\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Waking up at a consistent earlier time is turning out to be a great addition to my routine.<\/strong> It somehow makes my whole day feel more stable and energized. I think it\u2019s because it gives my day a predictable, reliable start (6 am, if you\u2019re wondering) and gives me an extra chunk of time to get something done before the \u201creal\u201d day starts.<\/p>\n Whatever I work on in that period tends to tumble around in my mind throughout the day and pick up more ideas and embed itself in my future planning, so it makes my project work feel more reliable too. And if my evening crowds out time for projects, at least the morning gives me some time.<\/p>\n I\u2019m still a night owl, so getting myself to bed earlier is still a struggle, but I\u2019m also seeing that a consistent wake up time gives my sleep schedule adjustments a bit of an anchor. If I need more sleep, my early mornings push it to happen at night when I\u2019m too tired to stay up. That\u2019s how it\u2019s working out so far anyway.<\/p>\n I worked through some complicated questions on my Kanban setup.<\/strong><\/p>\n Last week\u2019s progress:<\/p>\n Coming up:<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude0e<\/p>\n An experimental walk at the hospital turned out better than I\u2019d hoped.<\/strong> Tuesday my usual lunchtime walk was preempted by a meeting, so after work I took the opportunity to take a nostalgic walk I\u2019d been planning at the hospital where I used to get my infusions for ulcerative colitis. I had two agendas: (1) get a better idea of the layout of the infusion department and (2) absorb the hospital ambience.<\/p>\n I\u2019m cursed with both a need to understand my memories and a weak spatial awareness, so the circuitous route the nurse had led me through in and out of the infusion room had left me wondering, Where was I?<\/em> The floor plans I\u2019d found on evacuation maps and online only partially helped, since I couldn\u2019t identify the room itself on them. Walking the empty hallway again\u2014somewhat anxiously because I didn\u2019t know what security would think of my non-medical reason for being there\u2014helped me match the doorways to the best map I had, and then I found another evacuation map on the wall, which I hastily photographed before making my escape. Examining it later, the mental details finally snapped into place, and I was able to see the infusion room and how it related to everything around it. As often happens when I see a map, the layout turned out to be less complicated than my impression of it, with the overall route a simple loop.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t get to absorb much hospital ambience, because the route I used to take through the hospital for my infusions went through the inpatient center, and on arriving this time I saw a sign that asked visitors to register at the front desk, and I knew I\u2019d have a hard time explaining my visit. So I walked around the outside of the complex, which I\u2019d been halfway expecting to do anyway. But on my way back, I did stop by the reception desk and asked if the cafeteria was open to the public, since I might want to eat there sometime. She said yes and that people from outside the hospital walked around in the building all the time, which was the best news of the day. To me a well-funded hospital is a symbol of professionalism, scientific progress, and intricate, large-scale systems, and I like having access to an environment where I can absorb that vibe.<\/p>\n Later I asked ChatGPT for other indoor places<\/a> open to the public for walking, and it gave me a long list that included airports, museums, and stadiums, so the wheels are turning and I might make that my winter walking project, a new set of walking spots to explore.<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n I spied a crayfish and some big tadpoles at the lake near work, where the water has been clearer lately.<\/strong> I remember my friends talking about finding crawdads in the creek as a regular pastime when I was growing up, but I never spent enough time in nature to run across them. As I was filming them, a retired man came over to say hello, and we chatted about the lake a few minutes. He had thought I was fishing and was going to ask what I was catching. He mentioned something I\u2019d suspected, that the only big fish in that lake were carp.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A post shared by Andy Culbertson (@thinkulum)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
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Walks<\/h2>\n
Nature<\/h2>\n
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