What’s your chief aim for today

• Writing
  • Write and publish one piece on this blog
• Graduate School
  • Complete typing up answers for assignment #1
  • Edit answers for pre-lab assignment
  • Watch and take notes on second module in advanced operating systems (Lesson 2)
• Organization
  • Review Inbox items sitting in OmniFocus
  • Quickly glance over project
• Work
  • Continue to chip away at writing one-pager design for a prototype for new feature at work
  • Survive today’s on call and flurry of operational issues that may arise

How did yesterday go?

• Realized that checking my work laptop first thing in the morning for just that one little thing doesn’t work: I get sucked in and begin tackling other items, including checking my e-mail inbox, or slack messages, or whatever. So my rule of thumb is to not flip open the lid of my work laptop until I am ready to fully work
• Work drained me. All the back to back operational issues not only enervated me but derailed my entire day, something I should just expect since on call is so variable
• Being on call yesterday, I was unable to break away from the laptop while my mom was visiting Seattle, not getting to spend much quality time with her. Bummer. These feelings make me reevaluate work (see Feelings section)

Word of the day

underscore – verb (n) – to underline or to emphasize

Even Atlanta, Donald Glover’s Twin Peaks–esque FX series, toys with the supernatural and the surreal to underscore points about race made in its quieter moment¹.

In an internal memo, Stan Deal, chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Greg Hyslop, Boeing’s chief engineer, sought to underscore the message that safety is the company’s top priority ²

What are you grateful for?

• My sister delivering a healthy little girl, her birthing free from any major complications (unless you consider an epidural a complication)

Feelings

• As mentioned above, on call operations for my team (and many other teams in Amazon) can drain every ounce of energy. Every time my phone sounds an alarm, my body releases cortisol and stress washes over me. Granted, there are some weeks where very little issues crop up: but that’s the not the norm as of late. But is this how I want to live my life 24×7, once every 5-6 weeks? Sure, the work is rewarding and challenging and intellectually stimulating but one entire week of pure exhaustion may not be worth the cost
• Seeing my wife watch over both my daughter and niece (Maiya) sends butterflies to my stomach. She’s patient and gentle with them, two important qualities for anyone.

References

1. https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/08/lovecraft-country/615259/