Category: General

Christmas 2025

December 29, 2025 3:19 pm

I intentionally limited how much stuff I was going to try to do in preparation for Christmas this year based on how last year went. Last year I wanted to get a lot of baking done and ended up kind of worn out by the time we got to Christmas. Last year I also lamented it not feeling Christmasy somehow. This year we had a cold snap in mid December with overnight lows around 34 and daily highs around 50. That actually made quite a bit of difference in it feeling seasonal. Unfortunately, a warm, wet weather system moved in and brought the temperature back up leading in to Christmas which undid some of the effect. Anyway, I intentionally limited my baking to peanut-butter blossoms and cinnamon rolls while supervising the girls making sugar cookies (that was more-discretionary baking anyway, I still made fresh bread for Christmas-eve dinner and rolls for Christmas dinner). I think it felt more Christmasy this year, maybe that was in part from not having a leaking roof and a failing clothes dryer to deal with.

Anyway, we were at home for the holiday. Just us and the cats. On Christmas Eve we had our traditional cheese fondue with fresh-baked bread (and assorted other dippings). Heather and I played some songs together on cello and trombone while Corinne and Jess sang along. While Heather and I have the same book of Christmas music, they’re written in different keys. So for each song one of us had to play in an unfamiliar key, but it worked out fine.

Corinne read “Happy Narwhalidays.” Heather read “Mistletoe and the Christmas Kittens.” Heather played some more songs on her cello. I played some more songs on my trombone. And I read “The Polar Express.”

Then we opened the books chosen by the girls for each of us, drank hot chocolate, and read a little before putting the girls to bed.

In the morning we told the girls they had to wait until 7 to get us up–which they did. Then it was the usual whirlwind tour of stockings, presents, breakfast, and playing with stuff.

Games November 2025

November 30, 2025 8:10 pm

Got a couple of new games this month, some simple card-based games that are quick to play.

First up is L’oaf, which is just a fantastic name for the game. The premise is that the players are team of bakers in a French boulangerie. But, none of you _wants_ to be a baker and this is just a temp job. So your goal is to do as little work as possible without getting fired. Each day the boss sets a production quota for the team. Each baker privately selects how many loaves of bread they will bake. Then you reveal your choices and see if the quota is met. Bakers earn or lose reputation based on their efforts and the boss’ mood. Whomever does the least amount of work while still remaining in the boss’ good graces wins. Played 4 times. Won 3.

The second new game is Goblin Laundromat. The players run a laundromat (individually) to clean the filthy clothes of adventurers. Clean the most laundry without taking on too many stains. This game is primarily a push-your-luck game with a memory component. I like L’oaf better. Played twice, lost both.

Played another really great game of Heat at the board game meetup. Really tight through the whole race with several switch ups of leader. It came right down to the wire on the final turn. I lost.

Played a couple rounds of Cat Fluxx. Lost both times.

Books November 2025

6:07 pm

Zero by Charles Seife

This was an interesting study on the history and impact of zero as a mathematical concept. I enjoyed it. It was quite a deep dive covering mathematics history up through quantum physics.

Having studied calculus and the basics of quantum physics I was familiar with much of the end results of the application of zero to these domains, but had not learned the finer points.

Virus Ground Zero by Ed Regis

This was an interesting, though somewhat shallow, look at the workings of the CDC. Sad to know that such an important institution has been gutted and its work undermined by political commissars who make decisions based on feelings rather than science. We know how that ends. We mocked the USSR for doing it for decades. It will take decades to repair the damage done in less than a year. And in the meantime, people will die.

The Witcher: The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski

The rest of the Witcher series went on sale a while back and I bought the books I hadn’t read yet and decided to start back in for a break from non fiction.

This book is a bit of an interlude as the table is set for the next set of events in the story. So a little less gripping. I’m expecting things will pick up in the next one.

The Positronic Man by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg

A classic sci-fi work that uses a change of setting to address persistent societal issues from a more objective standpoint. In this case, civil rights for those who differ from traditional expectations and norms. Sadly, still deeply relevant in today’s world.

Morgan Territory Hike

November 29, 2025 10:01 pm

Went for a ~6.25-mile hike through Morgan Territory on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Heavy fog lasted until lunch. It made the views a bit less scenic, but very quiet–and made the landscape moody. The fog also lets you isolate subjects from busy backgrounds; like the dead tree, which was the first thing that made me stop and take the camera out. The lone calf standing on the path has an ominous feeling to me.