The word of the week is fulfillment. Because we need some.
Jan 3 -The Near Future
2011 has been good so far, admittedly only 3 days in. Several of my long-term financial plans are clicking into place, which though they won't quite yet allow me to get the yacht of my dreams( I have to learn seamanship first )they have taken some of the ungodly pressure off me as of... now. Not quite having to budget every dollar of every paycheque now means I can sleep better at night, which may mean these dark bruises around my eyes will soften. Which means I can wear contacts again without people asking who poked me in both eyes that morning. Which would be VERY nice indeed - nobody likes a poke in the eye, even with the best of intentions.
Jan 4 - Selfishness
Now that things are on the upswing around here, I've been looking to the future: me. What to do about me, specifically. Where to live, where to work, what to do in my off time... until this point, my primary focus has been to ensure my parents are set up properly for their retirement. No ifs, ands, or buts about it: when I take my leave, it will be fine financially for them AND me. I've been considering living 'downtown' again( by that, in Victoria itself )to take advantage of transit and being able to cycle places instead of drive. Which also means perhaps a new job - my take so far on freelance writing has been less than rosy for supporting myself independently; Don't Quit Your Day Job really does apply to that field even after you're established. So stay tuned to see how things pan out this coming year, to see where( perhaps literally )my choices take me.
Jan 5 - Go Green
Yahoo News may have got to it a week late, but the videos are worth looking at: the Goldstream River here in Langford turned neon green last week. Turns out it was pranksters putting a batch of Fluorescein into the water( supposedly non-toxic )of the fountain in downtown Langford, as well as the Goldstream River - which is stupid, as it's a very delicate ecosystem that hosts spawning salmon which in turn are fed on by bald eagles, bears and other creatures. Here's a picture of the fountain I took - with the sun shining through it, you can really see the green:
Jan 3 -The Near Future
2011 has been good so far, admittedly only 3 days in. Several of my long-term financial plans are clicking into place, which though they won't quite yet allow me to get the yacht of my dreams( I have to learn seamanship first )they have taken some of the ungodly pressure off me as of... now. Not quite having to budget every dollar of every paycheque now means I can sleep better at night, which may mean these dark bruises around my eyes will soften. Which means I can wear contacts again without people asking who poked me in both eyes that morning. Which would be VERY nice indeed - nobody likes a poke in the eye, even with the best of intentions.
Jan 4 - Selfishness
Now that things are on the upswing around here, I've been looking to the future: me. What to do about me, specifically. Where to live, where to work, what to do in my off time... until this point, my primary focus has been to ensure my parents are set up properly for their retirement. No ifs, ands, or buts about it: when I take my leave, it will be fine financially for them AND me. I've been considering living 'downtown' again( by that, in Victoria itself )to take advantage of transit and being able to cycle places instead of drive. Which also means perhaps a new job - my take so far on freelance writing has been less than rosy for supporting myself independently; Don't Quit Your Day Job really does apply to that field even after you're established. So stay tuned to see how things pan out this coming year, to see where( perhaps literally )my choices take me.
Jan 5 - Go Green
Yahoo News may have got to it a week late, but the videos are worth looking at: the Goldstream River here in Langford turned neon green last week. Turns out it was pranksters putting a batch of Fluorescein into the water( supposedly non-toxic )of the fountain in downtown Langford, as well as the Goldstream River - which is stupid, as it's a very delicate ecosystem that hosts spawning salmon which in turn are fed on by bald eagles, bears and other creatures. Here's a picture of the fountain I took - with the sun shining through it, you can really see the green:
Jan 6 - My Library to go
My 'new' iPhone 3G is a great little gadget; I'm glad I picked it up, especially given the mature state of the Apple App Store... and the fact that most of the apps are dirt cheap at 99cents( or thereabouts )for most apps. I've browsed through quite a few, and found many that exemplify how smartphones help people better manage and even improve their lives. One such app is My Library, a database for your collection of movies, CD albums... and books! It utilizes the built-in camera on the iPhone to scan the barcode of the item in question, then adds it to the database after checking for additional data on the internet. I've wanted exactly this sort of app for years, but balked at spending hundreds( at the cheapest! )for a barcode scanner and proprietary software. Now I can scan books into the phone as I have time, so that when I'm browsing titles at a local bookshop I will KNOW if I already own the title. Having the iPhone with me means I'll never make a duplicate purchase again... very important when I already own thousands of books, plus dozens of series / movies on DVD. Definitely lifestyle-enhancing.
Jan 7 -The Voice Of Viral Success
Sometimes you can win again after losing: such was the case with Ted Williams, whom by now most of you know as the Homeless Guy with the Radio Voice. In less than a week, he's gone from begging for work by the roadside to being on most major news networks, talk shows and news sources. It's a rags-to-recognition story that some may call a gilded one, glossing over Ted's prison time and the fact he left nine children unsupported... but it's still heart-warming. I found myself following the story daily as soon as I heard about it( thanks Brian! )as I have more than a passing interest in anyone who makes their living via their voice. I hope Ted ends up finding success again in life.
Jan 8 - Winter Green
Not much to say about work today: I opened, I didn't get much done, I left early - I just couldn't seem to concentrate today, especially with the sun shining outside( and vanishing behind threatening not-quite-snow clouds later in the day ). Although I don't get the massive migraines I did in ON from the barometric pressure flux with weather changes, I can still feel the change - like someone tapping softly on the front door instead of ringing the bell or knocking: you know they're there, but you're not sure. It is nice not having snow here in Victoria; in the winter, things stay green, which is a lot more pleasant than seeing nothing but brown and grey when the snow isn't around for a few days. It's like this for most of the winter in these parts:
Jan 9 -Moody Gaming
My days off of late( by that I mean, the last year )have been all about refuge: taking time of from work, from life, and sometimes myself. Today was a good example of a few of those, when the highlight of the day was deleting the character from Sacred2 that I'd spent the most time in developing... the wrong way. I still see the game as a time-sink, if I let it be )for single-player, yet the irony is that if I want to game with my friends, I have to spend the time to develop a character that can keep pace with theirs. An odd dichotomy, to crunch so many hours by oneself so that you can then crunch MORE hours with friends. Then start over again to try a new path - similar to NWN in many ways, but more hectic somehow; it's hard to explain, but with NWN it would be months before one's chosen character attained higher levels. Less about the loot too. Anyway, that was the morning - the rest of the day degenerated into moodiness that I won't detail here, with the highlight being the evening spent typing up this very blog. [End Ramble]
Mmm.... cookies. Good for the soul, if not the body.
