diff --git a/_layouts/default.html b/_layouts/default.html
index 25166db..4866113 100644
--- a/_layouts/default.html
+++ b/_layouts/default.html
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
{{ page.title }} - {{ site.title }}
-
+
Things got a bit slow this week—so we made three changes to improve pageload times across the site! (Also, I'm job-hunting right now!)
+---
+
+Hi, everyone! You might've noticed earlier this week that DTI had started to
+stutter a bit. We experienced a bit of a traffic spike, and pageloads would
+sometimes start taking a few seconds. (My phone was ringing off the hook to let
+me know!)
+
+
+
+When we dug into it, there wasn't any _specific_ cause—just a bit more pressure
+causing our database to max out our server's CPU a bit too often.
+
+Rather than just throw more CPU at the problem (always an option, but never a
+cheap one!), we popped open the slow query log. We found the worst offenders,
+and started getting to work fixing database queries that have _always_ been a
+bit slow—in some cases, for many years!
+
+Here's the three big changes we made:
+
+- **Item searches:** We
+ [sped](https://code.openneo.net/OpenNeo/impress/commit/efda6d74ab6b9405cd563ccc72bb45b4f10eabe3)
+ [up](https://code.openneo.net/OpenNeo/impress/commit/efda6d74ab6b9405cd563ccc72bb45b4f10eabe3)
+ some of our tougher filters (`occupies` and `fits`) from taking a couple
+ seconds at worst, to always nearly instant! _(We did this by "caching" more
+ data about the item's appearance onto the item record itself.)_
+- **Trade listings:** Earlier this year, we added the Offering/Seeking pages to
+ Classic DTI, and built them faster than the Impress 2020 versions. Now, we've
+ [deleted](https://code.openneo.net/OpenNeo/impress-2020/commit/067da33025cbf5ed92707efa1558a658135e310e)
+ Impress 2020's slower version of the page, redirecting to Classic's faster one
+ instead. _(This brings us closer to [merging
+ the apps]({% post_url 2024-09-20-state-of-dti-2024 %}#simplicity), too!)_
+- **Modeling progress:** When we're missing data for new items, we ask for help
+ at the bottom of the homepage—and we
+ [used the same upgrades](https://code.openneo.net/OpenNeo/impress/commit/03e4233f67935b6e8998904d41305fb41f7660af)
+ from item searches to make this faster, too. _(We also
+ [fixed](https://code.openneo.net/OpenNeo/impress/commit/fe4db1b60571cbc2b6d295cfc1230f2ebbc6f3bb)
+ the long-standing bug of Maraquan items asking for more help than we need!)_
+
+And these changes don't just affect these features: when our CPU starts to peak,
+_everything_ gets slower. And so when we make the site more efficient and stop
+hitting those limits, _everything_ gets faster!
+
+Since then, the site has been back to being steady, and I've been glad to see
+item searches—one of the most common things that happens on the site—run much
+faster for everyone!! And it's always a joy to clean up decade-old code and
+bring it closer to what it always deserved to be 🥰
+
+Hope everyone's doing well, and that you've got fun Halloween plans! I'm excited
+to see your pets all dressed up again this year!!
+
+## By the way, I'm job-hunting right now! {#job-hunting}
+
+After a few years consulting part-time, I'm looking for a full-time role again!
+(The tech layoffs came for me and my family, whuh oh—time to step it up!)
+
+_\[Lore dump!\]_ In addition to running Dress to Impress for 15 years, I've also
+been a senior engineer and tech lead at an edtech nonprofit (2015–2020), focused
+in B2B partnerships, team mentorship, and building integrated platforms to
+support multiple products across teams.
+
+I'm primarily looking for remote roles hiring in the United States, leveled at
+senior or staff—but some of that could be flexible for the right situation!
+
+Right now, I'm especially interested in:
+
+- Consulting firms, especially with a focus in nonprofit
+- Stewarding critical integrations long-term, like identity or payments
+- Shifting to information security, or technical writing
+- Engineering management, for the right human-focused team
+
+If you happen to have an opportunity, please
+[reach out](mailto:dti-jobs-thank-youuu@matchu.dev) and let me know! It'd help
+me out a lot.
+
+Thanks for taking a look!
+_—Matchu_
diff --git a/assets/css/main.css b/assets/css/main.css
index f2d3cbc..9b3b0f9 100644
--- a/assets/css/main.css
+++ b/assets/css/main.css
@@ -123,6 +123,12 @@ article {
h3 {
font-size: 1.5em;
}
+
+ p img {
+ display: block;
+ max-width: 50%;
+ margin-inline: auto;
+ }
}
.posts {
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