Weeknotes: November 3rd - November 9th 2025

Disclaimer: This is a new format for the weekly report (now titled Weeknotes) and it is best viewed through the link (rather than email). It should be mentioned that these notes are always a snapshot of the week itself and lack the fullness of life - as is the case with any personal blogging.

✨ Happenings

• Since I got my Marin Presidio 3 back in the spring, I have not used my single-speed bicycle. I had been trying to sell it for awhile now, but earlier in the week I finally sold the Fairdale Express to one of my coworkers and I am really glad that it has found a new home. Onward dear bicycle! May new pathways feel your tires!
• Avery visited the city to spent time with his family, but we were grateful to have been able to host him and our other lovely friends for charcuterie and a few Jackbox games. Sending love back to him in northern Albertan skies!
• We got our first snowfall for the season, but even though it melted by the early afternoon, I thought it might be a wise idea to get winter tires and fenders installed on my Marin Presidio 3 in preparation for winter. I took it to Two Wheel View and the fella is taking care of it, so I should get it back in the days to come.
• Taylor and I went to Burgers 320 with Alexis on the weekend. She had been raving about it for awhile now and she was absolutely in the right to do so! The burgers are up there with the likes of Boogie's Burgers and Class Clown!

📗 Reading

• How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler - Started Reading

I get nervous when writers attempt to combine memoir-style entries with science/nature writing, but Sabrina Imbler has mastered this task exceptionally well. Whilst I am close to the end of the book (a few chapters to go), I can say that I have been truly engaged with their reflections on biracial identity, sexual consent, queer joy, diet culture (among others), but the sea creatures themselves–a personal favourite being the Chinese sturgeon! Also, look at that em dash I used!

🎮 Playing

• Inscryption

I want you to understand something. I have waited for EU5 for months and you'd expect me to be fairly single-minded in my pursuit of grand strategy goodness, but I started Inscryption on our Playstation 5 and that game is in-fucking-credible. On the surface, it is a card battler, but when the first act concludes, you are in for a treat. I will not spoil this game for you, but I sincerely advise you to give it a try. Also, just to point this out, Taylor was the one who recommended this game to me a long time ago and they were entirely right! I am blessed that I got to share in the experience together.

• Europa Universalis V

After waiting months since the announcement trailer, and going so far as to retry Europa Universalis IV earlier in autumn (documented here), Europa Universalis V has finally released! Taylor bought it for me as an early birthday gift and I am elated to learn this game (but it is also a little daunting). I have only really gone through a bit of the tutorial as Norway, so I still have more to go to get the very basics. I got a bit distracted over the weekend (refer to Inscryption).

• Arc Raiders

Taylor's uncle Dan bought me Arc Raiders as an early birthday gift and I have enjoyed the couple sessions I have played so far. At its core, it is an extraction-shooter based in a post-apocalyptic hellscape decimated by AI and climate change (👀). You play as a raider that must return to the surface to gather supplies for the subterranean remains of human civilization. If you are killed during your session (either from other players or the Arc robots), you lose effectively everything, but if you return safely, you keep the spoils of your looting. I am still getting the hang of it, but it is fun so far!

• Demos of Town to City, He is Coming, and BALL x PIT

Played a few demos of these listed games above and I only kept BALL x PIT on my Steam wishlist. You know those ads for the shittiest mobile games? It looks like that, but it's addictive as hell. I mean, just look at the trailer for this shit.

🎵 Listening

• Nowhere by Ride (Album):

The holy shoegaze trinity is sensational and always gets playtime as the weather becomes colder, but Ride's 1990 album, Nowhere, is my favourite of the three. Here is a link to a legendary performance of "Seagull".

🔗 Links

• ‘Society was volatile. That spirit was in our music’: how Japan created its own jazz

An article discussing the birth of the post-war Japanese jazz scene. Its so interesting how music genres change over time, but I find myself more interested in how different peoples can innovate upon them too.

📷 Photos