Excursions

Today’s posts mark the completion of 30 days of daily posting on my blog. It wasn’t a planned challenge. But I wanted to attempt a routine, in public, of sorts. Prone to miss at least a day occasionally, a streak of any kind is always difficult for me. Plus, a good thing is that I didn’t have to schedule any posts just to make sure I don’t skip a day. I had written all the posts on the day they are visible on the blog. Well, in Indian Standard Time, that is. Even the long-form essays.

With post-a-day done, can I take up another 30-day challenge? I always wanted to post at least a picture every day. But, I am not too much into photography. Or rather, I am not good at it. Plus the worsening environment outside with Omicron in the air, it becomes a tad more difficult to find different places every day. What else?

I managed to complete (and crush) the 2021 reading challenge, the third in a row — read 35 against the 24 targeted. It was a wonderful year in that sense. And I am challenging myself for more this year. 📚

There is something wonderful about a clean writing and reading interface. I am always a big fan of #platforms that build themselves on clean interfaces. It helps. Does it mean there is no place for flashy sites? Absolutely not.

I have come to a realization recently. Blogs have made web boring. Think about it. Every blog looks the same. All themes are more or less the same. A slight layout change here. A margin or padding there. Varied columns. But all look the same to me. You know that you are reading a blog.

Imagine if every page was custom. Well, let me help you. Check this site by Aegir. No, don’t just look at the homepage. Look at every post. Each post has different design. What brilliance! I am absolutely impressed and saddened at the same time. And jealous too. I wish I could create something like this. I can’t.

Well, why can’t I? I mean, why can’t I just create html pages? Isn’t that the first line of code I wrote?

I have been searching for the next audiobook to listen to and am just not able to find one. The book that I want to read is not available on the Audible catalog. And the books that Amazon recommends are absolute shit. Sigh! The search continues. 📚

I finished reading Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie today. I didn’t enjoy this Poirot adventure as I did his earlier ones. Sure, the plot, the mystery is interesting. But the way the story unfolds leaves me wanting for a lot more. It’s not a satisfying conclusion — too farfetched. Rushed. Maybe, I am done reading all the good Christie novels. 📚

I welcomed the first dawn of 2022 the same way as every dawn, a cup of tea with my wife. Every year, it’s the same, but with lots of hopes and wishes for a wonderful year to follow. With a positive vibe in the air! So here’s to another year of different sameness! 😊

Since my niece was born on this day three years ago today, the new year celebrations have been quite unfamiliar for us. The whole world celebrates along with us as she grows a year old, every year. Or so we have convinced her and her parents. This year is no different, albeit a tad muted. But still, the folks all-around plan to celebrate.

Knowing how all my plans for 2020 were mercilessly crushed by the pandemic, I had no expectations from 2021. I knew it was going to be more of the same dreadful cycle of panic, despair, and hope. At the same time, I also wished I and all my dear ones sail through, see the end of the year.

As I sit here today, looking at the year gone by, all I can do is smile. It began with a phase as dark as my family had ever seen. But it brought us all close, gave us the courage to stay strong. We got back on our feet, stronger. We learned to live with the virus, masked whenever outside. Vaccinating ourselves. Slowly, gradually, we wandered, unhesitant, outside our homes. Each one of us established our own new rules, routines, and traditions around travel.

We met our friends, got nostalgic for the days that we had left behind. We got hungry, got drunk and laughed our hearts out. I witness my office welcome my colleagues, the floors, and pantries reverberating with grumbles again.

I am fortunate I could do all of that. And a lot more. That I watch my crazy friends share their plans for celebrations with booze and snacks. That I would watch the skies light up with fireworks one more time. I am fortunate that I am about to get ready and join my family to celebrate my niece growing older by another year.

And if you are reading this, know that, in one way or the other, you are too. Just look back and find out why.

Resilience. And kismet. The two words I would remember 2021 by. Wish you a happy new year, you all!

Artwork by David Wirzba on Unsplash

It has been the third day in a row today that I decided to sleep early, get back to routine and failed. I just can’t stop myself from doing what I am doing at my system. Until last week, I used to lay down onto my bed with my Kindle and was sound sleep at the same time every time. That hasn’t been the case for this part few days.

I know what I need to do. I can’t make myself do it. Sure, I have my reasons why I am going late to bed. Nonetheless, I don’t like that a bit.

Sleep routine is a flaky thing — disturb it ever so slightly, and it absolutely falls apart. And takes down the whole next day with it.

I decided against replacing my theme with something entirely new. I have too many custom components baked in currently that I don’t have time to replicate afresh. Plus, all the feedback from folks helped me convince myself that what I have is good enough.

But, I have refreshed a few aspects in the existing theme. As advised by Khalid, I started with a typeface and replaced it with a serif one. It looks a lot bolder to me. A few clean-ups around accent colours. And a lot of moving stuff around.

What I have, thus, is something that looks different, yet is the same. The journey is incomplete yet, there are many ugly corners that need clean-up. But I will get to those as time permits.

An inner monologue around my site’s theme to follow. I have grown bored by looking at my current theme. Not that I don’t like it, it just needs a reset. This has been how the site looks for a couple of years now. It looks so bland. Not playful. Not personal. There is no character.

Over the year, I have added so much stuff to the theme. It does not, at all, resemble what I started with. It feels hacky all around. I have realised I can’t create anything polished, so I prefer not to build something totally custom. I prefer anything that comes ready-made. But that’s tricky as these are still early days for theming with Micro.blog. I like a couple, but neither is perfect. Shall I start with one and personalise in limit? Do I want to take the project up?

I know, I know. “It is the words that matter and not what’s around.” & “Make the content beautiful, not the container” & blah blah.

I get it. That’s the writer in me speaking. But the developer in me is craving for change. Can I hold him back?