Sep15

Another spice rack

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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!

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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.

Sep11

A Bulgarian Adventure

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A Bulgarian Adventure

Tuesday, 28-April-2026 through Saturday, 02-May-2026


Andrea’s friends got married! We hopped on a plane to go visit! It was an excellent adventure!

I’ve just been a little globe-hopper, now, haven’t I?



To be honest, that’s exactly what I’d hoped for when I first started imagining this move to Europe. Ryanair flights are cheap, security is efficient, and air-time is short… I’d had all these dreams of spending weekends away at various exciting locations throughout the continent.

It hasn’t happened that way, unfortunately, and that’s one of the many little things I’ve been frustrated by. Classwork took up weekends during the MBA, and job applications (and their attendant anxiety) took over the weekends afterward. Events and sales for Hurley Ceols took over after that, and now…

Well. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. For now – there’s a wedding to go to!

To be fair, this wasn’t a traditional Bulgarian wedding – I don’t know know what they’ll look like, but this was a beautifully chic wedding for two amazingly chic friends. A penthouse restaurant, excellent food, amazing drinks, and beautiful views were to be had. A lovely ceremony, and an exciting afterparty!



So, while the wedding was our main reason for going out, we did get up to some other adventures throughout:

– We got to visit Andrea’s Grandma – whose home always brings back fond memories of my Maternal Grandparent’s home.

– We explored the city a bit, seeing more of the beautiful views that Sofia has to offer.

– We visited with a few friends, grabbing a lovely dinner and sharing exciting stories… and even seeing a whole host of new hot sauces that one of them is working on! (I don’t have pictures from this one, because we were too busy hanging out.


And then… Well, and then we flew home, had a delicious breakfast, and a lovely cheeseplate lunch.