And the workweek is upon us again. I would like to make like this bee below and hide from it but that isn’t me. I have to admit it’s getting harder to start each week at the job. Once I log in and get moving I snap out of it but just that start of the week gives me pause.

I guess I long for the day where there is no beginning and end of the week, just family, friends, and my crafts. A day to ask me “what do I want to do” and not have a list a mile long awaiting that answer. Time to keep in touch more, time to love more. Time to do more for others. Time to think and reflect. Time to sleep.

So until those days roll around I wish everyone a successful week at the job or jobs that attempt to pay the bills.

I’m going to try to start something new. That little device called a smartphone I carry around isn’t going to get much attention anymore. If it rings I’ll answer it. If a text comes through I’ll read it. Otherwise, I think it’s time to give the rest of it a rest. For instance, I left it in the car yesterday and only checked for messages and texts periodically between events I was attending.

Hell, my eyes aren’t that good anyway, why do I need to be looking at a screen that small. Why would I bury my face in it when in a public place and there is a chance of meeting someone nice face to face? I no longer have the desire to hear the latest outrageous thing being said or happening at that moment.

Feeling overwhelmed in the last few days. Life can do that to me from time to time. And overwhelmed leaves me with an empty tank to deal with more. But somehow I find energy and power through. My better half is very good at that also, powering through.

It’s easy to give up and wave a flag. But that isn’t the right thing to do instinctually. But many of us ignore that and shut down. I’ve been guilty of that myself so I can’t throw any stones. I pause sometimes now wasting time by worrying that I won’t grow old. I worry about having to return to the office sometime in the future. I worry about the toll this shift is taking on me.

I read another post that leads off with “Life, it’s returning to normal.” You know what, I don’t want to return to normal because that wasn’t as satisfying as I thought. I feel the schedule getting packed tightly again and the free time per day disappearing. I don’t want to return to hours a day in a car commuting or the frustration of those who are trying to kill the rest of us with poor driving ability. I don’t want opportunities to slip away from seeing family and friends.

Only time will tell how it all plays out but I’m on guard against jumping on that fast train again.

Random Thoughts of the Day

• Working outside on a day like today is best done in increments.
• The pitcher for the LA Angles just redefined being a major league hurler. I hope the gentleman was OK.
• As we age tough choices lay ahead in caring for friends and family who haven’t been as fortunate along the way.

If water tasted as good as Coke it would be a lot easier to stay healthy with my fluid intake. And if tofu tasted as good as baby back ribs solids would be no problem. You know I think I could come up with an endless argument against healthy living if I were to go by taste alone.

I was so hoping to see the Philly 76ers collapse for the 3rd time in a row. I have to cheer for the Hawks, they have two former Maryland players.

I guess the trick in life as you age and experience more health issues is to keep that positive attitude and make the most of what you can in time and activities.

I think I’ll give up on the Catholic Church before they deem me not acceptable because of my beliefs. I guess it’s been coming for a while. That mixture of political divide getting into the church leadership and parishioners. If we can’t even worship together with some basic commonality then we certainly aren’t going to make it together outside the pews.

Sometimes when I’m pushing the mower now I think of the time I did that as a teen. I wonder how much time in my life I’ve spent cutting grass. And now that I think about it I don’t want to know that number. But I am happy that I’ve had the health to do it. Because about a dozen years ago after some surgery, I said just give me my health enough to get back and mow the yard again regularly and I’ll never complain about it again. Because if I can do that I can do a lot of other things also.

Every once in a while I get a real fear of not having much time left. And then I usually get up and pick up the pace.

Making a commitment to something doesn’t mean that if other priorities in life take over that you should feel guilty or remorse about failing to meet that original goal. Only if you don’t pick up again and get moving should there be ill feelings. And yes I hope I’m back more regularly in the coming months.

My best friends and I were sitting around the grill as we had some tunes on deck going and thought about how lucky we were growing up in the ’50s ’60s and ’70s and having such wonderful music made. I guess every generation has their hit soundtracks but somehow we felt blessed with an abundance of great ones we were given that seems to have endured the test of time.

I’m having my pool filled in. Will I be able to now say I walked on water?

You know what social media has really done. It’s pointed out how different we all are and that for as many people there are there will be that many different opinions. And that makes a lot of people very uncomfortable. And therefore the defenses/offences (depending on your nature) are up not just online but in face to face situations.

In reading about blogs the recommendations for finding your niche and running with it. I guess I didn’t and did take that advice. While I use all my own images, it’s not focused on photography as I first thought when I started. Images always inspire thought and I just transferred that to rambling on in my blog. And I learned along the way I like to write and thought I’d pursue that craft also.

Sometimes I still think I’m searching for my niche in life even entering my senior years. And I’m fine with that because it leaves doors open. For instance, I still think there is no good reason to jump out of a perfectly good airplane in a parachute packed by someone you don’t know and go skydiving. But in a decade or two I might feel differently.

We are all searching for our niche, the right job, the right partner, the right home, the right inspiration, the right sport, and a gazillion other choices. Different interests take priority at different times in our lives. I’m just glad I’ve been given a long time to search for mine and each day I feel I’m getting closer to finding some more of them.

So let me get back to life and tending to my many niches.

Random Thoughts of the Day

• It’s nice to have a local garage you can trust.
• OC Police has a video out called see something, say something. Well, I saw something and I’m saying something because it looked like the officer doing the repeated knee to the midsection was abusing someone needlessly.
• I wish Miss Scott’s donations would inspire more from others with so much.
• Always searching for something better doesn’t allow you to appreciate where you are, what your doing, and who you’re with.

Took a short ride this morning before the resumption of chores and then work tonight. Overcast and cloudy with brief peaks of sun, but it was really nice just below 70 degrees. I did enjoy it because it was early enough where the cicadas weren’t swarming yet. Plus the roads were deserted for the most part and it was warm enough to have the top-down and the tunes on. Took a bottle of ice tea and relaxed stopping at a few spots for a shot or two.

Sunday mornings are the best. I remember when I rode motorcycles, it was Sundays that were the most enjoyable. I’m going to try to start getting back out in the mornings more. Work has been extra busy so getting off at 6 am the only thing I can think of doing is sleeping. But I’m going to adjust to seeing if I can improve some early morning opportunities and also my rest.

I’ve put together a shooting schedule for the week to try to get myself shooting more. It does have me excited and I hope it’s the start of more regular new work.

Random Thoughts of the Day

• I feel like I keep misplacing my personal charger.
• I’m enjoying seeing the joy in people’s faces in doing things together again. Be it a meal or ballgame or movie or trip it’s something that at least for now isn’t taken for granted.
• A decade or two ago we used to have a phase that we would say when management would pull the plug on resources before projects were finished. It was “declare victory and move on” which I’m sure wasn’t coined there but if it was it was very accurate for some events in history. I just hope we aren’t doing that now with the virus.

They are tempting, but no. All the free images out there to choose from and I refuse to use them. Certainly, some and most might be better, but that would take away my inspiration to shoot and write. I don’t even look for inspiration, I like that to come from within.

Another tempting but no is returning to the pace of life before the pandemic. Yeah, it was productive, not always for the right things though.

Always tempting but no, is dealing with pain by taking painkillers constantly. Not that I don’t take one from time to time but I keep it to a minimum.

And as I approach Sunday night which is the beginning of the work week it’s tempting but no, I won’t use a sick day despite having a lot in the hopper.

Of course the daily tempting but no, thought of calling my children. I learned long ago that everyone needs space. But I do love them so and could talk every day.

As I walk back from the fridge I was wishing I could say to myself, tempting but no, when I get thirsty and go grab another Coke.

As I was driving home I saw a nice Vette and wondered, tempting but no.

I’d love another pet. My wife wouldn’t. I’d like to just bring one home, tempting but no.

I could go on, tempting but no.

Sometimes people say things and with no ill intentions at all, kind of infer something difficult in life experiences and don’t realize or reflect that is an exact situation that you yourself experienced or have had to deal with. I’ve had two such experiences recently.

If the body will cooperate, I hope to get out early tomorrow and grab some fresh frames. Maybe even some night shots if I get out there early enough. I do have the tripod by the front door.

Random Thoughts of the Day

• The cicadas are louder than sitting over a 13HP motor cutting grass.
• Some days I feel my age. I prefer the days I feel 30.
• If you take good mechanical care of things they take care of you.
• Weekends go by so quickly. Only a few years from the never-ending weekend for this kid.

Nothing like seeing your granddaughter after a hard week of work. So far I don’t think her 2’s have been terrible. Actually, a lot of fun, and I love trying to figure out what she is saying. Teaching her new words and other things is a blast. Children make the world a safer place. It reminds us how precious life is. And yet we see such suffering of children daily.

We could do without the rain today but everything needs water. So I’ll accept it and try to make the best of a wet day. Which reminds me I have to put a matt over part of my deck so I have a dry spot outside to sand and carve.

I was thinking about grilling out, but that will have to wait till Saturday or Sunday. The combo of the wetness and not feeling 100% will be the excuse of the day. But I do feel a wave of productivity today and I’ve gotten a good start. I’ve worked on a carving for my Son. I’ve got a number of prints made and I hope to pump out about 40-50 more.

This evening I hope to frame a print my Daughter gave me for my birthday a while back of PaPa and his grandchild but I do have to sort through my pile of frames and mats. Also, I’ll continue to build out my photo site because I found a large stash of stuff I haven’t uploaded yet. So it’s going to be a full evening. I even got both cameras on the tripods set up for some portrait and still life testing later.

So off to the crafts and creation process, which for me is learning at the same time.

Random Thoughts of the Day

• There is a new category to add to my retirement list. – Time in Hammock.
• There are only so many days in a lifetime. Make sure to use the good ones wisely.
• I’m enjoying the NBA playoffs. I just wish I could stay up and catch the late game.
• Cooking shows are additive. Food is the drug.
• I found another advantage of being a grandparent. If they skip their nap I don’t have to deal with the ramifications.

“Taking Time is the only way he knows” TULL

There is an old expression I believe saying “burning the candle at both ends.” I was feeling like that at the end of Friday. Not from the day itself but the past few weeks/months. So I went and looked up what Google had to say about it and found this. That phrase was coined by the American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay in 1920. It comes from her poem “First Fig”: “My candle burns at both ends; / It will not last the night; / But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends– / It gives a lovely light!”

I had fully planned on staying up and just having a few minutes to relax and watch some NBA action, maybe do a post for the day, charge the camera batteries and finish setting up a studio shot. Well, all that went by the wayside when that flame at both ends met in the middle. At least I got a nice night’s sleep but I feel like I didn’t use the time wisely. Of course, that wouldn’t be truthful because my body has been sending me urgent rest signals for a while.

But Saturday I was back on track. Some hard work in the heat, some celebration with family, some good food, some sports, some shared love. What’s not to like about a day like that?

Well, some might say the HEAT is not to like. Personally, I can’t relate to that because I tolerate higher temps than most and I can cool down quickly. That is why I keep a garden hose outside. I would much rather sweat than shiver. I would rather get in a hot car and put the windows down for a few seconds to air it out than wait 5 minutes shivering for the heater to start pumping warm air and another 5 minutes so you can see through the frozen windshield.

I rarely run the A/C in the car. I ride around the summer with the top-down baking. My favorite outfit is gym shorts and flipflops. I don’t have to spend time putting on layers or boots. If I get wet in the winter I might lose fingers or toes. If I get wet in the summer I say bring it on. If I’m shoveling it’s usually for a few minutes during the summer not for the hours during the winter.

The thought of going out in the cold turns me off while warm temps make the outdoors attractive again. Daylight is short in the winter which is depressing. Warm summer nights with late sunsets and libations in hand. If it rains in the summer no big deal. If it rains in the winter and temps are right you have a disaster.

All I know is I’m celebrating the season I’m most comfortable with. So this fine Sunday morning I think I’ll take a ride and capture a few new images before the chores take hold and starting the job that pays the bills tonight. I hope everyone has a great day.

Random Thoughts of the Day

• It’s wonderful to have so many friends. It’s a lot of work keeping up with so many friends. But it’s always worth it.
• My riding mower makes the noise that attracts the cicadas. A new challenge in cutting the yard.
• I like making prints for others. Time to increase that activity.
• I’ve discovered that cicada’s also like the sound of a leaf blower and string trimmer.
• I love sharing a meal with my whole family. Sharing it out at a restaurant was a special treat. This was a great weekend.