Senses working overtime #459

1 The feeling this week

Photo by Dan Freeman on Unsplash

2 Listening: Across The Borderline (Van Dyke Parks, Gaby Moreno, Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder)

3 Watching: Argylle

After a full-on week (see #1 above), Jacky and I went to the movies to see this one. Perfect action/comedy fare for us on Friday night.

The movie features the Beatle song Now And Then quite a few times so, of course that's been back on high rotation at Maple Grove.

4 Listening: The Beatles - Now And Then

5 Reading: The Anne Tyler from last week and the latest Mojo on my coffee table (# 361)

Overtime: Work

Lettering artist and illustrator Jessica Hische on what procrastination reveals:

"The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life."

Source: Humble Pied (courtesy of James Clear)

Senses working overtime #458

1 My feeling this week

Photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash

2 Viewing: Yellowstone

3 Listening: Sonny Rollins' Work Time

Link to my blogpost is here.

4 Reading: Roderick Random and The Little Guide to Taylor Swift

Three quarters through the Tobias Smollett book now, and a colleague loaned a copy of the Taylor Swift guide - some great Tay Tay quotes that will appear on the Purdzilla Show in due course. 

I also read this article in Rolling Stone about how Trump and his allies are going after Taylor Swift. She'll win. No doubt.

And, The Guardian had an interesting article on why coffee shops all look the same.

5 Thinking: About time management on my Wednesdays

Overtime: Trading trust

Great post from Seth Godin. As he says:

Once you burn some trust, it’s almost impossible to earn it back. It took Harvard 400 years to become Harvard, Google about twenty to earn its position. This is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for–to become the one that earns the benefit of the doubt.

Being the low-trust option is hardly a spot worth fighting for.

Senses working overtime #457

1 Feeling this week (with a seven day virus)

2 Reading: Anne Tyler's Ladder Of Years

Thanks to some time off work dealing to that virus, I have moved on to this after finally finishing Killing Commendatore (681 pages!!). 

I'm about halfway through Roderick Random as well. Ladder of Years has been in the to-be-read pile for over a year - it's time is now!

3 Listening: Donovan's For Little Ones

I've been after this second half of his superb 1967 double album A Gift From A Flower To A Garden for ages. Finally found one in Real Groovy.

If you want just one song - try The Mandolin Man and His Secret.

4 Watching: Yellowstone

Having finished Netflix' three seasons of The Good Doctor, we've moved on to this one, also on Netflix.

5 Listening: Robert Scott - The Green House

The week saw the welcome return of the Wander To Wozza's Music Club (WTWMC) - wherein three intrepid amigos trade album recommendations. 

This is our fourth year of this enterprise. Our 2023 playlist is here. 

Overtime: On love

Teacher and author Bruce Coville:

"Nothing you love is lost. Not really. Things, people—they always go away, sooner or later. You can't hold them, any more than you can hold moonlight. But if they've touched you, if they're inside you, then they're still yours. The only things you ever really have are the ones you hold inside your heart."

(Courtesy of James Clear)

Senses working overtime #456

1 Back to the brick factory this week

2 Listening: Deep Purple's Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming

Of late, I've been chewing through the Deep Purple discography for my music blog Goo Goo G'Joob and this album from 1996 stood out.

3 Reading: Haruki Murakami - Killing Commendatore

Yes, still. It's a big book and time is tight to quote Booker T, but, I am really enjoying it! I'm nearly halfway - page 254.

Here's a bit:

“In the silence of the woods it felt like I could hear the passage of time, of life passing by. One person leaves, another appears. A thought flits away and another takes its place. One image bids farewell and another one appears on the scene. As the days piled up, I wore out, too, and was remade. Nothing stayed still. And time was lost. Behind me, time became dead grains of sand, which one after another gave way and vanished. I just sat there in front of the hole, listening to the sound of time dying.” 

4 Watching: The Good Doctor

Yes, still. We have just finished season 2. The writing and performances are still top notch. Favourite character - Aaron Glassman.

5 Listening: Tears For Fears

While visiting Vinyl Countdown in New Plymouth recently, I picked up a copy of their B-sides and rarities compilation album Saturnine Martial & Lunatic. There are some great tracks on the double album and I've become mildly obsessed with Pharoahs (I have it on the B side of a 12" single but rediscovering it is great) and Johnny Panic and the Bible of Silence.

Overtime: James Clear

"When I go into a situation, I try to keep a mindset of baseline optimism.

• When starting the day: It's going to be a good day.
• When meeting someone new: I'm going to like them.
• When trying something challenging: It's going to work out.

Problems will inevitably arise and I'll deal with them as the situation demands, but my preference is to assume I'm on a winning path until proven otherwise."