Overdue, but, it’s been a busy few weeks. Also: I had a dream last night/this morning involving a man wearing denims printed with red roses (the man looked like the effeminate guy in the BBC television show about a department store) and my cat Rajah chomping on an iguana. If anyone can figure the meaning of those images out, please advise.
What went down in April:
- Rejiggered planning and organization system. Using the Book of Done methodology that I deployed a few years ago with moderate success. I’ve added one more tweak to this methodology that’s really ramped production up a notch and allowed a decent variety of tasks from week to week. Pleased about that.
- Had some good 1:1 meetings with at least three people regarding public K-12 education in Philadelphia recently. Attended a roundtable hosted by the UPenn Graduate School of Education to discuss the proposed dissolution of the Philadelphia School District and eventual privatization of ballpark half of it. Realized that I do not have the temperament to deal with fighting these kinds of systemic battles. Many years ago, when I was Executive Director of an education nonprofit, I realized that although I had the chops for education management, I really preferred to be in the classroom. My current thinking is to focus my involvement and volunteerism related to education in a very direct service capacity, e.g. mentoring.
- The creative nonfiction writing is in a quasi holding pattern, though I have some strong possibilities that are currently composting, and I finished reading an inspiring essay by Virginia Woolf that I suspect will sneak into a future piece in some manner.
- The basement has been officially pimped out with a ten foot long dining table and twelve feet of bookshelves. I need to work on some room dividers and some nighttime window dressing but as for now, the basement is officially the international headquarters for The Institute for Advanced Awesome.
- Rajah had to have surgery due to his ingesting the elasticized string that helps clamp a chicken to a spit in my rotisserie oven. The kid almost died! 11 perforations in his guts which were oozing internally. He is still on the mend but based on his waking me up at 5:20 this morning with yelping galore from his convalescent room upstairs, he is already back to his old self.
- Great DinnerGrrls.org dinner with some ladies I’d never met before (one I’d met briefly at a Coffee & Capital thing at the Quorum; one I’d emailed with a bit regarding a coworking space in South Philly; one I remember seeing at civic meetings in our nabe). Looking forward to the next one in September. I may just have it be another potluck at my place. Though I might not opt to make rotisserie chicken this time …
- Did not do much (any?) yoga but did purchase a bike last weekend and took it for a 16 mile ride (sweet).
- On hold with the YES pile. Have an idea for its next iteration. But am staying focused on my current big idea.
- Did participate in Philly Clean Up Day, which was a good time to catch up with my block captain.
- Did participate in Philly Startup Weekend. My team ended up fetching second place. Not too shabby. If you’re curious about how we’re making fiscal fitness fun fast and free, google Credit Cardio and see what comes up.
- Did not anticipate the energy drain (in a good way) that Startup Weekend would be, so, did not participate in the Art of Living meditation weekend. I’m not sure that I will participate in another, to be honest. I sort of like my practice the way it is.
May’s in full swing. The summary report by August, I promise.
