Leaderboard

In the last 36(ish) hours I flew out to Denver and back to check in on a friend that had a particularly rough second half of 2025 along with three other friends. When we learned he wasn't going to be able to come out east during the holidays we decided it was time to head west. So yesterday I got up at 4am, drove through the snow to Boston, hung out for 24hrs and flew back this evening. I am, exhausted.

Thanks, all! I was doing exactly what you could guess I’d be doing on my birthday!

Two meals from the new year. First up is a chicken dish from Samin Nosrat's Good Things cookbook. I don't think I've ever had a cookbook recipe come out looking this close to the photo. It was also delicious, along with the saffron rice Claire made and a Samin salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and quick pickled red onion. Last night was the first pizza of 2026, in the form to a Detroit style with pepperoni, red bell pepper and mushroom. I need to find a local source for brick cheese.

I realize there are "what are you watching?" and "check out this track (Vevo sucks balls)" threads. With that said, now that Stranger Things has finished, and the final season of it parallels the last season of Game of Thrones in terms of quality and popularity, I've started watching. Season 1 isn't bad, but with the 6th sense of hindsight, I can see how the show's writing is ultimately going to be the weakest link. Already season 2 is significantly worse. Where am I going with this? I watched the halloween episode and while I was amused by the inclusion of the Ghostbusters theme, it felt off for me. After a bit I figured out why. A decade ago, Neil Cicierega permanently re-arranged my memories of the 1980s. Also, fun fact: the line "bustin' makes me feel good" is removed at a very key moment in the original Ghostbusters film. It's pretty clear the line was in the original edit and most likely some stuffed suit objected to it.

I really like the concept of this album.

Happy Belated Birthday Adam. Hope you "Enjoyed" the last year of our Glorious Leaders reign. What a Birthday present! Here's to a better next year.

I wish there were a travel team. But Red Oxx isn't a true prerequisite if you can kickstart it back into being.

You quit...Amazon?!?!?

VPI in a Lexus commercial

Couple of coats of high temp engine paint. Looks like poop, but it is protected and ready to go. Ran it at max temp for a while to cook of any vapors, then smoked a salmon. I'm back...

Spent the weekend my Father and friends' cabin without the phone and any electric device beside a the lamp. Got cold. Not my cup of tea tbh. At least not in winter.

Few more from the SSD

Quit. Do I need a Red Oxx bag to join the Travel Team or what?