I have to say, I’d really gotten used to spending days how I liked — having time to take care of errands, working on the robot arm or some other woodworking project, having lunch with friends all over the city, etc. — this whole work thing is cramping my style! That’s hyperbole, of course, but it is taking some getting used to.

Progress on the robot arm has slowed, but I’m excited for what progress I am making — the cabinet/table where the arm will live is really coming together nicely. Not quite ready to share all the details, but I will say it involves a lot of pretty wood veneer, and also some time on my buddy’s CNC mill. It’s gonna be good, and apparently I sorta committed to debuting the machine at this year’s Pi(e) Party. T-minus five weeks!

The other thing that slowed down bartender progress was a welcome trip to southern California, something that’s becoming an annual tradition. This one included plenty of family time, a trip to the wonderfully weird Museum of Jurassic Technology, a visit to the Maloof Residence, lots of walking, and tons of good food (including some dumplings to get me even more in the mood for our upcoming Taipei trip).