September 10, 2009
I believe that people vote for the political candidate they like the best, not the one that shares their views or even the one that might do the best job. Perhaps I am just a titch cynical. When I first read Paul Graham’s essay at It’s Charisma, Stupid, I was like, “Wow. I can buy into this theory with no problem.”
Can you?
August 25, 2009
This tutorial from PC Pro http://www.pcpro.co.uk/tutorials/350812/how-to-create-a-summer-holiday-blog will be the one we use to get J started on his blog.
Even though summer is almost over, this tutorial should provide a nice blueprint to get started. Supposedly, getting J started on a blog will boost his tech skills and help turn him into a future geek. Heck, if it helps him learn to read, become more familiar with the keyboard, and provide some fun, that will be good enough for me.
August 25, 2009
As we were eating out at Old Country Buffet this evening–meatloaf Monday–I casually mentioned to M, “There is an article in New Scientist magazine this week about how obese old people have smaller brains than their skinny counterparts.”
She paused with her fork of peach cobbler halfway to her mouth to look at me askance, “Really?”
“Ayep,” I said, “and obesity in middle years is linked with an increased risk of dementia.”
“Why do they think that is?” she asked, after she finished chewing.
“I don’t know,” I shrugged, “Either because being fat causes one’s brain to shrink or one’s brain shrinks causing one to be fat.”
She looked quizzical. I said I would send her the article to chew over. So, here is the link…make of it what you will:
Frankly, I have always had a big head. Many of my smaller counterparts probably would not mind if it shrunk a little.
August 25, 2009
Heck, so much for my vow to update this blog regularly.
Summer is almost over. J just turned seven yesterday. He is going to start his own blog to document this year of his life. We will have to set aside weekly family times to update our blogs. M said she will start one too.
I have to dust off the flip camera. Yesterday would have been a perfect time to use it. M, J, and I returned in the van from visiting my sister’s place, where we had the family party for J, to a slew of neighbor kids hiding behind our trash cans in costumes. It appears that J’s friends, who are all older than him by a couple of years, took seriously their discussions about his birthday being a costume party. We had Bride of Frankenstein, vampire girl, batman, zombie boy, and the emperor from Star Wars. Poor J had no costume. We made them all wait outside while we tucked a sword in J’s shorts and made a pirate hat out of newspaper. He looked pitiful compared to them, but heck, at least it was fun.
They all lined up on the deck and tried to get M and I to judge who had the best costume. Alas, I had to defer to M so I could go get the cake.
April 29, 2009
I walk every day, try to climb six flights a stairs a day at work, ride my bike a few times a week, and aspire to do 75 jumps a day with a jump rope. Sometimes, I take the time to do an exercise video, usually one of the Biggest Loser ones–CardioMax is the most frequent.
Most of my exercise routine focuses on legs. Nothing seems to touch my flabby fat arms. So, I have recently started to comb the vaults of http://www.exercisetv.tv/ for short or mid-length upper body strength training or toning videos. I have done the 20 minute upper body workout with trainer Dove Rose a couple of times. It makes my arms ache at the time, but does not seem to hurt much the next day. I want to add more challenge to my upper body workout.
Anyone know of good online exercise videos that focus on arms?
April 29, 2009
Woohoo, as of today, I am down 92 pounds. Perhaps my plateau of the last month or so has been broken by …OATMEAL!
Every work morning for the last two weeks, I have had a big bowl of oatmeal from the cafeteria. It is only $1.07, included in which is the oatmeal, warmed fruit of the day, brown sugar, walnuts, and raisins. I did try to give up the brown sugar, but it tasted so awful, I knew I could not do it.
I did not see any weight loss the first week but last week I dropped two pounds. It is a filling big breakfast. It does appear that it helps control my appetite throughout the day and overall enables me to eat less calories on the day.
April 14, 2009
I was reading the Figure magazine today. One of the articles at the end said to write down one’s goals. It will make them more attainable. So, here are my two year goals:
1. Lose another 100 pounds. In the last two years, I have lost 90 pounds. Now that I am approaching a better weight, I will be able to be more active and hopefully the weight will come off a little faster once I get out of the latest plateau.
2. Eliminate most of our non-educational debt.I will spell out the details in further blogs.
3. Learn Java. I took a five day Java fundamentals class last year through my work. The first day was not so bad, but the other days brought home the fact that one should really take a beginning class before jumping into a fundamentals class.
4. Learn SQL. I took a one day class last year through my work. I think this will be relatively easy to pick up but I need to take more classes and actually put it to use before I will feel comfortable with it.
5. Take a calculus class (and pass it). I have looked into adding a computer sciences degree to my educational background, but it turns out I am sadly deficient in Math. I have not taken a algebra class in years. I don’t even remember what half the terms mean. I never took a calculus class. Without a more solid Math base, any hopes of pursuing computer sciences will be dashed.
6. Walk or bike in 10 fundraising events. This has the benefits of not only helping with my weight loss goals, but also gives me an opportunity to contribute to the community and teach J civic responsiblity.
7. Volunteer for a Habitat for Humanities project. This will give me a chance to give back to the community, further my weight loss goals, and pick up some handy homeowner tricks so my tool loving son will stop considering me so deficient in basic knowledge.
8. Get certified as a Project Manager. Notwithstanding my oft-quoted opinion that project managers are glorified secretaries, it is a role I have been involved in the last year or so. The least I can do is try to be decent at it. Sides, a good secretary is invaluable to many organizations. The certificate would also make my skills more portable.
9. Seriously investigate the feasibility of raising and training dogs. If I determine I really want to raise dogs, start with baby steps to make it happen.
10. Learn to ride horses (after I lose a bit more weight).
11. Take up kickboxing (after I lose a bit more weight).
12. Write a mystery book.
13. Learn Spanish.
14. Build a computer with J for his use. He asked the other day, “What is a geek.” Perhaps, I can show him.
April 2, 2009
I used to have two hours a night of free time during the work week. The child and the girlfriend both would fall asleep at 8pm, sometimes even earlier.
Now though, J is six years old and staying awake until 9pm–last night he took advantage of spring break and did not fall asleep until 10:10pm. M, the girlfriend, also then stays awake, largely because every time she falls asleep, the boy yells, “Morgan! Wake up!! Your snoring is too loud,” triggering a round of cursing from M that would put a sailor to shame.
It is hard to find a moment of peace to write the “Book” even if I was so inclined. It is harder not to resent the time and care that J and M both require. On days like today, when the anger and bitterness crest, I am reminded of the book, The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth about Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage by Cathi Hanauer.
I discovered the book two years ago and immediately purchased it after skimming a couple of stories. It resonated with me. The stories have since brought me great comfort and helped me realize that my rage is normal. Yes, I would love not to resent the ones I love for the demands placed on my time, but I can’t. Not today.
I dream of being able to sleep past 7am on a weekend morning. I want to go to an adult movie without shelling out $30 for childcare or waiting until a relative volunteers to take the boy for a day. I want someone else to decide what we are having for dinner and then provide it. Hell, I want a vacation. I want to go somewhere with J and M, because I love them and can’t imagine being apart from them for any length of time, but I want a nanny for J and a PCA for Morgan. I just want the fun. I am tired of the work.
Enough ranting…When I brought home The Bitch in the House, I jokingly said to M, “I bought you a book.” M, as I should have realized, was highly offended when she heard the title. She refused to read it and still will not pick it up , even though I explained that I was not making a dig at her. I bought the book because I was the bitch in the house, not her, and the stories comforted me.
BTW, World…The anger and bitterness that I may share in this blog are not indicators that my family unit is about to disband. I am not about to give up on J or M. I made commitments to them, for better or worse. If we ever part ways, it will be because we have exhausted all other options or because they have moved to greener pastures, sans Bitch.
March 31, 2009
I do not like my job. I do not feel appreciated. I am disengaged. The highlight of my work day has become leveling up on Mafia Wars before noon. If it is after noon when I level up, then I am working too hard.
My review this year was a classic one…classic in the sense that it mirrored last years’ review, except the pool for raises was lower. My boss, who can barely remember my name, assured me that he struggled to write my review. It was one of the hardest for him to complete. He had several conversations with our immediate boss related to it.
The poor fellow wanted sooo much to give me an exceeds (and, as he pointed out, “if you read the review, you can see that I wrote it as if you did exceed”). However, he just could not after taking into account my level and the fact that they just gave me shit assignments all year.
Oh wait, the last part was my editorializing. He did not say they gave me shit assignments. That would be too honest. No, no…Let’s sugarcoat it. “There are just some years when one does not get assignments that allow one to shine. This last year was like that for you.”
He could not recommend any area that I could improve on. I fulfilled all my goals. I really showed strong leadership this year, which in the past has been a weak spot. Everyone loves me, I get things done without seeming too pushy, yadayada. I “achieved” but did not “exceeds.” So, to make a long story shorter, I got the mid-level raise versus the higher one that I would have gotten if I had exceeded in anything but his written review.
He ended with, “Any questions or comments?”
“Sir”, I said, “my name is not Heidi.”
And for you, World, don’t you think, given my damn attitude problem and my current disaffection with my job and the two yahoos that determine my fate, that my girlfriend might be on to something when she says, “Hurry up and write a book.”
Living with goats might beat working with jackasses.
March 31, 2009
My first post…How goes it world? Welcome to my warped universe.
My girlfriend said yesterday, “You need to write a book .” She wants me to become rich and famous so we can move to the country and live with the cows and pigs and goats.
I don’t really have anything against cows and pigs and goats, except I don’t want to be the one tending to their needs, milking them in the wee hours of the morning, scooping up shit, carrying around slop, and chasing them around the farm.
Since my gal is in a wheelchair and can barely get around on the pavement, my future does not look so bright if I was to fulfill her desires and live up to my potential.
OTOH, it’s not like any of the signs are pointing to my imminent success anyway so…no worries.
