Part 1: Flip Phone!
What's up! It's been a while since I've last posted an update, but here it is! I've been up to quite a bit of stuff since my last update. One thing I've been very excited to share is: I switched to a flip phone!
It's a CAT S22 Flip, and for anyone looking for a bit of a digital detox, I'd highly
recommend it! It's heavy as hell, waterproof, runs Android Go on 2GB of ram,
and I love it!
I decided to switch to a flip phone because I hated how much I was just doomscrolling
and wasting my time without actually getting anything out of it. I wanted to be able to
decentralize my phone. No Youtube, Reddit, or mobile games while I'm out of the house.
My goal was clear, but I still had some things I just couldn't give up. I needed a phone
that could still use the internet if I needed it, use google maps, Discord, music, 2FA,
camera, calendar, email, Connecteam for work, and a notes app.
This made things a little more difficult, but I was determined to find something that fits
my exact needs.
For a while I landed on the TCL Flip 2. I got one at a Dollar General for around $50,
and for what it was I really liked it. It runs Android, and after rooting it I was able
to sideload whatever apps I needed onto it and take away the things I don't need. After
around a week of tinkering with it, I realized it wasn't the one. The main issue being that,
without a touchscreen, it was impossible to navigate some of the sideloaded apps that I needed.
I tried installing pointers that I could control with the phone's d-pad, but couldn't get
any to work. At this point I knew much better what to look for. I was happy with pretty much
everything about the TCL Flip 2, but I also wanted a touchscreen, and didn't want to have
to root it.
My CAT S22 Flip was the next phone I got, and with it I tried a different philosophy.
Instead of taking a phone that could do very little and trying to stretch it to do more
than it was able, this was a phone that could do more than what I needed, and I
could pair it and lock it down into exactly what I needed.
Now, you may be thinking "If you were just going to lock down a fully featured Android
phone anyway, why didn't you just do the same thing to the smartphone you already have?".
The answer to that, is:
- A flip phone is cool and awesome and special.
- Part of the purpose of the flip phone is making it just uncomfortable and inconvenient enough to use that I don't want to be on it all the time, or take the effort to get around my own guardrails that I set up.
Part 2: Life Updates!
There's also been some other cool developments in my life. My GF and I have been
looking for Apartments in Columbus for a few months, and we finally applied and
should be moving in late February! This is the first time either of us will be
living without family, and we're super excited to finally be properly starting
our own lives together!
It's a 2 bedroom apartment too, so I'll finally be able to have an office for
my PC and hobby stuff! This whole time my GF and I have had all our earthly
positions solely in her bedroom, so if one of us needs to go to sleep, we
both have had to so we don't wake the other up. It hasn't been the worst
thing in the world, but I feel like with an office, I'll finally have that
last little piece of my freedom and autonomy back that I haven't had since
college. I'm really looking forward to it.
Another thing I'm excited about is the kitchen, which is a pretty decent size
and has an island too! I've always loved to cook, and I'd love to much more
often upon starting this new chapter of my life. I'm also very much considering
starting a cooking page here on the site to show off dishes I've made that
I'm proud of!
Bunny is also 8 months old now, and she's been much easier for us lately.
I don't know if it's her chilling out as she's getting older, her finally
being used to her routine and lifestyle, if we are just getting better at
managing her, or all of the above, but it's been nice lately.
Part 3: Site Updates!
Here's some rapid fire site updates so you know what's new around here!
My 3x3s
For those who are not familiar, a 3x3 (Three by Three) is a grid that contains 9 pictures, one in each cell. Each picture represents one of your top 9 favorite things within the subject of that 3x3. A 3x3 can have your favorite games, movies, music, etc. Check out the link on the "Stuff" page so you can see some of my favorite things!
Pokemon Hall of Fame
This page is dedicated to the pokemon that carried me through my various playthroughs, starting with games I've completed as of December of 2025. I would love to retroactively enshrine my many teams from over the years, but alas, they have been lost to time. If you are interested, check out the link on the "Stuff" page!
Home Page
I've also made some updates to the home page, including an embed for my imood status, a counter for when the site was last updated, and a 88x31 button marquee. Just a few more things to make my site a little less bare and feel more fun and comfy!