[sunstone]

Pedantic guy asks "what is your definition of 'work'"?

The short answer for me is, I've done enough 'work' when my efficiency curve drops more than 15-20%.

After that though I relax my scanning the latest news, HN and other consistent sources of interesting and useful new information. Is this work? Actually I (as in the guy in my brain who uses it when I'm not) often comes up with work arounds for the local maximum I've often hit in my "real work". Things like a better way to structure some code, a better way to approach a system problem, all kinds of useful things pop up from time to time. Really it's a way of getting out of the rut.

I've come to view this as essential work though it seems like just goofing off.

Well the Brits have a saying for it. "Bed, bath and bus." That's often where inspiration strikes when you least expected.