Sep17

A wee day out to Galway

Posted on by
Standard

Wednesday, 06-May-2026


The drive out to Galway was lovely. Long, quiet, and a great chance for me to embrace the highway hypnosis while listening to some good music.

I’d scheduled a few meetings with various musicians and music shops, so this wasn’t just a pleasure trip… but I’d ensured there was adequate time between each meeting in case they ran over – so I was fully expecting a bit of time to relax, grab some food, and enjoy my time in a town I’d heard so much about.

Now… This may just be my general frustration shining through, but… Frankly, I wasn’t particularly enthralled by Galway, I’m sorry to say.

It was neat! It was pretty! I took some cool photos, and enjoyed the time outside and out of Dublin!

But… It was touristy.

If I’m being fully candid, Galway felt like every small tourist town I’d been to in the US – the little Cape Cod towns, or the Oregon beach towns, where you visit for a few days and enjoy the tourist shops on the main drag… because the main drag is all there really is.

Now, I’m sure I was missing something, and that I was in a more negative headspace than normal… my meetings didn’t go particularly well, so I wasn’t the most positive person you’ve ever met. But the lunch I got was mediocre, and I walked out of the first coffee shop I stopped in to after they wouldn’t let me sit at a table unless I ordered a full sit-down meal (at a coffee shop. Not a restaurant, a coffee shop. With a walk-up counter like every other coffee shop)

So… yeah. Galway. Kinda pretty. A bit disappointing.

I visited, I got through my meetings, and I drove home. Got Burger King on the way home, which was the best meal of the day.

C’est la vie.


But upon my return, there were adorable love notes waiting for me… so you know what? I’ll take the whole annoying visit as a reminder that I have the best I could ask for already waiting at home for me.

Sep15

Another spice rack

Posted on by
Standard

May, 2026


I adore being an engineer.

I can’t express how much I appreciate it when a friend brings me a challenge, and then I get to drive ahead and build something beautiful to solve that challenge.

In this case, it was a spice rack – but a new design, this time to optimize space unique to the format of apartment that he (and I) have. In short, there’s a really cool slatted wall in the kitchen – I use it to store plants and little memorabilia, but our friend had the good idea that this could, instead, be leveraged into a bit of a space to store spices.

Utilizing otherwise lost space… Now that sounds like an engineer’s dream, doesn’t it?

Well. I measured, I designed, and I tested. I overengineered at first, then simplified and optimized.

I printed, then I iterated and printed again. Have I mentioned that I adore having my own 3D printer? I do – it doesn’t run 24/7, not even remotely, but it does run when it’s needed, and it helps immeasurably when it does.

How’d the new rack come out?

WELL. It fit BEAUTIFULLY, so much so that I took some of the prototypes and re-formed them into one for Andrea and I, to hold our coffee and teas.

Sep13

The Devil Wears Prada 2 – The re-deviling!

Posted on by
Standard
The Devil Wears Prada 2 – The re-deviling!

Monday, 04-May-2026

I adored the movie “The Devil Wears Prada”. To be clear – fashion and style aren’t my thing. I’m learning, vaguely, but… still not quite my thing. I enjoy Haute Couture, to a point, but I tend to prefer tents and hiking boots.

That being said, movies are fun! So Andrea, myself, and one of our friends all bustled up and headed to a nearby theater to check it out.

It was fancy – they had a whole waiting area ready for us. They had bubbly (I doubt it was actual champagne), they had snacks, and it just looked fancy.

We enjoyed, we headed in, and we watched a singularly disappointing movie (in my opinion, at least).

I won’t get into details, except that I have a huge problem with sequels that build themselves up by damaging the original… especially when I appreciated the original so much. Am I glad I saw the movie? Sure, yeah. Do I wish they hadn’t made it? Also yeah. Am I astounded that this is the best that Hollywood could do, with such a star-studded cast? You bet your butt.

Anyways. It was pretty, it was a nice day, and we had a lovely walk afterward. So I won’t complain any more than I already have.