For the last week, I’ve been using a Fire Phone exclusively because my normal phone - a pixel 2XL had to be sent in while I waited for my new Pixel 3. When it launched in 2014, it had a few innovative features, but never gained traction as it failed to compete with iOS and Android in app selection and struggled to find distribution channels. I’ve had mine since then, and while I never used it extensively at launch, it was interesting to see what still worked and what didn’t.

I expected to like Stockholm. I just didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. This beautiful city and it’s people captivated me so much I found myself briefly searching for jobs and at brewery real estate in the city and contemplating raising our boys Swedish. Home to a beautiful and relaxed people, social welfare, and of course ABBA, Sweden is an absolute dream. Stopping off here on our way to Berlin for the marathon for three days gave us a great picture of the city and the mix of history from centuries past and far more recent.

I recently read a blog post from, as is often the source of somewhat polarizing ideas in software engineering, and engineer on medium who argued that management was simply “human engineering”, after several years as both a software engineer and a manager, I can see some similarities, but certainly can’t agree. There’s so much more than just fine tuning processes and treating people and relationships than systems in management and I find this idea far too simplifying of this nuance.

My fifth marathon, the 2018 Berlin marathon, was finally the first time I didn’t feel like I was going to die by the end of 26.2 (it’s the .2 miles that will kill you) miles. Considering I felt the least prepared for it of any marathon I’ve run, it’s incredible that it ended up being my favorite, and the first time I actually want to run another right after. Between bad long runs, a lofty goal I came close but couldn’t beat last year at Chicago, and the added stress of traveling for a Marathon, I thought it would go terribly.

Portugal’s second city stuck out as my favorite town in the country, eclipsing Lisbon, Braga, Coimbra, and even Evora for it’s authenticity and connection to the land and water. Sure, I loved those other spots too, but Porto just seemed to take everything I loved about the whole country and bring it together. With great wine, seafood, and of course Port, there’s so much I loved about the town. Coming at the tail end of our two week trip across Portugal with our two-year-old twins, Porto pup a great cap on the whole experience.

Braga, the gateway to Portugal’s Duoro Wine Region is a shining example of Portugal’s blend of rich Roman and Medieval history and a great modern viticulture and culinary scene. Though we had one rainy day in town, we still had a great family time and got to see the city in the sunlight on our second day. An easily walkable town, Braga might not be the most popular city for tourists, but it belongs on any list of travel in Portugal.

With two weeks left until the Berlin Marathon, everyone wants to know if I’m ready. The problem is, I won’t really know until something like a few miles into the race on September 16. It certainly hasn’t been an easy training schedule with twin toddlers taking up more and more time, and there have been more than a few poor runs, but I think I’m pretty ready. As I lay on my back in the grass of Chicago’s Millennium Park after 26.

My two two-year-olds cry, whine, and scream a lot. It can feel constant. With limited vocabulary, they don’t know how to express themselves or explain what they want or what’s bothering them, so they start whining. Distractions from this can be the only way to head off a full on tantrum sometimes, so I’ve had to build up an arsenal of tricks. These are the 25 that have worked best for us.

At two years old, it’s common for toddlers to experience a sleep regression. It’s a time of rapid development in their brains, which can often manifest as trouble sleeping. Even kids who were the soundest sleepers for the last two years can suddenly become fussy sleepers. One of my twins had been a great sleeper and one day just broke. A combination of separation anxiety and wake ups saw us taking turns sleeping on the boys’ floor and letting them in our bed, a rule which we refused to break earlier.

The hilltop campus of Coimbra’s old university sits perched above the town and river as it has for centuries. The history of the town isn’t limited to just the university though as there’s a ton to see around the cobblestone streets of the old town. Much quieter than Lisbon and Porto, Portugal’s third largest city has a relaxed air with plenty to do. We had a fantastic visit with our twin boys in this town, even if touring the sights meant pushing a stroller up and down some tough cobblestone streets.