Life provides interesting avenues when you least expect them. I noticed a job posting from a former employer a few months back and thought, “Gee, that’s the kind of job I wanted to do when I worked there.” I actually half-heartedly mentioned to my wife about applying and moving us to a larger Midwest city where it is based. We talked about it for few more beats until the present wrapped us in a warm ‘reality check’ blanket and reminded us that we weren’t ready for such a move.

My in-laws from Japan came in town last week. The last 6 days consisted of driving, eating, and catching up over the shared acknowledgement of my son’s growth since they last saw him. My in-laws do not speak English. While difficult for most situations they found themselves in, it was a great opportunity for me to sharpen my (slowly devolving) Japanese skills and guide them through places familiar to me.

Nothing significant happened in my life this week and that is OK. Today was particularly quiet. I spent it mostly zoning in and out of work. I wrapped up a few projects that needed a final sign-off and took a calming walk around the park with my wife at lunch. My son was off with grandma which freed up most of our day.

The humidity was hovering around 70%. Anything beyond 60% is noticeable to me but not to my wife. I am always surprised by that. This level of humidity sits like a moist blanket on my skin – not very comfortable. It also felt like walking through a layer of fog and borderline suffocating. Fortunately, the temperature itself was low so it balanced out.

Barnes & Noble became a safe haven for my family to escape the daily grind and allow our toddler to run about without much restraint – “run about” as much as his shyness (and our parenting) will allow him within a confined, non-park environment.

We love to peruse the aisles and make note of which books we would like to buy if we had all the money in the world. We reminisce on memories as our thumbs pass over pages that remind us of our youth and yesteryears (as if we are an elderly couple already).

Is it really necessary to be present? This is a question I battle often. I love to be forward-thinking, changing the status quo, moving around (quite literally), and pushing the boundaries of what I can do. I cannot sit still. Hobbies? Too many. Skills? I am very average at everything. Friends? Do acquaintances count? I have too many or at least I would likely call someone a “friend” before they would call me one.