So, I've decided to do an experiment. What has spawned this experiment is an idea. I'm frequently that person who will inevitably find himself watching YouTube as I am going to sleep. However, I want to be clear that 90% of what is on my watch list is intrinsically informational or educational. This is just a habit I've had with variances in intensity over the course of my adult life.
It's true, there's a lot of good information available on the internet. There is a lot of good information on things ranging from how to cook the perfect fillet mignon and perform basic maintenance on a vehicle to video series covering a breadth of cerebral topics meticulously broken down into 10 minute easy to understand chunks. I'm not going to be escaping the world of information any time soon.
I am going to disable the YouTube app on my phone. I intend for this to prove something that I've been saying for years. Namely that what seems like an insignificant action can really make a huge difference in the long game. Disabling or removing an app, while keeping a subscription to an online service has the potential of improving what others critically say is our "relationship" with technology.
If we consider how the word relationship is used in our modern society I think it can't be used to describe our interaction with technology. I assert that it is a lack of temperance or self control that impacts how much or little we interact with computer based systems. This lack seems to manifest itself in the modern tendency to prefer escapism and be combined with a careless thrust of ourselves into less cerebral and purely frivolous activities. What ever happened to occupying our "down time" with taking a walk or reading a book?
So, I am going to do three things:
Disable the YouTube app on my phone for the remainder of the month.
At times when I would watch YouTube (before bed, breaks at work, performing research) I will instead read a book or take a walk.
If I want to watch YouTube I will need to use a computer or the Chromecast device on my TV.
I'm not going to cut YouTube completely out of my life. What I'm doing is better directing where I watch YouTube. My hypothesis is that if I'm already in bed, why would I pull myself out of bed, walk to my office, boot up my computer, and launch my web browser? I already know that I'll see this as a bunch of extra steps that I won't want to deal with. So, also I'm banking on my preference to do things in the most effort and time inexpensive way.
Wish the best for me. I'm sure this will require that I come back to write about this again.
So I really have been quite absent. In point of fact I've been virtually non existant. This has been a good thing, as I've not had the drive or ambition to write anything. There've been many life events that've come and gone, and by the time I've thought to myself maybe I should write something about this the moment has passed and really not even sure what to say.
Nothing tragic has happened. In case you're wondering. Everything is fine. Everything is super.
To date I've received another promotion at work and am now a technical support lead at my company. This comes with more opportunities and the responsibility of being on call every few weeks as I work to keep that internet thing everyone likes working. I recently heard the news that one of my best friends is engaged and I'm completely stoked for that. I've got a couple of kids and the life my wife and I are building for ourselves in our home is beginning to take shape.
Within that last year I was also blessed to have been a part of the happy marriage of another one of my best friends. Hearing the recent news of my best friend's engagement has given me reason to reminisce some. What seems like just a few short years ago was our college days. Our ambitions and thoughts about our futures (then) are different from what they are currently. And that's okay. In fact having caught up with my friends over the previous summer and winter months I can say with confidence that we're all doing okay and succeeding. But I knew this anyway. I've always made attempts to surround myself with ambitious people, people who are driven to build their skills and knowledge, and many more times people who are more knowledgeable. To that end I'm thankful that despite the setbacks and delays in our personal goals, things are moving along
Within the last year I actually gave serious thought to beginning a YouTube channel. However, after vetting that idea I laid it to rest, or at least filed it away in the recesses of my mind. If I'm not even able to keep up regularly blogging my thoughts - and even I don't always understand where I come up with them - then when will I ever have time to dedicate to a YouTube channel.
In conclusion, as I sit here with Suite No. 3 in D by Johann Sebastian Bach playing and my laundry rolling around in the dryer, I can only be thankful that the last two years has been a time for growth and opportunities for my many family and friends. This isn't the same for everyone. There's a lot of anger out there. There's a lot of stupidity, ignorance, all of the negative stuff of life. I remain confident in my conviction that if the only concern you have is to improve yourself, learn something new each day, and make great effort to avoid social and political drama, you're going to be much better off than you would be otherwise.
My Van Der Hagen safety razor,
badger hair brush, shave soap, and bowl
Recently, I just made a change up in my morning routine, and it was the best decision I ever made. I made the switch to a traditional safety razor.
When I started shaving, half my life ago it seems, I used a typical electric shaver. It was a good start and at the time not anything time consuming. I was in high school and was merely concerned with making sure I at least looked "cleaned up" as possible. I was also known for occasionally being one of those guys who used Axe body spray if I was in a hurry. Yeah, thank God I am much more organized now!
So for many years I used an electric razor. It wasn't until ~2009 when I started thinking, "gee, I wish there was a better way to shave in the morning." I was tired of shaving only to find that by lunch time I was already developing a 5 o'clock shadow. Most of all, I was tired of having to constantly shell out tens of dollars on new blades for my electric razor. If that wasn't enough - I've had at least a couple of electric razors short out which means if I didn't have a back up razor, then I was just out of luck and up the creek without a paddle. Worst yet, is that I'd have to spend money on a new electric razor; good one that was reliable and get a close enough shave would end up setting me back at least $75 or more depending on availability. Plus there's the whole having to ask a store attendant to unlock the case.
Simply put, I was just done and looking for a better shave that had a lot more bang for my buck.
I switched to a cartridge razor and Barbasol shaving cream and loved it. However, as the years went on I began noticing that the cost effectiveness of the cartridge razor was really not too different from when I was using an electric razor. Yeah, I mean it was a lot less expensive overall, but I just can't justify dropping $15 bucks on a five cartridge pack that I'm just going to be buying the next month anyway. Sure, I tried stretching my cartridges until the aloe strip (a great innovation, by the way!) as long as they could go, but as any one can tell you - shaving with a dull blade is not ideal.
So, I made the decision to go on the market for a safety razor. But before that, I made a crucial switch. I switched to shave soap, and as much as I did love my can of Barbasol, I could not help but notice my face just felt a bit smoother and cleaner. It was bittersweet, but it was time to say good bye to the way I had shaved before.
While looking around for safety razors I found that Van Der Hagen (which makes my shave soap) also makes safety razors. So I dropped the $15 dollars on a safety razor kit that included the razor and 5 fresh blades. So far I was impressed. That's very cost effective.
But I was a little concerned that I would slice myself open. So I decided to do my research. A Google search shows several results for how to guides for safety razors. I read my usual go to on Wikihow. It proved useful, and I definitely was confident that I was very likely not going to slice up my face like I was performing surgery. So I decided that I wanted to find a useful video to reinforce what I was reading. I knew I could shave with a safety razor just fine (it's a safety razor afterall), but really wanted to cross reference my research to make sure my first shave was as enjoyable as possible.
I decided to search YouTube for an instructional video, and I struck gold.
If you're thinking of shaving with a safety razor, you must watch this video and subscribe to Geofatboy on YouTube! Geofatboy explains perfectly how to use a safety razor. Best of all he offers little practical hints and advice that before I saw his channel I had no idea I was missing in my shaving routine. Little things like "clearing the run ways" and "pinching your brush" are a couple seemingly insignificant tips, but just altering what I do before I take the blade to my face has made all the difference in starting my day with a good shave.
Since watching a couple instructional videos I've noticed my shave in the morning is just better. It feels good and my face feels clean all day long - something I haven't had before, which I would say is an added benefit. I emphatically recommend giving a traditional wet shave with a safety razor and shave soap a try. If you don't like it, that's fine, but at very least give it a chance. I'm glad I have.
Wow, has life been busy! A month ago was my last day at Walmart as an Optician (yes, I can fix your glasses, and no I didn't do eye exams - that's the Optometrist!) and a few days later started my new job at a local Internet Service Provider (ISP). So far it's a great job, and one that I'm naturally good at. During the same time, as I was transitioning between jobs, my wife was weaning our daughter which was its own adventure - one that I just won't get into.
So what am I doing exactly? Well I do technical support. Essentially I'm the guy who fixes your internet when you call in saying that your internet is slow or down. (Occasionally I help out the customer service representatives by taking payments from customers too, but that's not exactly exciting.) The exciting part of every day is helping people get their internet up and running. This involves listening to the problem being described by the customer and then diagnosing the root of the problem by running tests and assembling stats on what's happening. Sometimes I do have to escalate some issues to be handled by another department, but that's in extreme cases.
It's not always busy at the office which has a geeky ambiance that I enjoy. It has all the markings of my dream job. Alright, alright so what don't I like about the job? Well, to be honest there's nothing I like less than any other part. I mean, it's work. However, the people I work with really have a sincere focus on team work and an emphasis on supporting each other. It's also an environment where everyone is highly encouraged to learn something new every day regardless of whether or not you're in technical support or accounting. It's just an all around great place to work!
Given that one of my goals is to get in to IT or programming, this is a great first step. The best part is that I can already see that my simple entry level position is not the end of the line for me. There's room to move up. And you know what else? I'm encouraged to move up if I want to. This is a company where if you're good and what you do, then results will usually follow.
It's really a great opportunity to expand upon my skill set. And the absolute best part is that I have a regular schedule. That makes all the difference. I think the sacrifice I made taking a pay cut to accept this position has opened a door to me, and I'm happy I walked through.
However, I'm not naive. I know there are going to be tough days. I know there are going to be days I wish I hadn't shown up to work. There are going to be days where things are overwhelming, and maybe things just aren't working right and tickets get back logged. This isn't any different from any other job. The difference is that in this job I think I'm going to have a good experience during the tough times because I know I have the support of my coworkers and supervisor who want to see me be my best.
Now that I have a family some things have become more important - specifically spending time with my wife and daughter in a non distracting environment. I say non distracting, because it would seem that in the world that I'm raising my daughter in is not lacking in distractions. If it's not concerns with work and what immediately lies ahead on the daily agenda, then it's technology. Interestingly, those who know me would be confused at this point. Technology? Really? The self described technophile is concerned that technology is a distraction? Well c'mon, I'm not naive! As much as I enjoy working with and learning about and using current tech trends I'm also equivocally vigilant about how much of my life is spent basking in the warm, inviting glow of my phone, tablet, or laptop. (As an aside, I make every effort not to abuse tech, however that's a discussion for a later time.)
I'm finding myself increasingly aware of the fact that it would be the best thing for my family if I'm not constantly checking social media, reading the news, drafting a new blog post, catching up on the latest research in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), or just aimlessly browsing until I land somewhere interesting. After a lot of reflection on every pro and con and measuring how much time I really spend using such frivolous things as social media I've come to a simple conclusion: It's time to set aside an entire day where I don't engage with tech - at very least keep it to a practical minimum. Of course, in practice this can be complicated. Look around you and it cannot be more clear: technology is used every day by every person. This is why being practical about tech is just that much more imperative. So, just like every goal I've ever set (I'll admit some goals I've set are more practical than others) I have to establish the ground rules, so as the Joker is quoted as saying in Batman: The Dark Knight: "So, here we go..."
No checking social media! That witty response, meme, or group chat? That can probably wait until the next day. If it's the family group chat, that's allowed, because... it's family day.
The computer stays off! My internet browser, while good at showing my email, agenda, and to-do list is also a temptation to sit for a while and stare at my social media feed (if I have nothing else to do). That time spent staring and gawking at society's "epic fails" or shortcomings could actually be spent with family.
Phone calls and text messages are allowed, because it could be my boss trying to get a hold of me due to an emergency at work, or maybe a friend needs something urgent.
As I made clear the idea is to minimize my engagement with tech by taking one day out of the week and shifting my focus to something else. I foresee actually being able to eventually sit down and a couple books that I haven't picked up in a while (books that I'd really like to dive back into!). I could also see the time spent with family turn into breaking out a board game or even going for a walk (spring is coming soon... I hope!). The end goal is to make a purposeful effort to give my family the time it very much deserves. As far as what day that is? Well, that's easy: Sunday!
What I'd like to do is also encourage you to try the same. (No, your family day doesn't need to be on Sunday, that's just what I've chosen.) Don't try to just give up technology, as that would actually be impractical, and typically those who completely cut the cord with tech usually come off as conspiracy theorists who have a unfounded paranoid opinion linking the government and "Big Tech" as somehow trying to enslave the human race, or some other garbage.
What I'm encouraging here is a chance to take one day a week and do something fun that doesn't have to include technology. All the advancements in technology are great and totally worth while, and often times extremely helpful, but we have to remember that just like a hammer, a car, or a pocket knife these are merely tools. Sometimes, even your favorite tool is also allowed to have a day to rest from use.
So the balancing act between my work and life probably could not be any worse. At the moment my goal of waking up early just isn't going to happen because my biorhythm is not well supported by my work schedule. Due to short staffing and payroll cut backs I can't be full time. Being part time has immense drawbacks since I get left with all the hours that no one else wants. Essentially I work afternoon and evenings half the week followed immediately by morning and daytime shifts. This pretty much leaves me exhausted and unable to function day to day by the end of the week. Every precious minute I get to sleep, is welcomed with no protest!
From another point of view I wonder what the chaotic schedule is doing to the relationship I have with my wife and daughter. I'm away from home at odd times and there's no consistency. At times I'm unable to remember the last time I had a chance to actually have a good conversation with my wife that didn't revolve around finances, benefits, or how much my next pay check is going to be. At the same time my work schedule and every day agenda at work is also partially dictated by whatever mood my boss happens to be in. Such inconsistency causes great mental stress and anxiety about even going into work.
To summarize: I need a new job.
I have been out on the job market actually since March of last year, and so far with no success. My wonderful wife has helped my compile a list of applications when I've been at work and I've received tips of who's looking to hire. (As an added bonus: jobs that would give me the work/life balance I desperately need!) Unfortunately, the story is the same after every interview. I've got potential, but this other person has more experience. Sure I make it into the final batch of qualified candidates, however, this does not help my need to provide, support, and be there for my family.
To say it's been rough would be a great understatement!
But this has got me thinking about where I want to go in life and what I need. I don't need another job. And even a retail job that's full time won't cut it. I need a job that I can retire from in 30 years. A job that utilizes my natural talents, nourishes and expands my potential, and develops my existing skill set. Such a job - I realize - would likely be related to computer science or IT. It's almost ecstasy to think that I could find a job where my day to day forced interaction with the general public would be drastically reduced or very limited. I think that's what I really want though. I'm just done with only retailers willing to hire me, and then force me into a position where I can't grow in my job.
So, recently I saw a video on YouTube about the benefits of waking up at 5 am every day. Now, I haven't woken up before 6:30 am since the time I was in seminary. Most of the time I spent going to college was spent with my alarm sounding at 6:30 am and actually getting out of bed and beginning my day around 7:30. Some days I slept in until almost 10 or 11 am, especially if I was out with friends the previous night, or needed to catch up on sleep.
A couple of moves later and living in a new state, the current work/life balance has yielded an ever changing sleep schedule. This biorhythm has begun to introduce a chaos, stress, and fatigue into a cycle that functioned well and previously provided me with a healthy lifestyle where I was able to get things done. At current, it seems like I don't get anything done, and my routine clothes itself in appearance of disorder and slothfulness. Sometimes, when I begin winding down before bed I find myself thinking to myself, "I didn't get anything done today and now I have to push my tasks to the next day." Needless to say I rarely find within myself a sense of accomplishment at the end of my day.
Well, I've decided to change that!
So beginning tomorrow morning I will be beginning an experiment to restore what was stereotype to my biorhythm. This experiment will cover the better part of the month to resurrect the habit of a regular bed time and wake time. The process will not yield perfection overnight. Any sort of change in habit - especially when a bad habit has developed - takes time. It is said that to develop a new habit takes at least 27 days, or on average one month.
It'll take some altering of a few bad habits I have developed. Some important things that I've already been working on with some success, which have greatly helped me prepare for the experiment:
No phone use for at least 30 minutes before bed
Establish a procedural pre-bedtime sequence so that the body eventually learns that it's time to get to sleep.
When the alarm sounds in the morning hitting the snooze < 5 times (still bad at this!)
Establishing an unalterable sequential morning routine
It's been hard as a parent establishing a consistent routine for myself, but I think it needs to happen. I remind myself that there will come a time when I will expect a routine from my daughter, and any other children I may have, thus it's important that I establish a routine so that the example is already set and ready to be imitated.
The best benefit to redeveloping a routine is that I will have more time for those things I want to do that aren't important. Things like reading, blogging, catching up with friends will become much less difficult and more things that I just have time to do. I think that's the ultimate and best benefit of all!
How time flies! It seems like yesterday she was born.
I'm impressed every day at how she's growing and developing. Already she is sitting up (with assistance), grabbing and lifting toward her mouth, and babbling. Speaking of babbling; her babbles sound more and more like language than just little coos. Could she be an early talker?
Parenting - at least for the moment - is relatively easy. Sometimes I get caught up thinking that my child is just the most perfect person to ever walk the Earth (of courseI'm sure every parent thinks this). To an extent though it does seem at times that my little girl is becoming an overachiever like her dad.
But enough about her - I could go on about child development theory and what milestones she's getting close to, and how quickly she's achieving them.
Work v. Life Balance
Still working as an Optician, however it has become apparent to me that those above my boss won't open up my position to be full time. While I have enough hours it's unfortunate that it's just enough. In a manner of speaking I've come to a crossroad. I can try to move elsewhere within a company I've worked at prior (in college) and apply my previous experience as a cashier and negotiate a full time position as a supervisor. The other option I have is to keep looking around and applying for jobs, many of which are either in the medical field or in manufacturing.
Most of the opportunities for work that relate to my experience and tenure of my resume unfortunately don't pay very well, and leaping into another field of work inevitably means facing the unknown and risking not knowing anything about a job. Most who know me well know that I prefer to expand within my academic goals and experience. With most of my experience in typical white collar jobs it would be quite a transition to accept a blue collar position.
Plans To Continue My Education?
Since I left the Chicago suburbs - due to financial aid difficulties and inability to fund my own education - I've discovered through colleagues and others that there's a very slim job market for Meteorologists. This of course I've taken into account, and after a couple years of thought and reflection on my academic career I've decided to make a slight adjustment to my academic plans.
During my time studying in the suburbs of Chicago I thought very seriously about a double major in Computer Science, given my enjoyment of computer programming and ability to work with computers on more than a basic level. As I've discussed my interests and knowledge with my wife and friends it's apparent to me that perhaps I should consider well pursuing a career in IT. The more I look into it the more I see a promising job market. So this is definitely an option I'm greatly considering!
"But what of Meteorology? Chasing storms? Aren't you throwing all your learning and work away?"
Goodness no! The weather will always be an interest, and I'd never carelessly throw away a piece of information on a whim. I'll continue my interest as precisely that, an interest. I'll still make observations and give reports via social networks to the National Weather Service. It's just that I've decided to step back from a childhood dream and pursue something different, that's still an interest I've had since childhood.
So for now I've decided to teach myself the Python programming language. After that probably Java as it seems knowing C and Java are good starting points and Python is a good bonus. There's also certification sequences I can learn that can give me a start in IT related work.
So... long update! There's been a lot on my mind and I've been itching to write and get my thoughts out, so... yeah. You should probably know I can be long winded anyway 😜.
Okay, so yes, it's been a while. Sometimes the distractions of life come and go and I forget to blog. But what're you going to do right? This would be a case where perhaps the hashtag "lifeproblems" would probably fit, but alas I haven't sunk that low yet. I'm still maintaining my stance on keeping hashtags where they belong: on Twitter. But I digress.
The last year of my life has been a busy one. I moved to central Illinois to get a fresh start on life. Leaving the northern Illinois area - which had been my home for some time - was bittersweet, because of the many fond memories I have both on and off campus and the many good friends I had the privilege of meeting, and still keep in contact with. However, the move to central Illinois proved an important role in shaping my near future. I quickly became in a position to grow a wonderful friendship with a woman who I will be marrying this summer, and have had a lot of time to think critically on what I need to do to take some steps in my life toward being the man I want to be.
Along the way my regular reading of the Art of Manliness and listening to their podcasts have filled me with inspiration to begin taking inventory of my hobbies and interests, something I recommend everyone to do periodically. I highly recommend both the AoM website and the podcasts (they also have an app!). Keeping up with the Art of Manliness has brought attention to the fact that I'd like to look at and possibly pursue a hobby - thanks to their article The Ultimate List of Hobbies for Men: 75+ Ideas For Your Free Time. Very good stuff in the article!
So that was long-winded, many apologies! But really, I very highly recommend checking out the Art of Manliness.
I've decided that in the near future - after I've taken care of a few things in the coming months - to take up computer programming as a hobby. Ever since my first programming course in C++ I've acquired a taste for programming, or rather a reawakening. My first brush with programming came in seventh or eighth grade teaching myself HTML, and since then programming has always sort of been a side thing I turn to once in a while.
Another hobby I've recently been more involved in is being a Google Local Guide.
As I've progressed through the levels of the Local Guide, I've found a taste for rating and reviewing places I've been. And there are rewards along the way.
Ultimately my contributions give me an outlet for helping people know where to go for things like that perfect sandwich or cup of coffee, or even reviewing places like book stores and other businesses.
Well, that's sort of a digest of things and latest happenings. I'm looking forward to what the rest of 2017 has in store, and hope that so far everyone is enjoying the start of the year. As always feel free to follow me on Twitter @noherp2012.
Hmm, well... so I have not blogged on here in almost a couple of years. So, what has been going on? Too much and not a lot.
So the other day while hanging out on Youtube I found a most exquisite, inspiring video. It is from the Art of Manliness, an online website - and Youtube channel - aimed at helping men be better at being, well... men. I will not spoil the fun of this video but it is definitely something worth considering if you want to be better organized. If you have time, feel free to browse around their website and Youtube.
I'm sitting here in my apartment reflecting on the day, wasting time on Facebook, listening to iTunes, and waiting for the next load of laundry to get done. As my thoughts are gathering a couple things become clear: 1) I haven't devoted time in a long while to writing forecasts and 2) I've consistently stayed up later than 3 am which usually leaves me waking up after 10 or 11 am.
Okay, now the first justification that comes to mind is that I don't have any plans on any given day. I'm not sure I can accept this as an excuse anymore. I know there's a lot more I can do with my time. Afterall, there is that trilogy I've been working on. Thus it's time to formulate a plan. A real doable plan for every day that I can do that is within my skill set. So here goes.
I want to set myself a goal of spending my mornings writing forecasts. I've had a blog for some time that I've used for meteorological purposes and in the past has filled empty hours and I have to say that I've begun improving my forecasting skill. Nonetheless, I think now is the time to start posting weather forecasts on a more frequent basis. Must also note too that this past week has been busy with chasing storms around Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa and this has also prompted me to start thinking about publishing forecasts online again.
I'm thinking this is a good place as any to start feeding my recent craving to begin ordering my day. So we'll see how it goes. So I guess come Monday morning I'm going to get my feet wet again in forecasting and spend the rest of the day checking up on job applications and writing. Of course I may have plans with a friend, but if I don't have plans then I'll try to make myself busy until late afternoon/early evening.
Alright well... since about February this year (technically since March 2011) some friends and I have thought about leaving dorm life behind and getting an apartment together. This would mean the ultimate freedom. Being able to cook our own meals, have our own beds and furniture, have parties without limitation on how many guests we can have, and really more fully independent would be nice.
There have been ups and downs along the way, but it looks like slowly and surely we're all sort of piecing together what needs to be done and deciding on where to live. There'll be a lot to do once a place is decided on, and some funds to move around of course, and arranging our schedules to make sure transitioning to our own place will go as smoothly as possible.
It may seem a little late in the game of course however there is assurance that there are still apartments available. The main thing at this point is staying focused and on top of what we need to do to assure our independence.
So hopefully this next school year we'll be able to say "come hang out at our place" without having to add, "meet downstairs in the lobby so I can sign you in." Best part will be not being tied to a meal plan and being able to eat what we know we'll eat. Of course where we live will be a place of study! But hey, you must have fun once in a while.
The spring semester of 2012 is underway, and I couldn't be more excited. All of my professors are great and challenging. So far no complaints, just renewing my focus on what's important right now - my education.
Things are going well between Kayla and I. We both work part time jobs while in school so over Christmas break we arranged to stay at our dormitory, which was challenging given that we don't have access to a kitchen besides the microwave. So Ramen noodles, Chef Boyardee, and fast food pretty much made up the daily diet.
My main goal for this semester is to earn a 4.0 gpa followed closely by my other goal of focusing more intensely on my courses. Yeah it's never easy. While visiting with my Priest back home over break he gave me some great advice for the next semester. It's only 16 weeks. That's right. No I'm n0t graduating with my degree this semester, but in May I will be 16 weeks closer to my ultimate goal of earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology.
My work out routine has suffered some this week. Getting oriented to classes grabbed my attention, so I have a choice to make for the rest of the week. Plan is to catch up and get back into working out tomorrow prior to going to work in the evening.
So that's the semester as it stands! I've decided not to put a lot of stock into my first perceptions of a course until after midterms. It's easy to really enjoy a class while the work is just getting going. In the coming months there'll be projects, papers, labs, and exams. The usual semester stuff. Hopefully I'll get to keep blogging my journey through school, and life in general.
This school year and especially this semester brings a new goal. Working out. I've been doing research and consulting friends who regularly work out and have come up with a fitness plan. Will I be a body builder? No. The goal is just to keep myself in shape. At some point, if I'm able to keep up regularly, I hope to start building some muscle and endurance.
I'm also using the complete G-series from Gatorade to aid my workout. I know, sounds very cliche working out and drinking Gatorade products, but after a couple of weeks of using it I do notice a difference in my work out. The big thing is that I don't feel the usual fatigue after my work out. The first step in the G-series is a carbohydrate drink that energizes and prepares the body for working out. The second is just the normal Gatorade that's been around for years. The third is a protein drink that also re-hydrates muscles. So the entire series works with your workout. This doesn't mean that if you use the G-series that you can do whatever you want with your workout. It's still important to focus on either upperbody or lower body exercises every time I work out, and to alternate workouts every time.
So hopefully this semester will help me become more fit, and with the usual course of my studies more educated.
Beginning the new year of 2012 I have decided to radically simplify my web home on the web. I will no longer be using my website on webs.com and that will be deleted in the next coming days. Given that I primarily used that as a way to communicate the latest happenings of my life to family and friends, continuing this blog will serve as a better method.
This year brings with it various challenges as every year prior, however I'm excited to announce that I'm getting closer to beginning Phase I of my attempt to completely give my life an increase in geekiness. Phase I includes obtaining a new laptop to be used primarily for instant messaging, gaming, social networking, and blogging. This will free up what little space I've used on my current laptop to be spent entirely for school and work purposes.
So as we begin the 2012 I wish all of you the very best.
