Dec 19, 2025: time to recharge

Today was the first time I have used my time to recharge hours at [redacted]. Every month we get 2 hours of use-it-or-lose-it time that can be taken at any point to leave early, take nap in the middle of the day, or whatever else might tickle my fancy. Two members of my team were gambling on whether I might blow my top in a meeting this morning, so it felt like a good time to play that card for the first time.

Regardless of yesterday's mood, or today's gambling on my mental health, it was a productive week full of positive momentum. Plus, we laughed so hard when they were setting the line for when I would blow my stack on one particular individual, it ended up being a good team building excersize. Truth be told, I took some bullets, cleared a path forward, and now my crew is back in the driver seat.

PS......the reason they were gambling on me is because after one of the fellas thanked me for helping earlier this week, he also noted how impressed he was with my ability to keep a cool head in a rough situation (he was struggling with it, for good reason). At that point, I let him know that I have a long fuse when it comes to this kind of thing, and that he can pull me in at any time he needs.

Well, he turned that around and started gambling on my fuse with his teammate.

Chef's kiss. No notes.

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Today was another first for me. I interviewed a young gentleman (my first time interviewing someone at [redacted]), and while he was clearly talented, we need quite a bit more experience than what he is able to provide. Seeing someone struggle to find a coherent narrative when asked some basic interview questions is a good reminder of how far I've grown over the years. What we are doing is not easy and it's okay that he's not ready for it. It's also exciting that we are.

Speaking of firsts, take a look at that linked chronicle if you haven't yet. It's a love story.

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As to the fuse, or that rope if you will, I've grown a lot in the first half of this decade and I bust my ass every day to prove to myself I can apply those lessons learned.