I stumbled upon this video on YouTube this morning and watched it in its entirety. It’s all about why we all seem to be losing our focus.
It’s worth your attention.
Artificial.
In this day and age of instant gratification, everyone wants everything right now. Being able to order something online at 8:00 AM and getting it delivered by 5:00 PM is awesome. But then when we get cranky when it doesn’t work.
I have been looking for a small artificial tree for my home office. I’d like to have a little bit of something in the background of my Zoom/Teams calls to bring some merriment to the experience. In addition, I wanted a constant reminder as to what season it is, because even though we’ve lived here for even four years, when I look out over the desert landscape I still think it’s some time in July.
I have a plan for this little tree in my office; a plan that will warrant a separate blog entry when the whole affair comes together. In the meanwhile, I have been on the search for an artificial tree, and more specifically, an *unlit* artificial tree.
They are not easy to find.
Walmart, Target, The Home Depot, Lowe’s… they all have plenty of trees with plenty of LED lights already installed. We have a tree or two that has non-functioning lights on a very functioning tree, so we end up putting more lights around the lights that don’t work. I don’t want to get into that situation again with this tree. So I’ve been on the hunt for an unlit artificial tree.
I finally found one on Target.com, and it’s only sold through target.com. UPS reports it will arrive on Friday. I like that. It’ll give me some time to get the tree up and still have a few weeks of enjoyment. I trust UPS more than the United States Postal Service these days. I’ve seen stories of packages going from Nashville to Seattle by way of Puerto Rico. I recently had a package take five days to get from Phoenix to Tucson. I know I-10 can get backed up at times, but that’s ridiculous. And yes, I know it’s the busy season.
I’m looking forward to when the tree arrives and I’m looking forward to bringing the festive vibe to my office. Even if it’s only July.
Decorating.
There has been decorating this evening. I’m feeling the holiday spirit a bit more than I was 24 hours ago.
The family time together was wonderful.
Video: Hiking Mount Lemmon – Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail
I had a great hike down the Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail to the Wilderness of Rocks trail yesterday. My starting point was the highest parking area on Mount Lemmon. I tried a few different video recording techniques with my iPhone 16 Pro in this video, and I talked about some new accessories I have built for my adventures.
Caturday.
Truman ponders the status of the treats as he gazes out my office window. He enjoys looking at me, and occasionally the funny little humans that appear on the screen in front of the hooman. The others ask questions about the large cat.
He won’t answer questions unless there’s a treat.
Sunrise.
I never thought I’d see the day that I would look forward to the sunrise. I’ve regularly been a night owl, but as I get older I find I can’t sleep in like I used to. I feel more productive after seeing the sunrise.
This morning’s sunrise was beautiful. Enjoy the sunrise is a reminder that our time in life is finite, and we must enjoy each moment.
Memento Mori.
Journals.
I have used the Apple ecosystem (and recently web accessible) journaling app Day One for over a decade. Journaling is a practice I find very helpful in my day to day life. Day One allows me to look at my entries on this date in years past, and it’s interesting to see how much I’ve grown or not grown in some of my thought processes.
This past summer I started keeping a paper journal in tandem with my Day One journaling practice. My paper journal is focused on mental growth. I record interesting exerpts from my daily reading, thoughts I feel are outside of my “growth path”, etc. At the end of the month I go back and read all of my entries in this paper journal. I should probably write into my will that it is to be burned upon my death. I’m no Marcus Aurelius, but then again, I’ll be dead so what do I care what people think.
When I first read about the journaling practices of others, and how beneficial they found the analog approach to this activity, I was skeptical. However, seeing my thoughts in my own handwriting, versus typing it into Day One, has really contributed to living my life in a positive direction.
As an aside, I’ve also discovered that handwritten notes at work have improved my ability to remember things as well. There’s something about handwriting. It’s a shame the U.S. educational system is not as focused on efficient penmanship. There’s a lot to be said about muscle memory.
Dress.
Even though I have worked from home for over a decade, I still strive to wear “professional” clothes while I am at work. Here in Arizona that usually means a decent pair of shorts and a polo shirt.
For the first time that I can remember, I just finished a zoom call I was leading where I was wearing a ball cap and a hoodie, with just a plain t-shirt underneath the hoodie. I still have shorts on.
The world kept turning.
On Monday I shall be back to my “corporate garb” because it helps with my mindset during the workday, but for today, I shall relax and just get stuff done.
Thankful.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. Not only do we normally have a most excellent meal, but we often have friends join us for the festivities. This year one of the best people I know in the whole wide world joined us for Thanksgiving for dinner. scott and I haven’t seen each other in nearly a dozen years, but we’ve kept contact via digital means. Our paths finally crossed today and it was like a day had not gone by. We are not going to wait another dozen years to see one another.
The family chefs made an excellent meal, we had great conversation, and it has been a most wonderful day.
I have a lot to be thankful for.
l to r: Mike, Chris, Jamie, Earl, Scott, Me
Quiet?
We have entered what I hope is the “quiet time” of the year at work. From now until the end of the year I hope to get all the little things I have not completed on my projects list to a final status that will make me want to sip a little more champagne as we welcome in 2025.
I let the team go a couple of hours early today so they could get a headstart on their Thanksgiving. In IT land we’re often required to work extra hours above and beyond and while the rest of the company is enjoying their time off. This is how we keep the bits and bytes flowing in the proper direction and with confidence.
A little extra time before Thanksgiving is a good way to give a little thanks.
