SpiritsofIdaho

@whataimeereads_ Who are you and what are you doing on my feed?

Anyone forgot about me yet?

@melanie_korach And try to forgive those who turned out the light

Never forget those who came with a light when you were in the dark. #StarfishClub

Walking along the street this morning, the sun was just coming over the mountains. The street looked like it eventually vanished into the golden haze. I thought of all the people rushing, what looked like, the great oblivion. I wondered about our small planets future. Maybe a different lifeform will evolve, one that can handle our world gently. It doesn't look like the human race is anywhere near anything except rushing into oblivion.

@ItzikBasman 17

15, Canadian here…

The Blue Man is officially completed. You know what isn't completed? The editing

@realevelyncross Sometimes just plodding along is progress

Good morning rise with purpose, even if it feels small. The day is waiting, not for perfection, but for your effort. You’ve made it through every hard moment before that strength didn’t disappear overnight. It’s still there, steady and ready, just waiting for you to use it. Don’t let doubt speak louder than your drive. Take the step. Then another. Progress isn’t about speed it’s about not stopping. Whatever stands in your way today, meet it head-on, with courage in your chest and determination in your stride. go make something happen.

@Elena__Carter__ The winner gets the Rat

Rat Race

@maddierune The second best thing a person can do for oneself is to try to heal The best thing a person can do for themselves is to realize they need to try

I’m realizing I’ve spent years being cruel to myself for not handling life perfectly, when honestly? Being human is absurdly hard in ways we don’t even talk about. I’m a fragile little creature, with a weird soul, in a breakable body that keeps going anyway. I’m trying to replace the constant self-criticism with something more fawn hearted & merciful…like…you did your best with what you had. Because I did & I never gave myself credit for that. I’m starting to understand that survival counts as achievement too.

Out of Control Introduction: Once, a long time ago, I looked up, found out where I was, and wondered, “How did I get here?” The road of life often takes us in directions that we don’t plan and can’t foresee. If we look back at the map we followed during a lifetime, it is often surprising to see which route we finally took and how different it was from what we imagined in our youth. Out of high school, I got engaged and joined the Navy. They were unrelated activities, but that is just the way it worked out. When I got out of the service, I told my fiancé that I wasn't good enough for her and that the wedding was off. She said, “No way, buster! I can fix you.” She spent the next five decades attempting to fix me. I started college in Journalism, intent on becoming a writer. I graduated with a degree in Biology, intent on becoming a forest ranger. I actually got my first job doing research in potato breeding at a research center in Idaho. While there, the project purchased a programmable calculator, and I taught myself to program. It was actually an early mini-computer, but they didn’t know what to call them back then. From there, my ambitions and life direction stood on the brakes and slid sideways, landing me in a computer analyst job for a food company. The food company produced primarily French fries. Along the way, my wife and I built our own home from the ground up, moved to Washington State, and had three kids. But that is my personal story, and this is about my working life. Eventually, I worked my way up to the position of Process Control Manager at the corporate office of the aforementioned food company. The position was part of the Engineering department. It entailed the development of computer control and automation for plant facilities (this is the point in my story where people’s eyes glaze over and they start looking for a reason to excuse themselves). Our group worked on existing, renovated, or new facilities, whichever took precedence. The following is the story of a new plant the company built in the South to process sweet potatoes into sweet potato fries, which had just hit the market and was becoming quite successful. It was a new plant, destined to be state-of-the-art, so I saw it as a demonstration of actually controlling a processing plant with computers. Unfortunately, that ambition was thwarted by a long-held, unstated tradition that went something like, “Computers are for accounting - supervisors belong on the plant floor where they can see, feel, and smell the process and NOT sitting in a control room!” I attempted to gather evidence to the contrary, since it was long known that the most consistent quality product was made on the graveyard shift. By monitoring process changes, I had hard evidence that the fewest changes occurred during the graveyard shift. Graveyard shift was also where the best quality of product and also when the highest volumes were typically produced. My assumption, therefore, was that better quality and quantity were produced when the supervisors were in their office, sleeping or throwing wads of paper at each other, as opposed to when they were out meandering around the equipment and making changes. Therefore, I assumed that if there were a control room where supervisors could see all aspects of the process in one place, better decisions could be made. It would open the door to having the computer monitor and make minor changes to some settings, thus freeing up the supervisors to make better decisions. This turned out to be an uphill battle since it was not supported by managers, who felt that if the supervisors were in their office, they would be sleeping or throwing wads of paper at each other. Undaunted, I proceeded to take aim at the new plant in the South for the automation showplace.

I have a serious question and I appreciate all that respond: For several years, I have maintained a website called SpiritsOfIdaho dot com. You probably haven’t seen it because it only gets a couple of visitors a month. I posted a series called ghost busters and now I have a series I am thinking of posting called Out Of Control, about when I was working. I have attached the Introduction below. Here is my question: I have limited time (yes, even though I am retired) and barely keep up with X. My updates of the website have been spotty. Should I give up the website and post my stories on Substack or should I keep up the website? What has been your experience with websites and social media? (and, do you think I should post Out Of Control chapters?)

@Elena__Carter__ Got solar panels on your hat?

Recharging in progress 🔋

My personal opinion (no offense to those who watch on the Oscars): I find it difficult to force myself to watch all the self-adulation and patting each other on the back for producing soulless dribble. There was a time when Hollywood at least produced a few movies with depth and meaning, but just from the trailers... this ain’t the time. Of course, I probably shouldn't judge since I have not been to a recent movie. Have they changed in the last 10 years?

Who here didn’t watch the Oscars and has no idea who won anything for movies that you haven’t seen?

This morning walking the dogs, I thought of a parody... something like: I pull the pillow over my head as the sun hits my bloodshot eyes... I think, “I am going to have to stop those wild nights, and also, I need to get that blind fixed... But I decided not to continue. I don’t want to jeopardize these morning verses because they do help me focus on something beyond my mind full of tasks.

Good morning the day begins in a quiet glow, light slipping gently across the sky like a promise kept. Take a breath before the noise arrives, before the world starts asking things of you. Let this moment belong only to you. You don’t have to rush into everything. You don’t have to carry it all at once. Just begin one thought, one step, one breath at a time. Today is unwritten, a chance to move forward, to find something good even in the smallest places. may this day meet you with peace and leave you a little lighter.

@RyanRaeHarbuck That is really cool - all the work and creativity.

Cheers to the moms and dads out there who are a little tired this morning from all the leprechaun shenanigans…

I shall one day forget this day... but not soon Start my day... No breakfast Blood test - I forgot to tell them to save them time and me pain, take it out of my hand - oops, owww A quiet breakfast - except I always sit behind the two guys that are deaf and have to talk at a yell Go to daughter's house to pick up dogs because we dog-sit. German Shepard leaps the seats to get to the go-box and smears potato grease all over car – then, because he is old and has trouble (although he managed to leap over the seat just fine) he gets stuck in the front with his front on the floor and his butt on the seat. Takes me a lot of work and cussing to extricate him Get home and my dog is so glad to see me she tinkles on my shoe I take it off shoes and step in cat puke getting another pair Change socks AND shoes... Computer acting up - can't get on internet (again) Finally get on the internet and this is the only post I manage

@ParanormalJunk2 Gotcha

We need to support each other! If you’re an indie author, you should read other indie authors. And I have many many books to enjoy over the rest of the year, thanks to my call out for books with low reviews 🥰

@Wisteraverse @realmattfalcon I make holes with plots in them (actually not plots... bodies)

@realmattfalcon I don't make plots with holes in them

Do you use any 'tricks' to make sure you find plot holes in your story? And what are other editing tricks you use?

@whataimeereads_ VOTE FOR ME VOTE FOR ME VOTE FOR ME VOTE FOR ME VOTE FOR ME VOTE FOR ME VOTE FOR ME VOTE FOR ME

If I get one more 'vote for me' spam dm ima scream

@Elena__Carter__ And when you reach a point that most of your days are behind you, you realize which somedays were important. I would like to write, for example. If there is anything I have learned, that is one you shouldn't put in the someday pile.

Every single word is so true. Read this. Think about your “someday.” We all have them. We all waste them.

Start my day... No breakfast Blood test - I forgot to tell them to save them time and me pain, take it out of my hand - oops, owww A quiet breakfast - except I always sit behind the two guys that are deaf and have to talk in a yell Go to daughter's house to pick up dogs because we dog-sit. German Shepard leaps the seats to get to the go-box and smears potato grease all over car Get home and my dog tinkles on my shoe - I take it off and step in cat puke getting another pair of shoes Change socks AND shoes... Computer acting up - can't get on internet (again) Finally read the poem... breath Thanks Evelyn.

Good morning the sun rises quietly, as if it knows some hearts need a gentle start today. The world hasn’t asked anything of you yet. For this moment, there is only breath, the soft hum of a new beginning, and the promise that today is unwritten. Take your time stepping into it. Carry patience with your thoughts, kindness with your words, and a little hope in your pocket. Even small steps count. Even quiet progress matters. may this day meet you with calm and leave you with something to smile about.