A few Measly Steps a Day

The subject line references the title for a book by Bruce Feiler (goodreads take) I think I will get as much out of the comments and reviews as from reading the book.

Afterwards, I felt nudged to connect with someone who might be a big help. I watch stocks and Exchange Traded Funds, and when enough things align I make a trade. It's hard to do while working as markets are open at exactly the same times when I'm needed for work. Who set that up?

Anyhow, I've had good success with biomedical companies working their way through the clinical trials. I once served on an institutional review board for over a year. I'm weakest in the science. BUT, just happens a friend is an oncology nurse on break from the rigors of clinical work. So I approached her for support reviewing the science. She agreed.

Also, just this week workflowy, a site used for planning, organizing, and "second brain" memory, asked for beta testers for something they call Fractal Conversations. We made a pitch.

Excited to adventure with her and see what we discover and if we are picked to try out FC.

Did you get any interesting insights from the coincidence workshop? I'm also interested. I suspect that the big issue with coincidence is whether we notice it or not.
I uploaded the text of "Refuge and Warm Tea" onto the Kindle publisher. Next I need to upload the cover art. (I hope I didn't already post all this.) I bought a photo of a young moose in the snow, wrote the trailer for the back, and my friend is making the cover. Another friend suggested making the cover the inside of a log cabin with a window that looks out onto the moose in the snow. (That may be too difficult.) Meanwhile I have the lazies. I started editing (again) "Through Unfamiliar Waters" and I got bored. I hope I figure out a productive way to spend the next 24 hrs. Probably chores and a lot of yard work will feature prominently.
Re insurance: I Health Net is my primary insurance. They get billed first. And I couldn't get rid of them until open enrollment which is right now. Next comes Medicare, and then my Medicare supplemental. That doesn't kick in until I pay all the deductible. So two insurances are overkill. My plan is to use only the Medicare supplemental, but I do worry about getting *(!*&*@&^ ed if Medicare gets voted out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by delightful Did you get any interesting insights from the coincidence workshop? I'm also interested. I suspect that the big issue with coincidence is whether we notice it or not.

Yes, the insights shared ran along those lines and stories of setting a clear intention and then quickly being in the right place at the right time. The second part, and practicing acting on seeing the connection being the 3rd part.

Not touched on was the other side: clear intention and doing all you can to make something break open for oneself, and nothing works. Like my own case of 300 plus job applications that netted 2 interviews, and then poof, I'm dropped. Being ghosted by companies which seemed interested only the week before.

I feel your struggles with motivation and get-to-it-ness. Before, when the publishers handled all that stuff, writers could sit about anxious and waiting. Now you get to do it all yourself and at times it's not the fire and spark of the actual writing.

Trudge on, it'll get done and on to the next project.

Hey, I'm out of a lot of decades and so face my 70s. Feeling great, eyes and teeth recently checked and more or less stable.

2 more meetings and my official work life is over. Approaching with extreme caution.

Spending the day at a fancy southern foods restaurant and then to the Korean spa to soak & sauna.

Half price for the birthday kid!

My friend can't do the cover art. So I have to find someone who can, or try to do it myself using their template. I'm nervous about hiring someone, as the last person I hired was a con artist. My physical therapy nightmare was that it was going to hurt like crazy and leave me in worse shape than when I started. That hadn't been my experience. The therapy did hurt a bit, but it was manageable, and I could see benefit from what I was doing. Until yesterday.. My pain level shot up, and when she measured my progress, she said that my range of motion had decreased significantly. i.e. my nightmare therapy experience. Slept poorly. Today, thanks to Tylenol and a roll-on topical anesthetic, I finally feel better. I have six treatments left that the insurance has approved. I doubt that they'll approve more given that great evaluation. (sarcastic comment.)

So, today, add a frowny face to my post.

I wish it were warmer outside. I need to prune bushes. (Hopefully without hurting mt stupid shoulder.

D, bummer on the cover art shuffle. Breathe and sense who to approach next.

Today is my last day (maybe) attending an in-person meeting of my career. It's a moving post. So, I think this is it, but ready for one, maybe 2, more.

Oh, man, am I ready for this. Closes out my intuition from my 20's to 30's that my willful disregard for career development would mean I'd work past standard retirement ages. I'm living mere blocks for the center of gay life in NY. My friends are getting sick, some had died already. The governments of the world were doing the chest pounding routines and it looked like they might nuke it out. NY has a lot of angry, easily ticked off people and I might find myself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I accepted the offer. Heya, has it played out. The past 8 years have been the busiest of my life. From 62 to 70.

To follow the song from Hamilton, One Last Time. Today, one last time I show myself, and this organization, how it's done.
So be it.
And so it is.

Hi, R.

I think you'll do okay with retirement. You have a lot of interests. Still, it's an adjustment. And i hate it when friends die. My two cents worth - Don't go nuts about it, but do the thinks you want to do now. Be grateful for everything from a knowledge of the internet to good eyesight (or good glasses.) to people you love.

Me. I'm coming out of the bad mood of yesterday. I think I can do the cover art using Kindle's Cover Creator. Another AFLE (another stupid learning experience)

As for wars, tornados, politics, and other global issues - they suck. I help if I can (not enough) and i send out prayers or good vibes to victims and perpetrators.

Happy Holidays.

Here's hoping my next post includes goo news about my book.

Hi, R.

I think you'll do okay with retirement. You have a lot of interests. Still, it's an adjustment. And i hate it when friends die. My two cents worth - Don't go nuts about it, but do the thinks you want to do now. Be grateful for everything from a knowledge of the internet to good eyesight (or good glasses.) to people you love.

Me. I'm coming out of the bad mood of yesterday. I think I can do the cover art using Kindle's Cover Creator. Another AFLE (another stupid learning experience)

As for wars, tornados, politics, and other global issues - they suck. I help if I can (not enough) and i send out prayers or good vibes to victims and perpetrators.

Happy Holidays.

Here's hoping my next post includes goo news about my book.

Hi threaders.

Anticipated last ditch oblique or obvious tries at getting me to work more. Haha. Nothing doing. Even the exec said "we have an agreement. John's going to work on the next grant. It's not due till the spring." Like I was taking a break or vacation. Nope. "I'm done! D-U-N!"

Time has always been a tussle with me: there's too little of it. Really want retirement from the feelings of work: pressure to perform, the chronic hustle of being self-employed, forms, taxes, insurance, reports, applications, grants to write, dealing with the people sleepwalking while at work.

The idea of this release keep me energized and not-quite-sleeping last nite. Think I'll do better tonite.

G'nite.

I hope you slept well.

My news for the day is the cover art. I found a template that I liked on Kindle's Cover Creator. It had three spaces fore photos - One on the cover and two on the back. I ended up with a great cover except that one of the photo spaces on the back remained blue. The computer showed that it had accepted my photo, but it didn't show on the cover. It's like if you have a photo in word and you position it behind another photo. I tried multiple times to get the photo to the front. I chatted with Kindle, and the tech suggested using a different template. I didn't like any of the other templates, so i finally published it without anything in that space on the back cover. Not professional looking but the best I could do. I'd hire someone, except that after my experience hiring someone to create my website, I'm nervous about hiring someone.
I asked for a proof, and I'll review it first, but it looks like I'll get to publish "Refuge and Warm Tea " in a few days.

That's the interesting part of my day. I'll go spray some weeds and find something to wrap Tom's (husband) present. And maybe hit a couple of other chores. My house looks a shambles. Well, one step shy of a shambles maybe. I'd like to get a few Christmas decorations up but I probably won't get to them today.

Okay, on to the next measly steps.

Congrats on submitting the book, D!

Congrats on starting retirement, R! I am 60 years old, and I'm contemplating what you wrote, "The past 8 years have been the busiest of my life. From 62 to 70." Goodness gracious!

I'm feeling very robust, for the most part. My life and work the past 8 years stressed, tested, confused, and baffled me. Having devoted most of my restorative time to learning about dreams, sleep, natural remedies, and such, I found that deep understanding really helpful and why I was able to endure this marathon.

For example, several areas of my body signal my driver/striver side with an ache, itch, cough, or pain at a mild level when my body had been driven to the brink of illness. I've learned to respond, usually by looking at my calendar and negotiating the minimum time I would need to wrap up enough commitments. I would draw a big circle on my calendar (my symbol for "protect this time"), and sincerely ask if I had the strength to hold on till then. If I didn't, I repeated the process with an earlier time.

That's an excellent strategy, Revu2! I get over four weeks paid leave (160+ hours) every year. I usually take one day every one to three months just to fast and sleep. Then I usually take off nearly all the time that's left over at the end of the year at the end of December. Unused vacation time doesn't carry over into the next year.

Hi, Guys,

Well, the cover looks good, but I found a few errors on the inside. So . . . Hopefully, I'll have it finished - finally - in a day or two. Good luck with your retirements. Happy Holidays, and Merry Ho Ho.

Hey measlies! Joining the ranks of the retired, unofficially. Last planned meeting was Wed, filed my invoices on Thurs, and one project wanted a wrap-up feedback form submitted. All donesville, daddy-o!

Throwback to the lingo of the 50s, when I first crawled this earth. For the past 2 weeks, I've enjoyed a state I would call satori, nirvana, bliss, mellow joy, samadhi, I dunno. Good vibrations?

So, to dull and dampen this flowering of feelings of deliverance, relief, and freedom, I'll draw up a yuck list and start in, or maybe not.

Revu2

Glad you experienced the good vibes!

Finally! "Refuge and Warm Tea" is available in kindle and paperback.

Congrats Ms D on getting your book done and ready to be out there.

Big Whew?

I just did one for you.

Congratulations, delightful! I do like the cover -- that's the cutest moose I've ever seen!