Day 8 - 310 -- Time Myths

It has been a sunny Sunday, but when I did early supper preparation, there was only blackness outside the window <sigh>. I will adapt. Just give me some time. 

Last night was the first time that I saw any clock move from 1:59 to 1:00. That was cool. Technically, today had 25 hours. I managed to finish the laundry and update some documents needed for a meeting later in the week. Given the 'extra' hour, I really didn't accomplish anything other than what would happen on a regular Sunday. It is a myth that we have an extra hour to sleep or do whatever is on the 'to do' list. Reading and hearing this myth repeatedly may lead people to feel they should have done more today. Do we really need something else to make us feel inadequate? This purported gain in time is not unlike that developed early in the 19th century and throughout the 20th century when the industrial revolution resulted in factory and farming mechanization that reduced the need for humans to produce goods. In the next century, household appliances began to appear that were marketed as methods to reduce time spent in the drudgery of household chores. Researchers have shown that having all the machines installed in a home actually saves only a few minutes daily. Leisure time hasn't increased dramatically. The leisure industry spreads a myth that we deserve whatever they are selling since we work so hard. The technology revolution has made some things easier to do, but still takes an inordinate amount of time. Think of how much time we spend glued to our phones now. These devices have increased time spent with them instead of in other leisure or work expectations. LSS -- multiple marketing myths (love alliteration <grin>) exist that make us feel like failures for not doing more. 

A song came to mind that deals with time and even mentions a mythological figure. Keep safe. Enjoy!

All the Time in the World -- Deep Purple

   

Day 8 - 309 -- Changing Time -- Again

This afternoon, I went for a walk to enjoy the sun and pick up some milk. While at the store, I found other things on sale that would be too bulky to carry with the milk and tissues. This meant a second trip back to get the other items. The walks were wonderful. 

Tonight a time change will sneak up on us while we sleep. It will make tomorrow a 25 hour day. Media talking heads keep telling us we'll gain an extra hour of sleep. Unlikely, in my experience as people will wake when the clock indicates an hour earlier than usual. I posit that we lose rest with both time changes. Physiological changes in adjusting to that single hour change are similar to jet lag -- like flying west a time zone in the fall. Overcoming a single hour is easier than 7 or 8, but it still takes time and causes stress until adjusted. 

At the two times yearly that we change time, I really miss my home province where no time change occurs. Regulators in several provinces and territories have been discussing the concept of no longer participating in this arcane practice. It helped 100 years ago when farming was done by manual labour and sunlight was needed to complete work during the growing months. For a brief moment, there will be more light earlier in the day, but we can't escape the fact that there will be fewer daylight hours in each day regardless of how clocks are set. Being at work in mid-afternoon and seeing full dark out the window can be disconcerting and mentally disturbing. It can be disorienting until people acclimate. Family members lived in the far north for a while where the sun sets for 20-30 minutes very late in the evening and rises for a similarly short time in the morning. The lack of light-dark rhythms would make me weirder than usual. I'd need the light therapy used for SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Even further south, many people benefit from this during the darker winter months. 

Several songs came to mind for the blog today. I decided on one to share -- unmistakable opening guitar riff. I hope it works for you. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

25 or 6 to 4 -- Chicago

Day 8 - 308 -- Obscure Vagaries

COLD. Today was brought to us by this word. Wow. It was a hard freeze overnight with temperatures in the area falling to a few degrees below freezing. The highlight of the day was getting my car back from the repair shop. It looks great with the scratches fixed. We were to have sunshine today. Instead. major cloud settled in. I did wear double gloves while outside for a walk and it made a huge difference in keeping fingers warm. We seem to be 'there' for now. There will be a few double digit highs in the next week, but overnight will be cool. 

Interesting that I use the word 'cool' rather than saying what it really is -- cold. Crisp and frosty feel filled the air this morning, so 'cool' is an understatement. Wind and dampness can affect the feel like temperature so that the word 'cool' just doesn't work at all. So, why do I try to soften the cold, hard truth <smile>? I dislike colder weather -- that is no secret. So, when I use a different word, am I trying to fool myself or soothe my frustration? I'm not convinced that avoiding the truth will help one cope with reality. Perhaps I should examine other irritating things to see if I try to understate them, too. It may be a way of hiding from unpleasantness that could permeate more than I recognize. Hmmm  Lots to think about there. 

Chorus lyrics from a song fit well with the theme of a quirk of obscuring things. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

In Hiding -- Pearl Jam

Day 8 - 307 -- Descent into Cool

Today was a day of meetings -- two online, one in person. When I was outside walking to the meeting this afternoon,  the air felt very chilly.  We are in for a couple more days of these cold single digit temps and frost advisories over night. My first clue that outside was cold was when the baseboard heater in the bathroom was on when I got up today. So, heating has begun. Now it is November, so perhaps I shouldn't be as disappointed. My thin gloves will need to be doubled up or I move onto medium weight gloves. 

Preparing for colder weather is not high on my 'like' list. Cooler temperatures of fall and spring can be managed, but as things get far cooler, I begin to feel off. Winter impedes ability to get around. Icy walk ways and roads make travel difficult -- even in town. The next 6 weeks will bring earlier sunsets and later sunrises. The darkness can feel oppressive. Sunny days will bring moments of sparkling snow, when it appears that we are walking on diamond dust. That is cool. This time of year also brings congregating crows at the end of the day. Listening to them will sound like friends gathered to laugh and commiserate over the events of the day. I enjoy these parts of winter. Also, in this part of the country we have a good three months of wintry weather, whereas on the prairies where I lived most of my life, there is closer to six months. So, it isn't all bad. <smile> 

A few lines of lyric from an older song came to mind today. especially when I added another blanket at bedtime <smile>. Leaves were gathered and removed from the front yard, so this seemed to fit so well. Love the amazing harmonies. <smile> Stay safe. Enjoy! 

California Dreamin' -- The Mamas and the Papas

Day 8 - 306 -- Journey of Relearning

Today had some sun, some cloud and some rain -- sort of a mixed bag. That theme spread into my activities. Technology didn't work a it should have during a virtual guest lecture where the slides did not advance as they should have. Everything went well, though. The information was delivered, though without the planned interactions between the virtual speaker and students attending virtually and in a classroom on campus. The topic dealt with understanding the negative societal attitude towards older adults -- ageism -- something we can all advocate to change. 

The experience today had me thinking of the thinking patterns that have settled in during the pandemic. Hope has been hiding as the short term turned into a long term shut down, which had us separated from people. As social beings this has been very challenging. We have felt alone due to isolation of lock downs. The way the world was before the pandemic is behind us. We will do some things again, such as traveling and gathering in groups, but it will be done differently -- proof of vaccine, masking, distancing, booster vaccines, greater expense. It will work, but it will be different. Flexibility will need to be a major part of our approaches to each day. We have been less with less ability to deal with small stresses. Often these become mountains to scale rather than something simple to walk around. Problem solving skills have been parked away in long-term memory. These and other skills that had been used daily now must be dug up, dusted off and relearned. Learning to live again in a new daily reality will take work and energy to master, but it should not be impossible. Finding a way to move forward and to leave behind some of the negative bits of the past many months can be done. We must be kind to ourselves and to others on this journey of relearning. I'll keep you posted as I head forward. <smile>

A song lyric that came to mind today emphasizes the need to move forward, to look ahead and not behind. We can do this, even though some days or parts of days make it feel beyond our reach. Hang in there. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Let It Go -- Tim McGraw 

Day 8 - 305 -- How much?

There was a cloudy start and end to day, but several wonderful hours of sunshine in the middle. Temperatures were warm with hardly any breeze. I chatted with a friend which brought some good laughs. the, I headed to the grocery store for a large stock up trip. I didn't even look at the total, just tapped my card and moved on. <sigh> There was a new cashier so she didn't state the total amount, either. I  looked when I got home and it was less than expected -- only $85 <sigh>. I looked for less expensive options where multiple varieties were available. I took advantage of sale prices as much as possible. I bought items where loyalty points were available, thus reducing the cost indirectly since points can be redeemed as cash for future purchases.  

In the earlier phone visit with a friend, we discussed the impact of supply chain issues, fuel costs and inflation on food prices. Lower income families had been struggling before the pandemic. The cost increases at the grocery store will now affect middle income households. This will be a long difficult winter for many people not only due to the rising cost of food, but also increases to fuel and heating costs. Recent data revealed that food bank usage had increased by 20% during the pandemic. That is a startling statistic. We also have far more kids under-18 years old living in poverty than we had a few years back. 

The song shared today really fits the broader conversation. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Inflation Blues -- B. B. King

Day 9 - 304 -- Full Fabulous Day

What a great beginning of a new week and a new month -- sunny, warm, and blue sky. It was a great gift for the first of November. I spent a lot of time out in the warmer air as I juggled a number of meetings today. When I started the car, though, I got a message noting the battery in the key fob was weak. <sigh> I called my dealership and they said it was a quick change out at their end, so after my first appointment, I headed there. Luckily, the cost was covered by the warranty, so the day got even better <grin>. My third stop can be longer than expected, but today I was in and out in just over 15 minutes. That gave me some extra time before the deadline for dropping the car at the body shop. They dropped me back at the rental office and I headed beck home in newer rental vehicle. Things should be done by Friday or maybe Saturday. I'm hoping for Friday, but we'll see. The guy has a very full schedule and has been turning folks away this week. I waited for just under two months to get this smaller job done since it did not affect driveability. 

I found myself thinking early in the day that this was going to be a busy day. Then I laughed. I was reminded of a former workplace where the word 'busy' was banned. At the time, we had no regional manager so five program managers took on that role for several months. When we'd meet regularly, there would be push back from people who would say that 'hey were so busy with the program management they couldn't possibly be at so many meetings. We all agreed that such phrasing was rather triggering to the rest of the team who also had very full schedules. Omitting that one word from our office vocabulary challenged each of us use more careful phrasing to more clearly explain what was currently front and centre in our programs. That helped so much. We moved into a problem solving space rather than feeling overwhelmed by the difficulties. Life became much more positive once we made this change. Oh, and we also learned how to gently call each other on the word usage for the moments when one of us would use the offending word during a stressful moment. In the long run, this experience assisted me with carefully explaining why I was saying 'no' and to realize that in most cases it was really 'no, not at this moment. Give me X amount of time and then I'll be ready.' 

Taking moments throughout the day helped me to appreciate the fantastic weather as well as move from one meeting to the next. I was reminded of a song that has been recorded by many artists over the decades since it was written. I finally landed on one version by a Canadian jazz singer and pianist. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Blue Skies -- Diana Krall