One Week To Go!

Alright, who has been joyriding in the Delorean again? At this point I question whether June actually happened, July was more than a week long, and whether August started yesterday… however, according to this blog it, somehow, did happen. It doesn’t change the fact that it seems as though the summer lasted about a week and a half as we are already getting ready for the next stated meeting after having been adjourned from labor over the past three months. Three months to prepare and it still seems as though there is a bit of a rush to take care of some last minute items before the meeting.

With the meeting rapidly approaching it is once again time for the notice to be completed and sent out to the brethren… of all the things, this is what gets delayed? With everything else going on, projects that need to be managed, and fires that still have to be put out, it is going to be an interesting return to the lodge this fall. On one level I am looking forward to it but at the same time, I could do without some of the things that will most certainly be brought up during the night.

This time last summer, it seems as though things were much further along than they are now. It was also a time absent of some of the issues that we are now facing. But that was a different year and, sometimes, the worst thing that you can do is think about the past. This is a new year with new issues that need to be addressed and a future that is still with some uncertainty… nothing major just some questions I was hoping to have answers to by now.

Just over a week to go until the September meeting and there is a lot yet to be accomplished. At the same time, there are a number of projects in the works that will surely be great additions to the fall and a large group of dedicated new brethren that I am looking forward to seeing in action when the meetings resume next month. There are always challenges, it is one of the consistent aspects of the office, but there are always great programs, initiatives, and achievements (especially from the newer brethren) that make all the difficulties evaporate. All of these things make the lodge better in the long run and make this good men just a little better in the process as well.

Where Is H. G. Wells When You Need Him?

Excuse me, can I get a lift?

Did you ever have a day at work that just seemed like you were stuck in quick sand? That was the kind of day I had at the office when, no matter how much I got done, there always seemed more things that needed to be taken care of as the hours passed. It wasn’t until about six in the evening when I could feel the frayed end of a rope between my fingers and I was able to pull myself away from my desk.

We all have these kinds of days regardless of profession and, like many other things, there are pros and cons to this occurrence. While the pace of the day and frustration of the growing pile can wear on you, the fact of the matter is that the day goes much faster when you are constantly jumping from one project to another. Of course, that presents and entirely new problem in that when you look up at the clock and see that the day has passed you by, you are left wondering what the heck happened and feel like you didn’t get enough done.

I am also curious to see what the carry over is going to be like in the morning. Normally I wouldn’t think much of the overflow, the fact that I will be out of the office all day (I am taking a theoretical “day off”) could turn a busy day into a bit of a cluster. If it were a simple day off I would have cancelled it but it is rarely just a day off and I have made a commitment that will keep me from my desk. Tomorrow will just have to be one of those days when my laptop will just have to travel with me.

While some may say that is unfair or just generally complain about the situation that is not how I feel about the situation. Yes, I would like to have a day off when I don’t have to think about these things, when I could leave work at work and just enjoy the day, but that is not the career I chose. As I have said before, I have to be busy, I have to feel like I am getting something done all of the time. Sometimes that need is satiated by action while other times it can just as easily be quenched by thought.

The only thing I have to figure out is how to add hours to the day so I can have the best of both worlds… enough time to get everything done at the office with enough hours left over to accomplish all of my other side projects and even more time left over to spend some quiet time with my wife. But, unless someone had a time machine, Delorean, or time turner for sale, I am going to have to make do with the limited hours of the day. So now it is time to rest and prepare for the avalanche that will inevitably break away from the mountain in the morning.

Someone Get Me A Time Turner Or A Delorean

Look, a random Harry Potter reference!

While I have kept my calendar pretty full this past year somehow I have always able to find room for one more event, one more project, one more meeting (the only exception has been my regular Rotary lunch meeting but that was more of an inevitability rather than a possibility). Even my plans for next week were not impacted by the sudden addition of another item for next week. This week that streak came to an end when a conflict arose when I glanced at my schedule for this Saturday.

I wish that there was more time in the day so that I could do everything but that isn’t the reality of life. If anything it is only going to get harder as the days pass and I become more and more efficient in my daily routine(s). Even now, I find myself looking up at the time and wondering where the past two, three, or four hours have gone. It is astounding and a little disturbing to realize how quickly time has passed. It is also a pleasant surprise to find myself engrossed in my work without counting the minutes of the morning.

It makes me think about how many days, how much time, we spend counting the minutes of our lives just waiting for time to pass rather than focusing on the task(s) at hand. The past few years have had too many days and nights like that and I will do everything in my power to prevent a return to those kinds of moments. I am certain that there will be situations where that is inevitable but no one should have that feeling as a regular part of life.

Since May, this blog has provided those moments of respite when I could focus and write whatever came to mind without over-thinking an opinion or topic. However, sometimes over-thinking is exactly what I needed to do to keep my mind occupied and my fingers moving across the keys. It has been a means to keep busy and, even though there are many nights when I don’t know what I am going to write about until I am two paragraphs in (like you couldn’t tell), this is still a means of creative solace.

This blog will remain a part of that schedule that seems so much in flex at the moment but there are certainly things that are going to have to be removed. At this point I don’t know what is going to be cast into the pile of conflicting passions but I know that cuts are going to have to be made especially with the increasing responsibilities to my job, my lodge, and Rotary. I am going to try and avoid changes whenever possible but I know they are going to happen.

While my schedule may seem unmanageable to some, I enjoy it. I like having somewhere I have to be and something I have to get done. I need goals and objectives. This is what has kept me going in recent years and what continues to drive me today.

The only difference is that I enjoy every part of my day rather than just a few moments scattered throughout the week. In fact, while there are some conflicts that have arisen, there are still some gaps in the calendar that need to be filled. I guess it is time to get some things done and complete some projects that  I have been putting off lately (of course I will share them with you as they are in process or completed). In the end, a candle has two ends for a reason so why not burn both of them.

This is not the first Back to the Future reference. Not by a long shot.

Time To Get Out Of The Kitchen

Sometimes the most interesting things you come across in a museum are not what you see but what you read. The titles and descriptions that summarize exhibits say a lot about both the period being presented and the time when the exhibit/museum was constructed or overhauled. This was the case last weekend when my wife and I visited the State Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

As we turned the corner we came across various household items demonstrating the progression of technology and convenience that the industrial revolution brought about at first and what electricity accelerated. It was quite an interesting exhibit with many items that we had seen and some that we were experiencing for the first time. However, what struck us as a little outdated was the title, in big bold capital letters, at the top of one of the dividers:

“MACHINES BEGIN TO FREE THE HOUSEWIFE’S TIME”

Of all the items in the museum, this simple slogan seemed to be the mostly antiquated as it said nothing to elaborate upon the overall convenience that technology has brought into homes for the entire family. It was indeed gender specific and one that wasn’t offensive it was just plain odd as it demonstrated the age not of the artifacts but of the museum itself. It was like stepping inside H.G. Wells’ mind after he took a hit of acid; it kind of made sense but at the same time you were disoriented and wondering where you were and what year it was.

In addition to the vernacular of decades past, the evolution of the commonwealth seemed to come to a screeching halt sometime in the 1980’s. I half expected to see a DeLorean parked out in front of the building as we left. It really was kind of sad that the museum had been left to a time done by neglected by technology and without pride in one’s commonwealth. No wonder I don’t ever recall having taken a school trip to see the history of our state.

Given the needed strictures placed on our economy maybe it is time to explore other options as a way to maintain these facilities. I don’t know what specifically needs to be done but I know that something should be done. I say all this without a thought through solution in mind but with the hope that we can rejuvenate this and other facilities throughout the state so that our history is not forgotten for when the keystone crumbles the rest of the structure will surely follow.