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Python File Renamer: Turning Folder Chaos into Digital Zen

Day 13 of 100 Days Coding Challenge: Python

Have you ever dumped a bunch of photos from your phone or camera onto your computer, only to be greeted by a wall of files named IMG_2034 or DSC_0198? That was me last week. We’d just come back from visiting my dad in Indiana, and I spent hours renaming photos just so I’d know what was what later. By hour three, I started questioning my life choices.

Today’s app was born out of that chaos. It’s for anyone who’s ever opened their Downloads folder and felt genuine fear. You know the scene—screenshot(385).png, resume_final_final_really_FINAL.docx, and misc.zip (which, let’s be honest, contains nothing but regret).

Eventually, I snapped. I built a File Renamer. Because at some point, every coder realizes the real enemy isn’t broken code—it’s bad file names. My little app brought order to the madness, one underscore at a time. Justice was served. Silently.

Today’s Motivation / Challenge

File naming seems trivial—until it isn’t. Whether it’s organizing screenshots, exported reports, or the fifth version of your side project’s logo, we’ve all played the “rename, regret, repeat” game. This challenge gave me a chance to bring order to chaos, while flexing my Python skills in a way that solves a real, everyday annoyance. Plus, there’s something oddly satisfying about watching a folder transform from digital dumpster to methodical masterpiece.

Purpose of the Code (Object)

This Python app batch-renames files in a folder using a pattern you choose—like photo_1.jpg, photo_2.jpg, and so on. It lets you preview changes, filter by file type, and confirm before anything happens. The final version even adds an undo option and keeps a time-stamped log of renamed files.

AI Prompt:

“Please create a Python code File renamer.”

“Can you add the following function to the GUI version? #Add an undo feature #Add a log file to save old/new names.”

Functions & Features

  • Select a folder with a file dialog (no more mistyped paths)
  • Set custom prefix and starting number
  • Filter files by extension (e.g., .txt, .jpg)
  • Preview all renaming before it happens
  • Automatically log all rename operations with a timestamp
  • Undo your most recent renaming session

Requirements / Setup

  • Python 3.6+
  • No extra libraries needed (just tkinter, which comes with Python)

Minimal Code Sample

for i, file in enumerate(files, start=start_number):

    ext = os.path.splitext(file)[1]

    new_name = f”{prefix}{i}{ext}”

    os.rename(os.path.join(folder_path, file), os.path.join(folder_path, new_name))

This is where the magic happens: renaming each file while keeping its original extension.

File Renamer GUI

Notes / Lessons Learned

So all your files become lovely, logical things like file_1.txt, file_2.txt, and file_3.txt. It was beautiful. It was organized. It was… terrifyingly powerful. That’s when I remembered something crucial: I never get folder paths right. Backslashes, forward slashes, hidden Unicode weirdness—my fingers always betray me.

So I thought, “Let’s make this a GUI.” Because honestly, why should I suffer when I can just click a folder like a functioning adult?

New version, new vibe. It had buttons. It had folder selection dialogs. It even had a preview feature, like the app was politely saying, “Here’s what you’re about to do. You sure about this?” If there were no files to rename, it didn’t throw a tantrum—it simply shrugged and bowed out.

And just when I thought it was “done,” I asked myself:

What if I mess this up?

Enter: undo button and activity log.

Because if we’re going full Renamer Pro Mode™, I want receipts. I added:

  • A complete log of what each file used to be called
  • A timestamp of when the operation occurred
  • An undo feature, because I’m not about to manually rename everything back like it’s 2003

Once I tested everything (successfully, I might add—zero casualties), I realized something strange and wonderful:
This tiny project gave me an idea for improving a workflow at my day job. Turns out, renaming a bunch of files can actually inspire how to batch-handle documents in Power Automate. Who knew?

Oh, and one last grown-up move: I finally added a license to the project.

Here’s what I learned:

A License Type

  • MIT: Super chill. Basically says, “Take it, use it, remix it—just don’t sue me.”
  • GPL: More of a Robin Hood. If you improve it, you share it.
  • Apache 2.0: Like MIT but with a legal helmet.
  • No License: Says, “I’m not ready for commitment.” Basically off-limits.

I went to MIT because this little renamer deserves to be free.

Optional Ideas for Expansion

  • Add a “dry run” mode to simulate renaming without touching files
  • Add support for multiple undo steps (not just one session)
  • Export the log as a CSV file for spreadsheet nerds (no judgment)

Day 12
Day 14

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Soup Season, Anniversary Planning, and the Great Headset Experiment

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

Today felt properly cold—the kind of cold that makes you question every life choice involving going outside. Thankfully, we had already scheduled soup for dinner, which felt like winning the weather lottery.

Normally, I’m not a big soup person. It’s fine, it’s food, it’s warm—but I don’t dream about it. That said, once the temperature drops, soup and I get along much better. And this particular soup has quietly been promoted to “winter favorite” status in our house.

Aside from making soup, today turned into a planning day. First, there’s Friday: my wife and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary by going to a new restaurant. This is a departure from our usual routine, which means my inner scheduler immediately asked, “Okay, but when are we running?” I have to adjust my plan for today.

Time Management

After checking the restaurant’s opening time and backtracking our ideal departure, I calculated that I’ll need to start my run by 9:00 a.m. to be cleaned up and ready to leave on time. To make sure this is realistic and not fantasy math, I’m going to test it tomorrow: start the run at 9, then see what time I’d theoretically be ready to go out.

Headset Charging Logistics

The second problem looming over my otherwise simple life: headset charging logistics.

My previous headset battery died a tragic early death, likely because I had been charging it overnight like a phone. With the new one, I’ve switched to a healthier habit—charging it at my desk while I eat breakfast. So far, this has worked beautifully, and the battery seems to be aging more gracefully than the last one.

But there’s a catch.

Once spring comes, I’ll shift my runs back to before breakfast. That means my “charge while eating” system may no longer guarantee enough power to get me through a full run—or a mowing session. Future-me would be very annoyed to discover a dying headset at kilometer three.

So, I need a new plan.

Right now, I’m leaning toward setting an 8:00 p.m. reminder on my phone to plug in the headset. That gives it about an hour to reach a full charge before I get ready for bed around 9. Later this week, I’ll run a little experiment: fully charge it by 9 p.m., then see if that charge comfortably lasts the 12 hours until I’m done with my morning run or yard work.

It’s a small thing, but having these pieces in place—soup simmering, anniversary plans mapped out, and a charging schedule for my headset—makes the week feel a little more under control.

Cold days are easier to face when the soup is hot, and the logistics are quietly cooperating.

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Type Like No One’s Watching (But Save That High Score)

Day 12 of 100 Days Coding Challenge : Python

Long before I was writing Python, I was tapping away on a keyboard—but not as a programmer. Nope. I was just a kid in the ’70s with a front-row seat to the future.

My school had not one, but two full rooms of NEC computers (shout-out to NEC, Japan’s pride in beige technology). We even had an official typing class, which sounded very cool… until it started.

See, I thought I’d crush it. I played the piano from a young age, and I was confident—too confident. I figured typing would be the same thing: fingers flying, rhythm flowing, applause optional. Spoiler: it wasn’t.

Turns out, typing is hard when you don’t know where any of the keys are, and your muscle memory insists “A” should make a musical note.

Still, the basic typing program we used worked its magic, and I slowly learned my way around the keyboard. Though to this day, alphanumeric typing still trips me up (looking at you, @ and &).

But hey—nostalgia + Python = today’s challenge:

Today’s Motivation / Challenge

I wanted to recreate the magic of those old typing tutor programs—not because I needed one, but because I was curious if I could build one myself. It was part nostalgia, part challenge, and entirely satisfying to see it work. For any beginner, it’s a great way to practice coding while revisiting a skill we’ve all struggled with at some point: typing fast without panicking.

Purpose of the Code (Object)

This program is a simple typing speed test that measures how fast you can type a sentence. It starts timing when you begin typing and stops when you hit Enter. Then, it tells you how many words you typed per minute. It’s a fun way to practice your typing skills—like those old-school typing tutor programs, but one you built yourself!

AI Prompt: 

Please give me the Python code for the #Typing speed test. After the speed test, it gives you the typing speed per minute. The speed test has started button. #save the last highest score #restart button. Create in GUI.

In the code, I did not want to do it in the Python code environment; rather, I want to do it in a GUI environment. But with a GUI, I need a “Start Button”. 

Functions & Features

List the program’s main capabilities using bullet points. Keep each point brief. Focus only on the essential, core functions.

Example:

  • Calculates typing speed in words per minute
  • Starts the timer when you begin typing
  • Saves high score locally for future runs

Requirements / Setup

State any software, Python version, or libraries needed. Keep it clean and minimal.

pip install requests

Minimal Code Sample

First, we start the clock with start_time = time.time(). Think of it like shouting “Go!” at yourself before a typing race—only the stopwatch is a Python function that quietly counts milliseconds since 1970. Then comes the heart of the drama: typed_text = input(“Start typing: “). This line patiently waits while you furiously hammer out your response, possibly misspelling every third word in your panic to go fast.

Once you hit Enter, we slam the brakes with end_time = time.time(), capturing exactly how long your typing sprint lasted. And now for the moment of truth: Python does the math with print(“WPM:”, len(typed_text.split()) / ((end_time – start_time) / 60)). This gem splits your sentence into words, counts them, and divides by how many minutes you spent typing—voilà, words per minute (WPM)! It’s like a speedometer for your fingers.

And just in case the future, you forget what this code does, there’s a kind little comment: # Calculates words per minute from start to finish. Consider it the sticky note you didn’t know you’d need.

Typing Speed Test

Notes / Lessons Learned

In the code, I did not want to do it in the Python code environment; rather, I want to do it in a GUI environment. But with a GUI, I need a “Start Button”. It helps me to control when I actually started typing. 

Optional Ideas for Expansion

  • Add sound effects when the test begins and ends
  • Track accuracy by comparing typed text to the original
  • Display a leaderboard with names and scores

Day 11
Day 13

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Weather Up! (And API Down… Then Up Again)

Day 11 of 100 Days Coding Challenge: Python

Let’s talk weather. Today’s project is a Python weather app using the OpenWeatherMap API—because there’s nothing like stepping out in a parka when it’s 80 degrees and sunny. I wanted a tool that would tell me if the sky is smiling or sobbing.

My goal? Get the current weather description (like “clear sky” or “air you can drink”), temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit (because I live in Celsius and my husband lives in Fahrenheit—we’ve agreed to disagree), and humidity (mostly for hair-related decisions). If this app could avoid one argument about overdressing, it would already be worth it.

Today’s Motivation / Challenge

The motivation was simple: make a useful, real-world app that doesn’t just live in the land of console output. Also, this was the perfect excuse to play with an API and brush up on Python’s ability to talk to the internet like a well-mannered bot. Plus, nothing says “grown-up developer” like a weather app you built yourself.

Purpose of the Code (Object)

This program lets you type in a city name and then fetches the current weather for that location. It displays the weather description, temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, and the humidity. It’s a lightweight, beginner-friendly way to explore APIs, data handling, and basic user interaction with Python. No fancy dashboards, just solid weather facts.

AI Prompt: Make it cleaner

Create a simple Python weather checker using the OpenWeatherMap API. It should take a city name as input and return weather description, temperature in Celsius and Fahrenheit, and humidity. Keep it beginner-friendly and avoid unnecessary complexity. Please make the code for the GUI.

Functions & Features

  • Fetches real-time weather for any city using OpenWeatherMap API
  • Displays weather description, temperature (°C and °F), and humidity
  • Supports basic error handling (invalid city names, bad API keys, etc.)

Requirements / Setup

  • Python 3.x
  • requests library

pip install requests

Minimal Code Sample

response = requests.get(f”https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q={city}&appid={API_KEY}&units=metric”)

data = response.json()

temp_c = data[‘main’][‘temp’]

temp_f = (temp_c * 9/5) + 32

Weather Checker App

This little stretch of code is like your personal weather butler. First, it knocks on OpenWeatherMap’s digital door and politely asks, “Excuse me, what’s the weather like in [city] today?” Then it grabs the answer, digs into the juicy details, and pulls out the temperature in Celsius. But wait—because not everyone lives in metric harmony—it whips out its calculator and converts it into Fahrenheit, just in case someone in the household insists on imperial drama.

Notes / Lessons Learned

I got the code, ran it… 401 error. Unauthorized. Rude. I copied the API key. I pasted it into my browser like so:
https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=Chicago&appid={API key}

Still 401. I stripped the key just in case it was haunted by invisible characters:

 API_KEY = “your_api_key”.strip()

Nada.

Then I tried curl from the command line like a tech-savvy detective:

 curl “https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=Chicago&appid={API_KEY}&units=metric”

 And BOOM—it worked!

Turns out my API key hadn’t activated yet. (Yes, that’s a thing. No, I didn’t read the fine print. Yes, I will next time. Maybe.)
Once the key was activated, I plugged it into my app and voilà—weather at my fingertips.

Optional Ideas for Expansion

  • Add a simple GUI with tkinter
  • Show weather-based icons or descriptions (e.g., “Bring an umbrella” for rain)
  • Include a 3-day forecast by upgrading to the OpenWeatherMap One Call API

Day 10
Day 12

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Hangman: Now With 100% More Drama

Day 10 of 100 Days Coding Challenge: Python

Today, I felt bold. No more basic calculators. No more polite input prompts. I wanted to make a game—something a little more chaotic good. So I chose the classic: Hangman. But not just any hangman. Oh no. I wanted emojis, buttons, sound effects, and drama.

The goal? Create something that could rival middle school memories, minus the chalkboard and emotional scarring. I didn’t just want to code—I wanted a full-blown performance. One wrong guess and boom, a dramatic sound plays. It’s Hangman, but with flair like Shakespeare meets Tkinter.

Today’s Motivation / Challenge

Games are fun to build because they feel alive. They react, they make noise, they mock your guesses (sometimes too quickly). This project allowed me to apply everything I’ve learned so far—logic, GUIs, and user input—but in a playful way. It also scratched that nostalgic itch of typing letters into a school computer and hoping not to draw the stick figure’s head. Plus, there’s something weirdly satisfying about pushing a button and hearing a ding. It’s Pavlovian, really.

Purpose of the Code (Object)

This project creates a simple Hangman game with a graphical interface. The player guesses letters by clicking buttons, and the game shows progress with emoji art and sound effects. It’s a fun and interactive way to practice conditionals, loops, and GUI design—without requiring any advanced programming knowledge. Beginners can build it, play it, and immediately annoy their family with the sound effects.

AI Prompt: Make it cleaner.

Create a Hangman game in Python using Tkinter. Include emoji-based visuals for the hangman and sound effects for correct, incorrect, win, and lose outcomes. Add a restart button to replay without restarting the app.

Functions & Features

  • Button-based letter guessing (no typing required)
  • Emoji visuals that change with each incorrect guess
  • Sound effects for correct, incorrect, win, and lose outcomes
  • Restart button to play again instantly
  • Tracks lives and guessed letters in real time

Requirements / Setup

  • Python 3.x
  • Tkinter (comes with Python)

Install playsound module (use this version!):


pip install playsound==1.2.2

Minimal Code Sample

from playsound import playsound

def guess_letter(letter):

    global lives

    if letter not in secret_word:

        lives -= 1

        playsound(“wrong.wav”)  # Plays sound for wrong guess

This plays a sound when the user guesses incorrectly.

hungman_gui

Notes / Lessons Learned

Turns out version 1.2.2 of the playsound module works best, so if you try this at home—just skip the suffering and install that one. You’re welcome. I grabbed a few .wav files from freesound.org, which is great, but somehow every username I tried was taken. Even “CodeWizard47” and “ILoveLoops.” Apparently I’m not special. Also, be warned: your .wav files must be in the same folder as your script unless you create an asset folder and specify the path.

Sound + visuals = more chaos to debug, but also way more fun to play.

Optional Ideas for Expansion

  • Add a timer to increase the pressure
  • Create categories (animals, tech terms, random snacks)
  • Keep score across rounds or show a leaderboard

Day 9
Day 11

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The Mysterious Case of My Monday Weight That Didn’t Move

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

After my run today, I stepped on the scale expecting the usual Monday plot twist—only to find that my weight and body composition hadn’t changed since Saturday. This was deeply suspicious.

For the past several weeks, Monday has reliably been my heaviest day of the week. I’ve learned not to take it personally. I usually blame the weekend—and more specifically, pizza. Delicious, sourdough-based, entirely worth it pizza.

My kidneys, however, do not behave like those of a perfectly cooperative adult. Depending on what I eat, my body becomes very enthusiastic about holding onto water. Most days, we eat healthy, homemade meals. Pizza is strictly a once-a-week luxury. Still, every Sunday I make sure pizza happens. Every Monday, my weight usually responds accordingly—thanks to a combination of glycogen storage and water retention.

So today’s unchanged number was unexpected.

I generally try not to obsess over my weight. It can swing by a few pounds easily, and I’ve learned not to panic. This past weekend, I ate exactly as I usually do. My exercise routine was also mostly unchanged—except for a peaceful three-kilometer walk with my wife on Sunday. The weather was lovely, and she wanted some sunshine. I wouldn’t expect that walk to single-handedly rewrite my Monday numbers, but I can’t think of any other explanation either.

I track my weight alongside my other biometrics because my nephrologist uses these trends to monitor my overall health. When we meet, he checks for sudden changes in weight, blood pressure, or heart rate. His rule of thumb is simple: sharp shifts usually mean something is going on inside the body.

Since I’m less active now than I was in the summer, I actually expected maintaining my weight to become easier. But because I move less in winter, I’ve also cut back on snacks. With kidney disease, almost everything seems to contain something I’m supposed to limit—phosphate, sugar, potassium, salt. Sometimes avoiding food altogether feels like the safest strategy.

Because my weight usually fluctuates more than this, today’s stability caught me off guard. At the same time, it means I need to be more careful this week. Starting lower than usual raises the risk of losing muscle too quickly—and that’s something my doctor very much does not want.

So for now, I’ll watch the numbers, eat carefully, move thoughtfully, and let the scale do its strange little science experiment in peace.

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Split Happens: A GUI Tip Calculator That Doesn’t Judge

Day 9 of 100 Days Coding Challenge: Python

Once upon a time—aka last year—I built my first tip calculator in Python. It lived in the command line, wore black, and gave off strong hacker-in-a-diner vibes. You’d open the terminal, type in your numbers, and squint like you were breaking into a Michelin-starred mainframe.
Fast forward to today: that humble little tool got a much-needed makeover. Out with the minimalism, in with the buttons and window dressing. I gave it a GUI, added some visual flair, and—because I can’t resist—threw in a few emoji just for the drama. Because splitting the check shouldn’t feel like tax season, it should feel like friendship, math you can trust, and just a dash of fun.

Today’s Motivation / Challenge

Splitting the bill is easy… until someone pulls out a calculator and says, “Wait, how much with tip?” Then it becomes a group project in advanced math, complete with decimal debates and passive-aggressive sighs. Today’s challenge was to take that stress and turn it into something visual, intuitive, and mildly delightful. A GUI tip calculator solves a real-world problem with just enough code to feel proud—but not overwhelmed. It’s also a great excuse to practice building interfaces without becoming a full-time software architect.

Purpose of the Code (Object)

This program prompts the user to enter the number of people in the group, the total bill, and the desired tip percentage. Then it calculates the tip, adds it to the total, and shows how much each person owes. It’s a handy tool for group dinners or awkward birthday lunches when no one wants to do mental math.

AI Prompt

Create a GUI app in Python that:

  • Asks the user for number of people, bill amount, and tip percentage
  • Calculates total tip, total amount with tip, and per-person payment
  • Displays the results in a user-friendly window with labeled input fields and a result area

Functions & Features

  • Prompts for number of people, bill amount, and desired tip percentage
  • Calculates total tip and total amount
  • Splits the bill evenly between party members
  • Displays everything in a clean, readable GUI with labeled entries and a result section

Requirements / Setup

Library Requirement: pip install tk

This app runs on Python 3.x and uses the built-in tkinter module for the interface.

Minimal Code Sample


tip_amt = receipt_amt * (tip_percent / 100)
total_amt = receipt_amt + tip_amt
per_person = total_amt / num_people

This logic calculates the tip and divides the total among the group.

TipTopSplitter

Notes / Lessons Learned

Once the app was running, I showed it off to my husband. He clicked the buttons, tried a few different amounts, and gave it a test run with some imaginary sushi bills. No standing ovation, but he did mumble, “Hmm, not bad,” with just enough approval to make me smug.
Honestly, the hardest part wasn’t the math—it was spacing the widgets just right. Building GUIs is like setting a dinner table: all the pieces matter, and you’ll only notice when something is off.

Optional Ideas for Expansion

  • Add a dropdown for common tip amounts (10%, 15%, 20%)
  • Include a dark mode (because tip math deserves mood lighting)
  • Add a “copy to clipboard” button to paste payment amounts into your group chat

Day 8
Day 10

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Time, Ticks, and Birthday Tricks with Python birthday countdown app

Day 8 of 100 Days Coding Challenge: Python

After a certain age—which I’d rather not disclose—the excitement of birthdays began to fade. The promise of cake and candles slowly gave way to the grim arithmetic of filling out forms. These days, I find myself less eager to celebrate and more focused on avoiding mirrors, calculators, and the word age.

Some applications are merciful and only ask for your birthdate. Others, however, are far less tactful—they demand your age outright, forcing you to confront the passing years in cold, hard numbers. To soften that emotional blow, I decided to build something playful: a Birthday Countdown and Age Calculator. It answers life’s small but dramatic questions, such as “How long until I’m older?” and “Exactly how much older am I now?” Whether that brings joy or existential dread is entirely your choice. So, I built a Python birthday countdown app.

Today’s Motivation / Challenge

This idea came from one of those moments when you wonder, Why don’t I already have this in my life? I wanted a lighthearted app that could tell me how far away my next birthday was—and, while at it, remind me just how far I’ve come. It’s perfect for when forms, job interviews, or curious children insist on knowing your exact age.

Beyond curiosity, this project gave me a chance to strengthen my Tkinter GUI skills. I wanted to design something simple, cheerful, and mildly threatening—a friendly little window that cheerfully informs you of your own aging process.

Purpose of the Code (Object)

The app asks for your birthdate, calculates your current age, and shows how many days remain until your next birthday. It turns all that existential math into something visual and almost comforting—a bright window with friendly text and a bit of decorative flair.

Best of all, there’s no math required on your part. The app handles everything for you—delivering the results instantly, for better or worse.

AI Prompt: Make it cleaner

Create a Python app with a GUI using tkinter that asks for a user’s birthdate, then displays how old they are and how many days remain until their next birthday. Include light-hearted messaging and emoji art in the GUI labels.

Functions & Features

  • Asks the user to enter their birthdate
  • Calculates and displays the current age
  • Tells you how many days are left until your next birthday
  • Shows the results in a friendly pop-up window with styled text

Requirements / Setup

Python 3.7+
No extra libraries are required—just the good old tkinter, which comes built-in.

Minimal Code Sample

from datetime import datetime
birth_date = datetime.strptime("1990-07-20", "%Y-%m-%d").date()
today = datetime.today().date()
age = today.year - birth_date.year
if (today.month, today.day) < (birth_date.month, birth_date.day):
    age -= 1
next_birthday = birth_date.replace(year=today.year)
if next_birthday < today:
    next_birthday = next_birthday.replace(year=today.year + 1)

days_until = (next_birthday - today).days

This snippet calculates your current age and how many days until your next birthday.

Birthday GUI App

Notes / Lessons Learned

For the record, I was never what you’d call a macro wizard. In my early days, I was more of a macro gremlin—copying random snippets from mysterious corners of the internet and hoping something, somewhere, would work.

But today felt different. I built this GUI myself—with a little help from AI—and for once, I felt like a real coder. Decorative buttons and all. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine, and that felt pretty great. I even realized I could reuse and modify the same logic for my next app.

When I tested it, the program politely informed me how many days remain until I’m older (how thoughtful) and reminded me of my current age (again, thank you very much). Naturally, I showed it off to my husband. He gave a proud nod, followed by the classic question:
“Wait… does it use my birthday too?”

And that, my friends, was today’s code—equal parts functional, funny, and mildly existential.

Optional Ideas for Expansion

  • Let the user save multiple birthdays (friends, family, pets, plants)
  • Add a feature to notify you when your birthday is one week away
  • Include an optional countdown animation or confetti pop-up

Day 7
Day 9

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Early Wake-Ups, Asian Groceries, and a Very Organized Saturday

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

Today’s plan was simple: visit the Asian grocery store and then pick up flea medication for our kitten on the way home. Both places open at 8:00 a.m., which left me with that uniquely uncomfortable block of time between my normal wake-up time and when departure is actually allowed. It is because I have a long list of a Saturday morning routine.

I usually wake around 7 a.m. I need more sleep than my wife—about 7.5 to 8 hours—thanks to a brain injury that politely requires extra rest. One doctor told me I’d need it. An occupational therapist told me to keep a consistent schedule. So now I live in a delicate alliance with both science and my alarm clock.

My wife, on the other hand, operates like a Swiss watch. Saturdays do not alter her internal firmware. She wakes up roughly two hours earlier than I do, workday or not. She says it’s because her brain works best when her schedule is regulated. I believe her. I also fear her efficiency.

This left me with too much time to do nothing… but not quite enough time to comfortably start my usual full Saturday morning routine.

Fortunately, my wife, our kitten, and my bladder formed a secret alliance and woke me up an hour early. I briefly considered going back to sleep. Then I remembered that future-me would be grateful if present-me used the bonus hour wisely. So I stayed up.

Our kitten, as always, was thrilled. She waits patiently on the bed every morning until I open my eyes—sometimes even dragging her beloved toy mouse with her. I’ve been hiding that toy before bedtime because otherwise she launches nighttime solo parkour sessions and loses it somewhere in the house. This morning, she didn’t need the toy. She already had me. Her happiness upon my awakening was… overwhelming.

I fed the kitten, poured my cereal, completed my texting and language-app practice, and even finished my morning exercises. And just like that, I had less than thirty minutes before departure—perfect timing to work on this post.

It turns out doing part of my routine before the grocery run is surprisingly satisfying. That’s one less task waiting for me when I return home.

So thanks to Artemis, my wife, and my kidneys, my day already feels strangely coordinated.

Once we return, I’ll prep for my weekly 10K run, cook supper, and then head out again for our regular grocery trip. I sincerely hope my wife’s perfectly structured day forgives the extra logistics.

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Python BMI calculator: Because Mass is Interesting

Day 7 of 100 Days Coding Challenge: Python

Ah yes, the BMI calculator—a classic Python rite of passage. I built one last year when I was still figuring out how loops worked and thought elif was a typo. It worked… but only in metric. That was fine for me, having grown up in Japan and lived in Canada, where weight is measured in kilograms, height is measured in meters, and the weather is often cold.

But then I remembered: the U.S. exists. A land where temperature is measured in fractions of lava and weight in pounds that are somehow not British. Clearly, this app needed to accommodate both worlds—metric precision and imperial chaos.

So this time, I added a choice: metric or imperial. Because inclusivity matters. I even sprinkled a little personality into the experience—some clever text formatting, gentle prompts, and error handling. As a Japanese person, I believe that even software should have good manners.

Today’s Motivation / Challenge

The challenge today wasn’t just writing a BMI calculator—it was writing one that respects cultural measurement quirks. The metric system is excellent, but millions of people use the imperial system, and they deserve not to be confused. More importantly, this was an opportunity to practice user input, conditionals, and conversions—all critical building blocks in a beginner’s coding toolkit. And let’s be honest: anything that turns body mass into a friendly number is kind of fun.

Purpose of the Code (Object)

This app calculates your Body Mass Index based on your weight and height. You choose whether to use the metric system (kilograms and meters) or the imperial system (pounds and inches). Behind the scenes, the code converts everything into metric and then applies the BMI formula. The result? A simple number—and a label—that gives you a rough idea of your body composition.

AI Prompt

Write a Python app that asks users to choose metric or imperial units, collects weight and height, converts if needed, and calculates BMI with a health category.

Functions & Features

  • Prompts user to choose between metric and imperial units
  • Collects weight and height accordingly
  • Converts imperial inputs to metric for calculation
  • Calculates BMI using the standard formula
  • Classifies the result (underweight, normal, overweight, or obese)
  • Includes input validation with try/except to handle typing hiccups

Requirements / Setup

  • Python 3.x
  • No external libraries needed (runs with pure Python)

Minimal Code Sample

python

CopyEdit

if unit == “imperial”:

    weight_kg = weight_lbs * 0.45359237

    height_m = height_in * 0.0254

bmi = weight_kg / (height_m ** 2)

This snippet handles unit conversion and calculates BMI.

BMI Calculator App

Notes / Lessons Learned

By the way, I used try/except to catch input errors because I care about user experience—and also because I’ve personally broken every beginner app by typing “ten” instead of “10.” It’s a small thing, but it saves users (and me) a lot of head-scratching.

And yes, the final BMI result pops out like a helpful robot telling you how dense you are… in the kindest possible way.

Could I have just said, “Google your BMI”? Sure. But where’s the fun in that? Now I’ve got a custom-built BMI calculator that speaks both metric and imperial, politely handles mistakes, and makes me feel like an international coder of mystery.

Posted it on GitHub, naturally. Another green dot was added to the timeline. I still haven’t cleaned up the repository names, but hey—that’s a Day 30 problem.

Day 7: BMI balanced. Unit confusion conquered. Nerd pride: fully intact.

Optional Ideas for Expansion

  • Add age and gender inputs to adjust health ranges
  • Build a GUI version using Tkinter for a more visual experience
  • Allow saving BMI history to a text or CSV file for tracking progress

Day 6
Day 8