monocularjack

Fractal Terra SFF Build Guide

Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Specific build: ASUS ROG Strix B850-I, AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (no iGPU), Noctua NH-L12S, PowerColor Reaper RX 9070 XT, Corsair SF750, CableMod custom cables. Phase-by-phase, with the decisions and gotchas current Terra builders consistently flag.

Pre-build sanity: This is a tight SFF build. Read the Critical Decisions section before unboxing anything. Two decisions (spine setting, BIOS file naming) cannot be undone easily once you’re past them.

Critical Decisions (read first)

1. Spine setting — the most important choice in this case

The Terra has a 7-position adjustable spine that trades CPU cooler height vs GPU thickness. You set this once and it determines what fits.

Albuquerque, NM

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2023-10 — Alaska ABQ, ~Oct 12 (Balloon Festival window, with Shannon)

Places

Meow Wolf
Waffle House
Green chile
Lottaburger (green chili burger)
Garcia’s — breakfast
Taco Cabana — good drive through
Stars & Stripes
10,000 Waves
SETI

Anaheim, CA

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2022-10-20 — The Anaheim Hotel, with Shannon. Alaska flight JHVYZT to Orange County / Santa Ana (SNA) on Oct 20. Pre-arrival check-in email Oct 19.

Places

(to fill in)

Bee's Knees

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Prohibition-era gin cocktail — honey and lemon were used to mask the taste of bathtub gin. Now it’s just delicious.

Ingredients

2 oz gin
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz honey syrup (1:1 honey and warm water, stirred to combine)

Instructions

Combine gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup in a cocktail shaker.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 10–15 seconds.
Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.

Notes

Honey syrup: Equal parts honey and warm water. Stir until dissolved. Keeps in the fridge for 2–3 weeks. Do not use straight honey — it won’t mix properly when cold.
Gin matters. Recommended: Opihr (spiced), Empress (color), The Botanist (floral).
For a lighter version, use 1/2 oz honey syrup.
Works well with lavender honey for a floral twist.

Blue Grass Buttermilk Biscuits

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ingredients

2 cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
¼ tsp Soda
½ tsp Salt
6 tbsp Shortening
¾ cup Buttermilk

Instructions

Prepare the Dry Ingredients:
- Sift flour, baking powder, soda, and salt into a bowl.
Cut in Shortening:
- Add 6 tbsp shortening and mix until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
Add Buttermilk:
- Add ¾ cup buttermilk and mix lightly with a fork until the mixture clings together to form a ball of soft dough.
Roll and Cut the Dough:

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In the world of cheaty foods, broccoli cheese soup has always seemed like one of the cheatiest. There’s nothing wrong with owning it: Cheese is delicious, and not every single lunch has to be virtuous. Still, I sometimes wish that the broccoli part of the whole thing was taken a little more seriously, if only for the purely selfish reason that I love broccoli. My goal here was to create a recipe for broccoli cheese soup that was as comforting as the ultra-cheesy kind you typically find, but simultaneously really tasted like broccoli.

Burrito Kitchens-Style Chorizo Breakfast Burritos

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Reverse-engineered from the Boulder, CO frozen burrito brand. Seasoned pork sausage (not cured Mexican chorizo), crispy potatoes, scrambled eggs, and Hatch green chiles. Makes 8 burritos; freezes beautifully.

Ingredients

8 large burrito-size flour tortillas (10")
1 lb ground pork (80% lean)
2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1½ lb Yukon Gold potatoes, ½" dice
3 tbsp vegetable oil
10 large eggs
3 tbsp whole milk
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 cup roasted green chiles, diced (Hatch preferred)

Instructions

Season the pork chorizo — Combine ground pork with ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Rest 10 min minimum (overnight for deeper flavor).

Burritos de Chile Verde con Papas (Chile Verde Burritos With Potatoes)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

One of the most popular and traditional burritos of the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez borderlands, this chile verde burrito is referred to as a purist burrito: It has no toppings, no garnishes and no salsas or crema to drizzle on top. It is neat, clean, slim and tightly packed; its filling is intensely flavorful, but delicate in its texture and bite. Everything in it is cooked al punto, on point: The Anaheim chiles are fire-roasted to bring out their exuberance, tenderly cooked over soft heat with almost-caramelized onions and soft-to-the-bite potatoes, and then coated in creamy crema. The fact that the best renditions of this burrito are made with freshly made flour tortillas makes the experience sublime.

Cave of Echos

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

A D&D adventure seed. Originally from a ChatGPT collaborative session. Source: https://chat.openai.com/share/c14d4e38-a960-454a-9f05-924b28476fe2

Premise

A village is trapped in an echo of time. A wicked mage placed a powerful manuscript in the Cavern of Echos. Only returning it to the village square can free them. The PC is offered all their gold, magic items, and a boon from the scroll itself.

Cheese Enchiladas With Chili Gravy

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Here is a recipe adapted from one that the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves at his El Real Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston. You can find similar ones served all over South Texas, often served with rice and refried beans. I think it’s an excellent side dish for a cookout of grilled chicken or pork, but you could also slide a few fried eggs over the top and call it breakfast, or don’t and use vegetable stock or water, and call it a vegetarian supper. Make sure to leave some bare tortilla peeking out on each side of the gravy and cheese so it grows crackly and awesome.

Chicken Picata

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ingredients

4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Kosher salt and pepper
2 large lemons
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Instructions

Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise, then cut thick half in half again horizontally, creating 3 cutlets of similar thickness. Place cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to even ½-inch thickness. Place cutlets in bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Halve 1 lemon lengthwise. Trim ends from 1 half, halve lengthwise again, then cut crosswise 1-inch-thick slices; set aside. Juice remaining half and whole lemon and set aside 3 tablespoons juice.
Spread flour in shallow dish. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dredge cutlets in flour, shaking gently to remove excess.

Place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Place 6 cutlets in skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook until golden brown on 1 side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on second side, 2 to 3 minutes.

Chile

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2019-05 → 06 — Santiago + Atacama Desert + Easter Island, with Shannon. Custom two-week itinerary through Ecochile (via Zicasso), agent Marina Ettlin. Hotel Ismael in Santiago for the final two nights. Easter Island → Calama flight (LATAM LA0344, IPC → CJC) was cancelled and rebooked mid-trip on Jun 22.
- Santiago
- Atacama Desert (San Pedro de Atacama)
- Easter Island (Rapa Nui, airport code IPC)
- Astronomy tour (rescheduled after the flight change)

Places

(to fill in from trip memories)

Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

This Cinnamon Roll Focaccia features a moist focaccia dough with cinnamon sugar filling, topped with a vanilla glaze. It’s easy to make, no kneading required and can be prepped ahead of time.

Ingredients

1 cup + 1/3 cup + 1 tsp (336 ml) water
2/3 tsp (3 g) yeast
2 cups + 3/4 cup + 3 1/2 tbsp (400 g) bread flour
1 1/2 tsp (7 g) salt
4 tbsp (57 ml) melted unsalted butter, divided

Cinnamon Sugar

Coding Standards

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Follow .NET standard conventions.

Structure

2 spaces indentation
Single blank line between methods
UTF-8 encoding
Standard header
Standard method order
var for temp or iterator values
Full classnames for domain classes
Wrap lines at 80, up to 90 to fit

Comments

Comment on intent and logic, not flow
No abandoned TODOs
Prose is fine

Naming

Prefer full names over abbreviations
camelCase
Folder names should follow namespace
Prefer Utility over Util

Projects

Every project needs a README.md with:

Denver, CO

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2026-04 — Grand Hyatt Denver (Apr 4 onward, Alaska LBQDHW)
2026-03-08 → 03-13 — Alaska CFJYLB, first class (SEA Fri Mar 13 return)
2026-02-09 → 02-13 — Alaska CMYEAH outbound, return Feb 13
2024-12 — Alaska CYPLAA return flight Dec 13 (outbound earlier in December)
2024-10-28 → 10-30 — Hilton Garden Inn, Union Station (Alaska QISAPY Oct 26)
2021-07-21 → 07-26 — Alaska UHSHRE flight 643, with Shannon
2011-02 — Grandma’s 80th birthday (weekend of Feb 26)
2010-10 — Alaska boarding pass Oct 12 (details thin)
2007-04 — Rapid City → Denver, United, family trip with Mom

Places

Restaurants

https://machetedenver.com/ (tacos)
https://www.noisettedenver.com/ (Mary’s friends)

Booze

Fortaleza — look for Al

Bars

7 Grand
Marigold
Grand Hyatt

Weed

Lodo

Dill Dip

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Note: If you love the flavor of dill, feel free to add more to your liking!

Easy Freezer Waffles

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Homemade freezer waffles that rival the store-bought frozen kind — crispy exterior, tender interior, and the crust sets when toasted. Par-cook, freeze, and keep a stash for weekday mornings. Makes 16–18 small (4-inch) waffles.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
1 cup (225g) plain, non-Greek yogurt
3 large eggs
1 cup (235g) milk, any variety
1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
Nonstick spray for coating the waffle iron

Instructions

Make batter. Combine melted butter, sugar, and yogurt in a large bowl. Add eggs and whisk until evenly combined, then milk and vanilla. Sprinkle baking powder and salt over the batter surface and whisk thoroughly to disperse. Add flour and mix until incorporated.

Eclipsed

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Overview

Eclipsed is a card game built on a redesigned 52-card deck of four elemental suits — Solar, Arc, Void, and Stasis. Two suits align to Light; two to Dark.

Each round three Edict cards define the rules. One is drawn by fate. Each player contributes one from their hand — signalling their strategy, shaping the rules, and spending a card to do it.

First to 50 points wins.

Eclipsed — Rules

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Eclipsed — Rulebook v1.0

A meld game for 2–4 players

Overview

Eclipsed is a card game on a redesigned 52-card deck of four elemental suits — ☀ Solar, ⚡ Arc, ◉ Void, and ❄ Stasis. Two suits align to Light; two to Dark.

Each round three Edict cards define the rules: one drawn by fate, one contributed by each player from their hand. Turns are draw-and-discard. Declare melds when they score enough to be worth it. Race to go out — because unmelded high cards become deadwood when the round ends.

Enchilada Sauce

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ingredients

2oz dried Guidijallo chilies (1 package)
2oz dried Ancho chilies (1 package)

Instructions

Prep - Chicken Stock

Make sure you have some, otherwise make it now

Prep

Cut the tops off the peppers, de-seed
- if straining at the end don’t worry about the seeds so much
- some say they can taste bitter
Chop the onion
Chop the garlic

Toast the Peppers

Mediumish heated cast iron
- If you have a hot oven that works too
Toasting, not roasting
- chared bites will taste bitter
Until almost puffing, not bursting

Rehydrate

Soak in the hottest tap water
Around ~20 min, they don’t have to be mush, just blendable
While waiting cook up your onion and garlic
Save a cup of that soak juice
Put in blender

Cook Onion and Garlic

Onions in oil und opaque (don’t rush it)
Garlic when they look close, don’t burn it
I threw my cumin in at the end to bloom it, seemed to work
Toss the whole mess in blender with peppers

Blend it All

Thin it out with a mix of soak water and chicken stock
- Soak water is earthy, like dirt earthy, use it sparingly your first time
Add until it’s your favorite level. If you don’t have one yet aim for a smooth pasta sauce. It’s used in a similar fashion (to cook food in it, or coat food with it, as a compliment)

Fettuccine Alfredo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 package (12 oz) Egg Fettuccine, uncooked
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup (8 oz) heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
Gradually stir in cheese, then cream, until well blended.
Continue heating sauce, stirring constantly, just to boiling.
Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
Toss hot pasta with sauce.

Yield: 6 servings (1 cup each)

Focaccia

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

High-hydration focaccia with open crumb, fluffy interior, and crispy bottom. Overnight cold ferment recommended for best results.

Ingredients

Dough

500g bread flour (higher protein = better gluten structure)
400g warm water (80% hydration, 100-110°F)
7g instant yeast
10g salt
15g extra virgin olive oil

For the Pan & Topping

30g extra virgin olive oil (for pan)
20g extra virgin olive oil + 20g water (emulsion for dimples)
Flaky salt
Fresh rosemary (or other herbs/toppings)

Instructions

1. Proof the Yeast

Add yeast to warm water with a spoonful of flour. Stir until dissolved. Let stand 5-10 minutes until foamy with small bubbles.

Game design notes

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Mechanics ideas, solo RPG design thoughts, and experiments.

Solo RPG Structure

Solo RPGs Structure

Scenes Drive the Game

Whether playing solo or with a group scenes are the base unit of adventure in roleplaying games.

Compare

MUNE introduces more twists and paths at a smaller level
Mythic makes for more dramatic scenes that change at

Mythic

Determine odds
Adjust for Chaos
Roll Fate Question
Result is yes yes, yes, no, no no
Possible Random Event

MUNE

GraphQL

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

GraphQL is a query language for APIs designed for highly dynamic queries that return small, targeted data instead of large amounts of unneeded data. Despite the “query” name, GraphQL has full CRUD support.

GraphQL is an open standard, not tied to any specific framework, though most cloud providers offer their own tools and extensions.

Learning Resources

GraphQL — the full standard with clear docs
Learning GraphQL types and fields
Scalar types in AWS AppSync — additional AWS-supported types
AppSync Immersion Day — self-paced, hands-on lab
GraphQL Best Practices

Resolvers

Resolvers connect GraphQL queries to concrete data sources by translating query inputs into data source parameters and mapping outputs to GraphQL types.

Ireland

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2024-05 — Dublin + Belfast with Shannon. Alaska WWEJHA outbound May 5. Hyatt Centric The Liberties (Dublin, from ~May 23). Irish Rail to Belfast ~May 27. Combined with the London leg of the same trip.

Places

No specific places logged yet.

Notes

The making of a drug
The story of Henrietta Lacks

Jamaica

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2024-08 — All-inclusive resort for Ben’s 50th birthday, with Shannon, Ben, and Kim. United Airlines round trip, departed ~Aug 17.

Places

(to fill in)

Just Passing Through

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The “Just Passing Through” cocktail is a refreshing and vibrant drink inspired by the imaginative ship name from [[Iain M. Banks]] Culture series. This cocktail will give you a sense of adventure and leisure, just as if you were a ship traveling through space.

Ingredients

1.5 oz gin
0.5 oz elderflower liqueur (e.g., St-Germain)
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
4 oz club soda or sparkling water
5-6 fresh raspberries
Lemon wheel or twist, for garnish
Ice

Instructions

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the raspberries with the simple syrup to release their juices.
Add gin, elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice to the shaker.
Fill the shaker with ice and shake well until well-chilled.
Strain the mixture into a highball or Collins glass filled with ice.
Top with club soda or sparkling water, and stir gently.
Garnish with a lemon wheel or twist.
Serve and enjoy your cosmic journey!

This cocktail, with its fruity and floral notes, is perfect for a relaxing evening or a gathering with friends, embodying the spirit of a ship just passing through the vast expanse of space.

Kelowna, BC

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2023-01-20 — Alaska flight BKWCTE to Kelowna, Canada. Forwarded from Shannon’s email — confirm whether Shawn was on this trip.

Places

(to fill in)

Las Vegas, NV

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2010-03 — Alaska ODJNOZ return flight LAS → SEA on Mar 17 (outbound earlier in March 2010)

Places

Restaurants

Javier’s
Tuscany — off-strip

Notes

The bar in the Aria (Vesper) is known as an escorts bar

Lemon Pasta (Pasta al Limone)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lemon pasta is a simple, sublime classic Italian recipe made with lemon, Parmesan, butter, and black pepper. Fast, easy and perfect!

![[lemon-pasta-served.png]]

Ingredients

8 ounces dried whole wheat spaghetti or similar long noodles (such as fettuccine)
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium lemon (plus additional for serving)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces, plus additional for serving)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil - use an amount of water so that the pasta is more crowded in the water than it typically would be. Cook the noodles until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
When the pasta is nearly done cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. If the garlic is done cooking before the pasta is ready, remove the pan from the heat so the garlic doesn’t burn.
IMMEDIATELY (as soon as the pasta is drained) add the hot pasta to the skillet with the garlic. Pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Increase the heat to medium-high, then with a pair of tongs, toss to coat. Continue cooking and tossing constantly, until the sauce turns shiny and coats the noodles—it will take a minute or so. The pasta will be coated in a shiny, silky sauce. If the pasta becomes too tight at any point, splash in a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water (add the water slowly so that the pasta doesn’t become watery).
Zest the lemon over the top. Cut the lemon into quarters, then squeeze in the lemon juice. Sprinkle on the Parmesan. Toss again to combine. The cheese might be a bit clumpy at first, but just keep tossing, adding the tiniest splashes of pasta water only as needed. Add a good pinch of salt and several generous grinds of black pepper. Toss again. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving plates and top each serving with a sprinkle of extra Parm and a bit more black pepper. Enjoy hot.

Notes

Lemon-Caper Dressing

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Here’s a salad dressing that falls somewhere between special-occasion Caesar and “toss lemon juice and olive oil onto lettuce.” By adding a craggy paste of capers and garlic and a pouf of shaved Parmesan to the lemon and olive oil, you get a puckery, salty mix that’s packed with umami, just like Caesar, but isn’t weighed down by mayonnaise or egg yolks. It works great on arugula, Romaine, kale or radicchio; steamed or roasted vegetables; hard-boiled eggs; and even grains. The recipe developer’s mom has been feeding her this dressing since she could chew. Ali adds a bit more garlic and lemon than what you’ll find here, so adjust it until it tastes good to you.

London

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2024-05 — Great Scotland Yard Hotel (Hyatt) from ~May 20. With Shannon. First leg of the UK + Ireland trip before flying/training on to Dublin + Belfast.

Places

22b Baker Street
Jack the Ripper
The holy arms - Amy winehisie

Brickstein

dutchies Shoreditch
Morelies
Mestizo
Rum kitchen
Cafe Boheme

Caneey Whark

Uber boats
Smoke Stack

Pam’s Kitchen

Markdown

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

A quick tour of Markdown — where it came from, why I love it, how to use it.

What is Markdown?

Markdown is a markup DSL designed to be human-readable that can also be rendered into semantically correct XHTML.

Readability, however, is emphasized above all else. A Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text, without looking like it’s been marked up with tags or formatting instructions.

Due to its concise yet natural syntax it’s become the defacto standard in community forums (Reddit, StackOverflow), blogging platforms (Hugo, Jekyll), and every online wiki.

Mexico

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2023-04-04 — Cancún, Alaska flight AWWVND. Shannon traveled with Amanda and Rebecca to Holbox Island (a small resort town northwest of Cancún). Confirm whether Shawn was on this trip.

Places

Holbox Island — small beach town NW of Cancún

Molasses Sugar Cookies

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

This recipe comes from Shannon’s mom and every time she starts to take stock of all the ginger, cloves and molasses in the house I know I’m in a for a treat.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup light molasses
2 eggs
4 teaspoons baking soda
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Step 1 - Mix Wet (10-20 min)

Melt shortening in microwave
Add sugar and molasses and stir until cool
Add eggs and beat well

Step 2 - Mix Dry (5 min)

Sift flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt in separate bowl and add to first mixture.

Mt. Baker Cabin

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2018-03-30 → 03-31 — Two Bedroom Cabin 12GS (Booking.com) + Airbnb in Deming, with Shannon and Rocco
2018-01 — Two Bedroom Cabin 12GS (Booking.com, first recorded stay)

Places

The cabin itself is the place — notes below are operational, not recommendations.

Notes

Packing

Pull out the bag that will be used
Put things in it as it goes in
Use a checklist

Shopping

Don’t take full jars unless you need to

Seasonings

salt
pepper
butter
garlic

Breakfast

eggs
bacon
corn tortillas

Lunch

peanut butter
jelly
sourdough

Dinner

Ingredients for lasagna
spaghetti noodles

Snacks

Goldfish
prosciutto
parmesan crisps
Mel — charcuterie

Prep Cooking

Make taco seasoning
Make Italian seasoning

Mythic GME Reference

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

ADD A CHARACTER

Choose the most logical NPC on the Characters List and add them to the Scene.

Mythic Game Play

Scenes

Scenes are the base playable unit of every RPG. Scenes start with PCs declaring intent

Scene Flow

Setting up a scene in Mythic Game Master Emulator:

Set the Scene
- Decide how the scene begins based on character plans. Describe the location, time, and initial situation. Outline who is present and what the immediate goals are.
Test Expected Scene

Newport Beach

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2024-07-05 — Alila Marea Beach Resort, Encinitas (Hyatt, reservation #43417712). Enterprise rental from San Diego International (SAN). With Shannon.

Places

The Montage

Perpetual State of Astonishment

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The “Perpetual State of Astonishment” cocktail is inspired by the imaginative and thought-provoking nature of Iain M. Banks’ Culture series. It’s a colorful, layered drink with a surprising combination of flavors that will leave your taste buds in a perpetual state of astonishment.

Ingredients

1 oz gin
0.5 oz blue curaçao
1 oz elderflower liqueur (e.g., St. Germain)
0.5 oz lemon juice
1 oz raspberry syrup
1 oz pineapple juice
Edible glitter (optional, for garnish)
Ice

Instructions

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, blue curaçao, elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice. Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds until well chilled.
In a separate container, mix the raspberry syrup and pineapple juice.
Fill a tall glass with ice. Carefully pour the raspberry-pineapple mixture over the ice, ensuring it fills the bottom half of the glass.
Slowly strain the gin mixture from the shaker over the back of a spoon, layering it on top of the raspberry-pineapple layer. This creates a visually stunning gradient effect.
Optionally, sprinkle a pinch of edible glitter over the top of the drink for an extra touch of astonishment.
Serve and enjoy!

The “Perpetual State of Astonishment” cocktail combines the bright colors of blue curaçao and raspberry syrup with the delightful taste of elderflower liqueur and the tanginess of lemon juice. The layered appearance adds to the cocktail’s visual appeal and evokes the imaginative and surprising nature of the Culture series.

Portland, OR

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2011-02 — Hotel Vintage Plaza (Facebook check-ins early Feb, birthday weekend)

Places

Restaurants

Glenda’s Italian

San Diego

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

No trips logged yet.

Places

Bars

Part-Time Lover

San Francisco, CA

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2006-10-10 — Expedia travel package (itin #117365880109). First recorded SF trip.
2014-06 — Referenced in a message from a friend recommending a hotel during a Bay Area wildfire. Confirm attendance — may have been aspirational (“for your next trip to SF”) rather than a completed trip.

Places

(to fill in)

Solo Play Guide

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Notes on solo RPG engines, mechanics, and principles.

Core Mechanic

All solo engines answer questions: Is there a way across the chasm? How many guards? Is the door locked?

How answers are determined is the soul of the engine:

Likelihood — how likely is “yes”? More likely = fewer surprise twists.
Narrative tension — adjusting outcomes based on story pacing and pressure.
Levels of success — heroic success, partial success, tragic setback.

Rules for Solo Play

Rulings and enjoyment over rules
Keep it simple — fewer supplements, variations, addendums
Use a system you already know
Scenes are the base unit — every session is a string of scenes

Engine Comparison

Mythic GME

Determine odds → adjust for Chaos Factor → roll Fate Question
Result: Exceptional Yes / Yes / No / Exceptional No
Random Events on doubles ≤ Chaos Factor
Makes for dramatic scenes with narrative momentum

MUNE

Determine odds (advantage/disadvantage) → roll Oracle
More twists and paths at a smaller, faster level
Lighter weight than Mythic

Location Complexity (4AU Concept)

Every ship, station, artifact, or ruin has a complexity rating. Higher = more things happening.

Sonoma Goat Cheese Torta

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 lb mild goat cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter, semi-melted (1 stick)
6 oz sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (but drained)
2 cups basil, firmly packed
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt (pinch)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Instructions

1. Blend

Blend goat cheese and semi-melted butter
- consistency of spreadable cream cheese
- set aside
Blend sun-dried tomatoes
- consistency chopped but spreadable
- set aside
Blend basil, garlic, salt, pepper
- drizzle in oil while blending
- consistency of puree
- set aside

2. Assemble

Line a 3 cup mold or loaf pan with plastic wrap
Spread 1/3 goat cheese
Spread 1/2 cup basil mixture
Spread 1/3 goat cheese
Spread all sun-dried tomatoes
Spread with remaining goat cheese

3. Refrigerate

At least one hour.

4. Serve

Flip onto plate, eat with crackers or other crunchy fun things

Origin Story

My mom makes this for special occasions, and since we consider seeing family a special occasion we have this a lot. It always reminds me of family and seeing everyone over the holidays

Turkey Enchiladas

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ingredients

13 lb turkey carcass, juices
All left over meat
3-4 celery stalks, including leaves, chopped
1 large onion, quartered
3-4 carrots, rough chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1-2 pinch of salt
1-2 pinch of pepper
1 tbsp Ancho chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

1. Prep (10-20 min)

Chop and dice all the veggies
Pull off large pieces of meat from the carcass, set aside

2. Make Stock (1-2 hours)

![[turkey-stock-pot.jpeg]]

Vancouver

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

No trips logged yet.

Places

Outdoorish

Notes

Amtrak Cascades (SEA → YVR)

7:50 AM → 11:50 AM
7:00 PM → 11:00 PM

Hotel

(to fill in)

Washington, DC

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2007-05-15 → 05-17 — Expedia package (itin #119104235725 / 119104237253 / 119104384829), with Laura Oster. Deborah Oster joined for part of the trip.

Places

(to fill in)

Whistler, BC

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trips

2019-01 — Crystal Lodge and Suites (Booking.com), with Shannon.

Places

(to fill in)

World's Best Lasagna

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

![[lasagna-recipe-illustration.png]]

Ingredients

0.5 lb mild Italian sausage
0.5 lb spicy Italian sausage
0.75 lb lean ground beef
0.5 cup minced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
0.5 cup water
2 tbs white sugar
4 tbs chopped fresh parsley, divided
1.5 tsp dried basil leaves
1.5 tsp salt, divided, or to taste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
0.5 tsp fennel seeds
0.25 tsp ground black pepper
12 lasagna noodles
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
0.75 lbs mozzarella cheese, sliced
0.75 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Step 1

Gather all your ingredients.

monocularjack

Fractal Terra SFF Build Guide

Critical Decisions (read first) link

1. Spine setting — the most important choice in this case link

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Dough link

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Game design notes

Solo RPG Structure link

Solo RPGs Structure link

Scenes Drive the Game link

Compare link

GraphQL

Learning Resources link

Resolvers link

Ireland

Trips link

Places link

Notes link

Critical Decisions (read first)

1. Spine setting — the most important choice in this case

Trips

Places

Trips

Places

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

Instructions

Premise

Ingredients

Instructions

Trips

Places

Ingredients

Structure

Comments

Naming

Projects

Trips

Places

Restaurants

Booze

Bars

Weed

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

Instructions

Overview

Eclipsed — Rulebook v1.0

Overview

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

Dough

For the Pan & Topping

Instructions

1. Proof the Yeast

Solo RPG Structure

Solo RPGs Structure

Scenes Drive the Game

Compare

Learning Resources

Resolvers

Trips

Places

Notes

Trips

Places

Ingredients

Instructions

Trips

Places

Trips

Places

Restaurants

Notes

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Trips

Places

What is Markdown?

Trips

Places

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1 - Mix Wet (10-20 min)

Step 2 - Mix Dry (5 min)

Trips

Places

Notes

Packing