Conversations with My Night Brain

Welcome to Five Quick Things
for August 18th, 2025.

Five Quick Things is gonna be a mini
episode of Conversations with My Night

Brain that I'm doing just so that I can
put stuff out into the world without

having to have it all figured out yet,
and schedule things and, all of that.

So if you'd like to be on a full
episode of Conversations with My Night

Brain, please get in touch with me.

I'd love to chat with you
and we'll figure it all out.

But for now, here's five quick
things for August 18th, 2025.

Number one, I'm turning 49 tomorrow.

Rationally.

I know it's just a number and all that.

Emotionally, I'm struggling with the fact
that I have 365 days until I have to say

I'm 50 while playing Fortnite with randoms
on the weekend at 20 something sounding

person asked how old everyone was, I
replied in my forties and they responded

in shock with an, oh my God, as if they
couldn't believe anyone could be that old.

I realized how ashamed
I was of my age at 48.

So I need to work through that because
I can't stop the number from going up.

Well, technically I guess I could,
but that's not something I would

give any serious consideration to.

Number two, switching to Apple's notes
and reminders app has been great.

I've tried almost everything
under the sun for getting to-dos,

organized and written words saved.

Thanks to some folks I found
on threads of all places, I've

rediscovered the joy of using Apple's
built-in reminders and notes app.

My tips are start using folders on notes
and start using the today view with dates,

obviously for the to-dos and reminders.

Those two things will change your
game, at least if you're like me.

Three, who am I?

If I don't tune into
the social media world?

I dunno yet what the experiment is
gonna be exactly, but I know I need

to tune out more of social media as
an input in my life and give back to

being able to think my own thoughts.

It's a little weird how when I see
my own kids start to get consumed by

watching reels and YouTube videos, the
mirror is held up even more clearly on

my own behavior and the influence it has.

So we'll see.

For now, I'm just trying to watch
less and we'll go from there.

Number four, Fortnite is still fun.

It took me a while to admit I genuinely
enjoy playing Fortnite to myself.

It took me even longer
to admit it to others.

Of course, part of the reason I got
comfortable with admitting it was

because of the influence of social
media and seeing older gamers just

to have fun with it and not be
ashamed or embarrassed about it.

So I'm not sure how to mesh
that with thing number three.

I've called it a silly, serious shooter
in that it takes the physics of a game

where you run around shooting each other
seriously until it needs to be silly.

Choosing a pickle skin and an
emote dancing with three of

your friends as you run around a
colored island makes me giggle.

That's all I can really say.

Number five, selfie a day for 49.

I've decided to post a selfie
day for a year, starting today,

one day before my birthday.

This isn't for vanity, but more to push
myself to like who I see in the mirror.

More I'll catch glimpses of
myself and pictures my kids take

of life and not like what I see.

If it's coming from a different
angle that I'm used to.

For every amount of me saying to
them, don't worry, you're awesome.

You look great.

When I'm in control of the camera, my
brain wants to go delete the photo.

Take it from their perspective,
even though that's how

they see me all the time.

Of course.

So Night Brain get used to
seeing more of me this year.

And that was five Quick
Things for August 18th, 2025.

Thanks for listening.