The Weekly Wrap: December 12, 2021

At the start of the pandemic, I had to learn how to work from home. I've always worked in an office, so losing the commute and coworkers was a big change for me. It only took a few weeks for me to learn that I needed to establish a routine if I was going to get into a rhythm of working from home. 

​One of the routines I added was to make Friday my "admin day."

After a week full of Zoom meetings and far too many e-mails, I realized that admin work was all my brain could tolerate by Friday. I use Fridays to clean out my inbox and follow-up folder, update my required monthly report, empty out my voicemail, clean up my Trello and Toggl, work on random "I've been meaning to organize this" projects, and set plans for the following week. If there's time, I also tackle my massive professional reading pile and watch webinar recordings.

My organization is back to work in hybrid mode now, but I am keeping my admin Fridays. I found it to be a productive use of my time that was not too taxing on my mental capacities. 

What pandemic induced change are you going to keep?

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• Honeybees are amazing. [NYT]
• In praise of the galley kitchen. [TASTE]
• The infuriating wealth gap of the super rich - to scale. [MKorostoff]
• Prisons are keeping books from incarcerated people. [Protean]
• Millennials are saving something - holiday cards. [WaPo - gift link]

• When does a model become  a mannequin? [The Daily]
• The dauntless Angela Merkel. [NPR]
• How palm oil got in everything. [Gastropod]
• Outwitting redlining and segregation to build black neighborhoods. [99% Invisible]
• Is a Stradivarius the best? [Planet Money]

• The Japanese art of wood joining is incredibly satisfying and beautiful.  [Colossal]
• How glass ornaments are made. [Science Channel]
• How bags are loaded on to planes. [Insider]
• Now I want a soft pretzel. [Eater]
• Bread almost too pretty to eat. [@pal_dough_pal]
• The most enjoyable Hallmark movie we watched this week was Next Stop, Christmas. It involves time travel, over acting, and Christopher Lloyd. But it comes across as a delightful romp because it doesn't take itself too seriously. [Hallmark Channel]

• I have a nostalgic love for tortellini soup.  In my memory, my mom made this a few times each winter and it soothed my soul every time. When I made it this week, it wasn't as good as I remember. I blame me, not my memory. Definitely need more salt. Also, the stewed tomatoes are key. [My Evernote]