arthur_p_dent (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
arthur_p_dent) wrote2023-11-09 10:04 pm
arthur_p_dent) wrote2023-11-09 10:04 pm
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This past week...
I think next year I'll stop penalizing myself for posting a day late - it's obviously not helping to correct the behavior. XD
I actually could have thrown this together late yesterday, but my energy was quite low and I hit the sack instead. Worth the delay, because I've been in a pretty good mood this week and I decided to do a post that reflects that. So here are a few of the good/nice/fun things that have happened recently. There are cuts, but only to keep the size down and group things together more easily (there are pics too!).
A bit back I had decided to use up some of my yarn stash to make some crochet baskets. Big chunky yarn made for quick results, and I ended up with a set of three different sizes...
The largest will be used in the living room as a place to store a few throw blankets within easy reach. The other two work great as project baskets, and they'll get plenty of use.
After the baskets were done, I was in the mood for something different. So out came the jigsaw puzzle I had picked up this summer...
The airplane itself went together fairly quickly, but the sky - well, most of that was figured out more by the shape of the pieces rather than the detail of the picture. But it was still a lot of fun to put together.
Now that I'm back in the office (YAY!!), I had to figure out some things to do with my lunch break. Fortunately, there's a walking trail that runs right past the new building, and I've spent some time using it while the weather is still nice enough. To the far end and back is around 3KM, and at a decent pace takes about 35 minutes - just perfect to get away from my desk for a bit and still have time to eat.
Running along one side of the trail is a creek. OK, technically it's a run-off for ground water and storm sewers, but it's naturalized and full of wildlife. On the opposite side there is a house where they put out feed for ducks, and there are usually dozens in the area - you can hear them squawking from quite a distance. There are also signs of beavers, hard at work gnawing on trees. I haven't seen them yet, but I believe I've found their den and I'm keeping my eyes peeled.
Just yesterday I had a few minutes between work things, and it occurred to me that I should start thinking about how I'm going to use my vacation time. I've been around for a long time now (November 1 was my 24-year anniversary), so I've long since been at the max of 5 weeks vacation. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to take any extended time off, since there is nobody within the company trained to cover my work. So I looked at it from a different perspective and came up with a plan.
Fridays are normally the least-problematic days of the week, and the easiest to take off. And I thought, exactly how many Fridays could I take off between now and June (the end of our vacation year)? Now some weeks have holidays, and some others have deadlines I can't ignore - so I skipped those. What I came up with is this... Starting tomorrow, I'm going to take Fridays off for 20 of the next 30 weeks. Factoring in the weeks with holidays, that means I'll have 24 four-day work weeks through the end of May. And, I'll still have a full week of vacation left over to take some extended time off when I want to. Considering the hell that 2023 has been, I think this is a pretty good way to start 2024.
Now that I've prattled on and on, I think it's about time I call it a night. I've got a few low-key things I'm planning to do tomorrow, but first and foremost is to try and sleep past 4am for a change - wish me luck! =]
I actually could have thrown this together late yesterday, but my energy was quite low and I hit the sack instead. Worth the delay, because I've been in a pretty good mood this week and I decided to do a post that reflects that. So here are a few of the good/nice/fun things that have happened recently. There are cuts, but only to keep the size down and group things together more easily (there are pics too!).
A bit back I had decided to use up some of my yarn stash to make some crochet baskets. Big chunky yarn made for quick results, and I ended up with a set of three different sizes...
The largest will be used in the living room as a place to store a few throw blankets within easy reach. The other two work great as project baskets, and they'll get plenty of use.
After the baskets were done, I was in the mood for something different. So out came the jigsaw puzzle I had picked up this summer...
The airplane itself went together fairly quickly, but the sky - well, most of that was figured out more by the shape of the pieces rather than the detail of the picture. But it was still a lot of fun to put together.
Now that I'm back in the office (YAY!!), I had to figure out some things to do with my lunch break. Fortunately, there's a walking trail that runs right past the new building, and I've spent some time using it while the weather is still nice enough. To the far end and back is around 3KM, and at a decent pace takes about 35 minutes - just perfect to get away from my desk for a bit and still have time to eat.
Running along one side of the trail is a creek. OK, technically it's a run-off for ground water and storm sewers, but it's naturalized and full of wildlife. On the opposite side there is a house where they put out feed for ducks, and there are usually dozens in the area - you can hear them squawking from quite a distance. There are also signs of beavers, hard at work gnawing on trees. I haven't seen them yet, but I believe I've found their den and I'm keeping my eyes peeled.
Just yesterday I had a few minutes between work things, and it occurred to me that I should start thinking about how I'm going to use my vacation time. I've been around for a long time now (November 1 was my 24-year anniversary), so I've long since been at the max of 5 weeks vacation. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to take any extended time off, since there is nobody within the company trained to cover my work. So I looked at it from a different perspective and came up with a plan.
Fridays are normally the least-problematic days of the week, and the easiest to take off. And I thought, exactly how many Fridays could I take off between now and June (the end of our vacation year)? Now some weeks have holidays, and some others have deadlines I can't ignore - so I skipped those. What I came up with is this... Starting tomorrow, I'm going to take Fridays off for 20 of the next 30 weeks. Factoring in the weeks with holidays, that means I'll have 24 four-day work weeks through the end of May. And, I'll still have a full week of vacation left over to take some extended time off when I want to. Considering the hell that 2023 has been, I think this is a pretty good way to start 2024.
Now that I've prattled on and on, I think it's about time I call it a night. I've got a few low-key things I'm planning to do tomorrow, but first and foremost is to try and sleep past 4am for a change - wish me luck! =]
no subject
Very cool that you have such a nice trail to walk during your lunch break, especially one that's such a good length to enjoy without cutting into the time you need to spend eating. The nature pics are lovely. I hope you'll be inclined to snap a few of the beavers, if you come across them :D
It's also great to hear that you'll be able to enjoy so many four-day weeks in the coming months! What an excellent way to close out one year and begin the next. Do you have any special plans for your newly freed Fridays?
no subject
More nature pics will definitely be shared as they happen. I'm sure I'll come across those beavers sooner or later
This past Friday worked out great. I was able to spread out my normal weekend stuff so that it wasn't overwhelming, and ended up getting more than usual accomplished in the process. Not that I always want to go that route, but a less stressful weekend is a huge improvement over the norm, and I'll take that win whenever I can. =]
no subject
I was legitimately reading that paragraph with a giggle, thinking, "Goldilocks, is that you??" XD What a fun little series of mishaps to end up with a such a lovely, albeit accidental, set of baskets! Any chance you can share the pattern, btw?
Very much looking forward to future nature pics! Especially the beavers. We see one or two around here occasionally and they're always a joy to spot.
This past Friday worked out great.
Love to hear it! Having that extra day of padding to make the weekend less stressful sounds sublime, whether it leads to improved productivity or just some much-needed relaxation.
no subject
Here's a link to the basket pattern.
no subject