Make a List

To motivate myself, I made a list.

My mom's strategy for making a list is to start with a couple items you've already completed. That way, you get to cross a couple of things off the list right away giving yourself an immediate sense of accomplishment and the confidence to conquer the rest of the list.

I'll put that on my list.

I made a list of things to do that day. What works best for me is to make the list when I have only a limited amount of time to complete all the tasks on the list. That helps me to prioritize, focus on what's truly important, and get motivated. They can be completely mundane things (chores, errands) but that's the beauty of it. It's hard to get motivated to do some of those things except when you can make a game of it:  a challenge, if you will, to cross things off the list and beat the clock. At the end of the day, I feel accomplished despite the list's mundane nature.

Now I have a new list which elevates the game. With a renewed sense of purpose, I made a list of larger tasks such as repainting the baseboards, shampooing the carpets, replacing weather strips, cleaning the refrigerator's water intake line. Here's the beauty of this list: I now do the mundane tasks on the previous list automatically so as to avoid the list of larger projects. By practicing work avoidance, I actually get stuff done. Pretty tricky.

Somehow I've decided that I need to organize some persona documents. This is so time consuming, that all lists are being avoided.

But that's sort of the point, isn't it? I've accidentally given myself something to do.

(It got pretty dicey there for a minute. I actually talked to a recruiter the other day. That was terrifyingly close to actual work.)

It's June 13 and I'm bored already.

Yesterday, I actually said these words: I get to do laundry tomorrow.

That's how desperate I am.

Summer's are long here. Long and hot. If you need to do anything that requires you to go outside, you've got to go first thing in the morning. After that, you're just stuck inside. For example, this Tuesday it will be 100 degrees outside by 10 in the morning. (Today, it was 11 a.m.)

I'm sure I can find things to do around the house but the fact is, I don't. I'll stare at a computer or table screen and my mind turns to mush, my energy is sapped, and I'm not motivated to do anything. Thus, I look forward to days when I have something to do.

Like laundry.

Everywhere else is fine.

 

A Math Problem Even the Kiddos Will Like

(No trains are involved.)

Which is the better deal:

• 12 six-inch Giordano's Deep Dish Pizzas from Costco for $125?
• Three 10-inch Giordano's Deep Dish Pizzas from Costco for $95?

Hubby and I were faced with this dilemma recently. Notwithstanding there's no way 12 six-inch pizzas would fit in my freezer, we were compelled to figure out which was the better buy. Hence, we set out to conquer the question using math. (And you can, too!)

First, we calculated the total area of the pizzas in inches. The small pizzas were 9π square inches each (area = πr² where r=3 or half of the diameter of six inches and π =3.14159). Multiply that by 12 pizzas and that's a total of 108π inches. The large pizzas were 25π square inches each x 3 = 75π  total square inches.

 75π     =235.619 (3 large pizzas)                $95 

108π    =339.292 (12 small pizzas)            $125

The price of the large pizzas is $0.40 per square inch while the price of the small pizzas is $0.37 per square inch.

Another way to look at it is the total area of the large pizzas is 69.4% of the total square inches of the small pizzas but the price of the large pizzas is 76% of the small pizza price. Either way, that would make the small pizzas the better deal.

But, we only eat half of the large pizza. Half of a large pizza is only 12.5π square inches while a single 6-inch pizza is 9π square inches. 

   9π      =28.274          (1 small pizza)

12.5π    =39.27            (1/2 large pizza)

A small pizza is only 72% the size of the amount of pizza we would normally eat. That means, we might need to heat two small pizzas for every half of a large pizza. 12 small pizzas would yield 6 meals at a total of $20.83/meal ($125/6). Three large pizzas would also yield six meals but for a total of $15.83/meal ($95/6). That would make the large pizzas the better deal.

What about the crust to toppings ratio? 

The circumference of the pizza (the crust) is calculated as πd where d=the diameter. As discussed before, the pizzas were 6 and 10 inches in diameter. (Their respective radii were 3 and 5.)

Area (the good stuff in the middle)              πr²          πrr             r   

        Circumference (crust)                          πd   ⁼     π2r     ⁼     2

3/2 is the area to circumference ratio of the small pizza while 5/2 is the area to circumference ratio of the large pizza. There's more middle stuff in the larger pizzas while the smaller pizzas have proportionately more crust. Unless you really like a lot of crust, the larger pizza again looks like the better deal.

Ultimately, Costco sold out of all pizzas before we could come up with a solution.

So, if we take a train to Chicago and it leaves at 4 am traveling east at an average rate of 54 miles per hour and the pizzas are shipped to a western destination, where would we have to disembark to eat the pizza?

Just kidding. The best deal right now on Giordano's pizza is from Giordano's Pizza. 

But, you have to buy 6 10-inch pizzas for $170 which is ....

I did it!

I survived another Tax Season. This, without running out of chocolate which was a very real concern.

When interviewing for this job, I was asked how I manage the stress of getting through a tax season. My answer was, "Coffee and chocolate." It may have sounded glib but I was being serious.

Shortly after I was offered the job, I took an inventory. I had plenty of coffee but there was a very real possibility that I would run out of chocolate. And, during a time when it would be virtually impossible for me to go out and get more. In fact, it would be virtually impossible for me to leave my desk to do anything. The success of this tax season was at risk for a total meltdown.

Without intentional rationing, I reached April 15 with chocolate leftover. In fact, I still have one lonely piece left as a momento. And, in the end, I enjoyed the seasonal gig. It was one of the best tax seasons I've had (outside of the A Team which can never be replaced). I learned a lot of new things and (virtually) met a lot of new people and while parts of it were very stressful, management's leadership made for the softest landing in April that I've ever experienced.

To be honest, I kind of miss it and I would do it again. Assuming I get that chance, I need to take advantage of this time off to re-charge, re-organize my personal life (which, left untended, became a slight mess), and to strengthen my in-person relationships.

And get more chocolate.

Work: Day 1

Wait. I have to do this for five days?

In a row?

10 weeks to go. 

Where did the grass come from for Super LX and other questions.

Q: Where did the grass in Levi's Stadium, site of Super Bowl LX, come from?

A: West Coast Turf in Livingston, CA. 

Q: Where the hell is that?

A: About 10 miles southeast of Turlock. (Does that help?)

Q: When was the grass for Super Bowl LX planted?

A: 18 months ago.

Q: How many square feet of sod was sent to Levi's Stadium from Livingston?

A: 80,000 square feet in 570 rolls with each roll weighing about a ton.

Q: How did it get there?

A: 32 trucks.

Q: How far did it travel?

A: 100 miles.

Q: How long does it take from harvest to delivery, unrolled onto the field?

A: Less than 24 hours.

Q: Where did West Coast Turf originate before expanding to Livingston?

A: Indio, CA.

Q: Who are some of West Coast Turf's other clients?

A: The list is extensive but it's very likely you're familiar with West Coast Turf even though you didn't know it.

Q: How can you read more about grass?

A: I thought you'd never ask!

• SFGate: NFL tears up entire 49ers field ahead of of Super Bowl
• Los Angeles Times: Rain-soaked field gets turf trucked in from Southern California to repair it in time for NFC championship game between Cowboys and 49ers
• West Coast Turf

While Supplies Last

My local Costco still has Assorted Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares for sale which is significant because they are not available all year long. This assortment usually comes out during the Christmas shopping season and consists of Milk Chocolate squares, Milk Chocolate Caramel squares, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel squares, and Dark Chocolate Mint squares.

The bag says the serving size is two squares. Yippee! And, there are about 24 servings in each container. I wonder why "about." Are there sometimes 23? Or 25? I guess it depends on how many one eats at a time. I only eat one so I guest that means there are about 48 chocolate squares per bag.

There are about 73 days left until April 15, not counting weekends. So I could be working anywhere between 73 and about 85 days in the coming weeks (if you include the weekends).

Meaning, there is no way one bag of chocolate will get me across the finish line.

I better get two.

And, soon. They're on sale for about twenty bucks ($19.99 while supplies last).

Back to Work

For real. I'm going back to work starting next week doing what I did before. Taxes. (Different company.)

I literally applied for this gig voluntarily which is insane. Why would anybody do that?

Why would I do that? I guess, at the heart of it is boredom. I've be out of the work force for three years and I've enjoyed it. Treasured it, actually. While I thought I would write more (I clearly haven't), I did read more and walked more (having completed several half marathons). I picked up knitting and baking and I spent a lot of quality time with my grandkids whom I absolutely adore.

On the other hand, summers can be long and boring here in the southern California desert. When it's 90 degrees outside at 6 am, you just can't go outside for much of anything. That's when I order my groceries online because leaving a car in the sun for even a few minutes drives up the car's interior temperature well above 100. Door handles are too hot to touch. Seatbelt buckles are a hazard. There's not much to do unless you can do it inside where it's air conditioned.

It's not bad for short periods but for months on end, it can get a little tedious. A summer job or a part time job would be great solutions where I'd have something to do and could earn a little money.

But tax preparers are in demand in the Spring. So, what started as a search for something to do turned into a full time job (albeit a seasonal one). Go figure. The job will end just about the time I'll want to find something to do indoors.

I think I'll enjoy the work if I can manage the stress. Knowing there's an end date helps. (The gig is only 10 weeks long.) I've already reached my half marathon goal for 2026 so I can scale that back until next winter. The job is paid hourly and I will be working from home. For those reasons, I'm hoping it will be flexible enough that it won't interfere with my time with my grandkids.

And if it doesn't work out - if it doesn't make me happy - I don't have to do it. That's the beauty of it. Also, gobs of stress does produce some funny material for me to write about so I may end up writing more after all.

Wish me luck.

(I already have a supply of chocolate on hand and plenty of coffee.)