Author: Gareth Saunders

I’m Gareth J M Saunders, 49 years old, 6′ 4″, father of 3 boys (including twins). Enneagram type FOUR and introvert (INFP), I am a non-stipendiary priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church, I sing with the NYCGB alumni choir, play guitar, play mahjong, write, draw and laugh… Scrum master. Latterly, web architect and agile project manager at the University of St Andrews and former warden at Agnes Blackadder Hall.

Microsoft To Do review

Screenshot of Microsoft To Do

As many may know, I am a big fan of Todoist and have written a few blog posts about Todoist. But a few weeks ago I installed Microsoft To Do and used it exclusively for a few days to see how it compared.

Within two days I returned to Todoist. I wanted to capture a few thoughts about why.

(Note: it would appear that either there was a significant update to Microsoft To Do in the last two weeks or my laptop was only able to install an older version because a few of the niggles I had with it appear to have been resolved in the latest version, which I installed on my desktop PC.)

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Gravestone

Photo: Andrew Bunyan, engraver

Mum’s name has now been added to the gravestone, along with an introduction, “In loving memory of…”

We also added some context to the years, although without the ’19…’ I doubt that people would have that that Dad was a time-traveller born in 1845 who married a woman in the following century.

I like the Scottish tradition of using the wife’s maiden name.

In a way, it feels good to see them together again after so many years without Dad.

Rest in peace, Mum and Dad x

What podcasts I’m listening to in 2021

Screenshot of my current Pocketcasts list

This is the current list of podcasts that I’m listening to.

Quite a few in the productivity, agile and work culture category. Cricket and cycling (obviously!). The two Queen podcasts I blogged about recently.

I’m a late listener to Richard Herring’s RHLSTP (pronounced ruh-hul-US-tuh-puh!) which can be fun.

My True North is a recent addition after following Kalle Flodin’s YouTube channel for a few months.

You can download the OPML file at PocketCasts to grab and import the whole list.

Do you have any sausages?

Illustration from Skip Hire UK

Back in 2006, I was living and working in London. I moved in to a flat in Camberwell with my friend Jonny, whom I had met in the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. Jonny was the organist at a church on Vauxhall Bridge Road and inevitably I tagged along and made that my church too.

One summer’s evening as we were walking back from church, we passed the Camberwell Evangelical Church. There was an evening service on as we could hear singing even if we couldn’t clearly see through the windows.

It seemed clear to us that they were doing some renovations as there was a yellow skip outside on the road, stacked high with debris. The skip was also on fire.

Continue reading Do you have any sausages?

Elementary OS Linux on iOTA Flo 11.6″ laptop

Screenshot of iOTA Flo 11.6″ laptop at 1440 × 810 pixels (16:9)

A change this week for my smaller laptop, from Linux Mint to Elementary OS and I couldn’t be happier.

Continue reading Elementary OS Linux on iOTA Flo 11.6″ laptop