Arrival came out on iTunes yesterday, so I stayed up too late watching it. Worth it. It's good. To me, can tell it's the same director as Sicario. Finished up watching Ender's Game before that. Will be interesting when I read the short story Arrival is based off of, to see how the adaptations match up, but still can't believe how bad the Ender's Game adaptation was. Just missed on all the important points for me. I've been trying to watch Blade Runner, but I don't know if it's the wrong point in my life, or if I'd rather see modern special effects, but it feels like homework. Switched my backup machine at work from a Surface Pro 3 to a MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013). Got it Boot Camped and syncing up email now. Nice to be standardized. Not sure if I'll lug it to/from work or not. It's a pretty nice machine. I did that mostly so I'm on a standard keyboard. The Windows key location threw me the most. Created a new Workflow to make it easier to update current events. Next up? Maybe getting Storytlr back up and running? I was also thinking of working on Fever too. Trying to find things to occupy my time now that I've moved off Feedly and RSS feeds again. Back to just News.app and my subscribed newspaper apps. Every now and then I get curious to see what the hot new trend is on Twitter, at least in the twittersphere I read, but the feeling passes.

4 days and no update? I'm slipping. I've gotten sucked into Workflow, the iOS automation app. I've created some to assist working on current events. It's pretty cool. I think I might even be able to back populate some of the structure at least, without any content though. I think I' caught up on sleep again and made some steps to prevent myself from staying up too late going forward. I did get Fever back up and running. And installed Nuzzel. Now just have to wean myself off checking all the time. Move towards scheduled checks. Maybe reminders? Also went ahead and installed the Medium app for The Ringer, instead of using Safari. Works better. Less refresh. Had dinner with the parents Friday night. Went to Green City Market - Indoor and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum yesterday, and got some Soupbox for lunch, and Taco Burrito Palace for dinner. Finally took down the outdoor Christmas lights on the porch. Jackson might be coming down with something. Again. Totally forgot it's Super Bowl weekend.

Don't remember preposting this one. But whatever. I really need to curb my late nights. Just need to get to bed before midnight. I'm guessing staying up until 3 last night for absolutely no good reason will mean I'll pick up whatever Jackson has. He's been running a fever so he's been at the grandparents the last couple of days. Had to sit and do a project with Lucy tonight. After the initial drama, she settled down and got it done. Weather continues to be weird. It's February, so it's supposed to be bitter cold in Chicago right now. Instead, I wore a spring jacket to work today, because it was like April showers. Go figure. Started Season 2 of The Flash. Found out downloads from Netflix aren't as straightforward as I'd expected. At least for the Flash, the downloads expire, and you can only download them twice. On top of that, found an article from an AVS Forum thread that explained why the latest episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend wouldn't play under iTunes 10.6.3 (1080p downloads require iTunes after 11.0.1. Which means I can no longer use Requiem to populate Plex with my iTunes 1080p HD purchases. 720p works ok. So that's awesome. I think I'll keep up my Plex library with the 720p versions, but will go back to Computers for watching via the Apple TVs. Still tweaking my Workflows. Will probably have a bunch of ones to handle new month setup for the Memex.

So the work MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013) doesn't quite fit in the GORUCK 10L Bullet, so I'm reaching back into the past to the Arcteryx Blade 13 backpack. Just had to order up a Tom Bihn Cache for it. Got that pack back in 2006, online from all places, Moosejaw. Big birthday coming up. Just made some dinner plans with the wife. Family dinner this Friday. Otherwise no big plans. Hoping to get some time to work on the bike though.

Tried working a bit last night after everyone had gone to bed. Lasted maybe 30 minutes before I feel asleep on the couch. I just can't do it anymore. Which means I need to up my productivity during the day, because I can't count on pulling all nighters, or trying to get by on 4 hours of sleep. I'm almost 40. And I think my mid life crisis is going to be learning guitar. One of those things, going way back, I was kind of interested in? I just remember always wanting to play Mr.Wall's steel string acoustic hanging on the wall, while Chris played his electric. Never did get one, but thinking, maybe, it's time. Of course, we'll wait and see how long before it starts gathering dust, or gets horribly out of tune. But maybe, just maybe, it'll be something I can just relax with. Tried out Fooda at work today. Interesting. It's a pop up space which other restaurants take for the lunch break. Had Sweet Station Lincoln beef and broccoli. Not bad. Looking ahead it's Chick-fil-A next Thursday, so guessing it's going to be super busy then. Jackson's back at school with no issues. His first day back yesterday was a little rough, crying during drop off, a couple of accidents. But today drop off was smooth. Only has a residual cough and a slight body rash. I decided to move off Mail.app and onto Gmail, either iOS app or Fluid app for macOS. Also think I'm just going to forego trying to color match my fenders on the Miyata 610 and just put the silver ones on so I can start biking to work. I'll try and sneak that in this weekend.

Saturday was a day pretty much for Lucy. Went to Crosby's Kitchen for breakfast to get monkey bread. A key difference between the version made at home vs. the restaurant version is the cream cheese frosting. Then some playground time before getting ready to go see Shen Yun, tickets courtesy of my parents for Lucy, who also got a fancy new dress. Jackson went over the grandparents for the day, because there was no chance he'd be able to sit through a show. Took the Brown Line down, and made it just as the house lights went down. It was good. Lucy liked it. I noticed some Falun Gong propaganda intermixed. Which is interesting. Then we took the bus from the Harris Theater up to Water Tower Place. Lucy got mac & cheese from Foodease while Tracy and I got some M Burger. Then the girls got gelato, I got an espresso, before heading in to the Lego Store. Got each of the kids something, tried to teach Lucy about saving (so this time she saved half of her allocation this trip for the next one, to maybe get something more expensive). Then wandered through American Girl to get a catalog, but it was an old one. That was my first time. Really interesting. Then hopped on the 146 home to get Jackson and get a ride home.

Started reading again. For fun. The Reckoners series by Brandon Sanderson. Started Saturday with Steelheart, finished Sunday night, moved on to Firefight, squeezed in the short story Mitosis in there, and finished that today. Next up is Calamity. Not sure what's next after that. Tracy has the week off so I haven't had to do kid drop off or pick up. And I went ahead and took a couple days off myself at the end of the week. Got some socket head cap screws to help attach fenders, which I think means I'll start biking next week. Yay. Really enjoying the Fooda pop up restaurant at Willis Tower. I like the variety but limited options. And it's indoors, so no need to go out to a food truck. Newest podcast I'm thoroughly enjoying, to the point I've downloaded all previous episodes: Do By Friday. Very funny.

Turned 40 today. Had the day off. Took yesterday off as well. Watched Doctor Strange, A couple episodes of The Flash, and a crossover episode of Arrow. Took a nap. Then Lyfted to The Publican and back for dinner. Kids are at the grandparents for the night. Watching The Huntsman: Winter's War. A pretty good day. Yesterday went to Eataly for lunch. Finished off Calamity. Lucy picked Snow Crash as my next book. Got my new guitar on Wednesday, it's smaller than I thought. Looks good on Lucy. Been trying out some apps for learning, along with YouTube videos. Have to admit, been nice having a couple days off with nothing to do.

So the day after I turn 40, I'm playing some game with Lucy with a basketball, and I jump up to try and dunk it, instead landing and spraining my ankle. Happy birthday to me. That was taking advantage of the weather on Saturday, played over at the Blaine Field for a while. Aside from the spraining of the ankle, the same one I sprained on the skateboard about a year ago. Decided maybe this time I should do some rehab exercises, since it probably never healed from the last time, and it's been achy ever since. And the few exercises I did do seem to have made a huge difference. I'm able to walk at least, with only minimal pain. So get to do stuff like writing the alphabet with my toe, keeping my foot flat on the ground and waggling my knee while seated, and achilles stretches. Learning the guitar slowly. Decided on ChordBank for my iOS learning app. And already my finger tips are hurting. Those calluses can't come soon enough. Got a Baskin-Robbins turtle pie for myself for my birthday treat, ordered it late on Thursday so didn't get it until Saturday. But as good as I remember it. The kids like it too. Managed to bike around, even after the sprained ankle, just taped it up. Went down to the pirate playground Sunday morning, used my Starbucks free beverage on a nitro cold brew. Realized after I ordered this morning at Peet's that I have a free beverage there as well. I really should be taking advantage of these offers. Oh, also the sprained ankle means I'm not biking in either. I also had to be more chain lube anyway. I still need to reradius my fenders anyway on the Miyata 610. Not quite that easy. Which is why my next bike will just be another prebuilt with color matched fenders.

Guess I'm reverting back to my less than daily updates. Ankle feels better. Nightly rehab range of motion exercises seem to help. Need to start the stretching and the strength and balance exercises. Maybe I should do that on both ankles. Might come in handy. Really really need to get back on the bike. Pants are starting to feel a little tight. Also, starting to miss it. Jackson's been under the weather, so he took yesterday and today off, and went out to Woodstock with my parents. Happy Anniversary to them. Found some interesting Lego related gifts to send to my brother for his birthday, Happy Birthday Al! Weather was crazy warm all week. Finally kind of getting cooler, but it's still no February that I've grown accustomed to in Chicago. I can't tell if that's it for winter or if there's a cold spell, like a really, frigid, February of years past, cold spell still coming before spring. I've switched to Google Inbox as an email client. Using the iOS apps and a Fluid app on macOS. Works pretty well. Couldn't switch direction on swipe actions so changed Outlook to have the same.

March already tomorrow. Ash Wednesday tomorrow. I got a Fish Filet sandwich from McDonald's last Friday just because I wanted to. Odd. Like I was preparing myself. I'll have to bring my parents to Duke of Perth for some fish and chips one of these days; a Friday during lent seems like a good time. Went out to Woodstock last weekend, theoretically could be the last time. Went out to pick out and pick up stuff since my parents will be selling the house I grew up in. Actually, it definitely won't be the last time, because I'll want to see it when it's empty, to say goodbye. Found all sorts of interesting things, including what I think was the backpack I used when I went to kindergarten, old high school videos I want to get digitized. Will probably also get all the old photo albums done as well. Will probably be expensive, but I think would be worth it to have. Might have to look at a different photo service (maybe Google or Amazon because those are both free or included with existing services) to have as a backup/sharing. iCloud would be too expensive. Got a leather case for the iPad, to try and match the saddle brown case on the iPhone and watch band. It's a little redder, but hoping it weathers. Trying Mvelopes as a budgeting app, but it doesn't pull in all the transactions automatically, so I'm trying to log things when I can, but I forget. Mint also isn't pulling in all transactions either on a timely basis, so having to check individual apps for that.