A few suggestions for this week:
1. Try a new OS: There are a few ways to try another operating system on your computer. I have my son’s old Alienware gaming PC running Windows 11 alongside my Mac, which is a fun counterpoint. I (over)loaded it with 32 GB of RAM, up from a measly 8 GB (it’s hard to believe how many computers of both stripes still come loaded with 8 GB of memory), and it runs just fine. Virtual optionshttps://www.virtualbox.org/ are fun too, just to scratch the itch, if you have it.
2. If you’re checking out Windows, you have to try PowerToys. It’s a collection of little utilities that have morphed over the years (I had a Vista machine at a former job and installed it right away). One of my favorites is FancyZones.
3. Martha Stewart’s French Toast: this recipe has you soak the bread in the egg mixture for a spell while you heat your griddle (or pan). The result is a more custard-y version than the standard dunk-n-fry. You need bread that can take a soak, though; wonder bread won’t hold up.

So long Sriracha…

I’m taking a test prep class and during tonight’s class, my breakout room shared our answer to a constructed response task. I had volunteered to do the typing, and I got a compliment from a group member about my outline. Later, when we shared, one of the advisors praised the structure and content as a good answer. So I felt good about that.

My particular fascination with outlining came well after I’d finished college, when I found myself in a professional development session and I decided to write with Omni Outliner. That particular program is amazing and weird and challenging to use, but I have always liked it. What came next was a succession of plaintext and markdown files that offered more or less outliner-friendly affordances. The last outliner I got into before I began my experiment as a Windows user was Bike: I remember the palpable sense of dread I experienced imagining how I was going to prevaricate about which outliner was right for the task. ¹

I actually don’t outline quite as much as I used to, because while outlines are incredibly helpful at structuring your thoughts and knowledge, they are inflexibly hierarchical when you want to connect ideas². I’m currently of the opinion that the best notes are handwritten, a collection of thoughts and facts that may be outlines in large part, but with jottings and arrows and other leaps of thought scattered across the canvas. I like OneNote right now, but there are plenty of contenders on Windows and the Mac.

Word doesn’t have an outline mode in the sense, but it does a fine job formatting them. No folding though.

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¹ There are technical considerations to make besides which outliner to make, depending upon the app you’re using. Drafts makes a dandy outliner, but unless you leave everything in Drafts, you have an export decision to make. Other applications, like WorkFlowy, are their own silo of data and represent another location to search when you realize you need something. iAWriter walks a weird line between the two, allowing you to specify additional file locations besides its default library.

²I don’t want to ignore backlinks in apps like Workflowy and iA Writer, though; this feature alone found me adopting Workflowy for a time. If I were glued to my desk all day, I might have found more use for Workflowy.

I’m spacing on this week’s Sunday Serial, but I did want to share that my youngest son, the culnarian, is making his own sriracha sauce. He took thai chilis from the garden and chopped them up. They are currently fermenting in a brine, needing a daily burp. Can’t wait to try the finished product.

I replaced the 256 GB Kingston stock SSD in my Asus Zenbook with one of the new Samsung 990 Pro SSDs. I’m not sure that I’ll be able to tell the difference doing basic office work, but the stats look nice. Reinstalling the OS makes a big difference, too. Not something I experience with macOS.

I blew up after a hard effort in the final 4k to hit my desired power and average split time (I was shooting for 184+ and 2:04). I did this after taking yesterday off (smart) and a 2500k Apple Fitness+ 10 minute “warmup” (not smart). Got 7 chinups too.

This Sunday’s list of things to try:

1. Tonewood’s Biergarten Oktoberfest. Tis the season.

2. My TikTok page. I play guitar and sing a bit.

3. A Manhattan: this was my grandfather’s go-to cocktail. Pick a whisky you like. I make two drinks this way:

• 4 oz whisky: bourbon or rye, as you like
• 1 oz vermouth: if you can find Carpano Antica, definitely try it
• Bitters: (I have Fee Brothers Whisky bitters, but you can try something else you like)
• Maraschino cherries: not the nuclear red kind, if you can help it
• Drizzle of cherry juice

Mix everything together in a pitcher full of ice, stirring vigorously for a minute. Strain into a martini glass or Nick and Nora, or serve over ice to have one like Gramps. Throw a cherry or two in there. I garnish with an orange twist, but that’s not necessary.

I went into this morning’s 10k (on coffee only, otherwise fasted) shooting for a consistent 176 watts average. I slowly worked up to it, and then settled in for most of the 41 minutes. I found myself at the halfway point able to focus on the power and stay consistent, and sprinted the last 500m. Best time by a smidge.

So I looked at my data in the e2 app and the difference between then and now was pacing. Whereas on 9/15 I pushed myself early and then faded, today I built slowly up to the last split, and finished strong. Something to remember.

Sept 15th 10k

Oct 8th 10k

– The macro feature on the iPhone. Not new at all but the feature reveals itself more readily in the new os

– [MUD\WTR](https://mudwtr.com/) with a splash of light cream. I’m not disappointed in coffee one bit, though.

– [Metropolitan Bakery](https://metropolitanbakery.com/pages/rittenhouse-square-menu)’s sourdough

Apple Fitness+: If you bought a piece of equipment or are considering taking a class or signing up for a membership for something, Apple Fitness+ might be a good first step. I have used it for a few things, primarily rowing. It’s a good mix of motivation, data, and structure, technical enough that there’s room to grow, but always beginner friendly. (The word “inclusive” comes to mind.) Rowing with Josh and Ana kept me busy from January 2023 into May without having to repeat many 30-minute workouts, and Apple continues to add more.

Air Fryer Chickpeas: Kaycee Ray’s has a version on their menu, and they are delicious. This recipe is a good place to start. I want to try air drying the beans for a bit next time. Warning: the beans may pop a bit near the end of cooking.

This marinade for your grilled chicken. Nice char.