Life 👨🏻‍🦰

(I was supposed to release this start of November, but life got in the way.)

Spooky season has come and gone, and I've decided it's time to bring back the monthly vibes. The twist this time? I've renamed it to "Mumblings."

I plan to do these far more often and stick to at least a monthly schedule. Hopefully, I can keep track of what I've been up to and share it with you all.

So, what's new? Quite a lot, actually... Let's dive in.

New Car 🚗

I splashed out and grabbed a 2018 Ford Focus Titanium. It's a lovely drive and makes life outside London much easier. I never realized how much I missed having a proper car with Apple CarPlay and all the other tech. It's insane how much technology is packed into cars now—and equally insane how restrictive the suppliers are with it. I'm looking at you, Ford.

Summer of Weddings 💒

I've been to three weddings this year. All were very different but equally enjoyable. In light of Thanksgiving, I'm extremely grateful to have been invited to all of them, and the memories will last a lifetime. This also meant attending three stag dos—two in Spain and one in the UK. Surprisingly, it's exhausting.

New Phone 📱

After being a hardcore Android user for over 10 years, I've decided to switch to the dark side and get an iPhone. I've been using it for a few months now, and I'm really enjoying it. The camera is amazing, and the battery life is incredible. Everything. Just. Works. While I miss a few Pixel-specific features like the work profile and Google Assistant, Siri fills the gap well enough. Besides, Google Assistant's value really dropped off at the start of 2024.

Running 🏃🏻‍♂️

I've been running a lot more recently—I've hit 500km this year and counting. Follow me on Strava. I've got two races lined up for next year: Greener Earth Trail 10 mile, and the annual winter 10k, London Winter Run. These will be my first official runs since the Hertfordshire Half Marathon in 2021.

What I've Spoken About 🎤

I spoke at LNUG! I gave a talk on Escaping the Legacy Code Trap, a project I was part of at Beamery.

What I've Written ✍️

Surprisingly, since the last vibes, I've published a couple of pieces:

• Dot File Management - A guide on managing dot files and automating developer environment setup.
• Cognitive Complexity in Code - An exploration of cognitive complexity in code and strategies to reduce it.

What I've Read 📚

I've been revisiting The Pragmatic Programmer. It's a fantastic book, and I've been actively implementing its practices into my daily work.

I recently subscribed to the Pragmatic Engineer newsletter and have been enjoying its blend of tech and career advice. Check it out here. In a similar vein, Thorsten Ball has been publishing some excellent content about programming and tech in general.

What I've Watched 📺

Where do I begin? Some standout YouTube channels I've been following:

• ThePrimeagen: No-nonsense programming and tech discussions.
• Theo t3: Similar vibes to Primeagen.
• I'm obsessed with Exploding Kittens, particularly this segment.
• I'm rewatching Silicon Valley, and it's still as good as I remember. It's my other half's first time watching it, and she's loving it too.

What I've Listened To 🎧

• During my runs, I've been diving into podcasts. This two-part series about Microsoft really stands out—each part is four hours long, so there's plenty of content to digest.
• I've also been listening to The Pragmatic Engineer podcast, which is a great blend of tech and career advice.