Three Interesting Things

1.  These photos of the changes to the Dead Sea are heartbreaking. 

2. This story about the Kapemahu stones being retold thanks to an animated short (and also a picture book) is important. 

3.  And a local teen discovered the assignment he did for art class was chosen to be the Vice President's holiday card.  

Adaptability vs. Arranger

So, before I get into this, I'm referring to Clifton Strengths, which are one way of looking at your skills and abilities. I find them super useful, but obviously YMMV.

So I am high (as in top ten) Adaptability and Arranger. So, as you may suspect, I am good at pivoting, and good at organizing or arranging stuff. These skills can work great together, and can sometimes clash. 

Sometimes when a plan changes, it's not that I can't change or pivot, it's that I need to have a moment of sadness, for that plan that was. Because we can't just go to Y instead of X, we also have to factor in all these other things that had all previously been aligned. 

But it's one of those things, where sometimes I have to remind myself and others that like it's cool. In like three minutes I'll have built a new vision. But I just need a moment to be sad about the one that was.

It's a time where they may be more or less plans in your life, and lots and lots of people to factor into these plans, and so there can be a lot of pivoting and accommodating.  Taking a breath doesn't mean you hate the new plan and everything is terrible, it may just mean you need a little time to readjust.   

Three Interesting Things

1. Trishop Hersey, aka the Nap Minister talks about her work process. 

2. I am very biased, but I love this story about the egg fights. 

3. In a story light on details but still intriguing, a cat was in someone's luggage.  

7 Things About COVID

So, I got COVID. Not over this past week, but I benefited greatly from experiences others shared, so I wanted to pass that along. Obviously my experience is my individual experience. 

1. Right now, between DC and the federal government, I have a good stash of free to me rapid tests. As an allergy sufferer who is sniffly about 9 months out of the year, I've been rapid testing regularly. I did not think I felt sicker the day I tested positive, so it was good that I tested so I could shift my behavior. 

2. I have been spacing out unmasked interactions, and trying to stick to outside ones at that, so I had one person to notify. It does help that my day job is 100% telecommute.

3. I had received the latest bivalent booster about three weeks before. So I was at peak antibodies.

4. I have been masking with a KN95 pretty much everywhere that is not my apartment, and not me eating outside with vaccinated friends. I probably do not always have the best seal, but the masking I'm sure helped reduce the amount of virus I was exposed to.

5. I have, during the pandemic shifted to buying groceries in larger quantities, so that I had enough food to stay inside while I isolated. 

6. I was also able to access the anti-virals. 

7. And having tests on hand meant I could retest after I finished the anti-virals and retest again several days later in case of rebound. 

Still would have preferred never catching it. And of course, now I really don't want it again. And I went and got my flu shot and pneumonia shot, so that hopefully I'm covered for most respiratory viruses. But the pandemic isn't over, especially not here in the US. 

Three Interesting Things

1. It's no surprise I'm a big fan of NaNo. This post takes a look at some well documented shady practices of one of this year's sponsors is concerning. It appears NaNo is taking a look, but this post goes into a little more detail, and references Writer Beware, which is always a great place to check. 

2. DC set  romance novels! Also, full disclosure, I do know Thien-Kim Lam as both a fellow writer and a fellow romance reader. 

3. And someone has rated the DC accuracy in video games.