Palomino Island, Puerto Rico.

#33: Watch a sunset

#1: Read 25 Books. It was so-so

My uncle John, my mom’s oldest brother, passed away at the age of 95. Sonia and I were fortunate enough to have lunch with him not so long ago to celebrate his 93rd where he gave me one of his custom flintlock rifles. He overcame a tough adolescence to meet his potential and lived a good life.

John was born in 1931 in Sheridan, Indiana, to John Avery McDonald and Julia McDonald Greenwood (nee Kirkman). He attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, obtaining a BS and then a PhD in inorganic chemistry in 1961. During that period, he served in the US Air Force, working primarily as a nuclear technician based in Limestone, ME.

His lifelong interest in science and technology led him to New Mexico’s Sandia National Laboratories, one of the country’s most important centers for defense and aeronautical research. He worked at Sandia Labs from 1961 to 1973, and, in addition to many other projects, played a key role in the development of materials used in the Space Shuttle program. He moved with his family to southern California in 1973, where he worked at PDA Engineering in Costa Mesa, becoming the company’s president in 1978 and overseeing research and development of advanced aerospace technologies and engineering software. He retired in 1994.

John was an avid outdoorsman as well as a scientist. In New Mexico, he enjoyed camping, hunting, and fishing and built custom flintlock rifles, pistols, and ball ammunition. In California, he took up sailing and scuba diving and traveled the world, focusing especially closely on exploring Hawaii. He was a musician, playing the guitar and ukulele and performing informally across southern California with an ever-expanding group of fellow musicians. And he was a woodworker, building furniture and, after retirement, becoming a luthier and creating a series of finely crafted ukuleles.

John was married to Dana Gillies of Michigan from 1952 to 1967, with whom he had two sons, and to Margaret Barefoot of North Carolina from 1969 to 2018. He is survived by his loving and devoted partner, Sandra Maas, and his sons, John David McDonald of Kentucky and Hugh Evan McDonald of New Mexico. A private memorial service is planned at which his ashes will be scattered off the southern California coast.

They say I’m 105 in dog years, so you have some catching up to do.

My buddy’s oldest graduated from Penn St., but is still pursing the dream. Undrafted long snapper. Signed as a free agent. The fact that they chose him to be front and center in this pic is not by accident. He’s got the motor and mentality to succeed despite the odds.

#1: Read 25 Books: Enjoyed

#45: 300 sales on Etsy. 158 year to date. Funny how those yearly numbers above worked out.

Gentle as the dawn,
Purest love I’ve ever felt,
Home within your soul.

Chosen not by blood,
You became the heart of home,
Mother by your grace.

In the movie, Project Hail Mary, the alien (Rocky) tells the astronaut (Grace) that he has a mate back home.

Grace: How long have you been together?

Rocky: 189.3 years.

Grace: That’s a long time.

Rocky: Is not enough.

#31: Try 5 Hypes Sandwiches in the LA. Tried the Flourintine import, All/ Antico Vanio in Beverly Hills. Excellent.

Celebrating Alex’s 32nd anniversary a couple of days early, having, what else, Korean BBQ.

George and Summer treated us to an amazing dinner at Gwen for my birthday.

He Didn’t Cough Once During The Cook

#1: Read 25 Books. It was ok, I guess.

Should have been a hair stylist, mama.

#1 Read 25 Books. Mona’s Eyes had something, but didn’t hit the mark. Hoover’s recycled project was just bad.

X-Rays confirmed what we already knew… This boy is all heart. He made me promise that we’ll never go to the vet again.

#9: Make $1000 with an App. Still in extremely limited beta, but plugging away.

#5: Read a top 100 novel. So good.

“I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one. . . . Humans are caught—in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too—in a net of good and evil. . . . There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well—or ill?”

If it weren’t for the dinners, I’d never go to a tradeshow again.

#8: Build & Launch One App. After learning how to code over the last two years, I finally soft-launched Lay Flatly over the weekend.

#31: Try 5 Hyped Sandwich Shops

Butchers and Booze in Glendale. An excellent pastrami for me. A beef dip for the Chicago girl.

#51: Try 3 New to Us Restaurants

Matu in Beverly Hills. Great.

#31: Try 5 Hyped Sandwich Shops

A Japanese steakhouse in Beverly Hills would sell a Philly cheesesteak only on Sundays for two hours. They became so popular that they just opened two standalone waygu cheesesteak shops in Pasadena and Calabasas. We waited an hour to try one, but it was well worth it. 9/10.

Michael helped make my dream of seeing the 101 freeway empty.

#1 Read 25 Books. Enjoyed, but unlikeable main character.

#45: 300 Sales on Etsy. While super ambitious in a crowded marketplace, this is a creative side hustle for both of us. Sonia makes, alters, paints, or adds to most of the jewelry, and I handle all of the copy, photography and digital marketing. https://www.etsy.com/shop/PellissierDesigns

#2: Ring in the New Year. A fun night at the Magic Castle. After 17 years, I actually intended this to be my last post, but then my Aunt Ona called me today and I realized I needed to give it another year. Now I need to work on the list.

#28: Build an iPhone app. I’ve built five now. Four of them are business apps for our use. But this one was the most fun. https://shopcaddypro.com

We started an ugly sweater gift exchange this year. Kennedy was probably the most horrified by having to wear her school’s rival sweatshirt. I drew Alex and he didn’t want to take his off.