Sunday, 12/8/2019
An uncommitted Sunday, per my Google Calendar. What shall I do? I think that I will use this day to get caught up on computer-based things. One, finish reviewing the first year of this blog, and tidy up the use of tags. Two, use the tag system to get a numerical summary of my activities. Three, start drafting an essay on my experience of this transitional year. Four, research a replacement for the Adobe Bridge app (since I’ve found an adequate replacement for Photoshop in Affinity). Five, explore the use of a different browser, the Brave browser, to possibly replace Chrome. Eventually I’ll report on the last two items to the tech squad.
By lunch I have finished the review and tagging. By 2pm I have cleaned up the tag usage and can offer the following
authoritative summary of activities
for this first year of Codger-dom. First, regarding difficult emotions,
- Days on which I reported feelings of Grief: 46 (most, but not all, in the first half).
- Days on which I reported feelings of Anxiety: 13 (all in the first half).
More detail on those emotions in the essay, later.
One goal I set for myself was to get the F out of the house and attend performances of various kinds, and visit museums and galleries. At this I succeeded, reporting
- Days I attended a musical concert: 14.
- Days I attended another kind of performance: 33. This includes theatrical performances, lectures, baseball games, and a day at the Scottish Games.
- Days I visited some type of art museum or gallery: 14. Includes two visits to SFMOMA, and a morning wandering around Carmel looking at galleries.
- Days I viewed a movie: 12. Four were at home on TV, the others in theaters.
I used volunteer work as a way to structure the week and see other people. In the year I counted
- Days of artifact conservation at the Computer History Museum: 43.
- Days when I led tours at the CHM: 58. Wow, more than one a week.
- Days that I put in hours at Friends of the PA Library: 84. Once a week in the first few months, but after I was asked to manage the Computer section, twice a week.
I gratefully noted meeting with a friend or friends on 36 days (thanks, Scott!) and with family members on 35 days (thanks, Dennis, Jean, and Darlene!).
Meanwhile I did amuse myself with some hobbies, reporting
- 23 days when I did some creative writing, mostly on my novel in progress.
- 36 days when I did some kind of handicraft work, restoring tables or a plant-stand or repairing something.
I was away from home traveling for 21 days, in two trips, one to Las Vegas, one to Greece.
On 18 days I reported some kind of medical/dental item, an appointment or procedure, mostly routine.
On 65 days I reported something to do with selling my house: meeting with agents or contractors or paying bills or signing papers or making phone calls. Thankfully that is all over and done!
And I went for a morning run on 104 days. That’s twice a week, less than my goal; but I also reported “Exercise” on 58 other days. (A regular exercise routine is an ongoing issue.)
As planned, I got 500 words or so into my wrap-up essay, then spent an hour looking at alternatives to Adobe Bridge. And now at 5pm I am settling down for a quiet watch of some youtube videos. A new episode of Project Binkie is in!
Codgerville 