I turned 45 this past weekend – with very little fanfare. The weather made it too dangerous for my family to travel for a visit, but I got some nice presents from Jim. It was a pretty laid-back few days with a couple shopping trips and lots of video games.
Strangely, the idea of being 45 is worse than actually being 45. I’m physically no different than when I was 44 and 364/365 years old, but it “sounds” older. Like, middle aged.
I’ll see my family this coming weekend for my niece’s birthday and we’ll celebrate mine then too.
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I had gotten out of the habit of swimming regularly and decided to try and get back in that habit this week. I’ve only gone a couple times and the pool has been crowded and noisy. I’ve had to share a lane and my form and speed are both off – but it does feel nice to get back in the water. As the lap counter in my head ticks off each turn, I’m reminded that I’m a swimmer.
Though I wish Flaily McHogsALane would learn to stay on his side. If he smacks me one more time, I’m going to start taking it personally.
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The semester has started at UA and I was feeling pretty good about the schedule I’d put together for the switchboard.
Too good, in fact, since the fates decided to show me the error of my hubris.
One of my students assistants just. Stopped. Showing. Up. No phone call or email – nor any response to mine. Just…not coming to work anymore.
Another student said they had talked to her and that she had dropped her classes and withdrew from school. I get that – college isn’t always for everyone – but a heads up would have been appropriate. So, I’m kinda bummed about losing a good employee and the hassle of keeping things covered until I can go through the whole process of hiring someone new.
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I read an article recently about some folks that – aware they were spending too much time on their phones – deliberately made the phone “less interesting” by switching to Grayscale instead of full color.
The idea being that we’re simple creatures attached to bright colors. Without that, the phone is less interesting than, say, the real world.
Intrigued, I gave it a try yesterday. It’s simple enough to change over, but the effect is serious. The games on my phone hold less allure and Facebook doesn’t catch me in the “scroll forever” that it used to.
Strange.
I’m free of the pull, but I kinda don’t want to be. What’s the point of carrying this computer in my pocket all day if I’m not addicted to it?
I’ll keep it in that mode for a while, I think, just to see how it goes. Can’t quite live without it, but it’s no longer as important.
One thing for sure – my battery lasts forever now.