Life

I adopted Kitty from an animal shelter. She hid in the corner, scared, and I wanted to take care of her so she would no longer be scared. She is still a scaredy-cat at times, but she is generally very gentle and enjoys the company of people.

I started lifting when I started college, but I did not take it seriously until after I graduated at 22. I lifted seriously from 22 to 32, with some breaks along the way. I was very small and thin when I started.

I worked up to 220 lbs, with an estimated 20% body fat and an FFMI of 24–25. My strength numbers were a 175 lb overhead press, 245 lb bench press, 325 lb squat, and 405 lb deadlift with a belt. I recently started lifting again, more casually now that I am older.

I read J. Kenji López-Alt’s The Food Lab, and I love his approach to cooking through science and testing hypotheses. I appreciate having good reasons for doing things and using evidence to make better cooking decisions. He seems like a nice guy, but he is very serious about his cooking.

I purchased this home in early 2025 after some financial success. I have been taking care of landscaping that had been neglected by the prior homeowner, starting by removing a lot of trash. I transplanted trees and shrubs to locations better suited to their sunlight needs, regularly mowed the lawn, and planted trees and forsythia. I also added a rose garden and other plantings.

I try not to overdo watering, fertilizer, or weed killer because I believe in sustainability. I would rather see those resources used to grow food for people than maintain a perfect lawn.

I have enjoyed playing chess since I was a young child, when I played with my older brother. I never took it too seriously; it was a fun mental exercise. These days, I also use it as an escape to give myself some temporary relief. I set myself rating milestones on Lichess: 2700 in puzzles, 2300 in bullet, and 2200 each in blitz, rapid, and classical. Reaching those goals was tough, but I did it.