A Day Late and A Bitcoin Short
I apologize for my tardiness but I don't think I've ruined anyone's weekend. However, I think this could be the first time I’ve missed writing a Saturday Musings post all summer, maybe even all year. Hence, the Sunday Musings thumbnail. My feeble attempt at redemption.
Yesterday I was busy putting the final touches on the manuscript – things like creating QR codes for the interior, seeking out all of the final pesky typos, and deciding on some concepts for the cover design. I guess it was all for a good reason and every streak was made to be broken.
Gladly, Another Streak Has Been Broken
I don’t think I’ve shared much about this ordeal on my blog (probably because I was trying my best to forget about it) but we moved into a condo in June of 2018. The building is nice and fairly new, built in 2005, so we weren’t counting on having any issues whatsoever. Sadly that wasn’t the case. Since mid July of 2018 we’ve been dealing with a leaky patio door. During heavy rains the door leaked and the water ran through the floor and walls into the unit below.
After a year, and several water pressure tests, it was determined that we needed a new patio door. A contractor installed a new $10,000 patio door in 2019 (it was so expensive because it had to be custom built because it wasn’t a standard height).
Guess what? The door still leaked (Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot!) failing another water pressure test due to pin holes in the caulking. As the contractor was removing the original caulking to re-caulk it correctly they damaged our brand new door, which voided the warranty, and had to reinstall another one, at their expense. After over two years, almost $25,000 (each water test cost us over $2,000), five water tests, and probably close to fifty visits from different contractors, the door finally passed the water test last Thursday. Hallelujah!
To add insult to financial injury, a few months ago we found out that the exterior caulking had never been replaced in the entire building due to our HOA’s lack of a routine maintenance plan. As it turns out, the lifespan for this kind of caulking is around 10-12 years and the building is 15 years old.
If you do the math, this leak was probably wasn't due to our door at all. It was more likely a result of failed caulking all along and it failed right around the time it was predicted to. At least this nightmare finally appears to be coming to a close. Now, to pay the contractors.
I'm hoping the future holds one of two things:
- Lots of book sales; or
- a seriously magnificent bull run.
The moral of this story? Think twice before buying a condo.
Another Sign Things Are Looking Up
Simon Wilson’s back! After a months’ long hiatus due to travel restrictions associated with COVID-19 one of our favorite YouTubers is uploading videos again and in Cartel country of all places! These episodes aren’t to be missed.
In his latest Mexico series Simon’s teamed up with Ben from Bald and Bankrupt and Harold Baldr for some hilarious adventures in what the media would tell you are the most dangerous parts of Mexico.
I reached out to Simon last week to see if the three amigos had time to meet up with our friends, Jordan and Maddie from Tangerine Travels but, unfortunately, they weren't able to connect.
Watching their adventures just have me poised and ready to start my own channel ASAP.
Mindful Moments: Perfecting The Pause - Book Update
The book is heading to the designer next week! It should be available for sale on Amazon sometime in early November. I swear each time a new book is published it feels like sending your own child out into the world.
@Bozz, I decided to go with your original subtitle idea. I was putting far too much thought into it. This subtitle is simple, poetic, and, well, perfect. Thanks again for that.
Here’s another preview for you, this is the back cover text:
The Perfect Path To Happiness And A Healthier Planet.
True and lasting happiness is the rarest thing on Earth. Why? Because we’ve all been misled. We’ve been taught to seek happiness through external means like – making as much money as we can, finding the perfect life partner, and acquiring as many material possessions as possible. Billions of humans are on this exact same flawed and unsustainable trajectory. Everyone is grasping at tiny shreds of temporary happiness and scrambling to acquire and consume. Sadly, this method of seeking happiness is not only ineffective, it’s putting our planet and all of the lifeforms we share it with in great peril.
The truth is, if we haven’t already discovered a way to find lasting happiness within ourselves, nothing or no one will ever truly satisfy our feelings of yearning and discontentment.
What’s the answer to this conundrum? Mindfulness. Mindfulness is the perfect path to true and lasting happiness. It’s also a prescription for the empty, frazzled, and disconnected feelings often associated with our toxic and frenetic modern life. The flow-state of mindfulness is a kind of altered consciousness that allows you to experience your life in a deeper and more substantial way and maintain happiness despite external conditions.
When you’re existing in this mindful stream of consciousness your entire being is transformed – your mood is improved, you’re more positive, and you live from a place of gratitude. As a result the day’s events unfold more effortlessly and you naturally attract more good things into your life.
Mindfulness creates a force-field between yourself and negativity. This cushion provides a slight pause that gives you the ability to contemplate the events unfolding around you for a split-second before reacting. These little pauses are immensely valuable: they can mean the difference between a life of happiness and one of regret and despair. I truly believe that mindfulness has the power to heal our entire world, one person at a time.
It’s my wish that the next person is you.
That’s all for now. Enjoy what’s left of your weekend everyone!
With Gratitude,
Eric Vance Walton
(Gifs sourced from Giphy.com. All photos are original)
I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
Alarm Clock Dawn, one of the first full length novels published on the blockchain, and the book that started it all for me can be found HERE. Or Click Here to read it for free on the Steemit blockchain
My book on meditation, The Perfect Pause, is priced at $12.99 (paperback) and $4.99 (eBook). Buy the paperback and receive the eBook for free!