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  • Beginning to write out my reflection of 2020 and goals for 2021.

    → 8:01 PM, Dec 30
  • Final day in the shop for Christmas gifts. Well, technically not, but this is the last big push.

    → 10:43 AM, Dec 23
  • Gladiator ⚔️ 🎥

    → 12:00 AM, Dec 23
  • Almost finished making Christmas gifts!

    → 7:25 PM, Dec 21
  • Frame progress!

    → 4:35 PM, Dec 12
  • Let the festivities begin 🍻

    → 4:34 PM, Dec 12
  • Birthday roast for my mother in-law.

    → 8:44 AM, Dec 12
  • The experimentation phase.

    → 6:31 PM, Dec 11
  • Today’s list:

    • make a picture frame
    • finish bird feeder

    First, a warmup exercise of cutting the end off of each log and sealing it.

    → 9:16 AM, Dec 11
  • Making progress on the bowl.

    → 10:31 PM, Dec 8
  • Sunday roast

    → 10:29 AM, Dec 6
  • Also, sawed through this 8.5” diameter log to get at a section that will be split and then turned into a bowl for my niece (fingers crossed on this one). Very productive shop day today!

    → 10:43 PM, Dec 5
  • Split this log and carved handles for garden tools. Christmas gifts for my wife and grandma.

    → 10:38 PM, Dec 5
  • Coffee scoop finished.

    → 11:37 AM, Dec 5
  • Chipped away at my mother in-law’s coffee scoop today and I’m happy with how it is coming along. Fits nicely in the hand, very comfortable to hold. Will tweak a few things tomorrow but otherwise this is just about finished.

    → 11:02 PM, Dec 4
  • What a week. Glass of wine now to close out the billable portion. All day in the shop tomorrow and Saturday to continue chipping through the Christmas list. Will have photos to share soon!

    → 10:01 PM, Dec 3
  • Tomorrow I shall finish carving a coffee scoop out of this lovely piece of cherry. That and a ½ pound of freshly roasted coffee for my mother in-laws’s birthday.

    → 6:53 PM, Dec 3
  • Do not underestimate yourself.

    → 9:10 AM, Dec 2
  • One thing a challenge will alway reinforce for me is that I don’t do very well with deadlines 😂

    → 1:08 AM, Dec 1
  • Scarf completed for Mozzie 🧶

    → 9:57 PM, Nov 30
  • Tomorrow is another day. I’ll be a pedestrian on the sidewalks of the city for my every once in a while visit to the office.

    → 11:27 PM, Nov 29
  • One benefit to hand tools is a mask is usually never needed.

    → 9:12 AM, Nov 29
  • Lots of time in the shop today. Time lapse here. Massive progress on my dad’s Christmas gift. Should have it finished tomorrow.

    → 8:39 PM, Nov 28
  • Blank page.

    → 9:03 AM, Nov 28
  • A dilemma that I struggle with daily: I’m a dad. He’s 7 years old and I don’t know what I’m doing.

    → 10:26 PM, Nov 27
  • Have never been one to adjust how much I eat on Thanksgiving (or any holiday). Just a little bit of each dish that I like.

    → 12:01 AM, Nov 27
  • Trying out Ray Donovan.

    → 10:48 PM, Nov 26
  • Time to call it a night.

    → 12:06 AM, Nov 26
  • Provision can easily be taken for granted.

    → 12:10 AM, Nov 25
  • Tonight: Dominic Hentall Primitivo IGT Puglia 2019

    → 7:21 PM, Nov 24
  • Small batch roasted as part of my dad’s birthday gift.

    → 3:32 PM, Nov 24
  • Didn’t ask for this capture but I’m glad to have it.

    → 10:39 PM, Nov 23
  • When I’m on the border of something I watch You’ve Got Mail. Never quite sure why, but I’m drawn to it.

    → 11:26 PM, Nov 22
  • Cozy

    → 10:33 AM, Nov 22
  • Looking forward to winter this year, which is very unlike me. I want to appreciate the season for what it offers, instead of suffering through it because of what it’s not.

    → 9:17 AM, Nov 21
  • My 7yo’s energy never seems to fade. Go go go from the moment he wakes to the moment he goes to sleep.

    → 9:13 AM, Nov 21
  • Happy with how much shop time I scored today! Here’s a quick time lapse of my time.

    → 7:30 PM, Nov 20
  • Roasted

    → 11:51 AM, Nov 20
  • Anything is possible.

    → 11:59 PM, Nov 19
  • Wine for tonight (Dave Harvey 2018 Columbia Valley Syrah). And some knitting 🧶 while watching The Wire. Brain feels foggy. Hoping a bit of relaxing and a full night of sleep help.

    → 10:13 PM, Nov 19
  • Not enough shop time this week. Tomorrow though, tomorrow should provide a few much needed hours.

    → 3:09 PM, Nov 19
  • Certainly have a dependence on my morning coffee routine. Just about the only part of my day that is consistent and predictable.

    → 8:19 AM, Nov 19
  • Headache today was insane. Still lingering unfortunately. Tea and trying to do nothing this evening.

    → 8:14 PM, Nov 18
  • Made another scarf for another stuffed animal 😂 🧶 next one is for a human.

    → 7:58 PM, Nov 18
  • Train I made for my nephew. He’ll open it on Christmas Day.

    → 12:20 AM, Nov 18
  • I use paper notebooks and the day one app for journaling. Something I appreciate, but also dislike sometimes, with day one in particular is when it refreshes my memory of the past.

    → 12:05 AM, Nov 17
  • Adze. Excited to put it to use!

    → 3:51 PM, Nov 16
  • A change is needed.

    → 11:25 AM, Nov 16
  • Tonight’s wine: Scott Peterson Rumpus Syrah 2019. So far so good!

    → 9:21 PM, Nov 15
  • Rainy

    → 5:34 PM, Nov 15
  • Spooky

    → 12:02 AM, Nov 15
    • ✅ update mute list on new phone
    • ✅ finish micro scarf for Mozzie’s raccoon
    • ⬜️ finish brother’s tool tote
    • ⬜️ continue dad’s tool tote
    → 12:10 PM, Nov 14
  • Getting the hang of this, sorta. Need to get better at starting and finishing (the ends) 🧶

    → 11:50 AM, Nov 14
  • Guess I should call it a night.

    → 12:27 AM, Nov 14
  • Arrived

    → 2:29 PM, Nov 13
  • Roasted

    → 10:16 AM, Nov 13
  • iPhone day…🤪

    → 8:29 AM, Nov 13
  • Finished watching season one The Wire. Thoroughly enjoyed every episode. Will continue onto season two.

    → 12:57 AM, Nov 13
  • Reluctantly for sure, but she does wear the scarf I made her.

    → 12:47 AM, Nov 13
  • I say do over, please.

    → 11:38 PM, Nov 11
  • On that note: I am dreading Wednesday. Another glass of wine and episode of The Wire to keep it at bay for a while longer…

    → 12:24 AM, Nov 11
  • Elderly seems to be defined by old age, and what is that but a number? Old age, old soul. I am “young” but have an “old” body with aches, pains, and stiffness that I suspect is not the norm for most at this stage in life. So what makes someone or something “old”?

    → 12:22 AM, Nov 11
  • One tool tote is finishing (24 hours between coats)…

    Which means I can get started on the next one.

    → 9:03 PM, Nov 10
  • Foggy.

    → 8:28 AM, Nov 10
  • I have always believed that one cannot force art or creativity…it just needs to happen…it needs to be allowed to happen.

    → 11:44 PM, Nov 9
  • Personal bind of sorts is in the forecast for this week, but so are some good things, like finishing a few wood working projects and the delivery of my next iPhone on Friday.

    → 11:28 PM, Nov 8
  • First knitting project complete 🧶 not sure if she’s a fan of it though 😂

    → 9:37 PM, Nov 8
  • Inflate the balloon. Let it go. Watch it pop.

    → 11:15 PM, Nov 7
  • Watching The Wire.

    → 9:29 PM, Nov 7
  • Handle carved and a through mortise chiseled on each end piece. The time lapse video of this project is pretty awesome. I’ll share that once everything is finished.

    → 9:03 PM, Nov 7
  • Good morning!

    → 8:28 AM, Nov 7
  • Puzzling. Everything in life right now is absolutely positively puzzling.

    → 10:28 PM, Nov 6
  • Roasted today. Costa Rica 🇨🇷 . Eager to try!

    → 8:59 PM, Nov 6
  • Dovetails cut and fit today on the tool tote (using chisel only, no saw). Tomorrow: handle, sand, and put it all together…🤞🏼

    → 8:48 PM, Nov 6
  • My first apartment had a stoop that allowed for plane watching on final approach into Harrisburg International. Not a busy airport but watching the flights lineup for landing made for enjoyable summer evenings.

    → 12:20 AM, Nov 6
  • Now watching Hunt for Red October (in honor of Sean Connery) 🎥 🍿

    → 9:10 PM, Nov 5
  • Falling asleep, Dreams are near.

    → 9:42 PM, Nov 4
  • Coffee. Need coffee.

    → 9:09 AM, Nov 4
  • Astonish me.

    → 11:00 PM, Nov 3
  • I don’t usually drink coffee this late…

    → 9:21 PM, Nov 3
  • → 11:58 AM, Nov 3
  • Empty house today made it easy to concentrate. Monday’s are typically my longest workday of the week, very busy but productive. Time to unwind.

    → 10:00 PM, Nov 2
  • Windy out there today.

    → 9:42 AM, Nov 2
  • Rum, neat.

    → 10:57 PM, Nov 1
  • Dreary day today, but my state of mind was full of sunshine.

    → 10:54 PM, Nov 1
  • To NaNoWriMo or not to NaNoWriMo…

    → 7:53 PM, Oct 31
  • Extremely happy with the progress on this tool tote (cherry wood). Tools used up to this point: axe, knife, and chisel.

    → 4:39 PM, Oct 31
  • Scheduling my October newsletter to publish later today before I talk myself out of it. You can get on the list here if you’d like one more thing to read.

    → 10:08 AM, Oct 31
  • Watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 🧙‍♂️🎥

    → 10:39 PM, Oct 30
  • → 1:47 PM, Oct 30
  • join me in the car. personal reflection on vulnerable writing 🎙

    → 10:10 AM, Oct 30
  • Weekly roast.

    → 10:12 AM, Oct 28
  • Had the thought yesterday so I called my grandma. She loaned me this Learn How Book (published in 1941) today with needles and some yarn 🧶. Attempting to learn how to knit.

    → 9:07 PM, Oct 27
  • Axe sharpening this morning!

    → 7:30 AM, Oct 27
  • Made pizza for dinner tonight. Tasted great!

    → 7:38 PM, Oct 25
  • The Pennsylvania Capitol Building (The Forum in the foreground). Taken October 24, 2016.

    → 10:04 AM, Oct 24
  • → 6:10 PM, Oct 23
  • Starting the next Christmas gift. This one is for my brother.

    → 10:56 AM, Oct 23
  • Park at night.

    → 9:52 PM, Oct 22
  • Empty.

    → 8:56 AM, Oct 22
  • → 5:11 PM, Oct 20
  • Roasted.

    → 10:03 AM, Oct 20
  • Now reading A Handmade Life: In Search of Simplicity by William Coperthwaite 📚

    → 9:00 PM, Oct 19
  • Fall colors around the Capitol complex.

    → 7:30 PM, Oct 19
  • Gold iPhone 12 Pro ordered for le wife. Also ordered two MagSafe chargers and wallets. Eager to order a pacific blue 12 pro max for myself. The annual splurge.

    → 5:51 PM, Oct 18
  • Beta version of the cold frame 😊 will build a more solid version next year.

    → 5:49 PM, Oct 18
  • Attempting a cold frame around our small greens and such this winter. Framed out the lower portion today and will tackle the top later. Thinking of just using a clear plastic sheet to wrap the lower portion. Tweaks to be made but this is a start.

    → 8:36 PM, Oct 17
  • First, a little food tray for squirrels and chipmunks from the scrap wood 🪵 🐿

    → 10:41 AM, Oct 17
  • Starting the next Christmas gift 🎄

    → 10:00 AM, Oct 17
  • Bank truck complete 🎄primary tools: axe and knife and a little bit of saw work.

    → 6:39 PM, Oct 16
  • Finished the toy train last week and very happy with how it turned out. “The little engine that could” 😊 my 7yo wanted to make a movie about it. So he filmed/directed this.

    → 11:47 AM, Oct 16
  • Taking shape.

    → 9:02 AM, Oct 15
  • So much I’d like to write. But it is life and we all go through things.

    → 9:47 PM, Oct 14
  • Good morning ☀️

    → 7:40 AM, Oct 14
  • a day in the life. Beginning to work on another Christmas gift. Harrisburg PA USA 4:09pm EST. #adayinthelife

    → 3:26 PM, Oct 13
  • Wheels and axels.

    → 1:00 PM, Oct 9
  • Finished reading Another work is possible 📚

    → 7:29 AM, Oct 9
  • We’ve been getting our meat from a local farmer for a few months now. Steak on the fire seemed like the way to go. Delicious.

    → 8:02 PM, Oct 6
  • → 8:34 PM, Oct 4
  • Hiked today🌲 🥾

    → 3:04 PM, Oct 4
  • Tehran via Apple TV+ 👍🏻

    → 10:45 PM, Oct 3
  • Quick DIY paper towel holder.

    → 11:04 AM, Oct 3
  • Making wooden toys today for Christmas gifts. Queue Christmas music 🎄 🎶

    → 9:32 AM, Oct 2
  • There is something oddly satisfying about turning scrap wood into dowels.

    → 8:47 PM, Oct 1
  • The finished beans.

    → 5:59 PM, Sep 29
  • First roast. Fingers crossed.

    → 2:56 PM, Sep 29
  • Manhattan. Been a Monday.

    → 7:47 PM, Sep 28
  • One more.

    → 11:00 PM, Sep 27
  • Mute.

    → 9:27 AM, Sep 27
  • Another coffee scoop. This one is for my dad.

    → 6:49 PM, Sep 25
  • Always learning.

    → 11:56 AM, Sep 24
  • Carved a ladle of sorts. Not perfect but useful.

    Included a comfortable spot for the index finger (and thumb).

    Using it for dog food 😂

    → 7:22 AM, Sep 22
  • Molding planes needed for a Christmas gift I’m making for the in-laws.

    → 3:43 PM, Sep 21
  • Stitches out.

    → 6:22 PM, Sep 20
  • → 6:18 PM, Sep 20
  • Currently 45 degrees (F). High is 66. Autumn is here 🍂

    → 7:44 AM, Sep 19
  • Random, made a coffee scoop for our ground coffee.

    → 1:49 PM, Sep 18
  • Looking for chipmunks 🐿

    → 7:22 AM, Sep 18
  • ☕️

    → 7:17 AM, Sep 18
  • New notebook today. Olympic National Park from the Field Notes National Park edition (series E).

    → 10:07 AM, Sep 17
  • Everything is practice.

    → 10:43 PM, Sep 16
  • Split.

    → 6:10 PM, Sep 15
  • For the record, I successfully carved the bowl of a wooden spoon yesterday. Doing so last week is what scored six stitches on the tip of my left thumb.

    → 9:22 AM, Sep 15
  • Lighter week this week…looking forward to it.

    → 7:03 AM, Sep 14
  • Reminder to self: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5-6‬ ESV)

    → 7:01 AM, Sep 14
  • Harry-Potter-soundtrack kind of day.

    → 11:15 AM, Sep 12
  • Coffee tastes exceptionally good this morning.

    → 8:24 AM, Sep 11
  • Meh. Six stitches.

    → 9:35 PM, Sep 10
  • Sliced my thumb pretty bad today. Mindfulness is key when using a razor sharp knife, and I wasn’t being mindful.

    → 6:46 PM, Sep 10
  • Allergies have been off the charts the past several weeks. Ready for a break, hopefully soon.

    → 7:23 AM, Sep 10
  • Coffee.

    → 6:57 AM, Sep 10
  • Step 1: make a club.

    → 7:50 PM, Sep 8
  • Another closet/shelf project complete!

    → 1:29 PM, Sep 7
  • Is it “safe” at this point to try out WatchOS 7 beta?

    → 7:07 PM, Sep 3
  • In the carving phase of a project. Nothing fancy. More dowels.

    → 10:57 PM, Sep 2
  • The best way to start is to start.

    → 9:52 AM, Sep 1
  • Productive shop time today. Cut 42 walnut blanks (to carve into dowels) and selected and cut a portion of cherry to begin carving a spoon or two.

    → 10:21 PM, Aug 31
  • Power went out overnight. Led to 4am wanderings and a strong reminder of the single point of failure we rely on so heavily in our home. Something to work on.

    → 9:54 AM, Aug 30
  • Watching Jason Bourne. A classic movie (for me), and an incredible book!

    → 10:03 PM, Aug 28
  • Tomorrow is the last Friday of the month and I actually have a newsletter to send out. First time since February 🙈

    → 8:01 PM, Aug 27
  • Quick project: wanted a simple solution to organizing the smaller things on my desk. Version 1 turned out pretty good. Wood that otherwise would have gone to the chipper.

    → 12:58 PM, Aug 27
  • Mini-mallet for Mozzie’s 7th birthday.

    → 8:17 PM, Aug 26
  • Had an idea. And I think it will work. Will chip away at it tomorrow.

    → 8:55 PM, Aug 25
  • monday.

    → 12:05 PM, Aug 24
  • Red oak shavings.

    → 8:36 PM, Aug 20
  • To be a dog.

    → 8:25 AM, Aug 20
  • Enjoying the cool morning temps.

    → 7:36 AM, Aug 20
  • A home for the pencils.

    → 7:57 PM, Aug 19
  • ✏️

    → 12:00 PM, Aug 19
  • Choosing a new notebook to use as my “daily driver” is always enjoyable. I try to match the cover to the season or something that strikes and inspirational nerve. Lately I can’t get enough of the National Park Series.

    → 7:29 AM, Aug 19
  • Went for a walk this evening and stumbled upon a neighbor getting rid of cherry wood (and he’ll have more for me next week!). Will be put to good use.

    → 7:55 PM, Aug 17
  • Monday.

    → 1:44 PM, Aug 17
  • Today is a day of not doing. And I think it is needed. Maybe tomorrow will be the same.

    → 1:48 PM, Aug 15
  • Ok, August is the month I will actually send out a newsletter. Pinky swear.

    → 6:50 AM, Aug 14
  • Eager to head down this rabbit hole.

    → 1:44 PM, Aug 13
  • Beginning to enjoy cloudy days as much as sunny days.

    → 7:52 AM, Aug 13
  • → 3:22 PM, Aug 9
  • → 8:09 PM, Aug 4
  • Sometimes I have the thought to just keep driving…

    → 9:50 AM, Aug 3
  • Best laid plans and such 🙄.

    → 2:09 PM, Jul 30
  • Finished one, starting one.

    → 6:31 PM, Jul 27
  • Shelves are finished! Hung using hand carved walnut dowels (always experimenting 😊).

    → 12:58 PM, Jul 22
  • Mini railroad ties.

    → 9:19 PM, Jul 18
  • Onto the next.

    → 3:54 PM, Jul 17
  • Shelves are finished!

    → 12:15 PM, Jul 16
  • First go at setting and sharpening my crosscut and rip handsaws.

    → 9:31 PM, Jul 13
  • Hand carved dowels and the rabbet for the back of the shelves turned out well!

    → 12:27 PM, Jul 10
  • Living in the not knowing.

    → 12:36 AM, Jul 9
  • Laying out the placement of fasteners on the back of a shelf. They won’t be seen but it is important to me that they are treated as if they would be.

    → 9:34 PM, Jul 7
  • Current project is making four floating shelves. One of the “features” is a lip on the front. I chose a rabbet to join the two pieces. As with everything, major learning process. Not perfect but not bad either.

    → 9:32 PM, Jul 4
  • → 8:22 AM, Jul 3
  • Making dowel rods for a current project. Sometimes I go down a rabbit hole. This one made me think of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.

    → 7:33 AM, Jul 2
  • Not related to anything going on as far as current events are concerned: change worth fighting for will not come easy.

    → 8:56 AM, Jul 1
  • The rest of this weekend will [hopefully] be restful.

    → 1:47 PM, Jun 27
  • A recent fancy woodworking project was a paper towel holder :-) Part of it is a round base - time lapse here. More to follow.

    → 12:49 PM, Jun 24
  • No promises, but at the end of this month I may send out a newsletter. The idea was to send something monthly, but, well, I haven’t done so since the end of February. https://aaronaiken.me/newsletter

    → 10:17 AM, Jun 24
  • I had a dream last night, and in that dream I was talking about dreams…

    → 8:51 AM, Jun 24
  • Amazing how quiet things are with filters doing the filtering.

    → 8:51 AM, Jun 24
  • More quick shelving in the workshop. Made my own fasteners instead of using screws.

    → 10:33 PM, Jun 18
  • Fancy feet.

    → 11:44 AM, Jun 18
  • → 12:22 AM, Jun 14
  • Rewatching Mad Men.

    → 10:14 PM, Jun 9
  • First mallet is 99% complete but wanted to show how it turned out! As usual, only hand tools were used.

    → 10:06 AM, Jun 6
  • More bread.

    → 12:29 AM, Jun 5
  • Additions to the preverbal tool belt.

    → 4:07 PM, Jun 2
  • Good morning

    → 5:52 AM, May 30
  • Mallet is coming along!

    → 6:06 PM, May 29
  • Sunset in the workshop.

    → 7:55 PM, May 20
  • Onto the next woodworking project. Using dowel rods for a portion of it…so I made one. And it worked! Plenty more need to be made but this first try was a surprising success!

    → 7:55 PM, May 18
  • Workbench is ready for use!

    → 2:58 PM, May 17
  • Workbench is coming along…The top will go on tomorrow!

    → 9:08 PM, May 16
  • Shoulder plane gives a perfect fit.

    → 10:59 PM, May 8
  • One more cup of coffee to go along with the final work task of the week. Have a production deployment on Sunday, so I plan on spending all day Saturday in my workshop.

    → 12:57 PM, May 8
  • Not perfect but not bad. First go at curves with hand tools. Mozzie will paint it as his gift for Mother’s Day.

    → 8:47 PM, May 7
  • Practicing my scales.

    → 10:05 PM, May 5
  • Many people die at twenty-five and aren’t buried until they are seventy-five.

    Benjamin Franklin 💬

    → 8:36 PM, May 5
  • This will be fun! (cc: @rnv).

    → 12:31 PM, May 5
  • I hate Mondays.

    Garfield 💬

    → 7:52 PM, May 4
  • → 10:33 PM, May 2
  • Custom solution.

    → 7:54 AM, May 1
  • It worked!

    → 8:48 AM, Apr 30
  • Next small woodworking project is a simple stand for the lids that otherwise lay at the bottom of a cabinet. Did a rough cut and it worked! Spent the evening preparing the final board. It will hold five lids (in theory 😬).

    Tools: hand planes, backsaw, chisel.

    → 10:24 PM, Apr 28
  • Meh.

    → 7:10 AM, Apr 27
  • Finished!

    → 8:53 AM, Apr 25
  • Shooting board is coming along well. Removable fence is a success!

    → 7:44 AM, Apr 24
  • The option to mute keywords in @gluon is phenomenal. Thank you @vincent 🙏

    → 7:24 AM, Apr 24
  • Made some shavings in the shop tonight.

    → 11:28 PM, Apr 22
  • Finished making the bent earlier this week. Essentially a saw horse, a companion to the saw bench for supporting longer boards.

    → 8:52 AM, Apr 18
  • Starting a new notebook - Yosemite National Park from Series A of the Field Notes National Parks edition.

    → 3:55 PM, Apr 17
  • Tenons!

    → 10:33 PM, Apr 15
  • Made a drawing bow today. Will help with laying out curves.

    → 3:22 PM, Apr 15
  • Have a few shop projects in the works. Finished the first, which is a saw bench. All hand tools. All parts cut from a single 1”x12”x8’ board. This thing is going to be used a lot! Will start making the bent tomorrow.

    → 10:54 PM, Apr 14
  • Finished the Easter gift for mozzie yesterday. All hand tools. Happy with how it turned out. (Same design is on the other side as well).

    → 9:29 PM, Apr 12
  • Wrapped up Ozark S3 last night (still moved by the mental illness aspect introduced) and now settling in to start Narcos Mexico S2.

    → 9:51 PM, Apr 11
  • Spent the day here.

    → 6:27 PM, Apr 10
  • Practicing.

    → 8:54 PM, Apr 9
  • Really been cleaning out my rss subscriptions the past few weeks.

    → 7:27 PM, Apr 7
  • Found the problem, and then fixed it!

    → 12:32 PM, Apr 6
  • → 3:17 PM, Apr 4
  • Good enough!

    → 9:39 AM, Apr 4
  • Did what was necessary to be with friends tonight.

    → 10:59 PM, Apr 3
  • Progress!

    → 8:57 PM, Apr 3
  • Making a place for everything.

    → 3:15 PM, Apr 3
  • One day soon the sun will shine again!

    → 8:10 AM, Apr 1
  • Starting simply this morning.

    → 7:47 AM, Mar 27
  • This morning’s soundtrack 🎧.

    → 10:47 AM, Mar 26
  • She digs the new blanket.

    → 8:34 AM, Mar 26
  • Chamfer!

    → 7:57 PM, Mar 25
  • Brew day today.

    → 10:46 PM, Mar 21
  • Her afternoon siesta.

    → 8:09 PM, Mar 15
  • Finally!

    → 9:15 AM, Mar 15
  • → 9:24 PM, Mar 13
  • → 4:34 PM, Mar 13
  • One more cup of coffee is required before the morning comes to an end.

    → 10:29 AM, Mar 13
  • If you had one shot, or one opportunity To seize everything you ever wanted One moment Would you capture it or just let it slip?

    → 7:32 PM, Mar 10
  • Thinking tonight may be the night I settle into watch The Irishman. Will need to make sure I’m adequately supplied 🍿 🥃

    → 3:58 PM, Mar 10
  • Bright out there tonight.

    → 8:18 PM, Mar 9
  • Have the place to ourselves. Much needed quiet for both of us.

    → 6:47 PM, Mar 9
  • Work tip someone recently shared with me.

    Stand up. Stretch. Take a walk. Go to the airport. Get on a plane. Never return.

    → 2:35 PM, Mar 9
  • Busy but good weekend. Ended with a trip to the Pennsylvania State Museum and an early birthday gathering to celebrate my thirty-fourth. Also tasted my first batch of home brew - surprisingly good! Will be making more :-)

    → 8:50 PM, Mar 8
  • 4 stumps successfully removed. Exhausting but rewarding work. Relaxing before our dinner guests arrive.

    → 4:07 PM, Mar 7
  • Cut down three very large, overgrown, bushes today. Tomorrow, stump removal 🤞🏼

    → 10:57 PM, Mar 6
  • Quiet house for a few more minutes.

    → 9:13 AM, Mar 6
  • Been a day. Time for a Manhattan.

    → 10:41 PM, Mar 5
  • Started a new notebook today. Will be used as a “hit list” for the must do tasks each day (I pull the tasks out of my Draft GTD system). Having it on paper provides a beginning-of-the-day-review, and also a place where I can refocus on what matters when my day becomes fuzzy.

    → 10:25 PM, Mar 2
  • Went for a hike today. Helped to clear my vision on a few things I’ve been wrestling with.

    → 10:12 PM, Mar 1
  • Typing up the February issue of my newsletter. Only my second one but I really enjoy the process. The email newsletter concept feels like I am sending out a letter to a friend. Fun to write, and hopefully a fun/random email for you to read.

    → 9:24 PM, Mar 1
  • I leaned into a project yesterday (Saturday) and made this. Will be used to start seeds for our vegetable garden.

    → 1:51 AM, Mar 1
  • The subtle glow below.

    → 10:59 PM, Feb 28
  • An unusually quiet afternoon (for now).

    → 3:33 PM, Feb 28
  • Still learning the intricacies of blot.im. Enjoying it very much (especially the lack of interface for writing and publishing).

    → 3:02 PM, Feb 28
  • The Human Spirit aaronaiken.me

    → 2:58 PM, Feb 28
  • “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8).

    → 9:37 AM, Feb 28
  • Together

    → 11:26 PM, Feb 27
  • Work presentation I’ve been working on for a month or so is finally finished, delivered, and no longer a thought in my mind. Should give back time to write consistently again. Been a whirlwind.

    → 5:14 PM, Feb 27
  • Stuck and cannot escape!

    → 10:38 PM, Feb 26
  • I need a break.

    → 1:49 PM, Feb 26
  • Hiking hurdle.

    → 4:44 PM, Feb 25
  • He lost a tooth at dinner tonight. Double gap!

    → 9:53 PM, Feb 24
  • Starting a new notebook today.

    → 9:42 AM, Feb 24
  • Getting that anything-is-possible-on-a-Spring-morning feeling right now.

    → 9:37 AM, Feb 24
  • School night and such, but in the mood for a movie. Watching _Clear and Present Danger_. May need to reread the book.

    → 9:56 PM, Feb 23
  • L’Enfant Plaza station (from our trip to Washington D.C. in September of last year).

    → 9:11 PM, Feb 23
  • Tired him out with hike today.

    → 9:07 PM, Feb 23
  • Quite the spectacle arrived in the mail today.

    → 10:49 PM, Feb 22
  • She snores so loud 💤

    → 12:34 AM, Feb 22
  • Had a few breakthroughs this week on a major work project. Made a lot of progress and should be nearing the end of this particular deliverable…hopefully. For now though, time to unwind.

    → 11:26 PM, Feb 21
  • What a week, what a day.

    → 5:54 PM, Feb 21
  • Could have been used to scale a fence, or something eight feet tall, but I used it instead as the side of a storage shelf.

    → 11:55 PM, Feb 20
  • Came across this “Why Blog? copy while looking for something on the WordPress.com site via the waybackmachine (November 1, 2005). Never found what I was looking for, but enjoyed the trip down memory lane.

    → 4:38 PM, Feb 20
  • One more cup of coffee should do it.

    → 9:49 AM, Feb 20
  • Not much space…

    → 8:25 PM, Feb 19
  • Lots of tea today, with honey 🍯

    → 2:22 PM, Feb 19
  • A runny nose is pretty darn annoying.

    → 11:49 AM, Feb 19
  • I used this notebook as a journal when I was 13. I was starting 7th grade at a new school, and keeping a journal was a class assignment that I was initially opposed to but haven’t stopped doing since.

    → 9:20 PM, Feb 18
  • Tea wisdom

    → 7:23 PM, Feb 17
  • Starting a new notebook today. Cool and clean, white and silver.

    → 10:30 AM, Feb 17
  • Not much rest today. Stained two shelves I made for our dining room and did ~80 cuts for storage shelves I am building for in the garage (as part of my future workshop).

    → 10:49 PM, Feb 16
  • Project started and finished late this afternoon. Will hopefully start another one tomorrow.

    → 10:12 PM, Feb 15
  • Balance

    → 10:09 PM, Feb 15
  • The evening ended on a very chilly note, but this tea provided much needed warmth (with a good reminder).

    → 11:13 PM, Feb 14
  • Substack looks interesting. Guess I’ll try it out.

    → 2:27 PM, Feb 14
  • First, I need another cup of coffee.

    Second, still figuring it out.

    → 10:56 AM, Feb 14
  • Well…

    → 10:54 AM, Feb 14
  • My interest in doing more myself is rising…testing my brother’s miter saw before purchasing my own. Will put it to use on a few projects this weekend.

    → 10:53 PM, Feb 13
  • His attachment was real…

    → 10:24 PM, Feb 12
  • I use the first 750 words as a way to clear the floor, process things, think on things, get my head right and in a place for what is next. Because of this I enjoy tracking that time as “meditation” or “mindful minutes” in the Health app. Part of saving each entry is this prompt (in Shortcuts) to capture the mindfulness time.

    → 10:26 AM, Feb 12
  • Jellyfish in the steam!

    → 9:45 AM, Feb 12
  • Plain yet grand.

    → 9:47 PM, Feb 11
  • Influx of house projects this year requires an actual workshop, so a new Field Notes notebook was required to start mapping out the space in our garage. It will also serve as my companion on many projects. Plus, this particular notebook (from Mile Marker) happens to be a sign.

    → 7:39 PM, Feb 10
  • Time for my lull.

    → 9:59 PM, Feb 9
  • Getting things done and succeeding.

    → 9:47 PM, Feb 9
  • First batch is fermenting 🤞🏼

    → 8:09 PM, Feb 8
  • Contrast

    → 8:07 PM, Feb 8
  • Quiet Friday evening. Tinkering, writing, and watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

    → 11:09 PM, Feb 7
  • The night sky above…

    → 8:55 PM, Feb 7
  • We still have our Christmas wreath on the front door, a plant that continues to provide a wintry scent to that part of our home.

    → 9:46 PM, Feb 6
  • Poor Lucy is sick. Crawling on her belly, trying to get comfortable.

    → 9:42 AM, Feb 6
  • Well crap. Decided to see what the fuss is all about with @blot.

    I now have tomorrow’s distraction.

    → 10:57 PM, Feb 5
  • Hide.

    My goal for every cord in the house.

    → 9:52 PM, Feb 5
  • This weekend I will change the oil in both of our cars and brew my first batch of beer. Looking forward to both activities!

    → 11:06 AM, Feb 5
  • My spot in the house.

    (Two different operating systems sharing the same trackpad and keyboard thanks to Synergy).

    → 8:48 PM, Feb 4
  • Time to reflect on the day that has passed.

    → 8:45 PM, Feb 3
  • Temp is going up to 60 degrees Fahrenheit today. Full sun. All windows on the south side of our house are open. Birds are singing and airplanes are passing overhead. The sounds of Summer in February.

    → 10:50 AM, Feb 3
  • Sight (and a photo from our hike yesterday): “Dad! Look at the fish!”

    → 10:06 PM, Feb 2
  • Enjoyed this brew last night at dinner with my dad 🍺.

    No One Likes Us, We Don’t Care Unfiltered India Pale Ale from Broken Goblet.

    → 12:55 PM, Feb 2
  • Tea wisdom.

    → 10:37 PM, Feb 1
  • Open / Closed

    → 4:31 PM, Feb 1
  • I do complain about her neediness, but she is a really good pup. Very loyal.

    → 3:37 PM, Jan 31
  • Why?

    Please allow up to 10 business days for unsubscribe requests to be processed.

    → 2:46 PM, Jan 31
  • Just finished writing the first email for my “newsletter”. Will send it later today and won’t send the next one until the end of February. Just simple reflections and observations about this thing we are all doing together (life). You can check it out here.

    → 2:04 PM, Jan 31
  • I’ve been too busy lately and I don’t like it. All thoughts are distracted thoughts. I will need to schedule time for the important things I want to do or think about.

    → 4:50 PM, Jan 29
  • Really enjoying this running thing.

    After testing out five different pairs today I landed on a pair of On Cloudsurfers. Much better support during the run!

    → 5:23 PM, Jan 26
  • Watching the sopranos always makes me hungry.

    → 10:31 PM, Jan 24
  • Today is definitely going to be a “need more coffee” day.

    → 10:51 AM, Jan 23
  • Grateful Log for January 23, 2020

    1. Close to a full night of sleep despite working too late yesterday.
    2. Today I will be close to finishing a pretty major work project.
    3. The sun peaking through a soft layer of clouds.
    → 10:16 AM, Jan 23
  • I have a lot of work to get done today, but first, I must write (here and elsewhere).

    → 9:43 AM, Jan 23
  • Eesh. Right AirPod just slipped out of my fingers and into my coffee…😬

    → 2:08 PM, Jan 22
  • Grateful Log for January 22, 2020

    1. Breakthrough on a project at work.
    2. A “hopeful” feeling, about what I am not exactly sure.
    3. The flexibility to start and end my day as-needed.
    → 10:58 AM, Jan 22
  • ☕️

    → 9:48 AM, Jan 22
  • Working later than usual to stay ahead of a few things. Calls for a class of wine or 2 🍷.

    → 8:37 PM, Jan 21
  • Grateful Log January 21, 2020

    1. Good night of sleep.
    2. I think this tweak in my back is going away.
    3. Steaming coffee on a cold morning.
    → 9:44 AM, Jan 21
  • 💤

    → 8:24 AM, Jan 21
  • How I Use the Drafts app for Task Management aaronaiken.me

    → 5:00 PM, Jan 20
  • I enjoy being “forced” to keep things simple. Encourages higher quality. 

    → 3:48 PM, Jan 20
  • Attempting to use Mars Edit for a long post I’d like to publish with images and such. Publishing this see how the image looks...

    Recurring Task Example

    → 3:25 PM, Jan 20
  • Too Young to Write

    Yesterday morning, after the first church service, I was told by a family member, who did not mean any harm (they did not say that but I am saying it for them because I know they really did not mean any harm), that I am too young to write about lessons I have learned in my life.

    I agree with them to a point in that I understand a wider/broader perspective is only possible with more time and age. But I disagree that I am too young to have identified lessons learned up to this point in my admittedly short time on this earth. I know I still have much to learn and much more to go through and live through, but that does not negate the life I have lived up to this point and the things I feel would be better to write about now as opposed to later.

    Sometimes I think it is appropriate to have a fresher and more raw view of life shared through writing as opposed to a softened view that may come with a decade or two passing by. Not to say the same lessons and topics won’t be revisited after more time, but the perspective I have now is just as valuable as the perspective I will have later.

    → 11:00 AM, Jan 20
  • Go Packers 🏈 🧀

    → 7:50 PM, Jan 19
  • Spent a good amount of time writing a blog post about how I use Drafts for task management. Just need to do a read through and edit, add some screenshots, and maybe a gif or two or ten, and then will be ready to publish it :-)

    → 5:04 PM, Jan 18
  • Appropriate for today’s weather ❄️

    → 5:02 PM, Jan 18
  • Using Shortcuts and Drafts to Journal

    I’ll do something more in-depth later, or plan to at least, but for now here is a peak into how I setup to journal.

    For those interested, I journal in Drafts on my iPhone (typing on a foldable Bluetooth keyboard). I use a Shortcut I stitched together that grabs any music I am listening to (or not), asks for my location (defaults to “Home”), asks how I am feeling today, prompts for three things I am thankful for, and then grabs the current weather conditions. It takes all of that and puts it into the “header” of my journal entry. Once I am finished writing I append each entry into a monthly text file.

    → 9:16 AM, Jan 18
  • A part of my morning pages is jotting down three things I am thankful for, a habit I started when I used a bullet journal.

    Today’s grateful log:

    1. The falling snow
    2. Refilling the bird feeder
    3. The fact that having French press coffee every morning never gets old
    → 9:04 AM, Jan 18
  • Doc told me I should add some cardio to my daily routine…just went for a light jog and enjoyed the heck out of it!

    → 9:05 PM, Jan 16
  • Wind is gusting at 37mph. The sound of it whipping around our house is awesome.

    → 5:30 PM, Jan 16
  • I find that I put off doing that which I actually want to do. I’m not sure if it is fear or something bigger than that keeping me from achieving a higher “purpose”. Or maybe it is just time taking time. Either way, I feel like I need to shake off a layer of dust and get moving.

    → 4:27 PM, Jan 16
  • She’s always sleepiest after being groomed.

    → 3:25 PM, Jan 16
  • Accomplishing things

    My first new pair of glasses since 2008 were scratching very easily. Too easily. So I took care of it (covered by warranty) and now have my new glasses again, this time without scratched lenses. It is great to see the world again!

    My Apple Watch battery was acting batty (sorry, but I had to), so I contacted Apple and they sent me a replacement. It arrived today and I now have an Apple Watch that charges, looses the charge at a normal rate, and tells me how much charge the battery has. Nice features :-)

    In the past week I have replaced our dishwasher, painted the family room, sold our old furniture, bought new furniture, hung our tv, and installed a new receptical behind the tv so the wires are completely hidden. I’m normally not inclined to these types of activities, but the hands on work has been extremely and surprisingly enjoyable.

    A lot of this is related to the time I have discovered lately. It is nice to do things like this. It is nice to have the time to do things like this. I do not take it for granted and I look forward to doing more.

    → 11:50 PM, Jan 15
  • Do unto others…

    → 2:25 PM, Jan 14
  • Leaning into procrastination.

    → 1:58 PM, Jan 14
  • Apple Watch battery indicator issues persisted after resets, unpairing, and returning it to factory settings. Replacement watch is on the way.

    → 12:32 PM, Jan 14
  • Do More, Hire Less

    For several years I had the mentality of spending money to hire contractors and such to do things for me. Cut my grass, change the oil in the cars, electrical work, plumbing repairs, general home improvements. I hired all of this out with the justification that the money spent would afford me more time with my family. And while it did do that some of the time, most of the time it just gave me more time to work.

    So this year I am taking a much different approach. Instead of hiring people to do all of these things for me, I am stepping outside of my comfort zone and taking on the challenge of learning how to do things I have never done before and doing them with my family. I save money, learn how to do things I otherwise would not know how to do, become a more confident homeowner, and I get to improve things with my family by my side.

    So far this time together has been a net positive for our family. We are building, creating, improving, fixing, and learning together.

    Mozzie, our six-year-old, enjoys this new approach. He is a very hands-on kid and learns by doing (he gets this from me and is both a positive and negative in life). My hope is that doing these projects will increase his confidence to try things he does not know how to do now and in the future.

    And for me, I am enjoying the challenge of learning things I have secretly always wanted to do but never thought I had the time to learn. I also thought that all of this home-improvement type stuff was for people smarter than me. Turns out it has less to do with smarts and more to do with determination and patience.

    The year is still very young, and I have plenty of projects to start, but at this point I do not see any reason to shy away from doing more and hiring less.

    → 5:03 PM, Jan 13
  • My Apple Watch (series 5) battery has been at 100% for 24 hours…not charged during that time either. Not possible, right?

    → 8:48 AM, Jan 13
  • This weekend’s project: fresh coat of paint on the walls and ceiling in our family room and down the hallway. Thanks to my dad, painting is one thing I am very confident doing as a homeowner.

    → 2:45 PM, Jan 11
  • I am not an overly “handy” person, but do look forward to a good challenge and always enjoy improving things. Managed to successful uninstall our old dishwasher, and install the new one. A first for me and I’m glad I did it!

    → 11:22 PM, Jan 9
  • Freshly fallen ❄️

    → 7:36 PM, Jan 7
  • Shouldn’t eat Pringles on a school night.

    → 9:06 PM, Jan 6
  • The strange reality of having time

    I am in the midst of experiencing something crazy, and something I personally have not experienced in a very long time: the feeling of having time. Time to think, time to do things that need doing, time to process, time to learn, time to write, time to be with my family, and time to refresh personally.

    From July of 2010 to October of 2019 I was on an unintentional mission of “finding myself”. I don’t like the sound of that, but I’m not sure how else to sum it up in a few words. It was a time of trial and error, long days, lots of failure, and, ultimately, lessons learned. I failed at just about everything I tried, but at the end of it all I did “find myself”.

    In that time I went from business owner to barista to future Embry-Riddle student (never actually attended) to future youth pastor (never actually became one) back to business owner to dad to business analyst to Continual Service Improvement manager (my current job and longest stint, just passing six years in December). Unsatisfied during most of that I usually spent evenings trying different things to “escape” from the the boredom of my days.

    Now, in 2020, turning a year older and a tad bit wiser, I have come full-circle to where I left off in 2009. I have gone back mentally to a time before chasing ideas, dreams, and money and am resting solely in my passions and talents. An unexpected side-effect of this, one among many, is an unusual amount of “free” time. Time that was otherwise spent on a hustle of some kind can now be spent on things I actually care about.

    This feeling and reality is weird for me, but I am slowly getting used to this type of life.

    → 7:35 PM, Jan 6
  • As I used to say, back in 2007, “Goodnight, world.”

    → 3:30 AM, Jan 4
  • Worth it.

    → 3:22 AM, Jan 4
  • Times like this when I think to myself: You only live once.

    → 12:43 AM, Jan 4
  • Haven’t used either in a very long time, maybe 6 months or so, but finally got around to deleting my accounts on Facebook and Twitter. I never felt overly connected so the disconnection isn’t a huge deal for me, but it does feel good to check the box on my list.

    → 8:41 AM, Jan 3
  • A film from 5,000 years in the future. An ad, but I enjoyed the creative perspective.

    → 8:33 AM, Jan 3
  • Reading “Iowa” in relation to the presidential election makes me want to rewatch The West Wing.

    → 8:27 AM, Jan 3
  • My monthly newsletter

    I want to write more in 2020 than I did in 2019, and I want to publish more in 2020 as-well. The publishing aspect includes publishing here on my blog and also to the newsletter I “started” mid last year but then never did anything with.

    It is called From The Desk of Aaron Aiken. Creative, right?

    I plan to send out a monthly email, writing about a reflection or observation from my day to day life. I do a lot of thinking and reflecting about the concept of being a dad (something I still struggle with) so initial newsletters will most likely include a topic related to that. Or not. I’m leaving it open to inspiration and whatever strikes my fancy (thus the generic title). Technology related topics (apps, services, workflows, automation, smart home things, mobile computing, etc) will probably sneak in as-well.

    You can sign up here if you are interested in reading. The first “issue” will hopefully be out at the end of January.

    → 11:04 AM, Jan 2
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