Then: 9.1.24

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...
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Today was terrible. Start to finish. Just rough. Tomorrow is a new day, but today’s going to stick with me.

Trying to troubleshoot cross posting to Threads from Micro.Blog. Was working fine… and then it wasn’t.

Because of an accident on the interstate, took the LONG way to work this morning, all back roads through the country. Including several roads that I never knew connected to each other. I made it to work eventually.

Hey @manton. FYI: Something is broken with Threads crossposting. I’m getting a “Threads: Error creating media container.” error in the logs when something tries to crosspost. (And Bluesky is working fine, so I don’t think it’s an issue with the post.) Happened a couple of times.

The For-Profit City That Might Come Crashing Down:

“We’re not crooks,” he told me. “We’re just guys trying to get something good done.” He said he was inspired to help found Próspera after reading Machiavelli’s writings on the impossibility of reforming a system from within.

A movement inspired by renowned do-gooder, Machiavelli. What could go wrong?

The Red Lobster near me has closed, and I’m kinda sad.

Red Lobster has been struggling through financial troubles for a while and the chain is the process of being sold. Today, they announced that the location closest to me in Cayce, South Carolina has closed. I’ve eaten at that Red Lobster once in the last five years and it was an unmitigated disaster. We waited forever for a table and the food wasn’t great.

But my grandparents and parents loved Red Lobster. There is a Red Lobster in Aiken that my grandparents always took us to. While I was in college, we had many family dinners at the Cayce Red Lobster. I think we went there after I graduated from college. When Liz and I got married, we lived in Cayce, and sometimes, you want some fried shrimp and Cheddar Bay Biscuits after church.

Alas, I won’t miss my local Red Lobster, but I am sad to see it go.

Bob Wertz...

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Papaya ≠ Orange?

My daughter has gotten us all into F1. Jill’s become a hard core McLaren fan. My wife seems to have settled into cheering for George Russell and Mercedes. Ryan is a Max Verstappen fan.

As for me, I tend to be pulling for McLaren. Which causes a problem. Their color is papaya… which is orange.

I don’t do orange. As a South Carolina Gamecocks fan, orange is the color of all of our rivals… from in-state Clemson to SEC foes Florida and Tennessee. (And I’m not just a SC fan, I’m also manage the schools visual branding.)

Jill’s convinced herself that papaya and Clemson orange are different colors. She’s decked out in papaya right now celebrating Lando’s Dutch Grand Prix victory. She’s right – the colors are different – but it’s still tough for me. We’ll see if I come around to McLaren papaya, or if I continue my orange ban.

Looking forward to...

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Then: 8.24.24

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...
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Harris Walz supporters should add the US Flag emoji to their social media bios. 🇺🇸🇺🇸 Partially to show support for freedom, but also to point out that there aren’t emoji for the Confederate flag, the Gadsden flag, the Trump flag or any of the other flags the far right prefers.