I set myself a goal to do one pull-up by the end of the year. I made some progress yesterday. My one rep is not a clean pull-up. The grip is neutral, and my legs are touching the ground from the moment I started pulling. I didn’t jump, but it’s not entirely clear from the video if I really pulled all of my body weight completely unassisted by my legs.
In any case, I’m not too far off. So far, the number of injuries exceeds the number of pull-ups. Honestly, I didn’t believe I’d get that far, let alone so soon. I was hoping I could achieve something within a year or two. Achieving a somewhat recognizable repetition in less than two months of practice is a big surprise to me. I’ll think about adjusting the goal once I do a clean rep.
Apart from buying books, I like getting myself little gadgets on occasion. Over 2025, that was mostly audio equipment. I got two closed-back headphones – the wireless SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 and the wired FiiO FT1. I also purchased an external microphone, which is waiting for the right moment be featured in a post. My last addition for 2025 was the lovely Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4.
The original intent for getting earbuds was to use them as a backup. Maybe try using them for calls, replacing the FiiO FT1, because they offer better isolation.
In the first days of use, I attempted taking calls with the earbuds. Many of my colleagues use earbuds and I assumed that would improve my setup. However, it didn’t work as well as I hoped.
They’re Bluetooth and have a very slight delay, which I can sense and it bothers me
I need to manually select the mic to ensure I use the right one is in use before each call
I experienced setup anxiety
So, although I could use them for calls, I quickly rolled back to using wired headphones with no mic and enjoy an axiety-free setup. Despite that, they’re still the headphones I’ve been using the most over the last 2 months.
They’re really pleasant-looking and a real joy to keep, hold, and carry
Fit well in my ears
The active noise-cancelling is so good that it makes me disappear into my own bubble. Particularly useful when watching my kids play with friends – the ANC allows me to read a book
The case is light and I can carry it everywhere, even when going for a walk
They charge quickly, drain slowly, and don’t make any unwanted sounds
Most of that can be said for any good quality earbuds. However, I own an earlier version of the Apple Airpods they were never anything more than a device I don’t want to touch, use, or carry. The Sennheiser exceeded my expectations and became part of my life. I’m not a typical user. I don’t use them outdoors, like most young people I see on the subway. So my recommendation should be taken with a grain of salt.
My region is known for cultural complaining. Gather people from the Balkans around a table, and it’s like a championship in complaining. I suspect this bad habit has Ottoman roots. You shouldn’t stand out, to not gather unwanted attention. Misery as camouflage.
For me – not sure. At one point, I read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Carnegie is strongly against complaining. He thinks nobody enjoys listening to that and he’s a smart person. I suspect he’s at least partially right. So I’ve been putting some significant effort to not do that, or at least not as much. Also, some of the most popular subreddits on Reddit are all around people complaining about their relationships. So maybe at least some people find diving into other people’s problems a good use of their time.
Overall, I think have a good capacity to complain, and also a strong desire to not do it. Here, I let myself complain about cars, which I believe are bad for everyone, and about AI overviews of websites, which I believe are unfair use of other people’s intellectual property.
Speaking of heritage, here’s a Sofia classic. Pickled food and cats
Snowdrops in front of one of my favorite ruins in Sofia – Tsarigradsko Shose 1. Built in 1926, the house is pink, pretty, and has flowers. I hope someone buys it and restores it to its full potential. From this angle, it almost doesn’t look like the Addams Family lives inside.
Veselin.blog 