❄️ There's snow doubt about it
Ep 70: Taking stock of your effectiveness, move-in weekend in Boston, and better late than never when it comes to the weather.
Well, there’s winter, which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Hadestown, spoken by Hermes to Persephone in Livin’ It Up On Top:
And you're late again
Better late than never, am I right?
A Tip for the Modern Worker
Make time to take stock. Need to demonstrate your effectiveness to someone, even if that's just you? Take stock of your accomplishments at a set interval: the end of the workweek is as good a time as any. Set a recurring reminder in your calendar and document the important things. The more quantifiable, the better. Do you have a formal review at the end of the year? Good. Your documentation will be invaluable as you paint a comprehensive picture of your work.
This tip is one of 365 in my Handbook for the Modern Worker. Every Friday, I carve out a half hour to take stock of my weekly accomplishments. I add items to a document that, by the end of the year, helps me remember what I did, and helps to paint a picture of the year’s arc of accomplishments. It’s a heck of a lot easier than trying to remember it all 10 months later!
#365DayDraw
I drew this and wrote the accompanying annotation as part of my #365DayDraw project 7 years ago today.
Endless swim lane at sunset
Ah, January 2016 marked the beginning of my second journey – Level 2 – through Total Immersion. It helped me become a much better, more efficient swimmer.
Commentary
It was unseasonably warm in upstate New York up until New Year’s, but then winter temperatures arrived in force. During a run the first week of January, my son remarked, “Now it feels like Christmas.” The few inches of the white stuff here and there did make things feel a bit more festive. Less “upstate New York brown” and more snow globe, I say. We missed the opportunity to do some cross-country skiing during the break, thanks to the late arrival of any appreciable snow.
That all changed this weekend. Forecasters called for a nor’easter to blanket New England, which would normally be just fine. But we had to drive Xander back to Boston for his spring semester, which given the weather was less than fine. The forecast shifted throughout the week but in the end, our plan was sound: we’d go first to the first Winter Chill race of the eponymous FLRC series and then drive to Boston, giving time for the roads to clear.
Yesterday’s Winter Chill 5K was canceled due to poor road conditions in Ithaca. Hopefully, the snow will stick around for the next 3 opportunities to run with friends! It is kind of the point, you know? The drive to Boston was as smooth as could be expected, plow operators had done a great job clearing snow from the NYS Thruway and Mass Pike, and last night’s stay a few blocks away from Xander’s residence hall was downright relaxing.
This morning’s move-in went smoothly as well. Xander is an RA this semester so we were able to move him in before all of the other students returned. That was luxurious. Now we’re headed back home, to less snow than Boston has, but we’ll take what we can get for now.
Alas, it’s not yet enough to ski comfortably on, so please send more.
Miscellanea
The Gummy Bear Song was a frequent presence in our house last week, and it’s quite an ear worm. It has 3bn+ plays on YouTube and has quite the viral history. I’m sorry, and you’re welcome. Enjoy!