Vertical Visibility

There is a funny thing that happens when you live on the 21st floor. When it's foggy you may not be able to see anything on the ground when you look out the window. I don't think there is anything wrong or even right with this but it does tend to mess with your head a bit.

This morning was an example of this unique phenomenon.

It was foggy in the Nation's Capital this morning. I looked out the window. I saw absolutely nothing. If I looked straight down I could faintly make out the river below. I think this prepared me for a trip to work with very low visibility and very high humidity. When I walked out at ground level, the visibility was rather good. I was just a bit confused.

Nothing I'm writing today is going to change the world. It's just a observation of one of the little things in life. I think it's the little things that make a typical day a little more interesting. If each day has a bit more to offer, life can be really good.

A Routine

It can be surprising how quickly people can fall into a routine. I'm currently living in barracks style accommodations. I't decent. I get my own room but the washroom and shower is down the hall. Not the end of the world. There are lots of facilities. Here's the thing. I seem to always use the third toilet from the end and the first shower on the right. Beyond that, I actually found myself getting a bit upset that I wasn't able to use them one time because someone else was using them.


There is no reason I should get upset about this. They are communal use assets and I know that. I have no claim to them but I was upset my routine was changed.


It may sound crazy but I had legitimate feelings that this wasn't right. It shouldn't be that way but as I get older, I don't adapt as well as I used to. I find I just have to deal with it like I always have but now I don't want to. That's the part I find strange.


I see a lot of small things really bother people and I am often dumbfounded at why these minor inconveniences could be such a bother. I'm finding I'm becoming more like that. Maybe I should just adjust my attitude and get over it, after all I think I'm better than not begin able to sit on the same toilet seat all the time.


Yup, it sounds just as silly when I type it as when I say it.

Rolling

I have been working in Ottawa for just over six months. Last week-end I had a couple of friends in town and rad to drop them off at the airport before work this morning. It made the most sense to just drive to work after dropping them off. It worked out fine.

Because I drove to work that meant I had to drive home after work. With the work being done on Rideau Street and it being closed to traffic except busses and taxis, I had to take Laurier to get across the canal.

As I have mentioned in previous posts it takes me about 30 minutes to walk to work and another 30 minutes to walk home. Today it took me 23 minutes to drive home.

All this makes walking to and from work to look even more attractive.

I didn't get my morning walk and it took longer to get going once I arrived at my desk. I didn't get my afternoon walk and wind down from my day.

From this experience I have confirmed that the walk to work is a very good thing in my life. The fresh air and exercise make my day better while only adding about seven minutes to either trip. If I catch a couple of lights while walking it adds even less time as I have been able to walk in as little as 25 minutes.

I'm not saying everyone is in a position to walk to work or would even care to but I am a convert. It is one of the best parts of my daily routine and you can't argue with fresh air and exercise.

Disruption

I have relocated to my summer location. My job moves from the bustling city of Winnipeg up to the beach town of Gimli Manitoba for the summer months. This has been the case for many years now. I pack up enough of what I need and truck up north. It isn't too far and I do get home once and a while.

I am finding as I get older, the disruption to my routine seems to have a bigger and bigger effect on me. It isn't just the different locale, it is also not having all my stuff. It is eating in a dining hall with set meal hours. It is not seeming to find the time to get to the gym. The time is there however the different environment and structured demands on my time seem to make it much more difficult to get there.

The gym here is ok. It doesn't have nearly the equipment the gym at home does. It seems to slow the falling out of shape, but I am always in worse shape when I return home in September. It's unfortunate since the more I exercise the better I feel and the more confident I am. Skipping as many workouts as I do in the summer seems to lead to generally grumpy feeling until I drop everything and get some exercise.

Yesterday was a prime example. Everything was on track to get out of the office in time to catch a workout and make it to supper on time. Some things came up near the end of the day and I was unable to fit in my workout before supper. Combined with the work I did on the week-end and I have not had a workout for a week. I can feel it.

It is important for everyone to take steps to ensure that they integrate into the world around them as well as they can.

For me one of the steps is to ensure that I exercise regularly. This is a challenge that I must improve on for all the people around me.