Wed Oct 12 - One of the strangest things since returning from six days out with the SCA: I keep struggling to remember my computer passwords. *laughs*

I got home from work and started scrubbing things in the kitchen in the hour I had before leaving for band rehearsal. I'm happy to say that "Coffee Bar" has been fully scrubbed clean, all the ingredients put back in the kitchen, all the equipment washed and put away. Now I just have to attack my laundry and the disaster that is my bedroom.

Band went well last night, and I was actually not as tired as I thought I might be before arriving. The guys have successfully booked a live gig for December 3rd (a Saturday) and I'll have more information very soon about how you can come see me perform live. Well, that is, if you are in the Southern California area. If you're living abroad and far away, buy my CDs. *hint hint*
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This morning I spent some time putting things away before work, and really just trying to find all the stuff that goes back in my car. I'm always surprised at the tiny habits I have that I hate to break, versus the habits I'm still trying to build. For example, I like to keep my fingernail clippers in my car, in the "ashtray" (which to me is the "small glove box" since no one really smokes much anymore). I had them in my camping gear, and just one day in my car without them and I was missing them sorely.

In the big-picture of life, however, I've been thinking a lot about habits in general. I have a post-it note at my desk at work that looks something like this:



It's a combination of several things I've read and things I've added to the model. Your Thoughts will turn into your Actions. You build Habits from those Actions repeated. Your Character is evidenced by your Habits. Your Destiny is determined by your Character. If you want to build Habits, you must turn your Thoughts into Actions.

Your Habits are built of three elements: the Knowledge, Skill, and Desire. You need to know What to do, How to do it, and Want to do it. If you're missing one of the three pieces you could find yourself Unfocused, Unpracticed, or Unmotivated. It's hard to build a Habit if you Know What to Do, Want to Do it, but remain Unskilled at How to do it; or if you Know How, Have the Skill, but Don't Want To; or if you Know How, Want to, but aren't sure What to do first.

So I keep returning to this model. My character is built on my habits, so which habits am I living out right now? Which habits do I need to break? Which habits do I want to establish? What's keeping me from going from Thought to Action? What's keeping my Actions from repeating into Habits?

I look around my house: I want my room clean. I know What-to-do and I have the skills for How-to-clean. So it must be just motivation and it's just a matter of turning individual actions (like occasional cleaning) into a Habit of keeping things picked up.

I look at how I behave at SCA events. What were my habits in my camp? Did I keep things picked up the way I wanted to? Did I spend time with the people that mattered? Did I do something simple like drink enough water or remember to eat lunch? (There's my guilty admission: I missed lunch several times out of forgetfulness and no habits built in to take care of it. I didn't drink enough water, again missed the habits of discipline, not for lack of preparation because there was plenty of water to be had.) Did I remember to put sunscreen on? (No, although I had it with me.)

Now, post-event, I have tons of thoughts about what I would like done with my camping tent, garb, promises to sew garb for my friends, dreams of what I'd like to buy over time. And I'm working through how to take these thoughts, apply them into Actions, and establish the Habits that will create the Character I strive for in my life.

Wow. That's a lot to work through. But that just happens to be where my head is at right now.
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So the rest of my evening may revolve around hanging out with Saul after temple, or just laundry, or just cleaning my house. Tomorrow is the Shire meeting, so that's a huge drive up north, and sadly that means I cannot go to "Break Fast" for Yom Kippur at Adrienne's. I was so honored to be invited, and I'm torn at missing it. I'm starting to contemplate sending in my shire report, skipping the drive, and being there with friends for their High Holy Days celebration instead. And Friday might be Poker Night, where I think I may need to just watch and learn really how it's played rather than jump in unprepared.

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Other people who were on the trip that I was on are starting to post links to their photos. My photos were mostly of some close friends putting up their gigantic pavilion for the first time, and aren't loaded on the internet yet. But enjoy the following:

• http://www.wingedrabbit.com/event/piclist.asp?event=198&page=0 — A "Pelican" is an award for volunteer service, equivalent to becoming a knight for martial arts prowess in heavy armor. I served my famous "coffee bar" at her vigil the night before her award. Her service was primarily to the children, so there are great kids' photos in this set. You can also see some of the pageantry of the pavilions and silk flags & banners.


• http://www.wingedrabbit.com/event/piclist.asp?event=199&page=0 — A Father and Son were both squired to the same Knight one day at the event (also friends of mine)


• http://relivinghistory.net/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album38&id=gwwix40 — Some of my friends are in this shot, which comes from this album: http://relivinghistory.net/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album38


• http://darklingdesign.com/~jedon/gallery/GreatWesternWarIX — There are some incredible pictures in here, although the "wrestling" is just guys fooling around, not an "official" sport on the field of battle

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Recently Listening to: A mix CD of "chick singers" such as: Melissa Etheridge, Meredith Brooks, Alanis Morisette, Shawn Colvin, Natalie Mercant, Over the Rhine, Tracy Chapman, Joan Baez, Nanci Griffith, Tori Amos, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, and Janis Ian