I worked obsessively on my website, https://www.aleckornblum.com, in late 2023. I connected many dots of web programming when I discovered the Caveman Common Lisp web framework. The structure of Caveman projects provides helpful separation of concerns by default.

Further, I discovered HTMX and find it compelling. It's a small JavaScript library that enhances HTML. This allows for little to no JavaScript programming by the user to get SPA-comparable interactivity for simple websites. The book written by its creator (https://hypermedia.systems) was also seminal in my understanding of web programming.

My site also has static pages of documents I've written. I still need to make a useful sitemap. Or I might change to a minimalist blog tool for org-mode (like org-static-blog) to make things easier.

I have finished the following UI's:

• Parking Reminders
• Weightlifting
• Restaurant Ranking List
• Bodyweight tracking

Next up is:

• Improved HUD for logged in users
• HTTP Data API for alternative client applications than browsers (emacs!)
• Shared Shopping Lists for me and Claudia

I recently rediscovered pdAdmin for postgresql. Since I am running postgres in development and production, it's become a useful tool for me. The part I'm enjoying most is using it to graph the relationships in my database, plus for quickly bootstrapping example data when working on CRUD operations. Of course I work on them as RCDU…

Since I was so obsessed with HTMX, of course I listened to every single scrap of content available online from the HTMX creator.

I'm also listening through Fr. Schmitz's Bible in a Year. I try to leave the car silent after listening just to allow myself to be quiet and at peace.

I have made myself a reading plan based on Mortimer J. Adler's list of Great Books of the West. I am splitting up the Old Testament into sections so that I get some variety. These books should be the main source of reference and permanent notes for my zettelkasten.

On top of these I do have some leisure reading books. I've almost read the Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion intertwined. I finished Leviathan Wakes this year and am moving on to Caliban's War.

I am not making a superb amount of progress on any particular writing project right now. However, writing zettelkasten notes is the precursor to writing excellence. I am writing reference notes and recording unique, atomic ideas in my electronic zettelkasten.

I took a promotion this year to become a Production Superintendent at the Lubrizol Bayport, TX plant. It's quite the learning experience and a bump in responsibility. I'm looking forward to rising to the challenge!

I made it through my first turnaround as Superintendent. Unfortunately we had a record length shutdown at 91 days. Thankfully we fixed what needed fixing and made great upgrades via some projects. And we did so with "minimal" impact to the business! This was a great learning experience.