Spring cleaning
Yes, I know it's arguably the first day of summer, and I recall I did a bit of spring cleaning as regards this journal last February.
Still I consider this a week of spring cleaning. Both literally and figuratively: I am actually cleaning the house, but mostly I am eliminating cobwebs from my head. Several things are going on.
One obvious thing is that this is my first week off this year. This gives me time to pause and cut back and recuperate from 110% of a full time job. It is a significant enough pause to think about how to change my approach to work, too. Although this is not a main activity. It fits, though, also because I had my first appraisal interview in 15 months right before, and this period falls in a cut-over period to a new release at work (for the main product of the department; while I now officially run the development side of things).
As for the house, I am not just cleaning it, but also taking quite a few decisions I didn't feel like making the last few months (resulting in phone calls and letters, and a marked growth in the waste paper bin, etc.). I am also eliminating some projects I am no longer interested in. I am finally removing all the paint from the floor tiles, which I was quite lazy about since the move and the ensuing painting round.
I also bought some cupboards for both the bedroom and the study, finally got some hooks to complete the hat-and-coat stand in the hallway, while I was at it got some nice cushions too, and got some suspension files for in my desk--the kind of little thing that can make quite a bit of a difference when used well. :-)
I have moved a lot of junk that was still lying around upstairs here to the storeroom below.. and dumped some in the trash. I also managed to reduce my reading backlog. I even reduced my music backlog, despite fetching some new music. I have to say, BTW, that the 'industrial project' isn't going so fast or enthusiastically.
Furthermore, I haven't been on the computer too much this week. I am more inclined to go outside and enjoy the weather, even if it is not always equally nice at the moment. I haven't been updating this journal much in this period, because I didn't really feel like it. I found myself talking about recent events with acquaintances in private email rather. I guess I still prefer that medium for expressing what is really going on. I am also clearly not writing poetry at the moment.
Perhaps really important is a bit of a change in mood or attitude: I am more inclined to not just go out, but to be in a slightly more social setting than usual, and also thinking about these things more. I guess this kind-of really started on April 21st, when I went to Amsterdam to spend the day with a (very extraverted) friend, with a bit of a follow-on this Monday.
I am seriously thinking about moving in this direction more definitely for the time to come. I found these days quite energizing actually, which really isn't a very known feature of that kind of activity for me, but I rarely argue with what I experience. I guess the time was right for this kind of addition to my 'schedule'. :-)
In the process I got a few hints from my friend, too, to do with presentation. This is not a topic that I have ever been known to spend much time on, but right now I am willing to at least consider the subject. I am actually seriously thinking about the suggestion to try contact lenses--and even just writing that sound soooo vain to me that I am really surprised that I am.. :-| ;-)
Anyway.. I never felt I was 'hiding myself', but I am willing to admit I could generally look a lot better if I just took care.. LOL. This is an interesting development..
Still I consider this a week of spring cleaning. Both literally and figuratively: I am actually cleaning the house, but mostly I am eliminating cobwebs from my head. Several things are going on.
One obvious thing is that this is my first week off this year. This gives me time to pause and cut back and recuperate from 110% of a full time job. It is a significant enough pause to think about how to change my approach to work, too. Although this is not a main activity. It fits, though, also because I had my first appraisal interview in 15 months right before, and this period falls in a cut-over period to a new release at work (for the main product of the department; while I now officially run the development side of things).
As for the house, I am not just cleaning it, but also taking quite a few decisions I didn't feel like making the last few months (resulting in phone calls and letters, and a marked growth in the waste paper bin, etc.). I am also eliminating some projects I am no longer interested in. I am finally removing all the paint from the floor tiles, which I was quite lazy about since the move and the ensuing painting round.
I also bought some cupboards for both the bedroom and the study, finally got some hooks to complete the hat-and-coat stand in the hallway, while I was at it got some nice cushions too, and got some suspension files for in my desk--the kind of little thing that can make quite a bit of a difference when used well. :-)
I have moved a lot of junk that was still lying around upstairs here to the storeroom below.. and dumped some in the trash. I also managed to reduce my reading backlog. I even reduced my music backlog, despite fetching some new music. I have to say, BTW, that the 'industrial project' isn't going so fast or enthusiastically.
Furthermore, I haven't been on the computer too much this week. I am more inclined to go outside and enjoy the weather, even if it is not always equally nice at the moment. I haven't been updating this journal much in this period, because I didn't really feel like it. I found myself talking about recent events with acquaintances in private email rather. I guess I still prefer that medium for expressing what is really going on. I am also clearly not writing poetry at the moment.
Perhaps really important is a bit of a change in mood or attitude: I am more inclined to not just go out, but to be in a slightly more social setting than usual, and also thinking about these things more. I guess this kind-of really started on April 21st, when I went to Amsterdam to spend the day with a (very extraverted) friend, with a bit of a follow-on this Monday.
I am seriously thinking about moving in this direction more definitely for the time to come. I found these days quite energizing actually, which really isn't a very known feature of that kind of activity for me, but I rarely argue with what I experience. I guess the time was right for this kind of addition to my 'schedule'. :-)
In the process I got a few hints from my friend, too, to do with presentation. This is not a topic that I have ever been known to spend much time on, but right now I am willing to at least consider the subject. I am actually seriously thinking about the suggestion to try contact lenses--and even just writing that sound soooo vain to me that I am really surprised that I am.. :-| ;-)
Anyway.. I never felt I was 'hiding myself', but I am willing to admit I could generally look a lot better if I just took care.. LOL. This is an interesting development..