What I've Been Up To These Last Few Months
Posted on by Dean Hidri
This isn't going to be a polished update post — it's more like thinking out loud. It's been quite some time since I've written anything on my site. To be honest, I wanted to write, but I hit a massive creative block and completely lost direction on what to do next.
I know I'm just getting started with this post, but I've been feeling burned out from both work and personal life. I found myself spending most days just lounging around and gaming, which only made things worse. I'm slowly regaining my energy and figuring out my next steps. During my RV trip this month, I had several breakthrough moments about where I want to go professionally. I realized I haven't really developed myself in the last couple of years—I've just been stuck doing what I had to do rather than what I love to do. I hope that resonates with some of you.
My plan for this year is to dedicate serious time to my side projects: Cardia and another unnamed project I'm excited about.
Cardia: A Blood Pressure Tracker
Originally, I wanted Cardia finished by January—that didn't happen. I kept getting stuck on the design, feeling like it wasn't quite right. In February and March, I completely redesigned Cardia, giving it its own unique style instead of just relying on Shadcn styling. The results have been much better.
Cardia is planned as a self-hosted blood pressure tracker that I started building after being diagnosed with high blood pressure. Most existing apps I found were either expensive, had poor UI/UX, or were bloated with features I couldn't turn off.
Cardia will support multiple users so entire families can track their blood pressure together. The self-hosted approach means you truly own your data—no wondering what some company might do with your health information.
I think once it's complete, I'll write a more detailed post and create a proper marketing website. The concept is solid on paper, the core system works, and I just have a few more features to integrate before releasing the upgraded version.
Exploring Game Development
I'm also working on a game right now. Over the past two months, I've experimented with several programming languages and game engines: LÖVE2D, Unity, and Godot.
I started by creating basic character movement in each engine to see how they felt. LÖVE2D was quickly eliminated — the lack of built-in GUI tools gave me headaches, especially when trying to set up nine-patch scaling for UI assets. Unity's coding approach was completely foreign to me, and I felt lost from the start.
Godot with GDScript has been the winner. GDScript feels like Python and TypeScript had a baby — it's intuitive to write. The node-based architecture is a lifesaver for creating clean, well-structured games.
I'll share more about the game once I have an initial MVP running. What I can say now is that it's going to be a management game, which aligns perfectly with my personal gaming preferences.
Moving Forward
So that's where I am: still alive, still creating (or trying to), and committed to being more active here. Thanks for sticking with me through the radio silence.