With the launch of my new website, I thought it would be worth it to quickly describe which software tools I’m using to produce the content that I post on patrickbrown.org. This is an always changing topic, but given my transition to professional quality tools in the past year, I thought it would be worth […]
digital, web
Welcome to my new website that is built on the WordPress.org framework! I’ve spent the past two weeks migrating my old Blogger-based blog into a brand-new, from-the-bottom-up site built in WordPress. There are a multitude of reasons to use WordPress instead of Blogger that generally relate to powerful customization, but my primary reason for switching […]
digital, web
Winters of late have served as a time of rest for me with a focus on projects around the house. So after several months of mulling about the house, the arrival of Spring brought with it another season of opportunity to travel and explore the West. When Colorado was still locked in Winter’s hold, the […]
gps, photos, stories
There comes a point in time when you realize that you’ve done it—you’ve accomplished your goal. Hot on the heals of my recent kitchen remodel, I put the finishing touches on the remodeling project of my bathroom and just like that, I reached the conclusion of a decade’s worth of home improvement projects on my […]
house, photos1900 miles of driving over 4 days and I was exhausted. The road had lulled me into a state of complacency with its perfectly spaced concrete seems that resonated with the suspension in my Jeep Cherokee but I was soon to be awakened like never before. The fresh-off-the-lot little black Jeep was filled to the […]
storiesOh my God! The man appeared to be a white ghost, but I knew for certain his spirit was still within his body. Although only moments had passed, it seemed like an eternity. Of all the possible outcomes, this one was far from the worst. I might lose my job, but at least the man […]
The sound of clanking coffee cups is quickly subdued by the roar of the espresso machine. Laptops are crammed onto tiny, rickety tables while hipsters raise their voices in an effort to be heard by their cohorts. Meanwhile, I sit nervously across the room. My heart pounds as I glance over the words on the […]
storiesWriting has become one of the most rewarding yet challenging activities in my life. Last year at this time, I was wandering along trails in New Zealand and considering the role of writing in my life. Among the many considerations, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to make a deliberate effort to improve […]
stories
In May of 2011, I embarked on several projects to improve the functionality of my 1985 VW Vanagon Westfalia camper. After installing a Bostig turbo charger and designing & building an Arduino-based battery monitor, I designed and installed a solar panel system to keep my beer cold all summer long. But of course, just as […]
photos, van, video, Westfalia
I spent the end of 2012 and the start of 2013 driving through the mountains of Colorado in freezing weather in my van without heat. I skied Steamboat on New Year’s Eve and kayaked Shoshone on the Colorado River on New Year’s Day, but somehow I was coldest when driving the van. In spite of […]
resolutions, stories