Friday Hodgepodge

Four Things

Recent wins from the Positive Focus Log...

1. This may sound negative, but a library I planned to use for work sessions has poor internet.

I tried it. I know to avoid it if I need internet. At the same time, it is spacious, uncrowded, and very nicely designed: It would be a very pleasant place to do non-internet intensive work, and it has a nature trail outside for breaks.

Or: I have a great place to do undistracted blocks of reading, thinking, or writing.

2. Speaking of wifi, a good site for road warriors is the aptly-named "Coffee Shop Wifi". It takes the guesswork out of connecting when the wifi at the remote establishment requires signing in via a browser. All you have to do is visit the site (or reload, if you're hopping around, like I am today) and you will get that page:

How does Coffee Shop Wifi Work?

Coffee Shop Wifi always connects with HTTP instead of secure HTTPS. This allows guest wifi networks to show you their internet login page.

Make sure you're always connected with HTTPS to sites with sensitive information like email and banking. [format edits]

I have this bookmarked, and it sure beats having to remember which sites still use HTTP or consult a list I used to have for that purpose.

Images by me. Copying permitted.

3. I now have a way to easily incorporate walking on the beach into my day. The sticking point was How can I do this without getting my feet and legs covered in sand?

The solution turned out to be Crocs, a kind of plastic clog. I can spray those and my feet off afterwards and put normal footwear back on when I'm done.

A nice bonus for the shell-covered beaches near our home is that the clogs protect my feet from cuts, allowing me to think or enjoy the scenery rather than dodge debris.

4. My wife, for the first time since very early in the pandemic, had a work-related social function a couple of weeks ago. That day was adjacent to the day I normally use for errands and other shallow work.

I enjoyed the function, but knowing I'd have to be "on" that evening very noticeably hung over my head all day, distracting me. (I think I've sensed things like this before, but after such a long time with this sort of thing missing from my schedule, it really stood out.)

Next time, I'll know to consider doing non-deep work on days like that.

-- CAV