Outside work
LEGO, garden & garage
Most of my work lives on a screen. This page is the part that doesn't, starting with the LEGO on my shelves. The newest addition is an aquarium, still in progress.
UCS Millennium Falcon
LEGO 75192 · 7,541 pieces · the flagship
The Ultimate Collector Series Falcon is one of the biggest LEGO sets ever made, and it took a lot of evenings. Every greeble and every turret was worth it. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid.
UCS Venator-class Star Destroyer
LEGO 75367 · 5,374 pieces · the Republic's finest
The Clone Wars flagship, over a meter long, with a 501st clone trooper and Admiral Yularen standing guard. The open hangar and the red command bridge make it the first thing anyone notices in the room.
The midi-scale fleet
AT-AT · Acclamator · Executor · Falcon
The smaller ships, holding the line on the bookshelf between the Brontë sisters and a stack of soccer books.
The hydroponic tower
Indoor · soil-free · grow-lit
A vertical hydroponic garden in the living room that runs all year: basil, chives, thyme, parsley, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and a few flowers. There is always too much basil.
The aquarium
75 gal · 48 × 18 × 21 in · set up and filled
A 75-gallon freshwater tank, laid out in forced perspective. The stones get smaller from front-left to back-right, and the sand path narrows toward the back corner, so the tank reads deeper than 18 inches. A manzanita arch spans the middle over seiryu stone. The sand is pool-filter silica, about an inch deep at the front glass and six at the back. It's set up and filled. The light bar is on, the filter is running, and the water is conditioned. Low, dark plants go in next, then a small school of tetras once the tank has cycled.
Progress
- Hardscape in, tank filled.
- Light and filter running, water conditioned. Plants and fish next.
The garage
Three cars so far
Driven rather than built. Two had a clutch pedal, and two did serious road-trip miles.
2003 Ford Mustang GT
2018–2022 · 4.6L V8 · 5-speed manual · the first car
My first car. A V8 with a stick shift teaches you a lot, and it got me through Duke. In 2021 I drove it from North Carolina through Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Las Vegas and San Francisco, up to Seattle. I sold it in 2022. This photo is from the boat launch in West Seattle, not long before it went.
Toyota FJ Cruiser
2022–2025 · automatic · roof basket · the adventure era
The Pacific Northwest car. Skis on the roof, mountains in the windshield, and no interest in what the weather was doing. It did a Seattle to Denver round trip in 2023 and spent the rest of its time hauling gear to trailheads.
BMW M2
2024–now · twin-turbo inline-six · 6-speed manual · the keeper
Back to three pedals, this time behind a twin-turbo straight six. The M2 is small, very quick, and still comes with a manual, which is getting rare. The blue helps.