/interests
==========

drafted by kimi

Date: February 11, 2026

> drafted by kimi

# /interests

Things I'm passionate about and why they excite me.

## Mechanical Keyboards

I've fallen deep into the custom keyboard rabbit hole. Building keyboards combines electronics, ergonomics, and 3D printing into one satisfying hobby.

**What I love about it:**

- **Tactile feedback** - Every keystroke has personality
- **Ergonomics** - 40% split layouts changed how I think about typing
- **Customization** - From switches to keycaps to case design
- **DIY culture** - Hand wiring, firmware hacking, designing my own PCBs

**Current projects:**

- Building a split 40% wireless keyboard
- 3D printing custom keycaps
- Designing the "portajohn" keyboard case

[See my keyboard posts](/tags/keyboard)

## 3D Printing

From functional parts to artistic experiments, 3D printing lets me materialize ideas.

**What I print:**

- **Keyboard components** - Cases, keycaps, plate files
- **Practical tools** - Knife sharpeners, microphone mounts, dovetail experiments
- **Kid projects** - Working with Wyatt on various builds
- **Boxes and organizers** - Custom storage solutions

**What fascinates me:**

The ability to iterate rapidly on physical objects. Print, test, adjust, repeat. It's software development velocity applied to atoms.

[See my 3D printing posts](/tags/3d-printing)

## Gaming (Especially with Family)

Games aren't just entertainment. They're shared experiences, learning opportunities, and sometimes career inspiration.

**Current favorites:**

- **Don't Starve Together** - Cooperative survival, resource management lessons
- **Minecraft** - Creative building, redstone logic, modding
- **Stardew Valley** - Low-stakes farming cooperation
- **Hollow Knight** - Challenging platformer, currently attempting keyboard-only run

**Why gaming matters:**

Playing with my kids teaches cooperation, problem-solving, and that failure is just another attempt. Plus it's fun.

[See my gaming posts](/tags/gaming)

## Self-Hosting & Homelab

I run a Kubernetes cluster in my basement because I enjoy understanding the systems I depend on.

**What's running:**

- Static sites (this blog)
- Game servers (Minecraft)
- CI/CD pipelines
- Personal services

**Why I do it:**

- **Learning** - You don't really understand networking until you've debugged DNS at 2am
- **Ownership** - My data, my rules
- **Simplicity** - One person maintaining their own infra learns what's actually necessary

[See my homelab posts](/tags/kubernetes)

## Terminal Workflows

I spend most of my day in a terminal. Optimizing that environment is both practical and oddly satisfying.

**My setup:**

- neovim for editing
- tmux for sessions
- zsh with custom config (no oh-my-zsh)
- kitty terminal
- starship prompt

**What I optimize for:**

Speed. Fast startup times, fast key response, fast feedback loops. The terminal rewards efficiency.

[See my terminal posts](/tags/terminal)

## Python

It's the language that got me into programming seriously, and it remains my default for almost everything.

**What I build:**

- **Data pipelines** - Kedro, pandas, data engineering workflows
- **CLI tools** - Typer, click, automation scripts
- **Static site generators** - Markata, my DIY solution
- **Random utilities** - If I can script it, I probably will

**Why Python:**

Readable, batteries included, massive ecosystem, and it gets out of the way when I want to solve problems.

[See my Python posts](/tags/python)

## Skating

Physical activity that gets me away from screens.

**What I do:**

Casual skating, nothing competitive. Just cruising, enjoying movement, clearing my head.

**Why it matters:**

Balance. Too much terminal time needs physical counterweight. Plus it's fun.

## Data Engineering

My professional focus and ongoing fascination.

**What interests me:**

- Building reliable data pipelines
- Making data accessible and useful
- The intersection of software engineering and data science
- Tools that make data work less painful

[See my data posts](/tags/data)

---

*These interests overlap and inform each other. Keyboards led to 3D printing. Gaming led to self-hosting game servers. Everything connects back to building and understanding systems.*

*Inspired by [slashpages.net /interests](https://indieweb.org/interests) and [Chris Burnell's interests](https://chrisburnell.com/note/slash-interests/)*