OMG, a BLOG!

August 2025

"To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time." - Leonard Bernstein

Yup, that's pretty accurate.

I've adopted a "set a timer" practice for all sorts of things from using the restroom, to bursts of tidying, to gaming sessions, and it is wildly successful for helping me accomplish my goals and stay engaged in all the activities I participate in.

Chaos Magic: the Web App proceeds apace. I'm feeling much more comfortable in the codespace. The other day I decided I needed a "flip a coin" function, and I already had a die roller, but I wanted something that gave a countdown for "calling it". Then I was all "huh, can I make it look like a flipping coin?". A bit of research and experimenting with CSS animations and YES, I can!

On a functional level, I successfully hooked in my JSON data source and have a weightable randomizer pulling effects into the UI. In the background (read: when I have a bit of downtime where I don't feel like coding) I've been cleaning up the effects and the metadata and have added a dozen or so new ones along the way, several of which leverage powers that I couldn't do (easily) on paper.

This project continues to be one of the most fulfilling technical endeavours I've journeyed on in a long time.

July 2025

Blogging is hard.

In April, I restarted the Chaos Magic web app project. This is something I've been working on and off at for... fifteen years. I had a blocker that I couldn't seem to surmount, and every time I started, I'd hit that block and spiral into a depressive cycle of self-doubt, self-recrimination, self-loathing, and general despair, giving up for sometimes years before I felt like I could take it on again. Rinse and Repeat.

Until the end of April. I resolved the block.

Since then, I've moved from "how to For..Else..?" and into building a vanilla component framework from scratch to power the app. It has been an incredible journey of self-discovery, research, testing, frustration, healthy downtime, and perseverance. And WOW it is coming along.

I've been maintaining Chaos Magic for 30 years. It is wild to see this project near fruition and I am so excited for the future state of it.

Feb 2025

Published Skin-Deep Stories to Itch! I FINISHED SOMETHING.

Yup, they cancelled PrOMSI (well, rescheduled, but it's to a date I can't make...) Damn, I was really looking forward getting out and about for my yearly selfie in planetarium hall.

Snow day! Unfortunately, they're probably going to cancel PrOMSI.

Back from vacation. What the actual fuck?! Good news: I successfully cut off most digital communication. Bad news: Shit is going really sideways really fast and now I'm in disaster overload of trying to sort through what I can directly impact and engage with.

Jan 2025

Taking a vacation at the end of the month. Intend to cut off most digital communication and spend a lot of time walking, resting, swimming, and eating.

Cleaned out my garden boxes, going to do a bunch of flowers in the front, a reasonable quantity of veg in the back.

Played an incredible live vinyl DJ set for the first time in ages. Absolutely going to ride this endorphin high for as long as I can.

Working on reinforcing community relationships and validating lines of communication.

Dec 2024

Held boundaries with family events, stayed mentally and emotionally healthy. Calling that a heckuva win.

Stalled on "Into the Dragonlands". Need to find a solid time to review, reevaluate, and devise a move-forward plan.

ACT lessons and techniques working really really really well.

Nov 2024

Appetizers-only Friendsgiving was a great idea.

Lost my office. Lost part of my community. Survivor guilt sucks. Trying not to lose my way.

Starting ACT. Looks promising as a "so you're mindful, now what?" toolkit.

Dark AF mood. Silver lining, found local therapist.

Oct 2024

Sith Lord Bandit was a hit.

Legoland is excellent.

Lots of creative writing about dragons and impending darkness staved off by regular folks doing small, good things. Feel like this might be anticipatory dread.

Sept 2024

Corporations don't give a shit about any of us.

Kiddo wants to design a game. Using Carta. Rescuing dragon eggs. This is 100% on brand and I'm pumped.

Blog time. Going to keep this ultra simple. Small notes of things during the month. Reverse chronological? Yeah.