Tasks and Talk

Book club meeting—scheduling conflicts with upcoming meetings, Dec. 18 is a popular day. Disassembled photo studio. KAI discussion—set objective to give presentation on Jan. 10, 2026. Turkey broth in fridge—should cook down further, make paste. Minecraft—built most of rail bed between Porto Alegre and Telluride. Bus to Squirrels. Met Dave, marine biologist at OSU, discussed living in Corvallis and commuting to Newport. Chatted with Steve—pondered analogy and metaphor with respect to AI reasoning, no clear conclusions yet. Steve brought me home. Ancient Civilizations—Han Dynasty overview.

Generally Forward Progress

December 5, 2025

These notes describe the events of Thursday, 12/4/2025.

Did some planning in the morning. The practical work of organizing the day, figuring out what needs to happen when, coordinating the various activities and commitments.

Attended the book club meeting. Scheduling conflicts with upcoming meetings—December 18 is a popular day with multiple commitments, competing events, overlapping obligations. Working through the complications to figure out when the next gatherings can actually happen.

Disassembled the photo studio. Transforming the basement back from photo studio configuration to its other uses—packing up equipment, clearing the space, returning things to their usual places. The studio exists temporarily when needed, then gets put away until the next shoot.

Participated in the KAI discussion. We set an objective to give the presentation on January 10, 2026. Moving from ongoing conversation to specific commitment—putting a date on the calendar, creating a concrete goal that shapes the work between now and then.

Random Fall leaves

Put the turkey broth in the fridge. Looking at it, probably should just cook it down further and make a paste out of it. The broth from Thanksgiving turkey, still being processed, still being figured out. Sometimes the best approach emerges after you've started rather than before.

Played Minecraft. Built most of the rail bed between Porto Alegre and Telluride. The ongoing world-building project, connecting locations, creating infrastructure. The satisfaction of making progress on large-scale construction, seeing the line extend across the landscape.

Took the bus to Squirrels. The regular pattern of using public transportation to get to social gatherings, avoiding the need to drive, building in time to think during the transit.

Met Dave while waiting for Steve. He's a marine biologist at OSU. We discussed living in Corvallis and commuting to Newport—the tradeoffs of location, the practical realities of working at the coast while living inland. The conversations that happen naturally while waiting, connections made through casual encounters.

Chatted with Steve. We pondered analogy and metaphor with respect to AI reasoning. No clear conclusions or insights yet—exploring the territory, thinking through the questions, not yet arriving at definitive answers. Sometimes the value is in the exploration itself rather than reaching conclusions.

Steve brought me home. The convenience of getting a ride, the continuation of conversation during the drive.

Watched Ancient Civilizations. The episode gave an overview of the Han Dynasty—the historical sweep, the developments and innovations, the patterns that shaped Chinese civilization during that period.

The day moved through practical tasks, intellectual work, and social connection. Book club coordination dealing with scheduling complications. Photo studio disassembled until next needed. KAI discussion setting concrete presentation date. Minecraft progress on infrastructure building. Evening at Squirrels with conversation about marine biology careers and AI reasoning questions. Ancient Civilizations providing historical context and perspective.

Thursday combined maintenance work with forward planning. Disassembling the studio, dealing with turkey broth, organizing book club logistics—the practical tasks that keep things running. KAI presentation date creating specific goal. Minecraft building creating visible progress. Conversations with Dave and Steve exploring different territories—career logistics and philosophical questions about AI reasoning. The Han Dynasty episode offering a glimpse into a different civilization, different time, different patterns of human organization and achievement.