Another updatey update
I'm doing terribly at sticking to update schedules — it's Friday already, and oh how time flies.
In classic me fashion, I’ve found myself a new small-businessy distraction: making Morse code keys for ham radio operators. Y'know, the kind of people who hike up mountains or sit in parks with tiny QRP rigs, sending dits and dahs across the world. Honestly, I love it. My first proper radio contact with one of those little QRP-Labs kit radios kind of sparked all of this, so it's weirdly poetic that I’m now building gear for that exact kind of operation.
I’ve ordered a bunch of parts and printed all the plastic bits — yes, the Prusa is finally online and chugging away beautifully, now hooked up through the Raspberry Pi 3. Which is funny, because that same Pi was sort of my intro to this whole radio hobby in the first place. (Longtime readers — all 0 of you — might remember that earlier blog post where I mentioned that Raspberry Pi event at Bletchley Park. Look at us now.)
And speaking of full circles, I saw yet another Da Vinci printer pop up on TradeMe this week. Every time I see one, it brings back a lot of memories. That printer was janky, outdated, and an absolute pain to keep running… but it mattered, not because of the machine, but because of everything else that came with it. It was never really about the printer.
Amidst all of this, I’ve been thinking about the not-so-distant future. In about three years, I’ll be off at university. That’s… wild. It feels close. It feels weird. I think I’m ready — but I also think I’m enjoying this part of the timeline too much to rush forward just yet. But at the same time, it also feels so far away. Some kind of relativity thing, probably. Time dilation. Or just existential dread with extra steps.
And through it all, my head’s been pretty clear. Calm. Aside from the good memories and excellent people (person) who are always there in the background — it’s been the perfect amount of hectic.
(Yes, 100% a reference to her, I know, I know. But look, it’s just once this post, okay? Life’s not all technical and business. Even “professionals” have feelings. Shocking, I know. Not that I'm exactly professional though... )
Earlier this week, I had a great chat with a physics teacher about thermoplastics and radios and electricity — standard Daniel small talk. At one point he just went, “Why didn’t they let you take Level 2 physics this year?”
I don’t know either, man. Bureaucracy? Mercury in retrograde? Maybe the universe just rolled a nat-1 on my subject selection. Honestly, I’m not too hung up on it anymore. But it was funny hearing that from a teacher who agrees Year 11 is a bit silly — but in the fun, dumb way that I kind of enjoy.
So yeah. Life’s good. The prusa’s humming, the Pi’s blinking, the Morse keys are being made, and I’m still me — just slightly more distracted than usual.
Catch you next time. Probably off-schedule again.
73,
Daniel