These are my Momentos, short personal diary entries I write daily – since 2013 – and publish monthly. Some links are affiliate links.
1
Another day, another shit taxi experience in Tbilisi. Stuck in highway traffic with this guy, an ambulance passes and he tries to quarterback sneak it, gunning through narrow gaps, then acts pissy with other drivers getting back in lane and cutting him off. I yell at him, then get out and walk.
2
At a spectacular Georgian dance show last night. I defaulted to estimating the crowd size and average ticket price, then calculating the night’s take. She defaulted to worrying about the health of the dancers, since they go so heavy on the knees.
3
My back issues come from poor posture. But where does the poor posture come from? I was a shy child, got the message to not stand out too much. Unknowingly, I think I’ve always tried to make myself smaller than I am, so I don’t sit or stand as tall as I should.
4
Been to the dentist a lot the last few years, but this trip was the most traumatic. Ironically, it was the one trip purely for cosmetic reasons: getting my teeth whitened. I come out of there drenched in sweat, stabbing pains in my gums every few seconds. Never again.
5
One week until we leave for Andorra, not sure how we’ll get everything done that we need to do. We’re both running on fumes at this stage. But I keep telling myself that this is likely – hopefully – the last time I move my life to a different country.
6
Monster day. Clocked more hours working today than sleeping last night but felt energetic throughout, even squeezed in 13 kilometers walking. I suspect I’ll eventually pay the price of these few hectic weeks. I can rise to the occasion for a while, but then comes the crash.
7
Evening and I’m out on the balcony, waiting with candles and syrniki. This time of year there are batches of small birds circling out here – swifts, I think – chirping away while doing laps of the space between the apartment blocks. Fascinating to watch.
8
A day where I didn’t feel like working but just kept doing a little bit more and a little bit more and before I knew it I looked up and it was 5pm. Not sure if this is a good day because I pushed through or a bad day because I failed to rest.
9
Switched to ClickUp as my project management software a few months back. Now my whole life is in there. I was inspired by a lady who runs her $150k/month blogging business with the same software. Like a kid who buys the shoes of his favorite NBA star.
10
Been trying a couple of things this month to help with the back issue. One is sitting in a resting squat for ten minutes a day. Another is a quick stretch every time I use the bathroom. That combination seems to be working better than anything else I’ve tried over the years.
11
There’s a little old lady at the supermarket checkout, a big floppy hat on her head and new Skechers on her feet. At one point she turns her head down to the side and spits a puddle on the floor, then goes back to making chit chat with the cashier.
12
Tony Sirico died last week so I load up Pine Barrens and bask in one of the greatest works of art ever committed to screen. I appreciate how they leave things open-ended, like the fate of the Russian in this episode. Writer Terence Winter explained why…
We wanted to keep it ambiguous. You know, not everything gets answered in life.
13
We were supposed to leave today, but my lady got COVID so we’ve pushed everything back. I take a walk, see a kitten on a fence sizing up a long jump to a car roof. I watch for a couple of minutes. Eventually the kitten says fuck it and lets fly.
14
Down at the FedEx office because the package is delayed and they don’t know if it’s in Barcelona or Paris. Nightmare. I come back through smelly traffic, past dug-up streets lined with fat construction workers, up to the apartment and there’s no electricity. of course there isn’t. Can’t wait to leave this fucking town.
15
Three times at the FedEx office today, ultimately fruitless. Seems the best they can do is put a note on the case that it’s “really urgent.” Then what? Who sees that note? What are they going to do about it? If this package gets lost we’re set back another 2 months.
16
Watched Masters of the Universe last night, the 1987 He-Man movie starring Dolph Lundgren. I probably saw it when I was 6 or 7 and loved it. Seeing it now, it’s so bad it’s hilarious. 23-year-old Courtney Cox is in it too, really going for it.
17
I was distracted with lots of stuff beyond my control the last few days. This morning I cleared space and got a few solid hours of work done, got some new processes in place, regained a sense of control. Does wonders for my mental health.
18
I read back over my old Momentos every now and then, been writing them every day for almost a decade. If I go back far enough it feels like I’m reading the words of a different person. I guess that’s a good thing. I hope the same is true in another ten years.
19
Looking for an apartment in Andorra. The rental market is tight, new listings often snapped up within hours. Not sure if we should rent remotely and then go, or be there on the ground looking. Everything seems to be a compromise.
20
Been a month since I hired a couple of new people for the biz. Lots of training done, lots of new processes in place. It’s starting to pay off. Not financially (yet), but in terms of me being able to take time off and feel like the business is still moving forward.
21
This news is already five years old…
Instagram is the worst social media network for mental health and wellbeing, according to a recent survey of almost 1,500 teens and young adults. While the photo-based platform got points for self-expression and self-identity, it was also associated with high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying and FOMO, or the “fear of missing out.”
22
The tube stations in London all have the same recorded voice saying “mind the gap.” Except one. There it’s the voice of a man who died in 2007. His widow likes to drop by the station to hear her long lost husband. So they keep his voice there for her.
23
Watched Dirty Harry and Romancing the Stone recently. Eastwood and Douglas were about my age now when they made those movies, prime of their lives. It’s a good reminder for me that the clock keeps ticking, gotta make the most of these years.
24
We walk past a battered little red car covered in scribbles and Irish flags. A few minutes later we bump into the 4 lads who drove it here from Ireland in a couple of weeks, doing some mad challenge called the Poles of Inconvenience. Legends.
25
I’m reminded of how shady this industry is whenever I go check out my competitors. Looking at one today that blatantly ripped off my research of a popular affiliate marketing course. And they outrank me now. I imagine they’re very proud of themselves.
26
Making progress with the back issues, having more moments where I feel strong again. Opted to walk home from the mall today. 67 minutes said Google Maps, but I power-walked it in 47. No music, no podcast. Just me in my body.
27
Seeing people doing a half-assed job annoys me. But I flipped it today, wondered if anyone who stumbles across eBiz Facts might think I’m doing a half-assed job. And yeah, some surely do, and they’re not all wrong. Lots of things I could be doing better.
28
We’ve been delayed twice but looks like we’re finally set for the move to Andorra next week. I’m reminded just how much I’m looking forward to it when I go to pour a glass of water in the kitchen and find the water’s been cut off. Randomly. Again.
29
If you’re looking forward to something for a while, and then that thing doesn’t end up happening, didn’t you still enjoy the anticipation of it? Even when the thing does happen, you often look back at the lead-up as the best part.
30
We published on Thursday and we’re already #1 on Google for that term. 692 unique visitors to the review in 3 days, but only 39 clicks on our affiliate link. Could have made a lot more money if we’d given it a higher rating. Oh well.
31
Been doing 5 sets of 2 minutes in a resting squat every day this month. Had to hold on to something initially so I didn’t fall back on my ass. But I don’t need that support anymore. Stoked about my progress. 5 sets of 3 minutes every day next month.