Category: post

Busy day ahead. Exciting. Yet, lots of little details to wrangle. I’ll explain…

Today will start like most weekdays. Beatrix will awake at about an hour before she is supposed to. I will hear her call for me on the monitor. I’ll stumble down the hallway to her room where will will have a short but important negotiation that will end up with me, as usual, allowing her to read books quietly in her room until it is actually time to get up. This will be indicated by a nightlight that turns into a sun at exactly 7:00am. When this occurs and only when this occurs, is she to come down the hall and wake me. She will agree. I’ll stumble back to bed.

At 7:00am on the dot she will come into my bedroom and announce that the sun is on. I will get up, go downstairs with her, get a show started on the media center, start the coffee, fix her breakfast, feed the dog and cats, and make her school lunch. In that order. I will then go sit with her as she watches the show.

Bethany will come down stairs shortly there after. She will apologize for not being down sooner and blame it on the cats attacking her and needing attention (yes, this occurs every morning). She will then pour us our coffee. A half cup for herself because she likes it piping hot and she can’t drink a full cup more than half way before it has cooled beyond her liking. She will pour a full cup for me and put just under a tablespoon of sugar in mine.

Once the show is over we will all get dressed, I will brush Beatrix’s hair, and help get the two of them out the door. Bethany usually takes Beatrix to school. On any other Monday we would then both get on with our days. Regular meetings and client appointments. The freelancer’s life.

But, today will be different. You see, Beatrix will turn five years old this upcoming Saturday. We know our time is quickly running out. The time when she still believes in make believe. And Princesses. And fairies. And witches. And magic. And good guys winning. And baddies being bad but not so bad that you will have nightmares about them because the good guys always win anyways and she is a Princess (capital “P”) too and the fairies will keep her from having nightmares anyway because, you know, that is their job.

So, today we will return and pack her bags. We have already secretly packed ours. Normally, on Mondays, Bethany’s Aunt Janet picks Beatrix up early from school and takes her to music class. Today, Jan is picking us up first. We will load up the car with the bags and go to school to pick up Beatrix as planned. Jan will go in to get her and bring her out to the car.

Now, when she gets to the car and sees Mommy and Daddy inside, I expect Beatrix will ask, “Are you guys coming with me to music class today?”

At which point we will tell her.

No, honey. We aren’t going to music class today…

We’re going to Disney World!

P.S. I will, of course, try to keep up with the daily posting here, even if it’s just a picture of my favorite little girl enjoying a moment she, all too soon, will be too old to ever appreciate the same way again.

Growing up I must have listened the the original cast recording of Jesus Christ Superstar hundreds, if not thousands, of times. In fact, I actually remember wearing out my mother’s original copy and her getting me a replacement for a birthday present one year (likely age 7 or 8). It remains one of my favorite albums of all time. I still know every single word and can sing it, every part, from beginning to end.

The film version is also brilliant. Directed by Norman Jewison and staring Ted Neeley as Jesus and Carl Anderson as Judas. Two more perfect actors could not have been found for these roles. Judas especially as the Broadway production started Ben Vereen in the role (for which he won a Tony). I believe Carl Anderson to be the better singer for this particular role that calls for a mixture of fear, anger, and love in the tone. I love too the film’s unspoken opening premise of a bunch of hippies getting off of a bus in the middle of Israel to stage a modern day passion play.

Seriously, I could go on for a very long time about this musical. My mother is an actress and director so I grew up with a deep love and respect for musicals in general and this one particularly. It excels on just about every level one can measure. For now, the video above I hope is evidence enough for you to see the film if you have not already. In my opinion, one can never have too much heaven on their minds.

(via Mr. Mann, who managed to point out a piano gaffe I had not ever noticed before but now will not ever be able to un-hear.)

On |brief|referrer|ffyzr
those occasions when I have the foresight to sit down and do a clear and comprehensive capture and review of all of my commitments, one of my favorite exercises is one I have come to call “What’s Broken?”. The process is this:

1. Grab your capture tool of choice (I prefer pen and paper).
2. Go to a room in your home.
3. Look around and ask yourself “What’s Broken?”. Broken can mean many things, from “The layout of this room is not working as well as it could.” to “I need to sort through the stack of papers on that table.” to “Need to replace the lighbulb.” Get everything, from big tasks to small ones. The point is to capture as many items that grab your attention in one sitting and get them into a system of action you trust so that those things are not niggling you each time you enter the room (subconscious or otherwise).
4. Repeat for each room.

This works great and I always feel a lot more on top of things having simply quantified them. I can then set up context specific lists that I can focus more clearly on. For instance, setting aside an hour per room each week and knocking as many things off the list as possible. It is immensely satisfying and can change your whole attitude about the spaces you dwell in.

This method can also be useful at work. Take a half hour to capture what’s broken about your job or work environment. Even the things you think you can’t change. Because capturing everything will allow you to take action on the things you can change and, at the least, identify the things you can’t.

Lately, this has me thinking about expanding this exercise to less obvious places. For instance, taking inventory of my social networks that are not working as well as they should. Or even my real world relationships. Taking a hard look and asking “What’s broken?”.

Unseen or ignored problems will only be solved by identifying them. Bringing these to your attention and quantifying them is the first step to eradicating them. For me, this has proved a very effective question in many areas of my life.

I’m a full-time independent writer who works hard to bring you quality reading and ideas here daily. If you enjoy what you read here, please consider a free will donation of any amount.

I’m feeling particularly empty of words today. The reasons likely many but not worth the mention. Therefore, I have a grab bag of stuff to share. Mostly promotional for people I believe in. That said, these are all things that I feel you could benefit from knowing. So, here goes…

• Caesura Letters: Paperback Subscription — I’ve mentioned my friend James Shelley’s subscription newsletter, Caesura Letters, before. That said, he has just released a new option for those that would prefer not to receive more email or would like a regular collection of the emails in print. He sent me a copy as a gift and it is stunning! Seriously, the email is great but, if you are a lover of real books, this is the way to go.

• Frictionless Freelancing — I’ve also mentioned this one by my friend Aaron before. If you are a freelancer, thinking about becoming one, have ever wondered what it is all about, or just like a well written instructional full of wisdom and insight, here you go. I’m a freelancer. Have been for over 20 years. This is the book I wish I would have had when starting out. When people ask me about getting into freelancing, this is one of the two books I now recommend (this is the other one, for what it’s worth). Seriously, freelance folks, get it. It’ll help.

• Sweating Commas: Professional Editing for Independent Writers — Look, writers who are serious about their writing know the value of a good editor. I know I sure do. I’m very, very, picky when it comes to editors. I have had some bad experiences in the past. There are only two editors I have ever worked with that I like and would work with again, Jason is one of them. He edited my Minimal Mac Book for me and he made it better than I ever could have on my own. Well, his new service is now available to any independent writer who wants to make sure the words they put out into the ‘verse’ are clear, correct, and polished. I recently interviewed Jason on my podcast about it. Take a listen if you want further info. Good stuff.

• The Distraction Podcast Episode #10 — I recently made a guest appearance on this podcast and am really happy with the way it turned out. We covered a iety of topics from my involvement with Minimal Tools and app development, to my unusual approach to life and death, to the idea that every moment holds the potential to change your life. Lots of deep and heavy stuff. Check it out when you have the chance.

As always, thanks for reading anything I write. Your support means a lot to me. Especially, for those that have felt compelled to say thank you through a kind and generous donation.

As of this writing, I’m 30 days in on my plan to publish here daily. It may not seem like much to anyone else but I’m proud of myself for keeping up with it no matter what. Trust me, there were plenty of obstacles in my way and convenient excuses I could have fallen back on to miss a day or two.

In this past month both Bethany (wife) and Beatrix (daughter) have been sick with pretty nasty virus/bugs. Beatrix has decided in the last few weeks that 5am is a perfectly good time to wake up Daddy and keep him up. This means my light-sleeping wife is also awakened too. My wife and I have been overwhelmed with starting a new business together and transitioning to it on top of our normal workloads… I could go on and on.

The bottom line is that is a minor miracle that I was able to publish most days. Some of those I had to fall back on things I had written long before. Many days, the fact that I write ahead is the only thing that made it possible. But, regardless, I have not yet missed a day. Which, for me, is something to celebrate.

Thank you to all of those who have showed up to read daily, which I understand is no easy task some days. If a writer is publishing daily they are, to some extent, asking you to make a choice to spend a few minutes reading versus a million other potentially more important ways that time can be spent. All I can do is to try my best to respect that and make the choice worth it.

Thank you to all who have seen fit to offer a free will donation to support the work. Thanks to those who have shared my writing with others. Thanks to those who have emailed or messaged me to offer advice, correction, or kind words. All of this helps so much.

In closing, here are just a few of the posts from the last months that I think stand out. Please check them out if you missed them:

• Happy Accidents

• Your Dream Job

• Don’t Wait For The Eulogy

• Warming Up

• Idea: The Amish Space (No Electronics Allowed)

• Choose Your Own Adventure

• No Limits

Onward and upward!

PR

Most of us have fixed routes. We are stuck in grooves and paths. From these we rarely stray.

I’m sure that path from home to work, or the store, or the gas station, or the park, or the cabin — the one you always take — was chosen for a good reason. It was the the fastest, or the most sensible, or the safest, or the most direct. So, now, you take it without even thinking about it. You often get to your destination without even remembering the drive. It is the way you go. Why? Because, it is the way you go.

Then, there are the paths you follow simply because they are set for you. You looked at the map and followed the directions. The arrow pointed that way down the trail. That was the way everyone else was going. You were just following the crowd. You take these ways because, well, that’s the way they told you to go.

Of those that visit Yellowstone National Park, for fun, over 80% never stray from the pavement. Almost 99% never stray from the path more than a quarter mile on either side of it. That means, there is a Yellowstone that only 1% ever see. It is waiting to be discovered.

I bet there are a dozen different ways for you to get from your home to anywhere you want to go. I bet you have never ventured more than two blocks on either direction on your path to work. I bet there are whole neighborhoods in your city or town that you have never passed through. I bet there is a bar, or a store, or a restaurant there that you have never been to. I bet there are interesting things to be found when you ignore the directions. I bet if you choose to go the opposite direction of the crowd, others will wonder why and be inspired to follow. I bet you will all see new things, things waiting to be discovered, if you take them.

If you got lost and found your way here, your free will donation of any amount will let me know it was worth the diversion from your regular path. Travel safely.

I have to fill it. It won’t get filled on its own. It’s my job to do the work and most days I’m just not sure I have it in me. I’m sure today is one of these days. These many days. This, despite the fact that my head is swimming with ideas. Dozens at any given moment.

My fear is perfectly represented here. The fear of the unknown. The fear of failure. Because I can’t even see the finished product of what this thing will be once filled with words and ideas. The hardest part of writing, of anything really, is starting. I just don’t know where to start. Then, even if I manage to start, will I know what finished looks like?

Sometimes, rarely, the page pops into my head. Completed. Finished. Before it is even started. I approach the blankness and type it and ship it and people love it and they let me know and I never reveal my secrets. The secret that it took me so little time or real effort. The secret that it almost never, ever, ever, works that way. That, most days, I spend hours completely paralyzed in front of the grave in which I’m sure my talent is destined to proceed me, long before it is time for my body and mind to follow.

I have to force myself to sit here and stare at it. To look into my fear and let it mock me with the possibility that it will beat me. That I won’t be able to start and it will remain perfectly fine. In its natural state. Blank. Therefore, I too will remain in my natural state. Afraid.

But, I know somewhere deep and primal, it is a matter of time and a test of will. That I can overcome my fear. That I have plenty to fill that empty space with. That it does not require some rare moment of clarity or enlightenment. That all it requires is the courage to write one word. Then, follow it with another. Pretty soon you have a sentence. Then, a paragraph. Then, soon enough, ideas will form. Those could turn into a letter. A post. An essay. Or, eventually, a book.

It starts right here. For me. For everyone. Every day. A hole we are required to face our fears to fill.

An empty space on the floor by my bed waiting to be filled with my first step. An empty pot waiting to be filled with my coffee. A spouse waiting to be filled with my devotion. A waking child waiting to be filled with my love. A page…

This was originally written for my now discontinued subscription newsletter. I’ve made the decision to take some of my favorites from there and put them here.

…Does not exist. It’s fiction. Fantasy. A flat out lie. Anyone who tries to sell you one, or convince you that they can produce one, is trying to hornswoggle you. Or, perhaps, it is better to simply agree that they all are perfect.

You see, an Old Fashioned is more an idea than an execution. This is what makes it my favorite cocktail to both make and enjoy elsewhere. To paraphrase the great 20th century philosopher Forrest Gump, it’s like life – you never know what you are going to get. Everywhere you order one it will be different. Sometimes only slightly, sometimes so drastically as to almost be considered another drink entirely.

There are no specific ingredients or hard measurements – only elements. These elements, combined with enough whimsy and panache to support the basic theory of what an Old Fashioned might be, consist of the following:

Spirits, Bitters, Water, and Sugar

That’s it. Any combination of the above may be called an Old Fashioned. Combine just about any of these and you can call it an Old Fashioned. In fact, it is long held that the very definition of what a cocktail is was derived from the description of these elements (see here: Old Fashioned – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

I recently ordered up an Old Fashioned at a hip and trendy restaurant here in town and here is what I got: Makers Mark Whiskey on top of raisins soaked in house made bitters and muddled at the bottom of the glass. Splash of tonic and diced apples for garnish.

It was an interesting take to be sure. That said, it was no more or less an Old Fashioned than the ones I make. All the ingredients were there. It was, therefore, perfect.

Now, I’ll describe how I make a perfect Old Fashioned. Try a couple; you’ll either agree with me or not care.

1. Grab a lo-ball glass, the unofficial official glass of the Old Fashioned. Its flat, wide bottom and straight sides make it the ideal palette for the artistry about to be performed.

2. Throw a couple of teaspoons of sugar in there. Nothing fancy. Just plain white sugar.

3. Sprinkle in some bitters in there. I use Angostura but any will do. You want enough to add flavor to the muddle (see below) but not so much that it begins the muddle without the next step.

4. Grab an orange. This will both stand in for water and be garnish. Cut an end off of the orange and squeeze just enough juice into the sugar and bitters so that you can muddle these together with a spoon. The resulting concoction should resemble quicksand. Thick, but not too thick. Runny, but not too runny.

5. Throw a few cubes of ice in the glass. How many depends on how strong you ultimately want your drink. Just a few if you like it nice and strong. Fill it up if you are a lightweight.

6. Now, grab some whiskey. Any whiskey is good whiskey. But don’t use stuff that is too good. That stuff is for drinking straight. Anything else will be just fine. Cheap blended Canadian? Great! Expensive craft distilled Rye? Great! Just make sure it is whiskey. Not Brandy. Never Brandy… Pour the Whiskey in the glass, about a finger from the top.

7. Cut off a slice of the orange and throw it in the glass on top. Also put some Maraschino cherries in there, two or three. Use a spoon so you get some of the cherry syrup in with those too.

8. Mix carefully. You want to combine all of these flavors without spilling a single drop over the lip of the glass. Such waste of anything this amazing is a crime and sin.

There you have it, Drink one of these regularly and you can tackle (or forget) almost any problem you might face.

Of course, what I describe above is nothing more than my take on it. Adjust it, change it, no matter. As long as the four elements are there, you will have made the best Old Fashioned you have ever had. Until the next one.

This was originally written for a far past issue of the Read & Trust Newsletter (now Magazine). I thought encouragement to enjoy a nice drink on a Sunday was reason enough to share it here.

Who’s your biggest fan? Do you know? Is it you? Are you your own biggest fan? If not, why not? Perhaps, you should be.

My bet is, you are already your own harshest critic (I know I am). You are perfectly willing to play the role of your own devil on your own shoulder. A never ending loop of negativity when things go wrong or you mess up. You have no problem taking the lead in recognizing your failures and doubts.

Why not, then, make it just as easy to give yourself a pat on the back for the jobs well done?

Not in a self-centered and egotistical way, mind you. I’m not talking about any sort of grandiose illusions here. I’m simply saying that you should be ready and willing to take a step back and recognize and take note of work you feel proud of. And, to graciously and humbly accept, when others recognize it as well.

And, if there is a bone fide reason for your self-criticism, then let your inner fan motivate you to do better next time.

Personally, I keep a “yay me” file — a plain text document named “yayme.txt”. A love letter, of sorts, to myself. Whenever I do something I’m proud of, I write it in this file. Whenever someone has given me a standout complement, I write that in this file too. If a reader sends me a nice email letting me know I’m appreciated, here’s where it goes.

Whenever, I’m feeling the inner critic begin to rear it’s ugly head, I open up this file to find my biggest fan reminding me of how much I have accomplished and cheering me on to the next victory.

Your free will donation of any amount helps to support a full-time independent writer. I also note it in my Yay Me file. Thanks for reading!