Finished reading: Although I was already familiar with many of the details, A Series of Fortunate Events by Sean B. Carroll was a brief and entertaining overview of the role of chance in biology. Both humbling and inspiring to think about how contingent everything is📚

My annual cottage vacation is imminent and a favourite part is reading books by the lake.

In past years, I’ve packed a pile of library books. But, I average more than ten books over the break. Adding in my family (though they’re less voracious readers) means we end up with a big box of books to fit in an already crowded car.

So, the past few years I’ve switched to reading library books on my iPad. Being able to “carry” so many books on the device, plus adding more if necessary, is great. The downsides, though, include difficulty reading through the glare of sunlight and the occasional shutdown from overheating. Plus, there are so many easy distractions on an iPad.

Thanks to a good discount and a review by Jason Snell of integrating with public libraries, I’ve bought a Kobo Libra 2. This is now my dedicated library book device (although it does have other features, like a bookstore, Pocket integration, and audiobooks). The e-ink really is remarkably easy to read outside, even in direct sunlight, and I like the physical page-turn buttons.

Although I always have a general preference for physical books, the convenience of an entire public library on a handheld device can’t be beat for vacation reading.

Very difficult for me to not enjoy Star Trek Picard, given my nostalgia for TNG. That said, season 2 was only okay. The scenes with Q were all great and I liked the idea of the Borg queen trying to recreate a collective. The rest was pretty muddled.

Season 1 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was really fun. I enjoyed the return to mostly self-contained episodes and appreciated the modest fan service 🖖

Tremblant 70.3 Ironman notes 🏊‍♂️🚴‍♂️🏃‍♂️

After a few days of recovery, and before I forget, here are a few notes on the Tremblant 70.3 Ironman. The short version (given there’s lots of details below) is that the course was fantastic and the race was really well organized. Pre-race This part was easy and the day prior to the race. There were scheduled times for registration and all we needed was the QR code from our online payment.

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The Ironman 70.3 in Tremblant was a fantastic experience! Gorgeous course – though you really have to like hills – and really well organized. Ridiculously hot on the run though 🥵. Thankfully there was plenty of ice at the aid stations. I ran most of the course with my shorts full of ice 😀.

A huge thanks to my fantastic race crew! Their support and enthusiasm were great, not to mention all their help over the past several months of training. Knowing they’d be at the finish line really got me through the tough kilometres 14 to 17 on the run.

Me wearing all the event swag (hat, shirt, and medal) with two thumbs upMy wife, daughter, and son, wearing Team Routley hats at the race start