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As I said yesterday I am re-applying myself to more of a routine. In that regard I have decided that today’s topic would be “Schedule,” because I need to get one.
Thanks this week go to a whole bunch of folk who sent on questions. Lsig, The-Person-Formally-Known-As-Lord-Pithy, Sparky, Capt McArmypants, John P, Dr Clean, Nadolny, and Riley. There were so many questions that I glommed some together where I felt it appropriate. On to the questions:
1. Is it better to have a schedule and get hopelessly behind, or not to have a schedule at all and be utterly aimless?
I think it is better to have some kind of framework. It helps to focus energy at least in a general direction. When you become a slave top the schedule is when things go bad really quickly.
2. Are the kids on strict schedules for eating and/or sleeping? So what do you make of that whole Babywise scheduling thing?
The kids are on a pretty routine schedule, but I would not say that it is a strict schedule by any means. Little Man was on a pretty strict schedule for a bit, but that did not seem to work well with 2 working parents (I guess that is not an issue right now, but I digress). As far as the whole Babywise thing, I think it helps young kids to have some kind of routine, but feeding on demand is still a necessity to teach kids not to “clean their plates” at a scheduled meal-time, but to respond to their own internal mechanisms.
3. Scheduling classes was such a big deal in college. Any success or horror stories about your schedule? What was your preferred college class schedule – more classes on fewer days so you had bigger chunks of free time or sprinkle classes over all 5 days?
I never understood what the dogmatic adherence to early morning classes was about. Most profs did not like them, and few students really wanted to be doing upper level math at 7:45 am. I tended to try and load up on 2 or three days and give myself some free-time on the remaining days.
4. Do you schedule "dates" with the lovely Wifey? Do you schedule date nights with Wifey?
I told Wifey about this questions and she said you should answer “Fuck Off!” I will defer to her.
5. Allowing for at least 8 hours in the office, what would your ideal work schedule be? If it was yours to choose and you still had to work approximately 8 hours/day, what would be your dream work schedule start and end time? Most "schedules" run on an 8am-5pm basis for work things. What would your ideal schedule layout be?
Hours 1 through 4: aimlessly looking at webcomics, getting caught up on news sites and blogs
Hours 4 through 5: lunch meeting
Hours 5 though 7: Griping with co-workers about clients and tasks from the meeting
Hours 7 through 7.5: doing work
Hours 7.5 through 8: Griping with co-workers about amount of work that needs to get done tomorrow
Hmmm… maybe there is a reason I was let go?
Workwise I was very good at a 9 to 5 schedule, with my strongest productivity in the mid-afternoon, but my ideal would be from 11 am to 7 pm.
6. If you had a magic calendar that would bring true any appointment you wrote in, what would be your first appointment? What has been your favorite calendar you’ve ever owned?
Lottery commission. 1997 is my favorite, so far.
7. Do you write appointments in ink or pencil? Assuming your answer is pencil, what color “lead”?
At best it is in pencil, if in pencil it is a mechanical pencil with HB lead.
8. Now that you don’t have to show up at an office, are you staying up later, sleeping in? Are you now a morning, night or mid-afternoon person now?
I am staying up a little later than when I was working now, but I am typically still getting up when Little Man makes me (at latest 8 am). Again, my best productivity is mid-afternoon, but my most creative time is between 10 pm and 2 am.
9. What is currently on your required TV viewing schedule?
Life, Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, Secrets of the Dead, Monsterquest, and I will watch a TimeWarp or 2 when they are on.
10. When you plan appropriately, prepare in advance and try to keep to a schedule, you feel like you are betraying a younger, more carefree you, don't you? How do you measure time for your schedule…atomic clock, watch, sundial, height of the sun?
I am definitely betraying a younger carefree version of myself, but that self had less to accomplish in more time. I measure my time in an arbitrary time construct I call chronats.
11. What is your goal routine-wise? You want the wake up, proper breakfast, exercise, clean kitchen, take break, search internet for jobs or man bites dog articles, shower, shave, make list of chores for tomorrow..... or a must do this sometime tomorrow list?
More likely a must do this sometime before tomorrow list. See? I took what you gave me and twisted it slightly.
12. I find it easier to have a plan, than a schedule. Do you know what I mean?
I sure do.
13. Say you bought a Blackberry (mainly to check the train schedules and the interweb and the electronic mail) and then one day you actually did not have a pen and paper so you write yourself a reminder on the Blackberry calendar function and it works surprisingly well. It makes a beep and reminds you what you were supposed to do. So you file that away as "Well that worked well, but I am just not a Blackberry type of guy and then about 2 months later you realize you will be on vacation on a day when you have to give some one a call and you know you will forget because you know that you will be drunk/busy/asleep and that if you do not make this call you will forever have your name etched in the Big Eldritch Tome of the Terrible Persons, so you once again you use the calendar function. It goes off without a hitch, and you are like all man "that really is kinda handy!" So you use it more and more until it serves as about 30 % of your non-work related memory. In fact, if you include the fact that I don't know anyone's phone number anymore and I don't even know where the hell I live I …I mean…. you use the GPS function, it goes up to about 60% of once memorized personal use data. Anyway, would you be more concerned about the loss of your soul all cyber-hollow-man-esque
(see T.S. Elliot) or the loss of your functional memory? Also, how cool would it be if you could have one of these installed in your head with Tetris on it?
I would say the functional memory thing would be the thing I worry about most. Tetris would definitely be cool.
14. I have a schedule my office sets for me every day. Rarely does it work out as planned and these are professionals putting the thing together. My advice, just go with the flow my friend. Agree/disagree?
Agree.
15. What things will be included in you newly regimented regime? (art, gaming, The View)
Everyday I am devoting one hour to cleaning, one hour to sketching, one hour to computer art (so I can have something for Digital Thursday again), one hour to job searching, one hour to writing, and one hour to exercise of some kind. The rest of the day will be filled as the day occurs.
16. How long before you will begin to despise the new schedule? How long before you will abandon the new schedule?
Probably a week for both answers.
17. a)Does pronouncing it make the task seem more legitimate? b)How can Brits saying come out as pompous? c)You can say almost anything with a Brit aristocrat accent and sound pompous, why is that? d) I hate schedules. And even more the British pronunciation. Is this an indication of why I am not a success?
a) Yes
b) They are pompous, damnable empire
c) See above
d) Yes, yes it is.
18. You talked about needing a little more “discipline” in your life…what is the safety word? Why isn’t the safety word always “ouch”?
Not that kind of discipline. I haven’t been a bad boy, I do not need to be spanked. I always thought the safe word should be, “Stop, no seriously, Stop.”
19. Speaking of which, isn’t it horrible that people think the French surrender at the drop of a hat. It exasperates me. I can't stand it, I give up!
I know the French are from a proud nation, err, umm of France, that has a long and illustrious history of military might and conquest. Only the Germans skirting the Maginot Line by beating the ever living shit out of the Belgians created the climate where France had to surrender without much of a fight. Had Germany gone for a full frontal assault on France, WWII would have been a much different war. We should make fun of the French for being the unimaginative boobs that they are. A fence can't keep the neighbors dog out when it only protects the front yard.
20. Is Little Man doing any sports of post school activities yet? Those things seriously mess with the schedule
Not yet.
::FIVE BONUS QUESTIONS::
21. Do you prioritize the stuff you want to do, stuff you have to do, or do you reach a happy medium in your schedule?
I try for the happy medium… I try.
22. This is a boring topic, who thought it up?
I did, Jackass.
23. What is your favorite organizational tool?
The roulette wheel. If it lands on red nine I have to do a load of laundry. itis like a crappy drinking game, where instead of drinks I have to sort socks and stuff.
24. At what time in the morning will you wake up with your new schedule?
Same time Little Man gets me up every day. Most likely around 8 am (9 am on the weekends when I change his clock in the middle of the night).
25. Do you have any job interviews scheduled at this time?
Not a one, and I have applied at approximately 20 places.
To recap:
I still need to sketch tonight
I still need to do some digital work tonight
There is always laundry to do
Not enough time in the day
Ironic thing overheard recently: I had to fire my Zen Master
There are so many different levels of irony in that one
I count at least 6
Listening to Queens of the Stone Age doing No One Knows
Thanks this week go to a whole bunch of folk who sent on questions. Lsig, The-Person-Formally-Known-As-Lord-Pithy, Sparky, Capt McArmypants, John P, Dr Clean, Nadolny, and Riley. There were so many questions that I glommed some together where I felt it appropriate. On to the questions:
1. Is it better to have a schedule and get hopelessly behind, or not to have a schedule at all and be utterly aimless?
I think it is better to have some kind of framework. It helps to focus energy at least in a general direction. When you become a slave top the schedule is when things go bad really quickly.
2. Are the kids on strict schedules for eating and/or sleeping? So what do you make of that whole Babywise scheduling thing?
The kids are on a pretty routine schedule, but I would not say that it is a strict schedule by any means. Little Man was on a pretty strict schedule for a bit, but that did not seem to work well with 2 working parents (I guess that is not an issue right now, but I digress). As far as the whole Babywise thing, I think it helps young kids to have some kind of routine, but feeding on demand is still a necessity to teach kids not to “clean their plates” at a scheduled meal-time, but to respond to their own internal mechanisms.
3. Scheduling classes was such a big deal in college. Any success or horror stories about your schedule? What was your preferred college class schedule – more classes on fewer days so you had bigger chunks of free time or sprinkle classes over all 5 days?
I never understood what the dogmatic adherence to early morning classes was about. Most profs did not like them, and few students really wanted to be doing upper level math at 7:45 am. I tended to try and load up on 2 or three days and give myself some free-time on the remaining days.
4. Do you schedule "dates" with the lovely Wifey? Do you schedule date nights with Wifey?
I told Wifey about this questions and she said you should answer “Fuck Off!” I will defer to her.
5. Allowing for at least 8 hours in the office, what would your ideal work schedule be? If it was yours to choose and you still had to work approximately 8 hours/day, what would be your dream work schedule start and end time? Most "schedules" run on an 8am-5pm basis for work things. What would your ideal schedule layout be?
Hours 1 through 4: aimlessly looking at webcomics, getting caught up on news sites and blogs
Hours 4 through 5: lunch meeting
Hours 5 though 7: Griping with co-workers about clients and tasks from the meeting
Hours 7 through 7.5: doing work
Hours 7.5 through 8: Griping with co-workers about amount of work that needs to get done tomorrow
Hmmm… maybe there is a reason I was let go?
Workwise I was very good at a 9 to 5 schedule, with my strongest productivity in the mid-afternoon, but my ideal would be from 11 am to 7 pm.
6. If you had a magic calendar that would bring true any appointment you wrote in, what would be your first appointment? What has been your favorite calendar you’ve ever owned?
Lottery commission. 1997 is my favorite, so far.
7. Do you write appointments in ink or pencil? Assuming your answer is pencil, what color “lead”?
At best it is in pencil, if in pencil it is a mechanical pencil with HB lead.
8. Now that you don’t have to show up at an office, are you staying up later, sleeping in? Are you now a morning, night or mid-afternoon person now?
I am staying up a little later than when I was working now, but I am typically still getting up when Little Man makes me (at latest 8 am). Again, my best productivity is mid-afternoon, but my most creative time is between 10 pm and 2 am.
9. What is currently on your required TV viewing schedule?
Life, Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, Secrets of the Dead, Monsterquest, and I will watch a TimeWarp or 2 when they are on.
10. When you plan appropriately, prepare in advance and try to keep to a schedule, you feel like you are betraying a younger, more carefree you, don't you? How do you measure time for your schedule…atomic clock, watch, sundial, height of the sun?
I am definitely betraying a younger carefree version of myself, but that self had less to accomplish in more time. I measure my time in an arbitrary time construct I call chronats.
11. What is your goal routine-wise? You want the wake up, proper breakfast, exercise, clean kitchen, take break, search internet for jobs or man bites dog articles, shower, shave, make list of chores for tomorrow..... or a must do this sometime tomorrow list?
More likely a must do this sometime before tomorrow list. See? I took what you gave me and twisted it slightly.
12. I find it easier to have a plan, than a schedule. Do you know what I mean?
I sure do.
13. Say you bought a Blackberry (mainly to check the train schedules and the interweb and the electronic mail) and then one day you actually did not have a pen and paper so you write yourself a reminder on the Blackberry calendar function and it works surprisingly well. It makes a beep and reminds you what you were supposed to do. So you file that away as "Well that worked well, but I am just not a Blackberry type of guy and then about 2 months later you realize you will be on vacation on a day when you have to give some one a call and you know you will forget because you know that you will be drunk/busy/asleep and that if you do not make this call you will forever have your name etched in the Big Eldritch Tome of the Terrible Persons, so you once again you use the calendar function. It goes off without a hitch, and you are like all man "that really is kinda handy!" So you use it more and more until it serves as about 30 % of your non-work related memory. In fact, if you include the fact that I don't know anyone's phone number anymore and I don't even know where the hell I live I …I mean…. you use the GPS function, it goes up to about 60% of once memorized personal use data. Anyway, would you be more concerned about the loss of your soul all cyber-hollow-man-esque
(see T.S. Elliot) or the loss of your functional memory? Also, how cool would it be if you could have one of these installed in your head with Tetris on it?
I would say the functional memory thing would be the thing I worry about most. Tetris would definitely be cool.
14. I have a schedule my office sets for me every day. Rarely does it work out as planned and these are professionals putting the thing together. My advice, just go with the flow my friend. Agree/disagree?
Agree.
15. What things will be included in you newly regimented regime? (art, gaming, The View)
Everyday I am devoting one hour to cleaning, one hour to sketching, one hour to computer art (so I can have something for Digital Thursday again), one hour to job searching, one hour to writing, and one hour to exercise of some kind. The rest of the day will be filled as the day occurs.
16. How long before you will begin to despise the new schedule? How long before you will abandon the new schedule?
Probably a week for both answers.
17. a)Does pronouncing it
a) Yes
b) They are pompous, damnable empire
c) See above
d) Yes, yes it is.
18. You talked about needing a little more “discipline” in your life…what is the safety word? Why isn’t the safety word always “ouch”?
Not that kind of discipline. I haven’t been a bad boy, I do not need to be spanked. I always thought the safe word should be, “Stop, no seriously, Stop.”
19. Speaking of which, isn’t it horrible that people think the French surrender at the drop of a hat. It exasperates me. I can't stand it, I give up!
I know the French are from a proud nation, err, umm of France, that has a long and illustrious history of military might and conquest. Only the Germans skirting the Maginot Line by beating the ever living shit out of the Belgians created the climate where France had to surrender without much of a fight. Had Germany gone for a full frontal assault on France, WWII would have been a much different war. We should make fun of the French for being the unimaginative boobs that they are. A fence can't keep the neighbors dog out when it only protects the front yard.
20. Is Little Man doing any sports of post school activities yet? Those things seriously mess with the schedule
Not yet.
::FIVE BONUS QUESTIONS::
21. Do you prioritize the stuff you want to do, stuff you have to do, or do you reach a happy medium in your schedule?
I try for the happy medium… I try.
22. This is a boring topic, who thought it up?
I did, Jackass.
23. What is your favorite organizational tool?
The roulette wheel. If it lands on red nine I have to do a load of laundry. itis like a crappy drinking game, where instead of drinks I have to sort socks and stuff.
24. At what time in the morning will you wake up with your new schedule?
Same time Little Man gets me up every day. Most likely around 8 am (9 am on the weekends when I change his clock in the middle of the night).
25. Do you have any job interviews scheduled at this time?
Not a one, and I have applied at approximately 20 places.
To recap:
I still need to sketch tonight
I still need to do some digital work tonight
There is always laundry to do
Not enough time in the day
Ironic thing overheard recently: I had to fire my Zen Master
There are so many different levels of irony in that one
I count at least 6
Listening to Queens of the Stone Age doing No One Knows
Labels: 20 Questions, job search
3 Comments:
In my defense (#4) - I have a baby who won't let me out of her sight without sobbing uncontrollably, and I have to leave her several times a week to work, so I don't typically choose to add to her pain by doing fun things for myself - like going on dates for with my husband, taking walks with friends, or showering.
Thanks for bringing it up.
I am surprised a the direness of the job situation. I thought math majors ruled the world. What kind of positions are you applying for? Any teaching jobs? Or something completely different that doesn't involve too much strain on the knees? What about headhunters?
atmikha
Wifey:
It has more power without the explanation.
Atmikha:
Math majors don't really rule anything. Unless it is a theorem, and then we rock the party.
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