Today my mind is unusually clear and at peace. I do wish however that I had a good book to soak my mind in. I just have a couple of instructive financial books, a novel (Captain Corelli's Mandolin) that is repulsing me more than drawing me in, and a book of poetry for which I am not in the mood. Alas, if only I had a good, lengthy comic book!

Mission:
- engineering beautiful software
- cherishing my family
- being conscious of my human journey

I used to have "random acts of kindness" in there, but three items is enough for me to keep in my head. Still I wonder if it is "big" enough or if it can sufficiently represent the totality of my life.

The first one may seem a bit mundane but programming is an activity I quite enjoy, something I've been doing since childhood. I have in the past expressed regret for studying Engineering Physics instead of Computer Science at university, but in fact the study of beautifully elegant, fundamental equations has brought a minimalist aesthetic of elegance to my programming style. I also owe this to some excellent, empassioned books on the craft of programming, in particular: GoF, PragProg, and XP.

The second point--cherishing my family--comes perfectly natural to me, as I'm sure it does to most people.

The third point--being conscious of my human journey--this is the all-encompassing holistic dimension. Basically this is about taking time to smell the roses.

I have just finished an enjoyable plate of fish and chips at Smitty's diner. And now what? How best to recharge for the remainder of the evening? I'll wander down to the comic stores to see if they are still open.