Viewing the mountains

[flexagon]

• The work week was spent in California, as was foretold by the prophecies my last post. My way was eased by significant experience traveling to the same place over and over; although the campus always changes and the group I'm visiting always seems to be in a different building every time, I was able to pull out all the tricks I've developed to make a mothership trip less difficult. Doing laundry the evening before returning might be my favorite, although putting on fresh socks upon arrival the first day is a close second.


• Work itself had three victory conditions to be met: meet my new directs in person on Monday afternoon, participate in promotion discussions on Tues/Weds, participate in a project retrospective/kickoff on Thurs/Fri. I met these. Also took a nice walk around campus with an old friend, got in two long workouts, and suggested some Actual Good Technical Ideas to two people; it actually felt super productive. Much of this, no doubt, was having nothing to do except work. It was legitimately confusing to be having that much of a good time with it though. Sometimes it still feels good to think about improving the systems I have known for so long, and make progress.


• I'm splurging on a few things, having gotten both my annual bonus and the biggest spot bonus of my entire career. Mostly an expensive pair of pants I've had my eye on, which... uh, fit weirdly and are going to be returned. Meh. I'm going to get far more joy out of the label maker I also bought. (This felt like a splurge, but, honestly, I would have bought one years ago if I'd actually realized they were affordable.)


• Finished my crochet project, which doesn't need to be secret anymore: it was this crocheted ivy phone cord. I gave it to Perse today and she likes it! Apparently crocheted plants are a thing now, if I want to keep going with similar adventures sometime.


• The day I got back, after a red-eye, I had forgotten -- but Facebook reminded me -- I was signed up for a press handstand workshop with a visiting teacher I really like. I dragged myself there despite the misery of jetlag, and had a good time. She had astonishingly precise but sensible things to say about using the psoas to help compress press... yeah. Bizarre. Still, when I try it her way I hardly need any spot, and I sure wish she lived here so I could learn from her more often.

Comments

[coraline]

The cord is adorable!!! I hope it cheered P up :}

[flexagon]

Haha, thanks! I think it did, a little bit. :-)

[justplainuniverse]

that crochet cord is really cute and looks like a PERFECT cat toy.
i also love my label maker, though i'm out of the habit of using it right now.
who's this lovely teacher?

[justplainuniverse]

lolol just realized you did not in fact give crocheted item to a cat. hmm, well. in case you wanna make another, i have a suggestion ;)

[flexagon]

Hahaha, there's a reason the ivy phone cord is going to someone else's house!

Label maker... purr purr purr...

The lovely teacher is Melissa Knowles. Apparently she had to take two YEARS off handbalancing due to an injury, but is back to it.

[khamsin]

Totally understand the love for the labelmaker. It's so cute!