Tag: May

2025 May Update

Photo of The Month:

China Town – Washington, DC

I took this after lunch while visiting DC in May. It was a quick trip for work and very rainy, so not a lot of picture opportunities.

What’s Going On:
I’m writing this post in June to recap my month of May & can’t believe how fast it went. Father’s Day is next Sunday & summer officially begins the Friday after on June 20.

I have some summer/fall trips I’m working on scheduling, and have the first camping trip of the year scheduled this month. It’s going to be July before I know it.

What I’m Eating:
Borage (Speedway, IN)
After I raved about my initial visit to Borage, we re-visited mid-week after a brief (rainy) visit to the track. The food was delicious, and the market had all kinds of fun things to explore.

Butler University (Indianapolis, IN)
On Mother’s Day, we picked up some food from Goose the Market and found a nice little shady spot in Holcomb Gardens on the campus of Butler University. A lot of other residents had the same idea as the area was busy with families enjoying the day.

Dairy Cottage (Brookville, IN)
We closed our office this year for Carb Day to celebrate the start of summer. I traveled down to Brookville, Indiana, to play Amateur Radio and put my newly renewed fishing license to the test. The Dairy Cottage has some really good fried chicken, but I was there for the Super G Boy burger, which is one of their top sellers.

Where I’ve Been:
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Attended several events at the Speedway this last month, all work-related. I always forget how big that place is & how long it takes to walk to the various areas in and around the track.

Washington DC
Took a quick trip to DC to prep for a larger group trip we’re doing for work in the Fall. It rained every day, but the seafood was great!

What I’m Watching:
Clarkson’s Farm (Amazon Prime) has returned for its 4th (and final?) season. It’s one of our favorite shows right now.

Your Friends & Neighbors (Apple TV+), starring Jon Hamm, has been a surprisingly good series.

What I’m Reading:
Mickey7 by Edward Ashton (Kindle)
This 2022 book, now a 2025 movie, exceeded my expectations. I was initially hesitant, fearing it would closely follow the movie script, but having seen the film and started the book, I found it much BETTER!

Everything Is Tuberculous by John Green (Audio Book)
This was a different kind of book than I’m used to from Green. Reminds me of the Typhoid Mary book Anthony Bourdain published. Overall, I thought it was a well-written book & worth checking out.

A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan (Audio Book)
I keep seeing people reference this book, and after a brief wait on Libby, I was able to grab a copy of the audiobook. Wow, this was pretty disturbing, and to think it happened where I live is pretty unreal. If you want to learn more about civil rights in the Midwest (Indiana), this will open your eyes. This should be required reading for everyone.

And Finally…
Did Private Equity Worsen the LA Fires?

2025 April Update

Photo of The Month:

I was walking over to Enzo’s (pizza) for lunch and noticed the north section of Monument Circle was blocked off in preparation for the “Month of May“. I liked the symmetry of this shot & it’s my favorite one of the month!

What’s Going On:
I *think* we’re done with the wild temperature swings that take place this time of Thanks! year & into the early Dog Days of Summer. I’m looking forward to packing up the SUV and spending time outdoors.

It’s May in Indy & that means I’ll be spending more time at the track that I’m ready for. It’s a LOT of walking. You have no idea how big that place is until you attend a few events and realize you have to factor in 20 minutes to get from your car to the event location.

What I’m Buying:
OLIGHT Sphere Smart Night Light
Do you work in an open-style office? Do you get constant walk-ups asking if you’re on a call? Do you want a way to tell people you’re busy? I have a solution for you that is very inexpensive and works amazingly well!

The OLIGHT Sphere is under $20 and with just a tap you can change the color from Green to Red to other built in patterns. The brightness and colors are adjustable (with the free app), and it worked immediately! As soon as I put it on the corner and set it Red, the interruptions all but stopped. The Sphere comes with a magnetic charger that you can run off a USB port on your computer or dock.

BODEGACOOLER 26Qt (25L) 12-volt refrigerator/freezer
I love my Yeti Roadie 24 (I guess they don’t make them anymore?) but messing with ice can be a pain. I found a good deal on the BODEGACOOLER (under $200) that can ride in the back of my SUV and run off the 12v power port. This will be perfect for Costco runs and Farmer’s Markets. You can use it as a fridge or freezer (and even make ice!).

I tested it with my Jackery 500 and it ran for over 2-days making it perfect for camping and other off-grid activities. If I power the Jackery off the 12-volt plug in the car and the BODEGACOOLER off the Jackery it will basically run indefinitely!

NOCO Boost X Portable Jump Start Pack
Subaru is notorious for having small batteries in their Ascent model, and I don’t like being stranded. I was camping in WV a few summers ago and woke up to a dead battery, it added about 3 hours to my day to get a jump, find an auto parts store, and get a new battery installed (it was due).

I used to carry jumper cables in my car but these days it’s not a good idea to jump start another car. Too many risks of something getting fried. This battery pack might be able to help someone else one day in addition to getting me out of a jam in the middle of nowhere.

Rotring 600 3-in-1 Multicolor Pen and Mechanical Pencil
Remember the 4-in-1 pens that gave you Red/Blue/Black/Green back in the day? Who used the Green? Well, this is a more modern version that gives you Black/Red/Pencil (and a bonus BLUE refill in the box). I prefer Blue to Black so I can tell if it’s an original or a copy (don’t ask me why because I don’t know).

The 600 is all aluminum and has a nice solid feel. It has a smaller grip than the Lamy Safari I traditionally use. I like the ability to quickly switch from Blue to Red and I’ve been using pencil more lately when sketching ideas and logging tasks.

What I’m Reading:
Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobson
If you want to have nightmares, this is the book for you. It’s a minute by minute account of what would happen if North Korea sent a nuke to the United States.

The Belt Series by Gerald M. Kilby
Another great series by a talented author. It has some of the same characters from the Colony Mars series and is an easy read to get into. Really enjoying this author!

Kindle Unlimited
I had a 90-day trial offer from Amazon & once I realized I had several books on my wishlist that were available via Kindle Unlimited I decided to give it a try. So far I think it’s worth the price!

What Else:
I tried a trial of YouTube TV and while I liked it, the User Interface sucked and I can’t justify $90 a month to watch a few channels I’m interested in. I have coworkers who swear by it but it’s just not for me. If YouTube was included in the price it would make it a better option but, as of now, they are separate subscriptions.

And Finally…