Naval Maneuver - "Same old same old"

 

Contemplating My

Belly Button

It's been a while since I've written anything for this blog.

Busy...

I lead an active life, but it has become pretty routine from day-to-day. I do mostly the same thing!

The Cambridge Dictionary offers an interesting definition for Same Old Same Old: "(informal) it's used to say that a situation or someone's behavior remains the same, especially when it is boring or annoying."

[I started this article over a month ago, with the intention to publish it on June 1st. Today is July 2nd.] 

Morning Routine [From June]

• I wake up each morning without an alarm clock. Sometimes it's as early as 5:30, but usually between 6:00 and 7:00. Occasionally I sleep as late as 7:45.
• I weigh myself, take my blood pressure and my daily medication. Then I put on shorts and shoes. I'm out the front door within 20 minutes.
• For the last month, I've been walking every day! I have three routes, each about 2 miles: 
• McMullen-Booth, through Del Oro Park
• Bayshore North - to the Cooper's Bayou Park
• Bayshore South - to the City of Clearwater Welcome monument (FYI: I just discovered that Clearwater is the second-largest city in the county, behind  St. Petersburg. The third largest city is Largo.)
• When I return from my walk, I make a small pot of coffee and sit at my computer to drink both cups. Even this is routine! 
• I open and begin my private blogger diary for today.
• I check and answer my mail (personal, SCORE, and Gmail)
• I review my calendar (Google calendar, of course) which has personal events plus Meetups and many Zoom events for the Pinellas Genealogy Society.
• I check on my websites using a tool called "ManageWP." The app allows me to install updates across all the sites I manage!
• Facebook: I have two accounts to manage. 
• Rick S'Place is used for selling products through Facebook Marketplace.
• Rick Jaggers is my personal account. Right now my main interest is genealogy.

Morning Routine [Today, July] - Same ole same ole

• I still wake up each day without my alarm clock.
• I stopped my morning walks shortly after I wrote that. It's been 3 weeks.
• The rest of my morning routine is the same. I make a 4-cup pot of coffee (it fills my coffee cup twice). For the next hour or so, I log into my downstairs computer to visit the same websites I listed above.
• I spend most of my time answering emails and surfing Facebook.

My morning coffee and downstairs routine take about an hour, and I'm ready to start the day. I fill my days with different activities, and I usually don't plan the day until that morning. 

As I write the rest of this article, I see that it is interesting ONLY if you enjoy my accomplishments with me! This blog must seem pretty boring if you are just surfing...

Each week I try to summarize my accomplishments, and I divide them into different categories. Here is an edited summary from June:

• RGA: Revenue Generating Activity
• I began selling stuff on Facebook Marketplace. I focused on creating and uploading listings, then managing them on Facebook.
• Published Writer (Blogs & Books)
• Hmm.. I just realized that while I started several articles, I didn't complete and post them. I have two blogs to maintain:
• Jaggers.PW - this blog; it is my personal reflections
• ABCInc.PW - this is where I talk about the Internet and PCs.
• ABCInc/Webmaster/WordPress
• I registered a new domain at Namecheap, then recorded a video about using NameCheap  web hosting as an inexpensive classroom
• I've launched a new business idea: (My) Hybrid HOA Meeting (.com)
• I met with one prospect, visited their property, and set up my equipment for a trial run; it was successful!
• I created and eventually published the website
• Mon: Attended online WP meetup
• I bought a used Dell laptop simply because it had an HDMI output and an Intel I5 chip.. 
• I installed a new RAM chip, bring the total to 6GB
• I upgraded to Windows 10 (Home) and applied all the patches
• The laptop speakers and 3.5mm output had horrible sound, but I resolved that by adding a soundbar that connects through a USB port
• The battery was dead, and I replaced that with an after-market product
• The power supply had a strange AC connection that required a special wall adapter, so I added a replacement.
• My total investment in my laptop: $123
• Pulled HDD & wireless adapter from my old Acer PC, and I have additional hardware ideas.
• Genealogy/PGS/Ancestry
• I've just realized how much free time I have given to the Pinellas Genealogy Society.
• Almost 30 hours as backup Zoom admin for Classes, SIGs, and Meetings
• Another 6 hours for planning and practicing hybrid meetings
• Spent more time trying to create a cloud solution for directors
• I have created a group on Facebook (WordPress for Genealogy Societies) that was intended to be a safety net for ENS customers. That group is part of my morning routine. This month I edited and uploaded two WPGen videos to Facebook and the PGS YouTube Channel.
  "WPGen" now accounts for another dozen hours a month.
• COMMENT: This is not a bad way to spend time. I am gaining valuable Zoom experience and I have the opportunity to practice and learn about hybrid/blended meetings. There is in addition to the personal satisfaction I get.
• SCORE/Mentor
• My volunteer efforts for SCORE have really dropped off. I have not done any client mentoring in a while. I remain a technical resource for the organization, mostly for just a couple of people.
• Seeds (Home Depot)
• June was a busy month. I continue to check in every hour on every Wednesday.I spend about 5 minutes each time.
• Catalogs opened up twice, and I selected 9 items. Each item requires a photo session and a review; about an hour's work for each item.
• TakeLessons.com
• I remain an instructor, and they sent me a new student! Of course, I try to give the student good value for their money. I spend at least an hour of preparation and run past the allotted time. While the student is paying for 45 minutes, they are actually getting 2-1.2 to 3 hours of my time.
• St. Pete College
• SPC had registration for summer school. I spent an hour or two trying to find something that interests me. My criteria is that I attend a class in person.
• Purely Personal
• This month I finally got my Covid vaccination, attended a neighbor's wedding reception, and enjoyed long phone calls with Joel, Steve, Janie, and Aunt Marcia. I attended two dinner meetings with Shelle's meetup group.

How was your month?