This journal has generated a fair bit of email from family and friends, notes that I greatly appreciate. In addition to keeping me informed about their lives, my correspondents ask good questions. How are you,*really*? Are you still looking for a permanent job? How about a career change, something in music perhaps?

There's an old parable about walnuts and rice. In order to fit both walnuts and rice into a jar, you have to put the walnuts in first and let the rice fill in the spaces that are left. If you put the rice in first, the walnuts won't fit or at least won't fit as easily. The point being, you have to have your walnuts, the most imporant things in your life, in order first. As we go through our days, Sandra and I ask each other, "Is this a walnut? Is this rice?"

We've entered a season where we need to think more about others than ourselves. This includes not only family, but also friends and neighbors. Our next door neighbor fell off a ladder last week and broke his hip; he'll be in a nursing home for a month. His wife is housebound with MS. Their children stop in a couple of times a day. We'll help as we can, taking out the trash and other small chores. Tonight we'll have dinner with friends at a Korean restaurant and then come back for a birthday party for grandson Joe, who turns 10 today. Tomorrow we'll have granddaughters Krista and Tess overnight at the camp. There are those who do all of these things and more with great ease and grace. There's much to learn, much to do better.

And, in middle of it all, I get a call from a recruiter regarding a job possibility. I'll have a telephone interview today. The job that prompted the call would require relocation to Seattle, which isn't an option. We'll talk, instead, about other opportunities that would let me work from home.

Happy Birthday, MRM. Happy Birthday, Joe.

I'm at the point now at work where I can start to create project plans. I spent the first month learning the products and processes. There's still more to learn, but I have a good understanding of what's ahead. Project plans help me clarify what I know and what I don't know. Some people prepare meticulous plans. Mine tend to be painted in broader strokes. A former manager used to say that the good thing about a plan is that you can change it.

I've stayed by myself most of the time at the office, listening to music while working. I suppose I could and should spend more time in the aisles, talking with people, but I don't. The people are nice enough, even inviting me to go on lunch time walks.

Shortly after my car turned over 100,000 miles, the Check Engine light came on. Oh, geez, I thought, here it goes. As it turned out, there was just a minor problem with the emissions system, easily fixed. While I waited for my car at the dealership, I was able to use their wireless network to connect to the systems at work. It won't be long before Internet access will be as ubiquitous as radio.

What have I learned then? Lately, it's been about planning. If I know what's most important and know the resources that I have available, I can make decisions more easily. Without a framework, my decisions are no better than a coin toss.