WednesdayPost

Enjoying the weight of too much

March 14, 2012

(or: My Attempt to Write a Post Under 1000 words)

I will try to be short because I am short on time. I’m sure you are too.

There have been many jobs in my life where there are not enough minutes in the hours to complete what I need get done but rarely have I felt that when not working for someone else. I find myself now in that blissful state.

Yes, it is frustrating and overwhelming and fatiguing. It is also invigorating, motivating and satisfying.

I have entirely too much to do

How much better than the alternative is that? Instead of sitting around, listless and dull, we can have 20 projects to work passionately on. Ok, doing taxes maybe not so much on the gets-my-fires-stoked scale but they all can’t all be soul a’light experiences.

The project due date, the 46 open browser tabs, the writing deadline, the huddle, stack of books, chat, email, artistic project, self imposed deadline in an hour — make that 54 minutes– all of them vying for attention in the crowded stage of our minds.

The cacophony is grand.

Too many is better than not enough.

Respecting Our Limits

March 7, 2012

On Sunday I loaded up my bike and braced myself for a cold, wet, misery-inducing 45miles.

The “Ride for Rick” was a long-scheduled charity event for a local cyclist battling cancer. He sadly lost his fight and passed away last week. The ride and fundraiser BBQ, was more somber but still held to raise funds for his outstanding medical expenses and show southern community support for his widow and daughter.

I thought the least I could do was brave a little weather and show up.

I expected (hoped) that maybe the ride would be canceled. I was planning my gym workout as I pulled into the lot. A clutch of men in rain-gear, already astride their steeds, dispelled my dry daydreams.

Ok. Let’s do this.

After barely 5miles I wasn’t at all sure I could. I was desperately wishing that I had been one of the smarter ones that chose the shorter 26mile route, stayed warm at home, or waited til later in the day…

I wanted to be anywhere, doing anything rather than pumping with rivulets of water running down my glasses from above, getting sprayed in the face by the wheel in front of me, losing feeling in my pruning toes, muscles aching with effort after too much at the gym the night before and in all attempting to keep pace with the only others doing the long route — three much stronger men.

Intentionally Enjoying Beer

February 29, 2012

“Beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy.” – attributed to Ben Franklin but apparently mistakenly.

Beer_Pumking In the supposed source for the quotation he is actually talking about wine (his drink of choice). Now, this is Internet research so who knows, maybe at some point he did say something similar about beer.

If he didn’t say it, he should have.

I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment. Let us not quarrel over history and merchandizing, let us instead appreciate our cups.

Mostly confident

Since launching this blog I’ve second-guessed my choice of “beer” many, many times.

In Be In I described the additional meaning of “beer” – symbolic of life lived with intentional joie de vivre – whatever joy means to you.

For me the enjoyment – often but not exclusively – is beer.

I am not a lush. I can go a week or 3 without having a beer and usually I hold myself to 1 or 2 when I do imbibe. It is a social and almost culinary passion for me – ditto for coffee. I don’t have many other vices (see: coffee).

Beer is my invitation to myself to have fun.

As I wrote in my intro to “tales from my local” – I don’t like beer because boys like beer (though definite side benefit and yes, I am judging you by what you order). I don’t drink beer to get drunk (bourbon is much more efficient for that). It isn’t the idea of doing something naughty or verboten (tons of better options for that) but alcohol does have its effects and so, of course, ordering a beer is a conscious choice to relax and relish.

[Read more…]

2 Comments Filed Under: Blog Post, WednesdayPost Tagged With: beer, blogging, confidence, intentional enjoyment, life lessons, persona, yum by Jo

Why Reading Makes You a Better Writer

February 22, 2012

You’ve been saying something that you think is profoundly true for a while. You feel like you unlocked a great secret, hack or have an inside track on the universe.

Then either you can’t express it well or someone with a larger soap-box comes along and says it before you can,

You have a moment of “ah-ha! I really am so brilliant!” and then “Damn! but now I can’t take credit because he said it first.”

This affirmingly frustrating situation happened to me recently.

Good writers read.

I re-tweeted Jeff Goins the other night (MT=Modified Tweet, I changed his a little):

@CoffeeBooksBeer: Hear, Hear! MT @jeffgoins: Good writers read. It’s just that simple. http://t.co/5ocIVqPd

His article makes the case that reading makes you a better writer. Not exactly groundbreaking material here and I promise that isn’t my entire brilliant idea.

I got a response saying simply: “data?”

At first I was going to dismiss it (troll?!) but I reconsidered. Sure, there is abounding anecdotal account of reading influencing great writers but is it a truism or actually true? Is there data to show causality?

[Read more…]

5 Comments Filed Under: Blog Post, WednesdayPost Tagged With: books, information, language, reading, twitter, wednesdaypost, writing by Jo

confidence =/= competence

February 15, 2012

Here I sit… watching bars grow.

Again.

In my life as a video editor I am intimately familiar with the “blue render bar of joy” and the tense waiting that accompanies it building pixel by tiny pixel from left to right. I both curse and thank the wise geeks who programmed it for adding the shimmer effect so it appears to be moving even when it is not.

“I hate waiting” – Inigo Montoya (not his most famous line but the one I hear in my head and more applicable)

Here is what not to do: replace or delete files before you know what you are doing.

There are lots of applications where being a rebel and going your own way is an incredible high. Dealing with computers/tech/electronics, unless it is in a total fun sandbox space, is not usually the time to be adventuresome though.

I could have saved myself a world of hurt by looking up the solution before diving in. Google your geekery before you go it alone.

Follow directions and always have a working back-up is the order of the day. [Read more…]

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Blog Post, WednesdayPost Tagged With: competence, confidence, fail, failure, information, life lessons, persperation, web lessons, yoga by Jo

Enjoying the weight of too much

I have entirely too much to do

Too many is better than not enough.

Respecting Our Limits

Ok. Let’s do this.

Intentionally Enjoying Beer

Mostly confident

Why Reading Makes You a Better Writer

Good writers read.

confidence =/= competence

Here I sit… watching bars grow.

Here is what not to do: replace or delete files before you know what you are doing.

con·nect /kəˈnekt/ (v)

sub·scribe /səbˈskrīb/ (v)

au·thor /ˈôTHər/ (n)

re·cent /ˈrēsənt/ (adj)

search /sərCH/ (v)

Enjoying the weight of too much

I have entirely too much to do

Too many is better than not enough.

Respecting Our Limits

Ok. Let’s do this.

Intentionally Enjoying Beer

Mostly confident

Why Reading Makes You a Better Writer

Good writers read.

confidence =/= competence

Here I sit… watching bars grow.

Here is what not to do: replace or delete files before you know what you are doing.

con·nect /kəˈnekt/ (v)

sub·scribe /səbˈskrīb/ (v)

Get a Weekly Brew (and Extras)

au·thor /ˈôTHər/ (n)

re·cent /ˈrēsənt/ (adj)

search /sərCH/ (v)