Senses working overtime #533

1 The feeling this week:

Photo by Eduard Delputte on Unsplash

2 Watching: Alone Africa (season 12)

This one is dropping episodes every Friday so it's a bit painful waiting but, like all the other Alone seasons, it's good quality reality stuff.

3 Reading: Three books

Photo by Celine Ylmz on Unsplash

Full week at school means not a huge amount of time that I can devote to reading, so I am continuing to enjoy Bel Ami (Guy de Maupassant), God Only Knows (David Leaf) and the biography of Truman (it's huge!)

4 Listening: Joe Henderson - Page One

I bought this from JB Hi Fi this week - a perfect album and it was his solo debut! 

5 Reading: Mojo Magazine #377

I'm a latecomer to early to mid period Genesis. Great covermount CD featuring some seminal prog bands.

Overtime: James Clear

"There are many elements of living a good life, but the first and most foundational is to love yourself and enjoy spending time with yourself.

Go do things on your own so you learn to trust your mind and view it as a welcome companion. If someone declared, "Tomorrow you must spend the day alone" the hope is that you would reply, "That sounds like a good day!"

The person who is at ease within finds every other space larger and more enjoyable."

Senses working overtime #532

1 Back to school (a sea of possibilities)

2 Reading: Bel Ami - Guy de Maupassant

3 Watched and watching: Alone Australia season 1, and season 3.

4 Listening: Queen on Fire -Live at the Bowl

5 Feeling icky: stopped watching Dance Moms

More on this on Wozza's Place next week. Watch for it.

Overtime: 

Be forgiving with your past self. What's done is done. Take the lessons with you and release the guilt.

Be strict with your present self. Win the moment in front of you right now.

James Clear 

Senses working overtime #531

1 Second week of the study break:

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

The first week of the study break kicked off with me marking students' work, this second week ended with planning my five classes for the next 6 weeks. That's a good feeling!

2 Watched: Alone UK and Alone Australia

We finished watching season 2 of Alone Australia (started while at Mabelle and Gav's gaff) and then moved onto season 1 of Alone UK. Slight change for that one with 11 ordinary Brits surviving/ lasting from 4 hours to 30ish days. Brilliant!

3 Reading: God Only Knows (The story of Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys and the California myth) - David Leaf

I've read this in an earlier edition when I borrowed a library copy years ago, but I had to buy this 2024 version while visiting Santa Rosa (Copperfields Books). Good to reread given the recent passing of Brian.

4 Listening: Procol Harum Live in Concert

5 Reading: The Visitor - Lee Child

I'm pretty sure I've also read this one years ago but that's the great thing with his books - because of the frothiness and easiness of the style, you can reread and enjoy them all over again. This is a great study break book.

Overtime:  

"Focus on the seeds, not the trees. What seeds are you planting today?"

James Clear

Senses working overtime #530

1 First week of the study break:

Photo by Matias North on Unsplash

2 Reading: Utopia Avenue - David Mitchell

The novel centres on a fictional 1960s British psychedelic rock band called Utopia Avenue. Quite apposite given my recent run down of Pink Floyd's late sixties albums on Goo Goo G'Joob. 

David Mitchell even has a scene in the book where characters watch a 1967 Pink Floyd gig. Fun.

3 Listening: Pink Floyd's Ummagumma 

Specifically, the live sides.  

4 Reading: Truman - David McCullough

5 Watched - Alone: Frozen

Overtime: 

Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day 

Thorton Wilder