Day 2 - 211 -- NIght of a Blue Moon

Today was productive -- and it was a Friday even <smile>. Met about course assignments and then finished some of the main documents for one course so they'll be ready for September. That felt good. Slides still need to be updated for that course, but these will be a few small changes and additions to keep things current. I will spend more time on another course next week and hope for the best <smile>. The day ended with a spontaneous dinner out with a friend -- wonderful sushi, with a delightful roasted beet salad and a luscious dessert -- dolce de leche torte -- a wonderful meal with a great friend. A perfect ending to a very full week.

The full moon tonight is the second in the month, so it is termed a blue moon. Be sure to take a look at the moon tonight if you can -- these happen only every few years. The skies are somewhat clear here. We'd had pouring rain overnight that lasted until after noon. There is incredible humidity outside (and sadly, inside). Tomorrow is to be hot with a killer humidex and clearer skies.

The celestial event had me singing today's selection as I worked around the kitchen this evening. It was written by Rogers and Hart when my parents were only toddlers, yet became a hit for various artists over more than six decades.From those many versions, I've chosen one from the middle of that time span. It has a more romantic feel. You should check out the other versions available online; each uses a very different beat and rhythm -- from swing to doo wop to country (like horse clip clop backing -- just weird <grin>). Enjoy!

Blue Moon -- Sha-Na-Na (from Grease)

Day 2 - 210 -- Working to Re-establish the Routine

Well -- back to the desk and all the projects that it holds. We sent off a short proposal today, so will see where that leads. After a trip away, it can be difficult to get back into the groove of the routine aspects of daily work and life. I have a very long list of things to do before I take some time for vacation. Preparation for the fall term always seems to take longer than expected. While I look forward to presenting new and updated materials and different topics, getting these all together can be a challenge. What appears easily doable seems to take two to three times as much effort and time as expected. It is odd that I don't learn that this is the way the world works. <smile>

Getting sucked into a routine way of thinking can sometimes slow completion of projects. It seems to lead to the frittering of time on small tasks not fully instrumental to the larger task at hand. The disruption of thinking by a 'bing' each time a new e-mail arrives is an example. I always turn the volume down so I don't hear the 'you've got mail' call to lose focus. For longer projects, I often wear ear buds to my iPod, which can effectively diminish external noises like the 'bings' or all the activity in the hallway outside my door. Implementing techniques to improve focus can be more difficult when one is tired, though -- I think that is where the fritters find a way into a day.

The song I'm sharing today is an obscure little ditty that made me laugh. It deals with mundane aspects of daily life and a type of boredom that may not be unlike getting caught up in the fritters. This live version is even more entertaining than the recorded version -- though the sound quality is a bit compromised -- it's a trade-off <smile>.. Enjoy!

Cartier -- Elton John

Day 2 - 209 -- Feeling Relaxed at an Airport

This one is a day late getting up here. I was in transit much of yesterday and simply unpacked and went to bed when I got back home. It was a long day -- about 12 hours door-to-door -- or hotel-to-home actually. Traffic was heavier than usual heading out of the city to the airport, but I arrived with time to spare. I realized while walking through the Pittsburgh airport that things seemed more relaxed. It is a very large airport -- designed for the heavier traffic as a hub city for a major airline that withdrew and moved to a different city after the place was built. It seems almost deserted though there are many flights and lots of people traversing the area. The sound was not as loud as most crowded larger airports. The music playing overhead was from a classical station, adding to the calmness of the venue. It was refreshing for a traveler.

A slight delay to check a suspected oil leak made customs and immigration in Toronto a bit of a rush. I got to the departure gate with about 15 minutes to spare before boarding began. Weather was fine for the drive home from the airport so things went fairly smoothly after the iffy start to the day. Regardless, travel is tiring so I collapsed into my own bed and slept reasonably well.

The selection chosen to share was what was playing when I fully noted the music at the airport. While not strictly classical, it is orchestral and made me smile when I realized what a nerd I must be to recognize the whole thing <smile>. Enjoy!

Star Wars Theme -- John Williams (conductor)

Day 2 - 208 -- Roller Coaster Type Day

A day  of contradictions it seems. Heard a couple wonderful speakers -- one that cracked me up, as usual and two others that presented very interesting information. The end of the day meant many people that I see infrequently were heading back home -- that is always a bit melancholy. It often brings a feeling of being a bit lost -- not knowing what I should do after my time being filled for me up until their departure. I did have good conversations with a couple of random people -- these left me smiling. A key piece of software has chosen not to work for me, and that leaves me a bit frowny. So --as I said -- contradictory experiences battling with one another for my emotions.

So -- I am not sure what way is up at the moment. I think I'll just post this and head off to bed to try again tomorrow <smile>. The song that ran through my head was from a great female artist from a few years back <grin>. Enjoy!

Upside Down -- Diana Ross

Day 2 - 207 -- Thanking a Mentor

I reflected on my career today when a woman I consider a mentor received a life achievement award from her peers. We met only once, but I had seen her speak years before that. I read much that she wrote and it fit well with my doctoral research and the research that I have been doing ever since. The first time I heard her present at a conference she spoke about qualitative research methods  -- in particular an unstructured interview. There was a single question -- "Tell me about cholesterol." -- that wasn't really even a question. The rest of the interviews went along like a conversation. The information gathered with this technique answered many of the "why's" rather than just the what and how many. It fascinated me and I began to look for others in the nutrition field using these methods. There were precious few finds for that search. Now, there are many people utilizing these techniques to understand people and allow the creation of messages that can help them with food choices.

So -- today I was able to let her know the impact she has had on my career -- just one of many she has inspired without really knowing. It was good to be able to tell someone this. Far too often, we never get the perfect time to tell someone what they have done for us, or else we just never get around to it. If someone has made a difference in your life, they should know this. Find the words to say or type or write in a real card -- it may make a difference in their life.

The song today speaks to the difficulties along a career path. Staying the course can be difficult, but others can help us to get over the hurdles or choose the path to take. It is sung by a wonderful gravelly voice and is somewhat autobiographical in nature. Enjoy!

Can't Stop me Now -- Rod Stewart

Day 2- 206 -- Time with Friends -- old and new

Today was spent catching up with a friend and colleague and planning future project work. This is the 'fun stuff' of the job. Lots of great questions out there looking for answers. This is a great way to spend an afternoon <smile>.  The evening was spent at dinner with people I've only e-mailed with for the past few years and many other wonderful people working on a larger project together. Putting faces to the typed names on the screen was very helpful and makes the work easier to do when we know the people a bit better.

It is interesting that we can work or talk with people we have never seen or spoken to other than through the typed word. Then meeting face to face -- what a wonderful gift. We went for dinner together and had a very lively conversation -- such fun.

The song today talks about the treasure of making friends and even good acquaintances. The singer is a treasure, too. Enjoy!


Friends -- Elton John

Day 2 - 205 -- Food and Memory

Today brought with it some wonderful food experiences. For lunch I ended up at a New Orleans style food restaurant. Amazing! The gumbo was smoky and spicy with fantastic Andouille sausage. It was just what I recalled from my visits to New Orleans. I paired it with a half sandwich of pulled pork with a hickory apple barbecue sauce -- messy but great textures and flavours. It was a festival for the taste buds. For supper a colleague and I went to an Italian restaurant where I had a lovely spaghetti with pesto, olive oil and amazing shrimp. It was a great ending to a busy day.

I've always found it interesting that food flavours and odours can bring such memories. The gumbo today took me back to my visits and food experiences from years back. It is a form of comfort food, it seems. The emotions that the food brought forth surprised me -- they were happy, contented, pleasant feelings -- I was in a world of my own <smile>

The song today brings with it thoughts of the wonderful city from which these foods arose. The song tells of the colours of the city. Enjoy!

Crescent City -- Lucinda Williams