Author: hwilkie@mhwcom.com

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I Didn’t Know This Was a Thing

Have you ever heard some sort of “new” disease, syndrome or condition, read the symptoms and realized you had it? That happened to me this week when I read about productivity shame! I definitely have that, and so do many of my friends. Maybe you do too.

When the pandemic first started and we were just beginning to spend more time at home, although maybe not yet actually locked down, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to do all those things I wanted to do but never normally had the time. Cleaning out cupboards — maybe finding those three favourite winter sweaters I haven’t seen for months and which I suspect I threw out inadvertently, getting back to my painting and sketching, maybe even ripping out that top I knitted and never liked so that I could knit something else. (Why don’t I keep a supply of yarn on hand for when a pandemic happens to strike?)

Not to mention, of course, the things related to my business — that ever growing list of shoulds.

But somehow this free time hasn’t translated into getting things done. Quite the opposite, in fact. I can’t count the times I’ve sat on my couch thinking, “I could get out my painting things now, and then they will be ready for me to do something tonight,” — and then carrying on watching old Stephen Fry programs on YouTube.

My writing projects are not much further ahead than before, and my good ideas to try one day are still in the same file, buried deep in my computer where I’m unlikely to ever find them.

Do I feel bad about this? Sometimes. I try to cut myself some slack, but I do feel guilty — and kind of stupid. Some of my friends admit to the same feelings.

Well, lo and behold, this condition has a name: productivity shame! Apparently so many of us suffer from it that it threatens to become a pandemic all on its its own! I don’t know about you, but when I know other people are suffering similar problems to my own, it doesn’t worry me so much. So now, whenever I feel bad about not getting it all done, I’ll just comfort myself by saying it’s just productivity shame — and this too shall pass.

What I Actually Did Do

  1. Made some yummy desserts, including a fantastic dried fruit and nut loaf. If you want to try it, or even see the picture that seduced me into making it, here’s the link: https://www.joyofbaking.com/DriedFruitandNutLoaf.html  The woman on YouTube said it’s better if you wait a couple of days before eating it. Is she nuts? I ate a quarter of mine the day I made it!
  2. Recorded about a third of my audiobook of Rare Steak, Red Wine, Hot Tango. Not as much as I had planned, but at least it’s started.
  3. Prepared the second edition of Rare Steak, Red Wine, Hot Tango for publication. Can’t complete the process yet because I haven’t been able to contact my cover designer for an update, but I’ll do that as soon as I can.
  4. Bought a basil plant at the supermarket and it’s thriving in the sun on my balcony.

Well, I guess I did more than I thought. I’ll remember that next time I feel a wave of productivity shame coming on.

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The Liberator

During my first visit to Argentina, way back in 2014, I read something in a guide book that struck me quite forcibly. The writer said that all famous Argentines — including politicians, generals, artists — were polarizing figures.  They all had their supporters and detractors.

Except one: General José de San Martin — El Libertador.

When I read that, I was immediately intrigued, and the more I read of San Martin the more fascinated I became.

He was known as El Libertador because he liberated from Spanish domination

My sketch of the monument in Plaza San Martin, Buenos Aires

not only Argentina, but also Peru and Chile. He was a brilliant soldier and, by all accounts, respected by those under his command as well as the population in general. In every Argentine city I’ve visited, there is at least a street and more often a square named after him. The one in Buenos Aires features one of the most beautiful monuments in the city — and there are many beautiful monuments here.

A couple of years ago, there was an event featuring all the bookstores on Avenida Corrientes — and there are lots of them. Old fashioned bookstores that actually sell books, and that night they were open until one o’clock in the morning. All busy, not only with browsers but with buyers. That night I bought this book about San Martin.

I began to read it and found it fascinating, although reading a history book in another language is quite challenging. I took it back to Toronto with me, but didn’t continue reading. When I moved down here I brought it back with me, and this week I came across it again on my bookshelf.

Yesterday I started to read it again, and I’m impressed all over again by this man they call The Liberator. He earned his title honestly and it’s no surprise he is probably Argentina’s greatest and most loved hero.

Viva El Libertador!

 

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Ready to Record!

Well I finally figured out a set-up that works for recording my audiobook — and here it is! This is my “recording studio”, made by hanging a duvet around the pull-down rail in my walk-in closet. The second photo is a peek inside, the space where I’ll actually do the recording.

The theory is that the thick padding behind me will baffle the sound and take away any echo — necessary because my place has high ceilings.

Now that it’s all in place, I plan to start recording tomorrow and finish it by the end of the week. Then I have to do some technical tweaks before it’s ready to upload. I’m glad I bought the program on how to do this, because I have no idea what all the tweaks mean. I’ll just follow the “hit this button and set this number to xxx” instructions and hope for the best.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

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What I’ve Accomplished During Week 3 of Lockdown

  1. Cleaned up all my plants, loosened the soil and deadheaded them. Gardening is even less natural to me than cooking, so this was a big deal. One pot looks worse now than before.

There isn’t much more, other than what I’ve posted about. Surely I can do better than that! This week I plan to do some other things around the house that I never usually get time for.

What about you? Have you accomplished anything interesting this past week? Let us know in the comments.

Stay well.

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I’m Finally Working on My Audiobook

I’ve been wanting to make an audiobook of Rare Steak, Red Wine, Hot Tango for a while. It’s apparently the fastest growing segment of the book market, and soon it will be expected that most books have audio versions.

A couple of days ago, I listened to a webinar where the guest was someone who specializes in teaching authors to record their own audiobooks, and it was very good. I decided I’d buy his program if it wasn’t too expensive. But when he got to the part where he was pitching the program, it looked familiar. Yep, you guessed it — I already had it! A year ago I heard the same guy do someone else’s webinar and I bought the program then. I knew I wasn’t ready at that time, but would be at some point. Then I promptly forgot all about it.

Anyway, I’ve now started watching it. I have pretty much all the equipment I need to do the recording, and I expect to start it in the next few days. Stay tuned.

I also want to let you know that I am about to release a second edition of the book, because it’s been a couple of years since it came out and I’d like to give it a boost in sales. Amazon’s rules say you have to make substantial changes to justify a new edition, so I first updated the information to reflect the fact that I now live here. Then I added two new chapters: one about my stay in hospital last year, and another tango one, this time about the clothes — with photos!

I’ll be publishing the new edition this week, so if you haven’t read it yet, this might be a good time to order. I’ll let you know when it’s done, and also when the audiobook is available.

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I Believe the Terrorist lLook Is Trending!

At first I believed what I heard — that masks weren’t really helpful. I was told they were for people who were sick, so that they wouldn’t spread the virus to others, but didn’t do any good otherwise. Of course, now that has been shown to be wrong, so I decided to get with the program.

However, there are no masks available, so I decided to make my own. I saw videos on how to make masks out of a bra, but mine are the wrong shape. I had tried a scarf, but apparently that is the least effective, probably not helped by the fact that it kept slipping off. I then read that one of the best things to use was old t-shirt material. The only t-shirt I was willing to sacrifice was black — hence the terrorist look! Like it?

 

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Partying Lockdown Style

Yesterday was my friend Vivi’s birthday, and we decided to have a virtual party for her! We logged into Zoom at 7 pm, champagne at the ready.

These are two attempts at screen shots — difficult with a glass of champagne in one hand. On the left, the birthday girl is in the large foreground shot. I am on the top left, then our friends Joanna and Gary who are currently at home in Canada, Vivi again (not sure how that happened), Cecilia wearing her party hat, and Gillian ducking for some reason.

In the second one, Venetia is second from the left, but her Internet was so bad she eventually had to leave. Gillian, back from ducking down, is in the large image.

We were online for over an hour, and it was fun even though a bit chaotic!

Happy Birthday Vivi!

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This is my currently nightly schedule!

Well I think we all know about the nightly applause in appreciation of the emergency workers, which has now spread around the world. In Buenos Aires, that’s at 9 pm.

A couple of days ago, I received notification about another initiative, and I’m sorry but I can’t remember the name of the organization that set this up. But the plan is at a certain time, people around the world join in prayer, or meditation or contemplation as their belief systems allow. They provided the time in various zones, and in Buenos Aires, that’s at 5 pm.

Last night at around 9.30 pm, I heard this raucous noise coming from all around, from the other buildings. I suspect what it was, and it turned out I was right. In Buenos Aires there is a custom for people to protest injustice or inequity by gathering in the streets and banging pots with spoons and other kitchen implements. It’s called a cacerolazo. This morning I found out it was a protest because people think politicians are paid way too much money and their salaries should be reduced. So pots will be banged every night at 9.30 pm — not sure how long this will go on.

So now I have all these alarms set on my iPhone: praying at 5 pm, clapping at 9 pm and banging pots at 9.30 pm!

And now my friend Venetia is setting up a group for a virtual glass of Malbec at 8 pm — I thought I was fully booked, but I think I can fit that in!What times we’re living in, eh?

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More things I’ve accomplished during lockdown

  • In the absence of my cleaning lady, cleaned my apartment. Most of us will be giving these worthy ladies a bonus when they come back, but in the meantime since I’m doing the work I feel I should be paid. So I’m putting away what I pay her every week, and “when all this is over” I’m going to spend it on something I’m not allowed to do now — I hope it won’t be tango shoes, as that would mean we’ll have had a very long quarantine!
  • Continued to experiment with cooking. Can I now say I love cooking? Not yet, but maybe one day. But I am eating well, and I’m saving quite a bit of money I usually spend on eating out.
  • Held an online creative writing time with three of my writer friends. We used to be in the same writers’ group here, but now one is in Chicago, one in London and two of us still here. It was so successful, and so nice to reconnect, that we’ve decided to do it every Friday at least until we are released from captivity.

Have you done anything you’d like to share? Put it in the comments.