Weeknote 4 - 5 to 18 Oct 2024
What have I been doing?
Even as I start writing this, I'm realizing how difficult it is to reach back two weeks ago to try to remember what was happening. Here's what I can remember:
The big thing was the end of the cross country season! We made our way to Georgetown last Friday (why I didn't write a weeknote last week), and the junior high and high school teams performed really well. We had a high school girl win her whole division in state, and lots of other runners place and medal in the top 8. Proud of the kids... and also happy the season is over :)
We are in the process of refinancing our mortage -- which we seem to have done at just the right time as rates seem to be rising (??) again. Everything looks like it's going to go through, and we're going to save something like $270 per month on our payment, which is really cool.
I finished a woodworking project! Using Rex Krueger's guide to making a Roman-style workbench, I was able to complete this over the course of working on it on and off for the last couple weeks. I made a lot of mistakes, it doesn't exactly look pretty, but it works! Which is a pretty good feeling.
Once I get a couple more work holding options for the bench and a few more tools (said every woodworking hobbyist ever), I think I'll actually be able to make some of the projects that have caught my eye over the last year or so.
Work has been... fine. There is nothing inherently bad about it. I still enjoy my team, LOVE the flexibility, etc. But I'm realizing that I have hit a strange plateau point. There aren't things that I could come across, as of now, that I couldn't just handle with relative ease on my own. That has historically been a challenging time for me in any job I've held, so this is probably going to be a recurring theme until I can figure out how to hit that "sweet spot" at work again.
Training for the Dino Valley 25K is in its most intense training block. I hit 12 miles this morning, and have another few weeks of ramped intensity before I can back down into a taper. My legs are feeling it, but I'm feeling pretty good about my chances of placing top 3 overall. But we will see! Goal A is top 3, goal B is sub 2:04, goal C is finish with a smile on my face.
Elaine and I have had the chance to take every Wednesday to spend time together. Every other Wednesday is our "pastorate" (All Saints Dallas's version of small groups), and on the off weeks we are taking a date night. It has been wonderful.
What do I need to take care of?
- Currently working on the color run at the girls' school. My job is to create the course, procure cones, and just think about the logistics of the run itself.
- I think there is still time to plant the fall garden (seems like it may be a warmer-than-average winter), so we should probably get on that this weekend.
- I really need to mow, but... lol.
What caught my interest?
- The new Bon Iver EP: SABLE,
- Watching The Penguin. Maybe not excellent but it is fun.
- Finished Moonbound by Robin Sloan, recommended.
- This PBS show, The Woodwright's Shop <-- This is a link to a specific episode where Chris Shwarz is demonstrating how to use a Roman workbench, but other episodes are fun too. Boy do I love public television sometimes.
- There is a new coffee shop in our little town that is excellent: Bloom & Pour. We know one of the owners, and I'm so happy Waxahachie has a space like this, finally.
Tagged: weeknotes,
