Money Diary #132

Morning: Up at 7:30 and feel tired again. Brush my teeth and drink a cup of tea. Jump on my 8:30 call with a colleague. It ends in 15 minutes, and I eat a slice of buttered toast for breakfast. See an office message that throws me for a bit and schedule a meeting with my boss for Monday after she is back from vacation. Write a couple of emails and do a couple of projects. Go shower and schedule a meeting with one of our interns for next week. 

Afternoon: Jump on my noon call, and after that ends, I set up a meeting on Monday regarding an action item with a senior colleague. Lunch is rice and goat stew, and do the coconut oil pull. No more meetings today, and I keep an eye out on email. Drink tea for an afternoon snack with air-fried spring rolls. Type up my notes from last night after reading the 1924 edition of The Box-Car Children. 

• Look for the positive:

• "But that's just as well," she thought. "Because he won't get so hungry waiting for the milk."

• "Indeed, it is doubtful if collectors of rare and beautiful bits of porcelain ever enjoyed a search as much as did these adventurers in the dump heap."

• "They were used to spread the delicious morsels of butter on the brown loaf. With dried beef, and a cookie for dessert, who could ask for better fare? Certainly not the four children, who enjoyed it more than the rarest dainties."

• "When she ladled out four portions on four plates of all sizes, some of them tin, and laid a spoon in each, the children felt that the world held no greater riches. The tiny onions floated around like pearls; the carrots melted in your mouth; and the shreds of meat were as tender as possible from long boiling. A bit of bread in one hand helped the feast along wonderfully."

• "Even a hammer makes a good pillow if one is tired enough."

• "Building a dam is wonderful sauce for a dinner. "I think stew is much better the second day," observed Benny, eating hungrily."

• "Almost a gift from heaven," said Violet, stroking one of the eggs with a delicate finger. "It wouldn't be polite to refuse them."

• "Scrambled eggs made a delicious supper for the children. Jess broke all the eggs into the biggest bowl and beat them vigorously with a spoon until they were light and foamy. Then she added milk and salt and delegated Violet to beat them some more while she prepared the fire. The big kettle, empty and clean, was hung over the low fire and butter was dropped in. Jess watched it anxiously, tipping the kettle slightly in all directions. When the butter had reached the exact shade of brown, Jess poured in the eggs and stirred them carefully, holding her skirts away from the fire. She was amply repaid for her care when she saw her family attack the meal. Clearly this was a feast day."

• "I never had such a cheerful crowd of cherry pickers before," Mrs. McAllister said at last. "I'd much rather stay out here than go into the house where it is cool."

• "You see, you're better than most pickers, because you're so cheerful."

• Look for the fun: LHenry had never been trained to run, but the boy possessed an unusual quantity of common sense. "It's a mile race," he thought to himself, "and it's the second half mile that counts." So it happened that this was the main thought in his mind when the starter's gong sounded and the racers shot away down the track. In almost no time, Henry was far behind the first half of the runners. But strangely enough, he did not seem to mind this greatly. "It's fun to run, anyhow," he thought. It was fun, certainly. He felt as if his limbs were strung together on springs. He ran easily, without effort, each step bounding into the next like an elastic. After a few minutes of this, Henry had a new thought. "Now you've tried how easy you can run, let's see how fast you can run!"

• Look to stay humble: 

• "When Dr. McAllister drove into his yard he found a boy washing the concrete drives as calmly as if nothing had happened."

• "His family almost forgot to eat while Henry recounted the details of the exciting race. And when he showed them the silver cup and the money they actually did stop eating, hungry as they were."

• "There were certainly as many duties always waiting for him as he had time to do. And it made no difference to the industrious boy what the job was. Nothing was too hard or too dirty for him to attempt."

• "But the children always spoke of her as the "lady who owns Watch," although Mr. Cordyce paid for the dog in less time than you can imagine. It made no difference to the children that Watch was a very valuable dog. They had loved him when he had not been worth a cent; and now they loved him more, simply because they had so nearly lost him."

• "Work hard and you’ll be happy, and then you’ll get money, and then you can keep working, just for fun": "All you children must go to school and then to college. Then you may do whatever you choose for a living," replied Mr. Cordyce. (This also came true.) "Of course I have more than enough money to support us all," went on Mr. Cordyce, "but if you have something to do, you will be happier."

Evening: A work email comes in during the early evening, so I log on and respond to that. Dinner is rice and goat stew, do the coconut oil pull, and brush my teeth. Log back on, send an email to a different stakeholder about regarding the work issue from this evening, and set him a meeting with him on Monday. Bed around 11.