My thoughts on work, Part 2/5 Planning

Second, planning. Analyze your selected position on the track: The curve of the track, the size of the openings, your position's relation with the openings and total length of the play track. Consider all the environmental factors like lighting, voice scene, temperature, possible disruptions. For example if your crew is present at the location, check their current activity level (sleep, standing by or active on a task) or probability of receiving a high priority interrupt by a bird observation in a window in your sight. With all this data create your plan. Again, discuss the plan with your team mates if you have such and consider their inputs. 

Planning. Define the openings' relational position.

Planning. Measure the openings' length

Next part in the series is Execution.

My thoughts on work, Part 1/5 Initiation

I am now ready to publish my first production on Feline Philosophy. In this series I would  like to provide you with insights on work. As a case I use my rather typical task, working on a playtrack. I got my playtrack delivered to my lair on land in May so I am not an expert yet but I feel that I have now enough experience to discuss the basics. In case you are not a practitioner I explain the idea of the playtrack: it is a curvaceous track that is covered by see-trough cover with long openings to it. There is a ball in the groove and the purpose is to play with the ball through the openings.

To summarize, there are two approaches to a set on the playtrack:

1. Aggressive approach with lot of movement, noise and show-off but less accuracy (recommendable at 4.30 am when waking up with all the energy and the crew sleeps and sleeps)
2. Elegant approach with little movement but diamond hard concentration with exact results

In this series I concentrate the second one, and describe five phases that I have identified to be necessary in a successful set of playtracking. Today I start with the first phase, initiation, and then one at the time I post rest four of them. I hope you enjoy about this production!

o o o o o 

First, initiation. Select a good position on the playtrack. Ground yourself by relaxing your body, paying attention to the breathing and focusing your mind. Think about what kind of set you would like to perform today: Duration, any specific ideas you would like to try, other key requirements you may have in mind. If you belong to a gregarious species, like my crew does, you should consult your with team mates about the requirements. If you are an individual hunter/sailor like me, you just consult with yourself.

Initiation. Position yourself.

Initiation. See the concentration in my eyes.

Next part is planning. Talk to you about that in couple of days!

Watching and touching TV

Benefits of temp crew

I have had to make some negative notes on my crew performance records lately. Not only the boat season closed but it seems like the daily hunting and gathering routine has gotten some unwanted extensions - The daily routine may last over night or even several nights! The both crew members, one at a time, have been away from my availability which I find unacceptable.

As a solution I invited some of my temporary crew members to help me. This is of course extra effort but there are certain benefits to them - the temps don't any other tasks than to attend me! And they are very playful! Specially I would like to state that they don't sit glued to the computer like the captain and first mate quite often do (however I do know how to get their attention from the computer ...).

So I would like to extend my warm thanks to the temp crew members working for me during last weeks! Welcome again!

Xmas Season begins

It's November, it's the start for Xmas season in the first mate's time domain. 

No, it was not me who adjusted the declination of the Xmas light house last year... 

Yet another night watch

Winter coat

If the first mate arrives from her daily hunting and gathering routine fifteen minutes late with a bag I know she has been shopping clothes. Then in the evening she will try on the new clothes and ask the captain to comment. The comments have certain requirement, their being too short and not descriptive enough the first mate requests the captain improve the commenting. I feel sorry for the captain to have such duty after long day of hunting and gathering so I help him by checking the purchases and giving my seal of approval, or rejection, by leaving few of my luxurious hair on the goods.

Talking about my luxe fur. I am lucky to have more sophisticated system for changing to winter warderobe, it just happens gradually and I really don't have need to shop. I believe that the captain wished that the first mate, and himself, would be like that too. I shed slowly the summer coat and there it is - three layers of functional warmness perfectly suitable for near-arctic winters of latitudes beyond 64 degrees. In the pics I show off my gorgeous muffler.