I finshed reading Ian McEwan’s The Daydreamer. I kept looking for Leguin’s “Rhythm” in the book but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. It felt like my mind’s eye was trying to focus on a fuzzy shape that never fully revealed itself.

I started reading Grace Paley, another author recommended by Leguin. The writing has that intoxicating quality that is so rare. It is literature like this that inspires the vocation of writing in me.

I can generally manage 8 to 10 hours of vocational reading and writing work after doing 40 to 50 hours of work-work. But last week was particularly busy at work. By 5 PM on Friday I counted sixty hours of critical pricing work and deadlines throughout the week. About 20 of those were deep-work hours in 90 minute stretches with no distractions and no email. For those who haven’t tried deep-work, it is like High-Intensity-Interval-Training compared to regular work which is like a walk on a treadmill while watching HGTV. Anyway, nothing other than work-work got done last week.

I did post a new podcast episode from my new podcast studio last Sunday. Thanks for subscribing if you listened to it! Recording is so much easier now that I have my own space. Most of the editing knowledge came back to me, largely because my past self left my future self notes in easy to find text files right inside the Podcast folder. Good job past Abhishek!

Unfortunately, new blog posts might be a little delayed in the next few weeks, but hopefully not much longer. We adopted a dog yesterday from the Humane Society. We named her Ruby. She is three, she had five puppies recently and her previous people surrendered her. We don’t know why those people surrendered this dog. She is sweet. All we know is her old people didn’t teach her any discipline. So she is an anxious mess in our home, possibly living indoors for the first time. To top it all, my wife and I are used to being parents to timid and well adjusted dogs. Just like Ruby, we also find ourselves in uncharted waters.

I am going to walk her for a good hour early in the mornings. Cesar Milan says this is the best thing you can do with your dog. But 6 AM to 7:30 AM is the time I usually block for deep reading and writing. I am not sure where the deep reading and writing block will move to yet. There is a good chance walks with Ruby will lead to clearer thinking. Who knows.

Right now Ruby is anxious and she needs walks. And a lot of love. And we all could use a lot of discipline.