Hippo, birdie, two ewes...

...to shaddyr and jciala!!!! Have a great one!!

Done yesterday (20091205 Sa)

( raw notes )

A good day, even though it started out with the news that Liam Clancy had died. But I had a rare, good conversation with the YD on the way to her modeling class, and a great afternoon out shopping with Colleen. I got my exercise trying to walk fast enough to keep up with her scooter -- it's wonderfully different from the years when I had to slow down to stay with her.

A couple of good insights: Graham Leathers' song "Don't Swear at Machinery" is completely wrong for me. Swearing at machinery is safe -- it lets off steam, and lets me redirect the anger into an intense need to find the problem and fix it. (N pointed out that this isn't universally true; venting anger uses up spoons for her.) I usually find it counterproductive to vent anger at people; it could even be dangerous. (Although carefully-controlled anger can be useful at times.)

The other was noticing that, if social interaction is anything like a language (either programming or human), the only way to learn it is to get a lot of practice. Which, because I'm introverted and shy, I don't. It's another feedback loop: I feel awkward around people, so I avoid them, so I don't get the practice I need that would make me less awkward. :P

As for links, ysabetwordsmith posted about Role Models for Introverts. I'm finding her posts about loneliness and introversion very helpful.

(added 10:52) After noticing that Colleen was going through Amazon and Mobipocket looking for ebooks, I introduced her to Project Gutenberg". Happy Cat. *grins*

River: watching you work

I was suddenly reminded, while doing the dishes of all things, that I get an odd sort of pleasure out of watching other people work. Not because they're working and I'm not, but because I like seeing how other people do the same kinds of tasks that I do. Sometimes I end up liking my way better; sometimes I decide to change.

I was reminded of this because I'd observed cflute washing a pan by dribbling a little soap on it and then attacking it with a sponge. I do the opposite, putting the soap on the sponge first. It was from C, also, that I rediscovered how much better bacon is when you fry it rather than microwaving it.

In the other direction, I remember how surprised jenkitty was to learn that I scramble eggs in the pan instead of in a bowl. I enjoy hanging around, chatting and occasionally helping, while people in a household I'm visiting go about their daily chores. I don't think this is weird, but I suppose it might be. I don't get out much.

Anyone else? Actually, I expect this is pretty common, especially among geeks. Is there anyone out there who doesn't like to see how other people do things? Or who prefers to be left alone while they're doing chores?

River: watching her work

Apropos of my upstream post about watching people work, it isn't just confined to the kitchen. Watching professionals in some unfamiliar field do their job can be a revelation.

If you'd told me a year ago that my geeky younger daughter was capable of going to a professional photo shoot looking calm, poised, happy, comfortable in her skin, comfortable in front of the camera, and drop-dead gorgeous, I would have asked you for a toke of whatever you were smoking.

If you'd told me that after seeing her senior picture, I might have believed you. I'm still somewhat blown away. I was pretty sure that J.R. Powers was going to be good for her when I signed her up. I mean, ... WOW! (She's not a professional model yet, obviously, but I now think that she can become one if she wants to. I wouldn't have believed it two months ago.

It wasn't just the photographer and her assistant who were fun to watch this afternoon. My Younger Daughter was damned impressive in her own right.