General – Joe's Bucket List

Meow Wolf

Joe — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 13:57:50 +0000

What started as George R. R. Martin (yes, that one) buying a bowling alley in Santa Fe and leasing it out to a scrappy art collective, ended as the birth of what we now know as “Meow Wolf.” From its modest beginnings in Santa Fe, Meow Wolf has evolved into a nationwide series of immersive fever dreams that somehow straddle the line between interactive art exhibit, sci-fi funhouse…

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Travel Gear, 2025

Joe — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 02:51:13 +0000

Back in late 2019, I wrote a post outlining my go-to travel gear: a snapshot of what I was carrying and why. It was simple, practical, and served me well through a lot of trips. Then the world… well… pressed “pause” on travel for a while. Fast-forward a few years (and many clandestine weekend trips, some of which violating absurd “lockdowns” and circumventing crazy masking rules)…

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‘Nixoid Next’ Nixie Tube Watch User Guide

Joe — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 17:06:23 +0000

There’s something super cool about wearing a Nixoid watch—the glowing nixie tubes feel like a portal to the past, strapped to your wrist. But if you’ve ever tried to set one, you might feel like you’ve been handed a relic with instructions written in hieroglyphics. Simply put: their manual could use a little bit of work. After spending an embarrassing amount of time tinkering, experimenting…

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Now & Then: Vicksburg

Joe — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 23:44:53 +0000

Gettysburg is often called the turning point of the Civil War. However, no event was as significant as the siege of Vicksburg. The photos in this post showcase Vicksburg, Mississippi, and its surroundings. The black-and-white images were taken by my father in June 1968. The color photos are mine, captured in August 2024. These pictures were taken 56 years apart.

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Now & Then: Tokyo

Joe — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 22:10:34 +0000

Check out Tokyo–over 30 years ago, and again today! I haven’t pinpointed the exact date when the old photos in this post were taken. At first, I assumed they were from the late 80s, but spotting Sonic the Hedgehog in the Akihabara pictures below suggests the photos were likely taken in fall 1991. The old photos all come from a single trip to Japan, probably in fall 1991…

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Casa Bonita

Joe — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 20:28:08 +0000

Back in 2003, my life was dominated by midterms, finals, and the questionable dining options at Purdue. But Wednesday nights? Those were sacred. That was South Park night. I had a friend in the dorms who had two things going for him: a TV and a steady supply of beer from a local fraternity. I’d bring my girlfriend and we’d all huddle in his room, crack open a cold one, and soak up whatever Trey…

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Trip Snippets: Cozumel, Mexico; Aboard the Disney Wonder

Joe — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 03:20:50 +0000

Back in 2022, we got to take a cruise with our good friends Drew & Courtney. This was during the height of COVID’s Omicron wave, which spooked most people away from taking cruises. It did not spook us, though… and we were one of 343 lucky passengers (who had passed their COVID tests) aboard a Disney cruise ship meant for 2,400 passengers. Needless to say, by the end of the cruise…

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How to Replace a Longines VHP Battery

Joe — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 12:32:45 +0000

I’ve written before about how the Longines VHP is one of my go-to travel gear items. Why do I love my Longines VHP (VHP = Very High Precision) watches when I travel? They are super nice but not too flashy, they are fancy without being too fancy and making you a target of a pickpocket, they are super easy to change time zones on (without having to hack the watch!), and they boast of the the…

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Uncommon McDonald’s Locations

Joe — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 12:56:50 +0000

McDonald’s has always held a special place in my heart–and not just for their uncommon locations. To me, it’s more than just about the burgers and fries. I vividly remember one of my early McDonald’s experiences—attending my sister’s birthday party at the location near my first house. There, I remember playing in the “Officer Mac” playplace. It was the adventures with my…

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Kansas City

Joe — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 19:06:16 +0000

Last update: 9/1/2024 Kansas City isn’t the kind of place that most people would think of as a “tourist destination.” However, it’s a great city to visit! I’ll go through some of my favorite spots in this post, and why I like them. Here are my favorite places to go in Kansas City, and why I enjoy them. The National World War I Museum & Memorial 2 Memorial Dr…

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