have you missed weeknotes? so have I! I've learnt that people actually read these and that I’ve lost track of time by breaking my silly little ritual. had a busy few weeks with Bruno over and holidaying in Portugal, so these have backed up a little.

if you're interested in what's happened over the past few weeks, my other updates are here and here. your regularly scheduled programming will resume next week, with a new blog post likely at the end of August.

miscellanea

• Imberbus is happening on August 16th this year. it's been in my calendar forever, but I got the email on Sunday evening. I missed it last year for some reason I can't remember, but I'll absolutely be there this year.

musings

• learnt the secret to a long and happy marriage. I'll share if you ask
• picked up an epic tip for managing large groups on holiday. it helps to split up in the morning, so people have time to get up at their own pace and do the activities they'd like. in the afternoon, people should come together to do group activities
• I wonder what historians will take from my writing once the apocalypse comes

misadventures

• spent this week in Portugal with friends, and returned to the UK on Thursday. it was good to spend time with people I care about
  • listened to Hi This Is Flume and Virgin on the flights. they was good.
• we had way too many pasteis de nata, and ate at some lovely places, including Miolo and Ajitama
• admittedly checked in on work stuff during my trip, which was pretty naughty of me
• didn't spend a lot of time in and around Cais do Sodré like I normally do when I visit for Web Summit. instead, we kicked about in Belém.
• my daily affirmations can now include "I can sleep on the top bunk without incident". this trip single-handedly resolved years of top bunk related childhood trauma
• we saw a lot of cats, and 20 pigeons fighting over a piece of bread
• Portugal has really nice architecture, with incredibly distinctive materials
• also saw a stall selling canvas prints of AI-generated art
• went exploring on Wednesday
  • caught a taxi to Cristo Rei and then split up. a friend and I explored an Quinta da Arealva, an abandoned 18th century wine factory at the foot of monument. I did urban exploration in flip-flops, like an absolute madman
  • went to Jardin do Rio and up the panoramic lift at Boca do Vento, before having carne à portuguesa in Estrelha de Manhã.
  • I'd love to come back with a DLSR camera to take more photos, and do more urban exploration with proper shoes. I'd need to get a decent camera that I can crop to vertical 4K for mobile.
• I've been thinking about doing a wallpaper pack of abandoned buildings in Europe, to replace the Paranoid Android wallpapers I've been using for years.
• got addicted to House MD (thanks, Shivani!). they're highly formulaic, which makes them incredibly comforting
• went to an algorave for London Data Week on Friday, and ticked an item off my /now list
  • it was pretty cool, and I definitely want to do more of that.
  • bumped into Terence Eden
• went to Beckenham Place Park with Hugh and friends, for the Beckenham Beer Festival. was good to see him again!
• looking forward to work next week! holiday was good, but I'd like to get back to work