Monday, December 31, 2012

What I'm looking forward to...

I don't really do a lot of New Year's resolutions or anything like that, but I definitely like to re-evaluate life from time to time. Especially during times of great change, which seem to fall at the end of the year a lot for some reason... Anyway, as I've been thinking about what I want next year to look like, it helped to think about what I wish I had done more of in the last year.

To me, this photo (taken by my friend Lisa Fett) says it all: I want to make more music in 2013.


I knew that taking over Musical Family Tree this year would probably require me to step back from music a little in a creative sense. In order to more completely evaluate what other musicians in Indiana were doing, I wanted to remove myself a bit as a performer and become more of a spectator. I still made music when I could, but I found myself with less and less time to do it.

In some ways, playing music (not to mention, writing it, recording it, and compelling others to check it out) is exhausting, but it's also always been one of my best ways to relieve stress and get some feelings out in the open. So I hope to never stop, and I realize I may have to put some real planning and scheduling into it to make it work out. 

Whether with Beer or Everything, Now! or any other project, I want to get back into the creative process. I want to make new statements, create exciting compositions - making music has always kind of been what keeps me going, so it was tough to have less time for music this year. However, going forward, scheduling time to do the things I'm really passionate about will have to be a bigger priority. I work hard and I love the local music scene, so I think this will largely be a positive way to get deeper into something that means a lot to me.


***

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: What are you looking forward to the most about the next 365 days?

Sunday, December 30, 2012

New Goal, First Step


Just in case I haven't made this clear through mild bitching all over my blog lately, I've been pretty busy. Like crazy busy. Like if I was Homer Simpson, I'd be making the face in the picture... But I do feel like I'm getting better at handling stress. I don't know. Some days are better than others for sure.

One of my current goals in terms of stress reduction is to schedule more time off from work. My schedule fluctuates a lot, which is necessary to the type of work I do. For MFT, I go to a lot of shows, and I'm a musician, so I'm used to being up late. My SmallBox work has also grown more demanding, and I don't expect it to slow down (Think Kit has kept me especially busy with daily activity - only one day left!). I'm in the office a lot more, working with others, attending meetings, juggling a full schedule. It's interesting that I finally have a job where time off is acceptable and even expected, but I haven't managed to give myself many breaks at all.

So yeah, a new goal for me is to actually make plans to turn the computer off, to tell my coworkers and colleagues that I'm not working, make one of those irritating instant e-mail reply thingies, and do something totally relaxing/productive while I can. My wife and I have lots of work to do on our house. It's been forever since I've taken time off work and just recorded music. It's been years since I've been on tour with a band (although I'm still not convinced I'm ready to live that way again, even for a couple weeks). I love to read books, but I give myself less time than ever to read. There are tons of little things I could be doing!

All of this tells me that I have to get serious about "me time" when I can. Work is great, but it's still work, and that's not the same as pleasure. I realize most of these feelings come from all the daily maintenance involved in Think Kit and MFT admin duties, but life will always keep me overwhelmed and anxious if I let it. It's up to me to take deliberate steps toward reducing stress and enjoying my private time.

So what's the first step? January 1st, 2013, the day after Think Kit ends, I'm taking the full day to myself. Everyone and everything else can wait, and due to that being a holiday, no one will really even care. But I will. And it's gonna be nice - hopefully the first of many hard-earned scheduled breaks from work in the coming year.

***

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: What's one step you can take to support a goal you have for 2013?

New Skill

Catching up because I missed yesterday's post. If it's any consolation, it was because I was working on this giant year-end blog post for MFT and the accompanying playlist. I also got to see The Gizmos play live, which was totally rad for real...

Anyway, a new skill I would like to develop next year would be working with Photoshop or a similar program for editing and enhancing images. If you haven't noticed, I make some very bootleg images on this blog and the MFT blog. I like my images to be a little raw or lo-fi, but I also want to learn to make things look better. Pretty much all I do right now is edit the images in Word, which is pretty goofy I know.

(A prime example of my delightfully stupid design work)
I always like to make sure that I maintain my personality and authenticity in everything I create, but I also don't want to sacrifice quality. As I learn to do things in a more conventional or skillful way, I'm sure I'll continue to break certain rules of design or taste, which may make my work unique. I'm not a graphic designer, and I don't really plan to become one. But I definitely love to make a lot of different things, including images. And picking up a little skill training probably wouldn't hurt!

See? Progress.

***

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Yesterday's prompt: What new skill do you want to add to your repertoire in 2013?


Friday, December 28, 2012

Do you really want to know?

Not only am I taking the easy way out tonight with a lifeline topic (What are you wearing? What makes it uniquely you?), I'm probably also half-assing my entire blog post. Had another exhausting day, followed by a rather long record club party, so yeah, I'm beat.

Anyway, it's after midnight, and I'm wearing my favorite uniform for extreme relaxation. Loose plaid sleep pants, big ass flannel robe/housecoat thing, and white T-shirt. Oh comfort, you really are my friend. Also, I'm wearing underwear, boxers, but I'm not sure if that detail is really necessary - probably should have left it out. Oh well. I named this post "Do you really want to know?" so like, you probably would have stopped there if there was any chance that you didn't want to know all there is to know.

This outfit is not 100% "uniquely me," because I guess everybody has their own clothes for ultimate relaxation. I don't really sleep in pants or a robe, but they are warm and heavy and soft, so they get me in the right mood to go to sleep. So, in some ways, I guess these clothes are "uniquely me" because I'm the one wearing them. Does that answer suck?

And now that you know what I'm wearing, I've done my Think Kit duties for the day, and I'm going to bed. Good night.

***

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s lifeline topic: What are you wearing? What makes it uniquely you?

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Think Kit Day 27! (special event)

It's hard for me to pick a favorite event from this year, because I remember having several that felt like favorites. Anyway, why pick just one when I can just hang onto as many as possible?! I know I should give more details too, but I'm just too tired out right now. At least this will mean something to me :)

Here's a brief list of some memorable events from this year:
  • MFT's 8th Birthday Party at the Speak Easy
  • Indy Vintage and Antique Market at Glendale Mall
  • SmallBox's 24 Hour Web Project 
  • MFT's New Music Showcase at Radio Radio
  • Vulgar Boatmen show at Mediumship
  • Gary War at Mediumship
  • Cataracts Festival in Fountain Square
  • Dr. Ray live cover set at Broad Ripple Music Fest (Za Upper Room)
  • Woodsist Fest (Big Sur, California)
  • SXSW (Austin, TX) Man, I saw so many good acts at that fest...

I know there were lots of other memorable nights (including Tonic Ball, my 5th Anniversary, and the first night I slept in my new house because the lights on my vehicle had gone out), but we'll just call that some sort of top ten and leave it there... It's late; I'm tired; it's been a long year (and month with all these blog posts, sigh). 

Needless to say I went to tons of great shows and parties. But sometimes my favorite event in the world is to crawl into bed and sleep like a stone.

***

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: What event stood out for you this year? Where was it? who was there? what did it look like?

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

My self portrait

My wife and I stayed home yesterday, so today's monstrous blizzard was pretty inconvenient. We were fortunate to not have to travel much for the holidays this year, but by today we were both ready to go out and do things.

Only problem? The blizzard. We did end up getting out and visiting a friend, going to the grocery, and checking out the condition of the roads (pretty darn bad, but not impossible - just had to be extra careful). But it was definitely a task to get the driveway shoveled and the car to the road.

Anyway, here's my self-portrait of what our battle against nature might have looked like today... I'm the one on the left, not the monster, ya' jerk!


***

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: Draw a self portrait. Get as abstract or as real as you like.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Photo of the year

Today's prompt asked me to think of a photo from this year that highlights thankfulness and finding peace, and this is what immediately came to mind:


Definitely not the best picture I've ever taken - it's blurry, kind of dark, just randomly shot on my cell phone. A couple months ago, I was home by myself for a couple days, and I took a walk around the yard. As you can tell, it was the height of fall: red leaves, pumpkins, nice sunset colors, still a little greenery...

Buying this house was a crazy process, and somewhat stressful for my wife and me. I definitely spent the first few weeks in the house terrified about all the things that might be wrong with it.

Over time though, I've settled in. And the house, property, wildlife, etc. give me the peace I have always sought in a place to call home. It's amazing, and I'm thankful every day to live here. I hope that we will always stay dedicated to keeping and improving our home and the surrounding land. We'll have to work hard, and we know it, but considering the beauty and spirit of this place, I think it'll all be worth it.

***

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: Share a photo from your year that highlights giving, thankfulness, traditions or finding peace.


Monday, December 24, 2012

What I'm grateful for

So I'm sitting here watching A Christmas Story with my wife, preparing some snacks and waiting for her parents and brother to come over tonight for some food and family time. Figured I could answer today's prompt very quickly.


If you've been reading my Think Kit posts at all (not sure why you are, but I'm sure somebody is!), none of this will come as much of a surprise to you...

The things for which I'm the most grateful this year are (in no specific order): my wonderful, sweet wife and best friend Abby; a job that I am truly passionate about at an organization that I take a great deal of pride in (MFT); a boss and a work culture that challenge me to grow on an almost daily basis (Jeb and SmallBox); a beautiful home in a city I'm really growing to love (Indianapolis); a lot of awesome friends I enjoy being around whenever possible; some bands and bandmates that still mean the world to me even though I know I act like a complete jerk sometimes; etc., etc. The list could go on (my cats, a working car, way more food than a man needs to survive, a ridiculously oversized LP collection, that kind of stuff), but for now I'll leave it there.

I'm truly thankful for my life. Sometimes, it's necessary to focus on the things you'd like to improve too, but at this time of family, friends, and reflection, I'm glad to take stock of all the things that make me love the life I have. Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays!

***


This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: What are you grateful for this year?

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Take a walk (or just a journey?)

I love where I live, but it isn't really in a neighborhood. It's a farm-style property next to a similar property with another house on it, set on a busy road, right across the road from a large state park. So I can't really walk around the neighborhood per se, but I love walking around my property and the surrounding area (the park and nearby nature trails are awesome). However, today I wasn't able to do much of that kind of walking around.

I had a really late show last night and a rather exhausting week before that, so I slept in pretty late today. Instead of taking a walk and noticing things, my wife and I decided to take a "journey" around Indianapolis for some last-minute holiday food shopping. 

We were happy to discover that there wasn't a lot of traffic between our house and Goose the Market, where we bought an insane assortment of sausages, cheeses, prosciutto, and lamb bacon for some upcoming family holiday meals, as well as a little late lunch. The sandwich called The Goose is in-freaking-credible: just prosciutto, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil on a warm baguette, but amazing in its simplicity and abundance of flavor.

This place is THE JAM.
So yeah, can't wait to eat all that awesome food. As for what I noticed while I was there, I noticed a ton of happy people buying delicious locally-made food, coffee, gelato, deli meats, specialty pate, etc. I noticed a lot of pride in the staff and the customers - it's the kind of place everyone is glad to be a involved with. It makes our city special, and it makes me wish there were more places like it. The shop was fully staffed for the holidays, and the employees were friendly, helpful, and courteous. I've been a bit grouchy and stressed out this holiday season, but I definitely felt a friendly, festive mood in the air.

I noticed the same thing when we stopped at Kroger on the way home to grab a few more ingredients for our impending feasts. Even though the entire store was jam-packed with people, everyone seemed to be a little nicer, happier, less guarded and angry than usual. Maybe I'm just projecting my own feelings after finally getting a break from a very full schedule. And even if I don't always love to shop, I've recently been enjoying it a little more than I used to. And I'm definitely ready to enjoy the next few days of food, rest, and relaxation.

***

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: Take a break this afternoon and walk around the neighborhood, what do you notice?

Saturday, December 22, 2012

A day off (finally)

Well folks, I guess I failed. I'm not writing a Think Kit post today. Not even taking a lifeline. I should probably be ashamed of myself since I'm basically running the whole Think Kit operation. But I don't feel too bad about it really. It's already been an awesome, thought-provoking month. And I am still blogging about something, even if this post is really just about not blogging today.

So yeah, the prompt is: "Mind map a project you want to tackle in 2013" and I'm just not going to do it. If you're super disappointed, consider this post my anti-mind map, my refusal to think about the future or be extra creative today.

Perhaps I should explain instead of just acting like a dick. We had about 20 people from my wife's extended family over for Christmas lunch today. I have a Golden Moses DJ show tonight in Muncie. When I haven't been blogging, tweeting for Think Kit, or working at SmallBox this week, I've been using every possible moment to either clean up the house and get ready for today or to work on my set for my show tonight. So I'm a busy man! I got no time for making plans; I've got a life to live!

Hopefully everyone understands. We all just need a day off sometimes. And yeah, I guess yesterday's post was a bit of a cheap copout too. But look, I ended up writing a pretty long posts both days anyway. No wonder they call this the Think Kit "challenge."

Ahhh, when will I ever stop working myself to death? Maybe tomorrow? :)

Friday, December 21, 2012

My new mantra

It's kind of hard for me to pick a mantra to guide me next year. I was very into Emerson's famous "trust thyself" for a while, and I'll always keep it in mind. But I've been thinking about a lot of different mantra-ish topics frequently. Lately I've realized I need to improve my ability to adapt to changes, so "adapt to the changes" could be a good mantra. Or maybe one that I used to be better at enacting: "be positive." Another one that gets me pumped is "I've got the power," which also happens to be a timeless jam.

Of course, "eat more chocolate" isn't a bad one either. Yeah, let's go with that.



***

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: Write a mantra for the year ahead - how you'll approach it, what you wish it to be. How'd you arrive at the mantra?

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Who made a difference?

There were a lot of people who made a difference for me this year. My wife, my boss, my new coworkers. Friends, bandmates, venue owners, show sponsors, film directors - that's right, I'm impacted even by people I don't know in real life.

However, I think the person who made the biggest difference is actually a group of people: Indiana musicians. I know that's cheating a little, but let me have this one. I've been fortunate to spend my year writing about local music, going to shows, making new friends, and learning as much as I can about Indiana's rich musical history. I love working with Musical Family Tree, and I seriously hope I never have to stop. 


Because we're a nonprofit, MFT isn't out to make money off of bands. We would love to have more money coming in to the organization of course (probably to fund more projects and events!), but that may take some time to figure out. We want to show community support, to help musicians get good shows when possible, to encourage them to create and perform more music. In the past I think I was more absorbed in my own musical projects, to the point that I didn't always pay attention to all the great bands around me, but I've gained a lot of respect for all the musicians out there trying to make shit happen. 

I think of all DIY musicians as a big weird family, and even the parts of the scene I know nothing about matter a great deal to me. In fact, I wish I had even more time to devote to listening and talking about local music. I want to go to venues I've never visited and hear new bands with original sounds. I also still feel like I've only heard a tiny percentage of MFT's archive, and we're always adding more stuff!

Indiana has tons of amazing talent, and I want it to be recognized. This is one of the places that has made me who I am, and I'm finally starting to understand why people say they want to "give back" to their communities. I love this city and this state, and all the crazy people in it who are passionate about music.

***

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: Who made a difference for you this year?

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Classic question...

Today is day 19 of Think Kit, and the prompt is: "If money, time or other commitments were no obstacle in 2013, what would you do?"

It kinda helped me to look back at my pie chart post from day 11. I think it goes without saying that if money or time were not factors, I would do way more writing, recording, and performing music. I used to do this a lot more than I have this year, and as frustrating as being a musician can be, it's also really fun and rewarding in certain ways. I would love to have more time for music, and I hope to make more time for it.

But that's not all. I would definitely want to spend more time working on my house, fixing things, cleaning, organizing things, designing spaces, working with my wife more on shaping our home. We've done some of this, but we know we'll have plenty of time to do more. And hopefully in the spring we'll do some gardening, landscaping, maybe try to raise some chickens or something. I would also love to travel more, especially to visit other countries. Hey I'd be happy just to go back to the ones I've already visited!

I think I would also try to hang out with some friends more. There are some people I see at shows a lot, and a few that I get to hang out with pretty regularly on other occasions, but I would really like to make more time for other people in my life. I'd like to see more of the people I already get to see, but I'd like to hang out with people that I never hang out with too. I think it gets harder to "make friends" as you get older because you already have a routine or certain commitments that take up your time.

And of course, if money and time were really not issues at all, I would build a porcelain guitar with laser beam strings that I could play while chilling in my olympic-pool-sized hot tub, eating popcorn chicken that falls out of a vent in the ceiling. I mean, this is all a fantasy right?

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Nicing my wife

Heh heh, "nicing my wife" sounds kinda dirty, but it's what I did. She's my favorite person, and today being a mostly "work from home" (and "run errands like crazy") kind of day for me, I wasn't sure who else I would even see, so I went with a direct plan to do something nice for my lady.

It helped that she was out of town all day, so I was able to plot in her absence. I had a pretty busy day, but at 6:30, after my latest meeting, I stopped at a few stores to pick up some things I knew Abby would be excited about. This included going to Wal-Mart, which is always nutty, but at this time of year we tend to avoid it like the plague. But Abby's been wanting those cinnamon chips that are like chocolate chips but cinnamon flavored (for baking some treat I know I'll get to share), and Wal-Mart was the last place she hadn't looked. I knew she didn't really wanna go there, so I braved the Holiday crowd alone. It actually wasn't too bad.

So, with a couple exceptions (the ice cream and frozen food of course), this is the display my wife came home to tonight after visiting some of her family all day in northern Indiana:


I know the photo is pretty blurry, so here's a list (left to right): Bailey's Irish Cream Holiday box (with glasses - these packages are super cheap and the glasses are basically like free; we get one almost every Xmas), treat containers, Toblerone chocolate bar, marinara sauce (to go with the mozzarella sticks of course), flowers (stuck in an empty growler), Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA, Graeter's mint chocolate ice cream (I actually like this more than she does, but she's picky about ice cream), the highly-sought-after Hershey's cinnamon baking chips, and a bag of frozen mozzarella sticks. Not too bad eh?

And all the smiles I got in return were totally worth it! I think I made her feel extra special. Also, I should add I know this was way over the top - we've just kind of already gotten most of what we wanted this year, and we've talked about just getting some booze and food and stuff like that for Christmas this year... So that's why I went with all this junk food, liquor, and candy (not because that's all my wife likes! haha).

***


This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: Nice someone. Write about what you did.


Monday, December 17, 2012

A little lost


Travel can be rewarding because it forces me outside of my comfort zone. Don't get me wrong; I love comfort, and the older I get, the more I find myself resisting change or new adventures, if only because I want to "relax" or "be comfortable." But when I'm on a trip, even if it's just a short drive out of town for a night, I'm forced to confront a real and dangerous world that I can't always control. I can't shut myself away or rely on habit and routine to determine what I'll do. I have to go outside, to get a little lost and try figuring out where I am. I have to learn and adapt to situations. And it's kind of thrilling.

This year, I recall a nervous, anxious sensation that was somehow also gratifying and pleasant, if not entirely comfortable. This was different than just anxiety or a panic attack (although I've had to work around those things a little as well, even on vacations), and it usually happened when I was away from home, in some entirely new surrounding, taking in the world instead of trying to tune it out. I feel like those moments end up sticking with us as life goes by. I'm glad that my wife Abby generally enjoys traveling, and the trips that we've taken together tend to produce some of my favorite memories ever. So even when travel causes me some stress or anxiety, I usually cherish the feeling of letting go of my normal life for a few days.

Picture by Tucker Nichols
The first time we drove out to look at our new house, before we ever even considered buying it, I started to feel lost right as we turned a curve that reveals the property - like "no, we've got to be in the wrong place." That's probably one of my favorite things about where we live now. I felt a little lost this year visiting San Francisco and other parts of California with Abby. Our friend Justin lives in SF, and he took us everywhere he possibly could in one day. On that same trip, we visited Monterrey and Big Sur for Woodsist Fest. Staring up at huge redwoods while listening to psych-folk can definitely make you feel lost in a good way. 

I also got that feeling visiting this odd barnyard animal rescue farm in Georgia a few weeks ago with our friends Ty and Anna Belle, who had recently wed and moved back to Georgia from Colorado (another amazing place where I got that "good lost" feeling a few times). A couple weeks ago, we visited our friends Corey and Kate for a pop-up art show and visit to their new property in Gary/Miller Indiana, another example of getting out to a different and interesting place. I guess we had friends on a lot of these journeys, but it was still nice to be in a completely new environment, even for a short time.

My wife and I took another trip earlier this year to celebrate our 5th Anniversary... I don't even remember the details exactly, but I know it was somewhere in Florida - some rather small coastal town with only a couple of main streets. We stayed in a weird little bungalow duplex, and overall we had a great time. It's funny that I can't even remember the name of the city, but I distinctly recall seeing lizards, eating tacos, visiting a sushi restaurant, and drinking microbrew in a tiny shop where several locals raged and ranted for a few hours. Like many of my memories, some important pieces fall away and I'm not even sure where I was, but I enshrine those golden moments anyway and keep their distorted images in my head for as long as possible.

So yeah, I like to go away sometimes. I like to be at home, but I really do enjoy taking trips. It can be fun. But more than that, traveling and wondering around can make me more aware. And getting a little lost definitely makes me appreciate the relative comfort and safety that I usually take for granted.

***

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: Share a time that you got lost this year, whether you didn't know where you were or you were working on a project or activity so fiercely that you lost all sense of time and place. Did you learn anything?

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Always learning

I think it's safe to say that I'm constantly learning new things and re-learning ones that I probably shouldn't have to re-learn. There are general lessons that present themselves frequently: things like "don't be an asshole," or "be thankful for what you have," or "you never know when you will die." That kind of stuff is persistent, and I could probably list a million of those lessons, but it's kind of pointless. When it comes to how to live, or the way a person should act, or how to be yourself, I think everyone has to learn in their own way and at their own pace. Each day reveals some nugget of truth that one can choose to apply or disregard, and I'm constantly struggling to grasp the lessons that will really improve my life.

Anyway, let's leave that heavy shit aside for today. I want to explore the specific skills and tasks that have brought me genuine learning this year, because I think there are a lot of them. My new job and other changes in my life have directly contributed to my learning, and I want to take stock. Even when I failed at completing a task or when I had to adapt a skill to my own abilities instead of learning it the "correct" way, I feel like some genuine learning took place. So here are a few new skills I picked up in 2012:

- Reviewing vinyl records for sound quality alone; not based on artistic merit but pressing quality only

- Running a Kickstarter campaign

- Filing for 501c3 nonprofit status (on something of a hiatus; I consider this one to be mostly a failure, but damn I had to learn a lot to even attempt it)

- Booking and managing shows and other events; I've always played a lot of shows but resisted taking ownership of them - this is still challenging, but sometimes I actually enjoy it!

- Using garageband to record podcasts, mix songs, etc.



- Using a Roland sampler (like the one pictured above) - mostly for Golden Moses recordings/shows

- Setting up and managing a bank account for a nonprofit organization

- Being the director for a nonprofit organization (!! - this is still totally scary and overwhelming at times)

- Negotiating promotion deals / trades with sponsors, labels, businesses etc. (still want to get better at this, but every experience helps me improve)

- Editing photos/images on a computer (again, a long way to go on this one, but I expect to learn more)


- Setting up and managing band accounts on MFT (believe it or not I largely left this to others in my band in the past)

- The entire process of finding and purchasing a house (including mortgage, inspection, etc., don't even want to think about all of it, but it required lots of personal growth)

- How to navigate a constantly changing/growing work environment (SmallBox is innovative and pretty fast-paced; Jeb always keeps me alert and ready for new challenges)

- How to take some time for myself and do almost nothing (maybe some reading, TV, or whatever; but really, being completely unproductive for a couple hours is exactly what I need to do)

- Managing a calendar (actually, multiple calendars; not saying I'm great at it, but definitely learning)

- Scheduling time for creative pursuits (used to just write and record music whenever I wanted; life now requires me to be much more proactive about making time for music and art)



- Learning how to play Backgammon (and a few other games; my wife and I try to play a game of some sort at least once a week, just to hang out together; usually ends up being Tetris, but also cards, chess, backgammon, Yahtzee, etc)

***


This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: What new things did you learn this year?



Saturday, December 15, 2012

My handwritten tweet


I really love having a busy life and a job I can be passionate about. But I can get stressed out when there's a lot going on, and I love to have occasional "days off." My wife Abby and I have both been really busy lately, and she was gone out of town on business for a few days earlier this week. It feels like forever since we've had an actual "day off" together (even though I know Thanksgiving wasn't too long ago).

Today, Abby and I did some chores, cleaned up the house, cooked and ate together, took care of some errands, hung out, listened to music, and generally enjoyed being around each other. Since she doesn't use twitter and I had to create a "handwritten tweet" today for Think Kit, I decided to write my tweet to Abby. It's short and sweet, but it says exactly what I want to tell her. 

It's been a good day, and I love how easy this prompt was.

***


This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: Handwrite a tweet to a friend. What's it look like?

Friday, December 14, 2012

On the topic of listening...

I love to listen to music. I love to listen to a good story. Sometimes I like to listen to NPR, but I definitely "zone out" and stop listening very easily. The same thing can happen in conversations, or meetings, lectures, speeches - almost any situation where I should be paying attention.

I probably shouldn't reveal this, but there are times when it's very easy for me to get distracted and stop listening when people are talking to me. I have some techniques for paying attention, such as taking notes when I need to, actively responding while listening, making eye contact and affirming that I understand. I work hard to listen and absorb what someone is telling me. But think about it - when are we not having to listen to someone?

In our world of constant sound and non-stop electronic communication, it's increasingly rare to not have to listen at all. I realize that I can ramble or rant just like anyone else, but lately I have made a conscious effort lately to pay more attention (as challenging as it can be), to listen more effectively, and to keep my mouth shut when I don't have anything to say. It definitely helps to try suppressing the voice in your head that's telling you what to say next. Just push your distracting thoughts aside and pay attention to the person talking.


The prompt is "When was the last time you listened to somebody?," which would be a few minutes ago when I was having a conversation with a co-worker. A more challenging question might be, "When was the last time you enjoyed some silence?" It's hard to stop talking, to be comfortable around others when no one is talking, to turn off music, turn off computers and cell phones, and listen to the sounds of the rest of the world: cars driving by, birds singing, wind blowing leaves around, a snippet of someone else's conversation you can't understand without context. It usually seems like the world around us and its many sounds make us so uncomfortable that we constantly try to drown them out with our own noises.

Even though I know that my listening skills have a long way to go, especially when the topic or conversation isn't especially interesting, I'm taking this prompt as a challenge to find more "listening breaks." How constructive and relaxing would it be to enjoy total silence from time to time, no conversation or noise? Then maybe I can do a better job quieting and sorting out the roaring thoughts in my own head. And maybe, if I'm able to take some sound breaks, I'll become better at listening when I need to.

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This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox 
Today’s prompt: Listening — when was the last time you listened to someone, where, why?