2025 by the numbers

Posted 2 days ago

There are many different ways that I could tell the story of my year. One way is through numbers. I was inspired by Nicholas Felton’s Annual Reports. He compiled personal data to tell the story of his year. I have done a similar exercise since 2009 to give me a snapshot of the year. It doesn’t tell the whole story, but it gives a good sense of my journey and a starting point to share what shaped my year. I am planning to write more of article retrospective in the near future.

Work

New job (after a year of unemployment)

I started a new job with Revive Our Hearts on April 9. My first few days of onboarding were spent at the headquarters in Niles, Michigan. I enjoyed getting to work in person with my team for a few days and get to know other staff that I collaborate with.

• 98 days unemployed in 2025, 385 days total starting on March 20, 2024
• 30 job applied for in 2025, 245 total in a year
• 4 interviews
• 1 freelance job – monthly maintenance contract
• 1 job accepted

• 3 days working on-site at Revive Our Hearts headquarters
• 4 days working in-person with other Revive Our Hearts staff at True Woman ’25 conference
• 3 conferences – CSS Day (online), Beer City Code, True Woman ’25
• 12 flights over 3 different work-related trips (Michigan and Indianapolis)
• 2,065 miles flying

Read more about my experiences with Revive Our Hearts this year:

• Get to know me: Revive Our Hearts Edition
• Six months

Coding

• 212 GitHub contributions – 183 work, 29 personal projects. The work number seems low but after reading how GitHun counts contributions, I realized that most of my work is done in forks so they don’t count as a contribution.
• 57 Codepens
• 17 major projects
• 2 personal projects (Memory Keeper, WordPress-to-Craft)

Favorite work project – 2025 Annual Praise Report

I enjoyed getting to translate a print report into a digital experience. I used CSS scroll-driven animations (with a fallback for browsers that don’t yet support it) for a timeline component.  I used an inline preview video solution that I have been continuing to refine throughout the Fall. And I played with some different layouts to create a unique digital experience that captures the spirit of the print report.

New tools or techniques

• Used LLM to assist in writing code
• DevKinsta
• View transitions
• Django CMS
• Scroll-driven animations with CSS
• Anchor positioning
• Balancing text (text-wrap: balance)
• Linking to text fragments
• RTL styling and logical properties
• CSS Grid lanes (played around with it at end of the year)
• Chart.js – I learned this in a workshop at Beer City Code
• Single-colour gradients (Kevin Powell, HTML & CSS Tip of the Week) – I have used this trick/tip many times this fall. Great solution for when you have text over an image and don’t want to add shading on the image in Photoshop.
• Mixing colors with CSS (Chris Ferdinandi) – This is one of my favorite new tricks. Replaces Sass color function.

Courses

• The Joy of React – finished 3 modules (rebooted at beginning of the year)
• JavaScript for Everyone – I started dabbling in the course – 9/53 lessons
• Anchor Positioning email course from Oddbird
• DevTools for Beginners (Kevin Powell) – I have worked through a handful of lessons for this course.
• Unleash the Power of Scroll-Driven Animations (Bramus) – I worked through 7 of the 10 lessons. It helped me to build my own scroll-driven animation on a work project.

Personal

We had 2 deaths in our household this year. My mother-in-law, who had lived with us for the past 6 years, passed away in June after suffering a stroke. And then in September, our beloved guinea pig Teddy left us. I will share more about the impact of these losses in the article retrospective.

• 1 engagement – my son proposed to his fiancé on December 15 on a trip to Indianapolis
• 6 days knocked out with COVID
• 1 college dorm move-in
• 1 college dorm partial move-out – I went up to Murray to get some boxes but was not there for the full move out.
• 1 new home for our oldest – She moved from an apartment to a townhome in September.
• 8 road trips – Murray (3), Nashville (4), Louisiana (1) (we also stopped in Nashville on a couple of those trips to Murray)
• 9 states – Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Michigan, Indiana
• 3 kids in college – All three of my kids are taking college classes as my oldest started a Master’s program in October. My son will graduate from Murray State in the spring. And my youngest will graduate from community college in the spring and then move on to another school to finish her undergraduate degree.
• 2 visits to Infinity Flux, a local comic books store

Culver’s in Hixson

Culver’s is one of my favorite restaurants. But we did not have one in Chattanooga until recently. I have only eaten at Culver’s on road trips, mostly in Murray, Kentucky (visits to my son at Murray State) at the first Culver’s I visited. Culver’s opened a store about 10 minutes away from my house at the end of September.

• 8 visits to Culver’s in October, November, and December, including a visit on December 16 to get a free scoop of Turtle custard for my birthday
• 2 visits to Culver’s in Murray, Kentucky in August and in May

Walking

• 101 activities
• 348.2 miles

January – 51.6 mi

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February – 62 mi

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March – 46 mi

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April – 16 mi

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May – 20 mi

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June – 22 mi

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July – 8 mi

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August – 16 mi

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September – 17 mi

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October – 19 mi

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November – 36 mi

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December – 32 mi

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Writing/Creating

• 364 Bluesky posts
• 75 Mastodon posts
• 42 LinkedIn posts
• 319 Daily logs
• 52 Weeknotes
• 95 posts (94 public, 1 private)
• 46 notes
• 186 Instagram posts
• 97 journal entries
• 1 article (first) written for CSS Tricks – Is It Time to Un-Sass?

Favorite articles that I wrote on my site

• Looking elsewhere, a reflection – a commentary on Robb Owen’s Looking Elsewhere article, one of my favorite articles of the year
• Having figure match width of contained image – I asked several CSS wizards on Bluesky how they would solve a certain problem and it set off a chain of responses beyond the original group I asked. Kevin Powell did a video about my article and the problem I was trying to solve and Chris Coyier wrote some of his thoughts, The Figcaption Problem.
• WordPress-to-Craft CMS
• Day 366
• Two powerful investments to make in your career
• Lessons from a yearlong job search

Reading

• 6th time reading through entire Bible
• 23 books finished (1 that started in 2024) – My goal was 28 so I have decided to shoot for 24 as a goal for 2026.
• 5,090 pages read (not including the Bible)
• 29 books started
• 5 currently reading
• 18 ebooks purchased
• 5 physical books purchased
• 2 rereads (both abandoned)
• 7 borrowed from library, friends, or Hoopla
• Shortest book – 119 pages
• Longest book – 488 pages
• Average book length – 221 pages

Favorite reads

• The Steadfast Love of the Lord (Sam Storms) – It expanded my view of God and spoke to my heart. It hit me in a very similar way that reading Gentle and Lowly did when I first read it several years ago.
• Not Old, Not Young, Not Done (Christopher Ash) – Great pastoral advice for the chapter of life that I am in.
• The Lord of Psalm 23 (David Gibson) – I appreciated some fresh insights from this very familiar psalm.

Favorite online articles

• Looking Elsewhere (Robb Owen)- This article was a breath of fresh air for my craftsman soul. My heart resonated with so much of what Robb wrote. I wrote an article, Looking elsewhere, a reflection, that quotes his text and adds my own thoughts and commentary.
• If it works, it’s right (Andy Bell) – I appreciate this perspective from Andy. I try to have this approach as well. So much of the work we do does not have one right way to do it.
• The Post-Developer Era (Josh Comeau) – The most memorable article I read this week. Some good thoughts about AI, the current job landscape, and some job search tips. It addressed a topic I have been thinking about and plan to write about in the near future. I also enjoyed Kevin Powell’s video, Are we Entering the Post-Developer Era? where he reads through Josh’s article and adds his own thoughts.
• Toolmen (Mandy Brown) – I think Mandy hit the nail on the head of “AI” being an ideology and not a technology. One of the most thought provoking articles about the subject that I have read.
• Is “ethical AI” an oxymoron? (Hidde de Vries) – This is a great article that has informed my thinking on the subject. I summarized a lot of different bits that I have been thinking and reading about.
• De-caring (Mandy Brown) – Another AI related article from Mandy. My biggest gripe with AI is that it is dehumanizing.
• You’re not a front-end developer until you’ve… (Nic Chan) – I loved this list/quiz of things Nic has observed in his ten year career. I laughed and head nodded strongly with “Refreshed prod while working on local and wondered why your changes weren’t showing.” I have done that way too many times and gotten frustrated before figuring it out.
• You are not your job search. (Brillant Crank) – It was painful to read this and remember how hard my yearlong job search was that ended 3 months ago. Still feels fresh.
• Better CSS layouts: Time.com Hero Section (Ahmad Shadeed) – I enjoyed having Ahmad break down a layout and share some modern CSS techniques to improve the experience across viewports.
• Let Me Google that For You (Brad Littlejohn) – I enjoyed this article. It addressed some dissonance that I have experienced. When I am asking a teammate a question, it is not all about getting an answer to the question but relationship.
• When The Path That I Fear Is the Way He Has Set (Tim Challies) – This was a timely article that addressed some anxiety in my heart about the future.
• “Why would anybody start a website?” (Dave Rupert)
• You Don’t Need Animations (Emil Kowalski) – Some good advice adding some purposeful animations to improve the user interface.
• The Lifeblood of the Web (Matthias Ott) – I enjoyed this article by Matthias about the value of in-person conferences. I am inspired to write my own article about my in-person conference experiences.
• Two approaches to fallback CSS scroll driven animations (Cyd Stumpel) – I like this example of graceful degradation. I think it is a good example of a use case where it is big win.
• Understanding what “I am not ‘anti-AI’… I am pro-craft.” means to me (Guy LeCharles Gonzalez) – I like this idea of “pro-craft” because I think it captures an essential idea of why I am more concerned than excited about AI.
• Why we teach our students progressive enhancement (Cyd Stumpel) – Amen.
• It’s been a very hard year (Andy Bell) – I appreciated Andy’s vulnerability in this post. I wish I had done more to promote his courses during his Black Friday sale. I bought JavaScript for Everyone earlier this year and highly recommend Piccalilli’s courses. I would love to work at the sort of agency that Andy has built with Set Studio.
• Why Can’t I Throw Away this Stick? (Kraig Keck) – A good reflection on nostalgia and idolatry. I relate to the author in that I am very sentimental and attach a lot of emotional meaning to physical objects or memories.
• Challenge (Matthias Ott) – I enjoyed this perspective about being willing to challenge your own assumption by listening to and taking feedback.
• The Dehumanizing Force of Administrative Sludge (Alan Noble) – I encounter this weekly.

Favorite Andy Clarke articles

I have long admired Andy Clarke and been inspired by his work, his articles, his talks, and his books. One thing I have always appreciated about Andy is that he looks for ways to push the tools and the medium to the limits to come up with “expressive” experiences, through both design and interaction. He wrote several articles this year that tapped into a familiar feeling of creative inspiration that I remember having from reading Transcending CSS and Hardboiled Web Design (both editions).

• Revisiting Image Maps (Andy Clarke) – I liked it so much I wrote my own article about Andy’s article.
• Smashing Animations Part 1: How Classic Cartoons Inspire Modern CSS (Andy Clarke) – Andy has been on a roll the past recently. I had enjoyed reading his CSS Tricks article a couple of weeks ago and now this one on Smashing Magazine. I have loved working with SVGs and animations with CSS or JavaScript (GreenSock). I always enjoy being inspired by Andy.
• Smashing Animations Part 2: How CSS Masking Can Add An Extra Dimension (Andy Clarke)
• Getting Creative With Small Screens (Andy Clarke on CSS Tricks) – I love how Andy challenges designers to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions that they wouldn’t necessarily have thought of. It gave me some food for thought for a project I am working on.
• Say hello to my Magnificent 7 (Andy Clarke) – I like Andy’s use of “ambient animations.” I also liked that he gave me a term to describe a lot of the animations I have done and like.
• Can you catch ’em all? (Andy Clarke) – I went and played this easter egg game on Andy’s site. And I caught them all. I love how Andy has added delight to his site.

Podcasts

I use to listen to podcasts regularly when I commuted into an office. That changed when I started working from home in remote roles. I would listen to podcasts in roadtrips. But this year, I started listening to a couple of podcasts regularly on my walks.

• 10 episodes of Shop Talk Show
• 17 episodes of General Musings with Kevin Powell
• 2 episodes of One Footer in the Grave (only ones they put out this year)
• 5 episodes of Revive Our Hearts podcast, Brokeness: The Heart God Revives. This 5-part series played excerpts from a message Nancy gave to the staff of Cru in July 1995 in which I was in attendance. The episodes also included interviews and reflections from those who were there.

New Finds

• SimpleBits^® Studio Notes (started in November 2024) – I enjoy these links each week.
• Front End Study Hall

Entertainment

• 3 movies seen in theater (Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, Revenge of the Sith: 20th Anniversary)
• 1 NCAA basketball game – UTC vs. Tennessee Wesleyan University
• 2 shows at Chatt State that my youngest was in (Anastasia and Charlotte’s Web) – went to each twice. Anastasia was especially meaningful for her, as it allowed her to combine two of her greatest passions—theater and dance. As a Pas de Quatre dancer (ballet), she brought elegance to the stage while also taking on multiple ensemble roles. Having trained with the Chattanooga Ballet for 12 years, it was an absolute joy to see her dance again after a two-year hiatus.
• 1 art show – My son put on an art show in September. On Methods and Madness was his first solo show. He was the recipient of the “MAGpie Award” at the Murray State University OMAS group’s Annual Student Art exhibition in the spring. This award consists of a cash prize, a pie, and the opportunity to exhibit at the MAG (Murray Art Guild). My wife and I traveled up to Murray for the opening.

Favorite things I watched

• Andor Season 2 (Disney+)
• All Creatures Great & Small (PBS)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+)
• Man on the Inside, Season 1 (Netflix)
• The Nonnas (Netflix)
• Matlock (CBS, Paramount+)
• Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)
• The Penguin Lessons (Netflix)
• Join or Die (Netflix)
• Wild Robot (Netflix)

Gaming

• 14 MLB The Show 23 games
• 166 MLB The Show 20 games
• NBA 2K25 6 games outside of season, 74 season games, 3 NBA Cup games

Other similar reflections

• Twenty twenty-four
• 2024 in Review (my by the numbers post from last year)
• 2024 in Pictures
• 2023 by the numbers
• 2022 Year in Review (I share a lot of numbers in this one)
• A Decade of Development: 2010 to 2019
• Sketchnote of 2013 – I used a new skill to tell my story of 2013