Daily Ramblings – Bonus Content – Thanksgiving Countdown

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Christmas, family, Friends, Good Food, Good times, Gratitude, Happiness, Holidays, New Years, passion, recharge, Relaxation, Thanksgiving

Ooh! Pumpkin pie, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and all the rest await! It’s going to be a great Thanksgiving this year, like every year. I’ll be making the final grocery run tomorrow and I always end up getting more than we need.

I’m not much of a football fan, so I don’t watch the games, nor do I watch the parades. I used to when I was a kid, but now, I just enjoy hanging out and doing whatever. I’ll be doing a little gaming, reading, hanging out with the family, and eating a truckload of food, on and off all day long.

I decided today would be my last posting for the year, other than my holiday postings. I was going to continue all the way to the end of the month, but decided it was time to just shut things down for the rest of 2022. It’s been a great year, folks.

I’ve made some great friends here, that I would not have met anywhere else. So here’s a shameless plug for their blogs, in case you are interested:

https://kmallan.com/ – K.M. Allan is an Australian YA author. Her Blackbirch series is terrific. If you’re thinking of writing a book, she provides all kinds of tips, tricks, and real-world experience writing and publishing a book. She mailed me a copy of her first book, which was not cheap, and I so appreciate her.

https://tierneycreates.com/ – Enjoy crafting? Check out this blog for anything related to quilting, travel to cool places, and even some postings from one of her creations. Her husband is also quite the craftsman.

https://joannaoftheforest.wordpress.com/ – If you want some great pictures of the outdoors and enjoy reading articles that are happy and interesting, you’ll want to check out here postings.

I consider all three of these bloggers friends, because they always respond to my blog postings and we have had some interesting interactions.

Well, folks. I hope all of you have a terrific holiday season and get some time with friends, family, and your favorite hobbies. I’ll be doing what I love–gaming, reading, and writing. I’ll also be making some decisions about some daily postings that I’ve done this year, that I may change up, just to keep things fresh and help me explore new areas that I have not dove into before.

Happy Holidays, folks.

See you in 2023!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Holidays

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Christmas, December Off, Holidays, motivation, New Year's, Relaxation, Thanksgiving

Well, folks, we are fast approaching the end of the year. As a reminder, I started a tradition last year that I will continue this year. I will be shutting down Daily Ramblings at the end of this week. For those of you who are new, December is the month I shut down everything. I literally take the whole month off to do what I want to do. I sleep in, I read for hours, I game, I hang out with family and friends that visit this time of year, pretty much no schedule, no obligations, nothing. It’s a great way for me personally to come into the new year strong. It also gives me time to think through what I want to accomplish in the new year as well.

Many of you are preparing for Thanksgiving (US) and many other holidays that are celebrated specifically in your country. There are too many to keep track of and recognize here. That being said, holidays are truly motivational because of their recuperating characteristics.

I know most of you do not have the ability to take an entire month off. I get it. But you do have the opportunity to take some time for yourself a few times this month. When I worked, we always got a four-day weekend for Thanksgiving with a half-day the day before. For Christmas and New Year’s, we always got a half-day before the holiday and depending on when it fell on the calendar, we’d get a three or four-day weekend. Some folks, save their paid time off (PTO) to capitalize on these holidays and string Christmas and New Year’s Day together.

I’ll remind you again when I shut this down for the year but wanted all of you to know in advance. I look forward to this month and toward the end of this month, I am really looking forward to getting back to my work schedule.

Well, that’s it for today, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Funny Friday – Have Fun!

Tags

Beach, Coffee House, Dancing, family, Friends, Fun, Hobbies, Movie Theaters, Relaxation, Restaurants

Well, folks, my brother and nephew headed back to Phoenix. It’ll be weird for a couple of days getting used to “just us” again. Isn’t that the way it goes, though? You have visitors, laugh, watch shows, eat out, all the rest, and then, just like that, they are gone again. It was a great labor day weekend with my brother and nephew.

I normally post a funny video here for your enjoyment, but wanted to just wish everyone a great weekend this week. I had a great time during the long weekend, and I hope you did too. I know for some you this will be a working weekend. Whatever you are doing, enjoy it.

Spend some time with your family, friends, or pets. Get out and do something, whether it’s your favorite coffee shop, the beach (If you live in the tropics), or get out for a nice meal that someone else cooks. Whatever you do, have a great time. Weekends were made to get caught up with those home projects, taking naps, taking walks, whatever.

Well, that’s it for today. I wish all of you a terrific weekend. It’s FriYAY!!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Ted Talk Tuesday – It’s Important to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

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memory, recuperate, Relaxation, reorganize, Rest, Sleep, Slumber, Ted Talk, TedEd

Over the holidays, I experienced a huge case of insomnia. I would be tired, but when I laid down, I could not sleep, so up I would get. This went on for a few months. I discovered or recognized I was drinking too much caffeine and eating too many sweets too close to bedtime. I changed this around and began limiting my caffeine intake to before Noon and no more afternoon Monsters or coffee. That was the trick. Now I’m back on track.

Here’s a short little video to help you understand how important it is for the brain to get some sleep so it can reorganize all the day’s inputs. It really is important, not just for the body, but for the brain. It needs some “off” time to function properly during the day.

Here’s to a great night’s sleep. When it goes away, it can be a real drag.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Tech Gear

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Apple Arcade, Fun, Grateful, Gratitude, iPad, iPhone, Relaxation

Today, I’m thankful for some of my tech gear. I just started playing Call of Duty Mobile. It is the same as Call of Duty for the Xbox console, but this version can be played on the iPad. I am also grateful for my Nimbus+ game controller, which I use to play Call of Duty on my iPad. It is just like a controller for a console, but connects via bluetooth to the iPad or even the iPhone. I became interested in this because playing with my fingers just wasn’t working out. The controller brings a whole new feel to the game and mimics play on my Xbox. I have a lot of fun playing this game, because it is so much like the Xbox version, but with its own story line, weapons, and challenges.

Another nice thing about the Nimbus+ is that it is also compatible with a lot of the games in the Apple Arcade. These are terrific games that are free of commercials and are not pay to win, like so many iPad/iPhone games. They are like the traditional video games you may play on consoles or other devices.

I hope all of you have a terrific Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Hobbies

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Balance, Fishing, Fun, Happy, Hobby, Joy, Music, Reading, Relaxation, Relish, Video Games, Writing, Xbox

My sister has been “over-focused” on work for as long as I have known her. There is nothing wrong with that, provided you take time to do other things to balance it out. Balance is key to a happy life, in my opinion, so that you can do your work, have some fun, and not miss anything important. Important things like regular checkups for you and your pets, paying your bills, exercising, learning something new, and enjoying something that you do, because you enjoy doing it.

Hobbies could be coin collecting, antiquing, drawing/sketching, playing an instrument, or playing video games. It doesn’t matter what your hobby is, as long as it gives you a break from the things you have to to do. Another requirement: You have to look forward to it.

I love playing video games of all kinds. Whether these are on my pc, my iPad, or my Xbox. They are challenging, entertaining, and even educational. I look forward to my daily session, and laugh, yell, and have a heck of a good time. It is even more fun when I can link up with my brother and play together.

This is what I’m talking about. The passion for your hobby has to be there. You have to enjoy it, think about it, and relish the time you get to do it.

Think about people who enjoy fishing. These people can’t wait to get back out on their boats and fish again.

Think about those people who enjoy golf. They can’t wait to get out to the course. They even plan their vacations around it. Does that resort have a golf course?

I hope you get my point. The quote, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy” rings true here. Spice up your life a bit with a hobby. It provides a great retreat from your daily routine of work, chores, bill paying, and errands.

In the meantime, I’m about ready to head down and fire up my Xbox.

Have a great Monday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Maskless

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Achievement, Assessment, Fun, Goals, Hobbies, Maskless, Monday, motivation, Planet Fitness, Relaxation

It is so weird going into stores without a mask on, but that’s the reality in Michigan now that we are getting vaccinated and cases of COVID are dropping. In other parts of the world like India, Japan, and Australia, things are going back to lockdowns yet again, as various strains of COVID reappear in previously safe areas. The CDC has opted to label these strains using Greek letters to avoid causing issues with the countries of origin. This makes a lot of sense to me, since no one has control how this virus mutates or where it will do so.

My local Planet Fitness is no longer requiring masks, so I’ll be heading there with more vigor. I don’t know if you’ve tried working out with a mask on, but boy, is that a butt-kicker.

Well, we are in the half-way mark of 2021. Now is the time to begin assessing where you are on your goals for the year. Are you on track? If so, awesome. If not, now’s the time to begin adjusting your efforts to make up lost ground. It’s also a good time to remove some goals you just can’t get yourself to do. It’s ok. Many goals suffer this plight. Some goals we set just aren’t right, or the timing is off. Whatever the reason, get rid of that ball and chain and stick with the goals you enjoy working on.

Enjoy your week, folks. Get your self-evaluations done this week. It’ll really make a huge difference at the end of the year.

One more thing I’d like to add is hobbies. Do you have one? Mine is video games. I love playing games and it is my way of blowing off steam and having fun. If you don’t have a hobby, take a look at some of the blogs out there. Many people are so excited and happy with their hobbies, they create blogs about them. Whether it is reading, writing, video games, exercise, coin/stamp collecting, drawing or playing an instrument, find one. I chose one that would serve me well as I get older. Hobbies are something to look forward to. Hobbies keep life fulfilling and fun. When I get my daily work done, I really enjoy playing my video games. This is what a hobby is all about–you have to look forward to it and get joy and satisfaction from it. Everyone has that one thing they can’t get enough of. Find that, and you’ll be entertained, satisfied, and will live in a balanced way. Remember the adage, All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy? It’s true. Work is not a hobby. Hobbies relax, refresh, and engage us in something we enjoy.

If you don’t know what it is you like to do, or never considered a hobby, here’s a great link with 100 ideas: https://www.mydomaine.com/hobby-ideas You should be able to find something on this list to try. That’s it for now, folks. Have a great week!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking Tuesday – Naps

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comfy, cozy, health, Naps, Recharging, Relaxation, Rest, Sara C. Mednick, Ted Talk, Warm

I love taking a nap! It is refreshing and I feel terrific after I get up again. Watch this short video that explains the best length and time for a nap. I think you’ll like this one like I did.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Funny Friday – A Corny One

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Chuckle, Corny, Friday, FriYAY, Funny, Giggle, Hilarious, Laugh, Relaxation, Smile, Snicker, Weekend

A patient and psychologist were meeting for the first time.

“I think I’m a goat,” the patient tells the new doctor.

“All right,” the doctor says as he jots notes down. “And how long have you had this feeling?”

The man told him, “Ever since I was a kid.” (Get it?)

Have a great weekend, folks!

Joke Credit: The Best Joke Book (Period).

Until next time….

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Ted Talk Tuesday – Insomnia

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alcohol, caffeine, effects, Impact, Insomnia, Relaxation, Sleep

This is a short video that describes the impact of caffeine and alcohol on sleep. Take a few minutes to watch it. It has some surprises.

Until next time…

Dave