Snowblower, Facebook & Heat

 

What's on my mind, Mr. Zuckerberg, is that Facebook Marketplace and the 102 degree heat messed up my day.

 

The ad looked interesting. The lightly used 8 HP snowblower was $100 and only a couple miles from home. My thirty year old Simplicity is tired and the eighteen year old Yard King could use a backup. As listed, the owner was moving to a climate that did not have snow. June seems like a good time to buy used snowblowers.

As I emptied out the pickup to make room for this 'maybe' but 'good deal' purchase I thought it was a bit warm but it was only ninety-six. Throwing the metal ramps into the box was a commitment that it would be coming home with me.

 

Trading texts with the seller I arrived cautious but enthused. It was an electric start so I brought a thirty foot extension cord, not willing to take 'It ran the last time I used it' answer to "How does it run?" As it turns out it was more or lest identical to our existing Yard King. The seller knew nothing about the machine and said it was her father's and that he was old (older than me?) and then added that he'd not used it in five years.

 

After finding an outlet in the garage and verifying gas in the tank...or it used to be gas, the starting process failed to get it running. There was compression and a cough or two but no opportunity to test all six gears, etc. My guess was that a new $25 carb would get it running. OK, $125 is still a pretty good deal. The plan was to get it running and drive it up the ramp into the pickup. Plan B was incomplete: how would I get a 300 pound non-running snowblower up six feet of ramp at forty-five degrees. Perhaps the seller could help push. Given her 4' 8' height and seventy pounds this did not seem likely.

 

So, I said "No thanks" and drove away. As I drove home I thought "Renting a trailer would be $40 and would take 2-3 hours of messing around. The carb would be $25 and at least an hour of time. If my time is worth McDonald's wages of about $20 an hour, I'm at $100 for the blower, $25 for the carb, $40 for the trailer and four hours at $25....that's $245 and no guarantee that it will run."

 

At home the names of two other people were added to the conversation. One had a trailer and the other might want to put the new carb in. That would the cost up at least another $100; each of those people like to chew the fat. By that time it was one hundred and two degrees. 

 

It it had not been for Facebook Marketplace and the hundred plus degree day, better decisions would have been made and something, actually anything, might have been accomplished.

 

But the weather will be cooler TUE and WED and I really don't need a third snowblower; I'm already thinking more clearly. That, Mr. Zuckerberg, is what's on my mind.

Air. Fuel. Water.

 

Air. Fuel. Spark.

 

This past summer my 1951 Ford 8N tractor would not start. Unencumbered by modern electronics which control air, fuel and spark in the internal combustion process, starting has not been an issue for seventy years. The conclusion was a failure of 'spark' in the right place at the right time. The diagnostic process involves tracing the path of current, much simpler with a few pieces of wire with alligator clips, commonly called 'leads.' At some point a handful were purchased and put in a logical location where I could find them.

 

The tractor issue has not been addressed, yet. This week the furnace failure can be attributed to gap in the triad of air, fuel and spark. OK. With the tractor you climb up, open the tank and look inside. The propane tank for the furnace has a gauge. At -13F you tap it a few times to ensure its' mobility. The high-efficiency furnace is really sensitive in the balance of fuel intake, exhaust and air pressures likewise. 'Efficiency' can only be achieve by complex electronics beyond my 'lack of skills' level. Believing the problem to be a failed thermostat I knew I could jumper the 'power' and 'heat' wires at the thermostat location (or on the furnace). That would send the message 'send heat' to the furnace and my <55F existence would end. 

 

Where was the 'logical location' that I had put the new leads? Perhaps logically out in the tractor shed, well-blocked with snowdrifts, perhaps in the the every growing box of 'electrical misc' not to be confused with the box of 'plumbing misc' or 'hardware misc' or the uncategorized box of 'misc misc.'

After looking I gave up. Owning a tractor allows one to proceed with 'farmer fixes,' rarely of good style or permanence but which allow you to proceed. At the simplest level that meant finding some wire and to avoid excessively long expediency, something to cut the wire and maybe strip the insulation. Of course I could not find my designated wire cutter & stripper but found a cutter that 'would do.' The first wire found lacked insulation but I'm only dealing with 24 volts and 'caution' would do. After further analysis which translated to "it's too thick" I decided to sacrifice the wire from a temporary light fixture. I've had temporary light fixtures in place for fifteen years...another story.

 

As I headed to 'the shop' to retrieve a temporary light fixture I glanced at a box at the top of the stairs. The package of leads was sitting in the box known as the 'misc to be put in the correct misc box' box.

It didn't matter. The furnace is shot.

 

 I'm looking forward to getting the tractor started in the spring.

Today Blows (Oil)

 

Oil changes are pretty straightforward. Drain the oil. Remove and replace the oil filter. Put the drain plug back in. Remove the oil fill cap and add the appropriate five quarts of oil. If you are having your neighborhood service guy doing the oil change this is the point where he backs the truck out of the garage.

Then you see the service guy put the truck back in the garage and get the assistant manager out in the shop. They open the hood and walk around the shop looking for something while you peer through the window of the "No Customers Beyond This Point" door.

The service guy disappears and the assistant manager asks you to come look at the engine which is now covered with oil. His explanation is that the seal on the filler cap blew and he's never seen anything like that before.

It's clear that when the service guy started to back the truck out the engine attempted pressurize and the oil light came on after blowing oil all over the engine. The important last step of the oil change is to replace the filler cap.

So I drove home in a 'loner car.' Tomorrow they will clean up the engine. I'm placing a bets between "Sorry, the mechanic left the oil cap off" or "The seal on the filler cap blew and we had to replace it at $nn.nn." My guess is that the manager will force the assistant manager to speak very creatively with much emphasis on "We've never seen this before." Perhaps the oil filler cap should be tethered to the appropriate location, like the gas tank cap.

Of course I dropped the truck off at 8:15 AM for a 10:00 AM appointment. The "I've never seen this before" explanation was at 6 PM....and now we move into Day #2. Good grief.

Woodlot Management & Pearl Harbor

 

Woodlot Management & Pearl Harbor

 

Along with planting trees, proper woodlot management includes selective cutting

and pruning. My neighbor, Dave, knows that I'm adverse to cutting live trees, hence the canopy that blocks sunlight and keeps our driveway wet. This past summer the cabin had a lot of use. Each time I'd walk the driveway my concern increased. There's a small stand of giant poplar on the west side of the driveway; the tend to snap off about 25-30' in the air. Two large dead oaks were dropping limbs all summer. Most of our large white birch fell to the birch borer infestation in the early 1990s; the survivors are near there life maximum and likewise are dropping limbs. It's just time to do some work.

 

We do burn firewood and joke when we see the bundles of six or seven pieces at the convenience stores for $7.95. A quick check of

WalMart indicates that you can buy a 12"x12"x18" box of oak for $49.95 plus shipping; a cord of wood is 148 cubic feet. Typically we go through two or three cords. At Walmart prices that would be approximately $15,000. You want the moisture low so we split, stack and cover and let the firewood dry for two years. You do wear out your chainsaws and your vehicles and your clothes but it is time in the woods. It's an opportunity, a gift, to hear the flock of late migrating swans and the lone bald eagle.

 

A split trunk oak along the driveway was on the 'cut' list. Good woodlot managers would have culled this years ago but I like the way it looked. Like many trees, they die from the top down and the western trunk was ready to take. 

 

Along with the standard thoughts of safety, where is this going to fall, where should I stack it and how small should I cut and split, taking time to look at the growth rings is part of the process. Eighty years ago this oak emerged from an acorn. This area was part of the Great Hinckley Fire where all the trees were white pine. A few generations of squirrels contributed to this oak in this place.

 

Eighty years ago today Japan attacked Pearl Harbor with the loss of several

thousand lives. It was a failure of international diplomacy. America, fatigued from WWI, was reluctant to enter the war against Germany in Europe. FDR committed us to war with Japan and Germany shortly declared war on the U.S. The politics of the Allies took us first to Europe and more slowly to the Pacific. The industrial might of the the nation, unimaginable in depth, produced the goods for most nations fighting Germany and Japan. 

 

The five years of America's involvement in WWII is a moment in the life of an oak tree. As I counted rings the other benchmarks stood out...Viet Nam, Presidents strong and weak, our children being born, our purchase of the land shared with this oak. That might have been about the time the swans flew overhead which gave another pause to a pause. So many did not survive. Between the two wars Europe and the U.S. languished with their populations focused on their own indulgences; it was a weakness of character and democracy. We are there again.

Tire & Tired

If this was an ad for a political candidate (oddly a tire) stating "Candidate Tire Has Never Been Flat And Never Will Be Flat And When I Am President No American Will Ever Have A Flat" we would have a controversy.

Twitter would not run the ad because they have decided to not run political ads, and that may extend to political commentary.

Facebook would run the ad because they believe viewers need to discern the accuracy of ads...even though the tire is obviously flat. 

• Some people would see the tire as flat and go 'ah.' 
• Others would say the tire is not flat, no one ever has a flat and government should never be responsible for flats (it's not in the constitution). 
• Some would not know a flat tire even if it was going 'whop whop whop' down the road and they would vote based on some other groundless opinion.

The real story...

There was a time when changing a tire was a simple deal. Take the jack and spare out of the trunk, lift the car, take off the lug nuts and swap tires. You could do it standing up and did not even get dirty.

With today's cars there are a lot of issues; try to find the jack, the spare is like a kids toy, the spare is hidden under the car which requires you to lay on the ground, there is at least one lug nut that is 'secure' and requires another gizmo, the 'jack points' are unclear and you have to lay on the ground to find them, the lug wrench is about 10" long which is a challenge for loosening the lug nuts...honestly I think the emergency vehicle services companies pay the manufacturers to make this difficult. I can seen a business meeting where the execs say "Some people can actually change a tire with this cocked up system. We need to make it more cocked up."

It's unlikely that anyone has read this far so lets talk about candidates changing tires...

Trump: Always changes his own tires.
 
Warren: If there is a flat the billionaires will pay for it.
 
Klobucher: I'm a midwestern woman. I've changed my tires and the flat tires of some wimpy men.
 
Sanders: We need mass transit. I'd recycle any car with a flat tire.
 
Buttigieg: You think I can't change a tire?
 
Biden: This is America. Your neighbor will change it.
 
Booker: In my neighborhood someone will just steal a tire that is not flat.
 
Beto: I don't know...have a roadie do it.
 
Yang: With my gift everyone can hire someone to change it.
 
Harris: Government should take care of it and my campaign would do it up until last week in New Hampshire.

OK...enough about tires. I'm going to warm up in anticipation of laying on the ground again later today when replacing the tire when repaired. At least it's not January.

Giving bad advice...

Earlier this year my son called and asked for 'parental advice.'  That was concerning.  He's a bright talented man in his early 30s.  The opportunity presented was for a career shift at a very large software company.  His current position was at a pretigious organization.  My first comments were lukewarm on taking the new gig.  I was wrong.

A review of my long history of Facebook posts gave the advice I should have given.

"It's rare that I re-post other people's contributions. Honestly, every 'healthy living' guideline has been totally ignored. Of course he says he's only had one job and it's been the best job in the world. How cool would that be if we could look back on our own working career like that. So the advice for our children should be "1. Don't do anything Keith Richards did. 2. Do everything Keith Richards did. 3. Create some music and joy that will last forever.""

Uphill might be the better view

We did farmer's markets for twenty years. It all started with a bumper crop of local honey (50+ year beekeeper here). Adding a focus on heirloom vegetables we learned that you need 8' fences to keep the deer out and three feet of wire mesh at the bottom of the fence to keep small animals out.

You collect a lot of stuff...more fencing, weed mat, containers, tools, hoses, all sorts of watering contraptions and a lot of things you might need. We kept all of that in half of a garage and the first floor of a barn (the cows left 30 years ago but there are still remnants of that effort). Never in the last ten years had we locked either of those storage spaces. It was primarily due to convenience, just like leaving the key in the tractor.

Earlier this summer I noticed something. Items sitting in the same place for a decade seem to have moved. Once in a while a light was left on. After I found evidence of smoking in the barn I installed locks on all the doors. There are two rules in rural when it comes to locks. The rules are extremes. Make it like Fort Knox or make the locks a nominal inconvenience. The good rural thieves have bolt cutters. The meth heads have a screwdriver, maybe.

A week ago someone had taken a lock bracket off.

These are things I eyeball daily. It was reinstalled and a game camera was hidden inside the buiding. Two days later there was a call from the sheriff in

response to a burglary. If you don't have a bolt cutter or a screwdriver you just kick the door in.

To make a long story short the perp stole a pressure washer and the game camera. The next day the perp's friend turned him in and now the guy is in jail.

So one day you shake hands with the youth of America and a few months later they steal from you. You get your stuff back but you drive all over the planet, repair a door that was previously undamaged since 1946 and lose a couple of days of billable time. Law enforcement and neighbors wonder along with you what will come of the youth of America and especially the youth of rural America.

Growing up on the southern MN prairie I am comfortable with more or less flat vistas and the distant horizon. It's getting to the point where I want to move to a place where everyone else is downhill.

WTF Happened to This Commitment?

Child #2, an adult, commented "You will fail" when I committed to writing every day after leaving my last 'career' job.  I did.  Worse, it's been five months since a contribution to this "I don't even.." effort.

Late last week I met with one of the two people who motivated me to re-think my purpose in a corporate job that had gone on far too long.  A talented, creative, very bright and lacking convention guy he said "So why did you stop."  Certainly I did not want my son to be right.  I'm the parent.  I know better.

A part time job did interfere with not having a job.  Working that 15 or 20 hours per week has become someone consuming of some of my creative inclinations and a bit of a stone wall.  It has reminded me of the problems of organizations, conflicting goals, and worse than everything else, people.  My goal in the PT job is very clear...find my replacement.  It's a consulting job.  Never will I be an employee again.  Perhaps a consultant.  The only person I'm 'reporting to' or 'working for' is yours truly.

With that, this is a blog re-start.

Fifty-two years Cloud to Cloud

I says, Hey! You! Get off of my cloud
Hey! You! Get off of my cloud
Hey! You! Get off of my cloud
Don't hang around 'cause two's a crowd
On my cloud, baby

In southern MN the local radio station was all local stuff, including things like "Party Line" a radio-hosted classified ad program.  "Size 10 gym shoes are $6.00.  Call FRE-1234."  You get the idea.  During the day WDGY a big AM station 100 miles north on the southern edge of Minneapolis would blast out the popular pop music of the day, but it was full of ads.  Late at night you could pull Beaker Street from WLS in Chicago, well worth the illogic of staying up that late.  WLS worked just fine during the years working nights at Universal Milking Machine, giving good reason to drive around aimlessly in my '66 VW for several hours after getting off work at midnight.

Well, the Rolling Stones were blasting out memorable tunes about the cloud then and here we are.

Between my full-time gig which was 60+ hours a week and then the small business which kept me up at night...and day...and weekends my personal focus on computer/digital backups was neglected.  The small business has been sold.  Great.

For the past few days I've been reviewing my data repositories, backup plans and where should I be putting files going forward.  With critical documents and photos you just don't want to lose those with a drive/PC failure/upgrade.  So running through my PCs in most frequent use:  1) Chromebook.  This is not a problem.  It's the PC of choice about 80% of the time and I use Google Docs & Sheets and a few other products storing all files on the Google Drive.  Nothing downloaded lost would be a problem.

In the desktop space we have a legacy PC running XP.  My backup strategy there is to periodically plug in a USB drive, copy the user files and then upload that to Dropbox.  Desktop #2 is a Windows 7 running Backblaze as the backup.  Backblaze is a wonderful backup product less focused on file sharing.  Windows backup is not enabled on this PC due to a faulty registry entry which crashes the task scheduler; this is a frequent reminder that Windows PCs are often more expensive and complex than warranted.  Desktop #3 was running out of space.  Oddly two years ago this was going to be my primary workstation.  Being obsessively concerned about loss I was running a Backblaze backup and a Mozy backup.  Getting ready to do my 2017 business and personal taxes I felt this PC to be a big short of free space...and almost bought another box but caution and a frugal nature intervene.  After a certain level of analysis it became clear that I'd saved at least two images between the resident drive and an attached USB drive and I'd been running Windows backup to the USB drive.  Some of that was saved to Dropbox folders and thus saved repeatedly, you know, like holding up a mirror to a mirror.  Three backup solutions was probably two too many.

There are a number of notebooks lying about none of which are backed up, simply re-imaged when becoming problematic.  My professional notebook, the one I use when being...well, professional is backed up to Sugarsync.  So now I'm up to four backup strategies, three too many.   Oh, I also have been a longtime Dropbox user.  Initially this allowed me to stop carrying a PC everywhere but simply leaving a PC where ever I was headed.  The challenge in file syncning solutions is to ensure that you are seting your syncning preferences with some logic.  It's also really easy to delete needed files and directories and screw yourself everywhere.  With most of the synchnng oriented solutions deleted files are kept for 30 days.  Personally I've found that I discover the need for deleted files after about six months.

I did not mention a drawer full of usb drives, numerous USB sticks, SD cards, micro SD cards and Seagate SAN with really old stuff.

The only reason for retaining the XP PC is because it has a diskette drive and I still find a box here and there of mystery files.

There are as many sites comparing options for backup and syncing as there are options for backup and syncing.  If I wasn't trying to work with the five currently in my 'personal cloud' I'd review some of those sites and make a good decision.

Work life continues...

Small Business...
It's sold.  That's a lot of hours recovered per week.

Job/Employment...
I'm back in the work force negotiating a new deal.  All that remains is 'What are you going to do' and 'How much do I charge?' 

Daily Life...
Three years ago I purchased an Amazon Echo. It's been in use daily for music, news and ordering stuff. My recently purchased an Echo Dot which was going to wake me up instead of my cell phone waking me up. Remember alarm clocks?
The Echo stopped working, The 24 volt $18 power supply failed. Shortly thereafter the Echo Dot quit working and I spent about three hours attempting to reconfigure it, updating the iPhone Alexa app, resetting routers, wireless access points, etc. With each attempt the Echo Dot provided a new and elusive error message. Google, with the competing Google Home device, would appear to intentionally give not good returns to 'Echo Error Message' searches.

A final hour was spent attempting to start at ground zero and do a reset of the Echo Dot. Of course I kept reading the '1st Gen' instructions for my '2nd Gen' Echo Dot.
Winding the Big Ben alarm clock would have been a more prudent use of time. At a point in life you need to seriously consider how many three hour blocks of time you have left. Spend two minutes winding and the rest of the time with friends and family, talking, sharing, laughing and enjoying a little rock and roll.

No exuse...

When Standard Process Goes Awry...

Philandro Castile was stopped by a police officer.  He announced to the policement that he had a carry permit. Individuals with carry permits are not required to make that announcement.  Police officers do not have online access to that information.

Asked for his license and insurance information Mr. Castile reached for them.  The officer claims to have seen a gun.  If someone says they have a carry permit it's likely you've going to see a gun.  Mr. Castile's handgun was buried deep in his right pocket.  It's unlikely that the police officer saw anything except Mr. Castile's wallet.

The officer panicked and fired seven rounds into Mr. Castile who then died.

I was  within a block of that shooting at the same time.

If I had a carry permit would I have announced it?  No.  Mr. Castile was a black man.  I am white.  Would I have been stopped for the same reason?  No.  Would the police officer have shot me seven times?  No.

Mr. Castile worked in the school cafeteria and knew the names of all the children including members of my family.  He was a decent guy who went to work each day.  

The police officer lost it.  He did not do a felony stop.  He did a traffic stop.  He failed at standard procedure and now a good guy is dead.

This is my neighborhood.    

Gizmo Vortex

Officially my office, the space with the 1960s green desk, piles of paperwork done and undone, three or four computers, extra drives and cables and connectors for gizmos past and present, may be the location that I do my best creative work.  The quality can only be attributed to the office chair from my former gig that complemented my bottom from 1987 to 2001 at which point I simply rolled it into the elevator, through the Skyway and home.  The topic of previous blog post, the chair has served for thirty good years.  The office contains an iPad rarely used, an Amazon Echo and a small SONOS unit used daily for music.  There are three desktops and a couple of notebooks and three printers.  My good stuff comes from a single thread of technology through that mess.

The Samsung Chromebook upon which I'm writing goes everywhere.  When I want to look serious I carry a briefcase that also contains a high-end Lenovo notebook which usually has a depleted battery.

The night before last I had a weird dream in which a guy named George sold me an airplane for $13,999 which I proceeded to hide in my uncle's basement.  Currently I am working with a guy named George, airplanes are of a casual interest and my uncles was special but has been gone thirty years.   Before going to sleep I'd looked at YouTube content on warbirds.  Perhaps that triggered the airplane purchase.

But really I think my weird dreams of late have occurred because I don't have a job (not even a dumb job) and my brain has been invaded by technological gizmos.  When I headed off to sleep the eve of the airplane dream I brought my Chromebook (in case I woke up in the middle of the night and needed watch something with a video need (nothing planned), my iPhone (alarm, weather check, Instagram, Google Tasks, Google Keep), another Lenovo notebook (I keep forgetting it's there), an Amazon Echo Dot with Bluetooth speaker, my original Amazon Kindle (just restored the battery), an early Amazon Fire (previously used for video) and my new Amazon Paperwhite Kindle.  This is too much.  In the old days you read a book and then fell asleep.

• The danger, as tablets, smartphones, ever more powerful (and complex) PCs and cloud options continue to develop is falling into the 'gizmo' trap.  
• Track how much time you spend on you own personal technology support such as upgrades of software, new phones, data plans, internet resources.
• Drive a stake into the ground
• Define your business and personal goals...what's important
• What are the measurable business and personal outcomes for your goals that you hope to achieve.
• Have a business and personal mentor...not another Gizmo person...find a balance.

I'm going to cut down on the the extra stuff.  Three Kindles are crazy.  More than a couple PCs is crazy.  Standardize onsite and cloud storage tools (currently I use Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and far too many onsite storage devices.    

Following Teaches Leading

*Note:  At times I leave my editing strikeouts in place, for no reason (Actually there is.  I'm attempting to write more directly, leaving out the extra verbiage.) 

Staying within the lines...

Convention is practical., often the result of 'on the job' learning or directed process improvement initiatives where bureaucracy (corporate or government) has stifled change.  

Intuition and impulsive moves can lead to innovation.  Some people would have told me to move my vehicle;  I am dropping all people who tell me to stay within the lines. 

Learning to lead...

Ft. Lewis during the Viet Nam era was a training ground for 2nd Lieutenants just out of OCS (Officer Candidate School).  For good reason they were referred to as 'shake and bakes' and little question existed as to which would be successful.

Most had spent little time in the military.  They were trying to lead without mastering 'following.'  OCS provided an opportunity to delay the trans-Pacific trip to the Republic of Viet Nam.   

Wall Street Journal..."When Second is Best"

My previous posts have addressed the importance of being a good follower:

• ...listen more than you talk
• ...master your discipline...be good in others
• ...network with peers outside your organization...you'll find that what you find unique or peculiar about yours probably is not 
• ...always be employable elsewhere
• ...speak positively
• ...be extremely cautious  offering criticism of staff you don't supervise

Recognize that even as a leader you are a follower of someone; you're probably a #2 when you think you are a #1.

The April 19, 2017 issue of the Wall Street Journal contained a great article, "When Second Is Best" under the "Work and Family" category.  

The WSJ is well-written.  Sitting at work and reading the WSJ is a somewhat accepted activity to avoid work if you are an executive or aspiring corporate man/woman.  During my C-career I was usually a bit too busy which was a mistake.  It's important to invest in yourself first.

In the process improvement work a good focus is 'CEO.'  Focus, in order on the Customer then the Employee and finally on the Owners.  My advice to employees was to remember that but also to focus on themselves each and every day...learn something new...one more thing before going home (this would be a great place for an 'easy to remember' acronym if I had one).  

These were the WSJ's points for being a good '2nd.':

 

Excuses for not blogging...

• ...needed to do a year's worth of small business accounting in a month
• ...unlike POTUS, had to do personal & business taxes
• ...going to sleep with no job to wake up to has caused me to have an infinite number of 'projects,' all of which I could ignore when employed
• ...the break convinced me that I had nothing to say...the standard writer's block.  Today certainly does not mean that I have anything to say but it did open the faucet again
• ...our community put in new water treatment facility with the purpose of removing iron and manganese; we overdosed on black particulates; probably manganese (causes nervous disorders)

Lack of Focus...

This blog post certainly has a lack of focus.  I'm ending it with a link that caused me to smile which has not happened much lately.  On Facebook I commented that I would 'unfriend' anyone who did not enjoy this video.  

Countdown Clock...No Overtime

Not having a job is time-consuming.  Writing about not having a job takes time...sort of like a job, which I don't have.

The goal was to create a log of events leading to the next job, re-education, re-branding, etc.  Once you reach the age of "you're almost done" you fight it.  "I AM NOT DONE!!!"  The reality is that you're now working on a countdown clock. There are no overtimes (Bill Murray's line is something like "This is not a rehearsal.").

Being remiss in writing has several reasons:

1.   The small business remains small but takes a great deal of time.  There's not really any money in it but I spend time explaining "it's not about the money."  People don't get that but they don't want us to stop.  We are a community thing.  On Facebook one of my acquaintances is a guy from Western Minnesota, a farmer and writer who thought the small town cafe should be open, be a community resource for people to meet and to use the commercial kitchen to add value to their small crops,  and become an incubator of sorts.  He applied for a Bush Foundation grant to do some upgrades.  Following his efforts has been comforting, a bit of a parallel path to our small business.  He committed to four years which has now expired with a new owner taking over.  We've done this for six years.  I've been there the last three.  We'd like to transition from day-to-day operations to pursue some ideas.  There's a book or two of experiences, practical and human interest.  I'm working on a draft, sort of a Studs Terkel "Working" format.
2. The election campaign was exhausting.  The Presidency has been
   
   exhausting.  The Russians have been following my numerous posts.  Many Facebook friends have dumped me.  I hear voices all the time.  Some are worried that their microwaves are spying on them.  That is something I've always known, ever since the first Little Litton entered our kitchen.  My original one is in the barn, still listening, sending encrypted messages to the KGB.
3. "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg inspired me years ago to start writing.  I remember carrying a copy in my briefcase to my 'real job' and reading it during breaks.  Her premise is to just write.  Every book on writing that I've read since includes the same theme.  The demons in our lives, jobs, relationships, distractions, the internet, music, obligations and hunger cause us to stop writing.  The re-start process is complex, like cold-starting a barn-find car left sitting for forty years.  There's hope.
4. My daughter owns a new dog.  I've had "let the dog out duty" a few days.  It's not really taken any significant time but I wanted to work the dog into this post.  Dogs know stuff.  It's been good having conversations with him.
5. Year-end small business accounting and business and personal taxes.
6. I've been putting locks (literally & figuratively) on doors that have been unsecured for decades.

So getting people to read you blog is interesting.  My break was broken because another blogger mentioned the tediousness of blogging and the fact that it might be out of vogue and mentioned several people who seemed to have disappeared.  Not writing has hence motivated me to write. 

Apparently I either have to write more or get a job.

My Son Was Right But I Won $40...Motivation

Two years ago I bet my son $40 on the outcome of the Presidential election.  He looks at a great deal of data and understands the political history and process in great depth.  My position came from a gut feel.  It would be good if I could attribute my betting success to some specialized life experience from having been around the block a few more times, but I cannot.

When I started  this blog I was committed to writing every day about this odd status of not really having a job or certainly not having a 'real' job.  He remarked "you'll never do that."  His perspective on that topic also likely came from a 'gut feel.'  For a period of time I wrote daily to prove him wrong.  I lost.  Somewhere in my head I was also following some obscure guidance from other writers that encouraged simply sitting down and writing every day.  It's now clear that those writers, and those who write books about writing, write about writing every day when they are stonewalled by a blank screen.  It's sort of a 'go to' topic.  The issue is that you need 'seat time.'  Looking for motivation while not in the seat is usually a waste.  The screen is the motivation.

Writing seems to be the thing to do at this point.  Of course I've ground through quite a few texts and online seminars and so for looking for key motivations to get me down that path.  A while ago I read about a writing seminar on an island in Lake Superior with 'real authors' with 'successful formulas' for getting your work, your blogs into the mainstream.  That was interesting and the lazy part of me said "yes, wait until next summer when the ice is out, go to this seminar and pick up some good motivation and ideas and then you can start this part of your working world..."  Distraction.  Delay tactic, logical at that.  Chuck Close, noted portrait painter, offers the following real advice.  "Inspiration is for amateurs--the rest of us just show up and get to work." In hindsight that was the key to my former executive work.  I just went there, plugged away with the tools and resources at hand and did good work.  I need to simply leverage that path elsewhere.

The small business has taken most of my time that I would have dedicated to a 'real job.'  Real jobs pay real money, you sit in strategic planning sessions, construct budgets, hire and fire 'talent,' mentor, build relationships and other sorts of tasks.  Now at 66+ I find that people who want to manage money ask me what I want my 'legacy' to be.  I think that means what happens to any residual money after I'm dead.  If I contrast that with what 'real' jobs have to offer I don't find either particularly appealing.

AARP, which puts out nice magazines, always have articles and commentary about second careers, "doing what you're always wanted to do" and other consoling sorts of themes that attempt to make one feel all that much better about being unemployed.  The writing is well done but I'm resistant to feeling better about not having a real job.  This effort, this creative one, with a different set of tools (words, blank screens, intuitive and deductive melding and conflict, etc.) is likely the path.

During a late night browsing of either Amazon Prime or Netflix I came upon a series about creative design.  The first episode was about a German graphic designer, the evolution of his work, where and how he worked and the pressure of deadlines thrown into a more or less life of doodling.    The second episode showcased Tinker Hatfield, whose quote "If people don't love or hate your work you've not done all that much" I'd come across before I knew who he was.  He's designed every Nike Air, a small town guy, architecturally trained who's changed the world of shoes...and design.  It's a nice legacy.  

I'd like to leave a bit more that people love or hate.

Check your tie (or whatever), Read, Network

Every day starts with a checklist. 

• Am I wearing the right clothes for the tasks of the day
• Do I know what I'm doing (if not, read, do a search)
• What are the outcomes (get paid, be stronger, build a wall)
• Relax, re-group, re-prioritize
• Nourish  parts of your body as needed
• Promote yourself

It's easy to get off track.  Stay on-track to reach outcomes.  Go off-track to move beyond convention.

Read

The internet, tablets, big screens, etc. distract us.   It's easy to never read, never crack a real book, open two books at the same time, write in the margins, highlight key phrases, tell someone what you learned.  Review your own words.

During my IT career I consumed business journals and IT-focused publications.  Knowing that information provided great advantages in management, negotiation, purchasing, visualizing the future, etc.  Now that I don't really have a dumb job I've broadened that scope.  Instead of reading the tech sections of the Wall Street Journal I read all of it, even the 'Mansions' section promoting homes in the $5M+ range.  The Saturday issue is particularly enjoyable.  I read the Wall Street Journal in traditional paper format.  The New York Times is consumed more selectively in digital format.

Even People Magazine offers up a few bits of value, humor and self-reflection.

• Don't wear clothes that evoke "that's weird" responses
• Read
• Network outside your specialty
• Don't get locked in an age group (know more than 15 people in People)

Reading People Magazine

Somehow I ended up with a subscription to People magazine. Typically I pick this up only when I’m about

to get my deteriorating teeth cleaned or waiting for my diminishing hair to be cut. It’s actually a bit embarrassing to have it arrive in the mailbox. Given the range of publications arriving at our home address this would add thoughts the postman may have about “What kind of people live here? This is all odd.”

Usually I grab a Sharpie (It get 1/10th of a cent for everyone who reads that) and mark all the people I know in People. This is not a publication for sixth decade readers. Fifteen or sixteen people are usually all I can recognize. The current cover mentioned the Menendez brothers. “I remember that! It was a couple of years ago.” It was 20 years ago. The “Exclusive” was someone named Katherine Heigl. No idea.

“Brad’s Moving On.” I know who Brad Pitt is. He’s married to that woman who’s the daughter of not Dustin Hoffman but that other guy in “Midnight Cowboy,” a pretty good movie from a few years ago. The “StarTracks” page showed eight people. None were identifiable. I recognized Justin Timberlake because I learned who was from watching the CMA show. Ellen. Sure. Everyone knows Ellen.

There are a lot of ads for drugs in “People.” They all warn you to be on the lookout for heart irregularities, kidney failure, anxiety and diarrhea.

According to the “Passages” feature Roger Daltrey is 72. That seems unreasonable, perhaps an ‘alternative fact.’

Mel Gibson, 61, has a 26 year old GF. My staff used to tell me there was a guideline for this, something like “half your age plus or minus 7” was OK....61/2+30.5-7=23.5. No, I think the rule must be “half your age plus seven”...61/2=30.5+7=37.5. Gibson has a lot of cash. Trump=70...(70/2)=35...35+7=42. Melania=46. OK, that meets the “old guy (with lots of money) wants a younger GF rule.”

James Corden. I know him from YouTube and the carpool karaoke skits. Of course my favorite is his drive w/ the Red Hot Chili Peppers who are now senior statesmen of the rock world. Apparently Corden has a TV show...never have seen it.

There are two pages on the guy with the awkwardly long red tie and 4-6 pages on people uncomfortable with the awkwardly long red tie guy.

The Menendez article was succinct. They are in prison forever.

Crossword puzzles have always bored me. Obviously this one would be pointless. It would be similar to being on “Jeopardy,” knowing absolutely nothing and having Alex Trebek repeatedly ask you “Are you sure you know nothing?”

The 38th Parallel of Organizations

Donald Trump

Every organization has an organizational structure. The formal structure, often represented in an 'organization chart' displays names, titles and reporting responsibilities.  Paralleling that is the informal structure of how organizations actually work.  Often titled staff "make things happen" beyond the representation of the organization chart and it's accompanying catalog of formal job descriptions.  The "informal organization chart" lacks documentation other than informal but established and historical knowledge, experience and perspectives.  The lack of formal organization charts and documented processes can be a challenge to new incoming staff members.  Entry level staff struggle to understand how the processes work.  Incoming senior staff often stumble when attempting to formalize or change informal processes that already work fine.

Douglas MacArthur

It's a challenge.  The junior person needs to "get up to speed" and "show their worth" in the first year. The new senior person needs to "straighten things up"  and "make the changes that need changing." The counterpoint is for all new people to understand an organizations culture.  Strangely, the challenge is to create a formal process of education and communication that transfers knowledge of the informal processes.

Zappos, the online shoe retailer, does a great job of educating new employees on Zappos culture.  A lengthy, mandatory training session on company culture is followed by the offer to leave the company, with a cash offer, if the employee is uncomfortable in any sense with the culture.

Notes to incoming junior staff:

• listen more than you talk
• request a peer mentor
• request a mentor at a more senior position
• develop a mentor at a comparable organization
• network
• be good in your discipline and another
• plan your future leadership

Notes to incoming senior staff:

• listen more than you talk
• request a peer mentor
• request a mentor at a lessor non-reporting position
• develop a mentor at a comparable organization
• network
• be good in your discipline and another
• lead based on your experience as a follower

Now for the political commentary...
The President-elect has offered complementary statements about his military hero, Douglas MacArthur:

Regarding Hillary Clinton's website:

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton is helping ISIS by putting her plan to fight the extremist group on her website, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump argued in Monday night’s presidential debate.

“General Douglas MacArthur wouldn’t like that,” Trump said.

My comment:  Donald Trump has frequently mentioned and idolized General MacArthur (and General Patton to a lesser degree).  He's possibly cherry-picked those references.  We all do that to a degree.  

The media and the generals:

Trump:  "I don't want my generals being interviewed."

My comment:  Patton and MacArthur, two egotistic WWII generals are often referenced by Donald Trump.  Each was criticized and censured by sitting Presidents for their public commentary.  MacArthur was removed as commander of US forces in Korea for his commentary.  Historians regard both MacArthur and Patton as leading media whores of their era, successful yet controversial in the field.

Fox News:

Trump commentary: As Donald Trump, our new president-elect, starts to plan for the future, the man he should turn to for advice may have died more than fifty years ago, but his words and deeds live on. He’s General Douglas MacArthur, who actually has a lot in common with Donald Trump—and should be one of his role models as president.    

Like Trump, MacArthur was a maverick, an anti-establishment figure.

Truman: "I fired him (MacArthur) because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the president," Truman later explained. "I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was, but that’s not against the laws for generals. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail."

Newsweek

Trump reference: Nothing else Trump has said—about Muslims, women, protesters, immigrants and so on—has chilled the political, military and media establishment more than his glib pronouncements on nuclear weapons. If we’re not going to use them, Trump told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews in a typical remark last March, “then why are we making them?” He said he might drop one on the Islamic State group, known as ISIS, or Europe. “You want to be unpredictable,” he said.

MacArthur:  (from "American Caesar" by William Manchester)

On the second anniversary of Hiroshima, when a bell of peace was rung at the very spot where the bomb had exploded, he asked that "the agonies of that fateful day serve as a warning to all men of all races" that nuclear weapons "challenge the reason and the logic and the purpose of man....This," he said, "is the lesson of Hiroshima.  God grant that it not be ignored."

My comment:  MacArthur was also not in favor of the use of nuclear weapons on Japan.  He was a great general, more knowing of his opponent's intentions that they were themselves and believe Japan to be within days of surrender.  This is what differentiates leaders (good executives); understand your staff, your peers and your competition as well or better than they understand themselves.  It's a big job.  Listen.  Read. Plan.

Conclusion
MacArthur now resides in history as a great strategist particularly in his role in the Pacific in WWII.  Unfortunately, ego, his major strength and major flaw undermined his place in history.  

Donald Trump has surrounded himself with people of extreme partisan positions and experience, some with no experience.  His challenge will be to afford  the "MacArthurs" of his appointees to succeed yet remember for whom they work, and to ensure his own MacArthur traits include the ego to define, prioritize and strategize but remain a humanitarian.

Humility has a place in leadership. Good business leaders have followed before they led.