Holidays
from toroidalcore
The 2024 holiday season is about to come to a close, or has already depending on how you look at it. I traveled and stayed with family, and will be returning home soon. It's been a good break from work, a change of scenery, and an opportunity to see new people.
It's also kind of tiring. Yes and no – I get to sleep in, but also have had a few late nights this time around. This is something I'd like to avoid going forward. I also brought projects with me, thinking I'd make progress on them with all that free time I'll have. Well, sort of. I have made progress on some things, but have completely ignored others. That's usually how it goes. I didn't spend enough time before I left on the mental calculation of what I'd actually be likely to look at; had I done so, it may have taken some of the pressure off.
Still, I'm happy I made it out. It's a little adventure. And, we had snow for Christmas! Years ago that wouldn't have been as much of a surprise, but it kind of has been more and more lately.
I have a longish drive to go here/return, but nothing I'm not used to. A few hours. Friends of mine have longer commutes on the order of 1-2 days, and so only make it to our hometown for major holidays.
January is still a little bit of a break. Work shouldn't be too bad, and some other things I'm involve in ramp down a little. It will likely be cold, despite misgivings about climate change and Christmas time, but also cozy in a way. Plus the days get longer.
Projects
Let's see, I'm posting here, which comes with some strife about whether I should make this my primary blog or not. It's a lot simpler than Wordpress, and mentally has a lower barrier, so there's that. A static site generator, however, is somewhere on the list, but we'll see.
The Solar Pi is something I'd like to get running this year. It's just a Raspberry Pi running a simple website, powered (mostly) when the sun is out. There's a good bit to explore there, but it's kind of a concept art project.
Microgrids – specifically DC ones – are something else. Basically, power converters that can share power bidirectionally, between different semi-independent systems. Like, an off-grid PV system that dumps some excess power into running network gear. Yes, grid-tied PV handily solves this, but this should be more fun.
The inverter – something I've had in my head for a decade – is another. That should be fun.
Animals
I thought I might be ending up with a dog, but things didn't work out as I'd imagined. Maybe this year.
In the mean time I enjoy the antics of George, and his feline relatives (through adoption) when he comes with me to visit my parents. The journey is tough for him, but he's happy being with the other cats which is nice.
The nature center I volunteer with is taking a break for the season, but that's always fun.
And That's It
That's all I have right now.