Wynken, Blynken, and Nod: 7 Things I Wish I Had Done This Week Instead

1. Played in the puddles.

It rained like the dickens early in the week. I wished I had grabbed the kids and had paper boat races in the gutter instead of cleaning the house.

http://everythinglifeis.blogspot.com/2010/11/paper-boats.html

2. Watched that other Sandra Bullock movie.

I could have gone to see "At once the most realistic and beautifully choreographed film ever set in space, Gravity is a thrillingly realized survival story spiked with interludes of breath-catching tension and startling surprise" - (The Hollywood Reporter) in an amazing 3D big screen experience.

Instead I watched the most insipid, trope-ridden rom-com Love Potion Number 9 which had exactly nothing to recommend it on YouTube. Two-geeky-scientists-abuse-gypsy-love-potion-finally-realizing-they-really-love-each-other-instead-because-Hollywood.

Yawn.

3. Gone to the Northern Virginia Fall BrewFest.

I homebrew beer as a hobby, and so I'm always interested in tasting the endless renaissance that is craft beer. I could have been sampling 40 of the world’s best breweries, delicious food to complement the craft beers, outstanding local and regional bands, as well as artists, crafters and retail vendors for your early holiday shopping!

Anything from Old Dominion Oktoberfest Maerzen - with its eight types of imported German malts and four hop varieties to create this amber-colored fest beer;

to the Black Beer of Köstritzer with its unmistakable fine aroma, mild hops, and a versatile flavor ranging from sweet palatable to light and fresh with a distinctive, delicate malt flavor;

to the 2012 Gold World Beer Cup Gold winner Devil's Backbone Eight Point IPA. This pale bronze beer is amber in color and medium bodied with floral and citrusy aromas and an intense hoppy finish.

Only one more week until my own homebrews are ready!

4. Learned to play the electric guitar.

Seriously. Who doesn't want to be able to rock out on their very own Fender electric guitar? Who cares if it's only a Fender Squier from Costco? Stop with the air guitar and the Rock Band game and move on up to music that comes from your own fingertips. Get yourself some Rocksmith and learn some licks and then hook it up to an Amplitube iRig and jam along to your favorite songs on your iPhone.

Or just throw caution to the wind, crank the amp, and play like you just don't care. It doesn't have to be good - just loud. It's an electric guitar fer cryin' out loud!

5. Gotten some real work done. I went from being a tech geek to a tech lead - which is dangerously close to management. That's a four letter word: B-O-S-S.

I have a small team that I direct in things computer and things security. Since it's a new team on a new project, I have to make sure everybody has a task they are doing and doing correctly. I hate doing the hand-holding thing. My plan is to make my minions self-sufficient to I can be free to do what I do best: innovate and solve technical problems.

Project plans and status reports? Blarg. Give me tech or else I die!

6. Gone on a nature walk with just my wife.

It's got three things I really enjoy: my wife, nature, and mild exercise. It's the kind of crisp, fall weather out there that puts a little pep in your step. It's not too hot, the fall colors are starting to show, and the cool air is invigorating.

We could have had an uninterrupted conversation, soaked in some of that quickly-failing sunlight and vitamin D, circulated the blood a bit, appreciated the good things God has created, and just enjoyed each other's company.

My reason for not doing it this week?

[Crickets.]

7. Gotten more sleep instead of surfing the Internet into the wee hours. Nothing can replace sleep. Nothing. Without it we are cranky, tired, short-tempered, stupid, and argumentative. Sleep repairs the body, refreshes the mind, and makes us people our family actually likes to be around.

Did I really need to watch one more cat video, like one more Facebook post, read one more blog post, or find out one more trivial fact on Wikipedia?

Lo! I have searched and found The End of the Internet.