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Post by Kapitan on Sept 4, 2024 13:10:40 GMT
As I've said before, I like taking walks in the morning, while it's still cool and without interrupting my workday. I often go along a nearby creek, or one of the nearby lakes. As such, I've seen more than your typical city critters like squirrels, rabbits, and typical birds. I've often see ducks, cranes, geese, turkeys, hawks, bald eagles, schools of fish visible from shore, occasional raccoons, and even some deer. This morning I saw a coyote, I think for the first time ever (in the city, that is: I've seen them in state parks). It darted out in the darkness from the trees along the shore of the creek and ran across a yard and the eastbound lane of a divided parkway, then made an orderly turn to the left and trotted quickly but casually along the westbound traffic lane, which thankfully was otherwise unused at 5:40 a.m. or so. So, coyote. Add that to my list of wildlife seen in the city. We've seen some stray coyotes in recent years too. One Christmas, at my father's house, we saw what at first appeared to be a mangy fox. Dad took a picture of it, and upon a closer look, it was a coyote. I've seen at least one in my backyard at dusk. There seems to be an increase in wild animals trying to make do in the city lately. One funny thing--and I don't mean this to be political-sounding, despite a couple of the magic words coming up--is how sometimes it seems to be blamed 100% on climate change, as if the changing climate has pushed them out of their natural habitats. And I don't doubt that's happening, as it has in the past and will in the future when environments change. But there is a much more obvious reality involved: Us. We keep developing more and more land, with suburbs and exurbs expanding, and larger and larger farms (which then mean more and bigger roads, etc.). In many cases, their natural environments would still be more or less the same (maybe a bit hotter, maybe with more extreme storms or trends) if not for development. So pardon the deer, or bears, or coyotes who aren't aware that we've taken area they used to in habit or wander through to make a Super Target or townhome development.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 11, 2024 13:52:12 GMT
It only just now occurred to me that today is 9/11, making it the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attacks. What's odd is, I knew today was September 11 ... it just didn't occur to me that it was September 11, as in, I failed to make the association.
I suppose that's the passage of time: these things that seemed so urgent, so big--"never forget" and all that--slowly just become another date in history lessons. It's strange to me that something that feels like it happened not yesterday, but not so long ago, either, happened before most college students were born. Before the memories of a whole generation of people in the workforce that was in diapers, preschool, or kindergarten when it happened. Or as a weird day in elementary school, the way the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle was for me. Talking to them about what it was like is more likely to be met with boredom, with rolling eyes, or maybe tidbits they've learned in school about it, but without any of the feeling people who really remember it feel.
I know, I know: there's nothing strange about any of this, it's just the passage of time, which I ought to get used to. But the passage of time and its interactions with memory are strange things.
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Post by kds on Sept 11, 2024 14:06:57 GMT
I do feel like the unrelenting passage of time does make the day feel a little less somber, as it does with the anniversary of any terrible day. I clearly remember the first anniversary in 2002. I had to go into a bar for a work thing (probably to test a broadcast line), and the bar was probably half full with patrons watching the coverage on the TVs, and you could hear a pin drop.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 11, 2024 14:25:41 GMT
Yet another time I begin to relate more to my parents: they used to talk about their memories of the day JFK was shot. (They'd have been in their mid and late teens at the time, so old enough to remember it pretty well.) Needless to say, unless I was in a particularly curious mood that day, as a kid I was pretty dismissive. I'd put it in the same category as "when we were teens, we could buy a hamburger for a nickel!" OK, mom...
Now I'm the guy talking about buying hamburgers for a nickel, metaphorically speaking.
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Post by kds on Sept 11, 2024 14:30:36 GMT
Yet another time I begin to relate more to my parents: they used to talk about their memories of the day JFK was shot. (They'd have been in their mid and late teens at the time, so old enough to remember it pretty well.) Needless to say, unless I was in a particularly curious mood that day, as a kid I was pretty dismissive. I'd put it in the same category as "when we were teens, we could buy a hamburger for a nickel!" OK, mom... Now I'm the guy talking about buying hamburgers for a nickel, metaphorically speaking. Yep, it's crazy to think that I have coworkers now who have no recollection of 9/11.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 12, 2024 13:00:42 GMT
This evening I've got one of those minor obligations that always feels to me like a major annoyance: the company picnic. While it's not technically required, I'm expected to attend.
There's really nothing SO terrible about it. It's held at a park about a mile from my house, so I can actually walk there and back easily. There's food and drinks, including beer. It's relaxed. The people, while not my friends, are mostly fine. Usually I end up thinking, 'that wasn't so bad.' Yet every year, I dread it just the same. I just have a gut feeling against it: I just don't wanna.
Truly, first-world problems.
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Post by kds on Sept 12, 2024 15:25:55 GMT
This evening I've got one of those minor obligations that always feels to me like a major annoyance: the company picnic. While it's not technically required, I'm expected to attend. There's really nothing SO terrible about it. It's held at a park about a mile from my house, so I can actually walk there and back easily. There's food and drinks, including beer. It's relaxed. The people, while not my friends, are mostly fine. Usually I end up thinking, 'that wasn't so bad.' Yet every year, I dread it just the same. I just have a gut feeling against it: I just don't wanna. Truly, first-world problems. I know I've complained about my job lately (it's been a real pisser this summer), but I'm thankful that we really have no forced socialization type events. We haven't even attempted to revive our annual Christmas party in the COVID Era.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 12, 2024 15:37:30 GMT
This evening I've got one of those minor obligations that always feels to me like a major annoyance: the company picnic. While it's not technically required, I'm expected to attend. There's really nothing SO terrible about it. It's held at a park about a mile from my house, so I can actually walk there and back easily. There's food and drinks, including beer. It's relaxed. The people, while not my friends, are mostly fine. Usually I end up thinking, 'that wasn't so bad.' Yet every year, I dread it just the same. I just have a gut feeling against it: I just don't wanna. Truly, first-world problems. I know I've complained about my job lately (it's been a real pisser this summer), but I'm thankful that we really have no forced socialization type events. We haven't even attempted to revive our annual Christmas party in the COVID Era. Thankfully this is the only real one we have. There are a few other, more optional things: a baseball game, optional in-office potlucks or holiday-themed things, but nothing significant. Even this, if I weren't in the position I'm in, I wouldn't go. It's not really forced, it's just the kind of thing where certain management positions are very much expected to attend. But I truly dislike, as you appropriately put it, "forced socialization type events." I know some people love them. In fact, we sometimes get questions from staff about why we can't do this or that. But then when they are organized, a lot of people don't want to do them anyway. (Basically if it's within work hours, they're all for it. If not, interest dissipates.) For me, when it comes to work, I like to get my work done as quickly as possible so I can live my real life outside of work. Some people, including on our leadership team with me, are the exact opposite: they're thrilled to mingle the two together, to organize in-office meetings that double as or also include social aspects, etc. Different strokes ... but that's not for me.
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Post by kds on Sept 12, 2024 15:45:20 GMT
I know I've complained about my job lately (it's been a real pisser this summer), but I'm thankful that we really have no forced socialization type events. We haven't even attempted to revive our annual Christmas party in the COVID Era. Thankfully this is the only real one we have. There are a few other, more optional things: a baseball game, optional in-office potlucks or holiday-themed things, but nothing significant. Even this, if I weren't in the position I'm in, I wouldn't go. It's not really forced, it's just the kind of thing where certain management positions are very much expected to attend. But I truly dislike, as you appropriately put it, "forced socialization type events." I know some people love them. In fact, we sometimes get questions from staff about why we can't do this or that. But then when they are organized, a lot of people don't want to do them anyway. (Basically if it's within work hours, they're all for it. If not, interest dissipates.) For me, when it comes to work, I like to get my work done as quickly as possible so I can live my real life outside of work. Some people, including on our leadership team with me, are the exact opposite: they're thrilled to mingle the two together, to organize in-office meetings that double as or also include social aspects, etc. Different strokes ... but that's not for me. I suspect you're a little bit of an introvert (apologies if I've made an incorrect hypothesis) like myself. And, I really don't think people appreciate the amount of energy it takes for introverted people to socialize, especially in such settings.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 12, 2024 16:11:32 GMT
Thankfully this is the only real one we have. There are a few other, more optional things: a baseball game, optional in-office potlucks or holiday-themed things, but nothing significant. Even this, if I weren't in the position I'm in, I wouldn't go. It's not really forced, it's just the kind of thing where certain management positions are very much expected to attend. But I truly dislike, as you appropriately put it, "forced socialization type events." I know some people love them. In fact, we sometimes get questions from staff about why we can't do this or that. But then when they are organized, a lot of people don't want to do them anyway. (Basically if it's within work hours, they're all for it. If not, interest dissipates.) For me, when it comes to work, I like to get my work done as quickly as possible so I can live my real life outside of work. Some people, including on our leadership team with me, are the exact opposite: they're thrilled to mingle the two together, to organize in-office meetings that double as or also include social aspects, etc. Different strokes ... but that's not for me. I suspect you're a little bit of an introvert (apologies if I've made an incorrect hypothesis) like myself. And, I really don't think people appreciate the amount of energy it takes for introverted people to socialize, especially in such settings. I'm increasingly introverted as I age. Actually I was considered very much an extrovert growing up. And among friends or family, I can seem like an extrovert, too. When it's a work thing, or among strangers, I don't usually come across as an introvert; I can come across friendlier and extroverted, but it requires a ton of energy and I find it very draining.
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Robert
The Surfer Moon
Posts: 161
Likes: 68
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Post by Robert on Sept 12, 2024 16:16:33 GMT
It's called being a curmudgeon. You don't care about anyone or anything, you just want everyone to shut up.
Welcome to the club.
I've got Lou-ai, Lou-ai in my head, from that other thread. Grrr...earworms. Is that about the worst thing that can be said about a song, that it's an earworm?
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Post by kds on Sept 12, 2024 16:37:33 GMT
I suspect you're a little bit of an introvert (apologies if I've made an incorrect hypothesis) like myself. And, I really don't think people appreciate the amount of energy it takes for introverted people to socialize, especially in such settings. I'm increasingly introverted as I age. Actually I was considered very much an extrovert growing up. And among friends or family, I can seem like an extrovert, too. When it's a work thing, or among strangers, I don't usually come across as an introvert; I can come across friendlier and extroverted, but it requires a ton of energy and I find it very draining. I don't think I ever really exhibited extrovert traits, but I was better at forced socializing when I was in my 20s. When I worked in promotions in radio, that was a big part of my job. Nowadays, that sounds like Hell. But, I've definitely gotten more introverted as I've gotten older.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 13, 2024 0:48:44 GMT
I lived through it. Coincidentally, I got into a conversation in which the person I was talking to called me an extrovert...
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Post by kds on Sept 13, 2024 13:37:19 GMT
Speaking of the concept of social battery.
This is another real first world problem. So, this past Saturday was my birthday. In the weeks prior, my wife asked if I wanted to do anything. Now, I've mentioned that August was a pretty hectic month with my wife having surgery which required me to take on some extra duties at home. Combined with the usual slog that my job tends to be in late August, it was pretty draining.
So, my wish was to do nothing, and go nowhere. To spend a Saturday relaxing, and I'd go outside in the late afternoon, have some deck beers and make dinner on the grill.
Buuuut, on Labor Day, I was included on a group text with my father, who asked where I wanted to go eat. Unfortunately, he's my Dad and I can't just go all Harry Chapin on him and say "Things have been a hassle lately, I just want a peaceful day." That would not fly. No way. Here's the kicker, I didn't even get to pick the place. So, not only do I reluctantly agree to go to dinner on a Saturday night, but I can't pick the place?
Well, I figured the forecast was calling for rain anyway, so I'll just push my grilling to Sunday. Wouldn't you know it? The clouds parted on Saturday, and it turned into a perfect afternoon / evening.
I know I shouldn't complain any that type of stuff. There'll come a day in the not too distant future where I don't get those texts anymore.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 13, 2024 13:49:35 GMT
My birthday is in July, and I had a very similar experience with my parents. They wanted to treat me to lunch at a mediocre restaurant that was an hour away or so (to have us meet roughly halfway between us, as they still live in my hometown while I'm in Minneapolis). So a gift to me was that I got to drive (through road construction) on a hot summer day for an early lunch of food I didn't want to eat--with conversation mostly being my parents' (mom's, anyway) complaining about everything. But it's exactly as you say, kds. My parents are getting up there, with my dad over 80 now and having had a multitude of health problems and my mom not so far behind, albeit healthier so far (knock on wood). So my internal whining was not a good look ... as I recognized even at the time.
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