Tid bits

Started a new book. And abandoned it within 10 pages. It was a business book with too much ‘values & beliefs’ and barely any nitty gritty of ops and customer service (the reason I picked it).

Lost my phone. And found it within 5 minutes thanks to the new watch. Had kept the phone on a shelf in Tesco while picking something, and forgotten it there. As I moved out of bluetooth range of the phone, the watch lost its connection and buzzed with the notification – reminding me that I’d left the phone behind.

Without being a smart watch, my watch is smarter than me!

Ran a marathon. Not that a 4:36 marathon requires much running. Continue reading Tid bits

Sensitive

An old acquaintance was cribbing about ads following her on every site, begging Indian e-commerce sites to stop tracking her.

Thought of telling her about remarketing, and advising about blocking 3rd party cookies, using adblockers.

Didn’t.

Didn’t want to be called a mansplainer again.

It’s 2 minutes past midnight, and everyone has already been asleep for a while. Except me.

I had a productive day. Say down to work after breakfast, and except for a late lunch, and to pick up lil R from the station, didn’t move till dinner.

Gorda and Chewie had a good day though. They went for what looked like a happy walk in the sunshine. He got to play with his neighbourhood friend, Soham, in the evening. She got to do stuff she likes to do -clean and arrange stuff, and then chat with lil R.

I was in front of a monitor almost all this time.

Now all three are deep asleep, while I plot tomorrow’s actions. Tail runner at the Guildford parkrun in the morning. Hopefully, some Eggs Benedict for breakfast later, then a few hours of work, and maybe another run in the evening.

Given that Gorda let me work in peace all day today, it seems quite likely that I’ll get none of the above tomorrow, other than the park run. Wouldn’t be a bad day either way ☺


P.S.: just about a week remaining to Brighton Marathon, for which I’m woefully under prepared. Trying to drown myself in work, love, fights and TV to keep my mind off it 😦

Logic & Probability theory v/s Ma & her Gods

She: If everything works with logic, then why can’t it predict what happens next.

Me: Logic doesn’t mean if this then that. It means if this, then that, that, that or something else, with a probability defined by this function.

She: Your probability function is just an excuse to not accept God. I’ll accept logic when it can tell me what happens next. Till then, I’ll go with my God.

Me: And you wondered why I started smoking!

(Just another conversation with Ma many years ago, that just came rushing back while reading something)

Guy comes out of Tesco. Lights up a cigarette. Balances the phone between his ear and shoulder. Opens the box of mini brownies, and happily chomps on them between drags on the cigarette, and phone conversation.

I’m judging him. And hating myself for judging him.

He’s exploding at the waist. I hate myself.

The cigarette is over, as is the call. So he opens a can of coke (regular) to help with the brownies. I HATE MYSELF.

Judging is easy. It’s almost addictive. Changing people is hard. Almost never starts with judging. I need to let it go. I need to try harder.

(As does he)

Shame stares

I’ve just parked in my usual parking spot on the far side of Tesco.
Guy drives in, doing 30mph in the 5 mph zone, straight into the parent and child parking spots next to the door.
In a sports car. No child, or space for a child evident in the car.
While there are loads of non-marked parking spaces all around, including just opposite where he parked.

I walk past his car with my best despicable stare.
He gets out of the car – a seemingly respectable man in his 50s – just as I enter the cafe.

Sadly, for him, he too is coming to the cafe. He orders a tea to take away. I’m still giving him a nasty look.

They accidently make his tea to drink-in. I’m still giving him a bad vibe.

He takes one sip of the tea, drops his head, quietly exits and drives off.

For once, I was on the other side. And I don’t know how to feel about it – I should feel good, but I feel bad.

Beginning

If you can keep your head when all about you
    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
    But make allowance for their doubting too;

And lose, and start again at your beginnings
    And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
    To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’