Summer Moment of Zen 2026

This summer’s moment of Zen was a bit different: instead of watching a cycle of tides, we went in search of cloudless skys to watch a total eclipse and that lead us to a “castro” (an Iron Age fortified hilltop settlement).

Disclaimer: there are no amazing images or videos of the eclipse as I was busy being in the moment for the 1 minute 29 seconds of totality and did not want to be fighting with technology. This was a good idea because the one picture I took is above and it in no way captures how crazy amazing and mind blowing totality is.

read on for more!

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Book Report: Godspeed

Another book that we read in my work book club, and as I have read so many C.J. Box books, I was right at home in Wyoming. At first I did not like it too much, then I resisted finishing because it was making me nervous, but in the end I finished it just in time for our final discussion and found it a good read.

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Recipe: Cercedilla Kirschtorte

Last year for my wife’s birthday I made Black Velvet cake and I was telling my german boss, Martin, about it and he mentioned that it kinda reminded him of the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (commonly know as Black Forest Cake). Later I asked ChatGPT about it:

A Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, commonly known as Black Forest Cake, is a classic German dessert that consists of layers of chocolate sponge cake, cherries, and whipped cream. It is traditionally flavored with Kirschwasser, a clear cherry brandy, which gives the cake its distinctive taste. The cake is typically decorated with chocolate shavings and more cherries.

So I then asked it for a recipe and saved it in my recipe archive and this year I made it for my wife’s birthday. But as I was in Cercedilla sourcing some of the key ingredients (sour cherries and Kirschwasser) was complicated so I had to reroute a bit (spanish picota cherries and spanish brandy) so I have rebaptized what I made as as Cercedilla Kirschtorte!

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Book Report: Suite française

Just finished this book that we read in my work book club.
Wow. It is like being in Paris in June of 1940 as the Germans are invading France, living the uncertainty, fear, and chaos that ensues through the story of 4 different groups of people.
An amazing historical read, made more amazing by the conditions in which it was written, and how it came to us: The author lived through this and wrote the book in occupied France up until she was sent to Auschwitz in July of 1942 where she was killed. The manuscript remained in the possession of her daughters who thought it was a journal too disturbing to read, until in 1998 when they discovered it was a novel and they published it.

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NetHack 5.0

OMG. NetHack 5.0 was released on May 2nd! I downloaded it May 6th and I am currently playing my first game of it as Bob an left-handed Ranger. Read on to find out what the heck NetHack is and how Bob and I do on our decent into the Dungeons of Doom!

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