A Rare Work Day

It was a rare day at work today.  I have one meeting scheduled.  That's it.  One single meeting for the entire day.  That is so rare I can't remember the last time it happened on a regular work day.  I made good use of the time, mostly consulting with the vendor doing the configuration work on part of the project and working O&M items that have been stacking up in my in-box and pulled some data for HR in regards to an internal investigation.

In short, it was a productive day - even if I worked 12 hours, they were productive hours and that made them very enjoyable.  One more day to go this week and I am sliding into a three day weekend.  Most likely I'll be working over the weekend, because we are in that phase of the project. We are at the phase where grinding out the details is pretty much all that remains - and I am sure there are going to be some rocky days ahead as we make that final run.

Tonight though, I am going to curl up and make some project toward finishing The King of Thorns.I probably have an hour or so of reading left and then I will be finished with the book and ready to move on to the next.  I have several collections of short stories that I want to read through (and that I have been peeking at in the pauses in my novel), including several that T.R. recommended.  I just logged off work about twenty minutes ago and I am rapidly spinning in the direction of sleep.  So, whoever you are and wherever you are, I hope you're having a good day.

Thoughts on Working Life

As much as I dislike working on my time off, I ended spending about five hours today working on requirements for work.  Last week, due to technical difficulties, we ended up undergoing yet another design change.  I am working with the vendors this week to, basically, alter our design approach yet again, and I've got five days to get it finished and locked down, so I spend the weekend working design and requirements and just emailed them off to the vendor.  Fun and games in flying monkey land.

Other than that, it was a pretty good day.  I had a strange morning.  I woke up thinking about the variety of things I needed to do and I wanted to do and I wondered why, sometimes, I have such a challenge getting started, getting motivated, getting engaged.  It brings me back to the whole circle of discipline and focus and execution, which is all enter related. I also spent a lot of time today thinking about T.R., my family, and all the people in my life.  I think tonight I am full of a million and one questions and no answers, so, for the rest of the night, I am going to let the questions go.

I went out with Tony today and we saw "Broken City" with Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It was a pretty good movie.  A lot of the reviews I read said it was a miss, so I went to it with some low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.  It is a pretty faithful film noir, faithful to the genre that is.  I suspect that, for some people, without the black and white and the mood music, they expected an action or a cop show and it really isn't either.  I'd recommend it.

With that, I am going to curl up with "The King of Thorns" and read myself to sleep.  It is my short week, so it means I will work long days - and then mercifully have Friday off.  I try not to think to much about all of the work that I have ahead of me because it puts me in a bad mood and makes me twist and turn at night.  One thing at a time.  One day at time.

A Tangled Stream of Thoughts

Well, it has been a week.  I thought I would pop online tonight and write a bit before I curled back up with "The King of Thorns".  Most of the week has been eaten by work.  We ran into a series of technical issues on Monday and spent Tuesday and Wednesday fighting our way around them.  Combine that with a little of the ongoing family drama and suddenly it is Thursday. T.R. is off to Charleston, which is exciting, since she has dreamed of relocating there for quite a while - actually, as long as I have known her. When someone actually chases their dream, its a pretty amazing thing. I've got a thousand thoughts swirling around in my head, about a thousand different things, but I am not yet in the space where I want to write about them.  I could, but given the pace of the week, I think most anything I wrote would end up slipping back into a discussion about work.  Work is kind of all consuming right now and probably will be until we get through February and into March.  Then it will just be consumed in a different direction.  So, consider this entry as an IOU to write about - some of the work stuff that went awry, some the ongoing family drama, my excitement about T.R.'s trip, some zen thoughts I've had lately - and then whatever else pops into my poor little brain. I hope you're having a good day, whoever you are and wherever you are.

A Televised Day

It was an easy day today.  I slept late for me, until about 7:30 a.m.. I suspect it is because it is winter, though I may have been running a bit short on sleep during the week before.  Winter is a time for sleeping late.  Breakfast with Tony at Goodies II on Bascom Avenue, then a pleasant morning doing laundry.  After laundry I came home, ironed and folded clothes, and then watched a couple of programs off the DVR.  I watched, in order, Justified, Elementary and Merlin, three enjoyable shows. 

 

Then, a short nap, a bit of reading, pizza for dinner, a wonderful little call with T.R. and then an episode of Ancient Aliens. It was a TV watching day I guess and it must have been what I needed, because I sure enjoyed it.  My plan this evening is an episode of America Unearthed, then back to bed with The King of Thorns.

A Quiet and Mostly Productive Day

A quiet and mostly productive day at work. I am trying to focus on getting every lined up and sorted properly, thinking that, perhaps, better organization will make the coming year easier. A pizza for dinner, a night of DVR, some texting with T.R. (who is close in my heart tonight), and I think I am going to wrap the night up by reading some more of "The King of Thorns".  I've been meaning to read it during the evenings, but I've fallen asleep quickly and I've been lucky if I have turned a page or two.

My day was influenced by the twin pillars of stress in my immediate world - family and work.  So, all in all, it was a stressful day that was only minimally productive.  However, I realized that and tonight I spent fifteen or so minutes simply breathing, simply meditating and it has helped to reset me for the evening at least.

My work pillar of stress was invoked when we discovered a problem in the design of one of the components of the project. Basically, we had designed around the vendor software doing X, we had confirmed with the vendor that the software did X, and then were we actually got into test - we discovered that it was doing Y and that it couldn't do X.  It was quite irritating.  The vendor is working at finding a way around the problem with a redesign and we're meeting regarding it again tomorrow.

My family pillar was touched by family being family.  We are nothing if not a stubborn lot and I think that part of the way for all members of my family to lower their stress levels - and mine - is for them to simply take a deep breath, find the moment, and life their lives.  I am profoundly influenced by the quote from John-Roger that I am fond of, where he basically says:  "We must allow people the dignity of their journey".  It is a simple saying, but it is a difficult thing to do.

Free will means that we all have the freedom to make choices.  I think it is important that we allow people the freedom of their own choices, even when we disagree with them, even when we would make different choices, even when we are convinced they are making the wrong choices, or, that more common item - where we think we would make better choices then they would.  Or when we think that we are making a better choice then they are.

Free will is an interesting thing. It allows us to shape the universe itself with our choices.  But, at the same time, it allows us to shape the universe itself with our choices. I think if we want our free will to be treated with dignity and respect, even by people who disagree with the choices we make - then we need to make sure we extend that same courtesy to other people - and I think that is the core of what John-Roger is getting at. 

I will have to contemplate that some more as I wander off to sleep tonight. My plan tonight is a call with T.R. and then to curl up with "The King of Thorns".  It has been any enjoyable set of books - the second one is a little too non-linear in my book, but not enough that it is going to stop me from reading it and looking forward to the third book in the series that comes out this summer.

And oh, I have some credits racked up in my Audible account, so I think I may drift over there tomorrow and see if I can get a book or two.  I sure have an ongoing and passionate love affair with reading, one that has been with me all my life and will doubtless stay with me for the rest of it.

An Incidental Day, With Lunch

I started the morning in conversation with T.R. about dreaming about Buddha. An easy going morning, breakfast at the Hickory Pit, a stop at Target, and a bit of relaxation at home. 

Then, we took Brandy out to lunch to celebrate her graduation from culinary school. We went over to Mandarin Palace, near the Oakridge mall in San Jose. It was an excellent lunch, the food was great, the company was great, and there was great conversation and laughter - all of the things that a celebratory dinner should have.

I drifted home and spent an easy afternoon watching TV, reading, and tinkering around the house. This evening has been nice and quiet.  I am currently watching a documentary on the Modoc War on KCSM.  It should wrap up about 9:00 PM and then the plan is to curl up and start reading "The King of Thorns", the sequel to "The Prince of Thorns". I am looking forward to just lingering through the day tomorrow.