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Short-term memory for to-do's
Feb. 15th, 2025 10:44 amWhen I used to exercise frequently, commonly I would think about things while I worked out. I would accumulate items to note for later and, toward the end of my half-hour-ish workout, I would have accumulated enough of these to challenge my short-term memory. These days, the same kind of thing can happen while I take a bath.
Yesterday was unusual. First, I woke up, thought of some things while in bed then got up to note them. Then, I took a bath and thought of more to note. Before work, I thought of more. These were all work-related to-do's. By the time my workday started, I had accumulated sixteen of them. Some of them were quick tasks, some took longer. By the end of the day, I had completed ten of them.
Yesterday was unusual. First, I woke up, thought of some things while in bed then got up to note them. Then, I took a bath and thought of more to note. Before work, I thought of more. These were all work-related to-do's. By the time my workday started, I had accumulated sixteen of them. Some of them were quick tasks, some took longer. By the end of the day, I had completed ten of them.
A windy workday
Jan. 24th, 2025 05:45 pmToday was a very windy day. Schools and stores closed. Fortunately, we didn't have to go out, except for taking L. the dog outside every so often. A lorry blew over on the nearby busy bridge. I wondered if the wind would bring power lines down but we still have electricity.
In work, I wrestled with Node.js and TypeScript and finally saw some success that enables better progress henceforth. Neither is my forte but with luck I learned enough to be faster next time.
Update: The following morning, we had hail then sleet.
In work, I wrestled with Node.js and TypeScript and finally saw some success that enables better progress henceforth. Neither is my forte but with luck I learned enough to be faster next time.
Update: The following morning, we had hail then sleet.
Worldcon: Glasgow 2024
Aug. 17th, 2024 08:59 pmWorldcon, the large science fiction convention, returned to Glasgow with well over seven thousand attendees for this year's. From my flat, the venue is but a pleasant walk along the river, an exceptional enough event that it is worth the cost in fees and in time, over a weekend so only three days' leave from work.
( I had little chance to prep but it was easy to get started. )
( I focused on getting from session to session. )
( Again I wondered at how modern novels tend to be much longer. )
( There is more on offer than just the sessions. )
( The convention seemed to achieve its goal of being inclusive. )
( Worldcon's closing ceremony was better than the Olympics'. ) I had been growing to appreciate the ambience of Worldcon and was a little sad to see it end.
( I had little chance to prep but it was easy to get started. )
( I focused on getting from session to session. )
( Again I wondered at how modern novels tend to be much longer. )
( There is more on offer than just the sessions. )
( The convention seemed to achieve its goal of being inclusive. )
( Worldcon's closing ceremony was better than the Olympics'. ) I had been growing to appreciate the ambience of Worldcon and was a little sad to see it end.
Still busy
Apr. 17th, 2024 05:53 am( Work remains busy, bringing my first project nearer delivery. )
( British unemployment benefit isn't generous. )
( I filed my US taxes but am not holding my breath for the refund. )
( Tax paperwork for charity donation irritated me. )
( Me and our dog are both heavier. )
( We are looking to move just a little south. )
I am not managing to read others' journals anywhere near as completely as I once did. Perhaps if I post rather more briefly, I will get around to posting at all. It's been very many weeks. I will try to mention the occasional random things, even if the picture of things as a whole is left even more incomplete than before.
( British unemployment benefit isn't generous. )
( I filed my US taxes but am not holding my breath for the refund. )
( Tax paperwork for charity donation irritated me. )
( Me and our dog are both heavier. )
( We are looking to move just a little south. )
I am not managing to read others' journals anywhere near as completely as I once did. Perhaps if I post rather more briefly, I will get around to posting at all. It's been very many weeks. I will try to mention the occasional random things, even if the picture of things as a whole is left even more incomplete than before.
Busy with work and family
Dec. 3rd, 2023 05:29 pmI have not posted any entries here for well over a month. It's because I find myself short of time for doing personal things on the computer. I have not even addressed the various minor computer issues that I mentioned previously.
One reason for my being short of time is that I have been putting plenty of hours in with my day job. As well as learning my way around, I am now leading the delivery of an overdue project, mixing both people and project management with coding. This suits me well, it's what I am good at and what is needed, and I am paid decently for my efforts and experience, but it leaves me with little spare time on weekdays.
Another reason is that we now have a puppy, mostly a brindle Shih Tzu but clearly a bit of something else too, his snout is a little longer which may help his respiration. He is very much R.'s but we all help out and I love to be with R. so I will tend to come along on walks and suchlike when I can. He gets on reasonably with our two kittens, now they are used to each other. I was interested to find that, even on his short legs, he can outrun me. For running, rather than alternating paws for his steps, he switches to bounding with bilateral symmetry in how he moves. This weekend, he's learned to enjoy snow.
These changes raise some questions. With working, happily being with R., helping with pressing chores, winding down at the end of the evenings, I don't have much time left for lower-priority pursuits like personal computing, social media, playing music, etc. I should figure out what is important enough and how to fit it in, and deal with that the list cannot be as long as I might like.
One reason for my being short of time is that I have been putting plenty of hours in with my day job. As well as learning my way around, I am now leading the delivery of an overdue project, mixing both people and project management with coding. This suits me well, it's what I am good at and what is needed, and I am paid decently for my efforts and experience, but it leaves me with little spare time on weekdays.
Another reason is that we now have a puppy, mostly a brindle Shih Tzu but clearly a bit of something else too, his snout is a little longer which may help his respiration. He is very much R.'s but we all help out and I love to be with R. so I will tend to come along on walks and suchlike when I can. He gets on reasonably with our two kittens, now they are used to each other. I was interested to find that, even on his short legs, he can outrun me. For running, rather than alternating paws for his steps, he switches to bounding with bilateral symmetry in how he moves. This weekend, he's learned to enjoy snow.
These changes raise some questions. With working, happily being with R., helping with pressing chores, winding down at the end of the evenings, I don't have much time left for lower-priority pursuits like personal computing, social media, playing music, etc. I should figure out what is important enough and how to fit it in, and deal with that the list cannot be as long as I might like.
Difficulty staying on course
Jul. 25th, 2023 11:41 amIn recent times, I have not enjoyed an abundance of energy and willpower. Of course, all the house-moving and setup and whatnot has been quite the stressor. Still, all that is now mostly past. Things still go wrong with the flat, the latest is that next I must chase an installer harder about some bad wiring they did, and money remains tight while we pay off the flat setup. On the other hand, I have R. here with me, they are a great help in various ways, so it's just not me dealing with things as it was back in Tennessee.
Aside from my regular full-time work, I try to do something each day, whether a chore or some more leisurely expedition. For example, on Sunday we explored Pollok Country Park then sat a while in the sunshine, reading, and yesterday we shopped for groceries, and for items for high school next month. So, things do get done. But, quite often, I do no more than one per day: after that, I feel tired, ready to just rest, watch television, whatever before bed.
My eating is not going as I might hope. I make plenty of good decisions, just some bad ones too, the overall effect being insufficient discipline to stay on track. This is partly a money thing: in checking discount expires-soon shelving, it is difficult to pass up anything both tasty and cheap. However, it's mostly me just feeling tired and hungry and thinking,
I do think that I shall get there in the end but right now it feels like it will be a slow journey. The money situation will ease (though I wish the mortgage were on US interest rates) and we'll crawl ahead on our to-do's, as we settle they should arise with less frequency, but all this takes time.
Aside from my regular full-time work, I try to do something each day, whether a chore or some more leisurely expedition. For example, on Sunday we explored Pollok Country Park then sat a while in the sunshine, reading, and yesterday we shopped for groceries, and for items for high school next month. So, things do get done. But, quite often, I do no more than one per day: after that, I feel tired, ready to just rest, watch television, whatever before bed.
My eating is not going as I might hope. I make plenty of good decisions, just some bad ones too, the overall effect being insufficient discipline to stay on track. This is partly a money thing: in checking discount expires-soon shelving, it is difficult to pass up anything both tasty and cheap. However, it's mostly me just feeling tired and hungry and thinking,
screw it, let's eat a nice thing.
I do think that I shall get there in the end but right now it feels like it will be a slow journey. The money situation will ease (though I wish the mortgage were on US interest rates) and we'll crawl ahead on our to-do's, as we settle they should arise with less frequency, but all this takes time.
Minor home repairs
Jul. 2nd, 2023 07:47 amMy previous experience with do-it-yourself is rather modest. I might do a little regrouting of tiles, filling and repainting minor damage to interior walls, a bit of drilling to route cables or reposition latches or whatever, but not much. Now that it is R. and I together then, between us, recent jobs have included replacing a failed ceiling light fixture and a broken front door lock. Money is tight so every saving on tradespeople is welcome and, with R.'s help and encouragement, it is good to feel able to do more simple jobs around the home.
Settling somewhat into the flat
May. 20th, 2023 05:04 am( After moving to the new flat, still plenty to do but much now done. )
( I think it was a good move. )
( Since the move, money will be tight for some time yet. )
My eldest happened to be nearby around their birthday so I got to walk over a couple of times and say hello, which was great. I've not been able to see my kids as much in recent months, with all the property viewings, the move and setup, etc. Maybe next weekend, here's hoping.
( I think it was a good move. )
( Since the move, money will be tight for some time yet. )
My eldest happened to be nearby around their birthday so I got to walk over a couple of times and say hello, which was great. I've not been able to see my kids as much in recent months, with all the property viewings, the move and setup, etc. Maybe next weekend, here's hoping.
A timely delivery
Sep. 29th, 2022 09:03 pmThis morning, the movers came with the goods and effects that I had shipped from Eastern Tennessee so, as usual, the transatlantic shipment took a little over three months. At a glance, everything seems present and correct. It feels good to see my stuff once more, it comforts me to have it to hand, my possessions feel part of my desired identity. Perhaps hoarders have such feelings but rather more strongly than I, given that I now own far less than I once did.
Yesterday, my work laptop developed an issue that made pointing device input most troublesome. The trackpads, both built-in and external, became very insensitive, one to movements, the other to clicks. This coincided with a reboot, I wonder if some previous Linux update is the culprit. Anyhow, among my newly delivered stuff, I found keyboard and trackball that I much like, plugged them in, and became satisfactorily productive again. What a difference it makes to have one's interface to the computer become rather more ergonomically smooth.
Yesterday, my work laptop developed an issue that made pointing device input most troublesome. The trackpads, both built-in and external, became very insensitive, one to movements, the other to clicks. This coincided with a reboot, I wonder if some previous Linux update is the culprit. Anyhow, among my newly delivered stuff, I found keyboard and trackball that I much like, plugged them in, and became satisfactorily productive again. What a difference it makes to have one's interface to the computer become rather more ergonomically smooth.
A good day at work
Aug. 18th, 2022 11:09 pmNew jobs are always an interesting challenge for me. For the job I took in moving to Scotland, I am eager to perform well but have been wrestling with a variety of technologies that are new to me and poorly documented. An additional impediment has been my working from Apple silicon instead of Linux x64.
Today I faced some sparse third-party documentation and used it to write and push some half-plausible code. This is most pleasing and feels like a turning point toward actual productivity. While I appreciate the faith shown by those who hired me, I do like to reassure them by tangible work product that they chose well.
Working nights from Metro Manila complicates the task a little but not too badly. Last
Today I faced some sparse third-party documentation and used it to write and push some half-plausible code. This is most pleasing and feels like a turning point toward actual productivity. While I appreciate the faith shown by those who hired me, I do like to reassure them by tangible work product that they chose well.
Working nights from Metro Manila complicates the task a little but not too badly. Last
night(afternoon) was unusually restless for me but, on finding myself rather awake, I simply got some work done. I didn't feel too bad after R. kindly let me sleep through to nearly 9pm before I started my workday properly.
Finally, progress on US taxes
Jun. 7th, 2022 05:53 pmThis gap in between jobs is a chance for me to catch up on some neglected chores. Today's focus was last year's taxes for the IRS. (I had filed for an extension.) They take me more than a day partly because there are new things to figure out each year. This year's, so far, turn out to have been: how to use my lifetime allowance in calculating gift tax, and how to concisely report capital gains when a small fraction had loss disallowed as a wash sale*. Alas, this year's taxes will be no easier.
*I did not sell simply in order to realize a loss to reduce my taxable income but, of course, the IRS suspect that may have been my motive.
*I did not sell simply in order to realize a loss to reduce my taxable income but, of course, the IRS suspect that may have been my motive.
A very lazy weekend
May. 30th, 2022 06:20 pmI have plenty to do but I can't say that I did much of it this long weekend. I have had some moderately late nights and, unusually for me, even took over an hours' nap after my large lunch today. There is useful stuff I could, perhaps should, have done, but didn't make any concerted efforts. I like to tell myself that maybe I just needed the break. The warm weather may be a factor.
Floor now reimproved
Apr. 30th, 2022 08:55 pmI am fairly pleased with managing to hold everything together recently. One of today's successes is that I have decided to declare one project to be finished for now: I had managed to scratch my newly finished floors and, rather than spend even more money, the guy had left me the containers of the remaining stain and polyurethane, I'd seen him do it plenty myself, so I sanded the problem away with increasingly fine sandpaper then vacuumed, mopped. stained, and sealed the floor. Admittedly, I should have bothered to pick up a proper roller or somesuch too but my patching effort looks good enough for now, hardly obvious if one's not looking for it.
An improving trajectory
Feb. 6th, 2022 04:20 pmI feel as if I am finally managing to get back onto track. I've been working out more days than not and will do better if I can more reliably get to bed sooner. I have started using the cross-trainers at work and, it's a long way back to my workouts in Scotland, but steady progress will more than suffice, it all helps. Eating a little less is also feeling sustainable. Today I finished cutting some larger insertable filters for my masks and am now thinking about assembling the next bedside table. Admittedly, mopping the floors may have to wait yet.
Stopping into work on a Sunday morning just to use a cross-trainer may seem undue effort when I could be exerting myself around my neighborhood here but I endeavor to establish a sustainable routine and that goal is served by minimizing the influence of the weather. Presently I work on campus on Wednesday and Thursdays and work out afterward, Sunday is nicely distant from both. I could buy a cross-trainer of my own but they are large and unwieldly and work provides nice ones for staff use. If only they had a pool too, at least one not exhibiting Cherenkov radiation.
It also helps that I am pausing work on the house for a while. There is some work that I hope to get done later this year, such as getting the attic insulated properly at last, but the handyman should be coming over tomorrow to wrap up the current drainage work and deal with the scrap and trash that's been left. What remnants he leaves, I shall dispose of myself. It is difficult for me to relax and get on with things when I have others around.
Stopping into work on a Sunday morning just to use a cross-trainer may seem undue effort when I could be exerting myself around my neighborhood here but I endeavor to establish a sustainable routine and that goal is served by minimizing the influence of the weather. Presently I work on campus on Wednesday and Thursdays and work out afterward, Sunday is nicely distant from both. I could buy a cross-trainer of my own but they are large and unwieldly and work provides nice ones for staff use. If only they had a pool too, at least one not exhibiting Cherenkov radiation.
It also helps that I am pausing work on the house for a while. There is some work that I hope to get done later this year, such as getting the attic insulated properly at last, but the handyman should be coming over tomorrow to wrap up the current drainage work and deal with the scrap and trash that's been left. What remnants he leaves, I shall dispose of myself. It is difficult for me to relax and get on with things when I have others around.
Getting back to actually doing more
Jan. 9th, 2022 11:25 amI look forward to this year with my house being in better shape, bringing me nearer the things I want to do in it. I am most eager to do various software (outside work) and music. I would like to indulge in board games, foreign languages, reading, writing, drawing, but I don't right now see when, I must be realistic about having to push at least some activities aside. After all, it may be more important to make time for exercise and meditation, also finally sorting and sharing old family photographs. How people fit in much at all outside sleep, paid work, food, chores, correspondence, personal hygiene, I still don't know. I have the annual treat of my tax filing coming up soon and, now some time into winter, I have yet to split the firewood. Further, for over an hour before bed, I need to unwind and relax, just watch some television or something, not even read anything too stimulating, else I shan't be able to fall asleep quickly.
What is clear is that my most precious resource at this point is time. I am already variously capable, I should be sure to do things with that rather than just preparing for future things. It's partly a case of making priorities that I can genuinely embrace and of summoning the willpower to make the habit of doing the things I want to, and that's easier if they are mostly things I truly care about. Thoughts drawn from few different sources make me suspect that I should work on being consciously engaged with my environment and circumstances, not just drifting through life passively on autopilot, killing time with my head in the clouds.
What is clear is that my most precious resource at this point is time. I am already variously capable, I should be sure to do things with that rather than just preparing for future things. It's partly a case of making priorities that I can genuinely embrace and of summoning the willpower to make the habit of doing the things I want to, and that's easier if they are mostly things I truly care about. Thoughts drawn from few different sources make me suspect that I should work on being consciously engaged with my environment and circumstances, not just drifting through life passively on autopilot, killing time with my head in the clouds.
Preferences among genres of music
Jan. 1st, 2022 10:58 amI consider my tastes to be fairly mainstream, there is a wide range of music that I enjoy hearing. A notable exception might be that there are fair chunks of country and folk music of which I am not much of a fan, especially if the lyrics are sentimental story-telling, also the kind of heavy metal that is more incoherent growling than it is melodic guitar work. I don't have much sophistication: while I might like a range of semi-popular classical music, in jazz I enjoy Keith Jarrett but don't go as far as liking much of John Abercrombie's stuff.
Anyhow, one genre that I like more than many is synthpop, also fairly minimalist electronica. After all, I'm the kind of person who can get an earworm of the music that Rob Hubbard provided for the video game
Anyhow, one genre that I like more than many is synthpop, also fairly minimalist electronica. After all, I'm the kind of person who can get an earworm of the music that Rob Hubbard provided for the video game
Lightforce. This morning I have been happily productive for a while as I listened to some late seventies tracks from the Yellow Magic Orchestra and am now wondering where I put a Larry Fast album.
A holiday miracle
Dec. 24th, 2021 06:13 pmI got around to making some of the aforementioned cookies (just) before Christmas, quite a success. It feels as if it takes much of the afternoon though, ranging from the initial thinking to the final washing up, also vacuuming because flour gets everywhere.
It's years since I made cookies, so I took my usual approach of starting with a simple recipe that I can use as a baseline. In this case, I went for 160g butter and sugar, 240g flour, half a teaspoon of baking soda, an egg, and 100g-ish of finely chopped chocolate. To the dark chocolate mix I added a couple of peppermint tisane teabag contents, to the white chocolate mix I added chopped macadamia nuts.
The dark chocolate cookies turned out well, the white chocolate were a bit too thin, and fell apart easily until they had cooled. Perhaps I needed less butter in those, given the oiliness of the nuts and the white chocolate. Overall, quite a success. Experiment suggests that baking at 325°F for around twenty minutes might work well. Oddly, my nice oven is conventional, not a convection oven. Coming from Britain, I didn't know that it was even still easy to buy the older kind here.
It's years since I made cookies, so I took my usual approach of starting with a simple recipe that I can use as a baseline. In this case, I went for 160g butter and sugar, 240g flour, half a teaspoon of baking soda, an egg, and 100g-ish of finely chopped chocolate. To the dark chocolate mix I added a couple of peppermint tisane teabag contents, to the white chocolate mix I added chopped macadamia nuts.
The dark chocolate cookies turned out well, the white chocolate were a bit too thin, and fell apart easily until they had cooled. Perhaps I needed less butter in those, given the oiliness of the nuts and the white chocolate. Overall, quite a success. Experiment suggests that baking at 325°F for around twenty minutes might work well. Oddly, my nice oven is conventional, not a convection oven. Coming from Britain, I didn't know that it was even still easy to buy the older kind here.
Wrestling with impostor syndrome
Dec. 11th, 2021 10:57 am( I am a better researcher than I look on paper. )
( My current workplace is different because I am surrounded by acknowledged experts. )
( I am not expected to lead research but I would like to. ) I am minded to try not being inhibited by the local expertise, just go ahead, do some reading, and put forward research ideas anyway, even if I doubt their relative merit, people can fund them or dismiss them but at least I will have shown what I can. It feels a bit like addressing imposter syndrome by: act as if you are not an imposter and see if it flies. ( If I don't get to then at least I can still help those who are also good at it. )
( My current workplace is different because I am surrounded by acknowledged experts. )
( I am not expected to lead research but I would like to. ) I am minded to try not being inhibited by the local expertise, just go ahead, do some reading, and put forward research ideas anyway, even if I doubt their relative merit, people can fund them or dismiss them but at least I will have shown what I can. It feels a bit like addressing imposter syndrome by: act as if you are not an imposter and see if it flies. ( If I don't get to then at least I can still help those who are also good at it. )
My three-display computing setup
Dec. 6th, 2021 07:27 pmOne thing I have appreciated at work is that they provide me with a three-display setup: the provided laptop can drive the two external monitors. It is good value for money because what costs is my labor hours so small increases in productivity soon accumulate. Perhaps one of those very wide curved screens would work even better. With my home setup, with just the one external monitor, it happens to have the same resolution as the work laptop's screen so windows move seamlessly between them. Anyhow, the three displays work well for me as they show:
Being able to see all these at once is valuable. It's not as if there isn't scope for more: there is videoconferencing (which may include both participants and slides), terminals running shells, the web browser developer tools, etc. Despite actively closing those I no longer need for a while, with the three monitors I still pile windows atop each other.
- Integrated Development Environment.
- Reference materials: about the software I am developing, the technologies with which I do that, etc.
- Communications status: e-mail, messaging, etc.
Being able to see all these at once is valuable. It's not as if there isn't scope for more: there is videoconferencing (which may include both participants and slides), terminals running shells, the web browser developer tools, etc. Despite actively closing those I no longer need for a while, with the three monitors I still pile windows atop each other.
