Skipped Thursday’s daily post because I just wasn’t feeling it. Writing Friday’s daily post in brief spurts during downtime in the teaching day, so I’ll try something new and do most of this post through bullet points.
- A week into using a bullet journal again for planning my schedule and managing tasks, and I kind of can’t believe I let myself get away from it for so long. My system is extremely simple, but also lets me be really particular about it in a way that works for me. This will be a big part of this year’s successes.
- Tomorrow is the local flea market in the park near my place. It’s typically on the last Saturday of the month and I love going, whether or not I buy anything. Because of business and bad weather, I haven’t been able to go in at least a few months, so I’m excited. Last November, I picked up a couple of knives that I then restored (documentation here. I’ve been wanting to restore more knives and maybe some other things, but haven’t been able to find good restoration subjects locally. Hopefully, I can find something good. If not, it’ll be time to find something funky on Yahoo Auctions.
- I’ve finished the next main/topical post for the site, which I’ll either be putting up later today or over the weekend. Related to it is the fact that I’ll be tackling the first big section of downsizing/decluttering this weekend. Going to try to do a time-lapse of some of the process, and otherwise get back into documenting things the way I used to do more actively.
- Making photos to document daily life used to feel almost like a game. I want to get that back.
- Today’s new SiJ post is now up: Somewhere in Japan № 33: Keeping Contained
- I’ve decided to compile the posts and photos from Somewhere in Japan into a journal three times a year, the first volume coming out next month. I’m doing a presale now.
- When I started Somewhere in Japan, I intended it as a personal writing project, with the aim of strengthening my writing muscles again and getting back into the habit of diving into writing every single day, habitually and joyfully. Just like with photography, it used to be such a big part of my everyday life and it was so rewarding. I drifted away from it, especially 2018-2020, so I wanted to get back to it. The blog was one way of pursuing that, and I’m pleased to say it seems to be working.
- Cycling to work is getting a little easier, but I still miss being in better shape. It’s 16-21km each way, depending on the route I take. I’m still experimenting with different routes, trying to keep distance low but also avoiding roads that are overly narrow, heavy with truck traffic, etc. Rode to work on Wednesday and then again today, for two times this week. Weather-permitting, I’ll try to do it three times next week.
And because gratitude is important, here’s five things I’m grateful for today:
- I am grateful that my students are largely just delightful little people, challenging though they can be.
- I am grateful for the quality of roads in this part of the country, as they’re mostly in very good condition, which makes cycling even more enjoyable.
- I am grateful for the level of physical fitness I currently have (mediocre though I feel it is), and that I still have the good health that I do, especially considering all the illness and death the world over
- I am grateful for the plants that I’m growing and how well most of them are doing. It’s really gratifying.
- I am grateful, day in and day out, for my wonderful partner, who I cannot wait to see and spend time with tonight. I don’t know how I got so lucky, and I hope I never forget to express how much she means to me.
And that, friends, is it. I may or may not post over the weekend, but I’ll be back soon, regardless. Have a great weekend, y’all.
