As I move into working on my dissertation, it feels strange to not have a “class” this semester. It’s been a long time since I wasn’t reviewing syllabi at the start of a semester…
Quick Thoughts
Shorter than a blog post.
Farewell 2025.
Finally got to see my nephewâs basketball team. Helps when his team plays in a tournament five minutes from my house.
I’m watching the World Darts Championship on Peacock and I have so many questions. Apparently, they are currently doing a speed round, the crowd is wild, and a couple of spectators are dressed as Ronald McDonald.
Our travel plans for Christmas changed at the last minute, so Team Wertz took a day trip to the Isle of Palms and Charleston.
I just made the move from an iPhone 12 Pro to an iPhone 17. Lots of advancements over the last 5 years.
Christmas morning.
Merry Christmas from Team Wertz.
The renovated Finlay Park in Columbia is gorgeous. They did such a great job with the update and it’s now such a vibrant space for the community. Love it.
A cubano at Indah Coffee.
Happy 21st birthday, Norah! Glad we could celebrate with you.
Enjoyed Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. 🍿
Finlay Park on a cool morning.
My last day in this job is tomorrow… my office is mostly packed up and I’m checking off the last few things off my to-do list. I’m realizing that on Monday, I start an entirely new job with an empty to-do list and an opportunity to rethink how I organize notes, track tasks, etc.
Some personal news… I’ve accepted a different position at the University of South Carolina as Director of Research Training in the Carolina Grants and Innovation Hub. I’m so incredibly excited about this new role and can’t wait to get started next week.
I’ll miss my team and coworkers. I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished at USC in the last 12+ years and it was such an honor to manage visual branding for a place that I love so much. I’m not going far, though, just moving a few blocks closer to the Horseshoe.
Saw a McLaren on my way home from the grocery store today, close to my home. Yesterday, I saw a Lamborghini. I recently saw a Ford GT. Where are all of these luxury sports cars coming from?
Spending the day working a graduate school paper. Camped out at a coffee shop listening to New Order and writing. Hopefully, I’ll get my first draft completed today.
Finally got by to see the new Finlay Park. Beautiful.
This afternoon has been a long day.
This really resonated with me this morning. Seth Godin on Captaincy:
Captains set the agenda, create tension and lean into possibility. Captains aren’t just doing their job, they’re creating something that others thought was unlikely. They rarely have all the answers, but they’re very good at asking questions.
Seth Godin: “Stuck is a situation, stuck might be a problem, and stuck can be a choice.”