A brain dump

I don't know where this blog post is going to go.

It's summer outside and yet with one thing and another, I'm not out there much. I have an hour till I leave for yoga class, and what I most want to do is nap. There's been a lot of that lately. I'm not sure why.

Paperwork is piling up on my desk, and I have not the slightest desire to deal with it. I used to love getting paper mail, even bills. These days it seems like I am drowning in statement. Half of them want me to go paperless, and I've already talked about that.

Yet personal tax time is coming, and I'll have to deal with it. Bother.

I used to like email too. I actually chatted with people via email. A conversation. Now it's notifications and copies of stuff I've already seen. So far I've built 56 rules in my email to delete things, or move them to folders. My brother and mom periodically send me chatty emails, and I try to respond within the day. Other than those, I'm trying to think of the last chatty email I've had. Email, not Message, not Twitter mail or responses, or any variety of Facebook.

I'm feeling buried at work. I like what I do, and there's often interesting stuff. What's killing me is that I'm being forced into doing half-assed work, knowing, KNOWING I'm going to have to come back and revisit it. Yesterday and today I was part of some User Acceptance Testing. We got through the script ok, and they've done a good job on pulling together a lot of information to produce a report.

The problem is that the report is just the first step, and there is no hint of a process of how someone would take that report and get to the step of mailing the finished version to where it needs to go. There are some soft spots in the process that produces the report that will need to be worked on. The project team, which technically I'm part of, is between a rock and a hard place. They've already got more to do than there is time to do it. Anyways, enough of that.

The downside of swimming so much is that a couple of my work shirts don't fit anymore. I was getting dressed on Monday, putting on a shirt I've worn many times before and wondering why the sleeves are so short. And why the buttons are snugger than I remember. I should have measured my shoulders, since that's where the fit seems to have changed. Some shirts that fit loosely are now a bit tighter. My weight hasn't changed that much.

I think that means more shopping, as I've notice a few of the shirts are looking a little worn or faded. I buy good quality shirts, but some of them I've had a long time. Just what I want to do, more shopping. (that was sarcasm!) Lately I've really not liked shopping. More bother.

I was thinking today back to the prep for Ironman. I wasn't working for much of that, and I was enjoying it. I was tired a lot, but I had lots of things to do. Toward the end I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever have time to work again.

There are lots of things I'd like to work on around the house now. Even with all the yard work we had done last year, there is some finishing touches, and some work needed on the front now too. Lots for me to do. Plus fitness. Plus working on books.

Plus, relaxing and enjoying life. I'm thinking I'm not doing enough of that. There was an article on CBC on the way home talking about data overflow. Sometimes I think I'm being overwhelmed with data, but I don't think I'm addicted to my devices. The only electronic device in our bedroom is the low tech alarm clock, unless I forget to take my iPhone out of my pants pocket.

Maybe I need a digital data holiday. Take some time off work. Set all my devices aside for a week. I'm pretty sure I could do that. I think. What about you? Could you take a digital data holiday and go a week without any of your devices?

Lastly, to make Jen happy, a photo of the back up Nutella supplies.