On the flight to Boston

I was seated with a business consultant and a cyber security solution manager (thank you Dear Universe, very funny on both accounts!). The business consultant was very sociable and, in an old-school way, dove right into small talk with the cybersec guy on best security practices, on what can be done to up his Mac, Chinese and Russian Hackers, how there has been an increase of attacks from Russia, how things just got worse with the government silent blessing etc.

(...Naturally, by the time dialogue unfolds I already have work laptop open at the last 15 minutes of security educational overview, have Mitnick's "Art of Intrusion" book sticking out of the front sea
t's pocket and, catching the Consultant's glances at my screen every now and then, I'm ready at any moment to respond in the thickest Russian accent: "Wwwhat? I'm learrrning to haahck... Comrades!"

But the point of the story though is that the cybersec guy (apart from his own work laptop and small talks on what's going on with today's world) got himself busy with the Rubik's cube. He'd have the consultant scramble it every now and then, and then would work to solve it again while continuing the conversation. The consultant would time him every time, and the results would be around 5 minutes or less.

The cybersec guy explained:

- My 9 year old son really got into solving these. He was watching videos, practiced for 2-3 weeks, and got really good now. I couldn't do it but I didn't feel like having a 9 year old beating me, so I started practicing myself with the videos, and for the first couple of weeks it didn't make any sense and then I could follow the patterns better and better, and got faster. And now we have family contests between me and him: we time ourselves and see who'd get a better time. He still beats me a little.

Guess what was the first thing I added to my Amazon cart as I got to the hotel?

Rushing around the streets of Boston

thinking that I'll definitely bring family here just as soon as kids are mature enough to appreciate history

I forgot how big and clean the city is, and I think it just got more beautiful since my last time here.

The most amazing thing this time though is the view from the office window. I've no idea how I'd would get anything done had the desks been right by this window. Very distracting

Fun fact: my pre-covid wardrobe is still complete enough to not shop for anything this year, even given multiple family trips, regular hikes and workouts and business travel. Only... the business casual and dress code section seems to need a lot of dusting

... on the other hand some boys come home from summer camp wearing their favorite pair or shoes like this. 

 

Having a chat with a friend on how things are going in our sides of the world, suddenly came to an interesting revelation:

- There you are: we have a Demo-version of our world without vaccinations!

- And mind you, this is a Demo-version of the world without one single vaccination.

Just last week had a discussion with a potential partners on AI, how they use it in their company and whether they are happy with the results.

Now - tried to play to play on the piano the beginning of Bach's Chacona to Google search. It could not have recognized the tune. 

Used the Google search to search for piano sheet - nothing that looks like it.

Finally, recognized it on Youtube after several attempts. Turns our it's Pachelbel, not Bach.

But then Google AI would not know this either.

Observation: all that space in our traveling suitcases that diapers used to take (and long time ago this could be diapers of different size) is now taken by clothes that increased in size. Toys get smaller, but books and workbooks get bigger. And as Arthur is now asking for mask and snorkel too, I think we're done with replacements and will just bring 2 large suitcases to our trip this time (mommy's scuba wetsuit and snorkel needs to go somewhere too!..).

Adrian, meanwhile is wondering "If Mommy is going to scuba dive, and Daddy is going to scuba dive, and Arthur is going to snorkel - will I stay by the sea all by myself?!". Not because he is scared of course, but because he is genuinely upset not to have a special water activity besides building sandcastles.

Our Taekwondo Grandmaster tells us that competing with others is the best way to disregard physical pain, inconvenience, fear and push yourself to better results.

I feel like that's exactly what my boys have in mind when running door to door in our community in their Halloween costumes, with their pumpkin cauldrons. Also, since Arthur's school had a "Truck or Treat" event this year with teachers and parents handing out treats and gifts from the back of decorated SUVs and Trucks - Arthur takes this as a perfect opportunity to show off and be original:

- Truck or Treat!
- Oooh, I love your costumes! - another neighbor says as she moves the bowl of candy closer to them.
- Thank you! - yells Adrian so that parents know for sure they did say thank you, and gallops on to the next house, through the ice, through the mud, getting snow in his trainers.

- We'll get more candy than anyone else!
- Yes, we'll get soooo much candy!
- Truck or Treeat!

Faster, and faster, door to door in chaotic order. Only teens seem to be having more fruitful raids on candy bowls. Dogs back off from the door. Neighbors get educated on the costume being "T-Rex", not just a "dinosaur". In one house, the parents are kindly offered liquor shots "to keep us going"...

- Trrrunk or Treat!

The street is now completely dark and empty. Adrian decides it's time to go home and probably make Dad wear pants with bigger pockets next year. Arthur wants to do just a few more houses. No, he is not cold, in fact he is very-very hot, never mind his shivering chin and sniffing,please-please just a few more houses:

-Dddrunk or treat!

A quiet Mermaid walks on the other side of the street with her dad. As we pass them, Arthur makes a sudden loud observation into the darkness:
- I got more candy thank aaaanyone else!
The Mermaid makes a step closer to her dad and starts to walk faster.

We've got a couple of pounds of candy now, hidden in my personal Narnia and not claimed. Yet. I sincerely hope the competition stops here and there will be no attempts to EAT more candy than anyone else.

When it rains it pours

Came back from Independence Day long weekend to learn I need to put together a Business Development plan, I was picked for Taekwondo demonstrations in August and put on UN project. While fishing trip and a trip to Vancouver coming up within same 4-6 weeks.

There’s no way to arrange everything back to back, and no way of rejecting an opportunity.

Found Arthur's certificate confirming he ate a real fried bug:
- Mom, I ate a bug today!
- You mean, like a gummy worm?
- No, a real one! But it was cooked!

For those parents who don't believe it:

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Adrian's daycare report for a group of 4 and 5 year olds are more dramatic: "Our students were having a debate on whether or not Jupiter has volcanoes". Asked Adrian where he stands in the debate, he was sure it's Saturn that has volcanoes. Hmm...

 - So how is beautiful Colorado then?
- Good. There was another shooting in a school, just several miles away from us, the school I actually considered at some point for my kids.... And the city of Denver decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms... But Colorado is beautiful and sunny, yeah.

Hiking in Castle Rock with our entire dojang

at least those, who wanted to, with families. It was a great idea, and the weather was on our side, and it was especially fun to guess one another by voice now that wearing hats, sun glasses instead of doboks.

When our coach came up with the idea of this hike, and was sharing the details to the group, he said that at the home stretch of the hike there're 200 stairs we'll have to climb. The teens will have to run them up, but the adults can just walk slowly. I chuckled and said not only will I walk up 200 stairs my normal speed, I will also do this with a 35lb kid on my back.
And so I did today.

A friend of mine created an authentic May 1st state of mind for me.

He sent me the videos of his balcony at home, shared by him and his wife. Half of the balcony is made into his workshop, with not just an exemplary use of space - up to the ceiling and shelves arranged on top, but with a freaking designated place to keep every single freaking screw-driver. He has over 2 dozen tools at a glance.
 - Do you really know what to do with all these tools and really use them?!
- Yep! Of course, some of them I only use occasionally...

His wife's made her side of the balcony into a pottery workshop. With a pottery wheel. And a kiln. The kiln has not been entirely set up - there has to be another pipe set up for ventilation.

This was the best motivational video on creativity and using the space around. I made a list of things that need to be fixed or replaced in the house, starting with cleaning and rearranging the garage. Of course, if would be nice if I could sell the kids' stuff already and move on to dusting the shelves and rearranging things, and replace the bikes, and sell the old ones. And that's just the garage, the entire to-do list makes one big summer project.

Arthur brought a stuffed toy monkey from school last Friday. Bobo the Monkey is supposed to live with us for a week, participate in daily activities with us and we are supposed to take pictures of his(hers?) Adventures and add them to Bobo's journal with descriptions. Sometime long this week I am running around taking pictures of a communal clss monkey in a helmet on a bicycle, gardening and baking muffins. Good apple pie monkey he was.

Some time parallel to this I am looking for Arthur's pictures of last year for his poster board. Basketball, microscopes, parrots and rock climbing, trip to London. Then Adrian participates by gluing pictures and adding colour to the poster, and Arthur makes drawing of him skiing , making snowmen and swimming. I bet that was the most creative poster in his class :)

Sometime parallel to this I am shuffling around work files, doing research and trying to fit in an internal presentation which would be quite an easy one otherwise,  had it not involved trying to match my schedule with someone with a packed schedule too and 8 hours ahead of me, while...

...while there's an armed woman in town threatening to schools. The FBI are looking for her,  the schools are closed, both chinchillas are hanging out in the backyard.
The daily calls and emails are diluted with running to the backyard to mediate, comfort and pick up pieces of broken glass. The corporate demo gets pushed back to next day.
The Easter trip packing has not even started yet.

Brown.

How did this happen? I swear, I just stopped by for a 3-week trial... yesterday, it seems!

The highlight of this gup test though is that I managed to come without freshly broken toes or torn ligaments (although the toe broken from before the previous gup test is still sore, so maybe this counts).
Meanwhile, our Grand Master became seriously assertive on my next steps in training. All my jokes of becoming to old for the Olympics by the time I actually get the black belt anyway get blocked on the go with statements that more is expected now, that I should work harder and eventually prepare to become a leader.
- Miss Rita, how do you lead other students?
- By... example?
- With your voice!

I just hope to get work-and-life balance under control within a couple of years by the time I will accidentally got to the point when I'll need extra training.