An Ode to Lotions, Creams, and Salves
I was cleaning the bathroom and as I was attempting to clean the counter around the wife’s sink, the slightest touch would knock down endless bottles of lotions. I started picking them up and more fell over like a chain reaction of carefully balanced bottles. I had to ask my spouse why so many almost empty bottles. Does she need new ones? Can we consolidate? Why is this happening to me?
Enjoy the Process, Not the Result
It is the journey, not the destination. This wisdom is expressed in so many ways and by many people over history. This also becomes more relevant as I get older. I find my greatest joys in life come from having something to work towards. I love having projects much more than completing projects. Something to sink my teeth into, to plan, to map out, and to see forward progress. This is when I feel most alive.
How to Work with Almost Anyone by Michael Bungay Stanier
This was a quick read. I enjoyed his other book, The Coaching Habit, and had a colleague recommend this to me. This was not the right book for me right now.
Jackie Chan and What Is Possible
When I was a teen, I stumbled across a British series called The Incredibly Strange Film Show. I remember watching all of them and learning about John Waters and George Romero, but it was one episode in particular that captured my attention - Jackie Chan. What was amazing to me was how he had dedicated his entire life to bringing his brand of martial arts choreography to the screen. The athleticism and dedication gave me a clear sense of what is possible.
Love is...
Not saying why the hell wouldn’t you put a tray under the puff pastry shells you are cooking since all they are is butter that’ll leak all over the bottom of the oven and burn oil creating a rancid smell in the house for days. Gah!!!
My Struggle Book 3 by Karl Ove Knausgaard
This series has become an easy read and I enjoy the Norwegian life, during the dead of winter here. These are great books, especially if you happen to be a male born in the 1970’s.
Normalize Hitting Curbs
State of the Art
I was curious where the term “state of the art” originated and how it came to be thought of as describing the latest technology.
From https://writersorder.com/state-of-the-art/
According to researchers, the concept for ‘state of the art’ came into being at the beginning of the 20th century. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the phrase dates back to 1910, when Henry Harrison Suplee, an engineering graduate, used ‘state of the art’ in an engineering manual.
The Lounge Room Project
After the whiskey shelf was a complete flop, I was given the idea and approval to turn our not-used guest room in the basement into a combination whiskey and vinyl listening room. I wasted no time getting to work. I had originally planned to darken my office and add a wallpaper accent. We had purchased the paint and wallpaper already. With this new room, I decided to use the existing supplies for what I am now affectionately calling The Lounge.
Water Shutoff Preparedness Project
A few weeks back during overnight temperatures of -3F, we woke up to a frozen toilet pipe. Luckily the pipe did not burst, but a water leak has been on my mind. It has been my goal to make it easy to turn the water off without much thinking involved. This requires clear labeling, the right tools on hand, and practice. I decided to run everyone through some training in the house to make sure they could turn the water off.