Thought I'd try something different for this week's post. Something not as intense and work related. Something that provides me an opportunity to think about just how lucky I am to have the life I have. This post is actually inspired by one of the things I'll be talking about shortly. That said, here are some things I'm enjoying lately. If I may be so bold...I recommend that you spend some time thinking about things that bring you joy; especially during the pandemic! It will definitely chill you out! Case in point, my pulse was at 57 bpm while writing this!
As some of you already know, from previous posts, I am a big fan of all things MacStories. It’s a great website run by amazingly smart people. I support them as a member of Club MacStories which affords me a weekly newsletter among other perks. You should seriously check them out if you enjoy learning about the Apple “Cinematic Universe.” As time has passed MacStories has evolved in many directions…above and beyond the actual website. Thus, the Unwind podcast…a chance for the listener to catch up weekly on what’s going on with all things MacStories. One of the segments, the segment that inspired this post, involves the hosts, John Voorhees and Federico Viticci recommending to their audience…things they could consume in a very chill way that they themselves are enjoying.
Bubly Sparkling Water (blackberry)...
My wife is a big sparkling water fan. Has been for a long time. I always watched, from the side, skeptical and curious simultaneously. About a year ago I “gave in.” I tried some. It was better than I thought and…fizzy! Who doesn’t like fizzy stuff?! This particular brand of sparkling water comes, like most, in many different flavors. During the quarantine, I’ve been enjoying one of these at lunch.
Some time around the end of 2019, I was sitting at lunch, in the cafeteria, with my students. Gosh…that sounds like such a long time ago! One of the students asked, “Do you watch The Masked Singer?” I politely indicated that I was aware of the show but did not have the time to watch “that kind of TV.” Shame on me for being so narrow minded. A few weeks after making that comment I found myself sitting, with my wife, trying to figure out what to watch one night. We saw “The Masked Singer” on the screen as a choice, looked at each other and said, “Let’s give it a try.” This led to binge watching the entire first season of the show in one sitting. Sort of like the “One More Episode” episode of Portlandia. I was amazed at how good the show was! It’s very entertaining in many ways and…to this day…with the finale of season 3 looming…brings me great joy! Don’t stop making them FOX or I’m flying out to LA!!
Sitting at the fire pit during Zoom meetings with colleagues...
This post is being published at the end of my 8th week of “teaching” from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. About 2 weeks ago I made the decision NOT to take every meeting I have during the day in my humble, little office. We have a beautiful fire pit surrounded by an amazing floral garden…the perfect backdrop to the meetings I have with my colleagues. Sitting there talking to them makes me wonder how in the world I will ever NOT be able to think of the moments at the fire pit…when we finally go back to physical school!
Sitting on my patio at the end of the “teaching” day...
Right after my last check in meeting with families I go downstairs to our enclosed patio. It’s one of our favorite places to sit. 3:30pm is when I usually get out there. By this time of day the sun has already passed the patio and made its way west. We have a very nice, steady breeze that passes through the patio on a regular basis making the time I sit there in the afternoon optimal for moments of reflection.
These videos are the result of a German animation studio founded by Philipp Dettmer. According to the Internet the studio's YouTube channel focuses on minimalist animated educational content, using the flat design style. It discusses scientific, technological, political, philosophical and psychological subjects. I’ve watched a few of them since discovering the channel in my Twitter feed. They are absolutely, beautifully crafted. I can feel my heart rate drop as I watch, listen, and learn! Here is one that I have enjoyed more than one time.
I paid for and downloaded this app before learning about Tabs to Links (see below). It’s a great app that allows the user to capture and save the tabs opened on your Safari screen. This is important if you need them for future reference and in the event you need to close Safari or it is closed on accident or the result of a computer “glitch.” I plan on using this app in conjunction with Tabs to Links…as a sort of triangulation. The moment I figured out that this was even possible brought me joy!
I wrote about this a bit in my last post. You can go back to that particular post and read more about it and how I’m using it. Why mention it here then? This is a post about what I’m enjoying. I enjoy trying to figure out how to make my work more efficient and as a result…more productive. Apps like this give me the chance to figure things out that are important to me and I find that enjoyable!
Moom...
Like Tabs Saver for Safari and Tabs to Links, Moom (an app that helps with window management) is something that I’ve written a bit about in previous posts. It’s mentioned here because it brings me great joy to have control over what I’m doing on my MacBook Pro and external monitor and thanks to apps like Moom…I get to experience that daily!
David Bowie...
Recently, Sirius/XM (a satellite radio subscription service I’ve been a member of for many years) decided to create a channel to honor David Bowie. I’ve been a casual fan for many years but took this recent decision on the part of Sirius/XM to indulge on his catalog. I think one of the things I like most about Bowie is his range…meaning the diversity of his musical creations over his career. The tone of his voice and sonic arrangements of the music produced really makes me happy!! Ashes to Ashes, Under Pressure, I’m Afraid of Americans, and The Man Who Sold the World are just a few songs that I’ve been enjoying recently!