You Get One Shot

mikemjensen Useless Observations Tags: 3 Comments

Hey Kids,

Thanksgiving 2015.

Turkey is a wonderful meal. Who in their right mind would think that such a unsightly bird would taste so good? Who took the first try? As difficult as it is to cook a turkey, yet knowing how it can be, how many tries did it take to figure out it was good?

If I try something once and it doesn’t take taste good, I’m not trying it again.

The odds that someone cooked turkey right the first time seems too unlikely. My hat’s off to whoever had the vision and kept trying.

There’s a danger in first impressions. If I have a good experience in some place or product, I’ll keep coming back, even if I end up having a bad experience later. That first experience, in my mind is the norm and if I suffer through an occasional low, it’ll work itself back out.

However, if I have an initial bad experience, the chances are that I won’t give it a second try. How many things have I denied myself just because my first experience was bad? 

I feel it’s important to keep in mind that others might judge in the same way but it might be me that is the new experience. Would I be one and done or always have the benefit of the doubt? 

Make any first impression a good one; it’s the only way to garner future engagement.

 

NaNoWriMo: 38,801/50,000

Day 276

Snow?

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Hey Kids,

Will it snow or will it not?112415 weather

That’s the big question on everyone’s mind tonight.

The snow plow operators hope for a big one. It means work. Overtime for most.

The commuters hope it won’t. It means slow going, loss of hours, loss of pay, possible accidents.

For me it means the halt of motorcycling and the beginning of riding the bus to work. It means longer commutes, longer days. But it also means reading time, maybe short naps, more writing, and no gas money spent.

It seems that for many the coming of the snow means different things to different people. But the one person that seems to benefit the most and yet has the most to lose, is the weatherman. Everyone is tuning in to see if the storm will split or not, he’s in the limelight, a star. Eventually he’ll have to make his forecast and depending if he’s right or not, half of us will curse him and the other will be too busy enjoying it, we’ll never give him another thought.

I figure it matters very little what I wish. I find the weather does what it will regardless.

We’ll see in the morning.

 

NaNoWriMo: 36,724/50,000

Day 274

Security?

mikemjensen Useless Observations Tags: Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

A little paper cut out. That’s all it is.

Have you seen your Social Security Card lately?

I haven’t but I thought I knew where I put it: right next to my birth certificate.

Now I can’t find either.social-security-card

I’m picking up a second job and to work, I need my SS card. I have the number. I would think if I can prove my identity, and provide the number that matches that identity, in the age of computers, it should be real simple.

But no. They must see this paper cutout that has my name and number printed on it.

Not a laminated card. Or some embossed sealed paper. Or secret hologram image. It is just a piece of stock paper.

Sometimes I wonder how we ever get out of our own way.

 

 

NaNoWriMo: 36,724/50,000

Day 273

Holiday Tradition

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Hey Kids,

One of my favorite Broadway originated productions is Fiddler on the Roof. I own the movie and have seen it on stage.1250014196topol_380

One of my favorite songs from that production is “Tradition”.

Tavi struggles throughout the production with Tradition vs. On the other hand. Each time he finds tradition challenged he looks and finds that on the other hand, it might make a little more sense to alter the tradition a little to fit the current situation. Time changes things and against the understanding of tradition, on the other hand can still serve the same purpose.

The Holidays, including Thanksgiving, screams tradition. What a family does each year is greatly determined by what they determine as tradition. Alternative activities, different venues, or even swapped dates can set people into a frenzy and decry that the “Holiday was ruined!”

Tradition also can hurt. I loved the things I used to do every year with the family. When it was denied to me, I felt a huge emptiness. The holiday wasn’t denied to me, but the way I felt it had to be celebrated made me feel like I no longer could enjoy it.

On the other hand, I’ve learned to incorporate new traditions with the family of my new wife. I can still fondly recall the old traditions and enjoy those memories, and look forward to new traditions as the family grows.

These upcoming holidays, stick to tradition, but on the other hand, roll with what works for everyone.

 

NaNoWriMo: 36,724/50,000

Day 272

December Christmas

mikemjensen Christmas, Uncategorized Tags: , , 2 Comments

Hey Kids,

It seems to me that Christmas is starting a little bit early.

I know that the stores want to start earlier and earlier. But it’s usually followed by the public outcry of “Too Early!”

Black Friday wasn’t until the day after Thanksgiving, and now many places run Black Friday specials all month long.tumblr_inline_mvjd3e9kyO1rdzepz

This year, however, everyone appears to have caved. Christmas music is playing. People are shopping, and I swear Thanksgiving could pass and no one would notice.

I like Christmas. I really do. I even love the fact that the entire month of December is all Christmas. But only the month of December.

I’m not upset about it; it’s not worth it. And if any Holiday is going to be expanded, Christmas is a good one.

But other than this post, my Christmas season begins only and once the turkey is eaten

 

NaNoWriMo: 33,101/50,000

Day 271

Deer Winter

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Hey Kids,

Along with the cooler air temperatures, there is yet another evil lurking in these dark, winter times on the road.04 Deer migration sign

The ice has yet to become black upon the road, and the snow has yet to fall but along the sides of the roads, deer are beginning to gather from out of the hills.

They might look innocent and even resemble their poetically descriptive doe-eyed selves but I tell you they are not so innocent. OK, maybe innocent but not without mischief.

Today I saw two sets of them, just waiting for their chance. Sure they’re cute and they raised those adorable mule like ears at the sound of the motor approaching; but when the sun goes down, they cannot resist walking out and standing on the black top surface.

I love deer. During the day. When it’s dark and I’m on the road with my two-wheeled, two-cylinder noise maker, I am no fan of the Bambi wannabe at all.

 

NaNoWriMo: 32,397/50,000

Day 269

Paging the 90’s

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Hey Kids,

You know the place where you work is struggling when any amount of time is spent within a management meeting to discuss whether pagers need to be mandated in today’s age of smart phones and wifi.

I used a pager and I used it religiously when, in 1998, pagers were relevant.

Can an argument be made that pagers work when other things don’t? Sure. But so is the case of a pencil and Microsoft Word.

I’m happy to report, the department has allowed the masses to decide which way each may choose.

And now, on to making that space shuttle we’ve all been working on.

 

NaNoWriMo: 30,270/50,000

Day 268

To Vlog or Not To Vlog

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Hey Kids,

I really enjoy doing video.

I mean, I’ve always like watching stuff, but recently I’ve been learning how to edit video and make my own little videos.

I know I’m way behind the curve on this. In an age of YouTube celebrities, I can’t imagine what I could do that would be original or interesting. But I think I want to try. In doing this blog every day for the past 200+ days, I’ve learned how tough and how easy it is to just do something after deciding you want to.

I want to start vlogging. I’m not sure I can handle a daily vlog but I’ll decide on some regular interval. For my own sake.flat,550x550,075,f

A staff member recently posted on the workplace wall, “We are what we repeatedly do, Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” It’s attributed to Aristotle.

Whatever we decide to do, it may not be perfect at first. Or ever. But once we commit to doing something on a continual basis, it’s bound to get better.

I think I’ll be a better video-er.

 

NaNoWriMo: 28,601/50,000

Day 267