Blog Posts – Page 3 – Practice is the best form of hope.

Stage Rage theatre photos

I’ve recently snapped some publicity photos for my spouse’s theatre company. What do you think?

From “Paradise Lost” 2018

From “Waking Nightmare” 2019

April 30, 2019

I just finished up a week long vacation in which I built a greenhouse in my backyard. I love DIY projects, the adventure, the problem solving, all of it! And I usually make a lot of mistakes. For example, the stone walk-way I built last year was dug too low, and I’ll have to raise it up this year. I’d love your opinions / critiques of my greenhouse-building process.

For the greenhouse, I used a ShelterLogic kit, which had mostly easy-to-follow assembly instructions. Before putting the house together, I had to level off some earth. My backyard does not have any level areas that are also in the sun, so this was a challenge. I think i handled it pretty well! Using a level, I measured the differential between the highest point and lowest point and found that it was approximately 16 inches. So I split the difference: I dug about eight inches down on the high side, and used the dirt and some cinder blocks to build up 8 inches on the low side.

How does it look? Would you have done something differently?

April 29, 2019

Vintage Jetpack Sign

A few years back, my pal Stephen got us a Jetpack sign for our now deprecated office. I’ve finally painted the old sign, which now can be considered vintage because the logo has been redesigned. I used One Shot paints to make the logo and lettering nice and glossy, and I used standard flat interior paint for contrast. I’m pleased with the results, and I plan on gifting this shiny thing to Derek. ( He doesn’t read my blog, so I’m not really spoiling anything for him. )

Anyway, have a peak:

April 13, 2019

Quitting Smoking: 1 year later

It’s been about a year since I started a serious attempt to quit smoking. When I wrote this blog post, I had no idea of what the following nine months would look like.

Looking back at those nine months, which were full of twelve ( no kidding! ) false starts and lots of frustration, I can say with much more confidence that I’m done. For good this time. I never want to go through it again.

It’s been three full months since I’ve consumed any type of nicotine. I feel great! I can run farther and faster, I can taste foods more subtly, and I don’t smell bad all the time.

I’ve learned a lot that I’d love to share with you. If you are struggling to quit, get in touch with me, and I share some tips that worked for me. For my Maine friends, please utilize the Maine Tobacco Help Line. It’s free, and it works.

And thanks for reading my blog. Now go back to enjoying the rest of the internet.

April 3, 2019

Beautiful church in Iceland

February 20, 2019

On the road from Reykjavík to Hrunamannahreppur

Hey, I’m in Iceland for a work meetup! Here are some photos we snapped on the road between Reykjavík and our AirBnB in Hrunamannahreppur.

February 19, 2019

Developing a cribbage game on my own terms

I’ve been working on developing a cribbage game. If you are a fan of cribbage, please try it out and let me know what you think.

You can play cribbage live right here, or you can follow the instructions on the wp-cribbage github repository to play it on your own website.

What did I learn?

In my day job, I’m working at Automattic, helping to build the Jetpack plugin and Calypso ( a WordPress.com dashboard ). Both of these are built with React.js, and by the time I started working on them, they were fully realized projects. So I never got to explore the build process or setting up unit tests.

In building my cribbage game, I learned how to use npm to compile a React project. I learned that both github and npm have helpful alerts to let you know when your project’s dependencies have security vulnerabilities.

I learned how to properly use Test Driven Development in making the artificial intelligence that powers your cribbage opponent. ( It’s pretty good. It defeats me often, without cheating! )

What’s next?

I’ve always wanted to learn socket.io, so I plan to make a v2 of my cribbage game where two people can play each other. I’d also like to improve the UI for mobile devices, and update the graphics to something a bit more shiny.

Let me know in the comments if you tried it out. Thanks for reading!

July 8, 2018

No casserole

I heard something pretty sad today from a mother whose son suffers from severe depression. She said that mental illness is a “no-casserole” disease. If you or a loved one is sick, chances are someone will visit and bring gifts and food. But if you or a loved one needs to be hospitalized for mental illness, folks keep their distance.

If you know someone who has mental illness, bring them a casserole. Or a book.

Cover image by KlarEm

April 16, 2018

Last cigarette with a ghost

As of today I am no longer smoking cigarettes. I’ve been a smoker since I was 17-years-old. In that time I was able to stop smoking for 4 years! I’m trying to quit again starting today. Wish me well.

I smoked my last cigarette in my car this morning, parked in a supermarket parking lot, drinking Dunkin’ Donuts cold brew and listening to NPR. I don’t remember the show, or it’s content – just a mellow male voice underscored with peaceful music.

The final smoke was passing by unremarkably, until I felt the presence of a ghost.

Last year, my friend Raf messaged me on Facebook to tell me that his wife Judy passed away suddenly. That she had a few too many drinks after their 14 year anniversary and that she “passed out on the couch and didn’t wake up”. I hadn’t talked much with Raf in the 21 years since we were close friends in High School. And I never met Judy. Raf and I talked a lot that night.

And today in the parking lot, Judy jumped into my car, unannounced, uninvited, unseen, but not unwelcome. Did she have any last moments of lucidity before dying? Yes. At first, she was scared, and wanted to stand up, shout out, get help. Should could not do any of those things, and instead had to make the strong, lonely choice to let go. To keep loose any loose ends. To say goodbye to her children and leave without hearing their response.

If she could do that, can I give up smoking? For real this time? Can I reclaim my joy in life?

I’m grateful that Raf contacted me that night, and shared with me his situation. I’m grateful for Judy’s wordless words of encouragement. Wish me well. I wish you well.

Cover image by EFBailey

Update: This past weekend I broke my smoke-free streak. I will not be discouraged and my commitment to quitting is still strong. My new quit date is today, June 19, 2018.

April 2, 2018

Hiking Mt. Mansfield in Vermont

Megan and I hiked up Mt. Mansfield. We parked at Underhill State Park, hiked up the Lara Cowles trail, and down the Sunset Ridge trail. The ascent and descent took 3 hours each. We hiked at a fairly slow pace taking time to catch our breath, rest our legs, and snap some photos. Here are some of my best snaps from the journey.

A splash of sunshine on Maple ridge.

A tail marker overlooking the rolling peak of Mt. Masfield.

Megan’s backpack and shoe matched the moss on the rocks.

Time to put your wing suit on!

It was beautiful on the peak. You can see the toll road parking lot in the distance.

Tower’s on the “nose” of Mt. Mansfield.

Hanging out on the “chin”.

August 13, 2017

Magic in Vermont & Canada

I’m feeling pretty euphoric after spending a few days exploring Northern Vermont and Montréal with Megan. I brought my camera. Here are a few of the most magical shots. Enjoy!

A ray of sun splashes on Crawford Notch in New Hampshire

A recreation boat on Lake Champlain.

Breakwaters at sunset on Lake Champlain.

Megan gets silly in Burlington Vermont.

Canoes on Lake Champlain.

Lake Champlain at sunset.

Megan in awe of Burlington’s beauty.

Burlington has the creepiest mascot.

Montréal from Mount Royal park.

Megan after a jaunty walk up Mount Royal.

Abandoned (?) mill in Montréal.

Solid architecture in Montréal.

Horses being lazy on a foggy morning in Stowe, VT.

August 12, 2017

The streets and canals of Amsterdam

Just got home after a lovely trip to Amsterdam with my co-workers at Automattic. I was not able to snap as many photos as I wanted. One night, I left my camera’s battery back at the hotel. Still, here are some of my favorite photos. Enjoy!

The Albert Cuyp open air market.

Automattic team meet-up in Amsterdam with Luna and JPOP design.

Folks were sledding down the roof of this grocery store.

Our favorite pancake restaurant.

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam.

Photos from other teammates:

February 19, 2017

In the lane, snow is glistening…

First major snowfall at the new abode. It’s what some would call “emergency weather”, but here in Maine we call it “Friday”.

December 30, 2016

Frolicking in the Autumn Mist

Here are a few photos that I took at Evergreen Cemetery. It has been my happy place this autumn. I’ll go there on mornings for a long walk, catch some Pokemon, and snap some photos with my phone. Maybe I’m just noticing, but the foliage seemed particularly bright and beautiful this year. Enjoy.

October 22, 2016

Choppy waters courtesy of Hermine

Yesterday we visited Fort Williams park to check out the stormy seas delivered by Hurricane Hermine. The storm did not come directly to Maine, but it breezed by a few miles off the coastline. We were surprised to see how many brave ( or stupid ) people were getting close to the edge of the cliffs to enjoy the sea spray. Enjoy the photos and videos.

A video of the splash zone near the lighthouse.

A video of the cliffside overlooking the bay with Portland in the background.

A video of our shadow waving to the waves.

September 6, 2016

Happy Labor Day. Here’s a cat to watch you pee.

Today I finished a home-made medicine cabinet / picture frame for our bathroom. Teaching myself basic carpentry skills, and owning a home in general has made me appreciate all the work that goes into building and maintaining our dwellings and infrastructure. Thank you all for working so hard. Enjoy the photos!

The artwork is a print we purchased in Scotland on our honeymoon a few years back. It was lovingly created by Griddle Bone Gallery. We’ve named him Magnus.

September 5, 2016

Thoughts on pocket hole joinery

This weekend I completed my first furniture design project. Instead of buying the tools for traditional wood joinery I opted to use pocket holes. It is less expensive, and requires less time and patience. I was able to build two nightstands in a week. I haven’t been this excited since I was gifted my first pack of Legos. Pocket hole joinery is like building stuff with wooden Legos that you design! Here’s what I learned.

There are three fundaments to consider when building furniture with pocket holes:

Placement of pocket holes – they should be placed either hidden from view, or in a spot that integrates with your design
Order of assemblage – if you screw the pieces together correctly, you can achieve a level design with little effort. The Kreg Jig ensures a tight angle.
Plugging the holes – after the holes are drilled, and the parts are assembled, you can plug the holes with wooden dowels to make them visually appealing

This was my first attempt, so I messed up all three of those points! Even though I planned out the placement of holes in advance, as I proceeded with the project I learned I could have placed the holes more optimally. By then it was too late to re-drill. Also, if I could start over, I’d rethink how I assembled the pieces. As you put the pieces together you want to consider stability, as well as easy-access to other pocket holes. Finally, I was not able to plug the holes in the end. It turns out that Kreg’s plugs need to be sanded after they are inserted. I did not realize that, and because of their position, and because I had already polycoated the wood, I was not able to plug and sand any visible holes.

I used pine, a soft, forgiving wood, and thus my mistakes were not fatal ones. I thrilled to have a beautiful, functional, though slightly flawed set of nightstands. Up next, I’m going to revise my plans for these tables, and open source them so that you can build them if you want! I’m also working on a design for a medicine cabinet. In the meantime, enjoy these photos.

August 21, 2016

Measure, then act

Dan, a co-worker from Automattic wrote this in a p2 post today:

Measure, then act. Almost every major decision we made was in response to real-world data. Often we would be surprised and have our expectations challenged, both in terms of what was NOT possible, but also what WAS possible.

It reminds me of the old saying, “Measure twice, cut once”, and in software development, the more we measure, the more we discover.

August 18, 2016

First foray into furniture design

We need a couple of low sitting night stands for our bedroom, and we haven’t found quite what we are looking for online or IRL. So I’m going to build them. I bought the wood and the Kreg jig, and I’m going to start tomorrow. I’m pretty pumped! Here’s what I made in SketchUp.

Let’s see how close I get with the finished product.

August 12, 2016

Work meet-up in Lima, Peru

Back in February, I met with my team from Automattic in Lima, Peru. I’m excited to finally share some photos and videos with y’all. Warning: this post contains tons of media, so proceed with caution if you are limiting your bandwidth.

Traveling with a large group ( 13 folks! ) ensures a lot of great photos and videos. The following collection contains images from myself, as well as my traveling companions. I’ve given credit when necessary, and at the end of this post, you’ll find links to the blogs of all who contributed.

The People

Meet ( the now deprecated ) Team Mercury. Our agenda consisted of: discussing the team’s goals / structure for the rest of the year; learning about how team Flow Patrol was implementing end-to-end testing; learning about future plans for WooCommerce; and I hosted a webinar on the work we’ve been doing with Jetpack Connect.

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The Flat

We stayed in a wonderful penthouse apartment that we found on AirBnB. Here is a short video tour of the place:

The Food

Peru has some of the most inspired cuisine in the world due to their proximity to the rain forest’s bounty. Here are some highlights.

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Amazing dessert globe from Casa Moreyra. Video by Beau.

Football Match: Sporting Cristal v. Peñarol

Miguel, our teammate fro Uruguay was excited that his home team was playing Lima’s home team. We purchased tickets for the match at a department store where we had to provide our passports. The match was easily the most intense sporting event I’ve witnessed. Afterwards, we went out for Chifa, a Peruvian equivalent to late-night, American Chinese food. Overall, it was an excellent night.

Photo by Miguel

The Peñarol troop singing their rally song.

The Sporting Cristal troop setting off a flare. Mind you, our belts were confiscated before we entered the stadium. I’m not sure how they managed to get a flare in. Video by Dan.

Parque Central de Miraflores

I was thrilled when Diego and Samantha suggested we go to a city park inhabited by cats. While there, Miguel captured a video of a street performance.