Caveat: Tree #1900 “A fashionable address”

This tree has a fashionable address on C Street in suburban Klawock, Alaska.

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I took the car to the mechanic today, while Jan watched the store. That went okay – the car needed a seal replaced on the transfer case, and I wanted to check the front wheel bearings and ball joints and such (weird noises sometimes on cornering, and it’s been a problem before). Plus oil change, and switch out winter to summer rims.

But overall it was a horrible day, with the trip to the mechanic being the only pleasant part. The store is stressing me out – ambushed by invoices, bookkeeping problems and overwhelmed by what feels like an impossible “more money out than in” scenario. I’m experiencing “buyer’s remorse” over this project to run the store.

CaveatDumpTruck Logo[daily log: walking, 6km; retailing, 7hr]

Caveat: Tree #1897 “Jumping the gun”

This tree was near where I used to live in Ilsan, South Korea. I took this picture in October, 2017. It had a tendency to jump the gun on Autumn, always ahead of all the other sidewalk trees.

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I experienced a motivational deficit, today.

CaveatDumpTruck Logo[daily log: walking, 1km;]

Caveat: Tree #1894 “The cowering Jeep”

This tree was towering over my cowering, ill-used Jeep.

Looking downhill at a very tall old conifer, among others, with a snow-covered gravel area in the foreground with a snow-covered 90's Jeep cowering in the lower left corner

Elmer comes in the store. We are talking about who is native, who is not, among locals on the island, here. You can’t always tell who is “native” – there’s been a lot of mixing over the generations, so it mostly has to do with enrollment in a tribal group, appearance doesn’t always tell you a lot about a person’s status as a native. Anyway, somewhat out of the blue, Elmer says, “You know, Richard Nixon was Tlingit.” I said, “Oh really, how’s that?” Elmer, not missing a beat, says, holds his two hands up in the “double peace sign” and says, “I am NOT a crook.” This, somehow, proves that Nixon was a Tlingit.

CaveatDumpTruck Logo[daily log: walking, 4km; retailing, 9hr]

Caveat: Tree #1893 “A belated April Fools”

This tree wished me a belated April Fools day as I drove home from work on the famous PSN expressway (dirt road).

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Yikes. This morning, when I’d arrived at work, Arthur called me. This is quite rare, that he will call me at work. The reason he called me: he couldn’t figure out how to turn on the TV. This felt a bit alarming. I guess I should feel relief that I’ve made it super easy for him to call me at the store, programming it into the house phone on a speed dial setting.

CaveatDumpTruck Logo[daily log: walking, 4km; retailing, 9hr]

Caveat: Tree #1891 “Acceptance”

This tree will accept Spring’s challenges.

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Arthur said something quite lucid this evening, after we ended our weekly skype conversation with his brother Alan (my other uncle). Arthur said, “I think my memory is operating at about 2%.” That seems about right to me, I hate to say.

CaveatDumpTruck Logo[daily log: walking, 2.5km;]

Caveat: Tree #1889 “소방서 뒤에”

This tree was a scraggly, bare tree planted in the sidewalk behind the fire station across the street from my apartment in Ilsan, South Korea. I was noting that some snow had fallen in December, 2013.

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Still haven’t been feeling super healthy. So I ended up being quite lazy today – didn’t accomplish much at all.

Saw this online. It’s interesting to think about.

Grab a couple of dice. Roll them. If you get below 5, those are rookie numbers. Shout at the dice, let them know they’re underperforming. If you get above 9, that’s what we want to see! They’re good dice, and you should acknowledge that. Repeat that and keep a record. You’ll notice that negative feedback often results in better performance on the next roll. Positive feedback, conversely, can make them get lazy. When you truly understand why this method of dice management works, you are ready to give feedback to people.

CaveatDumpTruck Logo[daily log: walking, 1.5km;]

Caveat: Tree #1887 “Bent”

This tree was bent.

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I had a pretty terrible day. Feeling “under the weather” and suffering a couple of financial “gotchas” at the store. Feeling inadequate the tasks I’ve taken on for myself.

CaveatDumpTruck Logo[daily log: walking, 5.5km; retailing, 9hr]

Caveat: Tree #1886 “Sparse clouds”

This tree was below some sparse clouds.

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A silly joke: My wife screamed “you haven’t listened to a single word I’ve said, have you?!” I was taken aback….what a weird way to start a conversation.

CaveatDumpTruck Logo[daily log: walking, 4.5km; retailing, 9hr]

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