Friday Roundup for 20 July 2012

Judd has done these Friday posts for a while, and now I’m giving it a try.

 Body and Mind

My running plans were derailed this spring my some pain in my knee. It turned out to be nothing serious — tightness in my IT Band that I’ve been able to treat with some quality time on a foam roller — but it kept me away from my routine long enough that I’ve basically needed to start over. I’m on a schedule right now that’s a mixture of running and walking, but the key part is that it’s exactly the same time commitment for the first six weeks. This was week two of remembering that I need to carve out time to stay active, and thus far it’s going well. I’m also getting more sleep and cutting back on some of my plans, which is doing wonders for my stress level.

 Friends and Family

I had a great time visiting my parents, sister, and nephew over Fourth of July. Last weekend were two weddings. This week had several serendipitous encounters with friends. Tonight is a going-away party for two friends who are (unfortunately for us, but good for them) moving to Portland next week. It’s a whole kaleidoscope of human experience.

 Create

Gwen and I have been swapping hobbies: She’s teaching me to knit, and I’m helping her get starting playing Dying Kingdoms with me. Those two have consumed most of my time. Instant Karma is on hiatus this month (one the members being a central figure in one of last weekend’s weddings), and I’ve been trying to make to the VIC more often. Speaking of which: I’m on stage tomorrow.

 Absorb

I’ve been soaking up the backlog of podcasts and articles that have been stacking up recently.

Things I’ve read:
* The Quotable Darryl Sutter, 2012
* The Best Strategy For Reducing Stress
* Just Another Princess Movie
* Backsliding Can Help You Fine Tune Your Routines
* How To Become Creative — The Short Honest Truth
* How Leaders Become Self Aware

The soundtrack of the week:
* Beastie Boys, The Mix-Up
* Sting, Into The Labyrinth

 Professional

Ryan, Carol, and I have been doing two things at work that I’m excited about: a bi-weekly book club and daily code katas. The latter has really been helping us explore the nuances of TDD and get it in our fingers and heads. I’m also quite looking forward to the Coaching Agile Teams course that I’ll be attending in mid-September.

 The Weekend

Party tonight, VIC show tomorrow, VIC workshop and DK fighter practice on Sunday. Hoping to squeeze in some Tour de France watching and maybe an ad hoc beer tasting, but we’ll see.

That’s my week and weekend. Yours?