Ben's Private Circle

By Ben - Public - 30 Notes

Ben's own drawer: where things are, what he wants to try, the words he lives by, and the admin of everyday life. In real life only Ben would see it. One of Ben's Circles, a sample - read it, star its Notes, or duplicate it to make it your own.

Ideas NotebookIdeas that pop up in the shower and disappear by lunch - caught here instead: - A family recipe book, one recipe from every relative. - A neighborhood tool-sharing group. - A photo album for each year of the kids, made every December. - Learning to bake bread properly.Goals
Habits I Am Building10 minutes of reading before sleep A walk after lunch Phone out of the bedroom Water before coffee One thank-you message a week Tip: set a weekly **Remind me...** on this Note to check in.Goals
Emergency Contacts- Emergency - 112 - Maya - first, always - Grandma and Grandpa - can be here in 40 minutes - Dana - can pick up the kids - Dr. Adler, the children's doctor - Riverside Clinic - Mrs. Ortega - has the keys to the apartment The babysitter has this Note through **Give someone access...** - just this one.HealthGood to know
Things I Am Grateful ForA short list to reread on hard days: - Health, for me and the people I love. - Friends who answer the phone at any hour. - Saturday morning coffee. - The kids' laughter from the next room. - Having a home to come back to.Goals
Lessons I Have Learned- Sleep on big decisions. - Most things that feel urgent are not important. - People remember how you made them feel. - Saying no to one thing is saying yes to something else. - The best time to start was yesterday; the second best is today.Good to know
Doctors and Health- Me - Dr. Levi, family doctor. A check-up every spring; I go every second spring. - Dentist - Dr. Moss, every 6 months - Pharmacy open late - Maple Pharmacy, Station Street - The kids' doctors are in the family CircleHealth
My DreamsThe big ones, even if they sound silly today: - A small house near the sea, with a workshop. - A year of travel with the family before the kids are teenagers. - Starting something of my own. - Being the grandparent who knows every story and every recipe. Dreams written down have a way of becoming plans.Goals
Subscriptions We Pay For- Streaming - monthly - Music - monthly - Phone plans - monthly - Cloud storage - yearly - Gym - monthly Once a year, go down this list and cancel what nobody uses.Bureaucracy
Where Important Documents Are- Passports and the car warranty - blue folder, top drawer of the desk - Birth certificates - the same blue folder (it is a good folder) - Insurance policies - green folder, the drawer below - The apartment's papers and the lease - the fireproof box - Scans of everything - the cloud folder "Documents" Never write passwords or card numbers in a Note.Bureaucracy
Bucket List- See the northern lights - Swim with sea turtles - Take a long train journey across a country - Learn to sail - Run a marathon (or at least a half) - Cook a full dinner for twelve people - Visit the town my grandparents came from - Write a letter to my kids to open when they turn 18Goals
Important Dates and Deadlines- Car insurance - renews in March - Car service - at 60,000 km or in March, whichever comes first - Home insurance - renews in June - Passports - mine runs to 2028, the kids' run out sooner - Tax return - due in April Each one that matters has a **Remind me...**.Bureaucracy
Goals for This YearRead 12 books Run a 10 km race Save for the summer trip Learn to cook 5 new dishes Call grandma every Sunday One weekend a month with no screens Clear out the storage room Tick them off as the year goes.Goals
Where I Want to Be in 5 YearsWritten down so I can look back and smile (or adjust). **Family** - more slow weekends together, one big trip a year. **Work** - doing work I am proud of, with people I like, fewer meetings. **Health** - running 10 km without stopping, sleeping 7 hours. **Home** - a garden, a bookshelf that is full, a table big enough for friends. **Me** - speaking one more language, and finally playing the guitar that sits in the corner. Read again every New Year's Eve.Goals
Weekly Meal Plan**Monday** - pasta with vegetables **Tuesday** - chicken and rice **Wednesday** - soup and sandwiches **Thursday** - fish and salad **Friday** - pizza night **Weekend** - something new from the recipe listFoodFamily
Hardware store listBatteries, AA (the remote eats them) Bathroom bulb, E14 warm white The washer for the bathroom tap Wall plugs Whatever Sam Rivera said I should have bought the first time A list like this in a shared Circle, opened with **Anyone can edit**, lets everyone add to it.Shopping
Mottos I Live By- Done is better than perfect. - Leave every place a little better than you found it. - Say yes to the invitation - you will not remember the nights you stayed home. - Be kind; everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. - Small steps every day beat big plans someday. - If it takes less than two minutes, do it now. - Ask the question. The worst answer is no.Goals
Kids' shoe sizesNoa 31, Leo 28. They grow while you are standing in the store, so buy half a size up.KidsShopping
Car serviceNext one at 60,000 km or in March, whichever comes first - before the car starts making That Noise again. Garage: Lenny's on Elm Road. Ask for Lenny, not his cousin.CarMaintenance
Books to readThe one everybody talked about last summer The short one (it was not short) The one Dad lent me in 2019 The one about sleep, read at 1 a.m. The other fortyBooks
Water the plantsEvery Sunday evening - there is a weekly reminder on this Note. The fern is dramatic. The cactus forgives everything.Home
Gift ideas for MayaThe scarf she stopped in front of in March Pottery class for two (she said "maybe", which means yes) The new book by the author she keeps quoting Do NOT: another candle.Gifts
Where the passports areBlue folder, top drawer of the desk, behind the chargers nobody uses. The car warranty is in there too. So is a charger that fits nothing we own.BureaucracyTravel
Calling the embassyEvery couple of years something needs a stamp. - Call in the morning, right when the phone line opens - by noon it's hopeless. - Have the passport number and the case number ready BEFORE they answer. - Ask for the email of the person you spoke to, and write their name here. - Be very polite. It works.Bureaucracy
Car insurance - the excess waiverRental cars: skip the insurance the rental desk sells and buy a separate yearly "rental car excess insurance" policy online instead - it covers every rental that year for about the price of one week at the desk. Keep the policy PDF in this Note and show it if the desk pushes. Renews every March - there's a reminder on this Note.CarTravel
Courses I want to takePhotography, beyond "point and hope" Italian, so I can order more than coffee First aid refresher (the kids are fast) Woodworking - just one shelf, Maya, I promiseGoals
Template: car papers and datesCopy this Note for each car. Insurance - company, renews on: Service - next at (km or date): Inspection due: Tires changed: Garage, and who to ask for: Set a **Remind me...** two weeks before each date.CarTemplate
Car - oil changesOil change every 15,000 km, last at 82,400. Lenny's on Elm Road does it while you wait. Insurance and service dates are in "Important Dates and Deadlines".Car
Where things areSpare car key: kitchen drawer, under the takeout menus. Batteries and light bulbs: the box under the stairs. Passports: see "Where the passports are".Home
Warranty: dishwasherBought 2024, 3-year warranty. Receipt is in the folder. Service number on the side of the machine.HomeMaintenance
Plumber who actually cameSam Rivera - from Maple Hill Neighbors, where half the street uses him. Came the same day. Cash.Services

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