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You Survived Another Year of Work

Congratulations! You made it through another year! I would say more, but LinkedIn learning courses have taught me the art of delegation. So, congratulate yourself and take a moment, a one-on-one moment if you will, to really appreciate and praise your accomplishments. While it is impressive that you survived another year, the most impressive part is that you did it as part of a team! Too bad they don’t give out Certificates of Completion for enduring another year, amiright? It doesn’t matter how you did it, it just matters that it’s done. Maybe you survived the year of work through the judicious use of the mute button during meetings. Maybe you had your mouse taped to an oscillating fan to keep your activity status in the green. Maybe you kept your opinions to yourself. Maybe you set your indicator to Do Not Disturb in Microsoft Teams as the default. Maybe you kicked ass and took names this year, which admittedly is a little weird that you would take someone else’s name. Most people ha...
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Hello Gentle Moth

Hello gentle moth  Tapping against my window  Waging war against my screen  Despite what you think your moon goddess is not within my house  And no joy awaits within these walls for one such as yourself  Fly off into the night to find your destiny Leaving only powdery wing prints on my window  To mark your brief visit
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Snow is a Blanket

Snow is a blanket on the world, and my happiness.  It covers the trees and my ambition. The winter weighs heavy on my emotions like the blankets on my bed that try to keep me  inert,  still,  and lifeless under cover. I hibernate and dream of spring.
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The Boxcar Children and the Tiny Home Movement

When I was growing up and going to college in Western and Central Pennsylvania, it was not uncommon to see railroad boxcars occasionally dotting the landscape. I'm not talking about the little red caboose that might sit at an old, defunct railroad terminal in some small town. I'm talking about the big rectangular box cars, usually wooden, with the big sliding doors, sitting on the old rusted frame with metal wheels. And they weren't sitting on some abandoned rail line. Most of the time they were in a field, or a gully along a stream bed, or simply in the yard of some farmhouse. I always thought about "The Boxcar Children" series of books that I read as a child from my elementary school library whenever I would pass one. Another thing that was talked about quite a bit in movies and in the classroom when I was young was the hobo movement. Another societal group living, even temporarily, in boxcars. I used to fantasize about running away and traveling the country as ...
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Phipps Conservatory

We have a conservatory in Pittsburgh called Phipps Conservatory. It's a large glass structure from the late 1800s. It has around a dozen indoor rooms, each with a theme: palm court, fern room, desert room, tropical room, edible plant room, etc. They do seasonal shows with a variety of themes. I've been a member for many years now and I thoroughly enjoy the serenity and the beauty year round. The outdoor gardens are lovely in the warmer months, and there are always ample photographic opportunities.  That's all. You should visit if you are every in town. 
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The Walkthrough Closet

There was a time after college where I lived in an efficiency apartment in a historic building from around 1900. It had a beautiful facade and an open lobby with a visible staircase and one, narrow elevator. The elevator had an old diamond pattern sliding door that you had to manually open and close. The elevator was very slow - about as slow as taking the stairs. It vibrated enough that it would often cause that gate to open a bit, causing the elevator to stop. You learned to hold a foot against the gate after it was jarred loose and stopped you between floors a few times. The halls were narrow, as were the doors. It has steam heat and radiators that would knock loudly, and on cold nights the regulator valve would hiss like an angry snake or dissatisfied theater goer all night long. The single pane, metal sash, casement windows radiated cold in the winter and let bugs in during the summer due to a lack of screens. The single room had a tiny four burner stove with an oven too small for...
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Digital Fun

A welcomed respite  From all the pressures of life  A video game Controlling a life Knowing there is a save point Full of adventures Earning achievements Performing heroic acts And fulfilling quests Doing the dishes Doesn't have the same appeal As digital fun
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