{"id":5058,"date":"2025-11-18T08:49:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T13:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/control-h.org\/?p=5058"},"modified":"2025-11-18T08:49:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T13:49:16","slug":"eighteen-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/control-h.org\/index.php\/2025\/11\/18\/eighteen-15\/","title":{"rendered":"Eighteen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Write about three things you did for the first time in the past year.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh my. I was going to see if there was a way to say “vote for Donald Trump,” but I can’t even figure out a way to make that sound even marginally-plausible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This has been a completely crazy year, but I guess the biggest thing is that I’m finally learning to say, “that’s enough.” Yes, there’s times when I do need to push myself to get something accomplished. Rarely is that resignation because of something I want, but I’m trying to get better at prioritizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, intertwined with that answer, “retire.” Yes, I’m scratching around a bit for shifting focus to finding a new job if this appeal doesn’t work. Find something that’s completely outside the realm where I spent most of my professional life? Um. I’m not sure what really applicable I have at this point, and it wouldn’t pay nearly as well as something similar to what I’d been doing. so, how about no? I am finished, and I’m okay with that….if things get approved satisfactorily. My days of waking up, working out, fumbling around for a bit on the guitar, then writing suit me just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s really not even much shame in it anymore. I’ve done what I need to do. I don’t owe anybody any money. Settle in to a life of resolution; I’m pretty sure I’m not going to live a very long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we’ll say that #1 is “retire, and be okay with that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2 would be deal with loss of a pet that’s been my responsibility, at least partially-financially. Losing that little dog has been tough. I’m sure it’s been worse on my wife, but it’s still difficult not to look for her, and behave as if she’s still creeping about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So. Number three. I really don’t have anything that’s coming to mind. I bought a life insurance policy on myself…?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This prompt was something short from 2017<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m trying to remember what I’d come up to interview for. Given that I came into Union Station in DC, I’d imagine it was probably something GS. I have no idea, and I’m not interested enough to look back to see what the hell it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, geez, I love the city. Went to see David Garrett<\/a> last night. Good show. The Venue might be exactly the sort of thing that the authors of the Americans With Disabilities Act<\/em> were worried about. Uneven undulating floors, odd stairs to get to the bathroom, though there was one<\/strong> handicapper-accessible toilet on the main floor….after you’d gotten up the weird slanted walkway to the top of the theater area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, there I go again, tempted to apologize for the cop-out on #3. It’s still a habit. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Write about three things you did for the first time in the past year. Oh my. I was going to see if there was a way to say “vote for Donald Trump,” but I can’t even figure out a way to make that sound even marginally-plausible. This has been a completely crazy year, but I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-national-journal-writers-month"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/control-h.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/control-h.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/control-h.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/control-h.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/control-h.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5058"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/control-h.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5058\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/control-h.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/control-h.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/control-h.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}