Zombie TiVo

It’s 2023 and I just got a marketing email from TiVo. Based off a search of my email, the last email I got from them was in 2007.

While I admit I often forget they’re still around, but it certainly can’t be a good sign for them if they’re resurrecting email lists from 16 years ago to try to drum up business. ?‍♂️

My daughter is hogging Tears of the Kingdom

Apparently I need to buy a physical copy of Tears of the Kingdom because after watching me play a bit the last couple of days, my 7 year old has now installed it on her Switch and been playing/hogging it all last night and this morning. She’s finished the first two shrines and is about to need to learn about staying warm. Interested to see how she’ll do as the puzzles and combat get harder but she’s enjoying it so far.

I tried to convince her she’d like Breath of the Wild just as much but as any parent could guess, that did not work.

She’s playing on the main Switch, can I just turn off wifi and then be able play on my OLED at the same time she is?

Watching her NOT obsessively pick up every single tiny item/fruit/tree branch in every single area is driving me a little batty but I’m doing my best to keep that to myself. ?

RIP Dooce

In incredibly sad news Dooce, aka Heather Armstrong, passed away yesterday at only the age of 47.

I’ve been reading her blog, marveling at her writing and photography, and following along with her life and family and struggles off and on since at least 2004. I had just started reading her site again and resubscribed to her RSS in the last couple of weeks. I was so happy to read recently that she had found sobriety but unfortunately it seems like that didn’t mean the end of all the things she struggling with.

My thoughts are with her girls and other loved ones. Please hug your own loved ones extra tonight and if you or someone you love is struggling please don’t hesitate to reach out and find the support you need.

I’m so tired

The latest of the daily and no longer shocking mass shootings in this country happened extremely close to home.

I’m so tired.

I don’t understand why a huge portion of this country is okay with this happening over and over again. Will it ever be enough? I don’t have any other words, at least not for the world.

I’m so tired.

Please don’t call me

I literally tear up every time my kids mention how they’re getting older, but also I am so ready for them to grow up just so I can turn on the iPhone setting to block all incoming calls not in my contacts.

Information on candidates for school board and city council seats is sorely lacking

It’s sad that the best way for me to know who to vote for in city council and school board races is to drive by and look at the signs in the yard of the one neighbor’s house who I know is both in the loop on local stuff and not a book burning nutjob.

I spent a good 30 minutes Googling and reading various articles without much luck. A couple made their extremism loud and clear and then and several others mentioned cutting taxes two dozen times (including on completely unrelated questions.) Sadly, many of the candidates don’t even respond to the various survey/interview requests so there’s zero information on where they stand on any issue.

You can however search the Federal Election Commission database to see the past political donations the candidates have made it is often more revealing than a bunch of vague answers in an interview about what they actually believe in.

Get out and vote folks, local elections are just as important as national ones and are often decided by a shockingly small number of voters.

How This Texas Town Became One of America’s Fastest-Growing Cities

Schlitterbahn

New Braunfels grew and changed a ton while I grew up there until I left for college at 18. Both of those things have only increased in the 20 years since.

The New York Times did a profile on why New Braunfels is one of America’s fastest-growing cities and talks of course about it’s German roots, Schlitterbahn, and Gruene Hall but also how being situated directly between Austin and San Antonio has resulted in explosive growth and change.

(In a sign that the small town roots are still there, there are also several quotes from my middle school principal and friend’s dad who is now the current mayor.)