29 june 2024
Books
I finished Slow Productivity by Cal Newport. There was a few good things in there - especially about diagnosing the "problem" of using "visible activity" as a proxy for productivity, and about the associated anxiety. His first part about "do fewer things" is probably the one that spoke the most to me. I didn't like his second part at all about "work at a natural pace" because I read that discourse as "slow down, and nobody has to/will actually know", which strikes me as exactly what I cannot do, because it feels far too much like trying to trick people and circumvent (implicit) rules, which is exactly the kind of things I'm trying to do. His last part, "obsess over quality", glazes over the issue of perfectionism with essentially "... don't", which I also didn't find super helpful. However, I did enjoy the various anecdotes and stories - some people find them "padding", I definitely see their value in making his points more memorable.
Next, after much pondering, is Books and Broadwords, by Jessie Mihalik. Should be short enough but still bridge me over the first round of French elections, after which I hope I'll have a better grasp on what I'm in the mood for reading.
Went to the gym this morning - I definitely need to load this day more, because I ended up doing triple sets on my last two sets of lat pull downs. Definitely time to bump these numbers.
Went to Firehouse Subs for lunch - we hadn't been convinced when they opened a year ago, but this time around it was better. Possibly because we ate there rather than bring the food home (so it was warmer/fresher). Might try again on a Tuesday or something.
Made Ottolenghi beans&tofu with chraime sauce, it stays a brilliant recipe, omnomnom.
Switzerland is usually quiet. Except when they win at soccer against Italy. Sigh.
There, finished leveling my second timewalker toon in WoW. Next will be alliance, and apparently gnome monk.