I'm on a mission to do more, do better, and actively engage in life. I have a passion for learning, creating, making, repairing, storing, organizing, and collecting things, but I keep finding excuses not to do them.

Recently, I moved into a larger space, complete with the garage I've always dreamed of. I used to think, "Once I get a garage, you won't be able to pull me out of it." But I keep finding myself making excuses and not starting the projects. But that's about to change.

From today, I'm committed to taking action and tackling projects every single day.

I don't know exactly where this is going to go, but buying the domain oneprojecteveryday.com was probably the best decision I could have made. I broke it down and questioned every word:

One. Project. Everyday.

After much thought, I realized three things: One, this is going to be really hard; two it's also going to be incredibly rewarding. No more "perfectionism" excuses. I'll just go out get things done, and document them. The third thing I learned is that 'Every Day' is two words :)

What is One Project Every Day? 

Another Day, Another Lesson

I pulled out a very old MacBook Pro and decided to install Ubuntu Linux on it. The install went fine, and everything was working. So I figured I’d force myself to use it for a while, just to shake things up.

That’s when I really started thinking more about workflow. If you saw yesterday’s update, this ties right in. Using a completely different system made me reflect on the tools I use, how I use them, and what actually helps me get things done.

All of this is coming together into a longer post where I’ll break down my current workflow, the tools I rely on, and why—for now—I’m sticking with Mac as my main desktop

 
Cost: $0 

Now that my Linux home server is live and in production, I figured it might be time to give it a dedicated monitor. It’s been running headless with me SSH’ing in for most tasks, but I thought having a screen directly connected might come in handy.

So far, it absolutely has not.

But setting it up got me thinking a lot more about workflow, how I work across devices, and how I organize my space. That idea has started to spiral into something bigger, and I’ll be writing more about it soon.

It's the monitor on the far right :) 

Also, my desk needs some wire/cable management.

Cost: $0 (had everything I needed already) 

With all the digital work going on lately and moving more projects over to my home server, I knew I couldn’t afford to lose any data. I’ve always been serious about backups. Triplicates, offsite copies, cloud storage, you name it. But things were starting to get disorganized, and it was time to clean it up.

Today was all about sharpening my backup system. I moved data, cleaned up old folders, and made sure everything is stored safely and logically.

Plenty of lessons came out of this one, and I’ll share those in another post soon. For now, everything is backed up and right where it should be.

Cost: $0

This post marks the official launch of Ericslog.com, and while it may seem like just another website going live, this one represents a few solid weeks of work. From the early design ideas to the hands-on HTML, CSS, and eventually full WordPress implementation—this was a full-circle moment for me.

I used to run a web design company years ago, so a lot of this was once second nature. But things have changed. I was rusty. I had to relearn quite a bit. Still, I got it up and running, and I’m proud of the result.

Now I’ve got two active sites: One Project Every Day and Ericslog. How I’ll manage both? I’m not totally sure yet. I do know One Project Every Day won’t last forever. Maybe it winds down at day 200. Maybe 300. Maybe never. Either way, it’s already done exactly what I needed it to do.

I started One Project Every Day because I wasn’t in a great place. Health-wise, energy-wise, motivation-wise. I had just moved into a new house with a garage full of possibilities, and instead of tackling all the cool stuff I could do, I felt like I was letting the days go by.

This page you are reading right now changed that.

It got me moving.

It got me building momentum.

And it brought me back to learning, experimenting, and enjoying life again.

Cost: $0

I’ve had Ericserv.com up for a while now, and I posted earlier about how proud I was to get it pulling live server stats straight from the machine and displaying them on the site. Absolutely no one was impressed, but let’s be real, I’m not doing it for them.

So in that same spirit, those same people will probably remain unimpressed that I just hooked into the Fitbit API to pull live stats from my Fitbit. But for me, this is exciting stuff.

I’ve learned a lot about how Fitbit polling works and where the limitations are. It’s not exactly a perfect system since the data path is wristband -> phone -> Fitbit server -> my server -> your screen. But that’s the point. I’m building this to learn, experiment, and figure it out as I go.

More features and ideas are coming soon.

PS: If you see no heart rate, I’m probably just charging my Fitbit.

Cost: $0

Back on day 107, I shared that I was starting a new website. Since then, I’ve been working on it behind the scenes, and if the next few updates feel like all I’m doing is web stuff, it’s because every spare moment has been going into this project.

I had originally launched another blog and was paying to host it through Cloudways, but I’ve since transitioned everything over to my own home server. That server is officially in production mode now and is running all my web projects.

One of the first technical challenges I needed to solve was how to handle multiple domains on a single server. That led me to learning about virtual hosting. After reading a few guides, editing my Apache config files, and testing everything carefully, I got it working flawlessly.

Now I can route multiple websites through the same box, keep things organized, and scale my little homelab setup as much as I want. It’s one of those projects that quietly unlocks a lot of possibilities.

Cost: $-25 a month! (no longer paying for hosting)

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know I just bought my own lawn mower. It was a great feeling, picking out the exact one I wanted and being able to afford it. No compromises. I got the goldilocks mower for me and this yard.

Now I’ve got the trio in place: weed trimmer, blower, and lawn mower. I’m basically ready to start a lawn business at this point. But really, this is about keeping my own yard looking sharp. I want it to stand out. A well-kept lawn is a quiet kind of status symbol. It says the person who lives here takes pride in how they live, and probably in everything else they do too.

The mower will pay for itself in no time. Lawn service was running about sixty bucks a visit and it needs to happen a couple times a month in late spring.

Also, not gonna lie, I’m getting into the details of lawn mower maintenance and post-mow cleanup. Keeping it sharp, clean, and dialed in is just part of the fun now.

Cost: 0

Not the most exciting project, but it's definitely necessary. It’s warming up, and after mowing the lawn and trimming around the house, I started noticing some spiders—and I absolutely hate spiders.

So, I grabbed the insecticide (Home Defense) and treated both the inside and outside of the house.

Super boring. Super simple. But 100% needed.

Cost: $40 

Today I finally got back out in the garage and swapped the brake shoes around—big shoes in the back, small ones up front, just like they’re supposed to be.

I’ll admit, I tried to take some shortcuts at first. Got frustrated. Then I took a breath and reminded myself why I’m doing this in the first place. If you’re going to do it, do it right. So now I’ve put my rear drum brakes on twice… which means I’ve done each side twice. That’s four times total. At this point, I’m basically a drum brake expert.

I always say a lot of things in life are like a brake job. The first side is about learning—or relearning—how to do it. By the time you get to the other side, it’s easy. You already know the bolt sizes, the right angles, the spring positions, and the rhythm of the process.

This time I did both sides twice.

Now I know the rhythm, the feel, the lessons.

I’m ready to open a drum brake shop… or at least get this Jeep back on the road, but Ive gotta figure out a way to bleed the brakes... 

Cost: $20 

I finally did it—I bought a lawn mower.

I’ve had my eye on a specific one for a while, something that was just right for my yard. I ended up going with the Toro 21” Recycler Self-Propelled and I couldn’t be happier with it.

Last year, I was borrowing my neighbor’s mower, and while I appreciated it, there’s just something about being self-sufficient—especially when it comes to taking care of your own space.

So today, I edged, blew, and mowed my own yard, with my own new mower. Every few minutes I found myself walking back outside just to admire how great it looked.

Photos coming tomorrow. Proud moment, for sure.

Cost: $399 

After all the mindfulness, patience, and presence—the careful cleaning, greasing, torquing to spec, and feeling one with the Jeep—I discovered something.

I had installed the brake shoes wrong.

Not a catastrophic mistake, but wrong enough that something felt off. The thing is, I wouldn’t have known it was wrong if I hadn’t gone through the entire process first. It wasn’t until I had the hands-on experience—putting it together, getting familiar with how each piece fit and related to the others—that I could recognize what didn’t look right.

So, I took it all apart. Again.

And honestly, this is exactly why I always say I learn more through failure than success. If it had gone smoothly, if I had just followed a diagram and checked it off the list, I wouldn’t have internalized any of it. 

It’s one thing to fix something. It’s another to understand it.

Cost: $30 more? Who knows at this point 

Day 3 was an important one. And just to explain how this all works—I take photos and do the hands-on work first, then come back in my spare time to create these updates. That means sometimes I’m writing with a few days’ distance, but that space gives me a chance to reflect on what I’ve learned.

This update is one of those reflections.

Sure, I could have slapped these brakes together quickly and called it done. But I didn’t. I took everything apart. I wire-brushed the components, cleaned every part that didn’t move, greased the ones that did, and torqued the brake lines to spec. I took enjoyment from just working through the process—being patient, learning how everything worked, restoring it piece by piece. Then I moved to the other side and did it all over again.

During this part of the project, I was listening to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and some of the ideas in that book really hit home.

In Zen and the Art, “doing it right” isn’t about perfectionism. It’s about presence—about showing up, respecting the process, and giving your full attention to each small step.

You’re not just fixing the Jeep. You’re building a relationship with it. You’re learning to notice how things feel, how they fit, and where they resist. When you slow down and pay attention to those little things—how tight a bolt is, whether a part feels off—you start seeing patterns, spotting problems early, and finding solutions that actually make sense.

This isn’t just “brake maintenance.”

It’s a mindset. It’s patience. It’s care. It’s life.

Cost: $~300 now 

Alright, I know most professionals can knock out a drum brake job in about an hour—but that’s not how this project is going. I’m about five hours in, and on day two, I’m just not ready to dive into the actual install yet.

Right now, it’s all about gathering what I need and putting together a solid plan. The next step is to find a place that can turn the drums. The local O’Reilly’s says they offer the service on their website, but after stopping by tonight, they let me know they actually don’t. So I’ll try another location tomorrow.

From there: clean the drums, buy the parts, grab the brake lube, and start the reassembly. I’m finally on the downhill stretch.

Cost: $30

Well, day one on the Jeep brakes, and I didn’t get very far.

I picked up the tools I need, but I’ve already run into some issues. Right now, the rear brake drums are completely seized up. I’ve been digging through forums and watching YouTube tutorials—some people suggest a bigger hammer, others say to back off the brake adjuster to create some slack.

Most of the day was spent gathering parts, getting the Jeep jacked up, and trying to understand what I’m working with.

It’s officially a puzzle I need to figure out.

Cost: $60

Alright, some projects take a lot of effort—this one didn’t.

I researched a new monitor for my gaming PC setup and landed on the Dell G2725D. I think I’ve officially transitioned out of 1080p life… because text at that resolution now looks like it came from a dot matrix printer.

So I made the move to a 1440p 180Hz gaming monitor. The panel is solid and great for gaming. The stand isn’t great, but that’s fixable with an aftermarket mount. For now, though, it’s perfect.

Bonus: I’ve jumped back into Fallout 76 and I’m currently having a blast!

Cost: $0

Today’s project was quick but important—I needed to get power to the new workbench. This space is really working out well and is slowly becoming my main work area, mostly because it’s the biggest clear surface I’ve got.

I installed a large power strip and mounted it to the wall, so I’ve got easy access to power right where I need it.

Next up will be adding some shelving above the bench, but for now, I’ve got a few other projects in motion.

Cost: $0

Back inside and back to working on stereo wires. Today, I ran a digital coax cable from one stereo area to another, connecting my Wiim Pro Plus to another part of the living room. I can’t show a picture of the cable because it’s neatly tucked away in wire guides on the floor—just how I like it.

I also picked up some prefabbed high-end speaker bridge wires, since apparently, mine were missing.

Lastly, I had to attach banana plugs to some speaker wires that got unintentionally snipped during another project. Everything is now wired up and sounding great!

Cost: $40

Today, my plan was to clean out the Jeep since it had been sitting and collecting cardboard and moving blankets for the last few weeks. I got it cleaned out and ready to hit the road, and the next photo is proof—it made it out to the street!

But then, I noticed the brake warning light stayed on. No big deal, right? Until I realized there was no pedal.

Crawling underneath, I found the issue: the passenger rear wheel cylinder has been leaking for a while. So now, it’s time to fix it. (and do both sides, because that's best practices) 

Sometimes, I sit around thinking, what’s next? or what can I do? and sometimes, projects introduce themselves. My goal now is to get this done as efficiently and quickly as possible—and luckily, I’m pretty well set up to tackle it.

Cost: $4.50 so far 

Today, I can finally post about this because it’s finally finished. A few months ago, I worked with my dad to install off-road lights on my Jeep. I had bought them years ago with the intention to install them, but now that I have a garage and some time, it was time to get it done.

Tonight, I wrapped up the project by adding a 3-way connection in case I ever need to remove the bumper or lights. I wireloomed everything and secured it to the factory wiring harness to keep it from getting too close to the radiator.

Everything should be waterproof, dustproof, and ready to shine bright!

Want to see them in action?

Cost: $0 

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know I set up new lighting in my garage and had been leaving it on 24/7. With everything connected to smart devices, this was silly.

I needed some motivation, so I sent ChatGPT a screenshot of my electricity bill and the model of the lights to do some quick calculations. Turns out, running them all month costs less than $10, but leaving them on unnecessarily is still wasteful.

Since I already had a drawer full of smart plugs, I hooked all my garage lights up to Alexa voice commands—problem solved!

Cost: $0 (I already have everything I needed) 

I created a simple video for my side stereo, but I wasn’t happy with it. So, I reorganized the wire management, picked up some new video lights to experiment with, cleaned up the cables, and reshot the video.

This process forced me to learn some best practices for editing iPhone 16 Pro Max content, track down some gear, and get back into creating video content. Who knows where this will lead?

On the stereo side of things, I fixed some Wiim Pro Plus latency issues. Next, I need to run the JVC receiver through the preamp, remove the small bookshelf speakers, and possibly make room for new components on the media stand. This setup is evolving into a space where I can audition gear before moving it into full production.

Cost: $~120 bucks in new lights 

Back on the Jeep today. I went to O’Reilly’s, picked up some antifreeze, refilled the radiator, and got it cranked up. It’s now running just under 200 degrees, which is perfect for idling.

The battery is still strong, so I’m back to where I can crank it up and let it run. Tomorrow night, I’ve got a small wiring harness project to tackle, and I need to clear out the moving blankets and extra stuff inside.

If all goes well, it’ll be ready to hit the road on Saturday!

This should have been a one-day project, but between being busy, the time change, and not having the coolant, it got delayed. :)

Cost: $20 

Today, my Wiim Pro Plus from Amazon arrived, so I set it up on my alternate stack of gear in the living room. There are definitely some kinks to work out.

It’s the device sitting on top with the small light on it, and the number one issue I need to tackle next is wire and cable management. That will be the next project.

As for the Wiim Pro Plus, it streams well and sounds great, but the latency between loading the next song is insanely long. I need to dig into some forums and figure out if this is just how it works or if there are ways to improve it.

Cost: $225

The water is going somewhere, so I grabbed an old jug of radiator fluid that had been sitting in my Jeep for over a year—mostly water, just in case I ever ran low. As I poured it in, a big glob of something weird came out of the jug and straight into the radiator.

Today was busy, so I only had time to drain it and run about 20 gallons of water through to kind of flush the system. My main goal was just to get that mystery blob out.

Next step: pick up some antifreeze, get it filled properly, and see where the leak might be coming from. Who knows, but with the weather being amazing, I’m ready to get this thing back on the road!

Cost: $0

OK, here’s a “project,” but I didn’t do much except pay for it and hold the flashlight while my dad did all the work. We kind of built it together, but mostly, I stayed out of his way—until it was time to pay for it. :)

At first, it was just a workbench, but now I own a workbench made by my dad, and that’s pretty special. Growing up, everywhere we moved, he built a workbench, and now I finally have one of my own.

Next steps: I’m going to add a shelf, set up some power, and put it to good use.

I should have taken some before photos because this area was wasted space. Now, I can store my large bins underneath and have a solid workspace on top! Now i've got 3 work surfaces in the garage ready for new projects!

Cost: $120 

Super happy with this project! I resurrected a 2012 27-inch iMac and turned it into the ultimate garage computer. It has a compact all-in-one footprint with an amazing 27-inch 5K display, making it perfect for watching media, pulling up documents, checking wire diagrams, following YouTube tutorials, FaceTiming, and anything else I might need.

On top of that, it’s hooked up to a receiver and some speakers, making it the perfect music device.

I didn’t originally plan on this being a garage machine, but now that it’s here… it’s never coming back inside!

I read a lot about removing the glass screen and the reattachment issues people have faced—specifically long-term adhesion problems. So, I made sure to do it perfectly.

If you’ve ever prepped a valve cover for a gasket, it’s a lot like that. I doubt most people put in the amount of prep work I did to get it back together. To be safe, I’m leaving the painter’s tape on it for a few weeks. It doesn’t bother me at all, and I’d rather make sure everything holds up long-term!

Cost: $0 

Ive had this old 27-inch iMac sitting around, and it’s too beautiful of a display and computer to go unused. It came with a Fusion Drive, which is Apple’s RAID-style combination of a small SSD blade drive and a larger spinning HDD to create the best of both worlds. But with how cheap SSDs are now, I figured I’d get much better performance by replacing anything that still spins.

The first step was something that sounds cooler than it was—splitting the Fusion Drive. A few command-line commands later, and I was ready to crack open this fully sealed unit to swap the drive.

First project on my new cleaned-up and decorated workbench with way better lighting! 

Putting it back together and getting it running is a whole different project.

Cost: $25 

I’ve had some electrical issues in the truck, which might have been caused by a loose connection on the negative terminal. It’s not the terminal itself, but the four-bolt connection behind it where the ground wire ties in.

I also realized I’ve been driving around without a battery hold-down bracket for a few years, so I finally got that snugged down with a new bracket. I closed up the fuse box, and now I’m hoping this solves the electrical issue.

Cost: $25 

Two quick upgrades in the garage today.

First, adding lights above the workbench was great, but it also created a harsh light path that made every imperfection in the sheetrock stand out right in my eyeline. It looked terrible, and I couldn’t ignore it. I originally wanted a Guns N’ Roses poster to cover it, but ordering one online meant waiting over a week. So I drove to Hobby Lobby and found the cheesiest “manly” garage art I could. It does the job, but I still might order that Guns N’ Roses poster later.

Second, I added three wire shelves next to the workbench for some extra storage. The plan is to keep them clear when I’m working on a project so they actually stay useful.

Cost: $50 

I’m starting a brand-new site, custom-built and designed for short updates like this, but with the flexibility for longer-form content when needed. It will have more interaction, be less project-focused, and give me a platform to create and talk about all kinds of things. without the strict format of One Project Every Day.

Getting it from “design idea” to fully functional is going to take some time, so I’ll be sharing updates on the progress here.

Stay tuned!

Cost: $0

Today, I added a few more lights in the garage, and now it’s dang near daylight in there at night, which is exactly what I wanted. I think I’ve finally got enough lighting.

I installed a couple of three-foot-long light bars at just the right height to brighten up my workbench and give me good visibility into the engine bay of whatever project I’m working on.

Super simple, super effective, and I’m happy with the results.

After posting this photo, I can promise some wire/cable management around that workbench is on the priority list.

Cost: $36

Today, I’m getting back into my daily projects. First up: cleaning up my desk and getting everything organized. I’ve built up a decent backlog of work to post, so I need to get things in order and finally get all of it published.

I’ve taken a long break, but this site and my projects have been on my mind the whole time. Now, it’s time to build another streak and get some things done!


Cost: $0

If you’re reading this now, you can chalk up my return to one simple app I installed around New Year’s—a habit tracking app. I happened to be testing it for the developer, so I got my version for free, but the value it has brought me has been incredible.

I started simple, picking a few things I wanted to do every day. First, I needed to walk more, so I held myself accountable for a 25-minute walk each day, about a mile. I didn’t hit 100%, but when you have an active streak, you don’t want to lose it. So you keep going, keep showing up, and keep doing the things you know you need to do.

One morning, I woke up to a disaster of a kitchen from cooking the night before. I decided I never wanted to start my day like that again, so I added “clean the kitchen every night” to the app. Since making that choice, it has become second nature, something I just do without thinking.

When I realized my one-mile walk was getting easier, I stacked another habit, another 25-minute walk, bringing me to two miles a day. This has helped me stay active, set daily goals, and actually achieve them, creating a domino effect in other areas of my life.

And that is what led me back here to One Project Every Day, looking to build new streaks and stack more wins.

Cost: $0 

OK, back to my little homelab web server, named, of course, Ericserv!

Years ago, I ran a web development company, my second business, which was decently successful and taught me a ton. I taught myself HTML, CSS, and front-end development, but I quickly shifted into a sales and business development role. I never really got into dynamic data or JavaScript at all, and now I’m just starting to explore it for the first time.

Right now, Ericserv pulls activity data from the server and updates in real-time. This is just the beginning, I’ve got plenty of ideas and can’t wait to keep building and learning!

Cost: $0 

Digital Organization: Just as Important as Physical Space!

Just like having a clean and organized workspace makes a huge difference, the same applies to the digital world. A couple of months ago, I mentioned wanting to find an app that could automatically clean up my file system. Well… today, I started working on my own.

It’s actually really simple, and with AI, scripting has never been easier to learn. Sure, I could just let AI do it for me, but then I wouldn’t actually learn anything. I’ve been exploring the best ways to use AI tools for hands-on learning, and I’ll have a post about that soon.

Pretty soon, I’ll also be launching a new site—so stay tuned! :)

Cost: $0 

I realized while my workbench was in use with a project that I really lacked surface area to work. So, I got these cool little shelves from Amazon to hold the stuff that was cluttering up my work surfaces. I’ve been really impressed with them, and I think I’m going to order a couple more.

It’s so nice finally having some extra clear space to work. During a big project, it’s amazing how quickly every inch of my workspace fills up!

Cost: $32 

Replacing the blower motor was fun, but getting the A/C system reinstalled was an adventure. It’s heavy, awkwardly positioned, and the height of the Jeep makes any work under the dash extra difficult.

After some research and talking to a few people who’ve done it before, I came up with a plan.

The key is getting it off the floorboard high enough to fit into place, then installing it at a specific angle—back first, up over a support beam (if you ever need to do this yourself). I’ll never forget the process, but I really hope I don’t have to take it back out anytime soon. This is the second time it’s been dropped, but in the summer, I’ll be glad to have a working A/C!

Cost: $32 

Keychron K10 Battery Replacement!

OK, this was a learning experience, one that reminded me I need to get back to updating my Lessons Learned section.

These keyboards aren’t really built to be serviceable, but they’re expensive and high-end, so I wanted to extend its life. I’m not sure what the expected lifespan of the internal battery is, but after a couple of days of daily use, I wasn’t happy with the battery performance.

So, I bought this replacement battery and swapped it out, The keyboard is back together and working great now!

Cost: $15 

This was a gift from a couple of Christmases ago, but now that I have a garage and with the weather getting too cold to drive the Jeep, I finally decided to tackle the A/C blower motor. It had been making a ton of noise every time the A/C kicked on.

Dropping the A/C system was pretty straightforward, and I learned how to rewire a newer blower motor into the system. Plus, I got to use my new solder connectors, which made the wiring process super easy.

I tested it, it blows cold! But getting everything put back together? That’s a project for another day.

Cost: $25 

Well, the ol’ Jeep didn’t start. I knew it needed a new battery, and I also know why it’s been eating through them. But I got lucky! The battery was still under warranty, so a quick trip to O’Reilly Auto Parts, and they took care of it.

I had originally bought the battery before I moved, but they had no issue replacing it at my new local store. The staff was helpful and made the process easy. Honestly, next time I need a battery, I’ll definitely remember the folks at O’Reilly! :)

Cost: $0 :) 

After a couple of road trips and just a busy life, the truck was full of stuff! I took the time to detail this old work truck, put everything away, and get it organized.

I also gave it a good wash, so now it’s looking a little less like a work truck.

Happy with the Tundra! 😊

Cost: $0 

On day 74, I mentioned that I would be creating my own GPT

So today, I built an AI-powered personal financial assistant that analyzed my debt profile and devised a killer hybrid strategy for paying it down. It combined snowball and avalanche methods to hit high-interest balances hard while knocking out smaller debts fast.

Honestly, it's pretty amazing to see how AI can handle data analysis like this for personal use—it turned a financial spreadsheet into a clear, strategic path to getting debt-free faster.

Confused between ChatGPT and Rolling your own GTP? Zapier explains it

Cost: $0

I typically try not to include "chores," but I think this one qualifies as a project! Today, I deep-cleaned my entire house's floors. I happen to know a lot about floor care, so without diving too deep, here’s the issue:

I have very light-colored luxury vinyl plank floors, and manufacturers have added real grain texture, which traps dirt. My cleaning process involves six steps: vacuum, sweep, dry dust mop, scrub, and flat mop. I work in sections and finish with a final water-only flat mop across the whole floor to remove any residue. The result? A perfectly clean LVP floor!

Cost: $0

Before I left, I made sure I could SSH into Ericserv.com to work on it remotely. However, since this homelab server uses a dynamic IP, a power outage or connection interruption could cut off my access and take it offline.

I took this as an opportunity to learn something I’d been wanting to try: using Cloudflare’s API to manage DNS. I wrote my first Bash script to check the server’s IP and update Cloudflare. Right now, it runs on reboot and then updates hourly.

Next step: tweak the script to update only when it detects a change in IP, rather than doing it hourly.

So far, this has been the coolest project I've done. The learning process was super cool, and that will be a future blog post.  

Cost: $0

While away, I received my first-ever HOA violation notice: my flag had fallen down the flag pole. Initially, I thought it was just another task to take care of, but there's always more. 

What I thought would be a snarky update about my first HOA violation turned into a learning experience. I learned about different flag attachment styles and discovered that displaying a torn or frayed flag is considered extremely disrespectful. There’s also a proper way to retire a flag when it's no longer in good condition.

For more on flag etiquette, you can read from those who know best: VFW Flag Etiquette.

Cost: $32

I know this image might look like I got home, put my luggage against the wall, and called it a project, hardly! I wish this was the luggage combo I took. I haven’t traveled as much lately, but after hauling two heavy carry-on bags through multiple airports over my travel week, I put together a luggage plan while the pain points of my last trip were fresh on my mind.  

Lessons learned:

1. Everything needs wheels or should be attached to a bag with wheels.

2. You can’t leave your carry-on bags unattended, so wheels are essential 

3. Visibly mark your luggage with a flag or some easy-to-identify marker—because all bags look the same... and make sure they have wheels!

4. Wheels. 

Cost: $0

Installing Google Play on my new Fire Max 11 tablet

I recently bought a Fire Max 11 tablet for my trip, and while setting it up, I realized it would be much better with the Google Play Store installed. Amazon’s app ecosystem is fine, but Google has much cooler apps. So, with a bit of research, I figured out how to "hack" it and install Google Play.

If you're interested, here’s the resource I used: How to Install Google Play Store on Amazon Fire Tablet.

Cost: $0

I’m super proud of this! All these seemingly boring "Hello World" projects are starting to turn into something a little cooler. Today, I unveil my little homelab server, ericserv.com. The idea is to keep a list of projects and links I’m working on here.

What’s cool is that it’s being served from a local box at my house—something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. It’s dirt simple right now, but it’s a great learning tool for me, and I’ll keep improving it and tackling small projects with it.

Plus, it gave me a fun excuse to break out some ASCII art and go for a "terminal/BBS" visual style!

You can check it out here: ericserv.com

Note: Because it's sitting on a dynamic IP,  it might not resolve, but there's a project in the future it fix that :)

Cost: $0

I’m continuing to work on my blog writing skills and building out content for my blog site, so my plan while I’m away is to knock out a few posts. Today, I focused on writing about my experiment with time blocking and how I’m working to regain control over my personal time. I wrote this post to explore whether I’m truly making the most of my time or letting it slip by, and to push myself toward better productivity and balance in my daily life.

Feel free to read it here: Wasting Time or Making Time? My Time Blocking Experiment Begins.

Cost: $0

Before I left, I made sure I could SSH into my homelab web server to get some work done remotely. I got my workspace all set up in the hotel room (I keep a monitor in California because, after using two monitors, it’s hard to work without one!).

There’s definitely some emotion tied to relearning things I haven’t touched in over 10+ years, but I’m here for it. I configured an SFTP user account and connected my IDE to the server so I could work on files remotely. Now I’m connected, set up, and ready to dive into some projects!

And yes, I still use Dreamweaver as my IDE—it’s not considered cool, but it’s what I’m used to, and the way I use it is cool! :)

Cost: $0

I'm happily traveling for my real-life job, but that doesn't stop the projects! On Day 1, I had a 5-hour layover at Dallas Love Field airport. When I booked the flight, I saw it as a perfect opportunity to have 5 hours of focused time to get something done. So, I brought along some SSDs and spent the time cleaning up, backing up all my files, organizing my desktop, and reducing some serious digital clutter.

Now that I’m finally back home, I’m updating you on what I got done during the trip!

Cost: $0

This "Hello World" is coming from my local server, right here in my house. It’s hard to describe the excitement of setting up a server and finally getting it accessible outside of my local network, ready to serve the world.

I’ve hidden my IP for now since I’m not confident enough in my security skills just yet, but I’ll map a domain to it soon.

So while it might look like a simple "Hello World" page, it represents a ton of learning (and relearning) command-line tools I haven’t used since 1994!

Also, it gives my little server purpose!

Cost: $0

As we close in on the final quarter of the year, one of my goals is to improve my credit and reduce debt. I decided to use "The Snowball Method" to tackle it. What I like about this approach is that it gives you small wins by knocking out smaller debts first, which gives you that dopamine boost as you close out accounts. Then, you can use that momentum to tackle larger debts.

I’d usually share a screenshot, but I’ve decided not to put my categorized debt on the internet. :) Rest assured, it’s not a tragic story—just some simple credit cards that need to be paid off in a smart way. So I've outlined my accounts, payment dates, and have a plan to pay them off!

(Picture courtesy of Midjourney and my amazing prompt skills!)

Cost: $0

After completing this, I can 100% say it counts as a project. First off, my attic access isn’t exactly convenient—it’s right above my work area in the garage, so I have to move everything around just to get up there. Thankfully, I was smart enough to buy a work table with wheels, which makes it easier to clear the space.

The big issue here is that this setup prevents me from having a shelf above my work area. I’ve been toying with the idea of creating a folding or detachable shelf. I just need to figure out the clearance to make it work.

Also, getting up into the attic is a lot harder than it used to be when I was younger. I wanted to share some dangerous facts about folding attic ladders, but all I can tell you is that my ladder is an accident waiting to happen!

Lesson: Avoid unnecessary trips to the attic: know your filter size, direction, and lifespan before heading up.

Cost: $0

Yesterday, I had the idea to add single (or multiple) photos to my projects via Google Photos, allowing me to easily share both single and multiple images for each project. This would be a huge help since most of these projects are very visual. So today, I tested it out with two links to see how it works.

Link one - A single image to support a project.

Link two - A small collection of photos to support a project.

Cost: $0

I think I’m finally happy with the setup! I ran some white tracks along the baseboard behind the stereo and speakers to hide all the wires, which really cleaned things up. I also pre-ran some wires to another area so I can easily hook up the other speakers when I move to the other stack of components.

It feels great to have everything back together and organized!

You can see a before photo here 

PS: I'm not sure how Google Photo sharing works. I'm trying to share a specific photo, but it seems like I'm sharing an album. I'm going to figure this out later! Albums would be cool, so I can start adding more photos, but it's late, and that's for another project, another day. 

Cost: $0

Back on Day 68, I learned how my Onkyo TX-DS 838 Integra (not the silver one below) handled subwoofer management and realized I needed to rewire my speakers to get the sound I wanted.

Now that I can easily move the speakers around, thanks to the felt pads (see day 79), this task was much simpler. It felt great to hook everything back up and listen to two of my favorite demo CDs: BB King’s Riding With The King and Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged. Both albums need to be played on an amazing stereo to really appreciate the full impact.

I’m not going to lie—this stereo sounds way better than I deserve.

In the photo, you’ll see the connections I made using "pin" style banana plugs and heat shrink. You’ll also see me testing an idea for tomorrow’s project! Hopefully I can get this thing looking as good as it sounds.

Cost: $0

We’ve got to keep the momentum going with the stereo gear. Now that it’s all unstacked, the setup has changed, and the amps are out, it’s time to connect the speakers. But before doing that, I wanted to make the speakers easier to move around, so I added felt pads to the bottom of each one. This way, I can slide them out and easily access the back of the stereo. To future-proof the setup, I also need to figure out how to keep the speaker wires clean and organized.

And that's for another day.

Cost: $15

With the workbench cleared and the stack of components out of the way, I can finally get to this 39.68-pound boat anchor—the Onkyo A-7090 has resurfaced! I’ve never really done much with it, other than some quick testing using some low-quality bookshelf speakers, and then it sat in storage for over a year. One of the input channels sounded funky, so I decided to clean the inputs and really put it through its paces.

One of the simple joys of having a house with a garage? Playing Hootie & The Blowfish as loud as I want at 11:00 p.m.

Someone on hifiengine.com even called this thing a "Macintosh killer."

You can see this thing on the bottom of the stack from Day 77's photo.

Cost: $0

One of the first projects I needed to tackle was figuring out what to do with my stack of stereo components. You might recall that over the weekend, I picked up a media console, so I was finally able to shuffle some things around. I’ll keep you updated as I get everything hooked up!

This looks so much better, plus I cleared out my future laundry room and finally got that Onkyo uncovered so I could get it to the work bench. 

Cost: $0

This project has taken up so much time and money, but it’s finally done. I finished it just to get it out of the way. What started out way back on day 8 as a simple "put my gaming machine back together" turned into a long saga when it stopped working. After days of testing, buying a new computer, and spending even more time troubleshooting, I finally got it up and running again. So, I put it all back together, tested it… and now it’s just going into the closet, kind of a shame.

Mission accomplished, I guess. At least my workbench is free for the next project!

The next person to come over is being forced to play Quake Live.

Cost: $0

The Lawn Project: I'm still borrowing my neighbor's lawn mower, and while that's not ideal, this journey is all about learning. Here's where I'm at:

I've been good at keeping up with the front yard, but the backyard has been out of sight, out of mind. I don’t even have a direct door to the backyard, so unless I check my Ring camera or walk back there, I never see it. The last time I checked, I had a "holy crap" moment!

Now that I've been using this mower for a while, I know exactly which one I want to buy. In the meantime, I’ve invested in a blower and a weed eater so I can keep everything neat and tidy. The mower is next on the list! 

There are some unwritten rules you learn as a man when borrowing another man's tools: return it clean, return it fueled up, and always ask if there’s anything you can do to help in return. These small gestures go a long way in showing respect and appreciation.

Cost: $0

I'm taking an AI course, which I was asked to evaluate for work, but I’m turning it into a personal project because part of the coursework involves creating practical GPTs. So this week, I’ll be sharing some of the personal GPTs I create.

Here’s where this is going: I’m on a learning mission. I’ve been doing some deep thinking about learning—why I’m so passionate about it and why it’s so important to keep pushing yourself.

Cost: $0

This one's been on my mind for a while. I needed a sturdy rack to set up a bunch of audio gear, but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. So, I’ve been scanning Facebook Marketplace for a while, and I finally found something that works. It’s not perfect, but it’s perfect for what I need.

It’s strong, wide, and close enough to my speakers that I can get everything playing. It’s not complete yet—I just picked it up, cleaned it up, got it in place and am ready to spend some evenings getting it set up just right. Stay tuned for that!

It's really a TV console, without a TV above it.

Cost: $50

It's day one of turning this into a server, and I’ve already learned a quick lesson. During the Ubuntu Server installation, I saw an option to install the most popular snap packages, and of course, I decided to install them all. Bad decision. I ended up wiping it clean and decided I’ll only add what I learn I actually need as I go.

Linux books are on the way from eBay and Amazon—excited for this journey!

I also need to head to a used book store!

Cost: $45

A few weeks ago, I got a remote server up and running and launched a work-in-progress site. Now, I’ve got a new machine that I’m ready to turn into a local server. I’ve done some research on tools to get around CGNAT (I think), but learning to configure a local server is something I really want to dive into.

This opens up a whole world of possibilities—I'll never run out of things to tinker with, and it gives me the chance to keep pushing myself to learn as much as I can.

The new machine is amazing: an HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini with an i7, 16 GB of RAM, and an M.2 drive. :) 

Sunglasses for scale

Lesson learned: I got so excited about this little machine that I almost started buying more—I wanted 10 of them! But I realized I need to focus on mastering this one, pushing it to its limits. It’s for learning and production, not for stacking up and collecting dust on a shelf.

 
Cost: $150

Well, the new site is taking shape, and after this update, I'm excited to share my first official blog post.

I think everything will eventually move over there (Worpress), as I’ve been working on adding features like likes and comments and diving into longer-form content creation. I’ll keep both domains, but I’ve enjoyed the writing process and learning about the new WordPress block-building style.

So, here’s my first blog post! 

Cost: 0

One of the most powerful places to be is behind a Linux command line, and now I have one outside of my local network. At the moment, I’m not wielding that power—just setting up a simple web server with a WordPress install so I can continue working on my new site and finally get my "Hello World" post up tomorrow.

I’ve got a Virtual Box set up through Digital Ocean. Whose tagline is "Learn here. Dream here. Develop here." which is perfect for me 

While it’s a simple step, it feels big. I’ve got new ideas for the site, and it will be the One Project Every Day 2.0—this time, it’s going to be about more than just projects.

Cost: $24 a month 

One of the very first projects I put on my list was to get the subwoofer working on my living room stereo. While that sounds super simple, it ended up being a prime example of why I do this whole "One Project Every Day" thing. I honestly thought this would be something I could quickly figure out one evening after work—a “gimme project.”

But here’s what I learned: One of my favorite pieces of audio hardware is my Onkyo TX-DS 838 Integra (click for picture). You can’t manage many of the audio settings through the faceplate; you need a remote. I finally found one for a decent price on eBay.

All set, right? Nope. You can’t configure the setting I needed without connecting it to a display, so I had to find a long RCA cable to stretch across the room to the TV. Thanks to mise en place, I knew exactly where one was.

Okay, so now I’m ready for that amazing low-end bass!… So disappointed. I learned that turning on the subwoofer in the receiver pulled all the low-end from the L/R channels. This might be the desired effect for most people, but my L/R speakers have fantastic bass production, so it was actually a net loss.

Next, I realized I didn’t fully understand how the high input/output connections on active subwoofers work—they’re essentially a pass-through. So, my next project is to run the left channel main through the sub and back to the main left. I learned a lot from this supposedly simple “gimme project.”

Cost: $35

A few weeks ago, I set up a MAMP web server locally to work on my new site. I’ve been meaning to get a quick "Hello World" webpage up so my web server can be accessible outside of my network. After carving out some time to figure out why it wasn’t working, I discovered that my ISP uses CGNAT, which essentially prevents inbound traffic from reaching my home server.

I have two connections, so I’ll test the other one shortly. In the meantime, I plan to spin up a virtual machine through a service to start testing some things.

There might be a type of middleman service I can use to get around this; I'll learn more about that in the future. 

Cost: $0

Alright, getting back to my projects! I pulled out this scanner that I hadn’t used in years and wanted to punch in some frequencies, but I had forgotten how to program it. Today, most radios can connect to your computer and import data from a spreadsheet, but years ago, everything was programmed directly on the faceplate. So, I downloaded the manual, figured it out, and got reacquainted with setting up different banks. Now I’ve got an airport bank, a commercial bank, and local ham repeaters all set up.

The cool thing is that it has a soldered memory battery that’s probably 15 years old. So, my next project is to figure out how to replace the battery that’s soldered to the board.

For future reference: BC-890XLT Owners Manual & BC-890XLT Service Manual $12

Cost: $0

My home office is a bedroom, and while it’s amazing, the closets are set up for clothes—not exactly ideal for maximizing space when you’re not storing clothes.

I came across a closet organizer on TikTok, and since I’ve been so tuned into TikTok e-commerce trends, I decided to buy it from a content creator (though I ended up purchasing it on Amazon, which is a whole other discussion on customer journeys). But I’m happy with it.

It’s perfect for light things that tend to pile up, like chargers, cables, flash cards, and portable drives.

Cost: $30

One thing I’ve been procrastinating on is updating my LinkedIn profile. It’s been on my ever-growing project list, but it’s been a low priority because I needed a new professional headshot, and I’m not currently job hunting. However, I still wanted my profile to reflect better what I’m currently doing.

I love my job, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, and I wanted my profile to reflect that. As I’ve shifted from creative work to more data-focused initiatives and business development, I decided it was time to take the hat off in my business profile and present a more polished, professional image.

Cost: $0

Yesterday, I organized all my network IPs, passwords, etc, and updated the firmware. My networks were organized, but I still didn’t have the coverage I needed. So today, I set up the 4th network using the Eero 6+ Mesh system.

This will provide my front cameras with better connection stability and significantly improve streaming performance in the garage, which was randomly dropping out. Currently, the fastest fiber connection’s DEMARK area is in a far back closet, a long way from where I need it. So this upgrade is a huge improvement.

Cost: $149

After countless days, weeks, and months of network frustration, I finally put "spend 1 hour configuring routers and organizing IP addresses and passwords" on my to-do list. Currently, I have two fiber connections and three routers, and I'm adding another router tomorrow.

There’s a reason I’m handling it this way, though it’s a bit complicated to explain here. One connection is really fast, both up and down, but isn’t consistent due to being in a rural area with a small service provider. The other connection is fast on the download side, not so much on the upload, it’s decently consistent.

Cost: $0

We’ve come full circle. AGAIN. On Day 8, my project was to clean up my computer’s internals and put the case back together, but when I tried, I found it completely dead. After messing around with it for days, I think it’s finally fixed. However, it's now in an even worse state organizationally, so it’s time to do some wire management and get the case back together. 

I purchased a new computer while this one was down, so now I'm ready for a 2-person LAN party! 

Cost: $0

The money-pit computer project continues. Here’s the situation: I wanted to keep testing things, but I only had one HDMI monitor, which was hooked up to my other gaming PC. All my other monitors are connected to work machines or use Thunderbolt for Macs, so it was a pain to keep unhooking things to test. I decided to get a used monitor, set it up on the workbench, and create a dedicated testing area.

If you’ve been following along, you’ll remember I found some RAM during my electronics toolbox organizing. Right now, I just got the system to post, so I think I’ve narrowed it down to either a RAM issue or a RAM slot issue. It’s currently posting with 16GB of RAM, so I’ll hook up a drive and install an OS for further testing.

Cost: $45

Today, I signed up for two courses. One is work-related, so I won’t get into that, but I also decided to enroll in a Udemy photography course. I’ve got the gear, but I’m always in auto mode and some of the things I want to do require me to step out of that comfort zone.

Referencing past lessons learned here, I want to make sure I’m getting value from the things I’ve bought. My expensive GH5 Mark II camera, which I financed and mostly sits around, can finally start getting some serious use. It's time to put some shutter count miles on it!

Cost: $0

I’m at a crossroads in my life, and I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to truly manage everything—my goals, my hobbies, my health, and even my day-to-day tasks.

I decided to project manage my entire life.

I've been working on fully integrating my work life into Asana and have noticed significant improvements. Now, I've decided to bring my entire personal life into Asana as well.

Cost: $0

I just realized I need to create some anchor links, but for now, scroll down to Day 2—we’re coming full circle. First, check out the lawn improvement. Second, you’ll notice I was learning to cut things up and toss them in the trash. I did it again on Day 15, and I guess my neighbor noticed. (Sawzalls are loud) 

I occasionally borrow my neighbor's lawn mower while saving up to buy my own. Hiring a lawn service isn’t in the budget since it costs about 15% of a new mower for just one mow. Anyway, when I finally asked to borrow the mower, my neighbor showed me a pile of metal and asked, "Do you know the best way to get rid of this old metal swing?" I was more than happy to chop it up and find space for it in my garbage can.

Cost: $0

A very simple project update, I bought a craft cart and put it together after work. The plan is to store all my little Arduino projects and parts in it. I can roll it out to my desk when I’m working on projects, and when I’m done, I can easily roll it back into the closet. Simple, yet effective.

The cart was super cheap, and it feels like it. This is definitely a "buy nice or buy twice" lesson because I’m already wishing it were more sturdy. I’m going to figure out how to reinforce it.

Cost: $30

Another project I pulled out of the "closet of forgotten projects" was my drone. I've been looking for an excuse to get it up and running again, and it finally worked out. I’m starting a web project for a friend’s body shop, and in exchange, he’s going to help me knock out a couple of items on my project list.

Everything went smoothly, and the drone is back in action. I’ll be starting on the website soon!

Cost: $0

If you read the last update, you’ll know I found a bunch of things I had forgotten about, along with a few projects I had put on hold. One of those was a commitment I made to take a photo and write a review for a friend’s microphone stand product his company was launching. I completely forgot about it until I pulled it out of the closet.

I originally planned to do it in my old apartment, but I knew once I set it up in the new place, the photo would turn out much better. Well, I finally set it up, took the photo, and got the review posted.

Lesson: Once you make a commitment, follow through and ensure it truly means something.

Cost: $0

At first glance, this photo might seem like nothing more than a dull shot of an unremarkable closet organization project—and I’ll be the first to admit, the photo quality isn’t winning any awards.

When I moved in, I stashed a bunch of cool stuff in this closet, planning to come back to it later. But life got busy, and it became a catch-all for anything I needed to tuck away quickly. Recently, I decided it was time to tackle this project. What started as a mundane organizing task quickly unlocked forgotten hobbies, unfinished projects, and things I hadn’t touched in a long time. What looked like a boring, neglected closet was actually packed with potential.

Cost: $0

Now that I’m a photo-hanging expert, I’ve finally hung all the artwork that was stacked up and leaning against a wall. I’m fully aware this isn’t art exhibit-quality stuff—most of it came from Hobby Lobby—but I do enjoy it. I’ll probably get more in the future, but one of the early lessons I’ve learned from doing a project every day is to get value from the things you’ve already bought.

I’m no longer owning art that’s just leaning against a wall; it’s now on full display. My daily project is complete!

Cost: $0

I killed a mosquito in my bathroom, and apparently, it was full after a long meal. My beautiful white bathroom wall ended up looking like a crime scene. No problem, I thought—I had some foaming wall cleaner! However, the foaming wall cleaner and a microfiber towel somehow cleaned the wall down to the sheetrock. My options were to match the paint color or temporarily hide it with some art.

We decided to go the art route. I don’t remember ever hanging anything with wire and nails before, but this is real art with a heavy glass and frame, so the old 3M Command Strip strategy was out. After a few minutes on YouTube, I became a picture-hanging expert.

Tomorrow, we’re going to hang all the artwork throughout the house.

Cost: $0

After going through all my boxes, I found my Yaesu mobile dual-band radio, and I knew where the power supply was, so it made sense to set it up. I needed an antenna and knew I could build one instead of buying one.

I Googled the math formula, read some articles, and watched videos from other ham radio operators. The example I saw was perfect, except the antenna looked super homemade. Since I’m photographing all my projects, how it looks is important, so I set out to make the best-looking homebrew 2 meter/440 antenna I could.

I learned how to straighten copper wire into almost perfect copper sticks.

To be continued...

Cost: $60 

Another milestone project. I’ve been storing this 1978 Dodge truck grill for close to 15 years.

While you might see a simple truck grill hung on the wall in the picture, for me, it marks a significant milestone. This project stirred a lot of emotions and made me reflect deeply on where I am in life, and what I want out of life.

But let’s focus on the project for now. Yes, it’s hung, and that marks a milestone, but I’ve got bigger plans. I’m going to create simulated headlights and light up some amber turn indicators in it. Just working on this grill made me think back about all the 1978 Dodge trucks I’ve had, why I don’t have them anymore, and whether I want to get another one.

I’m starting to plan out turning this grill into a piece of wall art.

Cost: $0

Alright, I’m calling this a “project," but I turned it into a lot of fun.

There was a time when I was much younger when I was so unfocused and unorganized that there was a good chance my inspection sticker was outdated. Now, I make an effort to ensure my vehicle’s paperwork is always up to date. (No driving dirty here) 

The Jeep has been parked for a while, but everything lined up today. I had been trickle-charging the battery overnight since it had been sitting for a while. I’m pretty sure there’s a parasitic draw on the battery that needs to be uncovered. I’ll add that to my project list. But it was charged up, so I checked everything to make sure I was good to go and headed out to the closest inspection place.

This happens to be the last year in Texas for safety inspection stickers, so for my final one, I took a long celebratory drive, found some random places to explore, and gave the Jeep a good shake-down ride to make sure everything was functional. Everything was great.

Edit: Yes, that photo is the old sticker, showing that it needed to be replaced.

Cost: $7

OK, I’m super happy with this update. For the first time ever, I feel like I have a fully functional, working, and organized garage. When I was stuck in an apartment, this is what I daydreamed about (okay, in my daydreams, it was way larger, but I’m still over the moon).

Health-wise, I’m feeling way better and finally have the energy to get it all done in one day.

This also means way cooler projects are on the way.

Lesson: Keep going, keep working, and you can carve a path.

Second lesson: Gratitude… When you are all in on gratitude, it leaves so much less time to spend on negativity.

Cost: 0

Alright, this is one project every day that has been procrastinated on.

To get into my attic, I had to move my workbench. The workbench is on wheels because I had planned for this situation. Having a smaller 2 car garage means there's a huge advantage to being able to move things around quickly. 

I had mentioned a few days ago there was only one area of the garage that I had organized. So I today cleared the workbench, moved it, and got access to the attic. 

So I was finally able to move my "attic pile" into the attic.

Cost: 0

This was a cool project. Here was the issue: I had this old-school GPS unit on a dash mount, but when I put my windshield sunscreen up, it would move around and get in the way. Next to it was the first-generation Amazon Echo Auto, which I absolutely love, but now I had two big wires always in the way. Plus, it had sat in the sun for a couple of years and didn’t work right anymore (it failed to connect and had to be reset).

So, during Prime Day, I caught the new Gen 2 Echo Auto on sale. I had no idea how small it was. Nevertheless, I installed both and tried to keep the wires as clean as possible, hiding most of them behind the GPS. This also encouraged me to update the GPS software and maps.

Now, in the future a new head unit with a screen, GPS, and Alexa built-in would be the cleanest install, but I'm making do with this for now. Plus, the stereo system currently sounds perfect.

Note: After taking these photos, I need to detail the interior of the truck really bad :)

Cost: $28

I installed a drill and power tool charger shelf, which gets them off the top of the toolbox and gives me more workroom—a simple project for a Monday after work. This shelf is cool because it has a power strip on the back, so it can hold your chargers while charging the batteries.

There’s also a screwdriver rack on the side, which might give me an excuse to get a new set so they are all lined up.

You can see the product and its marketing photos here to compare the real world vs. marketing.

Cost: $42

Okay, so having a house with a garage is great—one of my personal goals for the last 10 years. Renting was a wise choice because it allowed me to learn about what I like and don’t like, so I’ll be much more informed when I’m ready to make a bigger decision.

On to the project: Now that I'm in the garage every day, I’ve noticed it’s going to be hard to keep it as clean as I wanted. I got these inexpensive shelves, and there’s not a great way to clean underneath them. So, I bought a flexible crevice tool for the shop vac and went to work getting all the corners and areas you can’t sweep clean.

Lesson: Make sure everything is super easy to get to and clean when setting up a garage.

So, we’re going to be moving some stuff around on the other wall later this week. The other 2 walls have never been shown for a reason :) Thats for another project, another day.

Cost: $19

The Jeep interior trim piece has been installed, though there are a couple of things I’m going to change. I touched up the heater control with semi-gloss paint because that’s all I could find, but I’m going to order some pure flat black to make it look better.

I could also better color match the interior. There are a few aftermarket paints for it, but for now, I’m just happy that it is no longer broken. I also need to find some extra screws because I only have 4 out of 6. Once I match those up, the fit will be adjusted. I'm going to work on that later today; I'll update the photo when I do (updated)

The stereo head unit now looks much more professionally installed, and that’s really what I was going for.

Cost: $30

Opening every box, every drawer, and every container, and getting it organized.

If you’ve been following along, you know this all stemmed from my Jeep stereo/heater control/gauge cluster cover interior repair project. The electronic toolbox is now organized, with everything neatly placed in containers. I went through every drawer and every shelf in the garage to figure out everything I had and get it all organized.

Now, I feel like I’ve got a clean and organized workspace, so tomorrow, we can get back to working on the Jeep. Because we have One Project Every Day to get done.

Cost: $30

Continuing the journey of mise en place, I needed to grab some containers and "Yes Chef" all the stuff I pulled out of the toolbox. Each box is labeled with what’s inside, so I don’t have to dig through each one.

This strategy is inspired by Thomas Keller's kitchen tape method. He believes that clear and uncluttered labels lead to a clear and uncluttered kitchen. A clear and uncluttered kitchen, in turn, helps the chef's mind remain clear and focused on their work, and I agree—nothing is a better productivity force multiplier than an organized and clear work area.

Keller's "Green Tape Story" YouTube video—The popular series The Bear used this concept in one of its episodes, but the real-life version is super powerful. 

So that’s my plan for tomorrow: before I do anything else, I’ve got to get everything organized and ready to go.

Cost: $25 

This time, pictures aren’t worth a thousand words. The way this website is set up still leaves a lot to be desired, but the impact of this project was huge. Basically, when you opened any drawer in my "electronics" toolbox, it was full of unorganized stuff. I couldn’t find anything. The rule had basically been: if it’s semi-related to electronic projects, throw it in here. That’s no longer the strategy. Now, it’s all about making sure everything has a place and is easily found.

I bought a set of these interlocking organizers, and it made a world of difference. I did have to go through every drawer, pull things out, and get them organized.

Everything that came out of the boxes needed to be organized into small containers, so I ended up with a clean and organized toolbox but a massive pile of things that needed to go somewhere. So we will start on that tomorrow. 

Update: I did find some DDR4 RAM, so I can return to day 24's project to see if the RAM is the issue in the computer. 

2nd update: I'm working on the ability to add multiple photos to projects, hence the "see more photos from this project." I'm going to treat it as a project, update it later, and add it to future posts when needed. So currently to see more photos from this  project link below  has duplicate  images, I need to go find the other images soon :)

Cost: $16 

Feeling better, I’m headed out to the garage to start my first Jeep project in a while. This is the entire reason I spent all that time and effort to pack up and leave Austin: I wanted a garage where I could work on projects. So here I am, five months later, finally feeling up to it.

Today's project is to fix the stereo and gauge cluster cover. The heater control panel also has some issues—a light behind it shines through some damage from a previous stolen stereo attempt. As expected, one project quickly turned into many more. I tried to illuminate the backlight, but it didn't start. The battery was dead.

If you’ve been following along, I recently organized one toolbox for automotive tools. My electronic tools and other things I needed for this project were still a mess. So I decided to take everything apart, create a plan, figure out what I needed, and head to the store to get those items.

Cost: $15 

We're continuing to organize kitchen drawers. I know it's not exciting, but it needs to be done. This should wrap up the kitchen drawer projects because I was able to empty the other ones.

Lesson: Dude wipes are real life, so it got included. 

Cost: $15 

More drawers! Inspired by how great my toolbox drawer turned out, I've moved on to the kitchen; this is good because it will allow me to keep my streak going, and it's not expensive. Most importantly, it's very much needed. I realized every drawer turned into a catch-all drawer, so I've got some more drawers to do and an entire smaller toolbox that needs to be done.

Lesson: Not every project will be some amazing story, but the little stuff can make a huge impact.

Cost: $15 

To further my mise en place goals, I tackled one of my most unorganized tool drawers. Since it's the top drawer, it's supposed to hold pliers and screwdrivers of all sizes (except for the tiny precision device screwdrivers; they go somewhere else). But I’ve used it as a catch-all drawer for over a year. No longer. We're organized now.

Storing pliers on their side is the way to go, and I found an excellent plier organizer that was perfect. I gave it a 4-star review on Amazon, so it's "near perfect. 

 
Cost: $28 

Today, I installed two new Ring cameras—one to monitor the backyard and one for the inside of the house. Ring’s multi-view only allows four cameras to be shown at once, but trust me, there are now five cameras in total.

Honestly, it's more of a hobby than a security measure. The camera by my front door and the one by my truck do act as visual deterrents in my new neighborhood, but so far, there's been no need for any real "security".

Most of the time, they just alert me when the Amazon driver shows up with packages. I also use them to monitor brown patches in the lawn and compare past lawn photos to ensure everything is getting watered properly.

I also enjoy watching the weather roll in!

Lesson: I'm getting old, and that's ok.

Cost: $80 

This project wasn't fun, but it was necessary. I had been saving files to my desktop for about six months of daily work with absolutely willy-nilly. Zero naming format or organization—just thousands of files scattered everywhere.

Now, it's all purged, clean, and organized. My next file management project will be sorting through my local Dropbox folder.

As you can see, the desktop is organized, and I'll try to keep up with it by sorting and organizing it weekly.

There are a ton of AI file management tools coming soon, but I did it the old-fashioned way. 

Cost: 4 Hours :) 

This project was put on hold while I focused on my health. Hooking up the second subwoofer in my office seemed like a super low priority, but now that I'm feeling better, I set it up.

As with most things involving wires or cables, this will turn into a secondary cable management project. I'm holding off until Amazon Prime Day to see if I can snag some deals on wire management accessories I've been eyeing.

Lesson:  It's ok to take break, it's also ok to keep going. 

I'm starting a new daily project streak to see how far I can go!  

Cost: $25 for a 35' sub cable 

I had to take a break from my daily projects to address some health issues and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Some priorities had to shift while I got the healthcare attention I needed. It's going to be an ongoing "project" for the rest of my life. While I won't delve deeply into it here, I might start another blog to share that journey.

I'm motivated to get it in check and I am up for the challenge.

The medication has improved things, and I'm back, ready to string together daily projects. and start a new streak.

Lesson Learned: Nothing is more important than being healthy.

Cost: Priceless 

New bushing installed. Many thanks to the Coca-Cola company and their cap design, which allowed me a stop gap fix, but now I'm rocking some near OEM bushings. I wish it was a little tighter, to be honest, but I'm going to wait until it cools off, clean everything up, and put it all back together.  

Cost: $0  (paid for it on Day 29) 

As I close out the first 30 days of One Project Every Day, its time to start thinking about more website features, so I'm moving over to WordPress. This will give me some daily projects that don't cost any money, and allow me to grow the site's interactive functionality. I'd love for each blog to have like buttons, and the ability to comment.

I didn't want to pay for hosting, so I've spun up a local MAMP server and hope to be able to forward public traffic to the local server, so you can see the work in progress.

Cost: $0 

Friday night, a new project came to me from out of nowhere. I pulled into the parking lot of a store and went to put the truck in park. Bam! The shifter was completely loose, stuck in reverse, and unable to start it back up. I'm not going to lie, and I was extremely frustrated.

Luckily, the store I was at was Dollar General, which sells some rinky-dink tools.

With my phone in my hand, I hit YouTube to find out what gentleman had had the same problem and decided to create a video about it. 

I quickly learned how to open the steering column and get it shifting, and I was able to drive it back home. I was worried I was going to be calling a tow truck. Once back home  I was able to temporarily fix MacGyver it with a Coke bottle cap while the real shift link bushing has been ordered and is heading my way.

I'll update this as the adventure continues...

Lesson 1: It's time to start putting together some very simple tools to keep in the truck.

Lesson 2: Don't get emotional; find a solution.

#hadhad

Cost: $45. 

Back to day 8. One of the first projects I tried to tackle was setting up a gaming accessory mount for my controller and headphones. Just as I was about to start, I discovered my computer had died, turning this into multiple projects, including trying to revive the old machine.

After installing, upgrading, updating, and cleaning everything up, I finally put the case back together and set up the mount. Now, I just need to figure out a better way to manage the cables.

 

Cost: $20. 

I started this year by really monitoring my expenses, but I've been busy lately and kind of let it slip off my radar, so I needed to get back with the program.

I was able to catch up on the last two months of expense categorizing and seeing where all my money goes.

Someone wise once told me: "Things that get tracked get improved." 

I was doing it all at the end of the month in a  Google sheet, but I've moved over to Rocket Money, and it seems to work well when I keep it caught up.

Cost: $6.99 a month. 

I hate wire messes! But I have a lot of wires, so I'm working on organizing the wires and cables for each workstation. These little wire management baskets are perfect (if you have the right kind of desk) for dropping in a long power strip, plugging everything up, and storing the cables, wires, wall warts, power supplies, etc. 

While not pretty, the wire mess is neatly tucked up under the desk, so it's not visible.

You can grab some of these from Amazon through this link. One day, when I have more traffic, I'll set up an affiliate link, for now I'm just sharing things you might like. 

Cost: $29 

So I'm currently lost in space, and have limited oxygen, power and time to rescue myself.  

Well, not really. I'm working on this Arduino "adventure" kit that guides me through the learning process of building little circuits with logic and code. 

I'm enjoying it, and learning a ton. It's a multiple-day project, but I'll just be sharing highlights.

You too could be lost in space

Cost: $100 

Back to the dead computer from day 8, which had already been replaced. It was my best gaming computer for a few years, and I can't bring myself to throw it out or part it out (but I am getting closer). I decided that the most likely culprit was the power supply. Long story short, it wasn't. 

A new power supply was installed... Still dead.

My next move is to remove all the RAM except one stick to see if it's a bad RAM channel or bad RAM. This is the second easiest and cheapest test to see what the real problem is. 

Cost: $120

Today, it's a super simple little project. I needed a new table to put a stereo on, but I  found this sweet coffee table on Facebook marketplace for $10. It was missing the glass rubber bumpers, easily found at Home Depot for $5. Cleaned it up, put it together with its new glass bumpers, and am happy with the upgrade. 

Cost: $15

OK, now that I'm thinking in terms of "projects," we finally have a real situation. So, I'm going to attack it way differently than I would have when I first started this journey,  22 days ago.

Problem: Tundra - Check engine light on. 

Scan Results: P0340 - Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 2)

Because I've lived in high crime areas, all my catalytic converters are VERY new, multiple times over. The auto parts store said, "The only way to fix this is to buy a new catalytic converter." So much of this project is going  to be to prove that wrong and save about $800.

Day 1 of this project is doing all the research I can; also, since this will require way more "storytelling" than this small block of text should be used for, It will force me to create a blog post about this entire project. I'm going to go a little overboard on detail just for the sake of documenting how I will attack this project.

Day 1 purchases:  Air filter & Mass airflow sensor cleaner.
 

Update: After changing the air filter, cleaning the Mass airflow sensor, and putting some miles on it, the check engine light is currently off... Meaning there's not a lot to expand on

Cost: $40

Some nights I just want to mindlessly scroll through TikTok. Tonight was one of those nights,  but the projects must get done.

I belive this was on my list, and was easy to knock out, and obviously needed to be done.

Now since I'm in the business, I'm kind of a nerd about Microfiber. I have a system in this pantry for clean microfiber,  used but clean microfiber,  and dirty microfiber.

Also, I hate food in pantries. I'm weird.  

Cost: 0

I've been paying for my ring alarm but haven't had it set up. It's set up now, so if you were planning on robbing me, you missed your shot.

Lesson: get value from the things you are paying for, and I would feel like an idiot had my place got broken into, with my alarm system sitting in a drawer. 

Cost: 0

We're using the term project super loosely here, but everything needs a plan, and you can learn a lot from simple things.

Here I really just want to focus on the journey, I rented a car, so I could ride off without care in the world, and it was great to shut out the anxiety and just drive and listen to music. The weather was great and it made me want to take off to more places and go exploring.

There's an entire world to see. 

It was the first time I've felt free in a long time...  I'm going to plan a road trip really soon and take the long way.

Cost: Priceless 

I am catching up on the post tonight, and I get to talk about my laundry chore project. While laundry isn't exciting, establishing systems for your house is

Keeping your place tidy is all about setting up the right systems. Think about it: closets need to be organized so you can grab what you need easily, laundry needs to be cleaned and rotated regularly, and cabinets should have some order. Every storage space and drawer is like a tool to help you stay clutter-free. The key is making sure everything has a place and is easy to find when you need it.

I'll write more about mise en place and why I'm striving for it. Most people use the term for professional kitchen organization; imagine how hectic a restaurant's kitchen would be if no one knew where the garlic was every single time. We'll many of us live our lives like that. 

I just purchased this book from Amazon.

I also did three months of laundry at the laundry mat in about an hour. Everyone said I'd hate it, but it worked out great.

Cost: $20