Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Thoughts from Work (Aug. 25, 2015)

Credit: me
  1.  Today is the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I should have anticipated that and made a btw story focused on it.
  2. Yesterday I used "Suck it, haters." in a Facebook comment. And now I want to work that phrase into each conversation that I have.
  3. I am enjoying my standing desk. (Thanks, John!) I hope that it is helping me stay marginally healthy--or at least offset the occasional consumption of office doughnuts.
  4.  I made beef stew last night for dinner. If I'd had more time, I would have made it slower and maybe been able to develop the flavors more. But it was a pretty good success overall--especially for a Monday evening.
  5. I'm giving blood this morning. Do you give blood? If you can, you should. It does a lot of good for lots of people. And your body will make more, so why not offer up some to someone else? But don't say thank you to me just yet. The truth is . . . I almost only ever give here when the Red Cross holds a drive at my office building. It just makes it so convenient for me. (And as usual, I am making this act of giving about me. Sorry.)
  6. I need to write one of these thoughts without the use of ellipses . . . or parentheses. (Like THAT is going to happen.)
  7. Speaking of standing while working--I am trying to do it all day and avoid sitting, except for when I eat. To sit down while I have this desk would seem to invalidate the whining and complaining that I childishly did when I couldn't get one. And now that I do have one--thanks to the generosity of a colleague who chose not to continue using his, I am now obligated to use it as much as possible. So, if you don't like to see me stand--suck it, haters!
  8. Do you feel that I haven't utilized the Official Hat of Summer enough this season, as we enter into summer's final weeks? Full disclosure--I have had that worry a few times this summer. But I have tried to wear it when out and about on weekends. And I've tried to take relevant pictures documenting this whenever possible. So, I am keeping it mindful as I make wardrobe choices. As of yet, no one in a crowd has reacted with excitement when I walk up, whispering "Hey . . . everybody, look over there! It's The Official Hat of Summer!" But I remain hopeful that it will happen someday if I just keep trying.
  9. Still not sitting down. (My thighs are gonna be SO strong, you guys.)
  10. Do you ever find yourself inundated with podcasts that you just aren't catching up on? And they keep piling up every day because the work that you are doing isn't really conducive to listening to podcasts while being effective, so things just keep piling and piling? And then, somehow, you catch up again and everything is fine? Has that ever happened to you?
  11. What podcasts am I listening to? Well, they are: Dear Hank & John, PTI: Pardon the Interruption, Fresh Air w/ Terri Gross, Judge John Hodgman, some of the episodes of the Nerdist; (and Serial . . . whenever a new season begins). I miss listening to (some of the episodes of) the BS Report--but since Bill Simmons got fired by ESPN, that has been gone. But he tweeted yesterday that once his new HBO gig begins, his rebranded podcast will start again.
  12. Standing update--I'm constantly wanting to cross my legs and lean. But I don't think that is the correct posture. I should stay distributed evenly on both feet and just wiggle back and forth to keep from getting too tired, right?
  13. Probably my dad would be pretty upset that I am willingly choosing to stand while working, as he worked in cornfields for years, standing and sweating. He'd think it is dumb to stand when you have the opportunity to sit. Some white-collar worker I am.
  14. (Next  time I do this, I should put time stamps for when I thought of and typed down each thought.)
  15. Should I be regretful that I didn't watch that talked about show "Mr. Robot" this summer? (I did watch "Humans" and enjoyed it quite a lot, so maybe I can get a pass?) But what I REALLY want to be watching is more of "Better Call Saul".
  16. Just went to fill up my coffee cup and the vending machine was being restocked. There is a cart full of chips, candy bars, and other snacks. The vendor technician was occupied with something on the machine and had his back turned as I slipped past in and out to the coffee pot. In neither instance, did I dart out my hand to grab a free candy bar. Would it have been successful had I tried? Or would I have miscalculated, gone for the boxes of empties and therefore drawn attention to myself? And . . . as you were reading this, did you consider--even briefly . . . that I was going to tell you that I stole something?
  17. Someone is daily using my filing cabinet magnetic letters to spell out LOPEZ.
  18. In a world with free oatmeal raisin, sugar, and double chocolate cookies--which is the correct choice?
  19. Afternoon updates--I chose to sit down after lunch (and after my blood donation). I thought it might be unwise to stand for the next several hours while I am "recovering" from being down a pint of blood. And I will definitely use this opportunity to eat a cookie while finishing out the afternoon. These are the justifications that we must all face.
  20. The college football season is fast approaching. Are you interested in my continuing to write Football Counter-Programming posts that go live each Saturday game day? If you are interested, what sorts of topics would you want me to muse upon? (I would really like your help in topic suggestions. Please leave any thoughts you have in the comments.)
  21. Should I be bothered by the effort to create a playground from shipping containers? Or is it a good, temporary solution to a problem? And why does this use of shipping containers (and according to the artist drawing . . . shipping pallets) disturb me . . . but the idea of living in a modest home made from shipping containers feels like a grand solution.
Alright . . . leaving now to pick up the kids from school. Think about what you've learned and don't forget to leave me Counter-Programming topics in comments.

2 comments:

Dean said...

If you have leftover stew it'll probably taste better tomorrow! Leftover stew is the best!

David said...

We didn't have any left over. And you're right about the flavor intensifying as it sits. Maybe you can draw something about how leftovers getting better are similar to incumbents getting reelected? Just trying to give you some sort of political angle. Draw something!