iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/10/2026

Had a great weekend mushroom foraging. Found chanterelles, bear's head, matsutake, honey, so many boletes, and that's just the edible stuff. Coolest looking one was a 5+ pound devil's bolete, very much not edible, but bright red and huge

Some of my mushroom haul this weekend with my dog Mucca

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/07/2026

US #healthcare costs are SO broken. I'll never get over ridiculous bills like this for something simple like some metabolic, preventative blood tests Total Charges: $2,315.25 - You're joking Adjustments: -$2,121.34 - WTF? Insurance Paid: $36.62 - why not […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Bill cost breakdown for some medical blood tests

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/07/2026

@jaredwhite I read this and wondered where in Portland you were seeing rain, cause I'm at the Sellwood pool with kids and no rain here. But just now there was thunder and they had to clear the pool. Ugh. No rain yet, but goodness knows we could use it

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

My wife unintentionally completely messed with me on where to meetup today in #milan. She said a gelato place, then said "Io voglio gelato" which literally means "I want ice cream". I ended up 5+ minutes away lost before she finally location shared and I […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Good night Italy! I had a fun 3 weeks going between beach, city, beach, city, mountains, lakes, city again. I ate and drank pizza, pasta, coffee, wine, spritz and more. I took buses, trains, cars, bikes, scooters and more. And it was too hot almost the entire time. #Milan #Italy #vacation

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Holy cow achievement unlocked: death defying. Road a bike, scooter, and drove a tiny car in the freeway in Italy. And made it back to my rental alive with wine and pasta. #milan #Italy Transportation is both easier and harder in a lot of ways in Italy. Don't […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

There's too many Leonardo da Vinci museums #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Ok, one more time post the Duomo. 5 or 6ish spritzes (and a beer ) later #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Ok headed to meet family for gelato and my battery is getting low. Time to stop live tooting #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Ok, survived a bike rental in #milan while buzzed / ubriaca. Achievement unlocked. Now heading to meet family for gelato

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Oh shit, my lime app for bike rentals still works and there's bikes here... #milan What could go wrong? Lemme finish my last spritz

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Got a 5€ spritz, but campari was 8€ so went with Aperol to mix it up. Watching the garbage truck, which is smaller than most US vehicles, go by #milan

Aperol Spritz in front of a garbage truck

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Oh no, thought KFC was the only thing in the area with a 5€ spritz and a 1€ espresso. Turns out I'd gone in a circle and ended up at the plane where I got my 3€ bet earlier. I might be nearing my limit...

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Interspersing an espresso (cafe) before the next alcoholic beverage. 1.30 € #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

I love the size of vehicles here. Wish the US could roll back its obsession with massive cars #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Got the 3 euro beer, it was dine in like the espresso bar, not porta via (take away / to go). Gave me time to observe the people in the cafe. 13 out of 22 people were staying at their phone, so more than half, but probably less than in the US. #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Oh no, should I switch to beer? How's the saying go? Beer before before spritz, acts like a ditz, beer after spritz... ? #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Don't love it, but KFC signs have been useful for landmarks. Why not Taco Bell? #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

So many plazas with famous people. Went to the Leonardo da Vinci science museum yesterday with the kids and it was OVERWHELMING. Spent 3+ hours and didn't see half of it. I was so tired by the end I breezed through the section on space exploration, which I wish I'd spent more time on. #milan

Leonardo da Vinci statue in a plaza in Milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Oh yeah, first sign I've seen of the Olympics being hosted here this year #milan Oh, timing not so good, should probably retake that. Oh well. Maybe time for another spritz?

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Got sucked into another book store, but this one is decidedly more tourist. Books in English, lots more merch. #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

The juxtaposition of 1000+ year old history with modern... ity. Is. Something? #milan

A watch ad on the side of the Duomo construction

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Most believe it started as a playful jab at Milan's rival city, Turin, with grinding a heel into the symbol of a rival seen as a way of showing dominance or contempt. Or fertility. Or something. Weird. #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

I spun on bull's balls which is apparently a tradition? #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Meeting the family at Prada and jokingly threatening to buy whatever handbag costs the most #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Ok headed into the belly of the shopping beast armed with a half full spritz #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Can't resist a libreria (book store), especially since I'm flying home tomorrow, might as well buy a couple Italian books for the plane ride #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

I think the best deal on a spritz and vegetarian sandwich within walking distance to the Duomo (cathedral) is Cesarino. It's a little annoying the menu doesn't mark the vegetarian sandwiches clearly, they're all near the end. Maybe I'll head back there for one more campari spritz... #milan

Cesarino menu, vegetarian sandwiches near the end

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Got turned around trying to find my wife and daughters, so not in the super crowded Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel II, but ended up near some random stores with a nice ceiling, way less crowded next to the Victoria's Secret #milan

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Kinda disappointing once inside. Was hoping to try out the apple vision pro, but it wasn't anywhere in the store. Watched a demo of how to use the iPad in Italian and picked up some new vocab. Clicca con il mouse. #milan #apple

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

It leads to the Apple store! Guess I'm going there #milan

Apple store entrance under a fountain in Milan.

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

At first I thought this fountain that just sprays against a wall was dumb, but now I see it's on both sides of an entrance leading somewhere. Where?

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Why does this pay phone still exist in #milan? I tried putting money in, nothing happened, it returned the coin.

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026

Got a few campari spritz in me. Time to live toot #milan while my family is shopping?

Campari spritz and Duomo while I want through shopping

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/07/2026

Milan is more fun as a city than I'd expected, but the heat is killing me

Art graphiti in Milan. I'm posed so it looks like I'm being stabbed.

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/07/2026

Italy vacation continues at Lago Maggiore

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/07/2026

The road up to our apartment rental in Innichen / San Candido Italy is kinda nuts. Narrow and steep. Nice views though photos.app.goo.gl/zFBBd6EC18fBdeQw5

View from our apartment rental near Innichen / San Candido Italy

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/06/2026

I've never rented a car without any kind of radio before. No USB ports either. Fiat Panda. Felt like I was driving a tin can with a toy engine. The AC on full blast couldn't keep up with the 38 C (100 F) heat wave either. Normally fun to drive cheap little cars in Europe, but this felt too cheap

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/06/2026

I'm amused that my beach reading is an Italian version of an American Pope's encyclical on AI, that I'll heavily use Google translate (AI) to understand

Leone XIV
Magnifica Humanitas
Lettera enciclica sulla custodia della persona umana nel tempo dell'intelligenza artificiale

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/06/2026

Going to the beach tomorrow, too hot to be in a city

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/06/2026

This European heat wave is brutal. I'm in Italy, my wife got heat exhaustion yesterday on a relatively light bike ride. Global warming sucks

Bringing pizza back after dark, cause it's too hot to go out in the sun

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/06/2026

Last month was the first month since installing solar last fall that I sent more electricity back to the grid than used. The remaining $17 bill is for fees.

Electric bill showing net 0 energy usage for last month

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/06/2026

I'd say I'm overdoing it, but this is only a bit more active than normal lately. Normally would sleep more, but went out to a movie last night One of these days I'll make time to write and code, but that's pretty low priority until my job brain subsides

Whoop activity tracker including 10 mile run and deadlifts

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/06/2026

Feeling pretty good about my bouldering lately. Who knew having hours to work out everyday while funemployed would improve climbing so much? photos.app.goo.gl/Vo8bKgcaSE8xN1Ah8

Bouldering side dyno with a one arm hang

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/06/2026

Being allowed to dig to try to catch ground squirrels might be the happiest my pittie mix dog has ever been. She's not allowed to dig this at home in Portland, but at my parents' rural property this is encouraged. She might be too sore to move tomorrow

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Matt Robinson @mmrobins.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/04/2026

I love getting to the Laurelhurst theater a little early for movies so I can watch the ads. Definitely can't say that about most other theaters

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