Luke and the Ladies

Blog Yeah, kitt finished writing this at 09:23 on 3 February 2015

"I was going to tease Luke about sitting at a table with all women, and not engaging any of them. You know, Luke and the ladies."

"You're not helping."

The Cold Dish

Book Notes Written with a loving hand by kitt some time around 14:22 on 2 February 2015

I think that Book Riot might be the death of me. I have to admit that "death by books" wouldn't necessarily be the worst way to go, though perhaps being pummeled to death by books might be. In this particular case, the article Five Female Characters Who Are Way More Awesome in Books started off with Katee Sackhoff as Victoria Moretti in Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series. Katee Sackhoff. Starbuck. Sackhoff. In another tough-as-nails role? Yeah, sign me up.

And, holy moly, this book is fun. I came for the character and stayed for the wit. Johnson's writing style is as fun as Butcher's style in the Dresden series. Johnson also has the writing style of showing, not telling. I am a huge fan of this style, and consider it a sign of a better writer. The book is written in first person, and done well. We aren't privy to thoughts of the other characters, but are shown small details, sometimes in odd places, just as we all do in real life.

The book is set in Small Town, Wyoming. I haven't looked up the town or county to see if they actually exist. An unpleasant young-ish man is murdered. While the sheriff (who we follow in the first person) is solving his murder, one of the victim's fellow miscreants is also murdered. The sheriff is now taxed with protecting the victims' other fellow miscreants, while now solving two murders, which are linked. We learn of the sheriff's history in this book, the first of a currently-11 book series, which isn't unusual for a first book.

The supporting characters are entertaining, and yes, Vic is great. I'm looking forward to watching the series. More importantly, I'm excited to read the other 10 books in the series. I've already started book, two.

#books
#longmire
#walt-longmire
#bookreview

Bookstore!

Blog Written with a loving hand by kitt some time around 11:49 on 1 February 2015

"Do you want to go to the bookstore?"

I have no idea why the kid asked me that question. More specifically, I have no idea why it was a question. Do I want to go to a bookstore? Only every single waking moment that my nose isn't in a book do I want to be in a place surrounded by books. Maybe if I were in a library I wouldn't want to be in a bookstore, and that's likely only a maybe. Do I want to go? Sheesh. OF COURSE I WANT TO GO TO A BOOKSTORE. I WILL EVEN GO WITH A SMALL PERSON WHO DOESN'T LOVE BOOKS, I WANT TO GO THAT MUCH.

When I said, "Yes," and stood up, he started giggling. "Why are you laughing?"

"Daddy said you'd say, 'Yes.'"

Yeah, well, the stack of books next to me should have told you yes, too, kid.

The question that maybe he should have asked was, "Why aren't you in the car with C on her drive to Phoenix?" Seriously, THAT is the question I'm asking myself as I hear the wind blowing across the roof, hear the house creaking in response, and see the snow blowing past the front window. Why am I not at this very moment driving west, having spent yesterday driving south?

Commit to Nothing New Today

Blog Posted by kitt at 02:01 on 1 February 2015

This was originally posted on The Pastry Box.

I have this task at the top of my to-do list:

Commit to nothing new today.

I rarely cross it off, as much as I try. My default answer when asked if I can do something, is "Yes." That answer comes from my consulting background, where the answer is always yes: "Yes, we can do that." "Yes, that's possible." "Yes, that's a great idea, let's figure out how to build it." When consulting, time and budget could limit the scope of my completed task list, but they never really limited my to-do list.

Anyone who is a chronic over-committer understands my struggle. The default “yes” answer results in a long, never-finished, ever-growing to-do list that eventually becomes overwhelming to the point where the only possible solution is to burn it in the fireplace, flush its ashes down the toilet, and start again.

In that clean slate moment of starting over, I believe I can keep the next iteration of my to-do list small. First item on that new list is, “Commit to nothing new today.”

As the list starts to grow, I need to remind myself that I have a finite amount of time. Work is never-ending; my life and my free time are not. There is a balance in there, between completing the work I have committed to finishing for my employer, and achieving the non-work goals I have set for myself. That balance requires accepting my limits, setting expectations well, and not adding more tasks to my to-do list.

The most effective tool in my task-adding-gremlins-thwarting toolbox? The question,

"Which of these tasks has the highest priority?"

When I ask this of my clients, it helps remind them their resources are finite and helps them focus on what matters.

When I ask this of my tech-leads and managers, it helps remind them there's one of me. I can work on only one task at a time. I don't always know the ramifications of a missed deadline, but they should if they're adjusting my work day. The question helps them focus on what matters.

When I ask myself, it reminds me to focus on the tasks that matter to me, to add only HELL YEAH-type projects to my to-do list; to recognize when I add an item to the list, I may not have time for it or for a different item already on the list. It helps me resist the busy work that seems to drain the day away.

It helps me focus on what matters.

So, on those rare days I do manage to commit to nothing new ... yeah, well, I'll smile a bit the next day, and add it back to the top of my task list, “Commit to nothing new today.”

#the-pastry-box
#pastry-box

Eying these Confs

Blog Posted by kitt at 06:20 on 31 January 2015

The last year has been one of simplification, vulnerability, contraction, and healing, any one of those causing me to withdraw into myself, much more all three of them. One of the most obvious results of that withdrawing from the world is that I'm going to fewer conferences this year than I had been in previous years, speaking or attending.

Despite that, there are a number of conferences I believe I would enjoy attending, even if I am unable to attend for time, financial or emotional reasons. The ones open in my tabs currently:

The few I am going to this year, (so far, anyway, maybe more will be planned in the future, when I get my groove back) are:

#conferences
#2015

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