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date: 2026-04-18
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# 2026-04-18

### Saturday recap

Volleyball tournament — fun but intense. Got work done in the car between things:
- Robot arm design progress
- Data visualizer progress
- Still need to parse the data into episodes

### Sunday plan (big campus day)

1. Print 4x2 Panda calibration board (quick print first)
2. While it prints / after, take a stab at Panda ArUco calibration
3. Once calibration board is done, start medium-sized robot arm print
4. Take the A1 printer home afterwards
5. Study for exam
6. Gym: cardio + lift
7. Finish episode parser for video data

### Late night reflection — identity tension

Feeling off. Very calculating, very rushed — paper deadline pressure, experiments, everything feels like a race. But stepping back: what is my identity here? Am I just going to build until I exhaust myself?

Part of me is okay with that. But the social cost — especially with Izzy — is real and hard. Being short, being absent, being in my head. The relationship pays the tax for the ambition.

This is the core tension from me.md playing out live: ambition vs. the people who matter. The "superhero life" vision includes being a strong partner, not just a productive researcher. If the work makes me someone Izzy doesn't want to be around, the work is failing at the bigger goal.

Just acknowledging the tension. No easy answer tonight.

### Diet — switching to 20:4 intermittent fasting

Been feeling too full. New plan: ~20hr fasting window, eat at ~1pm and ~5pm. Two meals, tight window. Should help with:
- Feeling lighter and more energized
- Less decision fatigue around food
- Leanness goals
- Simpler daily structure

**Monday:** Buy a protein powder case to support the fasting window.