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This is a microblog. I use Notepad++, Obsidian or write by hand1.
I'm enjoying these week notes π.
π§ Understanding:
π§Ά Creating & cultivating:
πΊ Consuming:
πΉ One thing for future self:
job title; I have a lot to offer. I am not expected to solve everything, but people trust you to look into it."2024-11-20
Feels like my healthy routines and 'protocols' are something I have to choose to do: my quiet manager voice β. As soon as I loose momentum or somtething crops up (like not sleeping properly π€) I stop listening and it all falls apart for a couple days. Disappointing that these things don't just tick along by themselves. Thursday was...not so great π. Hard reminder of what I said before though.
2024-11-17
I've been trying to spend some time at the end of every week, reflecting on how it's gone. I sorta use the weeknotes idea, but sorta not Β―\_(γ)_/Β― . I've decided to post an exerpt each week on the week before. So this is from week 45 (i.e. week commencing 2024-11-04).
π§ Understanding:
π§Ά Creating & cultivating:
πΊ Consuming:
πΉ One thing for future self:
2024-11-13
We've moved into our new kitchen π§βπ³ this week. It was such a wonderful feeling to think that is our space now. And when I clean some Thing, it won't get building dust on it the next day π§Ό.
2024-11-10
Hard to keep going at work: mind is whirling with the US election, lack of sleep π€ and absolutely not caring about what I am needing to do at work today. QA checks of 10s of drawings and a huge specification π₯±. Also it's cold in the office. I'd rather be curled up in bed with a book right now. This is my 40th microblog entry, so there is that.
2024-11-06
Not a word I use often, but it nestly describes my month at work π. I have somehow lost all inspiration and motivation.
2024-10-31
The kids have 2 weeks off school π at the moment and the house extension is ongoing. Weve escaped to the in-laws' new house in a new city. Its not the family favourite but washing dishes in the bath π at home...not great
2024-10-24
Yay! Don't forget π
2024-10-14
I have a small view of God's generosity. Just had to say it. For the longest time, I believed God is good, but not kind...important difference there!
2024-10-11
I joined an in-person fountain pen group event recently. Was really nice to share a meal π· plus some pens βοΈ, inks and paper. This group is annual but even so, it was a highlight for me. It's not easy to find community connection sometimes.
2024-10-06
I joined a group video call π» at work today. As normal for these large meetings we started with a 'safety moment'. These are hard to get right, so I normally don't have high expectations. Today the slide was titled "the cost of getting it wrong" π₯. I find it easy to slip into anxiety when it comes to H&S at work, this was just too much for me and I muted it. I think I'd rather hear about what I can do.
2024-10-01
I think I'm a bit disillusioned with church at the moment. Not my faith itself but with shallow 'churchianity' βͺ. Feel fairly disconnected and wihout significant relationships. Of course I play a part.
2024-09-27
Working on two bids simultaneously. Well...working on one and ignoring the other. Man do I hate working on bids π€―. I saw these humourous 'definitions' recently:
Tender sum: a wild guess carried out to two decimal places
Successful tenderer: a contractor who is wondering what [they] left out
Totally true π€
2024-09-18
I've recently changed to plain text emails in Outlook at work π¨. It's mainly for fun, but it's a natural result of my love for Markdown. (It's also good for security.) I've set emails to be in ModeSeven typeface in a 'console green', inspired by one of my fave Obsidian themes.
2024-09-13
Lots of time at the beach and National Trust properties π―. Very nice to be away but starting to feel the pull of home. Not that I can quite face it yet. It's nice to be here at the sea π; no church, no building work, no dust. But lots of sand lol.
2024-09-08
Dealing with the building work π¨ at home has thrown into sharp relief how much I dread and avoid confrontation.
2024-09-03
Lovely visit to the Broads today. Soft lawns and still water with lillies β€οΈ.Boardwalks and diving terns Sleepy lawns.
2024-08-25
Is recovery work just as much about the journey π as the destination, whatever that is? Something I tried to bring to my recovery group as our discussion topic π€.
2024-08-21
Wow, what a shock: this holiday park, or at least the caravan does not have wifi! I feel a little lost, but grateful to have some disconnection π. And within 100 m of beach dunes π. It's still got 5G so it's not, like, the dark ages.
This post along with the next few were drafted while on a long holiday. Sorry for the long pause!
2024-08-16
Got a Pop-up Sun shelter βΊοΈ from Decathlon. So cool! I was learning about UV risks recently βοΈβοΈ. It's worse than I realised! This is a neat solution. #themoreyouknow
2024-08-03
I haven't lived in the USA since I was 14. Yet here I am... paying an accountant π° to help me figure out Enough of this Byzantine tax system to avoid severe punishment. Not that I ever actually earn enough to owe anything π!
2024-07-29
As a result of my post below, I think my re- balancing approach will be to treat Obsidian / digital π± as my archive, and paper as a 'capture' method. I love my pocket pen π and Hobonichi Weeks, so this sounds fun.
2024-07-24
I think I hit rock bottom on Obsidian today. I go to such extremes: one day it's all in digital tools ("ooo shiny" β¨), then my inner pendulum swings the other way and my heart yearns for analog living ποΈ. It's so hard to get a balance when, really, I need both!
2024-07-19
Good day out with the family on Sat π and a BBQ on Sunday. It's good for days, weeks and months to have their ups and downs, a seasonality. I am getting better at thinking about my day and aiming for a bit of time (the "golden hour" π₯) before bed. Not very consistent about it though.
2024-07-15
Sitting with the kids and doodling and colouring π¨. So nice to slow down and do something together.
2024-07-02
Discovered I can sync Obsidian and Todoist with a plugin π€€. I also got to introduce my colleagues to Espanso (text expander) in a team meeting, which went down well. On another note the UK is finally warm this summer ππ!
2024-06-27
Have to both work as parents to support our family now. It's a load of crap π°π°.
Juggling kids and work is emotionally exhausting. I really feel for single parents now.
2024-06-24
Standing guard over an open manhole, disgusting smell π€’. I've got the unenviable job of keeping an eye on drainage clearing and survey in a food factory. Not sure why I am here tbh! Worried I'll be put off the food type...
2024-06-19
Excellent podcast from the Happiness Lab, on happiness at work. A key point for me is a sense of belonging, of investing in relationships β€. I've been travelling to another office this week π because I've been a bit isolated. It's been a brilliant experience to reconnect.
2024-06-14
There are a lot of things to do and think about in recovery (a la 12-step...). However, I feel like a lot of stuff I/we deal with in life boils down to how much sleep we are getting π€. And good sleep routines.
I once heard:
think of going to bed as the start of the next day...like an investment.
Last night not getting much (kids, neighbours π) is a tough reminder.
2024-06-09
Concrete has been poured for our new home extension today π·ββοΈ. I'm actually stressing out about it as pipes are leaking and it's raining off and on π. I need to let it go.
2024-06-04
Sitting outside, really enjoying The sunshine βοΈ and the space the kids have in a big park. But I still feel a bit of a loss without my phone with me π±.
Probably a good thing I don't have it!
2024-05-31
I've set up my weekly journal. I do love using my Stalogy A5 notebook π and fountain pens. The weekly postit is from Muji. I heard recently that just recording Something helps memory 'cluster' around dates, and keeps us able to recall it π§ .
2024-05-27
Was remembering a game I used to play with friends as a teen.
Lots of good times.
2024-05-22
I've now moved everything over to this site from my short-lived Wordpress blog. Nothing wrong with that site, but I am sure this will be much more fun!
2024-05-18
Soβ¦ that was a crazy couple of weeks. I jumped off the deep end with Settings, themes, plugins, CSS snippets, front matter, data-view queriesβ¦
And now Iβm pulling back. The tool is using me now, not the other way around. Iβve Stripped quite a few things back, hoping this means a week of being balanced in life again π¬.
First published 2024-04-29
How do I experience beauty? How can I put myself in the path of oncoming beauty?
I discussed these recently with Some friends. Some thoughts:
(PS for some reason Googleβs OCR thinks my βsβ are capitalised. Sorry about that!)
First published 2024-04-24
Iβve been procrastinating a lot at work. When I stop and think about it, I wonder if it has a fear-origin π
I am fearful of The challenges I will face if I move into a new project.
First published 2024-04-17
Just discovered Obsidian...
Wow! Canβt believe I missed this one till now. Iβm already migrating everything over. Markdown love β€οΈ!
First published 2024-04-13
card one
These are some things I would like to try. In no particular order!
card two
First published 2024-04-09
I landed in a really tough project at work this week.
I am determined to avoid the terrible triangle. Iβve been caught there too many times π. This is doing all three:
First published 2024-04-04
Such fun seeing the kids hunt for Easter eggs π₯. Makes me kinda wish I had an old camcorder like my dad did when I was little. Now itβs just short clips on the phone.
First published 2024-03-30
Iβve really enjoyed my experience here, though a lot of it was behind the scenes. I am tempted to leave it now, as I have have a strong pull to treat this as a self promotional thing rather than selfless expression. BUT, I am willing to give it a bit longer. Weβll see π§
First published 2024-03-29
Totally distracted trying to figure out how to get Corporate brand-compliant Word docs, but starting with Markdown. Sigh. Not working π€¦ββοΈ (no π² installing plugins or software. with our IT).
First published 2024-02-23
I love analogβ! A thought Struck me: could I create a microblog using index cards and a pen ? The answer is yesπ‘! I am using the Google app OCR function to paste this here. Future Posts on :
First published 2024-02-22
I often use handwritten posts on index cards, saved in Markdown format, post-processed in Obsidian or Notepad++; I would then use the Google app on my phone for OCR, which often capitalises the odd letter, sOrRy about that! Updates:
2024-11-14: I have fallen in love with monospaced fonts π so please excuse my tinkering2024-11-13: I am toying with a slight update in style.