The Value of Nothing

I didn't do a weeknotes last week as I was travelling and just didn't feel up to doing it. First time travelling with the iPad Mini so I could have done it OK, but didn't.

My work laptop got replaced because it had a dodgy keyboard and now I'm using one with a touchbar. Not sure what people are complaining about with it, it seems perfectly fine. OK, things are in different places but for all the things to moan about with the keyboard, I'd put this quite far down the list. The fragile keys and the cursor key design which I cannot get used to (not for want of trying) bother me more.

I read this article on remote working. It's got some really good points for companies to consider when hiring remote staff. I've experienced a few of these issues myself working remotely, but on the whole it's been OK. When most of the company is in the same office and you're remote, you really need to work hard to make it work but this article points out some of the ways the company can make it easier. I don't agree with them all for my situation but they're worth considering.

I've been looking for a rough sketchbook, something that avoids the paralysis of "it's so nice, I shouldn't mess it up" of posh ones. A lot of spiral bound sketchbooks come up in the search and I hate them so much. Hardback ones are lovely, but too lovely. I eventually found the "refills for leather journals" idea, which means you get the right kind of nice paper but the cover is usually plain cardboard and the binding is open and visible. Just the kind of thing that welcomes getting messed up. It's quite liberating.

My glasses needed new lenses so I also got a spare pair. Going into Carmarthen on a hot humid day to pick them up seemed like it would be bearable but by the time we got there I was about ready for a meltdown (literally). We needed somewhere quiet and cool, and laaa (singing choirs of angels) there it was, St Peter's Church. I'm not in the slightest bit religious but do enjoy a good church and this one is quite lovely. What looked to be the newest window (1982!) was based on the tree of life and glowed with an incredible intensity of colour — standing in front of it was like bathing in pure sunset. It was gorgeous.

Politics has been happening and it’s been harming my mental health so I’ve muted (almost) all the political accounts I follow on Twitter. I’m still aware of what’s happening but don’t feel like I’m being smothered in it so much. That’s what the title is about, whenever the Tories are in the ascendant the phrase “knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing” should be in banner caps on every news story.

Speaking of costs, I finally stopped using Dropbox. I used to use while freelancing and it was incredibly valuable for that, but since I stopped I just can’t justify it. “iCloud is reliable enough now” I said. So the first load of files I moved across have sat there for a day, not uploading. Ho ho ho.