November 2025
It's insane how it's almost 2026. I feel like I've been at college (UCSB) for a few weeks, yet at the same time, the end of high school (May 2025) feels like it happened years ago. Time drifts off and evaporates really, really easily.
So what's happened in my life since Halloween?
- (11/2) I read a paper on excellence (Chambliss, 1989). I really loved reading it, the insights I gained, and that overall day.
- (11/4) Finish reading Snow Crash [link needed].
- (11/8) Took Saturday metaphorically "off". Felt a lot better taking Saturday slow.
- (11/11) Signed up for a poker bot tournament (and regular poker tournament). My bot ended up winning (big stack going into the final table of 3 bots). Very happy about winning and also the programming that went into this project. (Most of the programming was also done the night before the competition from 9pm-4am.)
- (11/15) Caught a cold. This cold is still partially with me and I hate it.
- (11/21) Went back up to the Bay and tended to my sickness. It's AWESOME to be back at home and I love sleeping in my own bed as well as seeing people I know at a deeper level and eating home-cooked food. Thanksgiving break truly was a great time.
- (11/22) I swallow a pill for the first time. This event was literally a miracle.
Other than these interesting snippets of my life, not much "out of the ordinary" has happened. Tasks have been accomplished, classes have been attended (some of them at least), conversations have been had, and the mundane life continues.
Interesting thoughts on life that I've come away with from November:
- Progress in my life seems to be more discrete than continuous -- things don't happen at a "steady pace"; rather, they come in jumps and bursts.
- Half the days, I felt not great about myself when I went to bed :(
- Weekly Reviews are hard to do but they work. Somewhat at least.
- Life is weird.