Oliver the Blogger…the Blog So Far

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Howdy!  This post is one shy of 20 blog post since I started and declared that I’m going to restart my personal blog.  And so far, I have found that blogging has been a good thing.  I have gotten a lot of things off my chest and out there.  I have keep myself for the most part accountable to blogging.  For the most part I have blog more than what I initially said I was going to do but there have also been a few day stretches where I didn’t post an entry.

I’m still trying to get a hang of the this whole thing.  So far I have subscribers.  Thank you for subscribing.  I know a lot of the things that I have written have been personal stuff.  But I’m starting to think to post personal stuff but relate back to you.  I do write this stuff for reflection for myself but I hope if you are reading this that you have found it helpful or at least given you insight.  I do plan to continue to post as often as I can and share my experiences and adventures with you.  If you have any feedback or questions please let me know.  Leave a comment or you can e-mail me at olasis@gmail.com.

Here’s a few things so far that I have learned while I have blogged:

  1. Blogging daily is dependent on how I’m feeling.  I have to be in the mindset to blog.  I can’t just blog and put something out there.
  2. Playing ambient and or classical music helps me write.  Songs with words makes it hard for me to concentrate.
  3. People do read your blog.
  4. Being honest only helps you reflect and learn about yourself further.
  5. Sharing yourself with others will allow you to foster better relationships and friendships.
  6. Even though it is a personal experience you are writing about, it is best to bring it full circle and help others.  Leave tips and lessons.  Like this list.
  7. Be honest and share.

Oliver the Engineer…Routines

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Do you do the same thing everyday?  Do you do that thing to the point that it is automatic and you just don’t think about it anymore?  I do.  It’s what you call a routine.

To me a routine is a just a part of life.  As an engineer, it is what I basically do for the most part on the a daily basis.  Yes, it varies from time to time, day to day, however when you look at it as a whole, it is basically the same.  It’s just covered differently.  But I have found that routines, help me keep the stress down.  Everything, well almost everything is pretty much planned and known so there is no surprises.  You might find this boring, and yes it can be, but also might find this effective and smart.  It totally depends on how you see the situation.

Routines, are good for the most part.  However there are times that routines shouldn’t be followed.  For example, when on vacation, throw out all the routines.  Give yourself this time to be spontaneous and free flowing.  Like everything else in this world, too much of a good thing is bad.  So break from it from time to time.  Routines are good for the daily sometimes mundane activities such as work.  If you know me and are reading this, you know that I love my job as an engineer, and what I just said doesn’t sound or make it out that I “love” my job but basically sounds like I’m bored.  And truth be told, 90% of the time I do “LOVE” my job, but there is that 10% where it just drags and the love is gone.  You can call it a burn out of sorts.  And this usually happens at least once a year.

It occurs when mainly when you do the same task over and over and over again.  The task that has been doing this to me has been this powerpoint presentation that I have been working on for the last 4 weeks.  I’m basically at the point where you are standing at the finish line and all you have to do is cross it to finish.  Well I haven’t finished it, I’m still standing there, and to top it off, all 4 weeks worth of work might go to the way side this coming week as I have found out.  Yes, I’m saying that I wasted 4 weeks of my career.  Sorry to you tax payers.  And finding this out has left me bored, disconnected, and non-motivated.  But I hope to change that soon and be on the up cycle.  I plan to do that with going back to a routine.

This is where routines are good.  To me routines can help break bad habits and polish them to shine clearly again into good habits.  So lately I have slowly started doing my routines to help get me back on track.  Here’s an example of what a routine day is like for me:

  1. Wake up at 5am.
  2. Use the bathroom.
  3. Brush my teeth.
  4. Shower
  5. Dress
  6. Kiss my mom and let her know that I’m heading off to work.
  7. Head out
  8. Stop at Jumba Juice or Starbucks.
  9. Drive…
  10. Arrive at work.
  11. Check work e-mail.
  12. Check twitter…think of Good Morning World message of the day.
  13. Check news headlines.
  14. Write out task list for the day.
  15. Begin work.
  16. Lunch.
  17. Back to Work.
  18. Coffee.
  19. Groceries for Dinner.
  20. Cook Dinner.
  21. Wash Dishes.
  22. Read up on Tweets and Blogs.
  23. Work on Photography.
  24. Break
  25. Write / Read / Blog
  26. Sleep

That’s my routine for the most part.  But as you can see I do that pretty much everyday; Monday through Friday.  It may seem tedious and it does get like that every once in awhile.  However over the years I have found the routine of life does allow me to plan ahead and help me meet my hopes, goals, and dreams.  It helps keep me on track and helps me slowly but surely make the “things” happen.  Here’s some thoughts on good tips for routine:

  • Things are not routine until it is done consistently for at least 10 days.
  • Routines become habits after 21 consecutive days.
  • Routines can help you plan for the long term.
  • Routines after 40 days become automatic.
  • Routines can be broken here and there, especially on vacation time.  It’s okay.
  • Good and bad can come from routines.  Note to yourself what activities you do that are helping and not helping.  Watching that show on net flicks everyday instead of working on your business isn’t helping you reach your goals.

So I want to know, what’s your routine like?  Do you have a routine?  Why or why not?  Could you write out your whole routine if someone ask you?  And what have been your experiences with routine; good and bad?  Let me know if you like by leaving a comment below.

Coffee and Tea Collective Cold Brew Growler

Oliver the Foodie…The CoffeeHouse

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There are places in our daily lives where we do some of our best work.  That can be anywhere really and it is up to each and everyone to decide that.  It can be your bedroom, the office, the den, the park, and or the coffeehouse.

Nostalgia and just about anyone that romanticizes about doing some writing at one time or another will picture themselves sitting in a coffeehouse sipping a latte as they work on their next masterpiece.  I’m pretty confident that you might have this same picture in your head when I mentioned coffeehouse.  The aroma and sounds of the clinging glasses and the sound of pressure of the espresso machine producing the elixir of caffeination that fuel many creatives, businesses, and thought thinkers throughout the day.  But have you ever wondered why?  Why do so many people romanticize and flock to such places as a coffeehouse?  I don’t have an answer for you but my theory is that some go to be seen and others go because it truly is the place where their masterpieces are created.  I believe in the latter.

Coffeehouses have such an appeal in our lifestyle these days.  Just look at the number of coffeehouses you see.  Look around they are everywhere.  Starbucks for one is at every corner, every nook and cranny of this world.  So there is something about coffeehouses.

There is even an app called Coffitivity, that allows you to be a coffeehouse anywhere anytime.  You can now partially share the coffeehouse with this app.  I have used the app and I have enjoyed it.  The app works by playing the ambient sounds of coffeehouses, which if you do like the “white noise” of coffeehouse can work well for you.  I do admit that I use it when I’m at work so can I get work done and disconnect for my cubicle.  Sometimes you just have too.  The one thing though that it lack from its real counterpart is the smells of a coffeehouse.  But it is a great substitute for one until you head off to your favorite coffeehouse.

coffitivity

What’s your favorite coffeehouse?  It’s okay if you say Starbucks.  I’m not going to judge you.  I do have part take in Starbucks.  For a good three years and still here and there, I went to Starbucks daily Monday through Friday just so I can get my coffee fix and so I can be like all the working peeps around the world.  However as of late, my coffee places have changed.  What I have done lately is go to more local coffeehouses.  The places that you can only find here in good old San Diego.  To me these places are the true places where creativity comes alive.  They have character, they have charm, and its the place the locals hang out.  Of the local joints, my favorite of them all is the Coffee and Tea Collective on El Cajon Blvd in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego.

Coffee And Tea Collective Storefront

I make it a habit to go here at least once a week.  I traditionally like to go here on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.  For me, its the time that I have scheduled for myself to have some “me” time.  It is the hour or two that I have just for myself.  It is the time that I get to collect my thoughts, write my list, converse with others, do some catch up, or write a blog post (I’m not writing this particular one there).  But it is the time and place that I have just for myself.  Which to me is important.  I believe that everyone has to make time for that.  It’s not being selfish but it is the time that everyone needs so that they can recollect themselves.  You can’t do anything for yourself or others if you yourself are not happy.  So you have to find and schedule that time, whether it be in the a coffeehouse or not.  But you NEED to DO IT.

Coffee and Tea Collective Cold Brew Growler

For me the Coffee and Tea Collective is the place that I go and do that.  The reason that I like it there is because the coffeehouse is a welcoming place.  I really enjoy the minimalist designed space.  It’s clean and organized, not too much clutter, and there is always artwork that is going in and out of the space.  Secondly the people that work there are simply the friendliest people around.  They all know you by name, especially when you become one of the regulars.  They enjoy your company.  They have fun always smiling and always joking around.  And they all take pride in their work and coffee that they make for you.  And a coffeehouse isn’t complete without the coffee.  The Coffee and Tea Collective makes and roasts their own coffee in house.  Everything is made, measured, and served in house.  They make coffee and teas.  Their menu is small but there’s something there for everyone.  My favorite thing on their menu is their Cold Brew coffee.  It is by far the best cold brew around.  I’m pretty sure it’s popular because a few months ago they started a cold crew growler refill program.  You can now go to Coffee and Tea and get your 32oz or 64oz cold brew growler filled and refilled with them.  See it’s that good!  So if you are ever find yourself in North Park (San Diego), give Coffee and Tea Collective a try.  And get their cold brew.

But what this post comes down to is find a place that works for you.  Find that place or thing that you do for your “me” time.  It’s important to do that.  Trust me.

Oliver the Friend…Reconnecting

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The last week and half, I’ve had a great time hanging out with friends that I haven’t talked to in a while.  It was great to reconnect with them and see what’s new and what’s going on.  The cool thing about this is that we were still friends.  We caught up, we chatted, and we chatted for a couples of hours.  The act of reconnecting with them is great.

Life does get in the way.  But does it really?  I think opportunities such as meeting up with friends and catching is part of life.  It is understandable that priorities change and sometimes friends / friendships do get put on the way side.  That’s that life.  However I have found that to rekindle such a friendship or at least let them know that you are there and still thinking about them, is by just taking a minute or two to say hello.

Here is where connecting is important.  If you really want to reconnect with someone, make it happen rather than wait for it to happen.  Usually what I like to do is every once in awhile when I have chatted or heard from friends, is to contact them any way necessary.  Traditionally I use Facebook, Twitter, and email to check in with them.  I usually use one or another depending on how I know best works for them.  I know you may ask, why not call them?  Well that’s something that I have to work on.  And the main reason that I don’t do that is that I don’t like it with I just want to say and hello and they are in the middle of something.  It just becomes awkward for them and myself.  So instead I use the previously mentioned communication tools to reconnect so they can do it at their own leisure.  And it guess in a way is that it is a “test” if the friendship is still there.  And more times than not it is still there.

Reconnecting with these friends over the last few days have been great.  It is cool to see that they are doing well and doing their own thing.  There is nothing more exciting than seeing a friend do something that they mentioned to you previously and now you come to find out that they are doing it.  To me that is just cool.

Also when you do catch up with them it gives them an opportunity to see what’s going with you.  They catch up about you too and they get to ask the questions that they want answered about you.  So that’s great.  Friends really do care about you and they will ask questions to see what is up with you.

Friendships are based on relationships.  Just like every one of them, you have to seek them, connect them, nurture and foster them, and drop in every once in awhile to see how it coming along, check in with them.  Friendships are easily enough to make but keeping them is where the work happens.  Yes, friendships are work.  And it is the ones that you care for the most that do take work.  You have to maintain them and support them.  Unlike a lot of things, you may or may not have to check in consistently but you will have to be pretty good at checking in every once in awhile.  And when is that you may ask, well that’s up to you.  I usually try to do it every month or so.  You’ll most likely get a Facebook post, tweet, or e-mail from me.  And usually I say, just dropping in to say hello.  But it does take work.  Note, that the “work” isn’t what it sounds like.  It means that it requires the care to want to maintain that friendship.

I do feel bad when I don’t keep in touch with friends.  But I do care for them greatly.  I miss those times of hanging out.  But I also understand that we each have our own lives and that we have to live them.  What’s important to note is that we at least keep each other informed of what’s going on.  And maintain a friendship is easy enough with the things we have these days.  All it will take is a, quick, “hey buddy, how are you?  Hope all is well.” in some form to show that care.  But you have to genuine about it.  You CAN’T just do it for doing it, you have to really WANT TO and CARE about it.

So to reconnect with friends, start with the same way that you met, SAY HELLO.  And let the friendship continue.  🙂

Thanks to all my buddies that I have caught up with recently.  I appreciate our friendship and wish you all the best in your endeavors.  Drop me a line sometime and we grab a beer and food.  Keep in touch.  Cheers!

 

Oliver the Gentleman…And the Ties

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It all started with a want to dress like they use to in the decades past. Dress like they did in Mad Man, a show based in the 1960s. There was a time in our field that there was a formal dress code, dress shirt, tie, and slacks was the official dress of an engineer. And even today you see the “old guard” of tradition at work, the guys that worked way back when and still dress like them. In a way I admire those guys because they have stuck with tradition and continue to do it today despite the changes at the workplace.

Tie Tuesday

So fast forward to about 2 years ago. One day during lunch my coworkers and I were discussing how some people where dressing at work and started to reminisce of the days mentioned above. And we came up with the idea to start wearing ties on Tuesdays at work. We all felt a little hesitant to do alone so we banned together to wear our ties on Tuesday. The reason that it was difficult to just wear and not worry what others say was that the formal attire days were long gone at this point. Yes people do dress up on occasion but it was not normal practice to dress with a dress shirt and slacks, little lone wear a tie.

So with the three of us banned together and a deal of buying lunch for each other if the violating member decided not to wear their tie, we began. For the most part we did this on the honor system since we all didn’t work in the same department. I went a little further by taking a picture of me wearing a tie and then proceeding to take a detail shot of the tie. And posting and sharing those pictures on Instagram and Flickr.

And with nearly 2 years of wearing tie Tuesdays, it now has been commonplace to see me wear a tie every Tuesday no matter what. Yes there has been few times that I didn’t wear a tie but more often than not with the help of friends to make sure that I wear the tie, I always post a #tietuesday post on Instagram.  You can follow Tie Tuesdays and my other adventures at: http://www.instagram.com/olasis

Also in those 2 years there have been some nice combos and not so nice ones.  You know when your coworkers go, Wow (with that face expression, trust me you’ll know it), that the tie shirt color combo you thought was awesome was not so awesome in reality.  But you just go with it.

Tie Tuesday

Wearing ties has been one of those things that I now declare as something I look forward too. It is the one day where I can “look good.” And when I look good, I feel good. There is something about dressing up that makes you feel good and puts you in a good mood. Having that tailored, clean cut look, definitely gets you stares ( good stares ) and compliments that I’m not use too but they are welcome.

Tie Tuesday Tie Tuesday

So when it come down to it. Just go and do it. Dressing and presenting ourself appropriately definitely helps you in certain situations that without such presentation you wouldn’t have access to. Find your style, stick with it, but always be aware of wear you can evolve.

Here’s some stats:

All Photos: Taken with iPhone 4

Current number of Ties: 20

Current number of Bowties: 2

Current number of Weeks: 81 weeks

Check out the full set of photos here: Tie Tuesdays