Most of the time i don't give much thought to language. I generally use whatever words come naturally for a given situation, pick up new terms and phrases from books, media, and my peers. But i have had the "1984" discussion concerning Newspeak a few times, as well as the discussion on why curse words are curse words. I mean they're just words, right? Isn't it the intent behind the words that matters? Oh right, the words you choose indicate what your intent is. But i'll save the larger discussion for another time and move on to the point of this post.
So i've started watching Battlestar Galactica (i'm only midway through the first season so please, no spoilers!! (No joke spoilers either, sil vous plait)). As you BSG fans out there know, their expletive of choice is "frak". Contextually it is a minced oath for (obviously) the word "fuck", and is proving to be just as versatile and hilarious, in my opinion. "Don't frak with me", "Oh, frak!", "We need to get off this *frakking* planet". And so on.
At first i thought it was just a lame attempt to get around the censors, but the word is so well-integrated into the dialogue; my compliments to the actors for embracing the term and making it sound natural. So natural, in fact, that it seems to have bled into my own vernacular; i've caught myself using the word quite a bit over the past few weeks. And this isn't like back in the 90s when i intentionally adopted a handful of British curses because they sounded so cool coming from Spike. No, it's reflexively the first expletive out of my mouth when something happens. Of course as soon as i hear it, it makes me laugh, so whatever pissed me off doesn't seem so bad anymore. So maybe this is a good thing.
Anyway, i have to go and file my frakking tax returns.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
i live here
In the pilot of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, station commander Benjamin Sisko spends some time kicking it with the aliens who live in the nearby wormhole (known to the Bajorans as the Prophets). The Prophets are not confined to an existance in linear time, and don't understand concepts such as past/present/future, life & death, etc. They speak to Sisko by taking on forms of people he knows, and flash him around to various points of his life (a la A Christmas Carol), trying to learn about him.
One scene they keep flashing to is the moment when his wife, Jennifer, died (two years prior, in the battle against the Borg at Wolf359). The Prophets keep saying "You live here", and Sisko keeps trying to explain that no, this happened in the *past*, and that he lives in the *present*. He grows increasingly agitated because they keep forcing him to relive the most painful experience of his life. Finally, out of sheer frustration, he cries "Dammit, why do you keep bringing me back here? You assholes!" They calmly reply "We are not bringing you here. *You* are bringing *us* here". Lightbulb. Sisko finally understands, and agrees, "I live here."
I've been giving a lot of thought to this idea recently; considering some of the scenes where i "live". Even when you've accepted things, moved on with your life, it can be incredibly difficult to stop going back to those places that had such an impact.
That's all, i guess; just wanted to share my little analogy. It's funny, even though i liked the story when i first saw that episode of DS9, i definitely appreciate it on a new level now.
On a related note, i was hanging out with a friend when he was in town a few weeks ago. During one of our discussions, i referenced the TNG episode "Tapestry". (I'll save that topic for another blog post). I later mentioned my usual comment of "Yeah, since i have a permanent tan, some people don't realize that i'm actually a suburban whiteboy from Michigan." He assured me, "Dude, seriously? You're a cracker. You just referenced STAR TREK to illustrate a point..." :-)
Seriously, though, Star Trek is a goldmine of reference material. I remember dring my summers home from college, i developed a tradition with one of my friends: We'd settle in at a local coffee house (usually the Caribou Coffee in downtown Birmingham, for those of you from back home) and spend the afternoon playing chess and arguing philosophy. He was well-read in the field, so for any topic he'd reference books by actual philosophers, schools of thought, etc. I, on the other hand, would back up my points with Star Trek references. Episodes, story arcs, choices that characters made and their consequences. Alternate realities and the space-time continuum (of course). It worked surprisingly well, and i enjoyed those discussions very much.
One scene they keep flashing to is the moment when his wife, Jennifer, died (two years prior, in the battle against the Borg at Wolf359). The Prophets keep saying "You live here", and Sisko keeps trying to explain that no, this happened in the *past*, and that he lives in the *present*. He grows increasingly agitated because they keep forcing him to relive the most painful experience of his life. Finally, out of sheer frustration, he cries "Dammit, why do you keep bringing me back here? You assholes!" They calmly reply "We are not bringing you here. *You* are bringing *us* here". Lightbulb. Sisko finally understands, and agrees, "I live here."
I've been giving a lot of thought to this idea recently; considering some of the scenes where i "live". Even when you've accepted things, moved on with your life, it can be incredibly difficult to stop going back to those places that had such an impact.
That's all, i guess; just wanted to share my little analogy. It's funny, even though i liked the story when i first saw that episode of DS9, i definitely appreciate it on a new level now.
On a related note, i was hanging out with a friend when he was in town a few weeks ago. During one of our discussions, i referenced the TNG episode "Tapestry". (I'll save that topic for another blog post). I later mentioned my usual comment of "Yeah, since i have a permanent tan, some people don't realize that i'm actually a suburban whiteboy from Michigan." He assured me, "Dude, seriously? You're a cracker. You just referenced STAR TREK to illustrate a point..." :-)
Seriously, though, Star Trek is a goldmine of reference material. I remember dring my summers home from college, i developed a tradition with one of my friends: We'd settle in at a local coffee house (usually the Caribou Coffee in downtown Birmingham, for those of you from back home) and spend the afternoon playing chess and arguing philosophy. He was well-read in the field, so for any topic he'd reference books by actual philosophers, schools of thought, etc. I, on the other hand, would back up my points with Star Trek references. Episodes, story arcs, choices that characters made and their consequences. Alternate realities and the space-time continuum (of course). It worked surprisingly well, and i enjoyed those discussions very much.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Rainy Day Ramblings
Thought i'd catch up on a few things. Most of this has been covered in bits and pieces on Facebook; filling in some gaps.
I had a whole draft written up regarding what happened last week and my subsequent reaction, but i'm going to skip it. I'll just mention that even though it sucks immensely, maybe this is what i needed (< /cliche>). I wasn't clear-minded enough to read the signs early on, nor was i strong enough to make this move myself back when it might have made a difference (to myself, i mean). Even when i said "Maybe it would be better if...", i never really believed it. I am still angry and hurt, and i *know* that it didn't have to be this way. But it is what it is (btw i've grown to dislike that phrase, but i can't think of anything more succinct at the moment).
...
I stopped shaving about a week and a half ago. (Hmm, right after the theatrics; coincidence? Maybe si, maybe no.) I've never been able to grow decent facial hair; it's all patchy and sparse and doesn't quite suit my face. This was never an issue before because i think i look best clean-shaven anyway. But while examining about a week's worth of scruff in the mirror, i decided "Who the hell cares? I have nobody to look presentable for. So what if i look like a scuzzbucket?"
When asked why i'm continuing with this, even knowing what the outcome will be, i responded, "I think i just feel like doing something out of character." Which is true - in this case i'm setting aside my general desire to look decently put-together and embracing the godawful beard. It really is pretty awful (i posted photos on Facebook, by popular demand), but (thanks to one friend's encouragement) i trimmed it into a goatee today (Van Dyke, actually) which i think looks less sleazy.
So we'll see how long this lasts. The biggest downside is that it clashes badly with the softer side of my wardrobe. I can't wear any of my cute Threadless shirts (including the new ones that i picked up recently) nor the items i scored at Forever 21 a few weeks ago. Can't have it all, i guess.
Anyway, i feel like doing more things that are out of character. I'm kindof tired of myself. I mean i know there's no way to stop being who i am - i've tried this before and failed. But, semantic arguments aside, i'm sure i can find things to do that i ordinarily wouldn't do. Maybe tomorrow i'll drive 45 mph down the freeway. Maybe i'll be laconic for a day (not today, obviously). Maybe i'll skip this week's episode of Lost and *not* catch up (oh the humanity). Suggestions are welcome.
Segue. After about a month of consideration and recon, i finally broke down and bought a new tv. Sony Bravia V-series; 40" LCD 1080p (at this point there's no reason to get anything less than 1080p). I actually had it all picked out and was just waiting for it to go on sale, which it did last weekend. And oh man, it is sweet. A few friends brought over The Incredibles that night and it was indeed incredible.
So of course i'm now in the trap of wanting HD *content* for my HDTV. I'm holding off on the Blu-ray player for now; my upscaling dvd player proved its worth with The Incredibles. But SD content looks like crap on this tv - way worse than on a standard def display. So my beloved ReplayTV, for example, is no longer as awesome as it once was. But i was pleased to find that even though Comcast is evil, they're actually sending digital signal over my cable line which the networks are simulcasting. After DVRing for so many years, it's difficult to go back to watching tv in real time. But Lost and even Survivor are so stunning in high-def that it's a fair price to pay. For now. Eventually i'm going to want a dvr which supports high-def, but i'm going to wait until after the switchover in June (unless they push it back again, sigh) and see what Comcast does with their cable packages at that point.
I finally started watching Battlestar Galactica yesterday (actually the Netflix Fairy brought me disc 1 of season 1 several weeks ago, but i was kindof waiting for the new tv, heh). I'm really enjoying i so far. But thanks to the "Vote for Tigh/Roslin" banners from last fall, every time our friend the XO came on screen, i kept expecting him to say "my friends..." or talk about reaching across the aisle. I hope it wears off soon.
I had a whole draft written up regarding what happened last week and my subsequent reaction, but i'm going to skip it. I'll just mention that even though it sucks immensely, maybe this is what i needed (< /cliche>). I wasn't clear-minded enough to read the signs early on, nor was i strong enough to make this move myself back when it might have made a difference (to myself, i mean). Even when i said "Maybe it would be better if...", i never really believed it. I am still angry and hurt, and i *know* that it didn't have to be this way. But it is what it is (btw i've grown to dislike that phrase, but i can't think of anything more succinct at the moment).
...
I stopped shaving about a week and a half ago. (Hmm, right after the theatrics; coincidence? Maybe si, maybe no.) I've never been able to grow decent facial hair; it's all patchy and sparse and doesn't quite suit my face. This was never an issue before because i think i look best clean-shaven anyway. But while examining about a week's worth of scruff in the mirror, i decided "Who the hell cares? I have nobody to look presentable for. So what if i look like a scuzzbucket?"
When asked why i'm continuing with this, even knowing what the outcome will be, i responded, "I think i just feel like doing something out of character." Which is true - in this case i'm setting aside my general desire to look decently put-together and embracing the godawful beard. It really is pretty awful (i posted photos on Facebook, by popular demand), but (thanks to one friend's encouragement) i trimmed it into a goatee today (Van Dyke, actually) which i think looks less sleazy.
So we'll see how long this lasts. The biggest downside is that it clashes badly with the softer side of my wardrobe. I can't wear any of my cute Threadless shirts (including the new ones that i picked up recently) nor the items i scored at Forever 21 a few weeks ago. Can't have it all, i guess.
Anyway, i feel like doing more things that are out of character. I'm kindof tired of myself. I mean i know there's no way to stop being who i am - i've tried this before and failed. But, semantic arguments aside, i'm sure i can find things to do that i ordinarily wouldn't do. Maybe tomorrow i'll drive 45 mph down the freeway. Maybe i'll be laconic for a day (not today, obviously). Maybe i'll skip this week's episode of Lost and *not* catch up (oh the humanity). Suggestions are welcome.
Segue. After about a month of consideration and recon, i finally broke down and bought a new tv. Sony Bravia V-series; 40" LCD 1080p (at this point there's no reason to get anything less than 1080p). I actually had it all picked out and was just waiting for it to go on sale, which it did last weekend. And oh man, it is sweet. A few friends brought over The Incredibles that night and it was indeed incredible.
So of course i'm now in the trap of wanting HD *content* for my HDTV. I'm holding off on the Blu-ray player for now; my upscaling dvd player proved its worth with The Incredibles. But SD content looks like crap on this tv - way worse than on a standard def display. So my beloved ReplayTV, for example, is no longer as awesome as it once was. But i was pleased to find that even though Comcast is evil, they're actually sending digital signal over my cable line which the networks are simulcasting. After DVRing for so many years, it's difficult to go back to watching tv in real time. But Lost and even Survivor are so stunning in high-def that it's a fair price to pay. For now. Eventually i'm going to want a dvr which supports high-def, but i'm going to wait until after the switchover in June (unless they push it back again, sigh) and see what Comcast does with their cable packages at that point.
I finally started watching Battlestar Galactica yesterday (actually the Netflix Fairy brought me disc 1 of season 1 several weeks ago, but i was kindof waiting for the new tv, heh). I'm really enjoying i so far. But thanks to the "Vote for Tigh/Roslin" banners from last fall, every time our friend the XO came on screen, i kept expecting him to say "my friends..." or talk about reaching across the aisle. I hope it wears off soon.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Assorted Notes
I should still be asleep. Inexplicably woke up at 5am (out of a decent dream, i might add - sigh), spent two hours failing to drift back off, finally gave up; rolled out of bed and made coffee. What does one do this early in the morning (on a virtual Saturday, no less)? This reminds me of when this same thing happened during (i think) my senior year of college. I was so annoyed at the lost sleep that i refused to do anything useful; instead i sat around and watched Sailor Moon.
I lieu of dubbed anime (i prefer subtitles, hmmph!), i thought i'd catch up on some writing.
Spent yesterday walking around San Francisco with a group of friends (and new friends) - one of my coworkers led a "city hike" as he called it. We started in the Mission District and took a scenic route up to Twin Peaks. I really enjoyed finally getting a non-touristy view of the city, passing through various neighborhoods and spectacular viewpoints. It's way too easy to forget that i now live in the proximity of viewpoints like this:
.JPG)
It felt like a summer day, but apparently it was autumn on this street:
.JPG)
And a shot from Twin Peaks (we arrived right around sunset):
.JPG)
I'll post the rest of my photos on Facebook (probably later today).
The exercise itself felt great (we covered maybe 6-7 miles total) and also satisfied my recent craving for some quality outdoor time. We're so spoiled on the weather out here, there's no excuse for wasting it. Also provided much-needed motivation to start organizing group hikes again. I have a growing list of bay area trails i want to hit, and enough people in the group expressed interest in joining. Rock.
We ended up getting dinner at this ah-MAZing sandwich shop in the Castro called Ike's Place. (To those of you who live in the city, it's near 16th and Sanchez - go eat there, you will not be disappointed.) I went with a simple turkey and ham with brie and a touch of pesto, served hot on a whole wheat sub roll. Mmm, that sandwich was so good - i wish i was eating it right now.
...
Hmm, what else. I finally got my shredder this week and started tearing through the boxes of ancient bills and bank statements that i saved for no good reason. Last year i finally went paperless, at least as much as possible. E-statements from all of my banks, e-bills for everything supported. I started using online billpay years ago (greatest thing since sliced bread). I still get paper bills from a few of my utilities ("Looks like someone's living in the past! Contemporiiizzee, man!") as well as health insurance and other stuff, so i've established a 3-year retention policy for such rubbish. Everything for a given year gets dumped into an Amazon box; after 3 years the whole box gets introduced to my new friend:
(Feeeed me!)
Speaking of new, inanimate friends, i finally got around to building the data storage solution i've wanted for years:
.JPG)
The enclosure is the cute little D-Link DNS-321; it plugs right into my router so i can access it anywhere inside my network. I'm running 2 Terabytes of hard drives in a RAID-1 configuration (full redundancy, so if one drive crashes, all of my data is still preserved on the other). FINALLY, my data is safe - finally i can sleep at night, knowing that all of my irreplaceable photos, email, and journal entries will no longer eat it if my Seagate dies. Now my only threat is fire (my next step will be to stash an external drive in a safe-deposit box).
Ok, off to get some more coffee, then get some work done, and then hopefully be tired enough for a nap. Happy Sunday, everyone! T-minus 2 days!
I lieu of dubbed anime (i prefer subtitles, hmmph!), i thought i'd catch up on some writing.
Spent yesterday walking around San Francisco with a group of friends (and new friends) - one of my coworkers led a "city hike" as he called it. We started in the Mission District and took a scenic route up to Twin Peaks. I really enjoyed finally getting a non-touristy view of the city, passing through various neighborhoods and spectacular viewpoints. It's way too easy to forget that i now live in the proximity of viewpoints like this:
.JPG)
It felt like a summer day, but apparently it was autumn on this street:
.JPG)
And a shot from Twin Peaks (we arrived right around sunset):
.JPG)
I'll post the rest of my photos on Facebook (probably later today).
The exercise itself felt great (we covered maybe 6-7 miles total) and also satisfied my recent craving for some quality outdoor time. We're so spoiled on the weather out here, there's no excuse for wasting it. Also provided much-needed motivation to start organizing group hikes again. I have a growing list of bay area trails i want to hit, and enough people in the group expressed interest in joining. Rock.
We ended up getting dinner at this ah-MAZing sandwich shop in the Castro called Ike's Place. (To those of you who live in the city, it's near 16th and Sanchez - go eat there, you will not be disappointed.) I went with a simple turkey and ham with brie and a touch of pesto, served hot on a whole wheat sub roll. Mmm, that sandwich was so good - i wish i was eating it right now.
...
Hmm, what else. I finally got my shredder this week and started tearing through the boxes of ancient bills and bank statements that i saved for no good reason. Last year i finally went paperless, at least as much as possible. E-statements from all of my banks, e-bills for everything supported. I started using online billpay years ago (greatest thing since sliced bread). I still get paper bills from a few of my utilities ("Looks like someone's living in the past! Contemporiiizzee, man!") as well as health insurance and other stuff, so i've established a 3-year retention policy for such rubbish. Everything for a given year gets dumped into an Amazon box; after 3 years the whole box gets introduced to my new friend:
(Feeeed me!)
Speaking of new, inanimate friends, i finally got around to building the data storage solution i've wanted for years:
.JPG)
The enclosure is the cute little D-Link DNS-321; it plugs right into my router so i can access it anywhere inside my network. I'm running 2 Terabytes of hard drives in a RAID-1 configuration (full redundancy, so if one drive crashes, all of my data is still preserved on the other). FINALLY, my data is safe - finally i can sleep at night, knowing that all of my irreplaceable photos, email, and journal entries will no longer eat it if my Seagate dies. Now my only threat is fire (my next step will be to stash an external drive in a safe-deposit box).
Ok, off to get some more coffee, then get some work done, and then hopefully be tired enough for a nap. Happy Sunday, everyone! T-minus 2 days!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Moby -- "Play" [Album Retrospective Series]
I listened to Moby's album "Play" today, and it got me thinking about how long it took me to warm up to his music. Indeed, it took a series of significant events which spanned a number of years. Anyone care to travel through time with me? *Wayne & Garth effects: diddly-ooh, diddly-ooh, diddly-ooh*
1999
"Play" hits the shelves; i'm unfamiliar with Moby and don't really notice.
2000
[East Lansing, MI] I see the video for "Natural Blues" on MTV and enjoy it (partly because the song is good, but also because i have a crush on Christina Ricci). But it's just a one-off; i'm not really inspired to go looking for more of his songs.
2001
[Champaign-Urbana, IL] "South Side" hits the airwaves. Another one-off for me; i like the song at first, but after approximately 1 skillion viewings of the video (back then i used to watch MTV in the mornings while getting ready for work) it plays out. I lose interest in the song (and Moby by extension).
2002-2004
I continue to be indifferent to Moby.
2005
Someone (i'm assuming Marc or Kurt) plays "Natural Blues" towards the end of a Thursday night swing dance. The lights are turned down, providing a nice-feeling atmosphere which fits the song perfectly. I dance the song with Tessa, and it is rich and mellow and awesome. It's one of those where you manage to really *connect* with your partner and the music and border on transcending reality. During the song, Tessa says to me "Dancing with you is like zen". This later leads my friends to refer to her as "Zen Girl". But i digress. Major points for "Natural Blues" (and Moby by extension).
2006
Rosana and Drew use "Run On" in their intro to blues class. I quickly fall in love with the song (i'd managed to go this entire time without hearing it). More points for Moby - enough to draft a bid for me to break down and buy the cd.
I tell the "Run On" story to Melissa while we're at Za's for dinner. By coincidence, there's another Moby song playing at that very moment - a lovely mellow tune which Melissa recognizes as either "Porcelain" or "Everloving" (she couldn't remember which). She gives me a copy of both songs; "Porcelain" was the one playing at Za's and i quickly fall for that one too.
Critical mass achieved, i finally buy Moby's album "Play" on February 24th, 2006. At first i only really liked about half of the songs, but the rest have been growing on me ever since.
1999
"Play" hits the shelves; i'm unfamiliar with Moby and don't really notice.
2000
[East Lansing, MI] I see the video for "Natural Blues" on MTV and enjoy it (partly because the song is good, but also because i have a crush on Christina Ricci). But it's just a one-off; i'm not really inspired to go looking for more of his songs.
2001
[Champaign-Urbana, IL] "South Side" hits the airwaves. Another one-off for me; i like the song at first, but after approximately 1 skillion viewings of the video (back then i used to watch MTV in the mornings while getting ready for work) it plays out. I lose interest in the song (and Moby by extension).
2002-2004
I continue to be indifferent to Moby.
2005
Someone (i'm assuming Marc or Kurt) plays "Natural Blues" towards the end of a Thursday night swing dance. The lights are turned down, providing a nice-feeling atmosphere which fits the song perfectly. I dance the song with Tessa, and it is rich and mellow and awesome. It's one of those where you manage to really *connect* with your partner and the music and border on transcending reality. During the song, Tessa says to me "Dancing with you is like zen". This later leads my friends to refer to her as "Zen Girl". But i digress. Major points for "Natural Blues" (and Moby by extension).
2006
Rosana and Drew use "Run On" in their intro to blues class. I quickly fall in love with the song (i'd managed to go this entire time without hearing it). More points for Moby - enough to draft a bid for me to break down and buy the cd.
I tell the "Run On" story to Melissa while we're at Za's for dinner. By coincidence, there's another Moby song playing at that very moment - a lovely mellow tune which Melissa recognizes as either "Porcelain" or "Everloving" (she couldn't remember which). She gives me a copy of both songs; "Porcelain" was the one playing at Za's and i quickly fall for that one too.
Critical mass achieved, i finally buy Moby's album "Play" on February 24th, 2006. At first i only really liked about half of the songs, but the rest have been growing on me ever since.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
2008 In Review
I'm not sure how to summarize what 2008 was for me. A lot of things happened; good times and bad; personal progress & accomplishments offset by setbacks and failure. Perhaps it was a year of laying groundwork - calibrating my attitude, gathering tools, identifying what i need to do. Settling into a new town, trying things & seeing what works. Trying to heal & rebuild my life.
Time seems to pass more quickly with each day, yet i feel like 2008 was a long year.
...
The Good:
- Made some new friends, reconnected with old ones. Special thanks to Facebook for faciliating a lot of this (read "saving my social life").
- Finally started to build an online presence, mostly with Facebook, Twitter, and my blog.
- Live music is one of my passions, so it's pretty awesome to be able to catch so many of my bands when they come through San Francisco (as opposed to the 3-4 hour drive to Chicago from Champaign). Before i moved here, i was able to hit about 4 shows per year. In 2008 i attended 18 (more on that in an upcoming post).
- Started up made progress on a personal project.
- Started following news, current events, and politics to the point where i no longer feel clueless. Huge thanks to NPR for keeping me in the loop, especially KQED's Forum.
- The Floor of Dreams Lindy Exchange, back home in Champaign-Urbana. One of the best weekends i've ever had, at a time when i desperately needed the boost. After wondering if i'd lost swing dancing forever (more on that below), it was it was a relief to find that it was still possible for dancing to be good. To *feel* good. And having so many wonderful friends welcome me home with open arms just elevated the experience into the realms of overwhelming.
- Speaking of overwhelming, it was wonderful to reconnect with and strengthen ties with some close family friends and their kids over holiday break. Not only did my mom and i host dinner on Christmas as planned, but i ended up spending 6 days straight with some or all of them. 3 families, 7 kids total ranging from 4 to 12 years old; i've known them almost from when they were born - they're growing up fast! Hanging out with my little friends reminded me what life is about. Photos on Facebook.
The Bad:
- The thing which i've struggled to come to terms which but is still on my mind most of the time. I don't want to talk about it, and i'm sure you guys are tired of hearing it. Thus, i'll leave it at that.
- Lost the time & place for swing dancing. FDLX notwithstanding, i did not dance at all in 2008. I did check out a few local swing dance scenes after moving here, but i found myself not enjoying them much so i slowly stopped going. I considered the depressing possibility that i was just done with dance, but FDLX strenuously disproved that. I must revisit this issue in 2009.
The Ugly:
- Made good progress with diet & exercise, but then hit a wall and eventually regressed to being a lazy fatass.
- Managed to stop watching tv entirely for most of the year, but then went on like a month-long bender with the Olympics, Netflix, and whatever crap i could find on broadcast. Back to the old pattern of wasting hours every night watching useless stuff. Need to re-establish a balance - just follow the few shows i actually care about (Fringe, Heroes, Lost, How I Met Your Mother), and free up the remaining time for useful stuff.
- Started rock climbing; took a class at Planet Granite, got into a nice climbing routine, making noticable improvements, and had a nice synergy with my (then) workout routine. Then my belay partner ditched me; went through a couple of flakey belay partners before finally giving up.
...
I'm working on a goal package for 2009 which i may or may not post here. I'm trying to address all of the Bad and Ugly items above, but i'm also trying hard to make my goals realistic, and to prioritize so i can actually make things happen without failing halfiway through or regressing a few months later. Stay tuned.
Time seems to pass more quickly with each day, yet i feel like 2008 was a long year.
...
The Good:
- Made some new friends, reconnected with old ones. Special thanks to Facebook for faciliating a lot of this (read "saving my social life").
- Finally started to build an online presence, mostly with Facebook, Twitter, and my blog.
- Live music is one of my passions, so it's pretty awesome to be able to catch so many of my bands when they come through San Francisco (as opposed to the 3-4 hour drive to Chicago from Champaign). Before i moved here, i was able to hit about 4 shows per year. In 2008 i attended 18 (more on that in an upcoming post).
- Started up made progress on a personal project.
- Started following news, current events, and politics to the point where i no longer feel clueless. Huge thanks to NPR for keeping me in the loop, especially KQED's Forum.
- The Floor of Dreams Lindy Exchange, back home in Champaign-Urbana. One of the best weekends i've ever had, at a time when i desperately needed the boost. After wondering if i'd lost swing dancing forever (more on that below), it was it was a relief to find that it was still possible for dancing to be good. To *feel* good. And having so many wonderful friends welcome me home with open arms just elevated the experience into the realms of overwhelming.
- Speaking of overwhelming, it was wonderful to reconnect with and strengthen ties with some close family friends and their kids over holiday break. Not only did my mom and i host dinner on Christmas as planned, but i ended up spending 6 days straight with some or all of them. 3 families, 7 kids total ranging from 4 to 12 years old; i've known them almost from when they were born - they're growing up fast! Hanging out with my little friends reminded me what life is about. Photos on Facebook.
The Bad:
- The thing which i've struggled to come to terms which but is still on my mind most of the time. I don't want to talk about it, and i'm sure you guys are tired of hearing it. Thus, i'll leave it at that.
- Lost the time & place for swing dancing. FDLX notwithstanding, i did not dance at all in 2008. I did check out a few local swing dance scenes after moving here, but i found myself not enjoying them much so i slowly stopped going. I considered the depressing possibility that i was just done with dance, but FDLX strenuously disproved that. I must revisit this issue in 2009.
The Ugly:
- Made good progress with diet & exercise, but then hit a wall and eventually regressed to being a lazy fatass.
- Managed to stop watching tv entirely for most of the year, but then went on like a month-long bender with the Olympics, Netflix, and whatever crap i could find on broadcast. Back to the old pattern of wasting hours every night watching useless stuff. Need to re-establish a balance - just follow the few shows i actually care about (Fringe, Heroes, Lost, How I Met Your Mother), and free up the remaining time for useful stuff.
- Started rock climbing; took a class at Planet Granite, got into a nice climbing routine, making noticable improvements, and had a nice synergy with my (then) workout routine. Then my belay partner ditched me; went through a couple of flakey belay partners before finally giving up.
...
I'm working on a goal package for 2009 which i may or may not post here. I'm trying to address all of the Bad and Ugly items above, but i'm also trying hard to make my goals realistic, and to prioritize so i can actually make things happen without failing halfiway through or regressing a few months later. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
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