☕️ Finally got my CoffeeJack gear. Got a whole bunch of stuff that make the coffee making experience that much better and interestingly very little mess.

Well that’s a shame. My new favourite weather app Overlook Weather was removed from the App Store and stopped working. Not sure if this only the Canadian store. Sent the dev an email, hopefully he can reinstate.

New Pearl Jam album, Dark Matter came out 2 days ago. Their 12th studio album. For me Ten is one of my favourite creations ever. I genuinely hope this has similar vibes…

Couple of things I am really indulging in is cookbooks. On the docket is Yotam Ottolenghi’s Simple and Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen. What’s awesome is moving these into Mela. The scanning feature is next level amazing.

One of my new routines is going to the library on a Saturday morning. Browse some books, do some thinking, bring some new knowledge back home. The gift that keeps giving.

The Self-Sufficiency Garden: Feed Your Family and Save Money. This is the sort of thing that I wish I could actually do. Huw Richards (the author) has a number of videos that goes through a typical garden and what it means to grow your own food (and importantly the economics, and it does blow my mind). Food is easily one of our biggest expense as a family.

I’ve started writing a single post on LinkedIn every week. It’s an experiment in publishing online that I’ve not tried before. At the end of the month I’ll have 4 items to compile and add into my newsletter, which can then be replicated also onto my site. I’ve clearly been playing the internet game badly. Time to see if this will make a difference.

⚽ Having said that I could not be happier for Unami Emery. Go back to the Emirates and spank them with 2 goals. What a dude.

⚽ What the hell happened to both Liverpool and Arsenal? I mean, United is one thing, but c’mon…the evil empire is totally going to steamroll over this thing…again.

Finished reading: Saga Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan 📚 Tearing through these at the moment. With the next volume should be half way caught up on this series.

Currently listening to Derek Sivers How to Live. Fascinating book that is essentially a modern day book on philosophies for life. It’s packed with many wonderful ideas that I can only imagine get better on multiple readings.

Surreal sitting here on a sunny day in Toronto (after rain and more rain). A conflict is about to begin in the Middle East that has been brewing for a while now. What exactly is the endgame with all of these conflicts? Seemingly there is none.

⚽ That was not good. Willy and Mainoo not having a vintage time…

I know I keep harping on about the public library, but understand that I have never had such an expansive resource that captures everything that I am interested in directly at my fingertips. It’s intoxicating at this stage. Returned three books and got a cook book, which I might actually buy as it already feels like something I would use for years to come as inspiration.

📷 Took a while but I finally got the Fjorden package today. Been waiting on this for months. First impressions is that this really is a very well thought out package that has that tactile materials typically used in cameras. Pairing it was a delightful affair as well. Just need to run through all the tutorials to get the maximum from this thing.

🥘 Last night was a full butter chicken curry with fresh garlic butter naans .I can already see a few areas that can take this to the next level but was a good time.

I have the same issue with Chris Ware. I can totally acknowledge the craft and design excellence that is on show, but it just doesn’t sing to me.

Also I am not a big fan of the massive tome that collects 400 pages of work under a cover. Convenient, yes. Readable, no.

In smashing through 12 issues of Saga in an afternoon, and reading through BWS’s Opus, it dawned on me, that while I absolutely love/adore BWS’s art, I am actually not that engrossed in his written work. It meanders too much and doesn’t grab my attention in the way that I personally enjoy reading. It’s me not you Barry.

Saga Merch. Not that interested in the t-shirts (slapping a cover, even though beautiful, onto a torso cover doesn’t make for a very good design). However might partake in one of those prints.

🌧️ I guess you can’t have it all. Last few days have been gloriously sunny. Today is a total rain day. Thankfully we made the most of it while it lasted.

Finally got my library card. Only took 18 months to sort out, but what a pleasant experience. Got to print something out and walk out with a rare copy of Barry Windors-Smith’s Opus and the first few volumes of Saga. A total of 7min walk from my house.

MILESHIPS - A narrative art book by Ian McQue, is now on Kickstarter. Big fan of Ian’s work, so it’s nice to see something physical out in the world (via the always delightful Meanwhile newsletter).

First day of my staycation. Nothing too crazy as the kids were home (PA day combined with Eclipse day). Highlight for me was the Moroccan chicken dish I made. It was excellent. What made it special was I noticed a flaw in the recipe (minor way of extracting the maximum flavour from the aromatics). So made the tweak and was rewarded for listening to Chef Jack.

🌞🕶️ Honestly, throughout the day it was totally overcast here in Toronto. Come 5:30, sun is out and not a cloud in the sky. So annoying.

Can’t remember when I bought The 99% Invisible City, but this week away from work I started reading it and the first chapter/nugget was something I noticed on my walks around Toronto yesterday. Orange markings everywhere, denoting telecom lines.

A metric ton of spring cleaning happening at the moment. I have to get rid of so much stuff, but been moving across the house in a methodical manner. Tomorrow is when I put everything that needs to go in a pile.

😎 Today was an incredible day of sunshine in Toronto. Spring is definitely nearly here.

ustwo games is rightfully celebrating 10 years of Monument Valley. It was an important game for me, so much so I have a print framed above my home desk. Can’t wait for MV3.

So I’m at Dark Horse Espresso Bar in Toronto. Barista, really not great. Coffee is from a company called Detour (roasted in Hamilton). Got myself a bag of Costa Rican beans that had an interesting profile - no idea how strong or weak it is. Really appreciating the information given on the Pilot Coffee bags which is perfect.

Been binge watching Come Dine With Me Canada. Really have missed this show and seeing a window into Canadian culture has been fun.

This Definitely Maybe print made me look. Keep seeing it behind Ste on his videos. It’s a cool line and hits my handwriting happy triggers as well.

The Overlook Weather app is a super simple but effective way of visualising the weather across the day. Widgets rarely make it onto my Home Screen, but this one was easy.

Took the kids for their first lessons at the YMCA today. Swimming and basketball. Every start is slow but I really hope they keep at it.

🍳 Finally got a non-stick pan after nearly 10 years of using a stainless steel pan exclusively. This one is dedicated to eggs exclusively.

🎬 Just finished watching Ford vs Ferrari. Great movie.

I’m sure I’ve posted this acapella version of the Game of Thrones theme song previously. Love this rendition so much, especially the limited dialogue they’ve incorporated into it (an awesome addition to the theme…I had to go back and double check if the original ever had this in there…of course it didn’t). But more than that, I miss a universal hit where everyone is buzzing about and talking about and a true highlight of a week.

Weekend is finally here. I don’t typically live for the weekend, but this week has been pretty rough on my health. It’s also been a brutally cold week as well (thanks Canada, it’s meant to be Spring)…no it’s not, but we’re nearly 50% through Unlocking.

⚽️ What a great game of football. I mean seriously, everything you could want in a game like this.

⚽️ Liking the non turtle neck look from EtH.

⚽️ Rashford missing a complete sitter. I mean c’mon. Should have totally gone in.

⚽️ Oh my gawd. The total flop has finally found the back of the net!

⚽️ Ok we got all the B team on this now. Fucking awesome. Final score prediction 3:1.

⚽️ Anthony. What a colossal waste of money.

⚽️ Wan Bissaka easily one of the better players. Pocketed our Salah…but it’s his first game in a long time. Get it but damn annoying.

⚽️ Something has to happen in the next 25min to change things. Don’t see anything the manager can do to change this around, not with that wafer thin bench.

Left my seat for 5 min and come back and 2 goals have been scored in a matter of minutes. Pfff. That. Is. Annoying.

Diaz man just totally owned the team on the left. He’s a real problem.

⚽️ Wan-Bissaka currently has Salah on lock down. Loving that.

Although pretty expensive, at $300, the Apollo Flashlight from Tactile Turn is like a buy it once and hopefully forget about it type of purchase.

For a while now I have been claiming that I am an atheist…but maybe that’s not right. Maybe a better term to use is that I am a Secular? Maybe that I am a Humanist?

🎵 Help in inhale. Mend it with you. Then we’ll come down. Have a hangover. I think I’m dumb. Think I’m just happy.

This Hanhart Pioneer One looks amazing. My only issue with it is that there is no option to add a steel bracelet. But the legibility, the massive crown, the details on the watch face are so unique it’s hard to resist.

🦷 Fuck me. Had my tooth extracted because it got infected…what an experience. Highly recommended! Channelling Pep, ‘More than you can believe’.

😎 18°C in Toronto today (forecast). In March.

I am really struggling with this whole changing of the clock thing. Maybe because my internal body clock is all over the place anyway?

The weather in Canada is proper crazy. Snowing today (and -9°C). By Wednesday it will be sunny and +17°C.

Oh daylight savings. How I’ve missed you stealing an hour of my life. So stupid.

I have absolutely missed writing articles. Formulating a series of thoughts and working through them, chiseling away can be a real source of joy.

Took the kids to jump their hearts out at an indoor trampoline park. It’s a rainy day and they need to get their energy out for sure.

Been writing my weekly article, which has reminded me of what I have enjoyed in the past of crafting something a little longer. Will be nice to have something substantial published once a week.

⚽ Pretty uneventful game tbh. Routine, but at least just done.

⚽️ I know shouldn’t complain but apart from the Bruno free kick, not all that exciting a game.

⚽️ Sluggish game but two penalties…it’s going to happen sometimes right.

Got to play a little football (soccer) with the kids today. I was ‘coaching’ the underdogs, but really loved it. Team was loosing by 9-2, so joined the team and while I didn’t score anything and stayed mostly in goal, the little ones did us proud and won 10-9. Makes me feel like I should get more involved in coaching.

Got into an Uber this week. Was asked the same question I am asked every single journey I take, ‘Where are you from?’ I answer it differently depending on my mood at the time. Yesterday I was in a feisty mood clearly. I should try and write something more substantial.

It had a good run, but I am sooo over being precious of TLDs.

Bit the bullet and got a new domain name to replace my Stet.Build domain name. I’ve always been pretty frugal with domain names, I have two registered, this is the third, but will let one relapse in August after 6 years.

Taking a much needed day off. It’s March break next week so might take some time off then as well…

I’ve got a couple of orders in for products that are in manufacture at the moment. What this tells me is that there is a reasonably bad planning on the side of the creators. You know Chinese New Year will impact your deliveries, so you make sure you have your 1 or 2 orders of the year, well before then. Otherwise you’ll be disappointing people that may or may not want to wait 4 months for something. Once you are outside the Kickstarter frame, you are meant to be a big boy, with big boy trousers. Learn to wear them.

Solskjaer interview doesn’t really give much away…I was hoping for a little more tbh, but nice to see him again.

Clear was updated to version 2.0 a month ago (haven’t used the app in ages) and now it’s free. And really customisable.

From next week I think I’m going to concentrate on writing one article per week about a topic which is then posted on a Sunday. Throughout the week I’ll be posting random things on this site as it really fits that mould.

Nearly forgot. Winter is over. Happy Unlocking everyone.

Been reading Silo very slowly but 2/3 of the way through the first book and it’s caught up with the end of Season 1 of the show. Book is much tighter than the show.

People in Toronto are slowly coming out of hiding. The weather is a little more forgiving so there is more life on the streets.

about

Everyone needs a place to rant on the internet, this is mine. For more cogent thoughts, head on over to kaa.bz. I also write about the built environment over at Stet.