Getting into For All Mankind again, and a good watch, but does seem like it’s kind of repeating itself? But maybe that’s just what happens, even in alternative histories, the same stuff happens. Also started watching Free Guy while exercising. Good to have something to watch in 7 minute chunks or so. Still hard to believe how nice it is out in February. Hard to believe it’s already February.

Have lots of things I should be doing, or could be doing. Things on todo lists, projects, big and small. And just procrastinating the day away. Blame it on the doldrums of winter, except the weather’s been really nice out lately. Was tempted to cut up the Christmas tree in the backyard and have a fire with it. Would go up quick. Maybe tomorrow I’ll finally take the outdoor Chrstmas lights down. Baby steps. Instead, I tried setting up some Trakt and Swarm automated importing to my Micro.blog site. Not quite working yet.

Think I’ve got Trakt and Swarm logging to my Micro.blog account working. Just gotta log cocktails manually and that should pretty much cover it. At least all the important things. And maybe start posting again. Maybe that’s what I’m going to start doing this year. Jackson had his 2nd to last i9 game today, at least for this first winter session. It’s final games for the season next week. Then another i9 session. Finished off For All Mankind Season 4. Not sure what’s next.

Finally took the outdoor Christmas lights down. Also took the garland, and cut up the Christmas tree, and used the Solo Stove. Weekends are annoying as I’m trying to lose weight, but I always eat more on the weekends than on the weekdays. And I don’t exercise as much either. So it’s a nice gradual weight loss through the week, then I gain most of it back on the weekend. Jackson lost his soccer game this morning, but they looked pretty good attacking at points. He also had a birthday party later in the day. Got Korean food for dinner, and that was after finding out Tea Ninja on Broadway closed.

So I picked up an Apple Vision Pro today. Only did a fit check, then unboxed it at home, although I did do some work before cracking it open. It’s pretty cool. Happy that 1Password and Jump Desktop are available as iPad apps available on the platform. Hopefully Jump Desktop can get a native app and you can just leave open connections around me. I’ll have to try screen sharing off the MacBook Air tomorrow. But yeah, it’s pretty impressive. Personas are weird. I think I have to try and redo mine. Definitely a 1.0 product though.

Stayed up way too late and didn’t really sleep last night. Tried doing some work, since I went out in the middle of the day to get my new toy. The Apple Vision Pro is pretty cool, but it definitely has it’s 1.0ness. Hoping it iterates quickly and gets ride of the all the low hanging bugs and issues. Because text issue is annoying, not sure if I need to start having bookmarks again, for the few websites I do visit. Also, both my kids wonder why I got one. Just another 1st edition for me to keep (except for my 1st iPad which fell off the roof of the car back when Lucy was a baby. That would have been nice to have as a keepsake.

Tried a Jagerita Sour (https://www.theeducatedbarfly.com/jagerita-sour/) and an Industry Sour (https://www.theeducatedbarfly.com/industry-sour/) in prep for the board party this weekend. Both pretty good. I like taking the cocktails that take liquors you don’t like and making them good (like the Hard Sell (https://www.theeducatedbarfly.com/hard-sell/) and the Amaretto Sour (https://jeffreymorgenthaler.com/i-make-the-best-amaretto-sour-in-the-world/). Only had to drop the kids off at soccer practice, so was able to drop off Lucy and Matilda at swim practice. And was back at Binny’s Lincoln Park, and got the other Redwood Empire Small Lot, Devils Tower a High Rye Bourbon. Pretty much any limited release from Redwood Empire and Still Austin I think I’ll get. Although the whiskey shelf is full again, so have to kill some bottles before that last spring release from Still Austin comes out.

Typing this up in the Apple Vision Pro via Jump Desktop to the Mac mini. Works pretty well. Using a Magic Keyboard/Trackpad set in an over/under acrylic tray that's pretty nice, while sitting on the couch in the basement. Planning on trying to work out of this setup tomorrow. About halfway through Ahsoka. And watching Nerve for my workout watching. And this weather is absolutely crazy for February.

Weather was pretty amazing for early February. Thought it would be a good night to break out the Solo Stove. Turns out, it wasn’t. Got too cold. Also tried lighting the wood from the top down like I’ve seen in social media. Worked pretty well for lighting and staying lit, but not int he Solo Stove. I think that’s supposed to be lit from the bottom, with a small start, and then build, in order to properly utilize it’s functional structure. Kids and Tracy had the day off, so I went with them for lunch and a midday shopping trip at H Mart. Surprisingly to me busy for midday Friday. Ate lunch there before shopping, which means we didn’t come back with a bunch of extra stuff.

Besides the Super Bowl, Jackson had his last games for i9 and NBGC yesterday. Lost the NBGC game, won the i9 game, and next session for i9 starts next weekend. Also had a soccer game this morning, and they lost. Had a board party last night. Made 12 cocktails in little bottles. Made them earlier in the day yesterday and kept them in the freezer, where some of them froze. Whoops.

Back on my schedule of losing weight through the work week, then gaining it all back on the weekend. Going to take a lot of willpower to stay on the plan over weekends if I want to actually lose more weight instead of just rubberbanding. Felt cold today, probably just didn’t dress warm enough for my legs. And lack of hood never helps either. Started watching The Mechanic as a workout movie. Figure I should start there if I want to watch the sequel. I wonder how many Jason Statham assassin movies I could string together.

Made dinner tonight. Since it’s Mardi Gras, I made jambalaya. Relatively easy, and was able to not make it spicy at all by omitting the spice and using kielbasa instead of andouille. Pretty good. Also just made the pan fried Krispy Kreme with melted ice cream for Jackson. He liked it. Finally took the toaster apart too, to try and track down the awful plastic burning smell. Found that, and hopefully can get a replacement and get our toaster back. The toaster oven doesn’t meet approval by the chef (Tracy) because it blocks the under cabinet lights and makes that area of the counter dark. Finally polished off the last cocktail from the board party.

Made it to Home Depot today, and picked up some wire connectors (I assume that’s what I need to fix the toaster). Gonna try that probably tomorrow. Probably should do it outside with a fire extinguisher handy, just in case. Did an outdoor walk today, to switch it up. Also had to hit some Pokemon GO stops because I didn’t have to drive Lucy this morning (Tracy drove her).

Repaired the toaster successfully. No longer smells in use, and toasts bread as expected. Something randomly pried off the grill on the patio speaker. Very weird. No idea when it fell off (no camera pointed in that corner), or what did it. Strange. Wonder if I can get a replacement or fix it and put it back on, without the use of duct tape.

Tried out Kung Fu Tea today, kids got the Cat Noir’s Cocoa Cataclysm, the closest they had to a brown sugar milk tea. It’s ok. Still looking for a replacement for Tea Ninja that’s relatively close by. Next time going to try Bambu. Looks like they have something like might be similar to halo-halo. Jackson also got McDonald’s today, the double Big Mac, a limited time only sandwich. It was pretty big. Killed off another whiskey bottle today, starting to get some room on the shelf again.

Finally made it to The Violet Hour for drinks Saturday night. Good drinks, only had a couple, but had to have a pour of the George T. Stagg 2022. Probably the only chance I’ll ever get to have it, and it was absolutely amazing. Like wow, jaw droppingly good. Jackson also had an i9 basketball game on Saturday, new winter session started. No soccer game this weekend, but had to get up and go drive my parents to church and get breakfast with them on my dad’s birthday. Otherwise a pretty lazy weekend. Kids don’t have school tomorrow. I did manage to keep up with my exercise over the weekend, which is a pretty good step in the right direction.

Jackson had in effect a LAN party at the house today. They played Fortnite on 2 Switches and dual screened on a PS5. Theoretically, could have had 2 more Switches join the party? Or at least 1 more. But kind of cool. At least they weren’t screaming across the house. Wonder how cheap a real setup would cost, maybe 2 more screens? Maybe if we ever upgrade the TVs in the family room and master bedroom, just move them to the basement, and Bob’s your uncle. Also snagged some Domino’s for them. I keep forgetting how much I like their thin crust, and how bad their wings are. I’m getting tempted by the whole VShred marketing campaign, but I really don’t want to have to go to a gym to do a full workout plan. Maybe if I was still a member at Movement.

So whatever illness is going around, taking out half of Hudson’s class, sending Serafina’s family to the hospital, or just Matilda’s COVID, it’s all getting closer to my family. So just waiting until it hits. Fingers crossed we still get to go to the Blaine Gala on Friday and Lucy still gets to swim regionals this weekend. Not sure what I’m wanting to do activity/diet wise. Feel like trying something new again, but at least keeping up with the walking. I think that’s good. Maybe I’ll get back to rucking again, if doing that in short sessions works as well. Definitely finding my walking speed is increasing in general. Definitely strange.

Did more walking than usual today. Besides a couple treadmill walks, did a longish walk to Target after dropping the kids off at soccer practice. Went all the way over by Loyola, to their tiny Target to get bleach. Needed some to do a first real load of whites since I have no idea when. Otherwise, need to do more laundry, I’m starting to actually run out of clothes. Well, starting to run out of pants. I actually some of my swrve pants, for the first time in a long time.

Feels like scramble mode. Got a big work project tomorrow. And the Blaine Gala. I guess just those 2 things. But when they’re stacked, makes it feel crazy. Otherwise, Lucy has regionals this weekend. Jackson has his i9 basketball on Saturday and Northwind soccer game on Sunday. Finally did my laundry today. Actually did a load of whites, and things came out gleaming. Also took steps to remove some ring around the collar, which worked. Next up is paring my closet.

Blaine Gala was fun last night. Not sure if my body soreness today is from the dancing or from an oncoming flu. Tested negative for COVID this morning, just to check. Didn’t go to the afterparty (which for our group ended up at A.J. Hudson’s, and came home and worked for like 4 hours. Got most of the things working again. I think. Still some nagging issues. Definitely tried to do some work at the Gala on my phone, but not super productive. Did get a nap in this afternoon. Started watching Percy Jackson & The Olympians. Three episodes in, and it’s pretty good. Starting to forget the previous actors from the movies who played those characters. Wish I could just completely forget the movies even existed and come at it with fresh eyes.

Started watching Percy Jackson & The Olympians yesterday and finished it off today. And now another long wait until the next chapter comes out. Also, I forgot a bunch of what happens, or what’s missing from books, or what’s changed, so I’m going to reread them. That shouldn’t take me long. Still not feeling the best. But still no fever. Think the aches from yesterday were from dancing, because this one feels like a head cold, dry cough. Got to break out the humidifier again.

Stupid head cold, as the weather begins to see saw +/- 30 degrees over the next week. Pretty crazy. But pretty annoying. Another day with it. Hopefully not too much longer. Did get outside for a walk today though. It’s definitely nice out. Definitely not the Chicago February I’ve grown to love and expect. Decided to watch Infinite for workout today, and kept it playing in the background while working, and now moved on to The Old Guard. Might finish up with The Eternals to keep it on trend. Or Highlander. Or any number of Vampire movies.

Starting to feel worse instead of better, which is annoying. Wore a mask when I went to school for Jackson’s International Day, and then later when I drove Spalding with Lucy to swim practice and picked up food from Panda Express. Definitely felt like people were looking at me difference, and people didn’t want to spend any extra time talking to me. I’ll probably do another COVID test just to check.

Feeling better. Now into the expectory phase of my head cold. Good times. Now I’m just going to sound funny for a couple of days. But I think I should be in the clear. Been slacking off on any exercising. Instead have been trying to eat my well back to health. Went to Bittersweet Pastry Shop & Cafe to get a cinnamon roll for Lucy, after I dropped her off at school, and got a bunch of treats. Think that’s where Bombastic Cafe used to get their Pecan Rolls. Very cute place, Bittersweet is, and will have to work from there at some point.

Probably should have watched Leap Year, considering it’s a leap year. Installed worked out to Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins. I’m also working my way through Eternals in the Apple Vision Pro. Using TV app to watch the 4K version. Only device that I think makes sense. Don’t really bother with any 4K stuff thruogh the TVs because 1080p is good enough. Although the TVs are capable of 4K, they’re also 9 years old at this point. Would have been interesting if they had a time used display. Kind of surprised they’re still going strong.