Larry Myers
mostly cycling and technology
Daily Note
December 3, 2023
Trading card games are having a bit of a renaissance. I remember playing Magic in middle school in the mid-90’s, and it was definitely not something you would do if you prioritized general social acceptance in the meat grinder that is 8th grade. Magic is still around, and still has the largest player base, but it still seems just as unapproachable as it was 30 years ago. I’m not sure what I think about Lorcana yet. The Disney brand ensures it’ll be popular, but the scarcity issues and general cost certainly on brand for Disney as well. I still really enjoy Pokemon. There’s real depth in the game, while still being approachable and fun. The card artwork is more fun and playful than Magic cards, but still has some truly beautiful cards.
Regardless, my favorite aspect of getting back into TCG’s as an adult is having another thing to do with my kids. Every shared hobby we can do together is a joy.
Articles
Own Your MX Record→
How to Create an Astro Markdown Plugin→
How to Run Your Own Minecraft Server→
We Can Have Nice Things→
The Downsides of Remote Work→
About Me
I'm a [Dad, Technologist, Cyclist] living in Chicago with my wife, kids, and cats. There are some ghost shrimp in a fishtank too, but I'm not sure I count them as members of the household.
When I'm not getting paid to code I'm usually playing outside and exploring the city.
Things I've Built 
Cycling Weather Forecast
weather.larrymyers.comThere's plenty of weather forecasts out there, but none did a good job of answering the question: "When should I go biking tomorrow?"
So I built one for myself. It's an extremely lightweight traditional webapp with a Go powered backend.
Metra Train Tracker
metra.larrymyers.comMetra has never had a good train tracker, I doubt they ever will. This is a React app with a Go backend that is geared towards people who want to know when the next train is coming with just a quick glance to their phone.
Wordle Solver
wordle.larrymyers.comSome days you just don't want to spend the time staring at your 3rd guess trying to figure out a word that fits. I built this wordle solver to allow me to spend more time analyzing guesses and less time trying to think of words.
Chicago by Bike

Palos MTB Trails for New Riders
When you are new to mountain biking Palos can be both awesome and intimidating. With the right approach it's a great place to learn.

The Lake Michigan Ferry Tour
A self supported 5 day bike tour around the lower half of Lake Michigan.

Illinois Prairie Path / Fox River Trail
Endless miles of mixed surface trails through the western suburbs.

Sheridan Road
Ten miles on one of the best cycling roads through the North Shore.
2023 Ride Stats
Year to Date | 2896 mi |
Week of Nov 27 | 38 mi |
Week of Nov 20 | 19 mi |
Week of Nov 13 | 33 mi |
Week of Nov 6 | 75 mi |
Week of Oct 30 | 57 mi |
