SWTLO(micro)

I want to write something about Anthony Bourdain but, I don’t know what nor how to write about it. It is affecting me, though. And, if anything, it’s helping me speed some decision making that I need to do for the overall betterment of my life.

1. Parts Unknown: Iran
2. Parts Unknown: Korea
3. Parts Unknown: Koreatown, Los Angeles
4. Parts Unknown: Hanoi
5. Parts Unknown: Montana

It’s been the kind of day where one needs this to get through the rest of it.

1. I meant to blog a lot more than I actually did (0 times), this past week. I'm not sure how/why that didn't happen.
2. My wife and I have identified our next steps and now, we just need to work on the plan to get from here to there. Yes, this is cryptic but, trust the process.
3. Photo above is of one of the new chickens that my parents have. It is a good reminder of how much i would love to have my own chickens one day.
4. I'll be 41 years old soon and yes, I'm still addicted to Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.
5. "Less is more" seems to be the key to so much more than I realize, or even gave credit for. Something I need to incorporate into almost everything that I do.

🐓

PCH sunset

PCH scene

Trees are the best

More of these, please.

Lazy Friday breakfast mornings.

Well, hello there California sunshine.

Yay, the peonies finally bloomed!

[caption id=“attachment_3827” align=“alignnone” width=“2048”] Sunday dinner: chicken enchiladas[/caption]

1. I cooked most of the weekend, which is good. We caved (ordered dinner delivery) more than we should have, during the weekdays. Not a horrible start but worse than it should have been. We picked up a lot of good, healthy food this morning so, here's hoping for a good week.
2. My workflow is a really chaotic mixture of digital notes (OneNote, Apple Notes) and handwritten (two different notebooks). I need to wrk on streamlining this. It's a weird method that I have sneaked by with for a little over a year but, it needs immediate improvement.
3. I have a renewed love for Tecate (beer). It's just so good.
4. We stopped by the mall, this morning, intending to swing by the Apple store before heading to the grocery store. I really wanted to see the red iPhone 8 in person (I know, fanboy). My wife is also considering another Apple Watch band. But we got there too early; it was about an hour before the store opened. But, we were really surprised at how many "mall walkers" were there. It looked like track and field practice (for senior citizens).
5. I had some really weird dreams over the weekend. They all alluded to leaving work, and the east coast, but not in the way that I think I would do so in real life.

[caption id=“attachment_3817” align=“alignleft” width=“4032”] Can’t wait until these bloom[/caption]

Well, I Made it to another weekend. I worry too much about making it through the week. It’s going to happen, regardless, right? Time: you can’t stop it. This week, I made some changes. This week, some changes made me.

It’s only Tuesday and I am having a really tough week. It’s most likely drama built up in my own head but it’s taking a toll on me. I have alluded to needing to make some changes and taking more control of my happiness (in previous posts). I’m serious, it all needs to happen soon.

That’s said, I need to find a way to manage this. I’m challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone. I’m making myself learn to be better. Trying to take myself to the next level. I’m going to have doubts and I’m going to second guess myself. And I’m going to have rough days, weeks, possibly months. It’s going to come with the territory.

Spring happening

[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“2048”] Sunday mornings[/caption]

1. This week, thanks to NPR's Tiny Desk Concert podcast, I discovered some new music that I like. Superorganism is a fun band with some great energy. I really like their creativity.
2. The camera will live in my bag, and my bag will go whoever I go. The camera will live in my bag, and the bag will go whoever I go. The camera...
3. I have always known that cooking was another outlet for me, both creatively and for stress relief. I am gaining some renewed energy around cooking, which is good. Lately I have been "too busy", or in other words too stressed out, to work it into my routine. But, the realization here is that if it's not in my routine, then my balance is off.
4. I switched back to 1) having one phone, no longer splitting work and personal between two phones, and 2) using the iPhone 8 plus instead of the iPhone X. There are many reasons behind all of this. It all boils down to making choices based off of practicality and function. Both choices can be traced to being more functional, more practical.
5. It's important for me to remember, and understand, that I have much more control over my happiness than I originally believed to have.

It’s time to get better. It’s time to take back control. For too long, you have been coasting You were good, are good. You have talent. You can lead. You have let your foot off of the gas. You are coasting now. And you’re starting to drift.

Coasting, drifting, and waiting for something to happen. No more. No more waiting. Now, you need to act to make things happen. It’s time. You have been coasting for too long.

It’s time for you to take it all back, make the life you want, and be the person you want.

It’s not that time is running out, its that you need to have more respect for time itself. Respect that it will keep moving, with or without you.

It’s time to get better.

Humility isn't having a low opinion of yourself. One of its Latin roots means "from the earth." It's about being grounded. So humility doesn't require you to only do the grunt work. It's about realizing you're not above doing whatever the team needs.

1. It felt good to grill, yesterday. There's just something so relaxing about sitting out in the backyard, sipping a beer and listening to all of the "outside sounds" around you, while dinner is cooking on the grill next to you. I'm really hoping to do this ate often throughout the warmer seasons.
2. For is changing a little bit; over the last few months our team has been reorganized and my workload has become more focused. instead of being a part of 7-20 big projects, I am now focused on two. And, over the next couple of weeks, I will see that focus changed to one. Granted, one ginormous, extremely important (to the organization) project but, I am trying to process what it will mean for me and my career to experience this kind of change. Focusing, and being involved in, just one project is never something that I wanted to do. I always loved being a part of many different projects.
3. We're finally at a place where our digital files are now back to being organized. it took some work, some changing of processes and equipment, but I can safely say that we're back to where we should be. Yay!
4. The news that Smugmug is purchasing Flickr is, well... I am reserving judgement. I like Smugmug; in fact, it's my backup for whenever I feel like I need to "abandon" Flickr. I'm hopeful for the future of Flickr (it's still my favorite photo sharing platform) but, again, I want to see how this plays out before making a bunch of assumptions and/or decisions.
5. This week's trip to Dominican Republic was really good, though too short. A few things that I was reminded of during that trip:
   1. I need to take an actual camera with me on trips like this, and then I need to take as many walks as possible with that camera.
   2. I need to get back to, when possible, taking an extra day or two after scheduled meetings, to just be able to relax and explore on my own.
   3. I need to stop being a workaholic and get out the offices/hotel/meeting rooms more on these trips.

Obelisco

After a long day of venue visits and meetings, I finally come back to the hotel and this is the view outside of my window. It’s enough to make all of the stress magically disappear. And it reminds me that I need to get outside for a walk. Also, I need to come back to places like this (Dominican Republic) for pure pleasure, not just because I had a work trip.

Great scene outside my window, this morning.

After a long day of mtgs I finally come back to the hotel, and this is the view outside of my window. Makes all the stress magically disappear. And reminds me that I need to go take a walk. Also, more of an argument for not coming back. 😉

Mofondo crab. Was really good.