The Heat is On
… at least it is in Vancouver. I can’t really complain, since only a couple of months ago people were complaining how we weren’t really getting summer weather, so instead of talking about the Vancouver heat I’ll talk about a few other areas of my life that are heating up (yes, a lame segue, but really it’s too hot to think of anything more clever).
Yesterday, the team I manage at work grew by 60%, going from 5 members to 8 (not counting myself). We are now wholly responsible for 4 complete products, 1 internal and 3 external, and with any luck we’ll be the most efficient team in the company in terms or revenue per person. That said, efficiency isn’t what I’m striving for – while the team growth and priority shifts are causing me a bit more work in the short term, I think we’ll be able to maintain a comfortable pace that allows for slack.
Last night I went to Vij’s for Jen‘s birthday, and the food was as fantastic as the last time that I was there. We didn’t have any cricket bread this time, but the dishes we did have were perfectly spiced for the weather – we were all sweating a little bit and our mouths were tingling, but nothing was too hot. If anyone out there is a fan of Indian food and hasn’t yet been to Vij’s, hit up Jen’s review for a strong argument for you to go as soon as possible.
I’ve played relatively few team sports in my life, at least by choice (I’ve tried to forget about junior high gym class). I did 6 years of martial arts throughout high school, which I found very enjoyable, but I never was one to pass a ball, shoot a basket, or score a touchdown. That’s changed this summer, as I’ve been playing Ultimate with a team consisting mostly of workmates. While I’m relatively fit (not fat, not athletic, was biking to work a few times a week before moving), my lack of disc-throwing experience combined with an almost complete absence of team play made the first few outings quite difficult. Over the summer, however, I feel like I’ve improved to a level that I’ve never before reached in a team sport. That’s not to say that I consider myself “good” at Ultimate, nor am I one of the better members on the team – I just feel that I’ve never had this level of team strategy combined with skill in the sport. I’m seeing plays materialize, I’m going to where the disc is going to be, and I’m actually getting some of the more interesting throws to go where I want them (hello, outside-in). It’s pretty fun, and I’ll very likely play another season next summer, but before that – playoffs! We don’t exactly feel a lot of pressure, but there’s still going to being a lot of excitement on the field, and given that we have a game this week, we’ll definitely be feeling the heat.
There, that’s three things that are (very) tangentially related to heat – increased workload, spicy food, and the pressure of playoffs. Hopefully if I keep thinking of other heat-related things, I can forget the fact that my daily commute to work is more like a pressure cooker than a bus ride. Stay cool out there!
