This weekend and first few days of the week has been pretty nice. I've learned a few new things and the design for the webshop is pretty much done. Time to figure out how to display the items! Now I'm trying to read up on JavaScript and get that stuff working. I'm so tired, but at the same time, I feel so good.

While testing hats before the start of Winter Bash 2014, a snowflake notification told me I’d earned the Treasure Hunter hat. After adjusting pirate paraphernalia to fit my head, I tried to remember what triggers this particular hat. As it happens, I’d just received a gold badge on Cooking that I would’ve totally ignored if not for the associated hat. Suddenly I understood why this time of year resonates with our most accomplished users. Earning cosmetic items, as silly as they are, temporarily reminds us of what it was like to begin participating on Stack Exchange months or years ago. Plus, hats look really cool. …