Category: Uncategorized

  • Pack

    I’ve finished packing for tomorrow. The wake-up call is scheduled for 4am, but I wanted to ensure I made an entry today. Have you ever listened to a speech that brought you back into action or motivated you to take immediate steps? I heard one today, and now I’m trying to analyze the content to replicate it and inspire others using a similar approach.

  • Egypt

    11:00pm – I’m exhausted and unable to focus. Here’s a photo of a souvenir that my colleague brought back for me from Egypt.

  • Overheat

    Reflections on the weekend: I ran a half-marathon in Ocala, FL, with a heat index of 104. I pushed myself through heat exhaustion symptoms and finished with my race clothing drenched as if I had just taken a dip in a pool. The drive home took an hour and twenty minutes, and I tried to rehydrate while on the road, sipping on water, Gatorade, and Sprite to ease the nauseated feeling.

    Later that day, after taking a rest, I attended an inspiring Evening of Poetry hosted by the Writer’s Alliance of Gainesville. I had the pleasure of listening to two talented traveling poets, James Norman, and Daryl Gussin, as part of their 2024 Wet Heat Dry Heat Overheat Tour. Local poets also read, and I was moved by the rhythm of their words. One line that stuck with me that night was “Write it down, or you’ll forget.”

    Today, I woke up with an unusually low HRV reading, prompting me to take it easy. I allowed myself to relax and complete a jigsaw puzzle while listening to an audiobook. Currently, I’m engrossed in Jon Fosse’s “The Other Name,” his repetitive prose has me completely captivated.

    Overall, this weekend taught me the importance of staying properly hydrated, appreciating the power of poetry in a small group setting, and finding solace in completing a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle.

  • Glare

    Arrival time 10:30pm: The decision to drive North was made after the lightning storm rolled East.

    Estimated departure time 8:30pm: I’ve become familiar with how to navigate through the Interstate-75 traffic, but my night driving vision is getting worse.

    During the drive: The light glare is amplified with the recent rain and I wonder if this will be my last drive home. I grip the steering wheel, squinting my eyes and step my foot down on the pedal, this time maintaining the speed limit.

  • Alone

    I find myself acknowledging my solitude occasionally, like right now. I’m not complaining or trying to sound somber. I just don’t think about it often. But sometimes, I long for friendship – the kind where you can pick up your phone and call someone to share your hopes and dreams with or simply share how your day went. But then, the feeling goes away… Like when I start pondering about how humanoid robots can be deployed at a manufacturing facility or why OSHA lightning protocols designate a 10-mile radius and 30 minutes after hearing thunder to be the safe access point for returning to normal outdoor activities. Well, there it went……

  • Finish-to-Finish

    The idea of synchronizing the end of one activity with the end of another is intriguing. For instance, Activity A ending must coincide with Activity B ending. This scheduling principle leads me to ponder how it could apply to life’s abstract concepts, such as whether the end of love signifies the end of all emotion. I’m attempting to draw a creative parallel here, using a concept from construction management to reflect on life’s profound themes—love, loss, grief, and so on. Admittedly, it’s a challenge. It’s far simpler to correlate tangible tasks that necessitate simultaneous completion, like the erection of an antenna tower and the pouring of concrete for its base. Both must be completed in tandem. Straightforward, indeed. Love and Loss…. perhaps not as much.

  • False Alarm

    I woke up in the middle of a dream to the blaring sound of the fire alarm in the apartment building. It was around 5 am, and I knew I had to act fast. I scrambled out of my bed and hurriedly made my way to the closet to find something to wear. I didn’t want to be outside in my pajamas, so I grabbed a pair of jeans and a decent shirt. It took me about 3 minutes to put together an outfit.

    As I was getting ready, I couldn’t help but hope that it wasn’t a real fire. If it was, I hoped it was far away so that I would have time to dress properly. I peeked through my window blinds to see if I really needed to evacuate. I saw my neighbors outside, waiting for the all-clear, so I decided to join them.

    I made sure to grab my rings, keys, and wallet – my most valuable possessions. Standing outside, I looked back at my apartment and realized that I had only taken the things I truly valued. I felt a sense of relief, knowing that everything else in the apartment was replaceable. I love living a minimalist lifestyle.

    Once the maintenance team arrived and reset the alarm, we were allowed back inside. I managed to get another hour of sleep but woke up with the thought of what I would pack in a “Go Bag.”

  • Return

    I am getting back to writing again, with a goal to write daily. It’s 11:11 pm as I check the time. According to numerology, this number symbolizes awakening or enlightenment, and it seems to appear in my life quite often. Today was a typical Monday filled with problem-solving activities at work and other routine tasks. I’m learning about scheduling and planning in construction management, with not much else to highlight. On my way home from my short run today, I listened to an up-and-coming American musician known as Chappelle Roan. The song ‘Good Luck Babe’ includes the lyric ‘You’d Have to Stop the World, Just to Stop the Feeling,’ and it made me stop and listen intently.

  • Exhausted

    Nine days of having to report to work. I’ve done longer stretches before. During these periods of exhaustion, my days pass quickly and I seldom notice my surroundings, it’s like driving through the dense fog.

  • Serendipity

    One goal is to read/listen to 100 books this year. I randomly selected the first title through the county’s library system app, Libby. Without making note of the author’s name I read the title “A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty and Success” and decided it would be the book to start the year. The book had my undivided attention from the start. A nutritionist/fashion model discussed her secret to happiness and longevity. “Do not fret aging” was the underlying theme. This was the book I needed to read as my fourth decade on this earth quickly approaches. The thoughts of reaching the age of forty made me feel depressed. Book one taught me the importance of making healthier decisions now, to make my later years more enjoyable. Halfway through the first 4 chapters I learned the author was none other than Elon Musk’s mom. Serendipity shows it’s face when you allow events to flow at their own occurrence.