All around, a pretty great week for me. I went back to see my spinal surgeon, and got some x-rays. Everything looked good, and he lifted the majority of the restrictions that I have been living with. Couldn't have gone better, and I am so happy.

I can now drive, and work out beyond just walking. I am allowed to go swimming. I can now bend, lift and twist. I was very excited, and took full advantage, went swimming a couple of times, and went out and got a burrito from my favorite local burrito shop. I joined a gym, as I am not allowed to get on my rowing machine here at home quite yet.

I've watched an absolute ton of UEFA Euro 2024 over the last week. Fox has made some peculiar decisions about where they put some of the games. The level of play is excellent.

We also finished Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 1. Really enjoyable, and I hope we get Donald Glover and Maya Erskine back for at least some part of season 2, which is confirmed.

I finished Right Thing, Right Now by Ryan Holiday, the next book in his virtue series, and really got a lot out of it. I will say, though, that if you want to get started with his writing, I would suggest starting with The Obstacle is The Way. He turns Stoic philosophy into something accessible and applicable to one's daily life by linking ideas to anecdotes from history. As I work on myself, forever, these ideas have been helpful and inspiring.

If you're looking for something refreshing to cook this Summer, may I suggest this really nice, lemony, Black Rice Salad recipe from Bon Appetit. We've been making this salad for years, and I always enjoy it.

I got this Belkin BoostCharge Pro for my desk and I really like it. (It's not on Belkin's site anywhere that I could find, so I am linking directly to Amazon, no referral.) It converts from a stand that supports MagSafe charging and Standby for my iPhone to a small pad that I can rest my AirPods Pro on. I haven't seen something quite like this anywhere else, and I really like having both options, and being able to fold it down flat.

Finally, this episode of the Smartless podcast, with John Williams as their guest, was the best one in quite a while. He's a legend, and he doesn't do many things like this. They were uniquely qualified to have the conversation with him, and it made for a really good listen. (Give it a few minutes though, it starts kind of slow.)

This week has been a lot, trying to balance my health restrictions due to my spinal surgery recovery with a ramping up work schedule and still also digesting as much WWDC content, both from Apple and from third parties, as I can. I've struggled with my energy level, but generally feel good. I go back for some x-rays and to see my surgeon this week, hoping for a good progress report, and some lifted restrictions.

This week, I finished Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu. Many of you will have heard this title because of the Netflix show. I will admit that I have not finished the Netflix show, but I had started it before deciding to read the book. The book holds much of the same plot arc, but largely occurs in China with Chinese characters. I really enjoyed the book, and will definitely now finish the show. I also plan on reading the second book.

I also finished The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant this week. I found this book via Ryan Holiday's excellent Reading List email newsletter. I highly recommend that one, it's helped me find some really incredible books. I adored this book, which is about a true story of a Siberian Tiger attack in 1997. The book is part history, part detective story, part biology, and all captivating. I learned so much about tigers, the Russian Far East, the relationship between primates and big cats, and the on-the-ground outcomes of perestroika. Add this one to your list. It also led me to this excellent YouTube documentary.

A reminder that you can find me on goodreads. I am trying to read a little less this year, with my goal being around 75 books by year's end.

On to WWDC, I watched the Keynote and State of the Union live. I think Apple knocked it out of the (pardon the pun) park this year. My less technical friends and family seemed less excited about this keynote than others from years past, but I think the focus that Apple chose, and what they are releasing, are the perhaps the best possible options for the good of the company. Having said that, I want more foundational iPadOS improvements.

I, of course, had FOMO about not being able to attend, but my health comes first. I miss the in person format, especially with the sessions. I've watched about 15 sessions, and these pre-recorded ones just aren't as effective for me. I have the iPadOS beta installed on my iPad mini, and haven't found many rough edges so far. (The more interesting stuff that was announced isn't in the betas yet.) I did play with the new Calculator app and Math Notes with my Apple Pencil. It's really well done, but not something I can see myself using on a regular basis.

These Macintosh Wallpapers that Basic Apple Guy captured have a really nice retro touch for us old timers.

Some other stuff I watched and enjoyed this week:

I loved Marques Brownlee's visit to the iPhone testing labs.

This NYT Cooking "A Day in the Life as a Candy Factory Worker" video about the Smarties factory in New Jersey was cute, as it's part love story.

I'm in my SaveAFox Phase.

C.R.E.A.M. by OMA

My wife and I started Mr. and Mrs. Smith this week. So far, two episodes in, I am hooked and really enjoying it.

Want to say, at the end here, R.I.P. Jerry West. A man who I looked up to.

Hope you all had a great weekend. I was doing a lot of thinking about this site, and decided that I am going to post more, and be less precious about what I post.

My weekend included a trip to our local Kinokuniya, and my haul included some Yamamoto Ro-Biki Notebooks, stickers, washi tape and a softcover Zequenz A7 notebook that I wanted to try. I have no idea what I will end up using it for, but it's a cool form factor.

I didn't manage to find the time to see Dune 2 yet, I need to prioritize that this week.

Here are some things I’ve been enjoying recently, in no specific order. I am not compensated in any way, even referral payments, for these links. Hope I turn someone else onto something they enjoy.

Mela

After years of being a devoted user of Paprika, I have completed converted over to Mela as my digital recipe keeper. Mela is from the same developer as Reeder, which is the RSS reader I have used, in conjunction with Feedbin, as my newsreader or choice for a long while now. Why did I switch? First, Mela just has a much cleaner user interface, feels more current and modern than Paprika, and is more in keeping with my personal taste.

Second, because this app comes from the developer of a feed reader, it has the same concept built into it. This allows me to add my favorite recipe sites to the app, and quickly be able to see the recipes that they have posted recently, then easily add them to my recipe collection in Mela. I like this workflow better.

Migration from Paprika was very fast and I haven't found any issues with my collection of recipes. Once I purchased both the Mac and iOS versions, my recipes appeared everywhere via iCloud sync without issue.

Mela is $4.99 for iOS and $9.99 for the Mac.

Sportsletter

I'm a big fan of sports. I've also worked in sports for the vast majority of my professional career now. I'm not sure where I found it, but The Sportsletter is just an absolutely great and completely free daily sports email newsletter. It hits my inbox every morning about the time I get out of bed, and they do a phenomenal job of giving a sports fan the news, notes, stories and schedules for the day. Here's an example newsletter for your perusal. I think maybe the best thing about it is that it's not junked up with ads.

The Week: 10 Things You Need to Know Today

While I am suggesting email newsletters that hit your inbox in the morning. I have to suggest this daily news email from The Week. They are a credible source of daily news headlines without a lot of bias. You can subscribe to this one here. It's exactly what the title says, ten things in your inbox, linking to credible news organizations about the stories if you want further information. If you're interested in getting a bit more information every morning, this is a good way to do it.

Notorious EDC Beer Bomb

I wouldn't consider myself a big EDC guy, but pens have been sort of a gateway drug for me into this world. The moment I saw the Notorious EDC Beer Bomb, I knew that I had to have one. (I borrowed this image from their site, sorry Tom.) It's a bottle opener, a pry tool, and just a delightful little guy to carry around. I'm finding all sorts of uses for mine, and I kind of can't wait for it to get beat up with use. Here's a great little history of the object.

Now the bad news, getting your hands on one of these isn't super easy, and it seems like it's getting harder all the time because they have gotten so popular, come in different color ways, and have attracted a bunch of avid collectors who congregate over on a private Facebook Group. Your best bet, if you want to take on the challenge of purchasing one of these, is to follow them on social media, and get into the Facebook group.

LePen

Do you remember LePen? When reading my weekly Pen Addict member newsletter a couple of weeks ago, there was a link to a blog post from The Stationer about the tools Tessa currently uses. Lurking in that list was a pen that I had totally forgotten about, LePen. I remembered how fun these skinny little pens are, and decided to order some from her shop. These pens are just as fun to have around I as remembered, and I am now using them to add color to my Bullet Journal spreads. I especially like their Olive Green color.

Well, that's enough for this post, more to come soon.

We’re at the end of the year, and I’ve been contemplating doing some year end "top" posts. One that seemed pretty easy to write was one about the pens that I have used and loved this year. Once I started writing the below, though, it ended up not being nearly as simple as I expected. I decided that I would limit myself to five pens, or at least models of pen. 

I say “used and loved” because, for me, pens are used in a variety of contexts, and my most used pens, while I should and do love using them, aren’t the only pens that I have loved using this year. Also, this is all about me, and how I use pens, pens are a personal taste, and what works for me may or may not work for you, I'm a weirdo. So take this with a grain of salt before you run out and buy any of the below. 

To start with the easiest to identify. In my work bag, I carry a simple zip up pen/pencil case from United Bees that I picked up at Maido in San Francisco a couple of years ago. This case is filled with two varieties of the Uni-ball Signo pen in a variety of colors. I use these pens in my daily work life more than any other pen I own. The Uni-ball Signo UM-151 Gel Pen  in the 0.38 mm has been the mainstay of my work writing for several years, and last year, they introduced the Uni-ball Signo Needle UM-151ND Gel Pen, which is a 0.38 needlepoint version of the same pen. As you can see from the picture, the colors are all over the map, but I do tend to always use one of the darker colors and one of the lighter colors together, for instance Blue Black and Mandarin Orange go together very nicely, giving me a highlight color in my bullet journal, and visually keeping things interesting. I have to say that the Blue Black and Green Black are my favorites.  To be honest, I was a little surprised when I dumped the bag and there was only one Blue Black pen in there, I guess it's time to buy more! I typically order these from Jet Pens, and there's a large vessel in my home office that is also full of these pens. 

The next most obvious pen that I have used and loved this year is the one that's in my pocket every day. It's paired with my Stuff Sheath, and hasn't been dethroned from my daily carry in about three years, although I have tried several other options. This pen is the Sunderland Mk1 from Sunderland Machine Works. In the age of Kickstarter pens, I have yet to find a better designed and engineered pen in this class. Especially notable are the lack of exposed threads on the grip inside the pen, and the high quality clip that they provide. I use the refill out of a Pilot Juice Gel Pen - 0.38 mm - Blue Black in this pen. It's been my refill of choice in Pilot G2 compatible pens for as long as I've known about it, and I think I have the Pen Addict himself to thank for turning me on to it. While I have this pen body in both nickel and black, I tend to use the black one a lot more.  One other pen that I did use as my daily pocket pen was the Schon DSGN pen in Punk Rock pink and black. This pen is a stunner, and really well made too. Unfortunately it fell out of my pocket on a business trip, I think in a Lyft, and it's gone. I did really enjoy using it. In the end the sweet gel refill that fits in the Sunderland would have won out over the ballpoint in any case.  Sorry that the Sunderland pen is currently sold out, but maybe they will make more soon. I wouldn’t mind picking up another color too. 

The next pen is one that I just love to use on a regular basis, the ystudio Brassing Portable Fountain Pen. Mine is a Fine nib. After lusting after this pen for a while, I finally rewarded myself with it on a trip to Toronto for work two years ago. 

This pen is both aesthetically nice to look at and a joy to use. It has a really nice solid feel in my hand, and putting it’s cap back in place has this satisfying click to it that makes me want to play with the pen at my desk all day. I really like the hexagonal body style, and that wasn't something I had in my pen arsenal prior to this pen.  

The last pen on my list is my beloved Sailor Pro Gear Blue Lagoon. I own a few Sailor pens, and a couple of other Pro Gear pens, but this one is just the best looking pen I own, period, in my opinion.  I'm borrowing someone else's image of it, because I haven't been able to take a picture of this pen that truly does it justice. 

It's one of those things where I missed the release of this pen, which is a part of Sailor's Cocktail Series, in 2016, and then realized that I really wanted one, but months went by, and I couldn't find anyone who had any intention of selling one. I had pretty much given up on ever getting one. Then, by complete coincidence through a friend in Seattle (thank you again!) I found out one was available and bought it immediately.  Since then, it's remained in my pen setup, and I don't think that will change anytime soon. Sailor just make great product, and this one is my favorite that they've made in recent memory. I have no idea what it would take to knock it out of it's spot, but it's my top pen.  

Well, here we are, at the end of the list and at the end of the year. Looking forward to trying new things in 2019 to see if anything can dethrone the items on this list for 2018. 

Not so weekly these days.  This episode is very focused on paper goods. 

I've really been digging the slim and tall format of these Ro-Biki Notebooks from Yamamoto Paper. I've adopted them for my Bullet Journal, and the format seems to be perfect for my simple adaptation of the system. The paper in these notebooks is fantastic, and works well with both my beloved Signo gel ink pens and the fountain pens I am using from time to time.  I am currently using the  "Star Map" edition pictured above which is a lovely dark green color. The covers of these notebooks are a waxed stock that develops cool character as you beat it up. These aren't cheap, but are a high quality product.  They ship from Japan, so you need to be a little patient with arrival timing. 

As it's December, it's time for a new "planner plan" for 2019. This year, I am straying from the Hobonichi Techo and Hobonichi Weeks that I have been using for the last few years and giving the Jibun Techo system a try.  I bought a fairly expensive setup from one of my favorite online stationary retailers, Baum-Kuchen, that is centered on the B6 Slim format and includes a BK x The Superior Labor leather case. If you want to get an idea on how one might use this planner, here's a great article detailing some of the features of this cool planner setup with good shots of the folios and some ink tests, if that's of interest.  There are more similar stories of how people are using this planner here. I'm hopeful that I will stick with daily use of this system better this year than the last couple of years with the Hobonichis. I purposely went for something smaller to ensure that I will carry it around. The Ro-Biki notebook that I am using for the Bullet Journal fits in the case with only a small amount sticking out. 

I've also become interested in the idea of keeping a five year journal, and since I've just hit a big birthday, this year seems as good a time to really start and lean into this idea. It pairs well with my current interest in Stoicism and reflection. For this purpose, I have chosen the Hobonichi 5-Year Techo A6.  This size is currently available from Jet Pens if you don't want to order it all the way from Japan.  

Lastly, for now, I have been a fan of The James Brand for a while. I carry their Elko knife in my pocket all the time, use one of their key hooks for the daily carry of my keys, and own a couple of their other knives. So I was really interested, and immediately ordered the LTD Benton pen when it was released. A sweetener is that it comes with a limited run of 600 set of Field Notes books that match the pen. If you know me at all, you know that I had to have this pen, and those sweet sweet notebooks. I really like the super clean lines of the pen, which is a ballpoint out of the box. My only reservation on recommending this is that the click mechanism for the pen is plastic, which is not something I really expect in a pen that costs this much. Having said that, I am happily using mine. 

Smart looking new Baron Fig Confidant Notebooks with Work/Play theme were released this morning. I’ve filled up two of their regular Confidant notebooks in the course of my Bullet Journaling. Aside from some annoying fraying of the bookmark, which I think they are working on mitigating, I’ve really like them from a paper, looks and durability perspective. I ordered three of the new ones.

Similar to the Arts and Sciences Field Notes, but reversed, each spread has a “Work” page, which is dot grid, and a “Play” page, which is blank. I’m actually currently about halfway through a Sciences Field Notes right now.

Update: Brad over at the Pen Addict has had access to these, and has posted a review that’s worth reading.

The rewards include a custom printed Bullet Journal notebook, which seems like an interesting idea, albeit a little antithetical to the overall idea of Bullet Journal in the first place. Of course, I was in the moment I saw the Kickstarter, and have backed the project at the two notebook tier.

I feel like I owe Ryder a debt of gratitude because Bullet Journal has been so useful for me, and I am interested in seeing more ideas from other people on how I can evolve my Bullet Journal style. (The best thing for me would be neater handwriting, I need to work on that.) It’s definitely a very accessible system, so it adapts well to a variety of needs, and varying levels of note taking skill. If you haven’t checked it out yet, here’s your chance.

Over the years, I have tried all sorts of methods for managing my day to day, both analog and digital. I’d go so far as to call it a never ending process of trial and error, ever trying to find something that works for me, helps me prioritize things the right way, and helps me not forget something important. Unfortunately, I tend to find a system, use it for some period of time, then decay from using that system back to using my email inbox as my task management system. I then realize that that doesn’t work and I am not prioritizing work the right way, I then try a new system, then begin to decay again after a couple of weeks. Rarely has any system stuck for very long.

Over the summer, while on a business trip to Manhattan, I read this blog post over at Simplicity Bliss about a newish productivity method called Bullet Journal. It struck a chord with me, and so I decided to give it a try for a couple of months and see if it worked for me. I ran out and picked up a Moleskine Evernote Smart Notebook, thinking that I would combine this with Evernote for a longer term searchable archive of my daily productivity notes. This method of managing my todo list, and my notes from the various meetings and calls from each day has proved to work really well for me. I won’t spend any time trying to explain how the system works here, watch the video and head over to the well designed Bullet Journal site for more information. What I will say is that I have made some changes in the way that I use the system, and that I still also use Trello for managing my longer term to do list, while I use Bullet Journal to manage my day to day to do list and notes from meetings/calls. I’ve filled one of the Evernote notebooks above, and have moved on to my second. That size of notebook works really well for this. (I am going to experiment with a combination of Bullet Journal and a Hobonichi Techo in the new year.)

I think the reason that this journaling productivity technique works well for me is that it forces a routine each morning, where I am move the undone items from previous days to today’s page. This routine makes me think my day through with a more metered approach in mind. This coupled with the task of physically writing the items down each day engrains the list in my mind as I move through my day. There’s a huge difference for me mentally between typing something and writing it down, and my retention of things I write down seems to be much higher. What I found, after using it for a month or two is that the results in productivity were definitely tangible, and the results in a more peaceful work mind were even more useful. There will always be change to adapt to in the work day, but it’s a lot easier to adapt to change when you have a plan.

The achilles heel of this system, for me anyway, is that my handwriting is not neat, or aesthetically pleasing to me. I have tried to find a better pen, and that helped some. I am now, however, starting the process of trying to teach myself neater handwriting. It will end up being one of my New Year’s resolutions at the very top of my list. If there’s something you don’t like about yourself, you more than likely can change it, it just takes hard work and mental flexibility.

Basically, I will be using some variant of the Bullet Journal system for the foreseeable future. It hits the sweet spot for me between the efficiency of my digital toolset and the flexibility and retention of a completely analog system. Were I using it purely, I don’t think it would be as effective for me, it’s the hybrid of using it with Trello and Evernote that makes it a success for me. Huge thanks to Ryder Carrol for coming up with this concept and the video/site.

Some additional recommended Bullet Journal related links:

• Pen Addict Podcast Episode 70 (Features Ryder Carrol, who came up with Bullet Journal.)
• How I Deal with Dates in my Bullet Journal (Zoot)
• My Week with Bullet Journal (Better Humans on Medium)
• This Note-Taking System Turns You Into An Efficiency Expert (Fast Company)