The Chronicles of a Developer

POST - Reboot, Grind, Repeat

"Testing, one, two, three," his voice echoed in the empty office on this fine Sunday afternoon, June 18th, 2023, to be exact, at 4.51 PM sharp. He'd crawled out of the embrace of Morpheus around 10ish that morning, his mind and body rebelling against the meager ration of six or seven hours of sleep from the previous night. This wasn't anything new - the past couple of days had seen him surviving on a broken stretch of sleep, approximately three hours each session, turning him into the walking embodiment of exhaustion.

He jokingly referred to himself as the 'corporate vampire', the guy who lived in the twilight zone of insane workloads and scant sleep. He could practically hear his body laughing at the irony of the situation as he struggled to get through the day, fatigue gnawing at his edges, punctuated by an unsettling sensation of something being 'off'.

Maybe it was the eerie silence of the deserted office, which usually pulsed with life, or maybe it was the raw edge of his weariness - whatever it was, it made him feel like he was a step away from a full-blown health crisis. But, true to form, he shrugged it off, half chuckling at his paranoia. After all, this too shall pass, right?

With work coming to a standstill and his brain too tired to function, he had given himself a day off. The office was his playground, his battlefield, and his sanctuary, but even warriors needed a break. So he indulged in the sin of procrastination, soaking up the blessed oblivion offered by YouTube, Twitch, and Kick - the new kid on the streaming block.

Kick.com, the knight in shining armor for creators, had recently inked a 100 million US dollar deal with xQc, a prominent Twitch streamer, and Emouranth, another famous face in the world of streaming. As he navigated the new platform, he found himself drawn to the charming 'doll blush,' a cute streamer who he ended up following on YouTube and Instagram too.

He entertained himself by tracking the rise and fall of streaming platforms, savoring the drama unfolding. Twitch, the former titan, had shot itself in the foot with its recent changes, prompting a mass exodus of creators. A reduced revenue share of 50-50 was more of a death knell than a minor inconvenience, making Kick.com's whopping 95-5 split seem like a dream. So, armed with the optimism of a pioneer, he made an account on Kick.com, ready to join the stream of progress.

As the day wore on, he did a few more 'human' things - like shaving his beard and mustache. A task that was more of a bloody battle with his razor blade, thanks to his impatience and lack of shaving cream. "No pain, no gain, right?" he'd jest, nursing his minor cuts with a mysterious concoction that seemed to be named after a US city or state. California? Philadelphia? It slipped his mind, but that didn't detract from the sweet victory of a clean-shaven face.

Basking in the glory of his triumph, he let the sweet strains of nostalgia wash over him, immersing himself in the music of his past. There was the reimagined German version of 'House of the Rising Sun' by Walbert Eckert and Volkmusik Stars, the depressingly beautiful 'I Believe' by Melissa Holick, and the emotionally charged 'Bury the Hatchet' from GTA 5.

The tracks took him on a rollercoaster ride down memory lane, to a time when he first dabbled with Unity or Unreal (the details got a little fuzzy over the years), and then to the monumental time when he met Stefan and they co-founded SMD Technologies. Those were the halcyon days of creation, the birth of ideas that would change the world. Now, those tracks stood as testaments to his journey, a mosaic of dreams and aspirations, woven into melodies that could touch the soul.

And there was talk about visiting the harbor. Summer was in full swing, the bath tower had reopened, and people were flocking to it like bees to honey. The prospect of a day of fun and relaxation seemed too tempting to resist. The promise of beautiful girls, a cool pool, and a chance to let loose beckoned him. "What's life without a little pleasure?" he mused, half serious and half jesting.

Despite the chaotic flurry of thoughts, there was a sense of calm. Tomorrow was another day - another Monday - and life would go back to the grind. Today was just a blip in the grand scheme of things, a necessary pause to recharge. Because tomorrow, he was determined to get back to his 'POST' routine. It was going to be cold showers, office work, vlogs, and more, and hopefully, no more shaving accidents!

With a sigh of contentment and a sprinkle of humor, he signed off, leaving behind a trail of laughter and light-heartedness. This was his life - chaotic, messy, and utterly beautiful. As he walked away from the microphone, his heart hummed with anticipation. Tomorrow was another day, and he was ready to conquer it. After all, in the wise words of a certain famous raccoon, "Ain't nothing like me, 'cept me."