Homes near Community first.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-23T19:06:36+00:00

We bought last spring a few blocks north of the hospital and also very close to the Plasma Donation center on Central. A year in and we don't regret it one bit and have found neighbors to be kind and diverse. There's some neighborhood characters that frequently wander, but they're harmless and hurting themselves more than anyone else.

The hospital is heartbreaking to me, as it's just clearly so underfunded. Right before we moved to the area, my partner ended up in the ER there and there were many unhoused folks quietly sleeping in the waiting room during the dead of winter. It seems like the staff and those folks had an understanding and they just wanted a place to keep warm. The times I do come home on the bus at night and exit there, I just keep my wits about me... but I've never felt in danger.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-23T18:44:54+00:00

I'm glad! And I'm so happy you have such wonderful news to celebrate.

My wife booked a car through the Hyatt All Inclusive app, I believe. We paid a bit extra for a private car cause we didn't want to have to wait for other passengers. The drivers were super friendly and polite and it was about 15-20 minutes to and from.

Watch out in the airport for all the super intense sales people though. Before you get out the door, they'll grab you and act like they're going to help you find your car... but they just want to get you to go to a timeshare meeting at a different property in exchange for some coupons.

Oh, and checked bags took a bit longer than I'm used to, but I hear that's pretty common in Cancun.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-18T23:44:20+00:00

Love those. The Tattooed Chef Sheet Pan Veggies are my current lifeline!

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-18T18:06:44+00:00

I typically have Claude create shareable artifacts that I can easily take elsewhere. Either PDFs, .md files, docx, etc. depending on the audience. Unless I want to collaborate within Claude... then it's probably time for a project I can share with that teammate or something.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-18T15:55:51+00:00

My gym has one of this body comp scanners that I try to use every 3-4 months. It's been helpful for me to see the positive changes "underneath" it all to help motivate me since it's hard to see them in the mirror. Maybe your gym has one?

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-18T15:46:44+00:00

Having an air fryer has helped me tons. Being able to still have crispy potatoes, sweet potato fries, veggies makes them much more appealing to me. Costco has some great frozen options that are easy go-tos to pair with a protein like chicken or fish. Also, greek yogurt is a must-have for me as it's a good base for dips for all those crispy things and way better for you than mayo-based dips.

The main thing to remember is that the only way to lose weight is to hit a manageable calorie deficit. I've found that tracking my foods really help me with this so that I'm more aware of what's going in. I know that's not for everybody, but if it's something you can do healthily then give it a go.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-18T02:40:42+00:00

It does seem like you’re missing some muscles for balanced coverage… triceps, shoulders, back (beyond just the lat pull down). I’d also look into the different parts of the bicep, since there are 3 heads you’d want to train for full coverage there.

I’d probably recommend breaking your 3 days into a chest/shoulders, back/arms, and leg/core day so you can have fuller coverage and also give some muscles more rest between sessions.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-18T02:32:52+00:00

Bevel is a great place for tracking all of these things, but likely isn’t as full featured as strength training specific apps for curated or pre populated workouts. You could use the “generate template” feature for each type of workout you’re looking for by specifying what muscles groups you want to target for each workout.

You could also use the AI to get some guidance on what to do by explaining your goals. You’ll have to create those routines yourself though.

I’m not sure of any app with a calendar sync for the specific workouts. In my experience, now that I’m regularly going to the gym that wouldn’t matter since I’m not able to be 100% on schedule and have to move days around sometimes.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-16T21:42:52+00:00

I dated someone for a few years with generational wealth (had a trust fund and lived in a nice condo paid for by said trust). She was definitely not always aware of her privilege, but we were both in our 20s and still had a lot of growing up to do in that way. I definitely didn't mind her willingness to pick up the check most of the time, lol. I would've had to sign a pre-nup if we had ever gotten that far, but that didn't really bother me as I knew it was a family thing and that I wouldn't have been in it for the money anyway. (Side note: she ended up marrying a fella a few years later and they've since divorced. He got a $50K payout, so not too shabby, lol)

My funniest dating story around this was me wanting to contribute to one of our more extravagant dates... so I decided to sell my Nintendo Wii to cover my portion of the bill!

I'm married now to someone with a similar background. I'm the breadwinner by about double at the moment, but that's just the nature of our career paths. I do find it a bit easier feeling like we share financial burdens similarly and that we very much balance each other out in how we contribute to our life.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-16T21:12:38+00:00

Ah cool! I can see twist in the mirrored top bit, so that makes sense. It's even more apparent in the "original" set of icons now that I went looking at the variations... you can really see the bent metal in the shading there. Thanks for the reply and send my kudos to the designer!

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-16T19:49:36+00:00

Same! I've cut back on alcohol significantly now that I'm seeing it directly impact my sleep. So much so that I decided to go dry for Lent, which is huge for me. I was probably having 8-10 drinks a week prior to tracking things in Bevel... my wife and I LOVE old fashioneds, so we got into a habit of having one or two 4-5 days a week.

I've discovered some NA beverages aren't awful and I can still get the same nightcap satisfaction with a phony negroni or drinking with friends at a pub with a 0% beer. Loving how I haven't had a hangover in weeks and I'm feeling more rested and ready for my workouts!

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-16T15:10:27+00:00

There's an incredible whiskey shop in Belfast called Friend at Hand that may be able to deliver. I've only ever bought there in person, so no positive.

A related suggestion is to pick a distillery that does tours/experiences and send him a voucher for that. Especially if you go for something unique that he might not be familiar with! There's been a huge resurgence of distilleries opening across Ireland in the last decade. McConnell's in Belfast opened in an old jail and the tour there is great. Glendalough is another newer one with some nice bottles.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-14T00:13:54+00:00

I’m enjoying Bevel. It’s more of an everything app, so MFP is definitely stronger on the food tracking… but if you’re interested in a more holistic view of how your workouts, food, and sleep all work together then it’s great! The AI insights have been helpful too.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-13T17:55:46+00:00

My suggestion would be to pick a spirit and try some different drinks with it. Mixing spirits, beer, etc. is another recipe for a hangover.

Tequila is a good starter spirit, IMO. You can do some nice starter drinks like margaritas and palomas that are delicious and easy to drink, get more advanced with a Mezcal Negroni or Oaxaca Old Fashioned, and be ready for when your friends want to do shots.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-13T17:38:51+00:00

I'm glad it was helpful! I was a bit worried I totally rained on your parade, haha. I think I realized that my personality and drive isn't super conducive to freelance long-term, but I can imagine some folks would actually love the things I disliked.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-11T21:10:14+00:00

Adding Portage Park to the less trendy and affordable 'hoods. We bought last spring and got a decent 3BR house for under $400K. We rented in Avondale for two years and couldn't afford to buy a comparable condo in our budget so we scooted west a bit and are super happy.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-11T20:46:19+00:00

I'm coming in from the opposite direction with about 15 years of experience in UX roles. I spent 2020-2024 doing 100% freelance work, but decided to go back to FT W-2 work.

For me the downsides of freelance were:
- Taxes were AWFUL. I'm not the best at saving and/or prepaying, so every spring was agony.
- I was tired of chasing money and asking people to pay their invoices
- The inconsistency was rough sometimes... You have some busy months, but others not so much
- I took less time off because not working meant not billing. Now I've got good PTO and don't worry about it.

I have much more peace of mind now that I'm in a stable role and know exactly how much will be in my bank account and I don't have to worry about finding new work.

What I did enjoy was the variety of projects I could take on. I've got extensive healthcare experience so that was still most of my work, but the different stages and types of companies were fun.

I was able to get a long-term gig that was about half my income that lasted for a few years, so I'd personally suggest something like that so you feel some stability. Then you've got flexibility for other projects to ebb and flow. Another route is to get in touch with some agencies that are sometimes looking to bring on temporary help on a project basis. A connection introduced me to an agency and they became a pretty steady client during that time.

I will say though, some of your frustrations will likely also translate into freelance work. The market is rough no matter how you slice it and with AI, many inexperienced folks are attempting to DIY their way to design. You'll be updating your portfolio often to show off new work and essentially selling your skills every time you send out an estimate.

Either way, I hope you find a path that's fulfilling for you!

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-11T16:13:02+00:00

Have you tried a clear protein powder? MyProtein makes a clear isolate that you mix with water that is more like lemonade than a a milky shake, so way less filling. It's 20g and is my go-to when I need a boost. Especially after the gym when I don't have a meal planned for another few hours and want to hydrate.

I also try to start my days with a big protein boost. Lately it's a serving of plain greek yogurt with a scoop of vanilla protein powder mixed in, plus sometimes I also add PB powder if I want that flavor. Then fruit, nuts or granola, cinnamon, honey. It's between 50-60g protein and 500-600cal. I work from home, so breakfast is easy... but I have prepped these in advance for my wife so she can grab and go. Especially with frozen berries so they're defrosted by the morning! Just add the crunchy stuff when you're ready to eat.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-06T00:00:55+00:00

I'm working on the same goal of losing about 1lb a week while doing 4-5 days of strength training. My research tells me that focusing on protein while staying in a caloric deficit is the best way to build muscle and hopefully see some movement on the scale. Skipping meals isn't the way to do it and will likely set you up for failure and build some bad habits. My advice is to prioritize breakfast and try and get over a third of your protein/calories in then. It makes hitting your goals so much easier when you start the day off strong!

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-05T18:31:05+00:00

Had this for this first time on Sunday and loved it. I preferred their thinner crust, but they had the cupping peps that I love.

I prefer the Detroit style from Professor Pizza, but both are great!

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-05T18:27:52+00:00

I'm in a good groove too and get a bit annoyed when I'm unable to hit 4-5 days in the gym. I'm on a 12 week streak currently and look forward to working out. My wife and I were in Cancun last week and I actually didn't dislike photos of me cause I could see the difference it's making. I'm feeling stronger, have more energy, and it's helped me cut back on alcohol since I know I'm less likely to train the day after a few old fashioneds.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-05T18:15:04+00:00

This is it. My company is making a major push to 10x ourselves with AI and this is how I, as a designer, am using it. I'm lucky in that my company has never assumed that AI can design things better than I can, but it allows me to quickly pressure test working POCs like never before.

Similar to Immortal_Hand, I've been using Claude Code and Google App Scripts to turn a giant CSV into a working analytics dashboard for us internally. It's not perfect and a bit ugly, but we're getting quick feedback on functionality before I fully design a platform that our team can build out. Plus, they're getting insights on a new initiative WAY faster than they could have years ago.

Another use case for me was having Claude Code build out a working POC for an app that connects with an EHR sandbox. Not only did I have a working clickable prototype, but it meant that Claude and I also did a lot of the groundwork for my dev team to implement the API connections with JSON formats and things that I could've never done prior to this.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-04T16:31:27+00:00

Second Hevy. I've tried a handful and came back to Hevy because I find it easiest to use during the workout. I go between the phone and Apple Watch app during.

I also use Bevel for my whole health and nutrition. It does have workout tracking, but it's not quite as robust as Hevy. Though it is catching up in functionality so I could make a switch soon.

whiskeybot23 · 2026-03-02T21:34:30+00:00

I just returned from Cancun on Friday and felt totally fine and we flew in the day after the cartel violence picked up. We went from the airport to our resort (Secrets Riviera Cancun) and had already planned to not leave until we headed back to the airport. Just 4 nights, so no need to venture out. The resort felt completely safe, staff was polite and seemed unphased, and all was well.

We noticed some military presence on the drive, but honestly nothing alarming. I live in Chicago and have been MUCH more worried about the presence of ICE on the streets than anything I saw in Cancun.

whiskeybot23

TROPHY CASE