Then
For a while, I had a “Now” page. These are the archived pages from each update.
1/19/25 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
My first “Now” update of 2025. The start of the year has been chaotic. Cold weather and threat of snow, but only a couple of flurries. Then, last week, both kids had the flu. The semester started and I’m taking two classes. Work remains busy. Tomorrow is MLK Day and it’s a holiday for us. Hoping to use the day off to recharge and reset.
Feels
- Anxious. A car accident before Christmas. Wildfires in California. Insane political news. Sick kiddos. The general state of the world. It’s just one thing after another.
- Optimistic. While the state of the world is depressing, I’m excited about the direction at work. And I’m moving toward finishing my Ph.D.
Health
- Still stalled. Had hoped to hit reset after the new year, but alas, things are just too chaotic. I was looking to start walking more this week, but the weather looks terrible. So maybe I’m heading to the gym until the weather improves? Don’t know, but I need to kick my fitness routine into gear.
Projects
- Typeface design. Spent a little time working on my new typeface design. Happy with the little prototype that I built.
- My blog. Thinking about some things I might want to change here. I’m more sure than ever that my Micro.Blog hosted site is the best possible option.
Entertainment
- Skeleton Crew. So good. I enjoyed the show from start to finish. And the finale briefly shows my favorite ships of all time. I won’t spoil it for you.
- South Carolina Women’s Basketball. Go Gamecocks. They are ranked #2 because of a loss to UCLA, but they look like they will fight for another national championship. They are so much fun to watch.
- NFL Playoffs. I didn’t watch a lot of the regular season, but I’m tuned into the playoffs. I’m not pulling for anyone in particular so it’s just fun to enjoy the games without a rooting interest.
12/31/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
The last day of the year. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks leading up to Christmas and before New Years. A minor car accident complicated the already busy season. Everyone is fine, and it was the other driver’s fault, but now we are just waiting to find out if the damage is repairable. Thankful for good auto insurance.
Normally by now, I have a plan for the next year. And I guess I have some ideas, but I haven’t written it out yet. I probably need to go ahead and do that today or tomorrow, since, you know, 2025 starts tomorrow.
Feels
- Drained. So many things to do at the end of the year. I was productive, but have not rested enough over the last couple weeks. I have two more days of vacation before I head back to work in 2025.
- Frustrated. We had a car accident before Christmas. The other driver ran a red light, although she swore she had a green light. Her passenger was incredibly aggravated and belligerent. Thankful for the helpful police officers, insurance agents and others that have helped us. But it’s just a complicated time to deal with a rental car and repairs.
- Optimistic. There are things I’m dreading about 2025, but personally, I’m optimistic about so many things. Finding that balance is challenging, but I’m going to keep pushing forward.
Health
- Still stalled. I had some good progress late in the year, but I’ve been in neutral for the last couple months. Need to kick it into gear starting tomorrow.
Projects
- Typeface design. I’ve got some sketches for an experimental typeface. It’s not something that’s going to sell so it’s been on the back burner, but I feel like I really want to spend some time on it.
- InShow. Do I need another project? Not really. Is InShow 23 coming in 2025? Maybe…
Entertainment
- Skeleton Crew. Still loving this show. Looking forward to an episode tonight and then two more in this season.
- What if…? I know a bunch of people thought this season was weak, but I enjoyed it. Storm as Thor is wonderful. And I always love Captain Carter.
12/15/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
First up, Happy birthday Norah! My oldest turns 20 today. Two decades is a long time and so much has happened… and yet, it feels like it has flown by.
I’ve seemed to settle in writing these updates every other week instead of weekly. Since they are mostly for me, I going to be okay with it. But if you happen to be reading along, just a heads up.
Feels
- Excited. I’m excited for the Christmas season. Yes, most people started planning for Christmas early, but we have three family birthdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hard to focus on Christmas when we are still celebrating birthdays!
- Proud. Of my kiddos. All three of them are growing up to be amazing people. I love them so much, but I’m also incredibly proud of who they are. I’m also very proud of my wife who is excelling in her Ph.D. classwork.
Health
- Stalled. I ate two donuts for breakfast this morning… I’m going to have to hit reset after Christmas.
Projects
- Typeface consulting. Waiting on feedback a draft I provided. Refining some of the smaller things.
- InShow. Do I need another project? Not really. Is InShow 23 coming in 2025? Maybe…
- A history of media branding. In 1997, I wrote an honors thesis about media branding. I’m thinking about pulling the ultimate academic stunt and resurrecting it. I’d have to completely rewrite it – I’m sure it’s terrible – but I think I want to write a history of media branding.
Entertainment
- Skeleton Crew. I love it. The mash up of 80s Spielberg nostalgia and Star Wars. Incredibly well done, and not just fan service.
- Lower Decks. Star Trek’s animated comedy is coming to a close and it’s just brilliant. I think next week is the finale and I’m looking forward to how they wrap things up.
- Gamecock Football. Heading to the Citrus Bowl to play Illinois. No way they were going to make the playoffs with three losses, but this is a wonderful consolation prize.
- McLaren wins the Constructors' Championship. A great finale for Lando Norris and McLaren to win the Constructors' Championship. This is my first season watching F1 and it was excited down to the last laps.
12/1/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
Thanksgiving week was busy. I worked Monday and Tuesday, took Wednesday off and the university was closed for Thursday and Friday. It was a much needed rest. We had Norah home from college so it was nice to have all of Team Wertz under the same roof for the first time for a while.
Hard to believe it’s December. I need to switch into gear to finish up the year strong. We’ve got my wife’s birthday this week and it’s her last week of graduate classes.
Feels
- Good week to be a Gamecock. The marching band was in New York for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The women’s basketball team returned to form and won two games in dominating fashion. And the Gamecock football team got the win against arch rival Clemson.
- Thinking. I have one last task to do for my graduate class, but essentially, my semester ended a couple of weeks ago. I’ve had time to think about some new projects and ponder where I want to spend my time an energy in 2025.
Health
- Fine. Still in neutral. Need to get more active. Still eating pretty well…
Projects
- Typeface consulting. Really dove into some specific tasks on my typeface design project and happy with the direction.
- InShow. I’m thinking about resurrecting a Columbia-based design show that’s been dormant since 2017. I’m currently thinking about how to create a new and sustainable version of InShow. Coming in 2025? Maybe…
Entertainment
- Gamecock Football. If you’d told me at the beginning of the season that this team could be this good, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s been fun. We’ll see what bowl they end up in. (It would take some massive chaos for them to end up in the College Football Playoff.)
- F1. Good lord. The Qatar Grand Prix is wild. I won’t pretend I understand the issuing of penalties. Pulling for McLaren to pull off the Constructors Championship next week.
11/24/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
So I accidentally skipped last week. I wrote the post, but never actually uploaded it. So I’m incorporating some of what I wrote last week to cover the last two weeks.
Happy birthday to my youngest, Ryan. He turns 13 today. For another three weeks, I have three teenagers. Time flies.
Feels
- Grateful. On Ryan’s birthday, I’ve got to reflect on just how amazing and wonderful my kiddos are. I’m biased, but I think they are pretty phenomenal.
- Rearranging. My wife and I decided to move everything around. Furniture from the master bedroom is in the kitchen. We moved a bookshelf into the master bathroom. A cabinet into the laundry room. A chair moves from the living room to the master bedroom. Really happy with all the moves, and hopefully it will help us be more organized.
- Optimistic. I have a new boss at work. I got a chance to meet with him this week, and honestly, I’m excited and hopeful about the path forward. I’m going to be very busy. I’m happiest when I very busy.
Health
- Fine. Still in neutral. Need to get more active. Still eating pretty well…
Projects
- Typeface consulting. Got back into typeface design this weekend on the consulting project I’ve been working on. Happy with how it is turning out.
Entertainment
- Gamecock Football. Shane Beamer’s team is doing far better than anyone expected, and holding their own in a wacky SEC.
- Bluesky. Now, I know lots of people on Bluesky. Even my high school German teacher is following me over there. So there is more of a reason to be there.
- F1. Woke up in the middle of the night to watch the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Great win for my wife’s favorite driver, George Russell. And a championship for Max. Hopefully, the last two races will be at better times.
- Quartiles. Still enjoying the Apple News+ game.
11/10/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
I skipped last week’s post. Sunday, I was busy with schoolwork and didn’t have time. I planned to post something later, but the election happened and I just didn’t feel like posting at all.
Favorite Picture of Last Week
Our oldest, Norah, joined us at the polls to cast her first vote in a presidential election. And while most of the races didn’t go the way we hoped, I love that I was able to share this experience with her.
Feels
- Nervous. I’m worried for the future of our country and the future of democracy in general.
- Optimistic. I had advisement this week and feel like I have a strong path forward toward finishing my Ph.D. I’m planning on taking two courses in the fall, one in the summer, and then, I’m pretty much just writing from there to the end of my dissertation.
- Reclusive. I don’t really feel like being around anyone right now. It’s don’t feel like sharing on social media. I kinda just want to be a recuse for a little while.
Health
- Fine. This week wasn’t the best week for my health.
Projects
- School work. I’ve got to talk about my research on Wednesday. And then finish up my project for class. Very doable.
Entertainment
- Not much. I’ll be honest. Pretty much avoiding all media right now. Just not feeling it.
10/27/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
This week was busy like the last couple, but felt much more manageable for some reason. I have an insanely busy week ahead of me and as the semester wraps up, I have a lot of school work to do. But emotionally, I feel a little more focused.
Favorite Picture of Last Week
My son, Ryan, is a lacrosse goalie. He played four games this weekend and did amazing. Probably his best week in goal ever. I also try to capture the action and yesterday, a kid made a great move a slipped the ball past Ryan. Great shot, and a fun picture.
Feels
- Motivated. I have a lot to do this week. And I’m feeling good about getting it done.
- Deep in thought. I need to make some decisions on my dissertation that I’ve been putting off. I think I’m starting to figure out what I want to do — and it’s a little more ambitious than I originally planned. But if I’m staring off into the distance, that’s what I’m thinking about.
- Frazzled. Less than two weeks to the election. I know I should vote early, but it’s my oldest’s first presidential election and I want her to get the full experience of going to the polls.
- Tired. We dropped off Jillian very early this morning to go on a school trip to DC. I should be trying to get some sleep right now, but the cat woke me up and I so figured I’d be productive and knock this out. Honestly though, I should be asleep right now.
Health
- Still stable. Not much progress this week. At some point, I’ll kick back into high gear soon, but this week is not the week.
Projects
- School work. I’ve got some projects to finish up for the class I’m taking this semester.
Entertainment
- Welcome back, Lower Decks. Star Trek Lower Decks is back for it’s fifth and final season. Loved the first two episodes of Season 5 and excited to see where it goes. Sad that it’s wrapping up, though. It’s been a wonderful addition to Star Trek.
- Formula 1. In the middle of a three week stretch of F1. Mexico City Grand Prix is today.
10/20/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
Another busy week. I feel like a broken record at this point. The kids' schedules are busy. We went to the South Carolina State Fair. I was thankful that I didn’t have class this week for Fall Break, but I’ve still got a bunch of grad school deadlines to handle. We are actively looking to buy a car — which is a process I do not enjoy. It’s all quite overwhelming, but we manage to figure out how to fit it all in.
Favorite Picture of Last Week
I’ve decided to add this weekly feature to my Now page to encourage me to take and share more pictures. We went to the State Fair to see my daughter’s papier-mâché giraffe. While I was there, I caught this Ferris wheel against an impossibly blue sky.
Feels
- Overwhelmed. October has been a little bit of a whirlwind. Ryan is doing lacrosse. Jill has hit peak homework. We’ve got school events and volunteer events. It seems like we never have free time.
- Grace. Recognizing that I need to give myself some grace. I’ve been too hard on myself, and realize that I’ve been a bad model in that regard for my kiddos and Liz. There isn’t enough time in the day to do all the things I need to do. And I need to be okay with that.
- Frazzled. Still nervous about the state of the nation, but encouraged that I see more and more people standing up and expressing their support for Harris Walz. Several friends in Georgia recently shared their stance on Facebook challenging their conservative family members. My neighbors have Harris Walz signs in their yard in a corner of conservative Lexington, South Carolina.
Health
- Stable. October has been a holding pattern. I realize how much a busy schedule works against my efforts to be healthier. I’m choosing to give myself some grace…
Projects
- Accepted. My journal article was accepted for publication. A couple more editing hurdles and it’ll be ready to go. I’ll share more here when it’s out.
Entertainment
- SEC football. Big win for my Gamecocks over Oklahoma. Georgia beating Texas. Tennessee beating Alabama. There really isn’t a more exciting conference in college football.
- F1 is back. Watched some of the sprint race yesterday and qualifying. Watching the United States Grand Prix this afternoon.
- Quartiles. I’m really enjoying the Apple News+ game Quartiles. It’s pretty much replaced The NY Times games like Wordle and Strands that I had been playing daily.
10/6/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
This week provided confirmation of how bad Hurricane Helene devastated the people and places that we love in Asheville. We’ve heard from all of our friends and they are fine, but the destruction is almost incomprehensible. Asheville is a 2 hour drive from our house, and we make day trips up there all the time. Many of the stores, restaurants and spots we visit are quite simply gone. Lutheridge — a camp very special to my family — is okay, but with a lot of damage. The pen store in Biltmore Village is destroyed. So is the little bakery next door with the amazing Ginger cookies and the restaurant across the street with the pea salad that my wife loves. It’s hard to process all the loss.
Feels
- Off balance. Last week was a dance of improvisation. School schedules were changing and shifting, normal rhythms interrupted. But still thankful that our family and house are fine.
- Busy weekend. Ryan had his first lacrosse game of the season and it went well. Jill had her homecoming dance. We’ll be at the coffee shop later to work on homework.
- Where has this year gone? How is it already October?
Health
- Still doing pretty well with my diet. Still on track for my goals. Giving myself a year to get healthy was a good plan, but it’s hard to stay motivated over such a long span of time.
Projects
- Didn’t really make much progress on projects this week.
- Got a revise and resubmit with minor changes this week. Excited to see this work get published.
Entertainment
- Didn’t watch any college football this weekend. Which means I missed my Gamecocks struggling against Ole Miss. And Vandy’s shocking upset against Alabama.
- Looking forward to F1 being back next week.
9/29/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
Hurricane Helene hit us in Columbia, South Carolina this week. Early Friday morning, we lost power with 60+ mph wind gusts. Trees down everywhere. In Columbia, we weren’t prepared for a storm of this magnitude. We got power back 12 hours later, but many people in the area are still without power.
As bad as it was here, it was much, much worse two hours north in Asheville. Western North Carolina is devastated. Asheville is in many ways a second home and it’s heartbreaking to see the devastation and flooding.
Feels
- Grateful that our family is fine, our house is undamaged, and we have power.
- Heartbroken for communities devastated by Hurricane Helene.
- Thankful for the linemen who are working to restore power. (There were five trucks in the front of our neighborhood earlier.)
Health
- I wasn’t particularly rigid with my diet while we were navigating high winds and power outages, but I felt like given the situation, I was able to make healthy choices.
Projects
- Not a productive week from a project standpoint.
Entertainment
- Read Dan Moren’s “The Armageddon Protocol.” I’ve read all the other books in the series and this book was a fitting conclusion. Thoroughly enjoyed the series.
- No Gamecock Football this week. No F1 this week. I did watch a little bit of NFL football, but it’s mostly on as background noise.
9/22/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
This week was a little more relaxed than the last few. I took Friday off and spent some time working on projects. The weeknights were busy, and our middle child had driving lessons on Saturday and Sunday. Next week looks to be reasonable.
Humorously, I wrote, but forgot to upload, my Now page from last week. I’m trying to use this as a weekly journal. It’s more for me than anyone else, but if you missed my weekly update, I’m sorry.
Feels
- I remain impressed with the Harris/Walz campaign. They’ve just got to keep it going until November. (And honestly, beyond Election Day when the MAGA types refuse to accept the results of the election.)
- I’m writing this from my back deck where I’m cooking out tonight. My wife is doing classwork out here with me. We’re a couple of geeks.
- I do feel stretched thin, with being a parent, an employee and a student. The day off this week helped. I need to remember to take those occasional “mental health” days.
Health
- I ate well this week. I do feel that I need to make a couple of changes to my current routine. I’m getting hungry in the early afternoon and might need to add a planned snack.
Projects
- I got a lot of work done on my contract type design project. Really happy with where it is going.
- I haven’t posted much on social media the past couple of weeks. Not sure why… just too busy, I guess.
Entertainment
- Haven’t had time to keep reading Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse. But it’s still by my nightstand.
- McLaren had a great race at Singapore. Lando Norris with an incredible victory and they expand their team lead. Having fun watching this incredible season, but bummed that the next race is a month away.
- Good win for my Gamecocks this week against an overmatched Akron squad. I’ve watched a few NFL games, but since I don’t really have a favorite NFL team, they are mostly background noise while I’m working on other projects.
9/15/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
A very busy week. I had a significant work event on Wednesday, and needed to help my daughter with some of her homework in the evenings during the week. Completely wrecked my sleep schedule. Need to be better about going to bed at a reasonable hour. I feel it when I don’t get enough sleep.
The week ahead looks a little more typical… which is still relatively busy with classes, lacrosse and homework.
Feels
- I remain concerned about the upcoming election. Especially when one side is starting to resort to false and racist rhetoric to inspire their voters.
- The weather continues to get better. We were supposed to have a bunch of rain this weekend, but we only had occasional sprinkles.
- Made time for a much needed date night with Liz. Our schedules are busy with both of us in grad school. Enjoyed a nice impromptu dinner at one of our favorite fancy restaurants.
Health
- I continue to eat well and work on changing bad food habits. I’d been losing weight at a reasonable pace, and then plateaued this week. Which is frustrating, but I also know that factors like stress and lack of sleep can affect metabolism.
- Getting a good night’s sleep is an important part of staying healthy. It’s also the first thing I neglect when I have stuff to do.
- Going to try some approaches to getting some activity in this week. Nothing complicated. Walks and some body weight exercises.
Projects
- My contract type design project continues to soak up time and energy.
- Need to make some time to do some projects around the house.
Entertainment
- Continuing to read Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse.
- Football is back. Tough loss for my Gamecocks against LSU this week. I’ll probably watch Sunday night football tonight.
- The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was crazy today. Big win for McLaren. Apparently, I picked the best possible season to get into F1.
9/8/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
A draining week and weekend. Not bad, but exhausting. I almost forgot to post my weekly update. We celebrated Jill’s 17th birthday this weekend. (Her actual birthday is next week.) It was wonderful, but involved getting the house ready for guests. Balancing that with classwork, work, lacrosse starting back up for Ryan. It’s Sunday afternoon and I feel like I am running out of time.
Feels
- The weather is improving. We actually haven’t spent much time on our back deck this summer because it was just too hot, but we did some work back there and I look forward to spending more time in the backyard as the weather cools.
- Busy week at the office upcoming with some complicated tight deadlines. Will feel better after Wednesday morning.
- Big win for my Gamecocks, defeating Kentucky soundly. Next week is LSU at home with College Gameday in Columbia. We’ll see how they do.
- The Presidential debate is this week. Sigh. I’m not going to watch it because it just causes me anxiety. (And I know how I’m going to vote.)
- Apple event this week. My four-year-old iPhone is due to be replaced. And honestly, so is my Apple Watch 4. So I’ll be paying attention to what they announce.
Health
- I’m still bringing my lunch every day, which I think is a good foundation for eating healthier. Bonus: It also saves a lot of money.
- Went for a walk with Liz while Ryan was at lacrosse practice. I need to work more walks into my schedule.
Projects
- Lots of time on contract design and grad school. Not a lot of time for other projects.
- I’ve got some ideas for some backyard projects this fall. We’ll see if I can find time.
Entertainment
- Continuing to read Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse.
- Football is back. I watched the Chiefs win by a toe on Thursday night, watched some college football on Saturday and going to watch the Sunday night NFL game while I work on grad school stuff tonight.
9/1/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
I had an up and down week. Some good days, but I also had one of those days that was terrible from start to finish. Really thankful for the long Labor Day weekend. I’m going to start updating the Now page on Sunday.
Feels
- We had cooler weather last week, but then it’s hot again. Really, really reading for the cooler weather to return.
- Busy. We are starting to balance all of the family commitments with Liz and I both taking classes, Jill and Ryan handling homework, new pick up routines… It’s tough to get back into a rhythm.
- Thankful for the long weekend. I need the time to recharge.
Health
- This week was challenging, but I did a decent job sticking to healthier food choices.
Projects
- My contract type design consulting job is going well, but taking more time than I expected. Very happy with the results so far.
- Grad school reading and projects are going well. Getting back in the rhythm of class and school.
Entertainment
- Continuing to read Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse. Going slow. It’s picking up pace, but I have less time to read.
- Just watched the Italian Grand Prix. Disappointed that McLaren didn’t win the race, but LeClerc had a great race for Ferrari.
8/24/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
The start to the school year continues. I had my first grad school class of the semester this week. Looking forward to learning more about qualitative methods. Liz starts her Ph.D. class this week and the kids' school is in full swing.
Feels
- Tired. After the summer, getting back into a routine has been tough. Waking up earlier. Going to bed earlier. Longer drive and more traffic. It’s exhausting, but I know it will get better.
- Grateful for some cooler weather. Most summers in Columbia, South Carolina are hot, but this summer has been brutal. I’m looking forward to being able to comfortably hang out on our back deck and enjoy some cooler weather.
- I’m pumped up about the Harris/Walz ticket. Let’s go.
Health
- Did a great job eating healthier this week. Really proud of myself for planning ahead and bringing my lunch to work.
Projects
- SbB Diskette was approved by MyFonts.
- My academic article is still officially under peer review.
- I’ve got a contract type design consulting job that’s going to take a bunch of time over the next few weeks. I’m excited to continue working on it.
- Lots of grad school reading is going to eat into my project time.
Entertainment
- Made progress on Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse.
- I found a Spades iOS app on Apple Arcade. I’m addicted.
- F1 is back. Watched qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix this morning. Looking forward to the race tomorrow.
See previous “Now” pages in the “Then” category.
8/17/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
Liz and the kids are back in school. We moved our oldest into an off-campus apartment. Starting to figure out everyone’s schedules. It’s been a busy week.
Feels
- Our oldest, Norah, moved into her own apartment this week. And while she lived in the residence hall last year, she’s now really out on her own. Proud of her, but it’s always a little bittersweet to watch the kids grow up.
- Back to heading to the coffee shop to work every weekend with my daughter. She has so much AP work to do, that she likes to go to Starbucks to study. I usually have work to do, too. So we go together. I don’t love the stress that comes with the work, but I adore having the time with Jill.
- Continue to be both nervous and excited about the future of this country. I think the wild swings in the news cycle affect me more than I’d like to admit.
- First day of class for me on Wednesday this week. Looking forward to taking something a little different.
Health
- Did a decent job trying to eat better this week. Need to plan ahead a little bit better when we have a busy schedule.
- Didn’t really work out this week, but did move my daughter into a second floor apartment with no elevator. (And most of it was moved up from the lower parking level.) Lots of stair flights.
Projects
- I’ve got one font submitted to Monotype for approval to sell on their marketplace.
- My academic article is officially under peer review.
- I need to set up a new web site for my merchandise. Might work on that today.
Entertainment
8/10/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
Reasonably good week. We’re getting our oldest ready to go back to college. I’ve started my plan to be healthier at 50 than I was a 40 — working out a little bit and eating better. Lifestyle change is hard.
Feels
- Had someone be incredibly rude to me at work this week. And it really bothered me for a day or two.
- Tim Walz. My goodness. I didn’t know politicians like this get elected. What a breath of fresh air. I’m all in on bringing joy back. I’m tired of the doom and gloom.
- Work on the Ph.D. will continue soon. A couple of weeks left until classes start. I’m taking one class this semester — a qualitative research class in the College of Education. Will be a bit of a change from my normal comms classwork.
Health
- Started this week trying to make better food choices. Was mostly successful. I do feel better when I eat better.
- Rediscovered some old fitness apps that I’ve tried in the past. Dusted them off and trying to build a workout rhythm.
Projects
- I’ve decided to rename one of my new fonts because of a very minor possibility that the name infringes on an existing trademark. Naming fonts is harder than naming children.
- I’ve got a few other fonts in the works, but I don’t know how much progress I’ll make when classes start back.
Entertainment
- More Olympics. Volleyball. Water Polo. Basketball. Some track and field.
- Still reading Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse. I didn’t actually pick it up this week, but it’s still the book beside my bed.
- F1 is still on summer break. ☹️
8/2/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
I celebrated my 49th birthday this week. My kids have an annual tradition where they bake a cake for me, usually with a high degree of difficulty. This year, they attempted to make a Borg Cube from Star Trek.
As I turn 49, I’m looking ahead to 50 next year. I’ve decided that I want to be healthier at 50 than I was at 40. I need to loose weight, eat better and be more active. Basically a lifestyle change. I’m going to add a health category to my weekly Now page updates.
Still wondering if I should post these on Sundays instead of Saturdays.
Feels
- Uncomfortable. The air conditioning went out in my office this week. That’s never something you want in Columbia in the summer.
- One of my friends is leaving for a job at another school. I’m bummed, but it’s a great opportunity for her. Just a lot of changes at the office this summer.
- I continue to be impressed with Kamala Harris’s campaign so far. I forgot what hope felt like.
- Tired. My teacher wife reported to school this week, and the alarm started going off an hour earlier. Ugh. Need more sleep.
Health
- Laying the groundwork for my lifestyle change. Getting apps ready to track, planning diet and exercise changes. Trying not to over do it. I’m giving myself a year to make this change.
- I’m starting on Monday, because there’s still cake and other goodies in the house from my birthday.
Projects
- SbB Danceflr is available on MyFonts now.
- Continuing to work on some other font ideas. I have several designs that I never finished, so I’m working toward wrapping those up and submitting them to MyFonts for sale.
- Heard back from the publication I submitted my journal article to and I need to make a couple of minor changes before it heads to peer review. So that’s promising.
Entertainment
- Lots of Olympics. Surfing. Basketball. Gymnastics. Swimming. Handball. Beach Volleyball. Regular Volleyball. I think I’ve watched at least some coverage every day this week.
- Still reading Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse. Slowly. I’m struggling to get into it, even though I loved the first two books.
- F1 is on summer break. ☹️
7/27/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
Just had a relaxing week of vacation with just my wife and me. The kids were at summer camp for the week so we decided to celebrate our 25th anniversary early up near Asheville. We had a great time, but it’s going to be hard going back to reality on Monday.
Feels
- I feel refreshed. I really needed to take some time off from work and reset. With the leadership change at work, I think I needed the break more than I realized.
- I’m worried about the state of our nation, but I’m energized by the change in the presidential race. Biden stepping down, and Harris consolidating support has me encouraged.
- Being open to changes. The camp our kids went to is also the camp that I attended and worked at. They changed pick up this year, ending on Friday instead of Saturday morning. I wasn’t sure about the change, but we attended a new final ceremony and it was great. I probably need to make this a full post, but we all need to accept that sometimes, change is needed.
Projects
- SbB Departure Mono is now live on MyFonts. I’ve got two other fonts that I will submit today or tomorrow.
- I sketched out a couple of new font ideas while we were at the cabin in North Carolina. Was nice to have some time to sketch.
Entertainment
- We were in a cabin without our normal streaming setup. They had a Samsung TV service that had a bunch of ad-supported channels with random reality shows, so we watched some American Ninja Warrior and Ice Road Truckers.
- I started reading Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse. Enjoying it, but having trouble remembering all the things that happened in the second book of the series.
- F1 this weekend.
- Will probably watch some of the Olympics.
7/20/24 • 2 min read
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
Weird week. I got randomly sick for an evening. I woke up at 2 AM with a fever that only lasted a couple of hours and no other symptoms. So strange. Whenever I get sick now, I worry about COVID and getting others sick, but I’m pretty sure this was just a random virus.
Feels
- I’m excited about upcoming vacation. It’s been too long since I took a significant amount of time off.
- I’m worried about the state of our nation.
- Grateful for some rain. (We needed it.)
Projects
- I published two longer blog posts this week. One about the Star Trek episodes I tend to play in the background, and a second post about the whole Sticker Mule debacle.
- More progress on fonts. I inched closer to releasing my new typefaces. Just some refinements to make sure everything passes the quality assurance checks.
- Submitted an article to a journal to review. Woke up in the middle of the night and decided to be productive. Finished the query letter and hit the submit button. We’ll see what happens.
Entertainment
- Finished Star Wars: The Acolyte. I enjoyed the show and am interested to see if they give it a season two to finish the story.
- I’ve been playing Pokemon Go with my son who just got a new phone.
- F1 this weekend with the Hungarian Grand Prix.
7/13/24 • 2 min read
Posts titled “Then” were originally shared on my “Now” page.
Good week, although still way too hot in Columbia, South Carolina. To be fair, it’s too hot pretty much everywhere, it seems. I’ve stolen a brilliant idea from Sven Dahlstrand (@sod on Micro.Blog) and I’m going to archive my previous “Now” pages on blog in a category called “Then.” I like to have an archive of everything and it always bothered me that my Now page implementation didn’t have a history.
Feels
- I’m tired. It’s been a long week for some reason.
- Looking forward to an upcoming vacation.
- Sad that summer is coming to an end. Kids start school in less than a month. The excessive heat has been brutal this year. We are fortunate to have shelter and air conditioning so we can manage, but I haven’t felt like leaving the house. Ready for cooler weather.
Projects
- I’m getting closer to finishing a couple of new fonts to make available on MyFonts. Just need to put the finishing touches on the files and marketing images.
- I spent time this week editing my paper on consumer attitudes toward logos. Happy with the edits. Time to submit it to a journal. We’ll see what happens.
Entertainment
- Star Trek: Prodigy on Netflix. Finished watching the series this week. Liked where the story landed and was genuinely surprised by some of the callbacks and references to previous Trek franchises.
- Star Wars: The Acolyte. Finale this week. I’ve enjoyed the show, and like the idea that they are telling the story in an earlier time period. I’ll probably post longer thoughts on the blog after the finale.
- Looking for books for vacation and realized the last book in Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky series is out. I thought I’d preordered it, but apparently not. Need to go back and reread the last book to remember where they left things. Looking forward to reading the final book of the trilogy on vacation.
- No F1 this week.
7/6/24 • 1 min read
I’m giving the “Now” page concept another go. I love the idea, but I just haven’t figured out how to make it work for me. For now, I’ve settled on an opening paragraph and three category prompts: feels, projects and entertainment. Should capture a nice snapshot of what I’m focused on and how I’m feeling. When I update these, I’m going to copy them over to Notion so I have a weekly journal.
Feels
- Looking forward to an upcoming vacation.
- Leadership changes at work are never easy to navigate.
- Anxious about the state of our country.
- My sore foot is feeling better, but that means I need to turn my focus back to getting healthy.
Projects
- I’ve decided to give this “Now” page a try again.
- Finishing up a couple of fonts that I want to release soon. You can see previews at SbB Fonts.
- I’ve got a paper that I need to update and submit to for publication. I’d really like to get it wrapped up this summer before the new semester starts.
Entertainment
- Star Trek: Prodigy on Netflix. Working through the episodes slowly. I suck at binge watching.
- F1, because my daugther got interested and now I’m hooked.
Posts in the “Then” category are archives of my “Now” pages.