Life

As the break continues, I’m more and more grateful for all the time I’ve been able to spend with family and friends. We fail to talk enough about how hard it is to maintain healthy human relationships when we’re busy working five days a week and trying to maintain a household the other two. As I look toward re-entering the job market this year, I can whole-heartedly say this is the one thing I’ll miss the most from my time off.

Meanwhile, the early prep for the 2025 Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer campaign has started! I even got my first early donation (and a commensurate pair of socks in the queue, which really deserve some attention…) and managed to get in on an early match. More to come as the season gets started (though I really should’ve already started training…)

Work

I continue to be off on a planned career break which started in June of 2023. While I planned to start spinning up the job hunt flywheel in September, for various reasons that didn’t quite happen. But I’m happy to say progress did begin back in October, and that’s started to pay off here in early 2025. Fingers crossed I’ll have an exciting update soon…

Projects

Well the sunroom is finally done! Mostly.

I still need to apply polysand on the floor,
I need to schedule a final inspection with the city, which (fingers crossed) should go smoothly,
Once the inspection is complete I have to install the skirting, and
Suncoast still needs to come and finalize the roof installation

But the structure is done! And what a journey it was.

Aside from that, December was the month of the Advent of Code, which was a heck of a lot of work but also a heck of a lot of fun! I do not envy those who try to complete the AoC while holding down a full time job, given some days I put in more than full time hours just to complete the puzzles.

Books, music, etc

Begun my re-read of The Stormlight Archives now that Brandon Sanderson has released the final book in the first pentology.

The Weeknd’s “Hurry Up Tomorrow” is now on repeat.

Began another attempted run at The Witcher 3, a game that, many years ago now, I started and almost immediately aborted. I’ve definitely gotten a little further this time and I think there’s a chance it could stick? However…

Hello Games then released the Worlds II update to No Man’s Sky, and that’s taken up more of my time than I would’ve anticipated.

Began a re-watch of Star Trek: Voyager, which I haven’t done in a very long time!

Learning

Driving lessons done!
First driving test… failed. Boo-urns! But I know what I need to practice, so now I just want to put in more hours behind the wheel before giving it another shot.
Bailed on Marty Cagan’s Inspired. Like Empowered, it was just too shallow and repetitive for anyone fairly experienced in PM. Though I may go back and do some skimming to refresh my memory as I re-enter the workforce, if only as a way to put my head back in that space.
Recently started re-reading Meditations, which I haven’t done in a while.