How I spent my sabbatical

Here's what I haven't been working on lately, and did I mention I have a new book out?

I’ve been on a sabbatical since the start of 2023, the first time in my many, many years as a freelancer that I haven’t been hustling for work.

It’s been glorious. And it’s almost over

Judy and I spent three weeks in Valencia, Spain, including the absolute chaos that is Las Fallas.

The sculptures of Las Fallas in Valencia are destined to burn on the final night

The sculptures are everywhere, with smaller versions that you stumble across in neighborhoods that are completely nondescript the rest of the year. The one above is from the main plaza, and just look at this detail.

Oh, and did I mention that all of those elaborate works of art are torched, literally burnt to cinders, on the final night? And there are pretty much nonstop firecrackers and slightly larger explosions for several days and nights.

We also spent some time in Iceland, where we saw Wilco play three nights at the amazing Harpa concert hall and then spent two very long days seeing the breathtaking Icelandic landscape.

This view of Thingvellir National Park took my breath away.

And the waterfalls were dramatic, including this one that had its own self-contained rainbow.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S.A., we’ve spent several weeks exploring the Southeastern states — Florida, the Carolinas, and Virginia — usually with some live music as the excuse to see a new part of the country.

Along the way, I’ve turned out editions of this newsletter on a decidedly irregular pace.

My sabbatical ends just over a month from now, on July 1, when I’m scheduled to resume publishing at ZDNET. But I’m not going to give up this newsletter. On the contrary, once I’m back in the office I plan to shift to a more predictable schedule with some content that I’m looking forward to writing.

When that time comes, this newsletter will have some paid options. But for now, at least, there won’t be a paywall.

Hey, I wrote another book!

I haven’t said a word lately about my latest book, Windows 11 Inside Out, which was officially published back in February. But if you use Windows 11 (or if you’re pondering an upgrade on a PC running Windows 10), I think you’ll like it. I didn’t write this book for hobbyists or zealots. Instead, it’s for people who regularly use a computer to get shit done and would like to be more productive and less frustrated by their PC.

You can order it from Amazon, in either print or digital formats.

When you purchase that ebook format from Amazon, you get a copy that can only be read in Amazon’s Kindle app. I know some of you absolutely hate the digital rights management (DRM) associated with those Amazon products.

As an alternative, may I recommend ordering directly from the publisher? When you do that, you get a competitive price, and the book you receive is in the industry-standard ePUB and PDF formats, without any DRM. There’s an inconspicuous watermark on each copy that will rat you out if you post the book on a file-sharing site, but you’re free to share it with your friends and family with my blessing. If you’re interested in that option, you can order it here: Windows 11 Inside Out, DRM-free ebook.

Full disclosure: I make a small commission if you order through any of the links above. If you use those links, you’re directly supporting my work, and I thank you.

I also have two or three copies of the printed book on my shelf. If you’re interested in a signed copy, drop me a note. I’ll probably be offering that as a premium for a couple lucky subscribers when I turn on those options next month.