Hiking, web development, best practices, and general awesomeness
A little less than two years ago my parents embarked on an ambitious move across the country. For over twenty years they lived in the thumb area of Michigan, a wonderfully remote and quiet land that was a perfect place to raise a family. However, after my sister and I left and some time passed, they…
Over a year ago a life-changing event showed up in the middle of Katie and I's simple lives, something that complicated and enriched our little family forever. Noah Emerick was born. Since he arrived we've endured an onslaught of dirty diapers, interrupted nights, and half-hearted adherance to his…
During the summer of 2010 Katie planned an awesome birthday trip for us. It was a three-day camping trip to the west side of Wisconsin, complete with caves and exploring and circus museums. And then unexpected things derailed the plans. Instead of heading out west we just stayed in Appleton,…
Being a remote developer has its share of obvious benefits. There is no commute to work, none of the office distractions, and the comforts of home are just a couple of steps away. However, there are a few downsides to deal with. After five months of working remotely I wanted to take some time and go…
This year started with a big change for me - a new job with Shutterstock in New York. At least the company is based in New York. I'm working as a remote software engineer, staying right here in Wisconsin. Anyways, one of the cool things that Shutterstock does with its remote developers is fly them…
Another year has passed. It felt like a long one for me, longer than most.
For Katie and I, last year was one dominated by a single dramatic event: the arrival of Noah. With both of us being first-time parents we found the long pregnancy dreadful, the birth scary, and seeing our son for the first…
Over a year ago I started running. For a while I kept the routes short, only about a mile or so, not trying to pace or push myself too much. Then, in November, the plateau shattered and I was going for three, four, even six mile runs, averaging a ten minute/mile pace. In December I ran my first 5k…
As I discussed in a recent post about my 2013 plans, I've started working on my waterfall site again. This was my first large-scale side project, outdating my blog by a few months and including over a hundred waterfalls and 50-odd journal entries. The website included driving directions, photos, and…
Noah Robert Emerick was born in the afternoon of June 15th, 2013. A healthy, kicking, crying little boy, Noah showed up a few weeks early yet just fine (full-term) and Katie and I were able to hold him right away. There's been a few pushy reminders over the last nine months that we're actually going…
A few nights back I was relaxing with my wife, watching the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and drinking a few beers. You know, a typical Friday night for two nerdy twenty-somethings. After watching the memorable scene when Gandalf showed up the forests of Fangorn, newly upgraded to White status,…