Vanity Kills: Musings From Another Corporate Working Day....
Ack. Where did the weekend go?
It has occurred to me that I will be in NYC in less than six weeks' time. Counting today, I only have 29 Working Days to go before my vacation (and only 40 more days). The way my weekdays and weekends are speeding by, it feels like this summer is going to pass by rather quickly.
Work has been interesting. I have become more responsible, toned-down (heck, my new haircut looks so tame and corporate compared to how my hair was before!), and (*gasp*) corporate in my workday affairs. I have been dressing up at work, making sure that I am thinking several days ahead as far as team scheduling is concerned, taking on more responsibilities and duties, focusing on getting more sleep at night, and learning to prepare lunches in advance (the evening before). I sense that my time management skills at work has improved--now I want to apply improved time management skills to my non-work time. Hopefully I shall not crack under the pressure of increased workload. I have to be at work earlier than usual for the next two days since I was invited to attend meetings with software vendors. This may be No Fun Weeknights--at least for next few evenings.
With my increased propensity for "professional attire" at work, I sense that eventual upgrade in certain aspects of my wardrobe will be in the making. I already wear sensible shirts and pants to work, but I want to seriously upgrade my choice of timepieces. I have been wearing Swatches exclusively for the past 21 years, and I feel that now is the time (no puns intended) to upgrade my choice of wristwear. Yes, the idea of spending more than $50 on a watch is a new, foreign concept for me. But at this point in my life, I am interested in wearing jewelry that would last more than 3-4 years before breaking down with no repair paths available (the plastic battery holder area on my Swatches invariably fall apart and break after several years), and I want to invest in something that is simple, not flashy or ostentatious, and reliable (oh my Goth--I am turning into a geriatric, boring, old person who listens to classical music every time he is driving!). Sometime this year, I may look into purchasing a reliable, moderately-priced, classy timepiece (perhaps a Seiko) that would better match my work (and formal) outfits than a Swatch would. Maybe I shall save up for a classy, elegant Movado Museum watch in time for my 50th birthday. :o
But before I act on those consumer whore daydreams, there are couple of other investments that I would like to focus on, that are of higher priority and immediacy. I have noticed that I go through the four AA batteries on my Cateye bicycle light quite rapidly. It seems like I am replacing my set of batteries every 3-4 weeks. I am definitely not happy with the short life expectancy of alkaline batteries, and I am looking into perhaps procuring several sets of rechargeable NiMH batteries (plus a charger). Since both my bike light and my digital camera (Canon A610) are powered by 4 AA batteries, I highly suspect that making the switch to rechargeable batteries would be financially prudent, as well as environmentally responsible. I shall research the reliability of rechargeable battery system and will probably make the transition to the NiHM batteries as soon as my current stash of regular AA batteries become exhausted.
I am also contemplating postponing the purchase of a city/hybrid bicycle until beginning of next year (instead of later this year). I will still save up for a new bike, but I am leaning more towards investing in a set of slicker 26" tires for time being. I may also take my bike into the shop for a complete overhaul right before I leave for NYC--I would love to squeeze more life out of my almost 20-year old mountain bike! I suspect that by the time I save up for the city/hybrid bike, the 2008 models will be introduced, and the 2007 models may be discounted significantly.
The budget is going good. Although I feel that I am fixating over nickels and dimes (I was so proud to have purchased a fresh orange pepper from my bottle return funds last Saturday!), I want to challenge myself and see if I am disciplined enough.
Tonight shall be the workout evening. Since I did not get to March Wellness over the weekend, I shall work out tonight, and go see Body Worlds 3 tomorrow evening.
It has occurred to me that I will be in NYC in less than six weeks' time. Counting today, I only have 29 Working Days to go before my vacation (and only 40 more days). The way my weekdays and weekends are speeding by, it feels like this summer is going to pass by rather quickly.
Work has been interesting. I have become more responsible, toned-down (heck, my new haircut looks so tame and corporate compared to how my hair was before!), and (*gasp*) corporate in my workday affairs. I have been dressing up at work, making sure that I am thinking several days ahead as far as team scheduling is concerned, taking on more responsibilities and duties, focusing on getting more sleep at night, and learning to prepare lunches in advance (the evening before). I sense that my time management skills at work has improved--now I want to apply improved time management skills to my non-work time. Hopefully I shall not crack under the pressure of increased workload. I have to be at work earlier than usual for the next two days since I was invited to attend meetings with software vendors. This may be No Fun Weeknights--at least for next few evenings.
With my increased propensity for "professional attire" at work, I sense that eventual upgrade in certain aspects of my wardrobe will be in the making. I already wear sensible shirts and pants to work, but I want to seriously upgrade my choice of timepieces. I have been wearing Swatches exclusively for the past 21 years, and I feel that now is the time (no puns intended) to upgrade my choice of wristwear. Yes, the idea of spending more than $50 on a watch is a new, foreign concept for me. But at this point in my life, I am interested in wearing jewelry that would last more than 3-4 years before breaking down with no repair paths available (the plastic battery holder area on my Swatches invariably fall apart and break after several years), and I want to invest in something that is simple, not flashy or ostentatious, and reliable (oh my Goth--I am turning into a geriatric, boring, old person who listens to classical music every time he is driving!). Sometime this year, I may look into purchasing a reliable, moderately-priced, classy timepiece (perhaps a Seiko) that would better match my work (and formal) outfits than a Swatch would. Maybe I shall save up for a classy, elegant Movado Museum watch in time for my 50th birthday. :o
But before I act on those consumer whore daydreams, there are couple of other investments that I would like to focus on, that are of higher priority and immediacy. I have noticed that I go through the four AA batteries on my Cateye bicycle light quite rapidly. It seems like I am replacing my set of batteries every 3-4 weeks. I am definitely not happy with the short life expectancy of alkaline batteries, and I am looking into perhaps procuring several sets of rechargeable NiMH batteries (plus a charger). Since both my bike light and my digital camera (Canon A610) are powered by 4 AA batteries, I highly suspect that making the switch to rechargeable batteries would be financially prudent, as well as environmentally responsible. I shall research the reliability of rechargeable battery system and will probably make the transition to the NiHM batteries as soon as my current stash of regular AA batteries become exhausted.
I am also contemplating postponing the purchase of a city/hybrid bicycle until beginning of next year (instead of later this year). I will still save up for a new bike, but I am leaning more towards investing in a set of slicker 26" tires for time being. I may also take my bike into the shop for a complete overhaul right before I leave for NYC--I would love to squeeze more life out of my almost 20-year old mountain bike! I suspect that by the time I save up for the city/hybrid bike, the 2008 models will be introduced, and the 2007 models may be discounted significantly.
The budget is going good. Although I feel that I am fixating over nickels and dimes (I was so proud to have purchased a fresh orange pepper from my bottle return funds last Saturday!), I want to challenge myself and see if I am disciplined enough.
Tonight shall be the workout evening. Since I did not get to March Wellness over the weekend, I shall work out tonight, and go see Body Worlds 3 tomorrow evening.