This second week of my new work schedule – the low shift count week has been amazingly restorative. I’m feeling pretty much human and am trying to learn that I don’t need to do everything “today”. I have always felt this pressure that if I have a thing I want to do, that I need to get it done now. That if I’ve set aside some time to do something then that is when I need to do it. I’m trying to get into a different mindset and put that habit out of my life.
I’ve got some things I want to do, and very few of those things are that time-critical. I needed to make the pork pies I’ve decided to make, because I don’t want the meat to go off. But I don’t need to run around and try and get the wood for the chair I want to build – because there’s no rush on that.
I want to do a whole bunch of things, and hopefully I can get through doing some of them. People look at me weirdly when I say I’m happy working part time. But I don’t have this puritanical need to spend every waking second working for someone. I have plenty of things I want to do…
This week I’ve baked a cake, hopefully made two pork pies, actually designed and made things using the 3D printer (the missing mount from the top of the tripod, a clamp to go on the tripod and (theoretically) hold my tablet).
There’s something deeply enjoyable about sketching out a design in a 3D modeller, hitting print, and having a physical object that does what you want. Or, in this case, needs a small amount of modification to do what you want.. :)
But it’s really rather pleasant. An unexpected treat, let’s say. I thought I’d enjoy working with 3D modelling, but really had no idea how much I’d enjoy it. The answer is “quite a lot”, apparently.
I’ve also read Finding Pax which I picked up while we were on our weekend break up in Port Townsend. It was one of those noodling in bookshop pick-up a random book – oh, this is fascinating moments. I suppose it scratches the mystery/detective itch which I’m afflicted with in a curious way.
All in all, I’m starting to feel more like returning to society. Of course, society is trying to fuck itself up spectacularly, at least here in the US. So I’m not sure it’s ready for me.