Saturday, 28th March, 2026

I’ve paired a random Microsoft Surface Bluetooth keyboard with my phone and have been using it to write. I was thinking about my iPad Air and the Smart Keyboard (mostly as it’s sat in the garage in a state of brokenness) and how I used to enjoy typing on it for DayOne, or here etc. I found this in the garage when I was tidying away some other electronic detritus from the office, and wondered if it would pair and work. Yes was the answer and very easily. I had thought about an old Mac keyboard, as I used to like typing on those. This surface one is quite similar with butterfly switches (I think).

Anyway, this works well and perhaps now I’ll use it as my typing setup. The slight downside is the keyboard is full sized and so is a bit big, but I have it already and it works, so seems unnecessary to buy another.

Speaking of which, I would like to clear up some of the electronic junk - cables, components from various projects never done or got bored of, not owning three thinkpads. It’s just so hard to know what to keep and what not to keep. Plus it’s not exactly taking up masses of space, just a couple of boxes. But still it’s on my mind and bothering me.

I had thought of taking it all to the hackspace and dumping it in a box there. At least I’d know it was somewhere should I suddenly need something. And if someone else finds it and uses it, well good for them and at least the thing hasn’t sat doing nothing forever. My usual approach is to sell stuff but some of these things no-one wants to buy.

It’s like the laptops. I don’t need three thinkpads - a T480, T460s, and a T490. Probably I should just keep the T490 as it’s the newest with the fastest CPU. Maybe I’ll put the big battery in the 480 in the 490 as well, then sell the other two. I sort of kept them in case the kids needed computers. But they don’t and can do with fewer screens anyway. So maybe this step is easy enough - although I should load Windows 11 on them and clean up, take photos etc. to list on ebay (which is a faff).

It’s then the next thought, of should I get rid of them all and then get something “better” like a Framework or a MacBook Neo. I joked with a friend that the recently sold rowing machine sent for £500, and a MacBook Neo is £500. The Neo is nice as it comes in different colours 😅, plus decent screen and everything else. macOS would be nice to integrate more with my phone and apple stuff, and availability of other software. Framework is nice but it’s quite pricey. Out of the two, I’d probably go Neo. But for the amount I use a laptop, I think my thinkpad that I already have is good enough. Install linux and be content. (Never going to be content).

I should look up the shortcuts when using an external keyboard with iOS, I bet there are lots of useful things. I figured out how to switch chats in signal - Ctrl + tab. I thought “cmd” (which is windows key) and tab would switch apps but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Ctrl + Space brings up the option to pick the emoji keyboard, and then I use my finger on the screen. Disappointingly tab doesn’t accept the predictive next words.

It’s the first day of the Easter holidays and we’ve all been cleaning up somewhat. Mowed the lawn, put away rubbish etc. I should clean the cars really. Spring cleaning, I guess. I want to spring clean my digital situation too. But first I should put the towels away…think I started that an hour ago before I got distracted.

Friday, 27th March, 2026

Still disappointed with my blog arrangements. Specifically having a quick and easy way to add photos to a post. This site is find for chatter but I never put in a photo because it’s too hard.

This has been a problem for >10 years for me. Perhaps I should admit that I’m not going to be happy with it. I like pika but I don’t want to pay for it, as to me it’s not worth it. So what’s the solution?

Well, I’m in a simplify/minimise frame of mind and it brings me back to a single blog, or no blog. No blog but a wiki…and journal entries…? Just tiddlywiki. I did do that circa 2021 for a long time. I think I would like it better overall.

I’ve been looking at uberspaces as an alternative hosting location for websites and email. I’ve got a month free so will play about with it and see.

Thursday, 26th March, 2026

It’s been a few months since I updated my money transactions. Still using Actual Budget, and it’s very easy to export qifs and import and categorise them. I then export a table to paste into google sheets. There was some other hosted budget tool that I looked at, although it just seemed to be the final totals for the month. But I might be interesting to use and have the info more visible.

Anyway, seems like we’ve been spending a lot. I certainly contribute towards that, so thinking I might have a clear out of stuff and see if I can cover some of the stuff I’ve bought this year. Been plenty of Aliexpress orders of £20-40 which soon add up.

Tempted to send that mini rack back, as I don’t really need it. It wasn’t that much money but I dunno. It’s another pit that I pour more money into for probably not much benefit. I have a perfectly capable server, which I hardly use, I have several rpis and I have multiple VPS/online services.

This is also in the same breath as thinking about a MacBook Neo. I don’t need it. It would be nice but 🤷 whispers: just sold my rowing machine for £500…which is the same price 😅

Still want to write myself a little monthly summary of finances. But I don’t know where…in fact I do want to write a little more these days.

I’ve been enjoying sitting on the sofa reading books in the evening, vs. sitting on the computer looking at trash and finding more things to buy. That would be a good time to write up something. Dare I try it in a notebook…

Actually, I like 1Writer on my phone. So I added my freeshell.de owncloud WebDAV, made a new folder and started 2026.txt. I like that I can drop in photos then use the preview to read it with photos. It does export to a pdf which is interesting. Probably more can be done if I look online for what people have done with 1Writer.

I’ll want to edit on the laptop but I’m sure linking WebDAV is easy either at OS level or in an application. That’ll do. The point is the write not make a whole process over it.

Also made a tiddlywiki on tiddlyhost to test out my idea of my hiking planner in tiddlywiki. Not got very far yet but easy and saves the hassle of hosting. Could’ve made a private TW for journal on it, but I don’t love editing TW in mobile. Plus I just like the simplicity of OBTF.

Wednesday, 25th March, 2026

I’m not going to renew my .pics domain. I’ve had it for 12 years and it’s a nice domain but I have no use for it and it’s nearly $50 to renew. Rather spend that $50 on pika, and actually use the product I’m buying.

Remembered I have an account at freeshell.de. I should setup some backup services on it or host a few personal things there. Maybe a personal diary 😅

I’m looking for a tool that lets me plan hill walking trips. Either single day but also multiple days (like a holiday away) where I can capture the schedule, and route and then see them on a map. Sometimes I plan out some routes but then realise I don’t have time for them this week, but would be good to save that and find it later. My current spreadsheet method is okay but it’s becoming too messy and hard to find things.

I’m sure I’ve looked before and found some programs but nothing quite right. There’s Alltrails and other paid for services which maybe could be good but not sure they’ll do what I want. I did start seeing if Tiddlywiki or Docuwiki would work…probably they would, just need to figure out how to structure things. Maybe that is what I want as then I can add text and other info too. I kinda want to do it with tiddlywiki…

Tuesday, 24th March, 2026

Just about finished the Hermit book. Wow. What a tale and what a life and what simple but deep understanding of what it is to live.

He says “don’t let life pass you by while you wait for some imagined ‘best time’ in a future filled with so many unknowns. Go and do it now”.

Many times have I thought to myself about things I’d like to do but that will have to wait until later. Occasionally, I’ll do them and it’s been good.

He admits he has no dependents, although many friends, so it does enable his way of life. I can’t help but think that it’s fine for him to start living in the wilds in the early 80s but could someone go and do that today?

There’s always a balance. He still went shopping and many trips to the hospital with cancer and a stroke, and he lived in a cabin in the woods by the loch, growing some food and cutting all the wood to keep him through the winter. I don’t want to live in an isolated cabin in the woods. But I do enjoy the outdoors…but we’re not going to move house as school is so close and the small walk across the playing field is so much more enjoyable than driving the school run. A brief spell of fresh air, seeing the daylight become earlier each day and hearing the trees susurrations is pleasing.

Chopping wood and having a stove would be nice but not having to do it constantly for the worry you run out in winter and you freeze to death.

Later in the book he talks about going on his big trip into the town to get supplies but hears of “the internet” and now how people buy stuff from their computers (of which he’s never used one) and don’t go into shops. He asked the reader who is the hermit now?

Life is full of choices and he made his. One doesn’t have to do the same but he’s right about being good natured and caring to others, to not be greedy, to respect the world, to think twice before using things. But modern life makes it all too easy to forget and get caught up in everything.

I love he’s kept diaries for his whole life and takes quotes from them into the book, from 70s, 80s, 90s. The chapter on his cancer are just select quotes from those years. The story couldn’t be more powerful. He’s taken many photos as well, things so rare and unique that can only come from living in the wilderness for so long.

If you can’t tell, I really enjoyed the book. I love the Scottish highlands, even if I do race around them to keep to my schedule and have been (and still do) driven by imaginary internet radio points. But it made me get out and see it and feel it. Even wet and windy and snowy.

I’ve often thought that my friend Fraser has a good life and knows what’s best. He and his wife live in a cosy wee cottage in a small village in the country side. I think it says a lot when their main lounge has no tv. Only a hifi and log stove. He gets out every day, cycling walking etc. he’s very handy at everything and is very passionate about land rovers and has been for 35+ years. Friendly and generous. But it’s easy to see all the good things, and I’m sure he’s had hard times and difficulties. I wonder if I’m trying to replicate his life (suddenly wanting Land Rover for example) as I don’t know what I want myself. Maybe I just wish I was retired too! But there’s that excuse about how I can’t do those things because of money or expectations.

Probably it’s just late and it’s time for bed. I don’t like typing this on my phone but if I turn on the computer it’ll be midnight and I’ll have written nothing more but wasted time on who knows what. I’m very fortunate for many things in life and I should appreciate those more.

My X4 finally shipped.

Monday, 23rd March, 2026

I sold the rower! To a lady at work who came first in a sports challenge thing and was 1st in rowing. Obviously she needed a concept2 rower. I’m pleased though.

Bought a 10” deskpi 4U mini rack…and a Lenovo micropc thing and a rpi 4…for reasons which, in the interest of time, I won’t go into now.

I don’t really want them. I just liked buying them and imagining building this cool mini rack thing. Maybe I should send the rack back and sell the computers…

Reading “The Way of the Hermit” by Ken Smith. An autobiography of his life living 40 years in the Scottish wilderness. Link is to a BBC article and a documentary was made about him. Yet to watch it. About 1/3 in and it’s good. Amplifies my oscillating desires towards the “less is more; simplicity; get rid; minimise computers; etc.” approach to life.

Makes you ask yourself hard questions. Like why and what do you want in life. Questions your choices of work and what is “doing right by them” with the kids. Social norms, the human condition, selfishness, excess, the rat race, what is right and wrong, what will happen, and so many more questions.

Then later I look up £1000s worth of ham radio stuff so I can collect numbers via satellites with other old men also collecting letters and numbers to complete their list.

It’s hard to change lanes, because it’s hard to see where the other one goes. Even harder as I don’t now where this one goes.

To be clear, I don’t want to live in a log cabin, far removed from society all on my own.

I’m amazed he kept journals of everything his whole life. Even whilst living in the wilds. He also took a lot of photos too. He doesn’t just live in a cabin and never speak to people. He goes into town and buys modern things, he just buys what is essential and manages the rest himself.

Thursday, 19th March, 2026

We got the cat back. It’s quite the story and I should write it up sometime.

Work have now blocked OneDrive on personal computers. I was using that to sync my markdown notes so when I worked at home I could access them that way. Was even thinking of changing from vs code to obsidian as I don’t hate it anymore. I can just GitHub as a sync method…seems like that defeats what IT are trying to do. Maybe obsidian has a nextcloud sync to use my server at home.

I could use onenote 🤮

Used pika the other day. It’s so nice for writing posts. But I don’t want to pay $60/year for it. Maybe I could look at export options and some elaborate song and dance to convert.