Gratitude

I passed my final certification test for work yesterday. I am grateful to have that off my plate. Tests make me extremely nervous. I spent time connecting with coworkers to discuss a weekly article related to the balancing act of work. It is really cool to connect with people out of my own org and hear diverse perspectives. I’ve been dealing with trigger finger in my left hand for a month. I’m not averse to doctors but sometimes life gets “lifey” and it’s hard to prioritize the time to get to the doctor. Well, Wednesday I could barely close my hand and I had to do it. A few days on a steroid and it’s feeling much better. Follow up appointment next week.

This morning on my run, I noticed just how blue the sky was as I made my way through the wind and the cold. It was stunningly blue. Something about the angle of the sun made it that way. Of course, the sky isn’t really blue, it appears that way because of the reflection of light off the ocean against the black void of space — it all has to do with light and how our optic nerve and brain interpret it. It was a good reminder of the miracles of the mundane, those little things that we take for granted; that life is beautiful and we are incredibly lucky to have this earth to call our home. ...

I passed the certification exam that I had to take today! I have two more to go in the next month or so. I’m grateful to have two down and two to go. I got out for a bike ride today in my new gear and I was toasty warm even as it was 34F with 15 mph winds. Money well spent. I was very grateful to have warm ties after an hour ride! ...

Last week I was invited to attend a Certified Ethical Hacking class that is being offered to some of the systems engineers here at my company. I am excited for this opportunity to build my skills and my resume. It is nice to be recognized and rewarded for my abilities by my leadership. ...

I got a call from my doctor today and the biopsy of my mole was clean, keeping the streak of clean biopsies alive. I’ve lost count but it’s well over thirty. I made nachos for dinner this evening, which were a hit with my son. He asked to go to one of our favorite restaurants for nachos over the weekend but I told him we couldn’t due to the pandemic. It was wonderful to be able to make him smile tonight. ...

I am grateful for super glue which I used to seal a painful crack in a callous on my index finger. I am grateful for skilled surgeons hands and hopeful that the biopsy of my mole comes back clean as they have in the past. ...

On Saturday, my wife and I took a drive over to Easton, MD and had lunch at one of our favorite Italian restaurants, Scossa. We ate lunch outside, despite it being 48 degrees. Admittedly, it is a bit odd to eat lunch outside in January wearing our winter coats, but it’s as close as we are coming to normal right now. ...

One of the things that has been missing from my sales calls since we transitioned to 100% zoom has been the friendly conversation that normally happens before or after the meeting. Generally in face to face appointments there is time for informal conversation where we catch up with the customer about their lives outside work. This just doesn’t happen organically in video conferencing most of the time. But some times, out of the blue, it does. Today at the end of a demo, we ended up talking for ten to fifteen minutes with one of my customers about how we are all weathering the Pandemic. It was nice. Normal even. And I’m grateful for that in this time when so much is not normal.

I am not laboring under the delusion that it’s spring — because it’s only January — but I have noticed that there are a few birds that have been chirping on my walks and runs. After a week of fairly cold days (though still no snow which bums me out), it’s crystal clear and 50° today. I’m catching a few minutes in the sun, getting some vitamin D, between calls with a cup of coffee. ...

I went for a run today and came very close to a personal record for 5K/3.1m, but I stopped at 3.01 miles rather than finishing the last 9/10 of a mile. I concentrated in my training and ran negative splits for each mile finishing at 30.34 which is just a bit slower than my all time PR for a 5K. It was still relatively quiet and there was a heavy frost on the ground. The morning sunlight reflecting off the frost was beautiful. ...

It’s been difficult to keep up the gratitude posts over the last week. My heart is heavy and my monkey mind is in full gear. What happened on Jan 06, 2021 in Washington, DC is not supposed to happen in the United States. The President of the United States is not supposed to incite an angry mob to storm the Capitol building seeking to murder the Vice President and members of Congress while also over turning an election that has been certified by every state, the Presidents Lackey Lap Dog of an Attorney General who quit in an effort to save his own ass shortly before Christmas, and the US Supreme Court which has been filled with three justices by the President who lost the election. There are no doubts that the election was legitimate except in the minds of people who have lost their ability to reason. ...

I got out for a 20 mile bike ride today. It was 32° and windy but sunny. I passed a church group handing out food to a long line of people. I’m grateful that I have enough and can support charities. I am grateful for the sunshine since it’s been overcast recently. And I’m grateful for a bike ride to clear the head and stop doom scrolling for a bit.

It’s been a difficult week. I am grateful for a quiet Friday evening, at least as quiet as it can be with a 13 year old boy listening to Dr. Dre and playing video games. After years of seemly giving him a pass, Twitter finally suspended the president’s account, permanently. I am grateful that his platform for hatred, misinformation, and lies has been diminished. ...

I am grateful for the donut that I had after I failed a certification exam today. Yes, it did make me feel better. I am grateful that I was at home and able to pick my son up after he fell in a giant mud puddle at recess. He got a shower and clean clothes and went back to school. ...

I missed my gratitude post yesterday. In the wake of the events in DC yesterday I am grateful for my recovery. My sobriety is the foundation upon which the rest of my life is built.