I love playing with this, especially during this often spending-heavy time of year:
https://www.networthify.com/calculator/earlyretirement

i'm wearing jeans and a tank top without a bra and i caught myself in the mirror and feel beautiful.. lol without makeup my .. I feel pretty

Today a member of my family visited me in my home for the first time in 25 years.

My nephew decided to come to Berlin fairly spontaneously, booked some weeks ago, as his (prospective? I'm not entirely sure at this point) girlfriend is studying here for a semester and he figured he could get away over Thanksgiving break. He's a sweet, wicked smart kid. We met up and walked around for hours downtown and then picked up the little dude from school and came back here for dinner and video games and another walk and talk, the three of us, before bringing him to the station to head back to his place. He's here for another week.

This was a big deal for me, after decades of big, difficult feelings about no one ever taking the time to come see me like I come see them.
It was also the first time that my kid could really bond with an extended family member like that, and I am overjoyed at the fact.
Looking forward to the rest of the week with everybody.

jimmy spako wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 3:00 pm Today a member of my family visited me in my home for the first time in 25 years.

My nephew decided to come to Berlin fairly spontaneously, booked some weeks ago, as his (prospective? I'm not entirely sure at this point) girlfriend is studying here for a semester and he figured he could get away over Thanksgiving break. He's a sweet, wicked smart kid. We met up and walked around for hours downtown and then picked up the little dude from school and came back here for dinner and video games and another walk and talk, the three of us, before bringing him to the station to head back to his place. He's here for another week.

This was a big deal for me, after decades of big, difficult feelings about no one ever taking the time to come see me like I come see them.
It was also the first time that my kid could really bond with an extended family member like that, and I am overjoyed at the fact.
Looking forward to the rest of the week with everybody.

[heart emoji]

I accidentally brought a joint into the jail where I work today. I realized this once I was deep inside the building, after going through the scanner and sally port and going up to my office. Fortunately the COs up front are not very thorough and only do a perfunctory metal detection. I could be smuggling in fentanyl for all they know, because of course I took out $80,000 in student loans so I could sell drugs to inmates. Anyway it tickled my crime bone but it was an accident that I don't plan to repeat.

jimmy spako wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 3:00 pm Today a member of my family visited me in my home for the first time in 25 years.

My nephew decided to come to Berlin fairly spontaneously, booked some weeks ago, as his (prospective? I'm not entirely sure at this point) girlfriend is studying here for a semester and he figured he could get away over Thanksgiving break. He's a sweet, wicked smart kid. We met up and walked around for hours downtown and then picked up the little dude from school and came back here for dinner and video games and another walk and talk, the three of us, before bringing him to the station to head back to his place. He's here for another week.

This was a big deal for me, after decades of big, difficult feelings about no one ever taking the time to come see me like I come see them.
It was also the first time that my kid could really bond with an extended family member like that, and I am overjoyed at the fact.
Looking forward to the rest of the week with everybody.

: )

Several days ago, there was a delay in receiving something, I got restless, and went rooting around old data files. Found the stems for a track that never got an official release because I just wasn't happy enough with the recording quality. The song is both goofy and morbid. It's about killing the one you love most while drunk driving. I'm not even sure what the impetus was, but it seemed to fit within the group's strange mindset in the early aughts. Yeah, over twenty years ago. Anyway, parts of it were recorded in three different places in Milwaukee, but it never seemed to come together. This was due in large part to me being inexperienced with digital recording. I think I even had it, as well as some of the other songs it was among, mastered three different times, but it never sat right. Long story short, I arranged it all in the harsh light of 2025 and got the drums re-recorded, and it's finally good enough to put out. I have no idea what the people of today would think of it, but it won't ever sound better and could maybe work as an anti-drunk driving anthem, or some kind of curio from what now seems like a long time ago.

Moral of the story: save your stems and old tapes. Even the ones pertaining to music you might feel ambivalent about. You might be able to rescue them from "not good enough."

Today I had lunch at Mendocino Farms. It was my second time in as many weeks, and I was chosen as their customer of the day. They refunded my order in addition to handing me a blue cowbell which I was to make noise with as their staff whooped, hollered, clapped, and worshipped me. They asked for my permission beforehand which I thought was admirable. I gushed and made a joyful noise with the cowbell. Winning.

I recommend the Peruvian steak or the Not-so-fried Chicken sandwich. The potato salad is also yummy.

rsmurphy wrote: Mon Dec 01, 2025 5:51 pm Today I had lunch at Mendocino Farms. It was my second time in as many weeks, and I was chosen as their customer of the day. They refunded my order in addition to handing me a blue cowbell which I was to make noise with as their staff whooped, hollered, clapped, and worshipped me. They asked for my permission beforehand which I thought was admirable. I gushed and made a joyful noise with the cowbell. Winning.

I recommend the Peruvian steak or the Not-so-fried Chicken sandwich. The potato salad is also yummy.

Love this.

jimmy spako wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 3:00 pm Today a member of my family visited me in my home for the first time in 25 years.

My nephew decided to come to Berlin fairly spontaneously, booked some weeks ago, as his (prospective? I'm not entirely sure at this point) girlfriend is studying here for a semester and he figured he could get away over Thanksgiving break. He's a sweet, wicked smart kid. We met up and walked around for hours downtown and then picked up the little dude from school and came back here for dinner and video games and another walk and talk, the three of us, before bringing him to the station to head back to his place. He's here for another week.

This was a big deal for me, after decades of big, difficult feelings about no one ever taking the time to come see me like I come see them.
It was also the first time that my kid could really bond with an extended family member like that, and I am overjoyed at the fact.
Looking forward to the rest of the week with everybody.

Welp, he flew home this morning.
What an incredibly beautiful week for everybody.

I will miss him.

The kids are alright.