Category Archives: Enjoy

0.0 Results

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I’ve started having a cup of coffee a day again. Instead of four or five, I now limit myself to just one. After my 0.0 month, the effect of a single cup of coffee is now very noticeable. After just a few minutes it kicks in: my senses become a bit sharper. I see better, I hear better, my thoughts are clearer. It lasts for a couple of hours, during which I slowly return to normal again. This will probably only last a few days, and then I’ll be used to the caffeine boost again. Still, I’m going to try to stick to one cup a day.

The other part of my 0.0 adventure was alcohol, and I actually didn’t notice anything there. Since I don’t drink during the week anyway, and only have drinks on weekends when we’re with friends, I’m going back to my habits before I started the test. A few beers on the weekend, and that’s it.

Conclusion: The only clearly noticeable thing was reducing my coffee intake. The adjustment regarding alcohol was quite easy. I did enjoy the experiment, so I might do another April 0.0 next year.

Coco orchid v2

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Coco orchid trio!I am getting better and better at creating beautiful coconuts with orchids.

First step, prepare the coconut: Saw off the top, sand the edges, and lightly sand the whole shell. At the end, I rub a bit of oil onto the outside of the nut to give it a slightly darker, shiny finish.

Then I make the base. I cut a piece from a plastic bottle and wrap it with brown wool until the plastic is no longer visible.

Next step, look for a good piece of tree bark. Usually I simply visit a forest with a few trees that have thick, cork-like bark and collected a few pieces that are usually scattered around on the ground. At home, I brake the bark into small pieces with pliers.

Finally the orchid. A local shop was selling cheap mini orchids for Mother’s Day. They were a bit smaller than the normal small orchids, but I suspected they would look really good in a coconut, so I bought three for only 8 euros each. I took the plant out of the pot and gently loosened the roots. They were usually pressed into a pot shaped coconut fibre mass; I loosened this a bit so the roots could grow more freely. I also removed the sticks that kept the flower upright.

Coco orchid!Now assemble everything. First place some bark in the coconut, then place the orchid inside, and fill the sides with pieces of bark so the plant stand firmly. Then place the coconut on the base and turn it so the flower stand nicely upright.

I added a little moisture, and found a spot with plenty of light but no direct sunlight. That was it, quite a bit of work but totally worth it because I get a great feeling of contentment, and a job well done, whenever I see the orchid.

Guard of honour

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Saturday we had another football match with Alan. Batan played against Viera, one of the best teams. The result: a very tough but brilliant win! We started badly with 0-1, then 0-2, but we fought our way back. 1-2, 2-2, 3-2 (Alan scored), 4-2. Halftime. Then 4-3, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5… and right after the equaliser, a goal straight from the kickoff: 6-5. Amazing. The spectators/parents went wild with joy. The kids even got a guard of honour as they left the pitch.

Don Quijalan

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A Spanish masterpiece. Don Quijote tells the story of Alonso Quijano, a man so obsessed with chivalric tales that he reinvents himself as the knight Don Quixote and sets out with his loyal squire Sancho Panza on a series of misguided adventures shaped more by fantasy than reality.

At school, Alan had signed up a few days ago as a volunteer to read a page written in Old Spanish at the university. After a lot of practice, he was able to read his page perfectly today. We’re incredibly proud of Alan, who showed today that he really doesn’t mind being in the spotlight for a moment.

And of course, a TV crew was there as well to capture this bit of culture, and naturally the atypically blond Alan was chosen for a short interview.

April 0.0

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A month without alcohol, which in my case only means no wine and no beer because I don’t drink spirits anyway. Normally I only have a few beers during the weekend, so I don’t expect this dry month to be very difficult. I just wanted to try it and see if I notice anything.

To make it more likely that I notice something, I’m adding an extra challenge to this experiment: no coffee. On weekdays I usually drink about four cups a day, so together with the no-alcohol rule this will make for a bit more challenging month. I’m curious to see what the effect will be, and if I even notice anything.

The experiment still seems fairly simple, even with the no-coffee rule, so I’m adding one more twist. I’m going to do it secretly. Not in the sense of hiding anything, but simply by not announcing that I’m spending a month without alcohol and coffee. I’m curious to see if anyone in my family notices.

Batan B – Guiniguada B

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It was going to be a tough match. We had already played them away, and that hadn’t been pleasant: an extremely physical team. During that previous match, a teammate’s shin guards had even been snapped in half. We lost that game, and everyone was aware of the potential dangers. Alan had spent the past weeks practising extra on jumping and dodging.

Today was the day, and the start was immediately bad. In the very first minute we conceded a goal. 0-1. Ah well, I thought, Alan is starting on the bench, so we’ll see how it goes.

But then something unexpected happened: the equaliser! 1-1. Nobody saw that coming, and the whole game shifted. Slowly the match became more physical, but we held our ground. The goals kept coming: 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, 5-3, 5-4, and finally 6-4.

Alan also scored a beautiful goal. From midfield, high into the corner. Unstoppable. The crowd was completely caught up in the tension, and emotions were running high. The coaches and the referee even had to calm down some of the parents and family members. Well… that’s how it goes sometimes.
Batan B - Guiniguada B!
Batan B - Guiniguada B!

Airtags v2

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Airtags!After my recent technology upgrade, I started getting more and more interested in the Apple ecosystem. I looked into their Airtags, but there were rumors about a new version coming up, so I patiently waited. They are here now and I think it was a smart move to wait for the new version. Better battery, better precision, better sound to help find it. All that for the same price.

I was never really interested in getting an Airtag because I just did not see the use for them, but now that they have supposedly improved accuracy it did get my attention. I sometimes play escape-room like games with my family. Solve riddles, search for things, break locks, hidden messages, etc. Adding an airtag looks like a very fun addition.

I will give it a try, and afterwards I can always use the Airtag to track my luggage for when I travel, or maybe track my backpack, or my car. I’ll see that usage is worth it for me.

A. Presley

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A. Presley!A simple costume can create a surprising amount of magic, especially when it’s worn by an incredibly charismatic and photogenic little character. Add a few finishing touches, and you’ve got pure spectacle.

Alan Presley is more than ready to take the school’s Carnival celebration to the next level. One thing’s for sure, with him around, everyone will be dancing in no time.

MagSafe

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I was a bit underwhelmed when I first started experimenting with my new iPhone 17. Coming from an old SE, I had expected the jump to the 17 to be a major change for the better. What I noticed instead were lots of relatively small improvements and a few big ones. Everything worked just a little bit better, a little smoother, and it made me realise my old phone wasn’t even that old. A noticeable upgrade was the larger, better screen, and the biggest change was the battery. I can now use my phone all day without worries.

There was one more big improvement that I didn’t notice at first: MagSafe. After getting a MagSafe charger for my nightstand, it didn’t take long to adjust to the new level of comfort it offered. There was a small issue with the bright LED built into the charger, but a small sticker quickly solved that. Step two was a MagSafe charger for my car, and that was all I needed to stop using cables altogether. It’s a very satisfying reality where I simply drop my phone onto the magnet or pull it off again. Sure, it might take a bit longer to charge, but since my phone is now my alarm/clock and it charges while I sleep, I don’t care.

My old phone used to turn itself off at least a couple of times a year from overheating. That’s what you get for living on a tropical island, I guess. The new phone has a cool feature to avoid overheating: a vapor chamber that should distribute heat more evenly so the phone can cool down faster. The really warm and sunny days are still a few months away, so this feature is something I’ll put to the test in the future.

For now, my conclusion is simple. My new phone wasn’t the jump into the future that I expected, but it has enough improvements to make me happy. The new magsafe (new for me, it been available for a few years already) did make me experience a jump into the future, and makes me happy.

Indie developer

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Indie developer!Ofcourse I have heard about ‘indie developers’. I like these kinds of games a lot, but suddenly I realised something…

No publisher, no external boss, no committee telling me what the game should look like. I decide the mechanics, the art style, the branding, the emotional tone and that creative autonomy is the core of being indie. My projects come from nostalgia, curiosity, and joy, not market pressure. That’s classic indie energy: making something because it matters.

Well, that also applies to mushroom mayhem… it just hit me: I am an indie game developer. Good times!