Monthly Archives: January 2024

A little worktalk 👩‍💻

For the last month, I have been working on forms at work. We call out automated processes for forms. To be honest, it is nothing more than PowerShell scripts behind the scenes.

I think it is fun to get scripts to do the things that I want them to. And then something doesn’t turn out like I expect it to, so I have to dig a little deeper to get perfect. I love that kind of job. The result is that my happiness for my work has risen. Before, the days were a lot of maintenance, so it is nice to have a change of scenery.

I have also created a couple of scripts to install Edge and Edge WebView2 Runtime with ConfigMgr, which have made it a lot easier for me. It was about time because when I have done something ten times, it is time to create scripts to do the work so I can use my time on something else. Hopefully, 2024 will bring more tasks like this.

Small artificial plants

New shopping bag 🛍️

I have used a backpack for grocery shopping for more than fifteen years. Normally, I walk to the supermarket, which is perfect with a backpack. But, it hasn’t been ideal when I use the self-service checkouts because it’s not easy to carry the backpack and put groceries in it while scanning the items with my phone. But I have made it work.

When I came home a couple of weeks ago after grocery shopping, I discovered the backpack was falling apart. The seams were unraveling in several places, so it was time to get a new shopping bag. I started looking for a replacement on my favorite homepage - Amazon. Well, it’s not entirely true because I also looked at Danish websites with backpacks, but they only sold backpacks with rooms for laptops, and that is not practical for shopping.

After some time, I found a bag with handles and shoulder straps. The shoulder straps were not padded, but on the other hand, it was a cheap bag, so I decided that it was worth a try. I wanted to test whether or not the normal handle would make the bag more suited for shopping with self-service checkout.

I have received and tested the shopping bag, and it passed all the tests. It was easy to put the groceries in the bag while scanning them with my phone, and the unpadded shoulder straps were not as bad as I feared. The only thing that is a little annoying is that the bag is very lively and it is difficult to close with one hand, but I’ll find a solution. This first time, I put the bag on the ground and used both hands to close it.

Shopping bag

New hearing protection 🎧

I have bought a pair of AirPod Pro and have been very excited to see if they would be a good fit for me. I have always had problems with in-ear headphones because they don’t fit my ears, and every time I go for a walk, they fall out - especially if I have to look both ways before crossing a road. They are also supposed to function as earplugs when I play music. It is high time that I start protecting my ears. And lastly, I want to use them for listening to music and audiobooks.

First, I haven’t finished testing the different tips to find the ones that best fit me. I had big problems with changing tips because I couldn’t detach the default ones. Even though I watched several how-to videos, I still had problems getting them off. In my opinion, they were stuck. After a couple of weeks, I could finally change them to a smaller size. It needs more testing because the left one still does not fit me perfectly, but I’m confident I’ll find a solution. I have also looked for unoriginal ones made of foam that might be a better fit for me. As I said, I’m still testing the tips.

They are fantastic for music and audiobooks. I love the realistic sound they produce, so I approve of them for that purpose. I also approve them for my music performances. I love all the possibilities of adjustments, but at the moment, I’m using the default settings. I’m still fumbling around the menus when we start playing music. Sometimes, I turn on noise cancellation, making it very difficult to hear my fellow musicians.

I have also discovered that the AirPods are perfect for me when I need peace and quiet, whether at work or on the train. It is unnecessary to play semi-loud music to shut out the noise; it is possible to use them as earplugs. I was on my way home on the train one day while having a minor migraine, so I most of all needed some quiet. Four to five happy teenage girls entered the train and started chatting. Please don’t misunderstand me. Usually, that wouldn’t bother me, but I wanted to kick them out of the train at that time. Instead, I put on my AirPods and activated noise cancellation, and everything went almost silent. The noise from the train was also dampened, and suddenly, the train ride home was comfortable. The experience was so positive that the money I spent on the AirPods was well worth it.

AirPods Pro

Productivity Workshop 💼

I discovered a productivity guru, Ali Abdaal, two to three years ago. It was the beginning of my journey to improve myself. He has now written a book; in that context, he offered a productivity workshop for those who preordered his book. The workshop was planned for two hours.

The workshop lasted four hours. I’m impressed that he continued the workshop for two more hours than planned. The workshop did not have the topics that I expected. Ali works after the philosophy that you look book at the year or month that has passed and then contemplate what could be done better or more productively. Then, you plan the future, including the things you need to improve to have a goal in mind. I can see the benefit of large portions of it, so I want to revise it and make the philosophy fit me, and I guess that that is how it’s supposed to be - you take the parts that fit you and work on them from there.

Ali’s biggest point is that you have to feel good and be happy with your assignments - then you are automatically more productive. I’m looking forward to reading his book.

Garden covered with snow

Happy New Year 2024 🎇

The year 2023 has ended, and it’s time to do status. I wanted to prioritize my health, which went well for the first three to four months, but then I returned to my old habits. In pursuing new habits, I have learned a lot about myself, and my own worst enemy is my ‘all or nothing’ mentality. If I fall off the wagon one day, my first thought is that I’m unable to complete anything, and then I could just as well stop trying to complete all new habits. And that thought couldn’t be more wrong. I suffer from migraines, so there will always be days when I can’t complete a habit. How do I handle that? At some point, I heard someone say that you must aim to be mediocre, which is tough because I’m a perfectionist. But it makes sense. Therefore, I’ve spent the last couple of months lowering my goals so that I can complete them - even when I have a migraine or have a day where I don’t want to do anything. I’m looking forward to completing most of my goals in 2024.

2023 was the year when I received online saxophone lessons from a professional saxophone player. He got me to improvise, which I hadn’t thought was possible. He also taught me how to play without sheet music and that I can transcribe soli. It was so inspiring that I look forward to more lessons in 2024 and hopefully take a step closer to improvising.

2023 was also the year where I got more than one hint that I’m getting old. First of all, I now need reading glasses. Second of all, there are several signs that I’m in menopause. The last thing has an impact on my migraines, so I’ve spent months trying to listen to my body to be able to differentiate between a typical migraine and a migraine influenced by menopause hormonal fluctuations. It has been difficult, and I’ve spent several days on the couch or in bed. I’m still working on it, but I’ve become better at deciphering which medication to take, so I’ve had more good days.

In 2024, I want to focus on my health; this year, I’m better equipped to reach my goals. This year, I also want to focus on my musical skills. Of course, I want to continue playing with backing tracks, but I also want to focus on getting a better tone on the saxophone. I want to play more music by ear and aim to learn a new tune each month. Hopefully, that will also help me be better at improvising. I’m looking forward to 2024.

New Years decorations