Another Day, Another Deep Dive! (Feb 19 2026)

In which Our Hero works hard (or hardly works?!) 

Remodeling an apartment is hard work. 

Between 10:05am and 6:30pm, non-stop (with breaks only for bathroom; no food), I… 

1. Rejiggered my apartment floorplan, composing a total of 32 different line-item changes, including
   1. Selecting an oven.
      1. This was easy because 1) we want it mounted below the cooktop, and 2) our cooktop has a list of 20 different models that could safely be mounted below the cooktop. 
      2. This was difficult because our cooktop has a list of 20 different models that could be mounted below the cooktop. 
      3. All-in-all, a combing and comparing game. 
   2. Selected two dishwashers (my apartment will have two! :D)
      1. Did you know you’re supposed to clean your dishwasher filter regularly? Did you even know your dishwasher had a filter? Did you know they now make dishwashers that have basically garbage disposals in them so you never ever have to clean the filter again???
   3. Removing one refrigerator, but leaving its dedicated power supply and also placing another dedicated fridge power supply elsewhere. (I suspect I will eventually want to have two fridges, maybe two fridges and a chest freezer, maybe two fridges and a chest freezer and half a cow. That is a later problem.) 
2. Crunched through 8 different general contractor proposals with the help of Claude and ChatGPT, resulting in
   1. Almost definitely selecting my contractor to hire. 
   2. A list of 44 open questions and contract terms to adjust with him. 

After that work sprint, I… 

3. Completed a 20min Peloton Max ride and a 5min Peloton core workout. 
4. Played penny poker for 2.5hrs. Lost $71. Played very well, except for one call. That call cost me $45. 
5. Played dollar poker for… I’m still playing while I write this. Lol. Currently down $37. 

My Partner has a rule: She goes to Central Park every day. It’s less than a block away. I support this rule. 

I do not have that rule. 

Today, the farthest outside that I went was to drop trash off in our building’s bins. 

I have a rule: Live a good life. 

Today I did.