Inspired by Derek Sivers, this page is a snapshot into what’s front & center in my going’s on currently.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023
Work
Currently doing double-duty, providing project management trouble-shooting & assistance for the Illinois Tollway’s Elgin O’Hare Western Access & I-490 construction program, as well as providing construction project & construction support to Canadian Pacific Railroad for projects in the Bensenville Yard.
I am also teaching Construction Surveying at Joliet Junior College as an adjunct instructor. The course is currently held on Saturday mornings.
Home
With work being as hectic as it has been lately, I’m doing my best to keep up with the To-Do’s. Our big spring projects will be to level & install new paver stones on our back patio (I’ll be self-performing, as expected…). We also need to replace our original, now 25-year old asphalt driveway-Can’t wait to have that done, a long-overdue project.
Physical Preparation
Continuing to train BJJ at SUDA although I’ve had to miss several session in the past couple of months with long days at work keeping me from getting to the gym. Although I’m now a 4-stripe blue belt, most of the time, I feel like a 2-stripe white belt. There are so many training days when I’m simply feeling like the nail, never the hammer. I know that, to get better, you neeed to just keep showing up, listening the the professors and training hard. You are either the hammer or the nail – I’m definitely spending more time as the nail….
Continuing to grind in the basement. Gladiator Strong (shameless plug). Squat has gone up recently, deadlift has gone down. Zach Even-Esh continues to keep virtually tapping me on the shoulder and reminding me of the need to stay strong & durable.
Reading
I have been devouring books as always. Since January, I’ve finished:
–“Call Sign Chaos” (Retired General James Mattis)
–“Legacy” (James Kerr)
–“Dying with My Mom” (Dave Reynolds, my college roommate)
–“Road to Character” (David Brooks)
–“The Road” (Cormac McCarthy)
–“Bird by Bird” (Anne Lamont)
I’m currently reading:
–“To Engineer Is Human” (Henry Petroski)
–“Once an Eagle” (Anton Myrer)
–“Be Know Do (Hesselbein & Shinseki)
Listening
Podcasts consume my listening. I’ve parsed down my “Subscribed To” list to ease the inundation of episodes that were coming up in my feed (I’ve kept all of the authors, just want to be a bit more selective).
–The Weekly Scrap Firefighting Podcast
–From the Green Notebook
–Jocko Podcast
–To The Top (Top Mount Apparel Crew, who are BJJ teammates)
Learning
It took me some time, but I secured my FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot license. I bought a small DJI Mini SE drone to work with. Our Plainfield EMA team has a drone that we have used for various missions, but as with most new skills that I’m picking up, I always feel like I’m not prepared. We have the school open field behind our house, and I’m constantly putting “Drone Training” on my To-Do list, but I’m not flying it as much as I should.
I also purchased a GoPro Hero 8. I really think it would be cool to start putting up some video content, I just don’t know what that wants to look like yet. As I’ve said previously, there’s a potential purpose in it as I still think there is a void in voices talking about civil engineering as it relates to infrastructure construction. I want to fill that niche. I need to get out of my own way, dive in and try it.
Thinking About
–Writing takes practice. Generating a YouTube script takes time. Developing a podcast story line takes time. I just need to keep practicing and putting out the work. It doesn’t count if you don’t put it out there. I’m trying…