Things 3 and Todoist and OmniFocus
I have always viewed Things 3 as a poor attempt at a task management app. Less powerful and more basic, even, than Reminders before it got the big update a couple of years ago. Yet, lots of people still talk about how wonderful it is. (Shortcuts and all that, but the people who say that lose more time creating and playing with shortcuts than they gain by using them.) I may need the full suite of apps to see that, but I fear the possibility of spending another $70 for the Mac and iPad versions to learn within 5 minutes that it is what I think it is.
My app of choice these days is Todoist, not because I love it (I don’t) but because it’s the closest thing to the way my brain works. Well, OmniFocus is the closest thing, but it’s more than I need now. I needed those features when I was in the classroom running a busy choral program. But now that I’m in administration, my projects are longer but they have fewer minute details and subprojects.
If it seems I posted this to start an argument, I didn’t, so don’t see this as bait. This is more of a rehetorical “Is there something about Things that I’m just not seeing?” post.
As heavily invested as I am in the Apple ecosystem, I have never been able to commit to HomeKit accessories because they’re so fickle. Z-Wave devices, on the other hand, have been rock solid for pushing 8 years since we moved in. I just had to replace my first Z-Wave light switch.
Sadly, the television adaptation of A Gentleman in Moscow does not do justice to the beauty of the book.
This has turned out to be a far more productive day that I planned. When I woke up this morning, I only had a nap on my task list.
Personal
Hair: cut
Fajitas: eaten
Nap: not taken
Husband
Dishes: washed
Floors: vacuumed, mopped
Project: almost finished
Vehicle
Oil: changed
Car: washed
Gas: filled
Shōgun is so good!
American Fiction - ★★★★½
My wife and I just finished watching American Fiction, a 2023 movie about an African-American author who struggles to sell books among his myriad other struggles. We were searching for a comedy, and the synopsis intrigued us. However, this movie turned out to be more poignant than comedic, though there were certainly funny moments. I don’t think this is one we’ll return to often; it isn’t that kind of movie. But we enjoyed it from beginning to end. It’s one we’ll recommend to others.
Finally watched Oppenheimer. Really fantastic movie.
Son: Hey, Dad. I’ll be in town this Saturday for a friend’s birthday. We should do lunch.
Me: Or, how about this. How about we say you’re coming into town for your dad’s birthday, and while you’re here, you’ll get to spend time with a friend for his birthday, too.
Son: That’s exactly what I meant!
Just finished reading The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett. 📚
The ending seemed a bit rushed, with larger time gaps and fewer details than the first 90% of the book, but it was a very enjoyable read/listen. Now back to Kingsbridge for Pillars of the Earth.
The Regime is truly awful. Kate Winslet is brilliant but the rest of everything about the show is so stupendously terrible.
I highly recommend Ken Follett’s The Evening and the Morning. I’m about two-thirds of the way through and I want to punch a few of the characters. Better even than Pillars of the Earth, which is itself epic.
Ewan McGregor is starring in a limited series adaptation of Amor Towles’s A Gentleman in Moscow. I loved the book so much, I’m afraid to watch the series.
The opening sequence for Masters of the Air is symphonic beauty.