well with US bands. There's one just releasing from a small company that might fit the bill, but I'm not sure. I won't need a new phone for hopefully years (currently rocking a Galaxy Z Fold 3 and don't use the inside screen much) so maybe there will be a few viable options by then. I just feel like having an e-ink phone display would be cool and a good way to limit usage. I'd just need to be able to still use the important apps, as I don't use my laptop often.
I've also been checking out the Steam Deck or similar. You can find them used for ~$300 and I feel like I'd use it more than the laptop. It would certainly be able to play more of my games! And be easier to just stop if a girl woke up. Once we see the tax return numbers, maybe it'll be in for consideration. We're on a very tight budget currently.
Sickness, Ideas, and Love Day
February 13th 2025
So I think sickness is in my house - I've not felt the best for a few days and neither has my wife. Thankfully, the kids still seem fully themselves. Hopefully they don't get sick... That makes the lack of sleep even harder for me - I'm functional and managing, but it isn't fun. Such is life. Apparently, my primary care physician moved to another clinic, so I'll probably switch to the one my wife uses - she thinks he's good, so why not. I should probably establish that soon and get blood work done, as it's been like seven years since I've had blood work.
Eventually, I'd like to get a laser engraver. Couldn't be an expensive one, but there are a few ~$150 ones that look like decent places to start. I figure I could use it to make some merch for my wife's business, such as coasters, custom tumblers, etc. I'd need to clean up a space in the workshop for one and make sure it gets proper ventilation, but that's easy stuff.
I've still got to organize some things in order to bring a wardrobe into the bedroom and move my closet into it. I feel like after that's done, things will progress easier... But getting to that point is difficult with exhaustion and time.
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. We're just going to stay home and do a little something there - I'm not sure what yet, but the girls are likely going to my parents' house for the night. I've got a box from The Adventure Challenge that has a pottery wheel and is for a date night, so maybe we'll bust that out if we feel up to it. Again, with the sickness in the house, unsure just what we'll feel up to. May just end up as a movie night. We'll see.
Eventually, I'd like to get a laser engraver. Couldn't be an expensive one, but there are a few ~$150 ones that look like decent places to start. I figure I could use it to make some merch for my wife's business, such as coasters, custom tumblers, etc. I'd need to clean up a space in the workshop for one and make sure it gets proper ventilation, but that's easy stuff.
I've still got to organize some things in order to bring a wardrobe into the bedroom and move my closet into it. I feel like after that's done, things will progress easier... But getting to that point is difficult with exhaustion and time.
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. We're just going to stay home and do a little something there - I'm not sure what yet, but the girls are likely going to my parents' house for the night. I've got a box from The Adventure Challenge that has a pottery wheel and is for a date night, so maybe we'll bust that out if we feel up to it. Again, with the sickness in the house, unsure just what we'll feel up to. May just end up as a movie night. We'll see.
Goodbye Mobirise? And other updates
February 7th 2025
I got tired of having the broken navigation and had made an account with Silex.me a while back anyway. It is a little more complicated than Mobirise, but everything works. I'll make tweaks to things here and there, but this ugly thing you're looking at today is likely how it'll stay for a long time. The good news is, it's online based, so I don't have to do it on my personal laptop.
In other news, I discovered the "assistive reader" on the Kindle app, which is making reading so much easier. Now when I'd dead tired in the middle of the night giving our youngest a bottle to appease her, I can hit play and follow along with the words and absorb the text easier. When I'm able to, I still prefer sitting down and just reading on my own. That's not as frequent as it used to be, so this is a much better option than taking months to finish a book. It still might, but just... not as long as it would take otherwise. I'm already 30% through Queen of Shadows, which I didn't start too long ago, after all.
Speaking of books, after this series, I'm thinking of reading either The Dark Tower series by Stephen King or tackling some of the Halo books. There are so many Halo books out there, but I have a list of them I'd probably get through and be done. Again, if you have any suggestions for books, feel free to email me.
My wife's putting her products in another local shop that doesn't charge a monthly fee for small amounts of stock, which is nice. So now she's in two local areas to send people to. Her health issues are getting worse, though. She's falling occasionally and they haven't been able to diagnose it. Hopefully they will soon so they can start treating the symptoms. If you're a praying person, please keep my family in your prayers.
In other news, I discovered the "assistive reader" on the Kindle app, which is making reading so much easier. Now when I'd dead tired in the middle of the night giving our youngest a bottle to appease her, I can hit play and follow along with the words and absorb the text easier. When I'm able to, I still prefer sitting down and just reading on my own. That's not as frequent as it used to be, so this is a much better option than taking months to finish a book. It still might, but just... not as long as it would take otherwise. I'm already 30% through Queen of Shadows, which I didn't start too long ago, after all.
Speaking of books, after this series, I'm thinking of reading either The Dark Tower series by Stephen King or tackling some of the Halo books. There are so many Halo books out there, but I have a list of them I'd probably get through and be done. Again, if you have any suggestions for books, feel free to email me.
My wife's putting her products in another local shop that doesn't charge a monthly fee for small amounts of stock, which is nice. So now she's in two local areas to send people to. Her health issues are getting worse, though. She's falling occasionally and they haven't been able to diagnose it. Hopefully they will soon so they can start treating the symptoms. If you're a praying person, please keep my family in your prayers.
Stress
February 5th 2025
Stress is immense in this time of my life. Managing it is rather difficult at times with the two kids. They just turned 1 and 2 years old, which is awesome to think about, but crazy at the same time. They've both been going through sleep regressions at the same time, which means I'm not sleeping. So sleep deprivation is nearly every day. On top of financial stress. And clutter. We have a lot of things to sort through, get rid of, and organise.
But we're figuring it out. Slowly, but surely. After all, that's what life is all about. Figuring it out. But you'll never truly figure everything out, so what you're really trying to figure out is how to manage knowing you're never truly have it figured out.
Anyhow, that's sort of why this blog exists. To be an outlet. Send my thoughts and updates out to the abyss, where anyone can read. It is somewhat comforting, thought I'm not sure why.
As life goes on, ideally this website will expand. Evolve. Maybe I'll learn enough to get off the free website builder Mobirise. By the way, I know the hamburger menu on mobile does not work. I don't know enough to troubleshoot it properly, yet. Maybe if I tried making it from scratch, instead of imported from Mobirise. I might try that sometime when I have the time...
If anyone ends up reading this, I hope you're having a good day. And if you're not, hang in there. You're not alone. Life is chaos at times, but that doesn't mean it will always be. That goes for me, too.
Until next time,
Zach
But we're figuring it out. Slowly, but surely. After all, that's what life is all about. Figuring it out. But you'll never truly figure everything out, so what you're really trying to figure out is how to manage knowing you're never truly have it figured out.
Anyhow, that's sort of why this blog exists. To be an outlet. Send my thoughts and updates out to the abyss, where anyone can read. It is somewhat comforting, thought I'm not sure why.
As life goes on, ideally this website will expand. Evolve. Maybe I'll learn enough to get off the free website builder Mobirise. By the way, I know the hamburger menu on mobile does not work. I don't know enough to troubleshoot it properly, yet. Maybe if I tried making it from scratch, instead of imported from Mobirise. I might try that sometime when I have the time...
If anyone ends up reading this, I hope you're having a good day. And if you're not, hang in there. You're not alone. Life is chaos at times, but that doesn't mean it will always be. That goes for me, too.
Until next time,
Zach
Patreon? Why not
January 22nd 2025
For some reason, I decided to make a Patreon. If someone out there is looking at this website, do you want to supply me a coffee or two a month? My only tier is $5. If someone is silly enough to do that, message me. I'll figure out something for you.
In other news, I have a Dell Rugged 5414 I got from eBay for $150. Integrated graphics, so it can't do much... But it runs Need for Speed Carbon and Halo: Combat Evolved really well! If you have recommendations for low end games, let me know. I'll probably play them on my lunch break at work once, maybe twice a week.
I'm currently reading the Throne of Glass series due to a friend recommending it. It's not something I'd normally read, but it's pretty good. I'm just now branching out of reading Stephen King's books pretty much exclusively. Due to lack of time, it takes a long time for me to actually finish a book. But hey, at least I'm reading.
Seriously, if any of you subscribe to my Patreon, I'll figure out something after a bit of confusion
In other news, I have a Dell Rugged 5414 I got from eBay for $150. Integrated graphics, so it can't do much... But it runs Need for Speed Carbon and Halo: Combat Evolved really well! If you have recommendations for low end games, let me know. I'll probably play them on my lunch break at work once, maybe twice a week.
I'm currently reading the Throne of Glass series due to a friend recommending it. It's not something I'd normally read, but it's pretty good. I'm just now branching out of reading Stephen King's books pretty much exclusively. Due to lack of time, it takes a long time for me to actually finish a book. But hey, at least I'm reading.
Seriously, if any of you subscribe to my Patreon, I'll figure out something after a bit of confusion
Figuring out the website
January 9th 2025
After updating the website a few times, all the links were broken briefly. This was due to renaming the pages' filenames and for some reason Mobirise (the offline sitebuilder I use) was not updating the filenames in the coding (ie: page1.html to Blog.html).
I'll have to keep an eye on this and may have to update the coding before uploading from Mobirise each time until it hopefully clicks with the new names. A minor inconvenience as there are only 3 pages to update this on.
Still unsure about the format of this blog or the contents I'll put in it, but for now, this is what you get.
Oh, in other news, my wife has signed a contract with a local antique mall to have a booth inside it to sell her wares. This is exciting as every time we've had a pop-up shop or were at a farmer's market, people asked if she was anywhere local, so now we will be able to say yes!
I'll have to keep an eye on this and may have to update the coding before uploading from Mobirise each time until it hopefully clicks with the new names. A minor inconvenience as there are only 3 pages to update this on.
Still unsure about the format of this blog or the contents I'll put in it, but for now, this is what you get.
Oh, in other news, my wife has signed a contract with a local antique mall to have a booth inside it to sell her wares. This is exciting as every time we've had a pop-up shop or were at a farmer's market, people asked if she was anywhere local, so now we will be able to say yes!
Home Again
January 4th 2025
In the past week, I've ventured from Arkansas to Pennsylvania to visit my wife's grandma, who just turned 100.
It actually went better than expected, given it was 16+ hours on the road with two under two. Part of the reason it went so well was we brought a friend, who sat in the back where the kids could see her the entire trip pretty much.
My wife just signed up for space inside an antique market to sell her skincare things in person all the time, instead of only online or at event we're manning... So that's exciting. We set up in 2 weeks. Maybe this year I'll get a laser engraver and be able to assist with some branded merchandise as well as just have fun with it.
In the future, I might expand on things, but for now, this is a test blog. Can't believe it's already 2025 and my kids are turning 1 and 2 in February... So much to do, so little time.
It actually went better than expected, given it was 16+ hours on the road with two under two. Part of the reason it went so well was we brought a friend, who sat in the back where the kids could see her the entire trip pretty much.
My wife just signed up for space inside an antique market to sell her skincare things in person all the time, instead of only online or at event we're manning... So that's exciting. We set up in 2 weeks. Maybe this year I'll get a laser engraver and be able to assist with some branded merchandise as well as just have fun with it.
In the future, I might expand on things, but for now, this is a test blog. Can't believe it's already 2025 and my kids are turning 1 and 2 in February... So much to do, so little time.