Fandango posted today about Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday, a regular feature on his blog.
This one is from a few nights ago. And, yes, this was taken with my Samsung S22. I was really delighted with it.
Cellpic Sunday, March 26th Edition
Category: Personal Reflections
Lessons learned about life; pearls of wisdom I’ve gleaned through pain, failure and honest reflection
A Cartoon for your Friday Edification
A friend of mine posted this cartoon in my office’s breakroom. Seems rather apropos, no?
If you’re not familiar with Pearls Before Swine, check them out.
Anyway, I hope you have a lovely weekend!
Reasons to Celebrate “Tea for Two Tuesday”
As a tea fan (yeah, I love coffee, too), I’m glad to have discovered “It’s More Than Tea” some time ago. Today Jill posted about one of those low-intensity holidays: Tea For Two Tuesday. I appreciate her wry take on all these marketing-driven holidays, but then how she dives into the benefits of taking moments to appreciate the “small” things. There are lots of benefits from taking a moment and having a cup of tea with someone. So, take a moment and give the post a read.
Cell Pic Sunday, March 12, 2023
Fellow blogger, Fandango, posted this response to another blogger, John Steiner’s “Cell Pic Sunday” prompt. I love prompts, so thought I’d dive in.
I took this photo a few days ago along the Edmonds waterfront (about 20 miles north of Seattle). I’m walking away from this squall (rather quickly, I might add) in an attempt to avoid getting drenched. Which was successful, though it was shifting from sprinkles to a steady rain when I got back to my car.
I’ve spent the majority of my life in this area. I walked this exact stretch of beach with my grandparents ages ago. I know the winds, the weather, yet sometimes get caught off guard. I was able to read the change before I got hit, while still meeting my step goal. I’ll take that as a win.
Ah, Sweet Caroline!
This morning this tweet dropped into my feed:
I grew up with Mr. Diamond’s music. My mother had many of his albums. I was saddened when he retired. So this video filled me with joy. It’s a bit sad, too, as I can see some of the impacts of Parkinsons. But, man, such grace and courage.
Oh, and here’s a link to the video on YouTube for those not engaged with Twitter, or in case the Twitter dumpster fire finally takes that site down.
The best time to visit New York is in December
A blogger I like an admire, Bernie Michalik, wrote this charming piece about New York City: “The best time to visit New York is in December. And other things NYC”.
I have a limited history with New York. Born in Rhode Island, I went to the City many times, apparently. But I haven’t been in New England since I was three. So, though my father insists otherwise, I don’t consider myself having experienced it. But I’ve long felt a connection, or at least an interest with the City. If not for family stories, then also from the many films centered there. There’s a charm, as well as an intensity of reputation, that I find compelling.
Eventually, I’d like to travel (back?) to New York. And, hopefully, I can visit in December.
Focus and Choice
I think the greatest challenge for people with any greater than zero amount of ambition is choosing what not to learn. For me, there are so many things I want to learn. About three lifetimes worth. Finding focus is hard. Focus means saying no to other, often great, opportunities. My goodness, that’s hard.
Quote of the day: everyone’s contribution is important
One thing that I need to do better: value my contributions. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of “my work does nothing”. This mindset sucks life away. Contributes to depressing destructiveness.
Remember: you have value. Your work matters. Your life matters.
Finished, and Next Steps
I just finished my final in Enterprise Architecture. By successfully completing this class, I’ve completed the requirements for some additional certificates:
I also have applied for the following certificates:
I’m done being a student for the near term, but I think I’ve accomplished a lot during these past 2.5 years. I’m proud of all I’ve done and look forward to finding ways to implement all I’ve learned.
Another goal is to land a full-time role with a company that will pay for me to continue my studies. There’s so much more to learn! I plan to start a new role sometime around the end of this year, and then be able to start classes with that company in 2023.
Some thoughts on the Dark Brandon thing
A blogger I highly admire, Bernie Michalik, posted this article looking at the whole Dark Brandon meme that’s running through the internet right now: On The Good and Bad Aspects of Dark Brandon (a quick aside for those unaware of the meme “Let’s Go Brandon”, it’s basically an anti-Biden euphemism. If you wish to explore it further, here’s the Wikipedia article.)
I understand that it feels good, at one level, to meet political invective head-on. However, I find it counterproductive. Bernie pulls an apt quote:
“Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.”
George Bernard Shaw
So, my thoughts? As Luke Skywalker put it, “This isn’t going to go the way you think”.
It’s best to keep our end goals in mind. Which, hopefully, isn’t just to score pyrrhic points in the eternal game of poltical one-upmanship.