A Balanced Life

Things got a bit unbalanced for a while. Occasionally everything happens at once, and there aren’t opportunities for time out. This weekend, however, there aren’t outstanding commitments, and so I am dedicating Saturday and most of Sunday to doing whatever I feel like. So far I have cut down the little trees that have started to grow in my flowerbeds, pulled up a lot of volunteer hollyhocks, and cut down great volumes of thistles…and, by accident, some tulips that hadn’t bloomed, yet.

An occasional self-assessment is helpful to me. And following up with re-examining priorities and making needed changes. There’s always room for adaptation. Consistency has definite limits.

 

 

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Sorry that I haven’t posted, lately

Life off the Internet got a little busy, and I have not gotten around to much, if any, online communication–even email! The taxes for last year have been calculated, however, and I am beginning to make headway once again on cleaning/straightening/reorganizing projects.

I finally finished reading Francis Fukuyama’s The Origins of Political Order. It’s given me a better understanding of what’s been happening currently and how political matters head in wrong directions.

My series of “Frost on the Windows” photographs is nowhere near as extensive or varied as those of previous years due to the absence of frost on the windows. One of the down sides of not having any winter to speak of, aside from a week or two here and there. I should get out to walk more often, but it’s been so warm in the gazebo that I haven’t felt a real need.

And now, to a late breakfast and then work. Best wishes for the day!

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Taking appointments for week of Jan. 30

My current projects will take me through the remainder of the week. I have one or two appointment slots open Monday afternoon, January 30. Times are also available in the afternoon on Tuesday before 3:00, Wednesday morning, and throughout the day on Thursday and Friday, February 2 and 3.

 

 

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Week of January 9-13

I have some appointment times available on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, next week.

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On Vacation

I am officially on vacation, now. My next appointment openings are on 5 January between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (the late afternoon slot is already booked). On Friday, 6 Jan., I have openings throughout the day, including 4:00-5:30 p.m.

 

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Still here…

As usual, things got a bit busy around here, and I have not been keeping up on my blogging. I have finished with this semester’s ESL academic editing and am looking forward to taking a couple weeks off. Really, just 14 days, this year, from December 20 through January 2.

I feel a very strong need for quiet and renewal. Most of my work these past few years has been résumé and letter writing, and I have been working to do my own writing on at least a semi-regular basis. So now I need some mundane time for resting and refilling the creative “bucket.”

To that end I also hope to take off a couple of days next week, beginning Tuesday, when I have a pulmonary function test scheduled. I have no idea how long that will last–or how bad the air quality will be.

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More flexibility

Adding more flexibility to my schedule, I can now take appointments over the lunch hour. In exchange, I may be spending more time outside the office, but I will have the telephone with me.

 

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Back to work

The appeal, of course, of the three-day weekend is the multiple opportunities for turning off the alarm clock and sleeping in. The problem with feeling well and rested and energetic is, of course, that one does not. Sleep in, I mean. The pace of the weekend was relaxed, mostly. I cooked chicken breast to put on the salads and a chuck arm roast for the sandwiches.

Al’s cold had not gone away entirely, and so I donated blood while he went to a nearby café for coffee. I’m keeping track of my hemoglobin reading, wanting to be sure to start taking vitamin-mineral tablets that include iron at some point in the future when I actually need to supplement my iron. (I may die first, at this rate.) Grocery shopping took up most of the rest of our afternoon. Al went out to the RRRMC and did the volunteer thing, yesterday afternoon, while I caught up on laundry and dish-washing chores.

Other than that…I got back onto the exercise bike, today, and did two sessions: 8 miles and 5 miles. My blood pressure is purring and making contented sounds. (A comfortable 110/75, now that my cold is gone and my activity level is back to normal, again.)

In the interim I was able to finish up all of my jobs, including those scheduled for the coming week, via email, and so I start out Tuesday clear. Perhaps I will be able to finish reading the new What Color Is Your Parachute? and get back to The Origins of Political Order, which has been sadly neglected during this long time period of straightening out the allergy thing in the face of the totally miserable ragweed/sagebrush season.

 

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The telephone is turned off for the evening (as of about 5:45 p.m.), and I’m done for the day. Calls and emails will be answered on Friday after 9:00 a.m.

Good night, all!

 

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What Color Is Your Parachute? 2012 ed.

There has been an interesting upturn in resumes for people who are looking for new work environments, here, and lots of enthusiasm. The unemployment rate for North Dakota, July 2011, was 3.3%, and that’s exciting news for people looking for work.

As we’re moving into fall (and out of vacation mode, here), I bought the Nook edition of Richard Bolles’ 2012 (40th Anniversary Edition) What Color Is Your Parachute? I’m excited to see that as part of the substantial revisions he has included a section on incorporating social media tools into job search. I haven’t finished reading this section entirely, but I did want to point out right away that he suggests Googling your name, going through the information that turns up, and setting about having removed from Google any material that would be detrimental to your job search efforts, as well as promoting your skills, abilities, and strong points. (Pay special attention to what photos of you people are tagging on Facebook, etc. Tighten up on what photos, information, posts are publicly accessible.)

Bolles also noted the importance of getting a basic LinkedIn account and filling out the profile completely and thoroughly. I would advise getting hold of a copy of his book and reading about how to fill it out so improve your chances of making a good job match. Going through the exercises in the book will help you gain a more detailed, objective view of yourself in terms that will be useful in doing so effectively.

It is important to understand the “why’s” in order to do a good job with the “what’s”.

 

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