Two months in and the year has been going relatively well. Bummed the Eagles couldn&#39;t pull off a Super Bowl win, but no complaints otherwise.
<h2 id="sad-super-bowl">Sad Super Bowl</h2>
I knew facing Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs was going to be difficult, but the Eagles defense played an awful game and in the end, they couldn&#39;t maintain their lead. It was certainly a bummer, but alas.
<h2 id="fitness-goals-coming-along-nicely">Fitness Goals Coming Along Nicely</h2>
With regards to my strength training, my switch to nSuns is going well. I&#39;ve been getting back up to my previous highs and have broken my deadlifts PR by 5 lbs. hitting 1 rep at 390. Currently sitting at 965 lbs. towards the 1,000 lbs. club. Maybe March will be the lucky month. I might drop weights afterwards a tad to focus on getting higher reps, but I&#39;ll decide that later.
With running, the weather has been crazy warm and I&#39;ve taken advantage of that to run some longer distances. I&#39;d been focusing on running 3 miles per run, this month I was targeting 4+ miles. Managed that on all but one run, and even hit 5 and then 6 miles too. Getting some longer runs in earlier will hopefully help a bit when I go to start training for the marathon later in the year.
<h2 id="traveling-to-hershey">Traveling to Hershey</h2>
At the end of the month, Lauren and I drove out to Hershey, Pennsylvania to explore some of their distilleries and breweries, and to see a Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey game against the local Bears team.
The hotel we stayed up was awesomely enough within walking distance of some great restaurants and distilleries. We ended up stopping by <a href="https://www.midstatedistillery.com/">Midstate Distillery</a>, <a href="https://www.hiddenstillspirits.com/">Hidden Still Spirits</a>, <a href="https://www.tatteredflagsupplydrop.com">Tattered Flag</a> &amp; <a href="https://troegs.com">Troegs</a>. It was a fun trip, and there were more places we would like to see next time we meander out that way.
<PostImage
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<h2 id="continuing-my-blazor-journey">Continuing My Blazor Journey</h2>
I&#39;ve continued to work with Blazor in building my card organizer app. I&#39;ve been really impressed with the ease of which I can build out forms. I&#39;m making good progress and hope to have an MVP out in the next month or so.
<h2 id="work">Work</h2>
Work has been going well so far this year. I&#39;ve been working on getting several pages rewritten into React to make it a little easier for my team and the design team to work on them.
I&#39;ve also been immersing myself in the database project to help set it up for true integration tests. We&#39;ve been using mock data which is less than ideal. I&#39;ve been working with our engineering team to get a docker container set up to allow our integration tests to run as part of our CI/CD process. I&#39;m learning a lot and it&#39;s actually a pretty neat process.
<h2 id="monthly-round-up">Monthly Round-Up</h2>
🏃🏼‍♂️ Running &amp; Biking
<ul>
<li>Running: I ended up running a little over 31 miles. The upside is that I took advantage of the nicer weather to run longer distances.</li>
<li>Biking: Still nope</li>
</ul>
🏋🏼‍♂️ Lifting
<ul>
<li>Switched to running a program based off <a href="https://liftvault.com/programs/powerlifting/n-suns-lifting-spreadsheets/">nSuns</a> and ended up setting a new PR of 390 lbs. on deadlifts as well as some 2 and 3 rep PRS on Bench Press &amp; Squats.</li>
</ul>
📚 Reading
Finished
<ul>
<li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/american-nations-a-history-of-the-eleven-rival-regional-cultures-of-north-america-colin-woodard/16638225?ean=9780143122029">American Nations</a> by Colin Woodard</li>
<li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/liar-s-poker-michael-lewis/8855267?ean=9780393338690">Liar&#39;s Poker</a> by Michael Lewis</li>
</ul>
Started
<ul>
<li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/american-gods-neil-gaiman/6438874?ean=9780063081918">American Gods</a> by Neil Gaiman</li>
</ul>
✍🏻 Writing
<ul>
<li>Continued my reading logs<ul>
<li><a href="https://kpwags.com/reading-log/17">Reading Log - February 3 (#17)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://kpwags.com/reading-log/18">Reading Log - February 10 (#18)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://kpwags.com/reading-log/19">Reading Log - February 17 (#19)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Wrote about <a href="https://kpwags.com/posts/2023/02/16/luck">Luck</a></li>
</ul>
🎮 Gaming
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/horizon-zero-dawn/">Horizon Zero Dawn</a> - Didn&#39;t game much, but still playing through</li>
</ul>
📺 Watched
<ul>
<li>Started <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13991232/">1883</a></li>
<li>Started <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8806524/">Star Trek: Picard Season 3</a></li>
<li>Continuing <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112178/">Star Trek: Voyager</a></li>
<li>Continuing <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472954/">It&#39;s Always Sunny in Philadelphia</a></li>
<li>Continuing <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118298/">Daria</a></li>
</ul>
🎬 Movies
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10696784/">The Harder They Fall</a></li>
<li><a href="https://m.imdb.com/title/tt7657566/">Death on the Nile</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1615147/">Margin Call</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5688932/">Sorry to Bother You</a></li>
</ul>

February Check-In

Thanksgiving has come and gone, so that means November has also come and gone. It was not a bad month by any means as I got to spend time with my family for both my niece&#39;s baptism as well as Thanksgiving.
<h2 id="hockey-injuries-are-no-fun">Hockey Injuries are No Fun</h2>
In mid-November, I ended up getting run into while playing goalie in the upper leagues at the ice rink I play at. Banged up my groin and hip pretty badly which kept me off the ice and away from legs days at the gym for 2 weeks. It could&#39;ve obviously been way worse, so thankfully it wasn&#39;t a long-term thing. Just frustrating because the players are better and should have better control over their skating. I expect this more in the lower leagues where players are still learning how to skate.
<h2 id="thanksgiving">Thanksgiving</h2>
I ended up spending Thanksgiving at my Aunt&#39;s house. It was nice to see most of my Dad&#39;s side of the family. Caught up since it had been a while since I&#39;ve seen any of them. Turned out to be a nice day too after a seemingly early cold spell.
<h2 id="fitness-tracker">Fitness Tracker</h2>
I had put this project aside to work on Digital Family Cookbook. I decided to re-start this project from the ground up as I realized the original foundation, while definitely useable, could&#39;ve been better constructed. Like most of my side projects, I learn more and want to build on what I&#39;ve learned to build better systems. I have a few more tasks on Digital Family Cookbook, but I should be able to knock them out pretty easily when I&#39;m in the mood. The restart of Fitness Tracker is also giving me the chance to start from scratch with <a href="https://vitejs.dev/">Vite</a> and <a href="https://vitest.dev/">Vitest</a>. I&#39;ll probably write up some quick thoughts on them sometime in December.
<h2 id="monthly-round-up">Monthly Round-Up</h2>
🏃🏼‍♂️ Running &amp; Biking
<ul>
<li>Running: I only ended up running 9.34 miles in November. That hockey injury ended up curtailing my physical activities.</li>
<li>Biking: Nope</li>
</ul>
🏋🏼‍♂️ Lifting
<ul>
<li>I haven&#39;t done much lower body, again because of the injury, but have continued to press on with upper body exercises.</li>
</ul>
📚 Reading
Finished
<ul>
<li><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/the-data-detective-ten-easy-rules-to-make-sense-of-statistics/9780593084663">The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics</a> by Tim Harford</li>
<li><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/chokepoint-capitalism-how-big-tech-and-big-content-captured-creative-labor-markets-and-how-we-ll-win-them-back/9780807007068">Chokepoint Capitalism</a> by Rebecca Giblin &amp; Cory Doctorow</li>
<li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/what-if-2-additional-serious-scientific-answers-to-absurd-hypothetical-questions-randall-munroe/18153615?ean=9780525537113">What If? 2</a> by Randall Munroe</li>
<li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/weapons-of-math-destruction-how-big-data-increases-inequality-and-threatens-democracy-cathy-o-neil/11438502?ean=9780553418835">Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy</a> by Cathy O&#39;Neil</li>
</ul>
Started
<ul>
<li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/four-lost-cities-a-secret-history-of-the-urban-age-annalee-newitz/16712885?ean=9780393882452">Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age</a> by Annalee Newitz</li>
</ul>
✍🏻 Writing
<ul>
<li>Continued my reading logs<ul>
<li><a href="https://kpwags.com/posts/2022/11/04/reading-log-november-4-4">November 4 (#4)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://kpwags.com/posts/2022/11/11/reading-log-november-11-5">November 11 (#5)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://kpwags.com/posts/2022/11/18/reading-log-november-18-6">November 18 (#6)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://kpwags.com/posts/2022/11/25/reading-log-november-25-7">November 25 (#7)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Wrote about <a href="https://kpwags.com/posts/2022/11/08/adding-themes">adding themes to my site</a></li>
<li>Wrote about my <a href="https://kpwags.com/posts/2022/11/18/on-ftx-and-crypto-in-general">thoughts on FTX &amp; Crypto</a></li>
<li>Wrote about my <a href="https://kpwags.com/posts/2022/11/23/artemis-i">excitement and mixed thoughts on Artemis I</a></li>
<li>Shared my new <a href="https://kpwags.com/posts/2022/11/27/apollo-remastered">coffee table book</a></li>
</ul>
🎮 Gaming
<ul>
<li>Haven&#39;t played much <a href="https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/wowclassic">World of Warcraft</a>, might end up cancelling my subscription</li>
<li>Continued <a href="https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/jedi/jedi-fallen-order">Jedi: Fallen Order</a></li>
<li>Picked up and started <a href="https://scarletviolet.pokemon.com/en-us/">Pokemon Violet</a></li>
</ul>
📺 Watched
<ul>
<li>Continuing <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472954/">Yellowstone</a>, now up to date and on Season 5</li>
<li>Continuing <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118298/">Daria</a></li>
<li>Continuing <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472954/">It&#39;s Always Sunny in Philadelphia</a></li>
</ul>
🎬 Movies
My wife and I have started back up watching movies on the weekend.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109444/">Clear and Present Danger</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14813212/">The Munsters (2022)</a></li>
</ul>

November Check-In

July was mostly a good month for me. A small medical mishap, but otherwise a good month.
<h2 id="a-quick-trip-to-urgent-care">A Quick Trip to Urgent Care</h2>
My attempts to break new PRs for deadlift and squats ended up getting delayed thanks to a mishap with a garden hose. I had to replace the end of a hose since it got damaged and unfortunately sliced my finger open on the metal ring holding the new hose end. I ended up needing stitches so lifting was basically out of the question. I definitely did not want to bust the stitches open by twisting the skin or anything else that might happen when you&#39;re lifting hundreds of pounds of weight. I ended up condensing two weeks of lifts into one at the end of the month in an attempt to hit my goals before starting my marathon training. I was able to set a new squats PR at 365 lbs., but ended up failing in my quest to deadlift 400 lbs. I&#39;m disappointed, but will try to hit 400 in the next one to two weeks before lightening my lifts for when the marathon training really ramps up. I don&#39;t really want to be going super heavy and setting new PRs while I&#39;m trying to also put in 30 miles of running in a week. My plan is to lift two days a week, but with less volume than I&#39;ve been doing for the year. Keep my strength up, but focus on running.
<h2 id="hockey-tournament">Hockey Tournament</h2>
In mid-July, my ice rink hosted their yearly tournament. I formed a team last year and played and it was fun. This year though, I just joined a pre-formed team so I didn&#39;t have to worry about gathering enough players which took a bunch of stress away from the event. Our team went 0-3-1, but we played competitively despite never having played together before. For anyone who hasn&#39;t played hockey before, it can be challenging sometimes to play with a new team since different players have different tendencies. Learning those tendencies and quirks can make teams and players more effective. Not knowing those same tendencies can make things a little more difficult. At the end of the day though, it was fun. Met some new people, played with people I&#39;ve played both with and against previously, and got plenty of exercise.
<h2 id="journaling">Journaling</h2>
Over the last couple of months, I&#39;ve been trying to keep a daily journal of what I&#39;ve done, read, and anything else that might come to mind. I&#39;m just not sure what kind of format I want to use. I&#39;ve been making a new markdown file every day, but I&#39;m also considering just using my Moleskin notebook and a pen. To make matters more complicated, I&#39;ve also considered using my iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil. I&#39;m still not sure what format will end up winning out, but I find it relaxing and interesting keeping track of my days. With how crazy things often are and how the days seem to blur together, it&#39;s nice to have a little log to write down my activities and thoughts.
<h2 id="monthly-roundup">Monthly Roundup</h2>
🏃🏼‍♂️ Running &amp; Biking
<ul>
<li>Running: Only ran a little under 13 miles this month. The 90-100 degree days did not make running all that appealing. Marathon training starts in August, so might be some early-morning runs in my future.</li>
<li>Biking: Nope</li>
</ul>
🏋🏼‍♂️ Lifting:
<ul>
<li>Hit a new PR on squats - 365 lbs.</li>
<li>Failed a 400 lbs. deadlift</li>
</ul>
📚 Reading:
Finished 3 books this month.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/project-hail-mary/9780593135204" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Katie Mack - The End of Everything</a></li>
<li><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/project-hail-mary/9780593135204" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Albert Bourla - Moonshot: Inside Pfizer&#39;s Nine-Month Race to Make the Impossible Possible</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.manning.com/books/unit-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Unit Testing Principles, Practices, and Patterns</a></li>
</ul>
✍🏻 Writing
<ul>
<li>Continued with my <a href="/posts/2022/07/08/reading-list">weekly</a> <a href="/posts/2022/07/15/reading-list">reading</a> <a href="https://kpwags.com/posts/2022/07/22/reading-list">posts</a> every <a href="/posts/2022/07/29/reading-list">Friday</a>.</li>
<li>Wrote about <a href="/posts/2022/07/31/updating-my-likes-page-with-feedbin">connecting to Feedbin to populate my likes page</a></li>
</ul>
🎮 Gaming
Been playing WoW a bunch. Trying to get ready for Wrath of the Lich King in September.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/wowclassic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow">WoW: Burning Crusade Classic</a></li>
</ul>

July Check-In

So last Friday night, I was able to do something that I&#39;ve been dreaming of for a while. I was able to skate outdoors on an ice rink in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
The weekend prior, the AHL (American Hockey League, or the NHL minor league) held their version of the Winter Classic, the AHL Outdoor Classic. It was played outdoors at Hershey Park Stadium and was a matchup of the Hershey Bears hosting the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Since the Phantoms are the Flyers&#39; minor league affiliate, Lauren and I bought tickets to see the game. It was a pretty cool experience watching hockey outdoors. I just wish that I got tickets a little higher up so we could see a little bit more of the action. Happily, the Phantoms won 5-2.
<PostImage
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Because they already built the outdoor rink, they decided to make some money by opening it up to the public to rent out. Reddit&#39;s Flyers subreddit set up a 2 hour pickup game on the ice last Friday and I was able to participate.
Stepping out onto the field was a surreal experience. I&#39;ve been playing hockey for almost 5 years now, but there really is something about skating around in the open air. The pickup game was a lot of fun. The ice wasn&#39;t as good as I was expecting or hoping as it had been up for a week with some 50-60ºF weather. Either way though, it was an amazing experience that I still can&#39;t fully believe I participated in. I&#39;d recommend it to anyone, even just skating around outside would be worth it.
<PostImage src="/images/posts/2018-01-29-outdoor-hockey/outdoor-skating.jpg" alt="Skating Outdoors" height={1536} width={1536} centered shadowed />

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