Things are proceeding apace here. I got a bunch done this last cycle, which is crazy, given the move and everything. This is what I worked on/completed in the last three months, and there’s a complete list.
Completed Items
12. Find and purchase a new project bike. I had a 1995 Specialized Stumpjumper FS crop up on Facebook Marketplace in May and couldn’t resist. I’d been thinking about getting a vintage steel MTB to turn into a cool project bike, and this one was the clear-cut winner. Cantilever brake studs, made-in-Japan Tange steel, old-school geometry. Those old Rock Show Mag21 forks are unlikely to have any sort of refurbishing kit available, so I’m kind of leaning toward a bikepacking bike or a Tour Divide-type beast. Flared drop bars, braze up a rigid fork, add a bunch of bottle cage mounts, get the paint job cleaned-up after. It could be a seriously amazing bike.
38. Buy a Switch 2. This was originally “buy a gaming PC”, but I didn’t want to spend that kind of money on a PC that I’d then have to maintain (and re-learn the guts of Windows to accommodate). With the announcement of the new Switch 2, I decided that this would be a more cost-effective goal. I decided on a whim to go get in line at Best Buy on release night and managed to score a bundle, which was amazing. I’m extremely happy with it thus far. The only issue is dicey battery life, but I spend more time playing docked than I do on-the-go.
84. Take guitar lessons. I started this at the ass-end of April and have been going weekly, plus practicing at home. I wouldn’t call me good, not by any stretch of the imagination, but I am definitely making progress. I’m calling it complete though, because the impetus was to start, not to finish. At a guess, I’m going to be taking lessons for years.
In-Progress Items
4. Finish the Filthy 50 with a four-hour (or less) time. I registered for this year’s edition. I’m stoked. And I’ve got enough time between now and then to get myself into pretty good shape.
5. Do three brevets of increasing distance (200km, 300km, 400km). (0/3) I joined Randonneurs USA, and started working toward my first brevet. I’ve got a longer-term goal, but that’s for my next batch of 101 Things.
18. Get the Surly repainted. I reached out to Brad about this. Need to get a quote, and I’m excited to get this thing redone. I’m planning on working a bunch of singlespeed into the training program next year.
23. Get the danbailey.dev website up and running. I can’t decide if I should spin something up using Wagtail really quickly to get some more sharpening of the python skills, or just stick with what I know and spin up a WordPress site. Probably going to be the former. I need to do some localized testing first.
43. Get two new tattoos. Still struggling with ideas for my next one — I will probably have my first one, a Calvin & Hobbes tattoo, lasered off, and then redone, larger, and in a watercolor style, similar to the cover art on the original books.
45. Be able to do 50 push-ups without stopping. Still working at this.
46. Be able to do 6 pull-ups. I’ve decided to buy a training board for rock climbing, but I still have no idea where I am going to put the thing.
51. Take Eddy to see a launch at KSC. Booked our tickets for the end of July!
61. Read at least 15o books. At the end of 2024, I was at 64 books, so I was a little behind schedule. I’ve been stomping ass since May, and read 11 in that month alone. I’m pretty confident in my ability to get this one done well ahead of time. I’ve added audiobooks to the mix now that I’m driving to the office or taking the bus on occasion, which has been great for getting through this task. If I maintain my current pace, I’ll be at 50-55 books for the year, which will put me close to where I need to be. That said, though, I’m stepping up my progress here, and making use of audiobooks instead of podcasts, along with lots of time with the Kindle and old-fashioned paper.
69. Pay off remainder of student loans. SO CLOSE. As of June 1st, I owe only $4200. If I stick to the minimum payments, this will be done in September of 2027. I need to step it up and get this shit off of my plate. We’ve been talking about where this sits in the overall scheme of things, and it probably comes after we eliminate some other debts.
77. Master Python. Still grinding on this — the new job is a lot of python work, so I’m feeling pretty good about calling this “done” sometime next year.
98. Upgrade the trigger and sights on the Glock 19. In May, I ordered a Timney Competition trigger, and in July or August, I’m going to order some Trijicon sights for it. Then I’ll find someone to handle the installation of both at the same time.