Of Ice Storms and Hard Drives

I find myself pacing around the house tonight. The news has been all gloom and doom today about the weather. We even got sent home early from work today. The drive in to work and drive home with mostly slippery and slidey, so I'm glad we got that opportunity to avoid rush hour. It's glazing up out there now, little ice chips hitting crusted-over snow and sounding vaguely like a crackling fire to me. If you step on the snow, the stop crust breaks like plaster. They say it'll (maybe) be the "Worst Ice Storm EVER" and all day long on Twitter we called it SnoMG!

Every five minutes I pace in here to fret if I should shut down before the threatened power outage happens or run another diagnostic. I've defragmented and run every tool in my System Mechanic's arsenal. My computer is still buggy and freezes up if sitting idle too long or forced to... well, do work.

Not a word in the vein of "pets taking after their owners," either.

The last two weeks have been buggier than ever, computer-wise and last night was my final straw. I couldn't look at a referral someone sent me. Namely, something that could be beneficial to me career-wise. Instead I sat around with egg on my face repetitively rebooting. There's little more emasculating for a guy nowadays than saying "I'm sorry, but I can't really read this right now because my computer doesn't work."

So, I'm going to be stripping her down and reinstalling everything shortly (by which I probably really mean I'll be buttering Matt up to to do it, which I will call him "helping me") and if that doesn't work, I'm going to pony up some credit or get a small loan and finally get myself a new machine.

In my head I call it my "infinite patience," but in reality I think it's just my "infinite masochism." New box coming... or rebuilt one. Either way, the dawn of a new and exciting era. One in which I can sit down and actually want to write a blog post instead of just rebooting and trying fixes.

Meanwhile, the house is chilly and everything's glazing up out there. I'm going to shut down, make a cup of hot tea, and curl up with an honest to goodness book (madness, I know!).

More to follow...

Earbuds, or, my latest addiction

Earbuds, or "I luvs me my iPhone", originally uploaded by JayKulpa.

A month ago, my old LG flip phone finally died, so I ponied up for ... the iPhone. Big, fancy, filled with bells and whistles. You can email. Browse the internet. Play games. Watch TV. Even... make phone calls...

So far, so good. I like the functions, use it all the time, and justify it partially by remembering that one of it's main features is it's also an iPod. I'dnever owned an iPod before. (Have a little, tiny 256k MP3 player that someone gave me, but this is far, far different.)

This lead to my finally downloading and checking out what has turned out to be a huge bain to my poor, overworked computer: iTunes (boy, it's a pain in the ass to type all this little i-capital letter-little letters words). iTunes led to my latest obsession: podcasts.

I'd been familiar with the concept of podcasts for a while but had never listened to one before. Over the last 4 weeks, I've pretty much been listening to them all the time. I can't imagine how I've lived without them - actually, I'm more amazed I've never made one. You can - much like a blog- blather on about anything you damn well please and then put it out there into the ether... where random whackos (and here I'm whistling, looking around, hoping you don't put two and two together...) can download it and share in the minutia. Some of them are newsy, or I learn something... more of them are just "Why the hell are you still talking." But they all have so far fascinated me. I listen almost too often. In the morning around the house, in the car on the way to work and back, errands, at the gym, around the house, while typing... like now... before bed. I'm enjoying them.

Anyhow, if you're interested, these are what's been in my "heavy rotation": Savage Love, Horror Etc., Feast of Fools, A Prairie Home Companion: The News from Lake Woebegone, Fresh Air with Terry Gross, The Onion Radio Network, The Horror! Old Time Radio, Fox and the City (which Drew-o-rama has been recommending to me for AGES), Dan Carlin's Hardcore History, The Cadaver Lab, Real Time with Bill Maher, and a few more...

So, now that I've probably revealed far more about myself and my interests than I ever meant to let on, go check 'em out!

Then come back and tell me, what are you listening to? Any recommendations?

Shaking off some rust

I'm blaming Twitter.

Twitter, with it's concept of "micro-blogging" has allowed me to spit out 140 character haiku-like bursts of whatever I have on my mind into the world immediately. From work, at the gym, while shopping - any place I'm at, I can Tweet and reach some friends and strangers with whatever is on my mind. Actually, it's expanded beyond my circle of friends to the point where I feel more of a need to filter what I say. For example, while I'm only somewhat inclined to say derisive things about one of the current Vice Presidential candidates that my friends would understand, I don't want to hork off my followers at Bitch Magazine, who may not know me well enough to take it in the spirit whatever remark I make may be proffered.

Anyhow, getting that fix - along with staying busy and trying to skim depression about the economy and job market and upcoming elections like a skier instead of landing face-first in it - has kind of pulled me out of any sort of self-reflection that may take the amount of time I'd devote to posting something here... on my poor, neglected baby of a blog.

So, here I am, crawling home with my tail between my legs, hoping that you, fair reader -- yes, all four of you -- may deign to start casting your attentions this way, where I shall be posting more frequently from here on out...

See you in these here funny pages!

I must say though that Live-Tweeting the debates has been the most fun I've had in ages, though!

Hey, remember me?

"Hey, remember me? It's me, your blog... which you used to love and now
neglect and pay no attention to... you need to come blog on me or I'm going to
start soliciting other writers..."

Well, as you can see I have been "oot and aboot" for awhile. This weekend I'll get photos up at the Jayboy Mansion from my fab trips to Athens, Ohio and Phoenix, Arizona... and hopefully get caught up on some sleep and some posting.

The best part about jet lag isn't the two mornings of totally screwed up sleep, but that second afternoon... when you're so tired and out of whack that you feel like you took a really big Ativan.

If I was always this unflappable yet totally efficient and effective at work, I'd have conquered the world by now.

Sadly, that just might be the best endorsement for Anti-Anxiety meds you will ever see...

Rushing past the sights I'd want to see...

This weekend has gone by in a flash. The past week went just as speedily.

I've joined a gym - lost 5 1/2 pounds in the last 7 days - which I think is damn good, all things considered. I went 5 out of the last 7 days, and will be in every other day this week. I just kind of eased into a decision I'd been batting around for a long time now. I'm not getting any younger. I've never been the most physically active person in the world. If the body is a temple I tended to treat mine much like the Taliban would, all but blowing it up.

I have always looked at my father as being a healthy, active man. He's constantly seemed more fit than I have ever been. About a year ago, he was diagnosed with diabetes and I learned just how much in runs in the family. Well, when someone who's always been trim and active has to make major modifications at sixty... you realize that your genetic imprint is probably running a speedier course towards the same results.

So here I am, on the elliptical every day and taking a small personal training package to learn how to properly use the circuit and weight training machinery. I'm going to get fit, while there's still time.

I've already made a lot of dietary changes over the last few months. I'd started South Beach and did really well whenever I was in town -- still a believer that vacation calories don't count. Sadly, my first workout proved that you need some carbohydrates in your body if you don't want to wind up laid out on the floor trying with all your will power not to vomit after exercising.

Today, I just spent a good 3 hours prepping a weeks' worth of black beans and rice lunches, along with roasted veggies, 2 days of fish, 2 days of eggs, and I'm about to apportion out a week's worth of salads. I have after work appointments Monday and Wednesday, so I now have to start hauling around 2 meals in my lunch box on those days. I guess this is all going to be about discipline; about habit and repetition. Staying organized at home and on the road. It's going to be big changes and I really hope I make the most of them.

I'm not sure if I'll follow the Nala example and try to start getting up at the crack of dawn to get it in before work... but I do see myself stopping by after. I saw the results he produced the first time he hit the gym and knowing he's going again is inspiring to me. I always think how I need to make these changes -- my health, getting a job; but I'm using either "feeling blue" or "no energy" as an excuse. Well, I won't have those excuses anymore. If I am afraid of results, or change, or testing myself -- tough. It's time to do it.

Let's hope I get motivated and active and soon find a new job that would make getting to these gyms VERY inconvenient! I'll take the new habits with me though... til then I'll be "up in the gym just workin' on my fitness."

(god, I just LOVE an obvious musical cue)

Where I've been (make it quick)

I got back from a whirlwind trip to Columbus over the weekend and hit the gym on Monday. Evidently you need fuel, in the form of carbohydrates, before you do 40 squats... thanks, personal trainer, I luvs ya fer lettin me know... I did more exercise than I thought I was capable of and spent 30 minutes lying on the gym's floor trying not to vomit. Good times!

I've been in miserable pain for the last two days and haven't hardly been able to claw my way to the 'puter after work. That said, at least I worked a lot out today...

I promise this weekend to get caught up on posting and pictures!