As most of my other categories this year, everything was a bit scattered around after Oliver’s birth — as many friends with kids told me it would be. These are the highlights of the year:

• Abstract Void — Into the Blue

  • Black Metal + Retrowave — how can you not love it?

• Chainless — Grey Veils

  • I played this on vinyl a lot this year. Nice dark Minecraft-y vibe.

• Lustmord (Dread) — In Dub

  • My most played work soundtrack. Always loved Lustmord, but he achieved perfection with this.

• ねごと —『SOAK』

  • Late addition to the list, I found out about Negoto when someone mistakenly purchased tickets for their show using my email. Dancer in Hanabira is such a nice song.

• Persona 5 - OST

  • Game of the year, gaming OST of the decade. So glad I got this on vinyl.

D-Day — Grape Iris

• Someone recommended this to me over Twitter, and I obsessed over Discogs looking for a vinyl copy of it. Played it so much, and I will probably continue doing so next year.

Played a lot of PS4 games in the first semester, and lightly played a mix of 3DS and Switch games in the second one.

• Etrian Odyssey 5

  • To-go grinding machine on 3DS. Been playing it for a while. Perfect for babysleep = true watching.

• Monster Hunter Stories

  • Pokemon in MonHun world. Works well and graphics are gorgeous, even on 3DS.

• Persona 5 (My 2017 Game of the year)

  • Best JRPG of this generation. Can't wait to play it again when my kid goes to college in about 18 years. PS4 exclusive.

• Farming Simulator 2018

  • Default waiting-for-labor-time game. Played on 3DS.

Final Fantasy XIV

• Besides Persona 5, this is the game I played most in the first semester. Lovely Japanese take on the MMO formula.

Still learning. This year I figured out my favorite grapes / blends — cab and syrah mostly.

• Porca de Murca 2013 Tinto Red (Douro)

  • My go-to wine in 2017. Cheap and good. Easy to find in the neighborhood,

• Goulart B Black Legion Special Blend 2010

  • Strong and powerful. Picked this one to celebrate Ollie's birth.

• The Prisioner 2014

  • Had a couple bottles of this one while in the US. Nice, and affordable.

Second semester was a beer-heavy period for me. Seems to be fading now (December), but I still have a lot of fancy bottles at home.

• Capa Preta Bourbon Mocha (Dark Ale)

  • Best coffee beer I ever had.

• Hocus Pocus Rabbit Hole (Imperial Stout)

  • Amazing imperial stout. Strong (as expected) but doesn't taste like it. Feels like dessert.

• Hocus Pocus Overdrive IPA

  • Go-to, day-to-day IPA.

• Protostar Hazy Session IPA

  • Awesome session IPA, easy to find in Portland. Had it multiple times and remember it fondly.

Still on the Murakami tour.

• The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

  • I think it's my current favorite.

• Kafka on the Shore

  • Second best. Hard to say.

• Captivate — The Science of Succeeding with People

  • Had fun with this one. Learned a lot.

• The Expectand Father: The ultimate guide for dads-to-be

  • Didn't expect a lot (lol), but it's very good.

2017 Caffo's Fashion — lazy and relaxed. Almost no collared shirts; tees and PJs mostly.

• Adidas Hawthorne 7/8

  • Got 3 of them. So comfy.

• LOT

  • Love their tees and soap bars.

• Nekomancer tee

  • Lovely illustration. Will use it a lot next year.

• Zara Skulls PJ

  • For sleepless baby nights.

Firefox Quantum

• Bye bye Chrome.

Google Flights (2017 redesign)

• Best tool to find cheap flights. Will probably use a lot next year.

Numi

• Best calculator for OSX. Replaced Soulver.

Ollie

• A++ would father it again

Apple Airpods

• Got them in early January, still using all the time. They just work, and that's what I needed.

Bomex 250ml beaker

• This beaker was an essential tool to keep me in the line regarding my wine intake. It fits about 2 glasses and that’s what I would drink in a single night. It’s also weirdly stylish.

Bulletproof Coffee

• This year I finally started to make my bulletproof coffee the right way — blended and using ghee. It really upped my breakfast / intermittent fasting game. Will keep doing it for a while.

Field Notes Notebook Cover Mini

• Been using multiple Field Notes notebooks over the year, and this cover protected the notebook I paired with my Hobonichi Planner for daily notes. I love and treasure it.

Google Wifi

• I don’t live in a huge apartment, but for some reason my wifi reception was always spotty. This year I finally fixed it by setting up a mesh network of google branded routers. It works flawlessly.

Tombow ABT Dual Brush Pen - N79

• I can’t draw anything more complex than a ball, but this pen helped me take my bullet journal game to another level. I use it to highlight headings and mark important stuff in my planners and notebooks.

Amor Fati Medallion

• After last year's deep dive into stoicism, having this coin on my bedside helped me immensely to enjoy the ride.