This week has had at least 2 snow days (maybe more I’m working ahead because I have time right now instead of kids to watch) so the week has been broken up a bit. On one hand, it’s been tough to get stuff done, but on the other hand it’s been nice to hang out with the kids.

My theme for 2020 is margin (time mostly) and it’s nice to see a few decisions I’ve made already pay off with not feeling like I have to head back to the office all the time to work when my kids can do puzzles and stuff.

> If I never knew about it at all — if the request was lost in the mail, if they hadn’t been able to pin me down to ask me — would I even notice that I missed out? [Stillness is the Key](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0525538585/?tag=blogcurtismchale-20) Page 191

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## I Shipped

[Monday I wrote and did a video on how I was wrong about iPadOS mouse support](https://curtismchale.ca/2020/01/13/i-was-wrong-about-ipados-mouse-support). Before we had it, I wondered how I’d ever need it. But I use it daily with my iPad Pro and 4K monitor. I love mouse support and there isn’t that much I really want out of iPadOS now.

[Wednesday I wrote about the Inateck KB02010 keyboard case for my iPad](https://curtismchale.ca/2020/01/15/one-month-with-inateck-kb02010-ipad-pro-keyboard-case). They sent it to me for free, and it’s become my go to standard iPad case.

## Friday Five

**1 The Morning Routines We Idolize Are Often From People Divorced From Reality**

I have a few morning routines in the week. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday I get up around 5am have a bit to eat and then take a cup of coffee down to my office and read for an hour, then write for a bit. Then I take the kids to school.

Thursday I get up at 5am and head out to my local running group. Home by 7am to shower and get the kids out the door.

Friday, I wrangle kids while my wife runs early.

Saturday and Sunday, I generally wrangle kids and fight for any time of silence to read or do anything I want. At 3, 5, 9 my kids alway want something from me so by 9am Sunday I’ve generally read maybe one thing and answered what feels like 10,000 questions.

One thing I think when I read the routines of famous and rich and successful people is who on earth takes care of your kids for you? Maybe they don’t have them, but they also have the money to pay someone else to do all the chores and other shit that the rest of us have to do.

It’s important to remember that many of these famous people are entirely divorced from anything resembling the reality of the rest of us. At one point before they were successful they didn’t have this routined and had to rush through laundry at 5am so they had clean pants in the morning. Yoga and cryotherapy weren’t even a thing they knew about and wouldn’t have cared about if they had heard of it.

[Inpsired by Marina Koren in The Atlantic who wrote Your Morning Routine Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect](https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/12/morning-routines/602788/)

**2 Peter McKinnon Pursue What Interests You**

[Don’t be afraid to pursue what interests you](https://www.youtube.com/KSO3zoUGCEY).

I always think that a good thing to remember is that: Just because you became known for one thing doesn’t mean you have to always fill that role.

I used to write mostly about freelance, now it’s way more about iPad stuff and some productivity. In the future…I have other ideas. I also just want the freedom to pursue what interests me.

**3 A PC Is a Personal Computer, an iPad Is a PC**

[From Harry McCracken](https://www.fastcompany.com/90441293/why-the-ipad-is-my-personal-gadget-of-the-decade) via [The Loop](https://www.loopinsight.com/2019/12/23/why-the-ipad-is-my-personal-gadget-of-the-decade/)

> A PC is a personal computer, and a personal computer is any digital device you use to create, collaborate, and communicate. I find that I can perform all three tasks most efficiently on my iPad. I’m glad we finally got to an era where that just makes me a tiny bit of an outlier, not a freak.

– I think that what holds many people back from using an iPad all the time is that they [can’t just do things the same way they always have](https://curtismchale.ca/2019/09/02/real-work-on-an-ipad-means-the-same-way-i-ve-always-worked).

**4 Powerbeats Pro, Galaxy Buds, AirPods and Waterproofness**

[Decent round up of the waterproofness of the Powerbeats Pro, Galaxy Buds, and AirPods](https://www.cnet.com/news/airpods-powerbeats-pro-galaxy-buds-how-water-resistant-wireless-headphones/). I have the Powerbeats Pro and have found over the last few months that if they’re damp at all it’s a pain to get them charging. In fact, the charging situation with them has been the biggest pain in the but.

And I don’t think that the H1 chip is any real advancement in Bluetooth technology. Sure it made pairing to other devices faster since it was just populated but it’s way harder to change between devices than regular bluetooth with multiple device support.

I’ll cover that more in my review of them in 2020.

**5 The Cost of High-Pressure Rush Delivery**

[From Nick Heer](https://pxlnv.com/linklog/public-cost-parcel-delivery/):

> Many vehicles might not be on the road if it were not for Amazon’s high-pressure rush delivery options. It is worrying that these companies are aware of the negative results of programs like Amazon Prime, but are slow to make changes for the better as they continue to hurry packages along. If they bore some responsibility for the damage they inflict, I imagine things may be different.

Yes we get multiple deliveries a week. We order special food for my daughter’s digestion because buying it in store is a 50% markup but Amazon Subscription makes it the same as the non-special stuff.

Then there is all the tech stuff and books I order.

One thing I do to help, at least I fool myself into thinking it helps, is to never choose the fastest option. I’ll take the slowest free shipping option available. If I really need it tomorrow, then maybe I should just drive to the store and get it.