2023

My 2023 can be defined in one word: intense.

The recession significantly impacted us professionally, leading to the loss of some projects. Even on our main client, there were multiple layoffs, despite us not being affected.

On a more personal level, it was challenging to witness my child's growth and navigate a larger and more intricate social circle as a parent.

Amidst sick days and other challenges, my mind went into overdrive, leading to another season of burnout. However, this sparked my creative flames, and since mid-year, I rediscovered my passion for composing and producing music, something I hadn't done in almost 20 years. It was a wildfire of sonic ideas that began with field recordings in Portland, and it's still burning strong.

I'm grateful for my partner's patience, who supported me through ups and downs and truly saved me in the toughest moments.

On a more positive note, I accomplished many things in 2023. Here's an excerpt:

• Visited two new countries (France and Greece)
• Rediscovered my love for Hellenic Black Metal, another source that added fuel to the creative fire
• Was able to survive the recession and keep everything afloat, with prospects of improving things starting November 2023
• Read 33 books. I have no idea how I made this happen with the little time left for myself when I was obsessed with composing.

With that in mind, here are the classic "Best of" lists of 2023:

Music

The list of remarkable music I listened to in 2023 is short:

• Rat wars, by HEALTH
• A number of EPs from Vestron Vulture that were compiled into the LP Roll Mottle (Best album of the year)
• Portland Jazz Radio (even outside PDX)
• Twin Tribes' "Fantasmas" was my most listed song over the year. Like non-stop

Books

I didn't read as much as I wanted in 2023. From 33 books, only one was truly amazing. I would say the following was the best of the crop:

• The Magus, John Fowler (Best book of the year)
• Last Call, Tim Power
• Life Ceremony, Sayaka Murata
• Haunted, Chuck Palahniuk

In 2023, the time dedicated to reading was overshadowed by the time spent on making music. And it lost.

Tech

• Getting deep into C and audio synthesis

  In December, I got into a rabbit hole to use C and numeric oscillators to compose a song based on the original code of a fellow Merveillite, Takumar

  This got into an unexpected rabbit hole when the soundscape composing got intertwined with Jerdehl and things started to happen

• Going from AI Hype to AI Meh

  Initially, I was optimistic about AI. However, my enthusiasm waned after learning about the energy cost of running the LLMs. I'm looking for something simpler to host on a Raspberry Pi at home. We're not quite there yet

• Getting into the self-hosted train

  This year, I switched from LastPass SaSS to my private Bitwarden vault, running over Tailscale, and served from home. It's been reliable for months. I plan to add more services to my "homelab" and rely less on others' infrastructure. Next up: 2FA

• BenQ Screenbar

  My eyes are very sensitive to light, an adverse result of several surgeries on them I've had over the years, and that's one of the adverse results. The BenQ Screenbar has been a lifesaver, making everything around my desk brighter (but not too bright) and easier on my eyes

• Kagi Search Engine

  I've reading many raving reviews about Kagi, and after setting it as my default search engine, I never looked back. I'm a happy subscriber. I don't think I've ever had to retry a search on Google to find what I need. Having my own page ranking is simply amazing.

• Deep Sea DeepDeck

  As an HHKB afficionado, I appreciate the efficiency of secondary pads to complement my workflow. Among the ones I've used, the classic RAMA M10 stood out for a long time. However, in 2023, I decided to try the Deep Sea DeepDeck. It's been an amazing and liberating experience with its versatile knobs, buttons, infinite layers, and helpful small screen. Highly recommended.

• USB chargeable AA batteries

  Many of my gadgets used to rely on AA batteries, which always bothered me due to the e-waste they generate. However, my partner sent me a link to USB chargeable AAs, and I quickly purchased them. These batteries charge fast; since I switched, I always have a charged pack of 4 ready to replace my drained batteries. No more wastefulness.

Games

I didn't enjoy many games in 2023, except for a bit of Diablo Immortal towards the end of the year. Yes, I know it has its flaws, like being P2W, but I didn't spend money on it anyway.

Assorted

• Sonic Mementos

  I have started making sonic mementos this year and hope to dig deeper into this in 2024.

• Trips

  Traveling always gives me a fresh perspective. The void deserves praise.

• Jambys

  I spent most of 2023 wearing clothes from Jambys. So comfy.

• Mastodon only

  I've quit all social networks except Mastodon, where I mainly interact with my home instance and a few close friends.

• Stopping caring about coffee

  High-quality coffee no longer interests me for some reason. I've been drinking whatever I can find, surviving on coffee pods. The old me would be ashamed, but it's important to let go of labels that no longer make sense.

• No more r/mechkeyboards, HHKB celibate

  I stopped spending lots of money on mechanical keyboards and settled for the Happy Hacking Keyboard as my daily driver. Saves me a lot of money.

• In-country travel with my family

  We drove through the country to take my kid and friends to parks, nature, and small farms. It greatly helped our sanity.

I also got two mementos in 2023 that I will treasure forever:

• The Kolomboi

  When I discovered that I was going to Greece and started to research the country, I got enchanted by the idea of The Kolomboi — essentially the first fidget toy ever created for this sole purpose. I researched a lot online to understand how people use it and purchased one with beads made of onyx. I love love it. So good. It's always with me, and I keep passing the beads very slowly, just one by one, tac tac tac.

• Cheap Vintage 1955 USSR Mechanical Wristwatch

  While browsing on eBay, I came across a friend's discovery of affordable vintage USSR pocket watches converted into wristwatches. I found one with a stunning design and decided to upgrade the straps. The result? I'm absolutely in love with it. You can even hear the rhythmic ticking — It provides me a sense of grounding and comfort.

Things I was looking forward for 2023

• More trips

  Got it

• More books

  Not really

• Less screen time

  Still fighting

• No mobile P2W games

  I played almost nothing and spent no money on Diablo Immortal, so I think I'm good

• Mask-free life

  Not really. I can't stay in an airport or airplane without one.

• Not die from COVID

  Check.

• Fewer dragons to chase

  That's a hard one. Still trying

Things that didn't live up to my personal hype

• The Steamdeck

  I think I just need to accept I'm not a gamer anymore and stop spending money on games/gaming gadgets. I don't have time for triple-A games, and I despise P2W mobile games

Things I'm looking forward for 2024

• Materialize something by random chance

  That's a hard one. Onwards.

• Stop working (for real) around 4 PM — Prioritize family and time alone with my partner
• Continue making music, but at a slower pace
• Get back exercising
• Get some office space

  I'm tired and burned out from WFH. I need a space where I can both socialize and close the door when needed

• Keep traveling to unwind. International at least twice a year. Bonus points if I can take my family with me
• MNT Pocket Reform

  I want to explore using a minimal Linux environment on a daily basis. I plan to do it using the MNT Pocket Reform in 2024

• Less screen time
• Mask-free life
• Not die from COVID
• Fewer dragons to chase