I have been waking up earlier the past couple of days, which is good for my productivity. The weather is grey and rainy outside. I decide to focus on job hunting and career development first thing after breakfast. Recently I came across a nonprofit association in Dublin called The Wheel that puts on training programs and offers other support services. I decide to invest in an individual membership for €75, which will give me access to some upcoming webinars on financial and regulatory issues for nonprofits in Ireland. I have also been meaning to reach out to their Director of Finance to connect professionally. I email him this afternoon and he responds later in the day; we’ve set up a time to chat over the phone on Friday afternoon. I also go through the usual barrage of job postings that I receive in my inbox and prioritize a few on my list for submission by the end of this week.
Later on in the day I watch the inauguration coverage live on PBS streamed via YouTube. I literally laughed out loud during the coverage of Air Force One taking off with DJT while Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” is playing as the soundtrack. The inauguration ceremony has a somber tone given the heavy security and overall circumstances, but it’s reassuring to see the past presidents and various members of Congress come together to enact the ritual passing of power. I thought Biden’s speech was decent, although he tripped up a few times and his energy seemed to go up and down. During the coverage of both the arrivals and departures, the cameras picked up Hillary Clinton commenting on how nice the weather was, which I thought was funny — the power elite engaging in small talk. The Obamas lingered the longest, pausing to talk with various folks. Once the motorcades have all left, the cameras turn upwards to views of the capitol building with its dome against a backdrop of blue sky. It makes for a peaceful, timeless image.
The only other excitement today is setting up a new spice organizer that was delivered yesterday. I ordered it from Amazon UK because the kitchen cabinets are getting crowded and unruly. I found an organizer that fits perfectly on the cupboard shelf and holds a total of 24 jars of different sizes on 3 slide-out trays that can be pulled out at an angle for easy access. It’s a rather nifty design! It even came with some labels that can be affixed to the front for reference, but for now I’m just keeping the jars in alphabetical order since they could move around as I use up and acquire different ones. Small things like this make me feel more settled and at home.
