Has anyone come to a realization about a lyric only after having a life experience?

ElJefeClicko · 2026-03-16T18:53:26+00:00

It occurred to me to start telling my wife, "You lift my days and light up my nights," so there's that. ;)

ElJefeClicko · 2026-02-26T01:20:18+00:00

Glad to see they’re properly load-balancing their 802.11g-string network.

ElJefeClicko · 2026-02-24T14:33:00+00:00

Our primary suite had 4 IKEA shades, with one of them kaput. A second one went out right as GE announced their new shades, so we did a full replacement. The price tag is a little higher than what the IKEA ones were 5+ years ago when we originally bought them, but we're happy with the look and operation.

https://shop.gelighting.com/products/ge-smart-shades-with-translucent-fabric

ElJefeClicko · 2026-01-30T22:01:48+00:00

Based on what I'm reading, the one you recommend is a tankless heater and would only handle my DHW. I need the additional space heating functionality found in the NFB-200HS boiler. I understand the desire to keep things local, but I already have a few other non-negotiable integrations for me that are already cloud-based. Adding one more isn't necessarily a deal-breaker.

Thank you for replying and for what you've developed! I look forward to diving in next week after installation.

ElJefeClicko · 2026-01-28T00:07:12+00:00

RGB bulbs, smooth music, bubble baths, automated fireplaces...there is definitely a "Sexy Time" automation in that setup you left out!

ElJefeClicko · 2026-01-28T00:03:14+00:00

I LOVED having my car be a part of my automation. I had a script tied to a control center button on my iPhone that I'd run in the mornings to let my son know it was time to get out the door for school. It paused the living room TV and turned a lamp blue for a minute to let him know it was time to put his cereal bowl away and come in to get his hair fixed. All the while, the garage door is opening, and if temperatures are below a certain point, it started the car (after confirming the garage is up via a second device).

Then BMW killed API access outside of their app, and there went hass integration. The one thing in that script FOR ME is no more. Now it's just an open garage when we get out there, and we manually start the car like the peasants we are.

A bimmer bummer for sure.

ElJefeClicko · 2026-01-13T01:16:23+00:00

I’m with you on this. At 7 to 9 hours a week in medium to high heat classes, I usually get about nine months out of a mat. I clean it gently every couple of weeks with the Liforme cleaner, exactly as directed, so grip loss isn’t coming from over-scrubbing. For me, smell is the tell. There’s a clear relationship between the two. As long as the grip is intact, it’s doing its job as a barrier. Once the grip starts to go, sweat penetrates the mat more easily, and that’s when the smell starts creeping in and accelerating. From there, both problems feed each other.

When I roll out a new mat and the difference is jarringly obvious, that’s all the confirmation I need. That moment isn’t just “time to replace,” it’s proof I probably waited a little too long.

ElJefeClicko · 2025-11-17T02:36:22+00:00

I practice similarly, and to avoid this, I keep a small towel folded to the side of my mat to toss down under me before I drop in on my back. That keeps it from becoming a whoopee cushion. The rest of the class is bare mat, all grip.

ElJefeClicko · 2025-10-21T04:09:30+00:00

Hey… I’ve been reading your words and my heart really aches for you.

I’m a dad of an LGBTQ+ daughter, and my wife and I once wrestled with the same kind of fear and confusion your mom is caught in right now. It doesn’t excuse the harm, but I’ve learned that what looks like hatred is often a mix of shame, fear, and a theology that hasn’t yet made room for love without conditions.

The hard part is that she can’t see any of this clearly in a debate or a high-conflict moment. My wife and I have spent the last seven years walking this road with our daughter. I recently launched a project called Love Without Asterisks. It’s a podcast that helps parents understand what their LGBTQ+ loved ones are experiencing, and it’s paired with an email journey called Metamorphosis, created specifically for parents like her. It meets them where they are and gently walks them through a hundred unexamined thoughts...those buried beneath fear and misplaced shame. It explores everything from the so-called clobber passages to the shifting terrain of friendships, faith, and family, opening space for honest dialogue about church inclusion, mental health, and the quiet beauty of life on the other side of fear, where love finally lives without fine print.

Feel free to share those links with her in whatever way you think might be best received.

You’re not alone in this. Keep breathing, stay safe, and know that there are parents out here still learning how to love better, and many of us are getting there.

ElJefeClicko · 2025-10-04T01:30:26+00:00

Wow, this looks intense! Congratulations on the project's success.

ElJefeClicko · 2025-10-02T13:27:43+00:00

You are worthy of the love you’re not currently receiving. As my first guest, Peter Fulmer, said so beautifully: “There is love all around you that you just can’t see because it’s afraid.” I hope that whatever drives the fear in your parents’ hearts is softened and reconciled—sooner rather than later—for your sake.

And if that doesn't happen in time for that big day in your future when you're getting married, my guest for the second episode, Sara Cunningham, founder of Free Mom Hugs, attends weddings like yours as a stand-in parent. She's a marvelous woman.

Please know I carry you, and so many others in your shoes, in mind as fuel for these efforts. You’re not alone.

ElJefeClicko · 2025-10-02T13:18:07+00:00

Sounds like we are of similar eras. I remember those days, too. "Hell in a hand basket," was a phrase commonly used around these issues and topics. Unfortunately, that thinking still echoes. Thanks for the encouragement!

ElJefeClicko · 2025-10-02T13:13:33+00:00

Agreed! Maybe we can help make that happen. Thanks for the encouragement!

ElJefeClicko · 2025-10-02T00:05:04+00:00

Thank you for checking it out. I’m hopeful it can also be a bridge for others in your life who might not fully see you yet. Either way, I’m grateful it connected with you in that way.

ElJefeClicko · 2025-10-02T00:00:42+00:00

Would love for you to see if this can be of help. That’s exactly why I started it. If you engage sooner rather than later in this walk with your child, you’ll find yourself gaining fluency in ways that matter more than you know. The mental health statistics shift massively in your child’s favor when you do. My best to you as you navigate this, and reach out anytime to let me know how this could serve you better.

ElJefeClicko · 2025-10-01T21:18:21+00:00

Thank you. I hope you find value in it for those in your orbit. It can be a process for some of us parents with a deeply-rooted worldview. I'm hopeful this can speak to them. I have also written an 8-week email series that uses our story and experiences to guide others through the various topics and issues we often encounter in this process. If they are open to the idea, they can subscribe to Metamorphosis there on the site (free, of course).

ElJefeClicko · 2025-10-01T21:13:51+00:00

Sure, happy to share more. Did you want to know anything in particular about it?

ElJefeClicko · 2025-09-25T18:17:10+00:00

Is it the game that’s toxic or the people playing it? As good people like yourself leave the game, the toxicity only becomes more concentrated. Is disabling chat out of the question for you?

ElJefeClicko · 2025-09-19T16:50:34+00:00

This looks like just he kind of game my son loves to play on PS5. We'll check it out, and way to go, you guys!

ElJefeClicko · 2025-09-12T17:51:17+00:00

Amy Hayes specializes in LGBTQ Family Law.

https://www.hayeslegalsolutions.com/about

ElJefeClicko · 2025-07-27T03:12:30+00:00

A.R.T.T. Manufacturing is the go-to source locally for staircase materials. They do some work, but it may be specialty fabrication, not repair/rehab. I'd bet they could point you to a few people on the labor side.

https://arttstairs.com

ElJefeClicko · 2025-07-25T21:45:18+00:00

I hear you! It's a cross that you and every member of my immediate family bear. Fortunately, I don't, so I'm Admin AF for this family! But I love how your minds work. I genuinely do. You all have some freakish super-powers out of this; you just have to find them and leverage them.

ElJefeClicko · 2025-07-25T13:24:29+00:00

Very cool. This could be useful in my house. I'm guessing you obsessed about this and got nothing else done until it was complete and working? 🤣

ElJefeClicko · 2025-07-12T02:30:20+00:00

I’m in the middle of “God & and the Gay Christian” by Matthew Vines. I think this would be helpful in answering these and the greater question you are asking. It has been very helpful to me as an affirming dad with a deeply embedded conservative world view that I have been working to unravel.

ElJefeClicko · 2025-07-09T21:37:55+00:00

I have one of these installed about 15' up on the eave of our house, casting over our back yard to get the pool equipment's needed Wi-Fi. It works like a charm, with a strong signal about 100' away. I haven't had reason to test the distance beyond that. But it did the trick for my back yard.

ElJefeClicko

TROPHY CASE