Reality Me

Author: Doug McCaughan

  • Of Grasshoppers

    Student: Why is my life so difficult?
    Master: Why do you choose to make it difficult?

  • What do you do to stay sharp?

    In addition to my regular programming study for work, I do some daily mental exercises. I am practicing Spanish daily. I am practicing Morse code daily. I try to work a non-work related programming challenge daily https://www.codewars.com/ I’m studying ham radio to upgrade to my Amateur Extra class license. I try to get some daily reading in even if it is just a paragraph or listening to an audiobook. And I’m now adding a daily math problem from https://www.mathopolis.com/questions/day.php where I’m doing one math problem from every grade (yes, I got cocky and missed the 2nd grade math problem) and topic. I want to see math like Neo sees the Matrix. I’m failing a bit at my daily physical exercise but motivated to change that.
    What do you do to stay sharp?

  • Such a beautiful Saturday!

    So, I worked on a client’s website all day.

  • An active mind is a healthy mind

    Knocking the plaques off the brain. Began the day with some Spanish practice and some Morse code practice. Then jumped into codewars.com and the first challenge I was given was…”write a Morse code decoder!”
    Here’s my passing code (wordpress stripped the indentions):
    function decode_morse(string $code): string {
    $returnstring = ”;

    //break the input string into words based on three spaces between words
    $morsewords = explode(‘ ‘,$code);
    foreach($morsewords as &$word){

    //translate each letter of each word from Morse using the built-in library
    $morse = explode(‘ ‘,$word);
    foreach($morse as &$value){
    $returnstring .= MORSE_CODE[$value];
    }
    $returnstring .= ‘ ‘;
    }

    //clean up return string by removing any leading or trailing spaces we added or that were in the original input string
    return trim($returnstring);

    }
    Now to return to becoming a PowerApps and Azure expert. Light the incense, dim the lights, and turn up the cyberpunk. I’m going in!

  • Communing with nature

    When I was a child
    I used to sit in the woods
    I fell asleep in a tree
    One time more than I probably should’ve
    I’d awake slowly
    Fifteen feet above the ground
    Calm in the breeze
    With no one around
    My mind at peace
    My life calm
    Then I’d leave nature
    To find everything wrong.

    -dm2022-04-30

  • Hacker mode activate

  • Fountain Pen Love

    Architekt Poppy Red is a beautiful ink!

  • Missing utensils

    Alas, my trusty grapefruit knife cannot be found….

  • My 2022 and 2023 foci

    I’m focusing 2022 on closing out as many projects as I can. In 2023, I’ll close out any that did not complete in 2022.

  • Work

    Work: “It’s Monday! We want you product! So much to do. Go go go go!”
    Also work: “Eh, yeah, we installed so many software and firmware updates to your computer over the weekend that you will spend half your day rebooting your computer. No, we aren’t moving the deadlines.”

  • Fixing the modern calendar

    We need to rename the days of the week. Let’s begin with Monday:
    Xanaxday
    CBDday
    Caffeineday
    Ritalinday
    Cialisday
    Scotchday
    Aspirinday

  • Confidence

    You know how when you are in the ocean and the water is getting shallower and shallower and you feel like you are finally getting out of deep water but then suddenly you are neck deep or in over your head because you were actually on a sandbar? I’m hoping I’m not on a sandbar but I suspect I am.

  • The need for friends

    I need to talk to someone
    But I can think of no one to call
    I’m not sure I even want to chat
    I’d just like to know someone has my back
    It’s very lonely in this crowded world
    I have so many friends I haven’t seen in years
    Would they listen to me discuss my fears
    Or are they too caught up in their own woes
    Busy, consumed in their lives
    To be troubled by my troubles I keep inside
    I bet they also need to talk to someone
    I’d love to chat unfortunately I don’t have time
    To call them back.
    -DM 2022-03-09

  • Saturday

    I have so much to do today that I’m having trouble doing anything at all.

  • Decluttering a day at a time

    Let’s do a couple more. Recycle bin!