Journal : OpenRoadWorks

Merriam-Webster defines habit as a " usual way of behaving: something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way ." Basically something that someone already does, almost without impulse. This must be why habits are hard to make and keep.

Opportunity presents itself in a myriad of ways, although not always as we expect. More often, it is uncertain and looks like work.

A little midnight snow never hurt anyone Perhaps it's too late for cogent writing, but I'm going to try anyways.

I'm not a morning person, but I wish I was. Being alert in the morning makes it easier to do a daily stand-up .

Shovel, deer tracks, shadows, and 1 inch of snow It snowed last night. Nowhere near the dramatic predictions of winter storm Juno , but it snowed regardless. Which meant shoveling.

Our savvy reader I don't make a living with my writing. Not financially, at least.

Enthusiasm for English in Tokyo Today marks the eighth straight day of blog posts. Now I've got the Beatles song "8 Days a Week" in my head.

Martin Luther King  on the National Mall, carved out of  the stone Monday was the Martin Luther King holiday , which was as good a time as any to celebrate freedom.

Professor Kohlrieser talks beginnings and endings On my last day of class in business school, I learned that being uncomfortable every day was a good thing. But what does that mean exactly?

A cocktail can be an effective pick-me-up. A nice espresso can also be an effective pick-me-up. But can the combination provide an even better pick-me-up than they can alone?

Geo-Cosmos in the National Museum of Emerging Science & Innovation (Miraikan) in Tokyo Francis Fukuyama  wrote a famous book in the early 1990's that argued capitalism had won. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, capitalism did win - and its victory precipitated the end of history.

Clock in the middle of Grand Central I'm trying to blog every day, a sort of routine. It's about time.

There are two prevailing mindsets for creating a productive work environment - clean or messy desk.

Although some friends are no longer with us, they linger in unexpected ways.

Italian wines are on a surge? Ask the French, the historical #1 nation for wine production whom the Italians finally surpassed in global wine production in 2012 . It used to be that the Italians kept most of the homegrown wines to themselves, but the trend has reversed over the last two decades, such that any American can find a good selection of Italian wines at their local shop. Sangiovese is a good place to start.

The start of a great meal is often the drink that warms up the taste buds. It is the aperitivo , or before-dinner drink, where the Italians excel above other drinks.

In 1986, a Slow Food movement started in Italy as response to the opening of a McDonald's near the Spanish Steps in Rome (more of the history of Slow Food  here ). Although the movement has gained legs to reach 150 countries around the world, the threats from modernity and fast food were perhaps more benign than expected. Because as real as the threats might be, the lifestyle of slow food is still very much a part of the Italy that I know.

A blustery week left me wanting for something to remind me of better days, warmer days, when not confined indoors. That led my wife and I to conjure some Italian dishes for the weekend that hearken to days walking the enchanted streets of Rome and driving the back roads of Tuscany. First up was Rome.

I've started a book project, and I'll be sharing the progress as I go.

Writing is a life-long pursuit. I was reminded of this fact while scanning old posts from this blog over the holidays. What makes for great writing is not just the grammar, mechanics, and literary flourishes - it's also the life experiences and worldview that powers the words.