2019 — Working across the country

374 words

In this year

Work #

I traveled cross-country for corporate work for the first time. With Safemark, I supported work at Elitch Gardens, Denver Zoo, and Utah’s Hogle Zoo.

Snow-covered mountains in Utah. — Utah, April 2019.

Mobility equipment with its cover removed and wiring exposed. — Equipment opened for service during the Denver trip, April 2019.

Mobility scooters at the Utah assignment. — Mobility scooters at the Utah assignment · April 2019.

An ornate entrance building at Elitch Gardens. — Elitch Gardens, April 2019.

The rental equipment area in Denver. — The rental equipment area in Denver · April 2019.

Penguin artwork. — Penguin artwork · April 2019.

Rides at Elitch Gardens. — Rides at Elitch Gardens · April 2019.

Personal timeline #

Early in the year · Another iMac #

I had another iMac by early 2019, a beefier one than our family machine. It gave me enough graphics capability for Battlefront II and an introduction to Red Dead Redemption 2. It served its purpose until the bigger iMac arrived in summer 2020.

Spring · An iPad I actually kept #

Since I hadn’t upgraded my iPhone in 2018 and was still content with the X, I turned my attention to the redesigned iPad Pro. It had everything I wanted. I picked one up in spring 2019, about six months after release and just before my work travel.

With this iPad, I managed something I rarely did with my phones: I held onto it. It stayed with me until fall 2022, and honestly, I should have kept it until spring 2024.

Looking back, I got too caught up in mini-LED and the M-series chips. The later models felt thicker and heavier to me, and the display blooming bothered me. I missed what had made me love the 2018 Pro: thin, light, and long-lasting. For my use, the added power didn’t make up for those trade-offs.

The M4 and M5 generations brought the design closer to what I liked. I’d still love to see what an A20 Pro could do in a 13-inch iPad chassis. That’s the version I find myself imagining: the big canvas, without chasing laptop-class power.

My 2018 iPad Pro with its keyboard. — My 2018 iPad Pro with its keyboard · April 2019.

September · Regretting the iPhone 11 #

Travel made battery life matter in a different way. The iPhone X was struggling to get through the day, and I talked myself into an iPhone 11: a newer chip, more storage, a bigger screen, and better battery life without paying for the top model.

I knew I was giving up things I liked about the X. I made the trade anyway and almost immediately regretted it. The 11 felt bulky, and I missed the display and finish of the more expensive phone. You don’t always appreciate what has been pared away from a device until you live with the alternative.

I should probably have just replaced the X’s battery.