An Introduction

I've tried this blogging thing many a-time. I seem to do a lot better with short form social media, but sometimes it's nice to have a place to write out longer thoughts, even if I'm just screaming into the void (like, who is even reading this anyway?). In any case, I don't really have a plan--this is a personal blog, after all. I don't even know how much I'll really write, but when I do, I'm sure the topics will be varied and maybe even interesting.

What Catches My Interest

Technology

You are browsing this site via a blog I host on my own. I've always been interested in technology, and I've run a hobby server from time-to-time. Growing up, folks told me I should do something with computers. The world of computers is very broad; like, should I get into hardware, networking, programming (and then, frontend, backend), security. So I just kind of tinker with whatever strikes my fancy, just to see if I can do it.

Philosophically, I'm not keen on paying exorbitant amounts of money just for a hobby, nor am I interested in my data being owned by Big Tech (though I certainly use a lot of their products). I also don't really want a lot of ads cluttering my site or limitations on what I can do if something strikes my fancy. I have the skills and tools, so why not practice them as a hobby.

Data

I love data. I'm an accountant by training and profession, so this makes sense. I don't just keep books; I extract the data from the books, combine it with non-financial data, and tell a story. There's so much in this domain to learn, and I spend a lot of time teaching myself how to do it. In this vein, I've learned a lot about SQL, various ETL and analytics tools (I've used KNIME, I use the Power Platform daily for work, and I've dabbled a bit in Tableau). I'm currently working on python, though that's slow going because if I can get it done in the other ways I know, the motivation to use a different tool doesn't exactly manifest

Running and Lifting

There's a joke that millennials self select into a limited number of hobbies as they hit middle age. Mine happened to be running and lifting. After a lifetime of generally being sedentary and trying to figure out my own mental health and a year of COVID that didn't really help with either of those things, I started working hard on my physical and mental health. Lifting came first and then running. You can read more about my story here: How Hal Jankowski Started Running And Changed His Life - Run Tri Bike I'm not trying to become a competitive power lifter, and I do what I enjoy, what works for me, and what supports my running. I also have no illusions of becoming a master or grandmaster elite runner. I enjoy the challenge of working on improving against myself and every season has its purpose--I've worked on both speed and endurance at different times, and I'm satisfied with that.

Cooking and Eating

I like to joke that if I had done things a little differently, I could have been the Pioneer Woman. We started blogging about food and recipes around the same time; she was much more talented than I was and managed to turn it into an empire. I... Well, I spent a lot of money making food, taking mediocre pictures, and then letting life get in the way! However, the passion still remains, and I'm usually the one who coordinates planning our weekly menu and preparing a lot of the food (that's not to say I don't have help--my wife and kids contribute significantly, but I think I find the most joy in it). I haven't met many pasta dishes I don't like, and I could probably eat American Chinese food every day and not get sick of it. I also really enjoy coffee and own 5 different tools for extracting a fresh brew!

Traveling and the Arts

I enjoy experiences rather than things. I've been lucky to travel to many places, both domestic and foreign. We're currently working out way through the US National Parks. We are also avid arts fans, particularly theater. We've been to a number of professional shows, including with our kids, and our kids are actively involved in their school arts programs.

So, I guess that means any of this is fair game for what I might talk about here. Then again, I might talk about anything. So, congrats if you've stuck around this long. Anticipatory congrats if you stick around longer. Maybe we'll have some fun. Maybe it'll just be me screaming into the void.