Secret to happiness

In my 30s I was somewhat into board games -- inspired, in part, by a friend from high school who finds board games at good prices at garage sales and thrift stores, then sells them at higher prices on "game collector" websites and uses the profits to fund additional game purchases for himself.  (He could totally afford to just buy the games that he wants -- but making the process self-sustaining is far more interesting.)

I e-mailed him to ask if he was sufficiently interested in a semi-collectable board game that I should "suitcase" it back to Seattle for him -- post-pandemic (!!!) -- or whether I should just give it to my (adult) niece, or my wife's co-worker, here in Australia?  He said I should just dispose of it here. 

As part of this conversation, I mentioned that I'm planning on going through my various games and getting rid of most of them:  I've now realized -- self-aware middle-aged guy that I am -- that spending 1-5 hours playing a game is not how I want to spend my time.  So -- I'm only going to keep a few.  And then I proceeded to -- off the top of my head -- list my "keepers".

It turns out that I ended up with twenty-seven (and thought of two more after I'd sent the e-mail).  So that's probably more than "non-game" people would have.

I asked my friend about that -- but he says that he's not a good reference point, as he has over a thousand.  So: clearly he's into games.  ;)

This reminded me of one of my "middle aged guy wisdom" insights:  the secret to happiness is to figure out what you like doing -- and then maximizing your time doing that (as long as it isn't harmful to yourself or others).  So:  I'm glad he's still doing "the game thing".  :)

Related to this:  I'm always charmed and intrigued by people who have interests, and then set up little work-shops or "zones" to accom-modate their interest (e.g. a "jewelry-making station").  I know he has an extensive system of shelves, down in his basement, for game storage:  so I'd like to think that he also has a  secondhand diner booth nearby -- with proper lighting -- so that he can play games at a moment's notice, leave half-finished games set up, and etcetara.

He actually doesn't, as it turns out:  but he likes the idea...  :)

 

--GG

What you wake up to

Although I'm pretty sure it's not "The 19", I'm trying to physically isolate myself from my family.  Among other things, I'm sleeping on the floor of the living room (next to the piano), on top of two layers of yoga mats, a blanket, and some beach towels.  I've come full circle:  that's very similar to what I slept on when I roomed with my drummer "Captain Crash" and his brother in my early 20s, between attempts at university.  Despite my being middle-aged, it's still reasonably comfortable.

So -- this morning:  farmers wake up to the sound of the rooster; in some seasons I wake to the sounds of wild birds; some people wake up to the smell of coffee, or bacon. 

I wake up to the sound of my sons screaming over their comms about Fortnite.

But at least they're having fun:  mostly.  ;)


--GG

If I were a rich man

One of the great things about getting older (and older...) is having an ever-increasing sense of "self":  what you value, and who you are.

My job is the best job I have ever had:  interesting (usually!) work that is useful to society, with good co-workers, a good boss, and a good boss' boss.  I used to say that if I won the big lottery I'd still keep working half-time.

But, over the Easter weekend, I realized:  nah.  I have way too many things that I enjoy doing -- such that working half-time still wouldn't leave me enough time to accomplish everything that I'd want to.

On March 31st, I wrote this note to myself:  “I need to retire now, just to accomplish all my songwriting/recording/instrument-learning/woodworking/gardening/reading/exercising/martial arts goals!!!”


If I had the time, and didn’t think my muscle memory would get confused, I’d take two martial arts a week: maybe a grappling style plus a striking-based style, to minimize the muscle memory overlap.

Oh:  and I'd take tap-dancing lessons.


Here's some preliminary planning -- in anticipation of winning the lottery.


Activities:

-Martial arts
-Woodworking
-Film/video shooting
-Recording songs
-Tap dance
-Learning instruments
-Weightlifting
-Yardwork
-Typing up my backlog of notes and such from over the years.


Most weekdays, here's my preliminary schedule:

-Take the kids to school, then drive back home
-A quick breakfast
-Practice instrument #1 for 15 mins
-Practice instrument #2 for 15 mins
-Spend 3 hrs 45 mins doing something creative (recording music or shooting and/or editing film or doing woodworking or writing a screenplay)
-About 15 mins cleaning up (e.g. showering, if I've been woodworking)
-A quick (late) lunch
-Go get the kids from school, bring them back home
-About 15 mins on the punching bag
-Evenings:  help w/ kids' homework some nights; martial arts classes other nights


It's actually a moderate drive to my kids' school -- so two days a week I'd just hang out in that neighborhood during the day, rather than making two round trips.

The plan would be:

-Drive the kids to school
-Borrow one of their music practice rooms (more like little booths) for a half hour and practice an instrument
-Put the instrument in the car and jog to the local gym
-Work out for about four hours
-Jog back to school
-Get the kids and bring them home (while sweating like a monkey)


Weekends:  mostly yardwork, plus errands


Anyhow -- that's the plan.  Now I just need to win the lottery...  ;)


--GG

Actually pretty good

I'm taking a moment from writing my third chapter from The Project That Would Not End (it's currently early October; the original project deadline was mid-July) to comment that in the larger scheme, things are pretty okay.

I'm getting tired of being tired: for the last two weeks, I think there's only been two nights where I've had a decent night's sleep. For the last three (or four? it's all a blur) nights, I had from two to five hours of sleep -- and it's starting to all catch up with me.


BUT --

I'm getting some interesting findings in my chapters. It's an enjoyable challenge to try to write up the results in a manner that's clear and accessible to laypersons, yet doesn't misrepresent the analytic techniques or the meaning of the findings.

Everyone is healthy (except for a persistent cough with The Lady and Boy #2).

I have a lovely family.

Got a roof over my head; food in the 'fridge (and, as of an hour ago, also in my belly!).

And I have a book and a DVD on their way to me from Amazon (my five in the morning reward to myself for racking up **massive** hours on the ol' timesheet!).


And this draft of the report should be out of my hands by midnight tonight (was supposed to have been Sunday night; and Monday night -- neither of which happened).


So: in the aggregate, it's going good.

Now, back to work. ;)


--GG