Smell

Lea: What are you smelling right now?

Shaun: Pine trees

Shaun collects and connects his memories with smells. He says it aloud, but I think we all do it.

Cool, humid hill air missed with diesel fumes

My strongest smell connection is a mix of cool & humid mountain air mixed with diesel fumes. That reminds me of the place I loved the most whole growing up – Shimla. Every time I walk past a delivery lorry spewing half burnt diesel fumes just after it has rained, I’m immediately flung to Shimla in the 90s.

There are more smells connected to memories, but this one is the strongest, and the most unique.

Happy

The whole team is working on a moderately big redesign. M & I are pairing on a spike to massively upgrade the technical implementation for a core part of the so, to support the design change.

Today, after we’d reached a significant milestone on our spike, I showed PAM1 the app as it works with the changes.

She. Loved. It!

She took it around the team showing the upgrade to everyone – other engineers, designers, PMs…Everyone. Everyone loved it, but the people who loved it the most were PAM and PN2. I could hear PN cooing over it for a long time. They both couldn’t stop smiling. Remembering the joy on their faces has plastered a smile on mine. Made my day ☺️

  1. She’s a senior UX designer playing a leading role in the redesign ↩
  2. He’s one of our product managers. He also co-led an earlier design upgrade which was shelved due to a change of management. Today’s change included much of the work that was part of the original plan. ↩

Dexter

I’ve wanted to watch the show for a while, but never got down to it.

On the train back today, I downloaded the book on the Kindle and started reading. It’s good.

A moment ago, I remembered that the serial is available on Now TV. Started watching the first episode.

The first scene was meh. It’s much better in the book. The second scene, the day time job, looked better. But I haven’t finished that scene in the book yet.

I’ve hit the pause. On the TV series.

I’ll finish the book, then come back for the TV series, then go back for the rest of the books.

Author’s words + my imagination Vs the actor and the director. I’m with the former, of course 🙂

Return to office: questioning the old status quo

I got to station in time for 7.09 fast train to Waterloo, which would place me in office by 8.05.

Due to issues with Southwestern Railways, most trains are cancelled. I’m now on the 7.32 slow train. This means I’ll be in office by 9 AM if there are no delays.

Whose time does this lost hour come out of?

Will I need to work an extra hour for the late arrival? Or does the firm, which has mandated coming to office today, lose an hour of work? Or do we not talk about it, and leave bitterness festering on one or both sides?

No one had these thoughts or conversations before the pandemic. Post pandemic inforced WFH, most humans appear to have reset expectations but most organisations still seem to be stuck in the pre pandemic expectations.

Five checkmark day

An easy day to let the legs recover.

Today’s walk was the Stockghyll and Blue hill round, with a short detour to pillar pike for the views.

Also went for morning and evening strolls around Rothay park. Met lots of young & hyper puppies, and a few friendly oldies.

Cooked (almost) full English for breakfast that got approving nods from R and Chewie.

Finished reading Roseanna in between.

For tomorrow’s walking, I need to decide between two options. If the legs agree, my preference is a longer, solo, multi peak walk across some of the higher hills that I know well and love. The other option is two short-medium walks. A solo morning hike up Loughrigg fell from Grasmere end, then a walk up to Easedale tarn with R&C later in the day.

Five checkmark day

This is a first: a five checkmark day on a Monday.

Sleep well ✔️
Drink enough water ✔️
Climb a few floors ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Walk or run a bit ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Do at least 500 mins of medium intensity stuff ✔️

Gave the boy a little extra rest, and went for a short run around town in the morning.

Later we all went for the Grisedale tarn round from Patterdale.

It was beautiful, and not too hard. But everyone’s crashed out now, and I’m busy thinking of ways to get them out of the house again tomorrow 🙂

Five checkmark day

Been a long time since the last 5 checkmark day, but today’s been worth the wait.

Went for an 8AM hike up Wansfell pike with Chewie. Had the whole hill to ourselves. Met a fell runner on the way up, and sole woman on the way down. The quietest ascent of this hill I’ve done.

After a lazy afternoon, went for a walk down to Waterhead to stake out swimming and kayaking locations for later in the week.

Now opening a beer and looking up routes for tomorrow’s adventures.

Lakes, mountains and hikes, just the holidays I needed.

Gardening

I also think gardening is great because I am a perfectionist and gardening is really helpful for learning to moderate that tendency a bit – every year something is doing amazingly and something else is just completely destroyed by something unpredictable.

My boss, R (not that one), in the gardening channel today.

I just love that description, her insight, and her self-awareness.

Continue reading Gardening