So this may seem like a forced post because in many ways it is–I don’t necessarily need to get anything off my chest. I do like noting where I am figuratively and what’s going on in life in this journal. My hope is to one day reach retirement and perhaps have time read and relive some events.
Feature photo is of my new office digs. The office campus recently moved a little closer to home. My previous office was riverfront while this one is lakefront. I certainly can’t complain–as you can see, it is quite the view on a beautiful day.
The theme of the year still has to do with clinging for dear life. My career, like many of us, has had its fair share of twists and turns. My first years out of college were spent applying towards my ambitions, soaking experience and information like a sponge, and building my resume. Once I reached my current job in my late 20s, I found my niche in the financial sector. I’ve been here for what will be 13 years in August. In these 13 years, the company has had several acquisitions, splits, merges, etc. Most of these kept the core executives in place for continuity until now, where many of these executives either resigned or were laid off. Hence, clinging on for dear life.
I still take it day by day, waiting for what the next day brings. It is a very uncomfortable situation, but given current perspective I am OK.
So now for fun stuff–I went back to the FIRM Racetrack and had a blast with my GR Corolla I’ve termed “Fate.” I did not turn the knob to 11, 10, or likely even 8 or 9. Besides that, I’m happy to report that I have not been rear ended this year. Here’s hoping I make through the full year! I’ve played with the idea of investing a significant sum of money into Tesla stock. I found out I did not have the stomach for it. Given the drama between our current president Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the stock was entirely too volatile for my comfort.
I have not followed the NBA very closely this year, but I did watch the game 7 bout between the Pacers and Thunder. I also followed March Madness this year and watched the Gators bring it home for the first time in decades. I have not followed XFL/UFL at all this year. I have been patiently waiting for the NFL season to come back. NFL is still shaping up to be a highlight of my year (besides college football). EA College Football is scheduled to release next week, which should prove interesting. I’m still playing quite a bit of Civilization 7, but I could put that down and pick up some football.
I also decided to play Final Fantasy VIII again. It was as if I had not played it before–it was a surreal type of deja vu. It’s possible that 20 years ago I started playing the game but never actually finished it. It’s also possible the story did capture my attention as much as others, or that I was distracted whilst playing it back then. The music behind FF8 was the shining star, and I do recall discovering the OST back then. I especially enjoyed listening to the piano collections while studying in college.
After years of deliberation, I finally decided to buy an acoustic guitar. My concern with doing so was always the inherent commitment that comes with it. This time, with spousal approval, I decided the first step was getting the guitar. Now that I have it, the next step is to determine whether I can commit to in-person classes or self-paced video training. Right now, I’m not committing to either–instead opting to strum for a few minutes every so often when I feel like it (usually late in the evening). I appreciate the lack of obligation, yet ease of accessibility of the guitar.
I feel fortunate every day that I have some semblance of health. I am getting a few gray hairs here and there, which did mildly bother me, however, not enough to want to do anything about it. Instead, I focus on my universal coping mechanism of diving into my work. If only I had more job security…