weeknotes

weeknotes for w/c 10/02/25

what happened on the week beginning 10th february 2025?

after a super busy Sunday, I'm settling down to write these notes. I've had a good week, and I'm looking forward to next

  • it's super cold and miserable weather, and I hate it
  • got the offer letter for the work came through, all signed, sealed and delivered
  • rediscovered the joy of writing in a personal diary
    • my old diary system involved working across two pages, with the left side used for personal tasks and the right side used for professional tasks. I'm unsure what the digital equivalent would be. regardless, I should really invest in a Moleskine
    • I think it would be fun to have a personal table which collects my handwritten notes, converts them to text and the produces action items which are put into my task tracking system with tags and due dates. that would be super useful and combine the fluidity of paper with my 'second brain'.
      • considered getting a reMarkable and hacking it so it’s all self-hosted and OCR syncs to my personal wiki, but they’re £500 and it would be a massive time investment for a system that’s already “good enough”.
    • my style of writing is very chaotic, similar to my speech. I'm frustrated that I can't add document footnotes with Ghost, only section footnotes. it's absolute bullshit
  • went to Nando’s on Tuesday evening, with Felix and Andrew. it was good catching up with friends
  • had lunch in a Spoons on Thursday, with Andrew and his girlfriend celebrating my last day of unemployment
    • had Erdinger Alkoholfrei for the first time, the head is bitter and doesn’t dissipate quickly but it’s a overall nice wheat beer
  • spent Thursday afternoon at the Wellcome Library, read more of Fluent React. the first chapter through the history of JavaScript frameworks to help me understand why React is useful and what problems it solves, which I quite like
  • went to the Freedom Fridge on Thursday night at the Rose and Crown. watched a bunch of incredibly talented comics strut their stuff.
    • met a very cute dog named Klara 😄
    • helped a friend write some of his set. it ultimately flopped, but it's at least good working
    • was on the non-alcoholic lagers the whole night, given I was starting work on the following day
    • travelled without my laptop for the first time in a long time, and it was freeing
  • started job on Friday. it was a little slow, with my time spent covering required reading, but I'm excited to get stuck in more next week!
  • used Amazon Pay for the first time to bulk buy some toilet roll from third-party website (don't ask. no, really. don't). checkout took less than 15 seconds. didn't need a new account, and no need to type in payment details. I'm simultaneously fascinated with how frictionless the process was, and terrified how much Amazon knows about me to facilitate that frictionless experience
  • pleasantly surprised that you can check out of Just Eat as a guest. you can use just an email, without being forced to use some form of social sign on
  • excited about life again, and feel a little renewed hope. I'm hoping I won't burn out (or worse) before I accomplish everything I've set out to do
  • got my backpack repaired finally, I’m happy with the result and it only cost £12! glad, because I liked that bag. hopefully it lasts another year
  • been doing some thinking for my new blog posts, and I'm excited for it. also working on some conference talk proposals
    • I've come to realise the only way to get better at something is actively practicing. I'm of the mindset that 'my code is shit', and it'll eventually be replaced by something faster, more efficient and better. that iterative process also exists for writing, but... the old output is still there (unless I actively scrub every trace of old writing from the Internet).
    • I do enjoy the process of writing, namely its contemplative nature. writing enables me to explore my thoughts in more depth than i could otherwise. however, I know my writing isn't the best, and therefore it's awkward sharing it with others.
  • considering a switch to a static site for my blog, handling lists with ListMonk and adding comments with Commento++
  • went to board games on Saturday with Felix
    • played Unfathomable for the first time, it was really fun
    • met Geoff Marshall on the train home after and had a really pleasant conversation. it’s the second time I’ve bumped into him in London! a very pleasant end to a very pleasant day
  • did some work organising an event on Sunday, sat with Melissa to do graphics and draft social media posts
  • expected to be more behind on my RSS reading, but I’m not. I like catching up to them. I need to publish a blog roll soon-ish
  • got dinner booked with Hugh for next Tuesday.
    • good to get into the normal rhythm of things again. things are starting to pick up again, social calendar is starting to fill. very excited.

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