I promise you’re not ready for the utter madness that is this very real training video from Waffle House where they show how they’ve made a new “written language” of sorts with food and condiment packets to represent every possible variation of their menu.

🎙️ Via Rec Diffs #232

Took Phin for a walk today and surprised him with his first swim of the year! Water dog = happy dog. 😁 📷

I was honored to assist Mike and Jane in finishing up their Saranac Lake 6ers today with summits on Haystack & McKenzie! We were the only folks on the trail…can’t imagine why! 💨 🥾 📷

Two hikers are embracing on a mountain trail, with a scenic overlook of forested hills and cloudy skies in the background. There is no text in the image. Two hikers ascending a forested mountain trail, with one in the foreground smiling at the camera, and expansive views of distant hills and a lake in the background. Two hikers are trekking on a rocky forest trail with bare trees and moss-covered rocks, one in the foreground smiling and one farther back.

Took advantage of stellar weather last week to climb at The Gunks! I was very fortunate to meet some new friends willing to take on an orphan climber into their gang. Got on a bunch of new climbs and shook off the rust. Ended the day with delicious pho. 10/10 would recommend. 🧗📷

A person is climbing a rugged rock face outdoors with trees above and a rope trailing below. A winding road cuts through a forested landscape, with distant mountains under a blue sky; pine branches frame the view from a high vantage point. A smiling person wearing a helmet and backpack is rock climbing amidst trees and boulders. A rock climber ascends a steep cliff face with trees at the top edge, casting shadows on the rocky surface. A group of people is dining together, smiling, and posing in a restaurant with exposed brick walls and artwork. The table has remnants of a meal with some beverages.

I had the distinct pleasure of summiting Giant Mountain with Hector and Renata this past weekend. And because they were such awesome hikers, we tossed in Rocky Peak Ridge for good measure! There’s still snow in those hills, folks. Stellar day out with great views and even better company. 🏔️ 📷

Two hikers stand smiling before a sign for “Giant Mountain Wilderness Area,” surrounded by sparse snow-covered ground and leafless trees. The sign includes trail information and conservation messages.

Congrats to @robb@social.lol and @johnvoorhees@macstories.net on bringing Ruminate to MacStories. It’s a super fun show with the best artwork, and even better hosts. 😁

🍕 Ruminate is Joining to MacStories rknight.me/blog/ruminate-is-jo

Mine and John's podcast we've been doing for over 7 years is now part of MacStories! All the same nonsense with a new home. Check out the post on MacStories too: macstories.net/news/ruminate-j

The joys of a decade+ friendship are quips like this on @atpfm@mastodon.social. 🤣 🎙️

Things were getting boring, so Phin found a new thing to be perturbed by: reflections on the ceiling that he cannot chase. 📷

It’s my wonderful wife’s birthday and we celebrated doing all Jo’s favorite things! 🥳 Including a hunt for 30 balloons hidden throughout the house. Phin might have had the best time of all of us! 🐶🎈 📷

A person sits on the floor unpacking a box in a decorated living room. A balloon overhead reads “I Love You More Than Tacos!"

Had the best time summiting Algonquin and Wright Peaks with Jeanne and Jessie yesterday. Our stoke was as high as the wind speeds, which is to say “quite high”. And we met a furry friend! 📷

People with backpacks and trekking poles hike on a snowy forest trail. The sunlight filters through the trees, casting soft shadows on the snow. Two individuals are posing behind a cairn on a sunny, snow-covered mountain. They are dressed in vibrant cold-weather gear, with hiking equipment. A person in winter clothing and gear is resting on a snowy mountain slope with clear blue skies in the background. A brown marten stands on snow, looking towards the camera, surrounded by a snowy forest backdrop. Two hikers with large backpacks stand on a snowy trail, one smiling mid-motion; behind them is a signpost with text, in a wooded area. Signpost text: “High Peaks Wilderness Area Special Regulations apply in the High Peaks Wilderness Area”

Mountainfest was a joy this weekend! So many quiet badasses here, ready and willing to share their knowledge. I feel so fortunate to live somewhere that an event like this exists to bring climbers and other outdoor adventurers together. 💪 📷

A person is ice climbing on a frozen waterfall amidst a snow-covered forest with mountainous terrain in the background. A climber ascends a vertical, frozen waterfall with ice axes, surrounded by snow-covered rocks and trees. A person is ice climbing a frozen slope while another person stands below on snow-covered ground, surrounded by a forest of bare trees. The climber is smiling and secured by ropes. Three individuals stand near a tall ice formation in a snowy, wooded area, with ice climbing equipment laid out in the foreground.

Incredible day in the high peaks to summit Wright Peak! Honestly, best conditions I’ve ever seen it with clear skies, minimal wind, and great trail. Hanging out with Hank and Madonna was an absolute delight! @highpeaksmountainguides 🏔️ 🥾 📷

Three hikers with poles navigate a snowy forest trail, surrounded by snow-laden trees in wintry daylight. A snowshoe-clad hiker stands amidst a snowy landscape with frost-covered trees, under a blue sky with wispy clouds and a subtle rainbow-like halo from sunlight. Three individuals standing atop a snowy mountain, smiling for a selfie, surrounded by a snow-covered landscape under a cloudy sky. A smiling person holding hiking poles stands next to a trail sign in a snowy forest. The sign reads “FOOT TRAIL → WHALES TAIL 5 WRIGHT PEAK 2.6 ALGONQUIN PEAK 2994'↑3.0."

🧗❄️ What an incredible first time over at Poke-O-Moonshine! Positive Thinking was taken, so we hopped on The Waterfall and Goat’s Foot. Both were astounding lines. Technique is slowly improving. Followed up both with no takes, but all the stoke. 📷

An orange climbing rope stretches up a steep, frozen waterfall with intricate ice formations, set against a forested backdrop. A person in a green helmet and sunglasses is taking a selfie in a snowy forested area with rocks partially covered in snow. A rock face adorned with large, cascading icicles set against a wintry, snow-covered ground, under a white, overcast sky. A person ice climbing a frozen waterfall with climbing ropes, against an overcast sky. A person in a green helmet appears in the foreground, taking a selfie with a backdrop of a striking ice-covered rocky cliffside.

T’was a bit brisk on my run this morning. 🥶 But loving the winter weather wonderland. 📷

The image shows a frost-covered window partially obscuring the view of a snowy landscape with trees, creating a frosted glass effect. This is a screenshot of a fitness tracking app, displaying exercise stats such as Moving Time, Avg Pace, Calories, and weather conditions highlighted as “-6°F, Feels like -18°F. Humidity 80%. Wind 5.1 mi/h from WSW."

Possibly my new favorite meme! 🤣 (I love that you can see Chris Pratt almost break into a smile.)

Deciding how to spend my money: 🥽

It’s not my primary method of reading my timeline, but going through it via RSS instead of the app has advantages beyond knowing that you’ve seen everything and it won’t lose your place, such as long-press for link previews!

Thanks @imyke@myke.social for giving me fresh perspective on Frozen 2, which I did not originally enjoy, but now have a new appreciation for.

overcast.fm/+DAvKuT9G…

⛷️ Got Jo out on her skis in all this beautiful new snowfall. So fun! Then spent the day de-Christmas treeing the house and getting the place back in order after the holidays. 📷

A person is cross-country skiing on snow-covered ground, flanked by snow-laden evergreen trees. They are dressed in winter gear, including a blue jacket and red pants. A person cross-country skiing on a snowy track with trees and overcast sky in the background. A person cross-country skiing on a snow-covered trail flanked by snow-laden evergreen trees. They’re dressed warmly in a blue jacket and red pants.

Entry #25 to the Library is a doozy. Introducing my ‘Micro.blog Multimedia Uploader’ shortcut:

This shortcut helps you to upload any file(s) to your Micro.blog account and then copy the resulting URL(s) in the format of your choosing — including Markdown for images, HTML for videos and audio, or a plain URL for other files.

It includes niceties like allowing you to choose to upload images as either JPEGs or PNGs […], recursive encoding of videos […], and an optional function to use another shortcut to auto-generate image description[s].

Get it here from the HeyDingus Shortcuts Library.

I just released my first new shortcut of 2024, and it’s one I’ve been dreaming of building for months. Here’s version 1.0 of the ‘Generate Alt Text with OpenAI Vision’ shortcut:

This shortcut helps you to generate a quality image description to use as alt text for images you upload to the internet. […]

You can pass an image file or URL as input to this shortcut, and it will send it through OpenAI’s Vision API along with a specific prompt to generate a unique description for the image, including any text found in it.

Get it here from the HeyDingus Shortcuts Library.

I think that might’ve been nubble’s best performance yet. They bring together the best crowd with the best energy. Perfect end to one of the best days in a while. (And I loved the Avett Brothers cover — can’t wait to hear more!) 📷

A band is performing in a brick-walled bar with guitars on the wall; an audience member watches from the foreground. A man is carefully pulling a wooden block from a large, stacked Jenga tower in a casual indoor setting while a child, eating, watches in the background.

🎙️ Thanks @coreint for the reminder that big goals can start small — even ones that you used to be pretty good at so now it feels silly to start over. I did 5 push-ups this morning and will do at least 5 before I go downstairs each morning. 💪

overcast.fm/+KxFHh5a4…

🎙️ Ooh I do like this thesis of Robert Caro’s (of The Power Broker fame):

Power doesn’t corrupt, power reveals.

overcast.fm/+yIOzKLkG…

A recent chilly excursion to Avalanche Lake. ❄️ 📷

A snow-covered stream meanders through a dense, snowy forest under a clear sky. A snowy trail leads through a dense coniferous forest towards a mountain; the trees are heavily laden with snow under a bright blue sky.

🎙️ Very much enjoyed this episode of Scriptnotes with Christopher Nolan. I’ve never read a movie script and know very little about film-making. Still, his thoughts on how a script should come together and translate onto the screen are fascinating. Great interview by @johnaugust@mastodon.art!