A Blessed Day
9:00am
I've been logged into work for about 45 minutes. I haven't been able to get much done yet because there is an outage with the client's Microsoft apps...hehehe I log into two separate systems. One of them is working fine. I'm not sure if I've explain this yet, but the company I use to work for is now my client through my new company. The Microsoft apps that aren't working are those used by the client...aka, my old company. My new/current company's Microsoft apps are working fine. It seems it might be a routing issue between the client and Microsoft as opposed to some major outage. I imagine it is affecting other customers as well. Just not all. I heard Microsoft posted on Twitter that they are investigating an issue. Best of luck to all involved!
I haven't had coffee in a few days. I think I'll make some and have it today, though. And I'll make some toast. I need to work on a more well balanced diet. I'd like to go back to having eggs in the morning. It has been quite some time since I've done that. During my health journey last year and at the start of this year, I'd continue having hard boiled eggs. But I stopped having eggs for breakfast. Before this journey, I'd have them often. One of the many things I use to be known for were my big breakfasts...hehehe I would post a photo of what I made along with my Vitamin G. When I stopped eating breakfast, I would only post a photo of the sunrise...hehehe
As you can see by the start of this entry, I decided to give a timestamp entry a try today. We'll see if I stick with it and post it later. Of course, if you are reading this, I did follow through and post it...LOL
10:00am
Well, I've had my toast and I'm almost finished with my coffee...hehehe Also, at around 9:15am, the Microsoft app issue was resolved. Back in business at work...LOL I remember a day when outages like this couldn't happen. Apps were installed locally on your computer and ran independently from the Internet. You would send files instead of having them in the cloud. However, what we do today isn't unlike what it was like before personal computers existed. Long before I began my career, computers were extremely expensive. Apps didn't reside on the computer at all. There were mainframes that you would log into from a dummy terminal that was remotely connected through a network. So, it is very similar to how things work today. The exception for today is that a lot of the computer processing is done locally and then sent over the network to servers for storage. Servers do some of the processing. But they are mostly the dummy side of the equation now.
I'm feeling so much better today. A true answer to prayer! Between poor sleeping and unbalanced eating lately, my body was like whoa there Greg! LOL But today it feel so much better...hehehe I'm considering looking into a dietitian. I was thinking that perhaps I need someone to help me design a more balanced diet for my specific needs. I've been listening to my body and that has gone well since the beginning of 2023. But what if I can do better? There is still a lot I simply do not know about my body. I can listen to it all I want. But I don't always understand it...hehehe
I'm drinking from my Goofy dad jokes mug today. It reminded me of how I use to post dad jokes a lot. I've changed so much over these last several months since my health journey began. Again, health being the three major groups of mental, spiritual, and physical. I've naturally changed how I engage with people and social media. I don't look at this as a bad thing. I'm simply being who I am. As I change, so does what people see come out of me. Sometimes I feel like going back to posting things like my dad jokes. And when I feel inspired to do so, I will. But there is no formula or algorithm to Greg. I haven't even been posting Vitamin G much lately. I just haven't been that inspired...hehehe I think that's okay. It isn't a reflection on how I'm doing. Because, I'm doing really well overall ❤️
11:40am
I have found myself at Zen again today...LOL It's as if I'm addicted to coming here...hehehe I always feel good after eating here. I trust the chef and where he likely sources his ingredients. I don't actually know his sources...hehehe But I have a good feeling about it.
I just had a meeting about another part of the client's business they are selling off. This part of their business is being transitioned a bit more aggressively than the part of the business I was part of. The timelines are so much tighter. They just began the process and it is scheduled to end before the transition I'm currently in...LOL I use to have tasks with this other part of the business. But I really don't anymore. I was invited to the meeting because all of IT was called in on it.
I made a social media post today...hehehe I kept it simple and how I felt. I'm feeling really well today. So that's all I said...LOL Treating social media more like a mini journal seems more like how I want to engage socially. I've even thought about posting little snippets from this journal on days I write. I've actually done that before a few times.
I almost posted a dad joke. I may still do that later. Today's coffee mug put me in that mood. I looked up some of the ones I use to post. I don't actually have any new jokes...LOL Although I'm technically a father still, my dad duties have come to an end.
12:40pm
I finally got around to posting some of my Duke Gardens photos on Instagram...LOL It has been like three or four weeks since I was there. That was such a lovely day. It was also the day of the pop up rain storm. It was like being in Florida...hehehe One thing I noticed in my photos from the day is I took very few of the flowers. The few flowers I tried to capture really didn't turn out. The average person may like the flower photos I took. But my Instagram is for me to express and communicate my heart...hehehe If I'm not feeling the photo, I won't post.
A little bit ago, I decided I would focus more on my photography with Instagram. That was the main reason I joined that platform years ago anyway. I still post Vitamin G when I'm inspired to post those. But any photography specific posts will only be on Instagram. I still post photos on other platforms. But the photos aren't the point on those posts. On Instagram, I'm telling part of my story as seen through my lens ❤️
1:30pm
I booked my flights for my November trip to California. I'll be arriving on November 2nd and come home on November 10th. The main reason for this trip is to go to Disneyland with Cherie on the 8th. But I also decided to make a week of the trip. I may stay in an AirBnb this time. I'll be working Monday through Thursday that week. I'll be finished with work by 2 or 3pm Pacific time. So, I'll have plenty of time to do various activities in the evenings those days. It gives me a little taste of what it will be like living in California while working for my company based in Missouri.
I'm thinking about doing the Dapper Day on the 3rd at Disneyland. There is a meet up on the Mark Twain that afternoon. If I do that, I'll want to bring two different dapper outfits for the trip. I plan to be dapper for my day with Cherie. I want to match whatever outfit she plans to wear. But for the 3rd, I'll be solo. Maybe I should work on my dapper Olaf attire...hehehe
I loved doing Dapper Day in April. I had aspirations of doing dapper on most of my Disney visits. I haven't yet implemented that because it is way too hot for that this time of year. But I think I may start doing that from the Fall through the Spring annually now. I think I can do that from November through April.
2:30pm
My North Carolina trip Instagram posts have been getting as much attention as my California trip posts did...hehehe I don't post for attention. But it is nice that sharing my experiences with others seems to be uplifting for them. My personal preference is to share my journey with my closest friends as it happens. But I think it is fun to later share it on Instagram.
Perhaps I need to stop thinking of social media as a place to post and consume content. When I do post, I honestly don't see it as content. Others have mentioned they like [my] content. But I'm just being me...hehehe I think, at this point, I just need to stop thinking about social media. I should just treat it as something I scroll through when I have nothing else to do. And then post whatever I feel like when I feel like it. The posts I generally engage in from others now are the ones where they are just sharing their journeys. I've lost interest is most everything else...LOL
I tend to focus too much on social media, as I'm sure you might think from some of my journal entries. It has been a big part of my life for so long now. I'm very grateful for what it has been in my life. After all, my deerest and closest friend was someone I met on social media. I'm even more grateful we are friends in real life now, though.
This, and my trips to California and North Carolina to spend time with Cherie and Tye, has me thinking about my friend Matt. He lives in Georgia and is in driving distance of me. He wants to do a meetup at Disney World the first weekend of November. I might be able to meet up with him on the 1st before my trip the next day. But what he wants to do is get a group together. As I may have mentioned before, I think I'm done with the group meetups. I'm more of a one on one person.
So, what I may do is reach out to him and see if I can go up to visit him in Georgia like I did with Cherie and Tye. Since I have no interest in living in Georgia, I could just do a weekend up there. That's what I that's what I'll do for a trip to Texas to see Jo Jo. All just thoughts for the moment...hehehe
3:20pm
I'm craving a hotdog and fries from Casey's Corner at Magic Kingdom. I'm very tempted to make the drive tonight just for that. I just checked the closing time and I can make it there in plenty of time for that to be my dinner. They aren't having one of the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Parties tonight. So they are open until 10pm. The weather forecast looks favorably for me to be able to drive there and not deal with storms.
I've honestly been craving one of their dogs for quite some time now. I just haven't taken the opportunity. I was last at Magic Kingdom on Corban's birthday. He wanted to eat at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café that day...hehehe So, that's what we did. When it is someone else's birthday, I don't offer up any of my preferences.
It is far from a healthy choice. But then again, indulging in something like that as few times as I do now won't really set me back...hehehe
It has been a while since I've driven to Disney World on an impulse. Should I do it? We shall see...LOL I'll be sure to add it to this journal entry if I do...LOL
4:10pm
Yeah, I'm heading to Magic Kingdom. I'll have my Casey's hotdog and fries and enjoy some attractions...hehehe Stay tuned...LOL
6:45pm
I made it safely to Magic Kingdom! Yay!!! I love that I have this option. Even for a quick few hour visit, it is one of the blessings of living in Florida within driving distance from Walt Disney World. It's a tad hot here in the kingdom of magic, though...LOL It is so much warmer in Orlando than it is in Port Richey by the gulf.
Also it takes a few hours to drive here...hehehe Why do I do it?!? Because I can. It is a privilege I do not take for granted. Not everyone is able to do this. When I share my adventures here, I think my friends appreciate and enjoy the stories. So, I'll happily drive a few hours, for a few hour visit. I get to enjoy the time and I can share that joy.
I haven't checked wait times yet. My main goal is to get a hotdog and fries at Casey's...hehehe The rest is wide open for an adventure. I think it's time to start sharing some of this adventure with my closest friends now...hehehe
8:15pm
So far, I've been on Pirates of the Caribbean and I saw the new Country Bear Jamboree show. I was almost on Big Thunder Mountain. But it broke down right before I got to the loading area. They offered a free Lightning Lane that I declined. My aim wasn't to do many attractions tonight. So I didn't want to bother with that this time...hehehe
Right now, I'm sitting in a table area near Big Thunder Mountain. I can hear the sounds of Frontier Land and Haunted Mansion. It is a sweet spot to take in the ambient sounds of the two areas. I also hear native insects and people living their best lives...hehehe
I'm starting to get hungry now. But I won't be going over to Casey's just yet. The fireworks will begin soon. That area will be quite busy. I'd like to relax when I have my meal and hope to find a table. If not, that's okay too. But I imagine the lines for the food will be long for a while. Some folks might be getting food now. Others may get it right after the show. So I'll likely wait about an hour or so to get my hotdog and fries...hehehe
For my Budford song this morning, I went with Frank Sinatra's The Way You Look Tonight. But since it is Budford, it is aptly named The Way I Look Tonight...LOL I think it went over well...hehehe I'm really enjoying doing those songs. It's a great way for me to communicate. I love being able to be myself. I haven't always had people in my life who enjoy this side of me...hehehe
9:30pm
As the fireworks were starting, I hopped onto Haunted Mansion. As the fireworks were ending, I hopped onto It's a Small World...hehehe Both had very little wait. Both were quite enjoyable. I love the classics. I wanted to do Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh. But both are still popular even on a slow night like tonight. So, I'm finished with attractions tonight.
At around 9:15, I got my hotdog and fries...LOL I also got a Coke. I rarely drink soda now. It was a treat and likely the last time I have one for the remainder of the year...hehehe Actually, this might be my last hotdog for the year as well...LOL
I am so glad I came tonight. I did so many things in such a short amount of time. I was able to see the new Country Bears show too! I absolutely love the new show ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ And I satisfied my craving for a hotdog and fries...hehehe
Now it's time to say goodbye...to all our company...M-I-C...see you real soon! K-E-Y...why? Because I love this place...hehehe
12:15am
The day has come to an end. It's technically the next day now. But that's how my schedule works. I go to sleep and wake on the same day most days...hehehe I made it home safely and now I'm wrapping up this journal entry.
It was such an amazing day. I'm grateful for the journey God allowed me to go on throughout the day. And I'm grateful I wrote about most of it in this timestamp format. None of the day was planned. It just all sort of happened. I love days like this...hehehe
Those first few hours before I started my journal were spent with God. Even when I do things like record warm hugs and such, I feel like I'm still in communion with God. The warm hugs often come with a prayer. I bring along my loved ones in my heart as I'm praying.
Then the rest of the day is documented throughout this entry. It is a tad long today. But so was the day. A lot happened. Honestly, though, the one thing I cannot really put into words is how well I feel today. I did mention I felt well and even posted it on my socials. Deep down, there is more to it than those simple words. It was truly a blessed day ❤️