Let’s Laugh Together

Posted on August 9, 2024 by Nicole

What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world?

I don’t expect my blog will bring big changes to the world but I do hope my blog resonates with at least a few people. By no means would I say I’ve had a “hard” life but at the same time I had to endure experiences early on that others in my peer group have yet to navigate.

As such, I’ve always found humor ~~or made my own humor~~ in everyday life. I also like to stop and observe. I look for the details in the outdoors, at the grocery store, in my neighborhood – basically I’m always on the lookout for the interesting among the mundane.

This blog allows me to:

1) Share my experiences through the lens of humor to add levity to everyone’s day.

2) Disseminate the interesting among the mundane.

One of my goals for this blog is to create a safe space for discussion. In time I hope more of you chime in and comment on your experiences or at least share slices of your life that come to mind after reading something here. Let’s laugh at the absurd together!

This Better Get Better with Age

Posted on July 11, 2024 by Nicole

What do you think gets better with age?

With proper planning and luck, my retirement fund cause I don’t plan to stay in corporate life until death.

Semi alive roses in July in the desert- they’re skill kicking!

Gotta make sure I have time to smell these before they (or I) die.

Focus Focus Focus

Posted on July 6, 2024 by Nicole

What is your favorite genre of music?

I listen to too many genres and subgenres to pick a favorite. Since this blog is related to coping with on the job tomfoolery, my answer is curated to playlists that keep me ~~calm~~ focused when I have ~~things I don’t want to work on~~ important deadlines or ~~I’m cleaning up other people’s messes~~ I’m solving complicated tasks that require diplomacy and concentration.

Below are some playlists that help me ~~retain my sanity~~ focus during work hours. All links are to YouTube playlists, because it’s free.

-Playlists of Erik Satie’s Gymnopedies or Gnossiennes on a loop. These are instrumental piano pieces that I find both calming and beautiful and ~~stop me from typing out my real thoughts by email~~ increase my patience.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr4azoVLqL0&pp=ygUKRXJpayBzYXRpZQ%3D%3D

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FS6o3qFimsc&pp=ygUKRXJpayBzYXRpZQ%3D%3D

-Chill with Taiki playlists. These are lo-fi playlists featuring Taiki, a cute Shiba Inu. The link below is to my favorite of the playlists.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9FvvbVI5rYA&pp=ygURY2hpbGwgd2l0aCB0YWlraSA%3D

– Blue Lines by Massive Attack. A classic from the British Trip Hop collective. The variety of the songs from start to finish hold my interest yet simultaneously allows me to focus.

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI6kLIhBBwmQs4uIox4UgB2UHc4IuS78s

I have a number of personal playlists as well that feature other genres than shown above but these are my defaults when I don’t feel like sifting through my personal collection and just want to hit play and go.

How does your musical tastes differ from work to your off time? Or is it the same?

Notes to My Future Self

Posted on July 4, 2024 by Nicole

What are you most worried about for the future?

I’m an analyst, so… Everything?

Too broad?

Ok let me think of specifics.

1. I still don’t know the correct answer to the riddle “how many chucks would a woodchuck chuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood” and I fear I will never know the answer. Seems like I could just add up the number of times the word “chuck” appears but that seems too obvious.

2. That I’ll turn into some crazy person who decides not to retire. I’ve dreamt of retirement since I was a girl (yeah you read that right) so not retiring would shake up the core of my identity.

3. That I’ll develop some weird health condition that prevents me from drinking coffee. Would be almost as devastating as item 2 above if not more so.

4. That I’ll never make time to learn underwater basket weaving.

5. That the Friday/Saturday morning kids show Xploration Earth is right and we’ll all be eating crickets as our main source of protein by the year 2050.

Phew now that I got that out of my system, what are you all worried about? Can’t be nearly as bad as my list.