Ayden: Baba, American flag is better than Texas flag.

Me: How come?

Ayden: Because it has more stars!

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I think a lot of people would love to live their life as if they are on a permanent vacation. Before I was married, I didn’t make a lot of money but felt like that everyday was a vacation.

For me, vacation means:

1. Eating out/not cooking
2. Not cleaning
3. Spending time outside
4. Not working
5. Ready to travel

Eating out is cheaper than cooking, if you are not picky. I ate mostly fast food. Of course, it is not healthy but it is vacation. Also it is still better than overeating home-cooked meals.

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Simplification of dev setup:

1. VPS
2. Docker
3. vim/neovim
4. iPad Pro 11 + Keyboard
5. Blink shell

Apps to develop

1. web apps
2. apis
3. text generator using ai
4. number crunching/data science python/R
5. blogs
6. command line games and apps
7. php/js/go/python/ruby/c/c++

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Yesterday, I ordered some tissue culture and planting supplies.

Indoors plants market is huge. There is a lot to learn. There are new terms, new communities to join. But it is pretty exciting.

The main reasons I decided to explore this space is because:

1. It is slower paced. Cannot pull all-nighter to make plants grow faster.
2. My kids should enjoy it. And I can get them involved.
3. There are interesting methods to master like creating perfect environment for optimal growth, growing exotic plants, etc.
4. It can be scaled to more commercial operations, renting a greenhouse or something similar.
5. Plants are good for the planet.
6. If it fails, I will have plants for our home.

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Follow up to my last post, the people I admire the most are usually startup founders or business people. And then creators of open source softwares.

This weekend, I also met my engineer turned entrepreneur friend and saw Jobs movie. It seems I know what I should do.

I want a business that gives a lot of freedom, especially freedom to be with my kids. If I can involve kids in the business, it would be even better. Would love low stress business but it is not a requirement.

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“What should you do with your life”, this the question I almost ask myself daily. I am still not sure what should be my long-term goals.

I have gone back and forth between pursuing my hobbies as a career, focusing on corporate career, and starting businesses.

Recently, I learned a simple question that can provide you insights into your deeper aspirations. The question is:

Who are your heros?

Ask yourself who are your heros, who do you feel inspired by, who do you read about, and who were your heros when you were a child.

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Driving to Ayden’s first Monster Jam show earlier this, as AT&T stadium got in our view, he is getting excited. His heart was probably beating faster and he could probably feel it. He said the cutest thing ever, “Baba, my heart is growing bigger.”

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I am not sure if women experience midlife crisis but I know several men who have experienced or are still in middle of midlife crisis. I have a theory that every 20 years, men need a big change.

Usually, there is a big change in 20s, people are moving out of their parents’ homes, going to college or starting their careers.

And when people turn 60, they are getting ready to retire. Downsize their homes.

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We just recently bought a beautiful single family home. Before this, we lived in a townhouse. And before townhouse, I have lived in apartments. Buying a townhouse was a big step but buying single family home is a whole new beast.

First, buying a house is probably a sound financial decision. There are plenty of articles and research that shows people who own homes are financially better off.

But very few people talk about negatives of homeownership. And I think because lack of that information, a lot of people make incorrect decisions and end up regretting their home purchase. I did. I had huge buyer’s remorse the day we moved into our new home. I am still getting over it.

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Found this receipe online, modified it a little and it is our favorite food right now.

Ingriedient

1. 3 lbs meaty beef ribs, (grass-fed)
2. 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
3. 1 tablespoon garlic powder
4. 1 tablespoon onion powder
5. 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
6. 2 tablespoons sugar
7. 1 teaspoon chili powder
8. 1 teaspoon salt
9. 1 teaspoon paprika
10. 2 teaspoons oregano

Instructions

1. Rinse ribs and dry COMPLETELY with paper towels.
2. Lightly coat ribs in olive oil.
3. Mix together seasoning and sprinkle generously over ribs, front and back.
4. Place the ribs in a large ziplock bag or covered bowl and marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 250 F.
6. Place the ribs on a foil lined baking tray in a single layer.
7. Add another piece of foil on top to create a pouch for the ribs to cook in. Be sure to seal the edges of the foil so that it’s tight and steam won’t seep out.
8. Bake on the middle rack of 3 1/2 -4 hours.
9. When the ribs are done to your liking, drain off the excess fat.
10. Serve hot and enjoy!!

via https://divascancook.com/easy-oven-baked-beef-ribs-recipe-bbq/

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