Where did the time go?

How the heck are you? Another month down, another school year is upon us. Crazy to think that I'll have a freshman and a junior in high school, plus a freshman in college in a totally different state.

I honestly don't know where time has gone, and as cliche as it is to say that, it's so true.

Last month I asked you all to get really vulnerable and tell me your biggest fear. I expected exactly zero replies. To my delight, I received two! One reply was short, terrifying, and "uniquely American." That being the thought of losing health insurance. Hard agree.

The other reply hit close to home: The fear of not being a good enough father, husband or son. I've been there, and some days I'm still there. My advice to the person who replied, as well as anyone else reading this who feels similarly is to ask them. Ask your kids if they think you're a good parent. Ask your partner/spouse if you're a good partner. Ask your parents if you're a good son/daughter.

Don't ask in a joking around way – be totally honest about why you're asking, and listen to their response. When I was working with a therapist a few years ago, this theme came up (as it does for a lot of people, I imagine), and she gave me the assignment of asking my wife and kids.

The conversations that came out of it were insightful and reassuring.

My biggest fear changes, often. It mostly depends on where I'm at in life. A few years ago it would have been that I was going to lose all of my freelance contracts and not be able to provide for my family. I lived with that fear – daily – for a solid decade-plus.

A year ago, it would have been the paralyzing fear before each and every Sips & Pies service that we were going to fail. That I was going to fail.

For the last month, and likely for the foreseeable future, it's going to be whether or not I taught my daughter everything she needs to know about being on her own. Sounds ridiculous just typing it out. We're moving her to downtown Phoenix in a week, and I'm scared I didn't set her up for success when she's all alone.

Failure seems to be a theme with my fears, huh?

Anyways, let's lighten it up with this month's question:

What is a completely useless skill you possess that you are oddly proud of?

Hit reply and let's talk about it.

Pixels

Freelancing continues to slow down, but that's not a terrible thing. It's given me time to work through an in-depth buying guide of 10 different 3D printers for The Strategist, focus more on original content here on Pixels & Pizza, and I even spent a couple of days vibe coding some apps for personal use.

I'm working on a few stories for August, some of which I can't talk about quite yet. More to come about those.

One personal win this month was my mini-review of the Oura 5 going absolutely bananas on LinkedIn. In the 13 days since sharing my story on LinkedIn, it's racked up over 53,000 views. Most of my posts on LinkedIn are doing good if they get to 100 views. Not sure why it made the rounds there, but I'll take more of that please.

News and hot takes

• OnePlus exits US and European markets: OnePlus is officially pulling out of the US and European markets. I poured one out for them.
• Why iPhone users should pay attention to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Rumors are that the foldable iPhone is going to have nearly the same design as one of Samsung's newest foldables. Here's why that's a big deal.
• I built a web app to track your Oura Ring's battery health: I wanted a better way to monitor the battery life on my latest health obsession, so I decided to just build my own tool to track it.

Reviews and features

• The best 3D printers: After putting my Bambu P2S and quad-extruder Snapmaker U1 to the test, I put together a buying guide for the best 3D printers out there right now for The Strategist.
• I replaced Ford BlueCruise with a Comma 4: I recently canceled BlueCruise in my Lightning, installed a Comma 4, and after driving nearly 1,000 miles with it, and wrote about it for TechRadar. One this is clear -- there's no turning back.
• Oura Ring 5 experience review: I made the jump to the Oura Ring 5, and wish I'd done it years ago. Here's why.
• Sunseeker S4 robot lawnmower review: Mowing the lawn just got a lot easier. I put the Sunseeker S4 to the test for Tom's Guide.
• Insta360 Ace Pro 2 review: I spent some time with the newest action camera from Insta360 to see if it is worthy family vacation camera.

How to

• How to edit and rearrange CarPlay apps: Sick of swiping through pages of apps while you drive? Here is a quick guide on customizing your CarPlay dashboard so it actually works for you.
• How to install iOS 27: If you absolutely insist on running beta software, here is the step-by-step guide on how to get Apple's latest developer beta installed on your phone.

Pizza

It's been a big week for me. I was fully released by PT and my surgeon on Monday. It feels like I've been rehabbing and working towards this huge milestone for so long, it was almost anticlimactic. My shoulder has been feeling pretty good overall for the past month or so, with occasional soreness here and there.

Just because I'm released doesn't mean I can start doing whatever I want, though. I still need to build back a lot of strength and stamina in my bicep and shoulder, which is going to take time. My surgeon told me I can slowly start adding more activities as long as I use common sense. Easier said than done, doc.

So I know the big question is: Does this mean you're going to fire up Sips & Pies now?

... maybe?!?

We aren't going to go through the full process of getting licensed with the health department and all of that. It costs too much to do this late in the season. But, we are open to doing a popup at another licensed facility.

We've had some promising discussions with a local brewery that has an outdoor area that'd be perfect for setting up a couple of propane ovens and cranking out some pies. Hopefully we can making something happen in the next month or two.

Otherwise, we're actively looking for a small commercial kitchen to use as our commissary. Both local dedicated commissaries are great, but we want something smaller and less busy. If all else fails, we have two fallback options for next year.

I've also reached out to the local health department and asked for any current guidance regarding the Tamale Act – we still may end up doing something with that once it goes into place.

I cannot wait to get back into the swing of making dough, experimenting with recipes and building the community I've long dreamed of.

Don't forget to hit reply and tell me your useless skill!

I appreciate you,

Jason