Thoughts & Tips for April 2020

Photo by Steve Holden. MORE LIKE THIS!

CHANGE OF PLANS?!?

Since last months update, the world has really changed!

COVID-19 has interrupted all of us in an unprecedented level, and caused us all to pivot, change, and adapt to a new normal.

My pivot and those around me seem to be headed in the right direction.  We are all healthy.  I am able to telework 95% of the time.  Christy is teleworking full-time, and Conrad & Spencer are doing all their college classes online.  Carson is supposed to start back to high-school online around April 20th.

My heart goes out to anyone who has lost a loved one, lost their job, or are currently sick. Peace be with you! If you need anything from me (including prayers), then please let me know.

TECHNOLOGY AND TIPS

REPEAT FROM LAST MONTH -- Some great tips here on how to correctly wash your hands! [REDDIT]

This video - A Trip Through New York City in 1911 (on YouTube) - is interesting to watch.

I have found what I think is a unique feature in the Apple Clock iOS application.  Instead of a alarm or an alert that happens after a timer is finished, you can scroll all the way down the list of alarms, and choose the option to 'stop playing audio.'  This is cool because if you start a timer and then a music playlist, you will know when your time is done when your iPad or iPhone stops playing music.  Very cool for early morning workouts!

Speaking about workouts.  With the local YMCAs closed I haven't been able to swim laps, so I moved to biking using this trainer that I picked up when it looked like the YMCA was going to close in early March.  I also got this iPad stand for watching cycling videos on YouTube while stationary riding in the morning before telework.  This is only two days a week (usually Tue and Thu), the other days I am running or actually biking in the real world (usually on Sun).  I really miss swimming and might need to get my tri-wetsuit on and just swim around in the backyard pool sooner than later.

SOME OF THE STUFF I THOUGHT I'D BE DOING BUT ARE NOT DOING NOW

• I have had to postponed by April David Allen Getting Things Done (GTD) class at work until June.  May is still on the books but time will tell.  The DC course I was planning also for April is TBD.   I am working getting permission to teach virtually but that is still in the works.
• We weren't able to see John Lloyd Young or go to Joshua Tree.
• Carson and Christy both had very small family birthday parties.

THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO

• On April 9th, Christy and I will be celebrating our 26th wedding anniversary.  I got the better part of this deal!
• More Dungeons & Dragons!  Yes back to some D&D! We are playing at home with me being Dungeon Master (DM) with Christy, Carson, and Spencer adventuring.  And I've re-connected with some great friends from high school, and we are going to start playing online.  It should be very fun.  I did go all in though and buy the latest books & gear: DM Guide, Player Guide, Monster Manual, and DM Screen.
• I recently picked up a Rocketbook re-usable notebook for my daily journaling.  I mostly did it because I'd like to digital archive them for reflection later.  And I do like journaling with a pen than typing in a computer.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

QUOTE I'M THINKING ABOUT

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as if nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is." - Albert Einstein