life archive

Life

Stories from the road and the quiet in-between — travel, seasons, and the things worth keeping.

On the road
since 2008
edition 2026
Collected posts Stories, snapshots, and side trails

Part diary, part artifact — a record of places, eras, and whatever felt worth keeping.

11 entries
My First Japanese Baseball Game: Hanshin Tigers in Osaka
▶ read
Japan

My First Japanese Baseball Game: Hanshin Tigers in Osaka

Hanshin Tigers vs. Chunichi Dragons at Koshien Stadium — the right-field cheering section, uriko beer vendors, 7th-inning balloons, and a walk-off home run to win it.

Sumo: My First Grand Tournament in Tokyo
▶ read
Japan

Sumo: My First Grand Tournament in Tokyo

We missed the original ticket sale, got rescued by a tour, and spent an afternoon learning how much more fun sumo is when someone helps you understand what you're watching.

I skipped Duolingo and built a Japanese tutor with Claude Code
▶ read
AI

I skipped Duolingo and built a Japanese tutor with Claude Code

I'm going to Japan in 2 months. Instead of paying for another app, I built a Japanese learning plugin for Claude Code and used it to learn conversational Japanese for free — using Claude Pro I already pay for.

My visit to Valledolmo, Sicily
▶ read
Travel

My visit to Valledolmo, Sicily

I had the incredible opportunity to explore a town in Sicily where my ancestors once resided and engage with the local officials.

Gardening: Year 1
▶ read
Gardening

Gardening: Year 1

Our first foray into outdoor plants, flowers, and herbs in Chicago.

March 2020: What I'm Doing
▶ read
Pandemic

March 2020: What I'm Doing

March 2020: What I'm Doing

SimpleGeo, here I come
▶ read
Career

SimpleGeo, here I come

Announcing my move from Ning to SimpleGeo to help build the new San Francisco office.

Hello Ning!
▶ read
Career

Hello Ning!

Starting at Ning in Palo Alto, learning Git, and commuting via Caltrain.

Farewell CNET
▶ read
Career

Farewell CNET

Looking back on my two years at CNET/BNET before moving on to the next chapter.

My personal connection with Les Paul
▶ read
Music

My personal connection with Les Paul

How registering lespaul.com as a kid led to a cease and desist—and a Black Beauty guitar.

🌊
▶ read
Resolutions

In 2009, I resolve to…

A set of resolutions for the new year, from health and patience to cooking more and strengthening BNET.