Keeping Rolling Rolling Rolling Rolling

Last night I watched Furious Seven with the missus; the latest (and probably final) installment in the modern The Fast and The Furious franchise, staring Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker. Number seven was as good as number one, but different. I think I missed, or passed, on five and six.

Going back through the Furious adventures (via a nice tribute at the end of the film), I thought back through all the years of this blog and all its adventures, and how life has thrown one curve after another. Such is the ride that is life.

I've experienced blow-outs, burn-outs, crashes, citations, cruises, tuning, boosts, sideswipes, sabotage, losses, victories, and even switched cars a few times. I'm sure you have had your share of some of those too.

I'll be moving from the city this blog was birthed, in a couple of months. As part of this move, I'll be keeping some things, donating some things, recycling some things, and tossing out some things. I'm donating Epotlounge to you, with no more tuning (i.e. new posts). It's been maxed out. :). Thank you all for riding with me over these past seven years. Keep rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling!

What Would You Grab In a Fire?

I was lucky. The apartment building where my children were born in had smoke detectors so sensitive that we all got to practice fire drills often over the first months living there.

Typically, it was just someone leaving food on the stove too long.

We got so good, that when the real fire came a year later, practice made perfect.

We had already agreed with the kids on a rally point; where to go once you're out of the house and where everyone meets.

So, what did we take?

1. Keys
2. Wallet / Purse
3. Mobile Phone
4. Office laptop bag
5. Document bag (with IDs)

Truth is, one through three is really the best you can hope for, without practice. One through three are typically together if not on your person, which helps.

Four and five, everyone knew to grab based on our practices, if they hadn't been grabbed already. Also, five can fit into four, and four can be carried over the shoulder and across the chest, leaving hands free.

Designate a household fire marshal, who is the last to leave and makes sure everyone is out, and makes sure everyone is at the rally point. By my rough estimate from our practices, every adult had no more than 30 seconds, and every child no more than one minute. Add all the minutes, and that's how long from the time the alarm blares, until everyone must be out of the house; maximum. Once that time it reached, the fire marshal moves anyone remaining out of the house and leaves for the rally point.

There are sites and pamphlets on fire safety, but my impression is that if they are ever read, their contents are seldom practiced.

Again, do practice, and make sure your kids know the drill. Every alarm is different, and you never know which one will be the one. You may have more, or less time than you think. It's all theory until the $#!+ hits the fan. Then, it's what you practiced that counts.

image from commons.wikimedia.org

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

I performed an unintentional exercise in mortality awareness last week. What you see is all that will remain of me in the end, from a biological standpoint.

I was underwhelmed to say the least. All that hassle and this will be all that's left. Then I smiled, realizing that at least I'm recyclable. Plus, it's a healthy dose of humility. A reminder not to take myself too seriously.

Regardless of what you believe in, do remember to enjoy the journey, stop to reflect on your trip, and checkout the scenery.

Fasting From Mobile and Social Media

Yep. I knew I could do it. Although, it was tough the first week. No social media or non-public mobile news for three weeks. This included (unintentionally) anything that would typically trigger a notification to social media, like this blog. Sorry.

Of course, I have a generational advantage, which I think makes it easier for me. I clearly remember life before the World Wide Web. What I didn't expect was all the free "mental" space that fast would provide. It was as if someone turned down, to volume one, all the white noise in the state. I experienced better sleep, less tension, and (yes) more time. I was generally in a better mood.

Some things I'll keep: no more mobile news.

Yeah, the better sleep, less tension, and more time too.