B News :
img
Oct
08

Day 8: The Curly Conundrum

Day eight of furlough. I woke at 0545, not because of discipline or duty, but because I forgot to disable my weekday alarm — the one meant for a job I currently can’t go to. Nothing like being jolted awake […]

img
Oct
07

Day 7: The Great Windows Uprising

Day seven of furlough. I rose at 0630 to the faint hum of rebellion. Today’s mission: update Curly and Moe to Windows 11. Moe complied immediately — cooperative, efficient, the model citizen of the digital republic. Curly, however, was defiant. […]

img
Oct
06

Day 6: Caffeine and Constitution

Day six of furlough. I rose at 0600, half from discipline, half from the siren call of a Venti White Chocolate Mocha. Breakfast, if you can call it that, came in a cup labeled with my name spelled wrong. A […]

img
Oct
06

Day 5: The Bark Briefing

Day five of furlough. I rose at 6:30 to the sound of the morning briefing. Remington, now officially Sergeant-at-Arms of the Living Room, delivered it from the hallway rug. Her opening statement: “WOOF.” Translation: all clear, though she suspects the […]

img
Oct
04

Day 4: Scandal in the Kitchen

Day four of furlough. I awoke at 6:30 a.m. to find Mittens holding an impromptu press conference from atop the laundry basket. He claimed victory in the “Birdgate” investigation, citing “no credible evidence of foreign avian interference.” The committee adjourned […]

img
Oct
03

Day 3: First Reports From the Front

Day three of furlough. I woke at 6 AM, not out of discipline but because Remington declared a state of emergency over a suspicious leaf in the backyard. Crisis averted, democracy preserved. Breakfast was once again Cinnamon & Brown Sugar […]

img
Oct
02

Day 2: Oatmeal Diplomacy

Day two of furlough. I woke up at 7 AM sharp, proof that discipline still courses through my veins, even if bile no longer does. The gallbladder may be gone, but my sense of duty remains intact. And also sore. […]

img
Oct
01

Day 1: The Sock Drawer Rebellion

Day one of furlough. I set my alarm anyway, discipline must be maintained, only to turn it off immediately and sleep until 10. This was a tactical decision, not laziness. Recovery from gallbladder extraction requires precision napping. The doctors removed […]

img
Jul
24

National Drowning Prevention Week 2025

“Safer Together” — Honoring the Life of Malcolm-Jamal Warner July 20–26, 2025 Each summer, the Lifesaving Society leads National Drowning Prevention Week (NDPW) to spotlight a sobering truth: too many lives are lost to drowning — a tragedy that is […]

img
Jul
08

Flashpoint: Strange New Worlds Pt. 1 — Patch Overview and Commander Breakdown

“Let him run. We have their Transogen supply line cut off. House Hurak will remember this day as the beginning of their downfall.” — Captain Pike 🛠️ What’s New in Flashpoint Pt. 1 New Narrative Arc: Flashpoint New Resource: Transogen […]

img
Jul
08

The Pre-Dive Safety Check: A Simple Habit That Separates Newbies from Experts

As a newly certified diver on the path toward becoming a more advanced and confident underwater explorer, I’ve learned one truth that comes up again and again: mastering the fundamentals is what keeps you safe and helps you grow. One […]

img
Jul
03

Dialing In: Our First Full Gear Setup

After completing our first 6 dives in rental gear, Shawn and I took the plunge and built our own dive kits — optimized for comfort, reliability, and long-term progression. We started with exposure protection. I went with a Henderson Thermaxx […]

img
May
06

Wrath of Khan Part 1

🧬 Wrath of Khan Part 1: The Return of a Legend Khan Noonien Singh has shattered the timeline, defeating James T. Kirk and seizing forbidden Progenitor knowledge. Now, he and his Augment followers threaten the galaxy. This arc introduces new […]

img
Apr
21

Pushing Limits: Our Deep Diving Specialty

April 21, 2025 • Certification • Deep Diver (SSI) On April 21, 2025, Shawn and I completed our SSI Deep Diving Specialty, giving us the training and certification to explore depths down to 130 feet (40 meters). It was our […]

img
Mar
17

Diving Longer: Our Enriched Air Nitrox Certification

March 17, 2025 • Certification • Enriched Air Nitrox (EANx 40%) On March 17, 2025, Shawn and I completed our SSI Enriched Air Nitrox (EANx 40%) certification — unlocking the ability to dive with longer no-decompression limits and reduced nitrogen […]