It’s time for a Murphy bed.
When my daughter was born, we lost the use of one of our three bedrooms. We have a bed for the occasional guest, but this is extremely once in a blue moon usage. We just don’t entertain guests that often. We’re more likely to visit relatives, as we’re the furthest away.
I want the space back.
You would think a fold up bed would be like a futon in terms of price. Apparently though, they’re all premium priced. I don’t think I care anymore.
I’m not very keen on IT certification exams.
They are money makers for companies, but I question whether they actually have much value in the real world. Are they even testing the right things?
I question this every time I’m forced to take one.
Over my career, I’ve occasionally had an interview where they wanted something very specific, like a particular flag or an argument. Normally, I would either consult the manual or a search engine.
I love the concept of failing forward. It takes the old “if at first you don’t succeed” proverb and builds upon it. Try something. Fail. Then take what you learned and apply it.
It works for practically everything.
Perhaps more importantly, it helps people get a leg up. It shows how to apply knowledge. It doesn’t matter if it’s business, a hobby, or something else. There’s nothing wrong with expecting to fail the first time. The important part is the optimism vs pessimism.
I started something I’ve had on the back burner for a year this week.
I pulled out a video light I picked up right before Covid-19 hit. It’s been sitting in my closet unloved for the past year, as it just wasn’t a priority. The unit is almost unusable because the fan is extremely loud.
Thankfully, the Internet came to the rescue.
I found a video from someone attempting an upgrade and failing. The comments were a goldmine. They listed everything I need in order to make this light usable.
I keep thinking about job candidates interviewing poorly. What if somebody missed out on a dream job due to poor interviewing skills? What kinds of opportunities are only available for someone that presents themselves well?
Are these people coachable?
The skills themselves should translate well. It’s about being able to present ones self well. The kind of job shouldn’t matter. I happen to see one type of candidate based on my background, but the base skills are the same.
It’s easy to waste time on silly things.
Yesterday, I spent a few hours trying to figure out why there’s a bad hum when my microphone is hooked up to a mixer. I worked to eliminate variables and track down the problem. Things led to the fact it might be the cable I was using.
This is where I went wrong.
Rather than just trying a new known good cable. I started down the path of trying to figure out what’s wrong with the current cable including re-soldering the connections.
I’ve interviewed a number of candidates for my workplace lately. I’m noticing a rather alarming trend.
A surprising number of candidates are extremely bad at talking about themselves.
Nobody expects perfection in an interview, but something is very wrong when candidates for senior roles can’t successfully “tell me about a time when…”
If you put it on your resume, please be able to talk about it.
I occasionally do see candidates that are prepared. It’s a pleasure to talk with them. They can answer questions using the STAR method.
Another recent hobby of mine is wood working with a scroll saw.
It’s fun and relaxing to create things using it. I’ve mainly practiced cutting out simple projects like animal puzzles and Christmas ornaments. I need more experience before tackling harder plans.
I’m especially excited about making two things, homemade wooden jigsaw puzzles and toys for my daughter.
The smile on her face when I give her things is heart harming.
I love learning new things and trying new hobbies. I’ve dabbled in everything from ham radio to glass on metal jewelry enameling. My latest hobby is audio recording.
No, I’ll never work as a recording engineer.
I want to stop to struggling to record and edit good audio. If I need to make a presentation, or perhaps create an online class, I want the skills to do so.
I’m using equipment I already own.
It’s hard to accomplish anything if you don’t get started. How many people talk about hiking the Appalachian Trail? They won’t succeed if they don’t start.
They have to walk up the first mountain.
I want to climb that first mountain with writing. There’s no reason I can’t take those first steps. I’ve certainly put it off long enough.
Procrastination is easy. I took a song writing course over a decade ago. Daily writing was suggested, but I didn’t follow through and create a habit.