Was planning to write a review about my new Pixel watch but I can't be bothered to now. I'll just say I never figured myself being into smartwatches or fitness trackers before this year. That all changed when I got the Fitbit Sense 2.

Then later in the year I had the chance to try the Pixel Watch 1 before the Watch 2 was released. It was missing some features from the Fitbit I was used to and the battery on it barely lasted a day--whereas the Fitbit Sense 2 lasts a week!--but it still integrated so well with my phone that I started to like it a lot.

I said to myself I would only consider the switch from the Fitbit Sense 2 if the Pixel Watch 2 addressed those issues. Well, it did, so I did.

Nikki inherited the Sense 2 and I'm super happy she is able to use it. I hope she loves it as much as I did.

In conclusion, I like these devices so much now that I can't picture going back. I have even started pairing down my regular watch collection.

Last week I received a letter from CBP indicating I no longer need to chase after a waiver, I am free to cross over to the US whenever I would like.

(I'm downplaying the [20 year] gap in my life and the journey to get here and how big and important of a deal this is to me personally. It's been life-altering.)

To test this newfound access, Pircsi and I decided on a quick trip to Target, then to Olive Garden for dinner. Great success! The border was no hassle. We got through in less than a minute. I took a moment to take it all in, and it all seemed very surreal. It still does this morning.

Oh, in less important but just as exciting news, I pre-ordered a Pixel Watch 2 and it arrived yesterday. I'll do a separate post on that in a bit.

Everything is coming up Milhouse.

Except for dropping my phone in the Target parking lot last night and shattering the screen.

Junior Brown. The best brown dog to ever step foot in Lake Erie.

He was made for this.

Another beautiful morning on the island.

Nikki's favourite season. 🍄

This was the third encore for the Civic Day fireworks. Port Colborne knows how to put on a good show. Canal Days was a blast this year, we enjoyed it a lot and made lots of new memories.

Found this song today and I'm loving it.
https://on.soundcloud.com/tX8pk

And John popping a wheelie.

Android Auto stopped working in Nikki's 2018 Honda Civic tonight out of nowhere. For anyone who has this issue, for us a reset on her audio system was the fix. Going to Settings, System and doing a Factory Reset. After that, when we plugged a USB cable into the Android Auto-compatible port and connected her phone it successfully started setting it up again.

It actually didn't entirely set it up properly until we also manually paired HandsFreeLink, by disconnecting the cable first, then pairing it through the car's Bluetooth menu.

I should've learned by now to shut my mouth and not say things I can't commit to.

In my defense, I really was set on not using Instagram again, as well as never owning a smartwatch. But a few months of isolation from the world -- Instagram being the last thread tying me to the masses -- I started to feel like this guy. I mainly missed the chat and the passing of nonsense posts back and forth to friends and family.

So I got a shiny new Instagram account -- I'm even on Threads and Messenger -- This new account is not tied to my old one in any way. I had to get a bit clever to pull that one off because no matter what they have you believe when you delete your account, Meta doesn't forget about you or any of your details. I also did my best to restrict the new account, denying but a drop of permissions, but I am sure they still collect it all. I did keep the account public because so is this website I suppose. I will not be posting as frivolously as I did on the old account though.

Secondly, and this sort of came out of nowhere -- I got a Fitbit. What happened was a few weeks ago I found the old Fitbit Versa that used to belong to my dad (we inherit their old technologies) and charged it up. I gave it a trial run for a couple of days and really liked the heart and sleep monitoring features.

So much so that I ended up buying the Fitbit Sense 2. I've been wearing it for about 2.5 weeks now, and it's been a great tool and a very useful addition to my aging existence. It's also curbed my need to want to buy -- or even browse -- any other "real" watches. I guess that's an added bonus.

So yeah, two of three things I said I'd never use [again] in my life... What's next? Chat GPT?

Not. Bloody. Likely. That one I can say with 1000% confidence. Everyone around me keeps telling me stories of how it has saved them time or helped write things for them... I find it bit disturbing to be honest. We no longer have to think or be challenged? No thanks.

Whopper-Smacker is a game where you get whopper-smacked by your opponent's pillow, while you're lying down on the bed and covering your face with your own pillow.

Junior had 4 lumps, 4 skin tags, and a non-cancerous tumour on his eyelid removed today.

Finally fixed dagh.net. It's been broken since Dreamhost's PHP 8 mandatory update. Apparently I've had some broken SQL code baked in there since 2007 which didn't surface until the update.

I found a piece of fire hose on the side of Highway 3 one day, near the 140. Today I made a notebook cover out of it.

I saw this written in Nikki’s planner–she keeps her planner open on the kitchen island to keep track of things–and while I can only guess the tone or frame of mind she intended, I think it describes today very well. With the exception that, to get to where we are today, she didn’t do a good job, she did an amazing job.

Our marriage hasn’t been the fairy tale she deserves. She married someone that repeatedly puts up a wall and says mean things when he perceives things to be a personal attack. She married someone that isn’t there to emotionally support her because he has no idea how to do that. She married someone that, when put on the spot during an argument, can't name one thing he loves about her because he has his wall up, even though he has a million reasons.

In the past 10 years (3,652 days) we had countless great moments. On top of the list is creating the most perfect human who is smart, funny, kind, caring, emotional and supportive. (He’s only 9 but he already puts me to shame in most of those traits, especially the last three.)

These great moments, while absolute contributors to the success of being here to celebrate today, don't necessarily balance out the few negatives which have the most impact. In some cases, our great moments were marred by those negative ones.

I am not the same person I was 10 years ago. I am not even the same person I was one year ago. While my fun, quirky characteristics are still at my core and make me who I am, today I am much more aware than I have ever been.

I’ve never seen things so clearly, and I have never been so grateful for what I have. Not only in my personal life but also in my professional life. I have started to communicate, to share, to feel. To really feel.

All because she chose to be with me. To put up with me, to coach me, to support me.

So, Nikki.

Thank you for being able to name not one but 10 things you love about me, even put on the spot during an argument.

Thank you for your sense of humor.

Thank you for saying exactly what I need to hear because I need to hear it, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Thank you for being the first person to listen to my ramblings about the little things that excite me that nobody really cares about.

Thank you for growing up reading so many books because John now loves to read.

Thank you for challenging me to be the best dad for John.

Thank you for asking me tough questions.

Thank you for making me call the vet.

Thank you for having the best gift ideas and teaching me that thinking of others is not a last minute thing.

Thank you for always looking for ways to make life better for our family.

Thank you for always giving honest answers to John’s questions.

Thank you for being the most selfless person I know even though I try to make you feel otherwise when I have my wall up.

Thank you for being my inspiration on this journey.

And thank you for making me want to be a better man, not for you, but for myself.

You are more stunning today than the day I met you. I am super proud of all of your accomplishments and feel very fortunate that you have chosen to share your life with me. I love you.

Happy anniversary. ❤

One day John said to his mom "I have a quote I just came up with" and said this.

Nikki sent me this video earlier. I am using it as the first test of embedding videos on my site.