The real surprise came at the hospital. The patient before me came out asleep and was snoring beside me. I thought, Great. I’ll get a good sleep too.

Why I Had the Scopes

A few months earlier, I had what the doctors suspected was food poisoning. I spent much of the night nauseous and retching, with persistent hiccups, and eventually went to A&E. There was a tiny streak of fresh blood in my vomit, and a CT scan apparently showed inflammation in my colon.

I recovered and had no more stomach or bowel symptoms. But the doctors arranged an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy to check what had happened.

I’m in my 40s, and I figured it was a good time for a check-up anyway. My insurance covered it, so I went ahead.

The Prep

The hospital gave me a restricted diet for 3 days. I questioned whether it really needed to be that long and asked ChatGPT, which said shorter diets can work too.

But eating white rice, noodles, eggs, chicken and fish wasn’t particularly difficult, so I mostly stuck to the instructions. I did still drink milk tea, even though milk wasn’t on the allowed list.

Fortrans was another matter. I drank 2 litres the evening before, then another 2 litres between 4 and 6 am for my 9 am appointment. It didn’t taste good, but having to finish 4 litres made it much harder.

After the evening dose, nothing happened at first. Then I made the mistake of thinking I had more bowel control than I did, and had a liquid-stool accident overnight. By morning, I knew to stay close to the toilet. The second round sent me there about 5 to 7 times, until what came out was pale-yellow, clear liquid.

If you’re doing this for the first time, don’t treat a quiet first hour as permission to wander off. And follow your own hospital’s timings, not mine.

I Wasn’t Put to Sleep

Seeing the previous patient snore had given me the wrong idea. A nurse told me I’d have moderate sedation, that people respond differently, and that I might still feel something. I asked about it, but I still expected to drift off or at least remember very little.

First came the upper endoscopy, through my mouth. They sprayed my throat, asked me to gargle and swallow, then sprayed it again. It was bitter and a little spicy before the numbness took over. I bit on a mouthpiece, and to my surprise I could barely feel the scope. That part was much easier than I expected.

Then came the colonoscopy. The sedation went through a vein in my arm, but I stayed fully awake. Most of the discomfort seemed to be around my anus; I can’t say I felt the scope moving around inside my colon. I tensed up and made a few sounds despite trying to keep quiet. It felt like 10 to 15 minutes, though I wasn’t exactly watching a clock.

Moderate sedation didn’t put me to sleep, but I think it still took the edge off. I imagine it would have hurt a lot more without it, especially since the scope reached the end of my colon. The woman beside me was snoring; I remember the whole thing.

The Result

Both scopes were normal. There was no colitis, polyp, ulcer or tear, and my H. pylori test was negative. After the earlier A&E visit, that was a relief.

I went in worried about drinking 4 litres of Fortrans. I came out knowing that the person snoring next to you isn’t necessarily a preview of your own procedure.

Once I reached it, DSM told me:

You are not authorized to use this service.

Then Safari and Chrome behaved differently, and the NAS thought it was 1 January 2016. It looked like one big failure, but it was actually several smaller problems stacked together.

Finder Working Fooled Me

My old network used 192.168.50.x. The NAS had kept its manually configured address, 192.168.50.2, even though the new router used 192.168.68.x.

The old address was unreachable from the new network. Finder still worked because it had discovered the NAS through Bonjour and connected over local IPv6.

Finder working only proved that some path to file sharing was alive. It didn’t prove that IPv4 was configured correctly.

Moving the NAS Onto the New Network

I temporarily gave my Mac a second address in the NAS’s old network. That let me reach DSM and change the NAS to 192.168.68.71, with the correct subnet mask and gateway for my new router.

After that, both DaNas.local and the direct IP opened DSM again. Don’t copy my addresses though, use an unused address that matches your own router’s network.

If this happens after changing routers, check all 4 network settings on the NAS:

• IPv4 address
• Subnet mask
• Default gateway
• DNS server

“Not Authorized” Was a Different Problem

My administrator account still received the authorization error. Luckily, another MacBook had a working DSM session.

From there I opened Control Panel > Privileges > DSM > Edit and discovered that my user wasn’t allowed to use DSM, despite belonging to the administrators group. I enabled Allow and checked that no Group or By IP rule denied access.

Before resetting anything, check every computer and browser for a session that still works. One logged-in machine saved me from a rather dramatic solution to a checkbox problem.

Safari and Chrome Still Failed

Normal Safari kept showing the same error, but a Private Browsing window logged in successfully. I removed the Synology entry from Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data, and normal Safari worked again.

Chrome couldn’t load either the hostname or direct IP, while Brave could. Under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network, my Mac had around 10 Google Chrome entries and most were disabled. I enabled them, quit Chrome with Cmd-Q, reopened it, and DSM loaded.

The Wrong Clock Exposed the DNS Problem

The NAS clock was stuck in 2016, and synchronising with time.google.com kept hanging. It was still using my old router, 192.168.50.1, as its DNS server.

I changed the DNS server to 1.1.1.1 and tried time.google.com again. Synchronization worked immediately.

The real fix was replacing every network setting left behind by the old router, including DNS.

My router didn’t really break the NAS. The NAS was just stubbornly living on my previous network.

Making one photo look nicer meant using Pixelmator or Photoshop. Creating a collage meant opening yet another app. Each one came with its own layers, controls and export settings.

I don’t use them often enough to remember everything, so I would spend part of the evening learning the tools again. I wasn’t trying to become a photo editor. I just wanted better photos for my blog.

My Idea, With Help From AI

For my Gold Coast and Brisbane family vacation post, I asked ChatGPT/Codex to turn our photos into a consistent set of travel images.

I had the idea to insert Bluey into some of them. So, art direction still came from me: which photos to use, what they should feel like and whether the result looked right.

The image generator helped execute it effortlessly.

Here is one of the original photos from our Airbnb:

And the travel card made from it:

See the crop and image enhancements? Done without asking!

The image generator also combined our photos into a collage. Some results needed another attempt, but asking for a revision was much easier than rebuilding the layers myself.

A Better Tool for Me

Pixelmator and Photoshop are powerful tools, enabled for users to make better images, but they are made for professionals.

With an AI agent, I can describe what I want instead.

I still provide the idea, taste and final approval. The tools handle the execution.

That’s all users like me want: polishing our content & photos without effort.

It’s real personal productivity with AI!

This is what we actually did, day by day.

June weather: It was just a little cold, so a jacket helped at night. We didn’t swim in the sea or pool, but we probably could have.

Day 1: Arrival and Drive to the Gold Coast

After arriving at Brisbane Airport, we notified the rental car company through a web form, and they picked us up to collect the car. East Coast Car Rentals is still our recommended rental company.

We stayed in Tweed Heads West for 5 nights because we rented a huge Airbnb house that fit three families. Each family had 2 kids. It was a nice choice because we were all excited about the villa and its very own creek, with canoes and stand-up paddleboards.

There’s also a sauna, a Jacuzzi, a BBQ that we didn’t use.. and basically a huge house to play hide and seek.

Day 2: TreeTop Challenge

We booked the TreeTop Challenge at Tamborine Mountain. They have a junior course for the young ones and another for teenagers and adults. I went with my 11-year-old, and it was the best activity we did. It wasn’t too hard (OK, I didn’t go for the hardest black route), and it had the longest zip line, stretching across a river!

Highly recommended if your kids love this kind of adventure. Due to a lack of time, we skipped the glow worm cave (it’s just an artificial cave, by the way).

Day 3: Canoeing & Shopping

We spent the morning using the canoes provided by the Airbnb. These were fun outdoor activities.

I also tried stand-up paddleboarding for the first time and, surprisingly and fortunately, didn’t fall into the water!

We spent the rest of the day at Harbour Town Premium Outlets.

Day 4: Sea World

Sea World is supposedly the most popular theme park there. But it turned out to be mundane. Compared with the theme parks we frequent in Japan and China, don’t set your expectations too high.

I’m just glad that we didn’t buy the bundle ticket that included the other theme parks.

Day 5: Currumbin Zoo

In place of theme parks, we went to the zoo instead. The zoo wasn’t bad. It was quite big, with many different sections.

And we went to the nearby beach, which turned out to be the nicest beach we visited. If you’re going to the zoo, spend some time at this beach in the evening and catch the sunset.

Day 6: We Didn’t Catch a Crab

Our initial plan was to go to this place near our Airbnb to catch a crab. But after thinking about it, we decided not to spend the money or wake up that early for an activity that might disappoint us.

I think going to the beach and playing in the sand is probably fun enough for the kids.

And so we took our time checking out of the Airbnb. We went to Broadwater Parklands for the playground, had lunch at Charis Seafoods while catching the pelican feeding show at 1:30 pm, then finally headed to The Spit Dog Beach for more playing in the sand.

It’s a great plan for the day without paid activities. 😂

After that, we drove to Brisbane and stayed at Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre.

Day 7: Steve Irwin Australia Zoo

This was the second zoo of the trip, but since we had many kids with us, it was still a great visit.

It’s also quite far, around a 1.5-hour drive north of Brisbane city.

Day 8: Brisbane City & Bluey’s World

We started the day walking around Queen Street Mall.

My 6-year-old has been watching Bluey, which is a good children’s show because it teaches better values (compared with rescue missions like Paw Patrol).

What surprised me was that my 11-year-old also wanted to go!

And so I was dragged to Bluey’s World.

I’m not the kind of adult who loves interactive tours. But the kids loved it very much. If you have kids, it’s highly recommended. Note that an adult must accompany the kids.

We also took the CityCat ferry. You can simply tap on and off with a credit card, and it costs just $0.50! We took it from South Bank all the way to Bluey’s World, which was a nice 45-minute ferry ride.

Day 9: City Hall Clock Tower

We visited the clock tower in the morning. You have to make a reservation. It’s a nice guided tour for a very small group in each time slot.

Our last stop was the South Bank Parklands for the playground and a walk across the Brisbane River.

Turns out Brisbane does have a pretty nice riverfront city view.

The old theme had been here since I moved the blog from Blogger to Jekyll in May 2016. Its Jewel waterfall header arrived in December 2020, but the bones stayed mostly the same for more than 10 years. Honestly, it did its shift.

The new homepage puts stories, trips, favorites, apps, and the odd useful page within easier reach. It’s bolder, works in light and dark, and you can press T to switch between them.

The old Just2me design, retired in July 2026.

New coat. Same collection of detours.

Instead of showing my main account, it showed my other account, one that I don’t use. And I don’t even remember the password to it..

And the login screen wouldn’t show the usual list of user icons at all. No way to select my actual account.

I was completely locked out. 🥺

I tried going into recovery mode, did some checks, making sure I’m connected to the internet so the MDM (Mosyle, installed by my company) can sync. None of that worked.

Turns out, Option + Enter at the login screen is all you need.

That shortcut key display a username text field! Type your username, enter your password, you’re in.

AI Changed the World

I’ve been writing code for 20+ years
Always thought this skill would last me forever

Then AI agentic coding came
The most pivotal change in my work
Software is now cheap and fast to make

But here’s the biggest realization
I have 20+ apps, a small business built over the years
Always worried: how do I pass this on to my girls?
They probably won’t code, and I can’t expect them to

Now they don’t need to write code
Just talk to the AI, make the big decisions
My apps can keep running, issues get fixed
Legacy can continue

New Hobbies

Bought parts, bought tools, got greasy hands
From depending on uncle at the shop
To fixing it all by myself

It’s like adult LEGO
A skill I never thought I’d learn
And a satisfaction knowing I don’t need to depend on uncle

Also bought a small bitcoin mining machine
Powered by a 100W solar panel and an EcoFlow battery
It earns nothing
But harvesting the sun is something I’ve always wanted to understand
A lottery powered by sunlight

Life

We went to Australia, twice, with another coming in June
Got to make the ETA VISA worth it
AI so impactful, even planned the trip

In Sydney, I fulfilled a wish
Attended Linkin Park concert
One less regret

Got on CNA Deep Dive for the second time

Best books this year: The Three-Body Problem trilogy
Fiction that made me feel like a bug in the universe
The Trisolarans called humans bugs
Because the technology gap was just too vast
AI is starting to feel the same

I’m comfortable recommending our credit card to my friends. And yes, I get rewarded for referring you 😉

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Here’s what we actually did, day by day.

March weather in Sydney is perfect. Early autumn, 20 to 25 degrees. Just bring a light jacket for evening walks.

@junda001

A week in Sydney

♬ original sound - junda

Day 1: Arrival and Tumbalong Park

We took the train from Sydney Airport to Central. Don’t make our mistake.

There’s a hefty airport surcharge. $18 per adult, $16 per child. For a family of 4, that’s close to $70 one way. A cab is around $50. AI told me to take the train but conveniently left out the cost.

We bought Opal cards for the kids, topped up $20 each, thinking that’s plenty. The airport fare alone nearly wiped it out. For the adults, we tapped Apple Watch and didn’t realise the damage until later.

Just take a cab.

We stayed at Mantra Sydney Central. Average hotel, but walkable to Darling Harbour, which is what matters.

The amount of bubble tea shops around Chinatown is wild. Way more expensive than Shanghai, but you get Molly, Yomie’s Rice and Hey Tea.

If you arrive early, head straight to Tumbalong Park playground at Darling Harbour. Massive. Tons of climbing structures, a flying fox, the works. My kids would’ve gone every single day. And we pretty much did.

Day 2: Sydney Opera House

Train to Circular Quay, walk to the Opera House. Must-see, obviously.

From there we went into the Royal Botanic Garden. It’s massive. We covered maybe 10% before the kids started fading, so we headed back to Central for food.

After lunch, the kids voted unanimously to go back to Tumbalong Park. So we did. When your kids find something they love, just let them have it.

While adults sip some bubble tea and enjoy some breeze at the harbour.

Day 3: Taronga Zoo by Ferry

Train to Circular Quay, then Ferry 4 to Taronga Zoo. Departs every 30 minutes or so. The ferry ride itself is a highlight.

From the wharf, a free bus takes you to the zoo entrance. Same bus back down.

The zoo is huge but doable in 4 to 5 hours with kids.

Evening? Back to Tumbalong Park. Obviously.

Day 4: Pick Up Car and Drive to Blue Mountains

Picked up the rental from Budget at Mascot, near the station. First stop: The University of Sydney, which is open to the public and has parking. The Quadrangle is beautiful.

From there, about 1.5 hours to Blue Mountains.

Fairmont Resort was surprisingly good. Proper resort with unexpected perks:

• Ice skating rink: $60 for a family of 4, 2 hours. Kids loved it.
• Decent restaurant on site.
• Gym (which I used, because holiday calories).

Dinner at Leura Village. The main road is called Leura Mall, but it’s a street name, not an actual mall. Good cafes and restaurants along it.

Day 5: Scenic World

Highlight of the Blue Mountains. Scenic World has 3 rides:

1. Scenic Railway: steepest in the world. My kids loved it so much we rode it 7 times. The descent is genuinely thrilling, almost like a roller coaster.
2. Cableway: cable car back up from the valley floor.
3. Skyway: gondola with a glass floor that passes by the waterfall.

If you’re short on time: railway down, walk the rainforest boardwalk (easy, flat), cableway back up, then skyway across for the glass-floor waterfall views.

After the skyway, walk 10 minutes to the cascades at the bottom of the waterfall. Worth it for the photo.

Also drive to Three Sisters Lookout at Echo Point. Very close. Closest view of those 3 iconic rock formations you’d have already spotted from Scenic World.

Day 6: Drive to Wollongong

Long drive day.

Stopped midway at the Australian Botanic Garden (Mount Annan). Huge garden, playground for the kids, cafe right beside it. Iced latte while they burn off energy. Good way to break up the drive.

Checked into Novotel Wollongong Northbeach. Good hotel, but parking is $39 per night. I tried to save that.

There’s an outdoor car park on Cliff Road near the hotel, used by beach goers, but a sign says no parking 1am to 5am. I parked there initially, then moved the car at night to a residential street. Most cars clear out overnight, and I suspect they patrol.

Not worth the risk. Pay the $39 or park on a residential street from the start.

Day 7: Nan Tien Temple, Illawarra Fly, and Kiama

Nan Tien Temple first. Large Chinese Buddhist temple. I’ve visited many temples, but this one genuinely impressed me. Very clean, beautifully laid out. Worth it even if temples aren’t your thing.

Then we drove to Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk. Long curvy drive through hill roads, but it doubles as one of the most scenic stretches of the trip. Huge green pastures, cows grazing. Beautiful countryside.

When we arrived: lightning alert. Closed. Real shame after that winding drive. Check weather before committing.

Then Kiama Blowhole. Didn’t catch it in action (probably wrong timing), but still a nice spot. Big rocky area to walk around. Careful with kids on the rocks.

Day 8: Sea Cliff Bridge, Timezone, and Fly Home

Last day. Morning at the beach in front of Novotel. Nice sand, good water. Kids loved it.

Drove back towards Sydney via Sea Cliff Bridge. Nice coastal drive, worth the detour.

Stopped at Westfield Miranda for Timezone: 60 minutes play card for $35. Kids’ favourite send-off. Plenty of food and shopping too if you need to kill time before the flight.

Returning the car at Terminal 1 was easy. Follow signs for “Rental Cars” along the arrival road, turn right to the carpark, and Budget office is right there.

Final Thoughts

Sydney is nice. CBD/chinatown has lots of restaurants, easy to navigate, and charming enough. Beyond the city, driving is easy.

Just a bit expensive with bubble tea averaging $8 AUD. Yet coffee just $5.

How much did it cost?

1. Maxxis 26” x 2.1 tyre for $16
2. Maxxis tube for $8

All for just $24 including shipping, excluding vouchers.

How did I know it’s a 26-inch rim and 2.1-inch wide? The original tyre has the dimensions labelled right on it.

How to dismantle

Taking out the foot pegs is easy, just unscrew them.

The wheel is held by hex screws on both sides. Loosen them with a hex spanner.

The tricky part is the chain. Pull the rear derailleur backward to release tension, unhook the chain, then slide the wheel out.

How to put in the new tyre

Fit the outer tyre around the rim first. It wasn’t difficult at all. Fits nicely without needing to pull and stretch (contrary to what some YouTube videos suggest).

Then put the tube in WITHOUT pumping any air.

Once the outer tyre is also in place, pump it up, making sure it seats nicely around the rim.

Assemble back

Reverse the steps to assemble.

Be careful with the disc brake. On my first try, I seemed to have dislodged the disc, so it got too tight and engaged the brake constantly. Had to redo it, making sure the disc slipped in nicely between the brake pads. Also learned to adjust the disc brake caliper to loosen/tighten.

Tighten the hex screws, screw the foot pegs back on, and you’re good to go!

It really wasn’t hard. A bit of effort, a bit of courage, and you can do it yourself too.