Waking Up To Brisket

I woke up this morning still not feeling well but I couldn’t keep myself in bed past 9:30 as I was already beginning to feel a little achy and my nose was not being receptive to oxygen. Once I was able to get on my feet, stumble to the bathroom, and clear my head I caught the slightest whiff of brisket in the air. As it turns out, my wife was having, as she puts it, a domestic day. Brisket was only the beginning of the cooking for the day as a duo of soups were also on the menu.

I don’t understand why my wife gets in these moods but I find it best to stay out of her way and just enjoy the outcome. It was nice to not have to make lunch and dinner on the weekend especially when there is still a hint of plague on my breath. However, while I was only asked a couple of times for small things, I did offer to assist her in the kitchen and even provided some time saving appliances long forgotten in the closet. Plus I didn’t have to worry about my wife losing a finger by finding a few easier and safer cutting options.

With a full dose of cold medicine in my system, I did make the decision to venture outside a few times. Not surprisingly, it was snowing again. Actually, the weather was a bit bipolar today as the snow started and stopped on several occasions throughout the late morning and early afternoon. By the time dusk came around the cars and streets were covered with an additional two inches of fine white dust. Just enough to cover your shoes and spin the tires.

With the arrival of early evening, dinner was ready to go and my wife’s sporadic study sprints had come to an end. As we sat down to eat some split pea soup (my mom’s recipe) and brisket (two separate courses not one strange concoction), I noticed the reversal of roles that my wife and I had throughout much of the day.

 

Much of my time is spent working, cooking, and generally trying to get something done either at work, at home, or somewhere else (usually lodge). Today, my wife was the one shuttling between the kitchen and the office as she made enough food for at least half the week and studied for her grad class. While I got a couple of minor things done here and there, the majority of my day was centered on recovery. It’s nice to change things up every once in a while.

Processes and Common Sense

Not all steps are this easy to see.

Everything I do during my day has its own distinct process. Whether I am at work, in the lodge office, or simply writing a blog post everything is done in its own way with its own set of steps. Some of these processes are pretty clear cut like pitching a story to the media while others are a bit more obtuse.

Many of my workday activities are rather regimented. Well, at least that is how I keep myself organized. I know the basic structures of different projects and forms and know how things need to be arranged to make sense for various companies and publications. I know the basic bullet points that need to be addressed and I know the steps that need to be taken when pitching, proposing, and revising.

There are also other times when what seems simple is actually something with numerous unseen steps that need to be taken in order to achieve the desired result. The majority of projects that I must complete on a regular basis for the lodge fall into this category. While at times it can test my patience a bit, it is an understandable process that needs to occur to ensure that everything is carried out the way it should be and any errors are caught early in the process. Even some of the most basic communications where dissemination seems obvious needs to be handled in the right way.

The creative process is something that I can’t really say has steps. At least in my case it is something that just seems to happen. It is a thought process that just happens. You could start with a basic questions like “what’s for dinner?” and end up somewhere around monkey monkey underpants (some of you will get the reference). Even when coming up with pitches or work related blogs, the same ‘unique’ process applies. I have tried to distill this process into steps but my mind simply won’t let me put it on paper. With that said, I have taught enough lessons to know how to spark the creative process but where that takes someone is completely up to them.

Most of my work flows in and out of the creative process which, at times can be tiring but as long as I properly manage the tide I am usually able to keep things going day in and day out. However, sometimes it is good to step away from the process for a few moments which is why I like working with my hands and putting thing together. I also like traveling and exploring because it is a matter of observance rather than creation. Even the act of studying is relaxing for me as the process begins and ends with facts.

However, the common thread across all my ‘jobs’ is that of common sense. I have seen many people attempt each of my daily duties in one form or another and have tried to do so with limited or no common sense. Smart people but they floundered in their rigid habits and lack of comprehension. It just goes to show that life and experience can’t be found in a textbook or in a set of instructions. You need to apply your mind, your personality, your own processes, and your experiences to your job(s). Without those basic applications, you are bound to find yourself a best confused and if someone is really out of touch they will find themselves without a professional home.