Motivation:
Two weeks off without blogging - but I am still doing my job.
New Stats - Check the sidebar for the current damage. As you can see, I am almost at my next Goal - a few pounds, and I have broken the 30% barrier, although I am not going to brag about this as it is still pretty pathetic... long way to go.
Recently a friend of mine brought up a point that putting my weight and health information on this 'public forum' may not be such a great idea. Do I really want to expose myself and family to the internet world? That seems dangerous..
I guess it could be dangerous, as it opens me up to negative influence, but I guess I really never thought too hard into revealing information that could be damaging. "Bragging" about a 50-inch waistline I guess could be construed as an odd thing. It is a valid point, I guess. Here are my thoughts:
1) I did not really start the blog to communicate with anyone except myself. It started out as a daily diary, then was stopped for a while because I didn't feel like I was getting anything out of it, and it was getting too hard to do every day. I found that my hiatus from the daily diary (blog) actually was helping me to go backwards in my progress. Weight-wise, I lost 80lbs, and when I stopped my diary, I also stopped the things that I was diary-ing about (such as workouts, eating right, goal setting, consistent planning, reviewing progress, etc). I regained 30lbs during this 'vacation'. It is difficult for me to unlink the diary and consistent planning with the result. This concept may be fodder in a future podcast, as I have had other sources (weight loss, technology, writers) who all claim that the first thing you should do, when tackling a new or difficult project, is specifically to BLOG about it.
2) Along with #1, these weight loss concepts are really transferable to other parts of life. This really is a transforming project, and has impact on other projects I am working on. Hopefully this will become more evident as the podcasts begin.
3) I am somewhat vain, so really don't mind having people read about my life. It is also a very easy way for me to communicate about this particular project with others.
On to the "BAD STORY - GOOD STORY - Dancing!"
The last time I went dancing, I was hovering around 487lbs, on September of 2005. I have pictures of the Virgo Party, where I look somewhat like a giant weeble-wooble. You can see what I am referring to was posted at a previous post here. (Compare that with the image on this page... tee hee) It is rather difficult for me to look at that picture. In 2005, I had those pants, and maybe another pair of the same type of pants (size 62) and that shirt, and then a red version of that shirt. (6XLT) I could waggle my arms around in the music, and my body may have giggled back and forth. I am not saying this to have a pity party for my, just painting the BEFORE picture of this story.
After seeing these pictures that ApplePat took, I decided I would not dance any more. Nobody needs to see a fat man dancing, nor do I need to see any more pictures like this.
Turn the clock up to April 2007, and I have not really danced for 1.5 years. I was visiting with my Goddaughter in her parents front hallway, when she started to wiggle around and stomp up and down. "Do you want to dance?" I asked. We did a little dance (undefined name of our dance) sort of just bouncing around in circles and getting dizzy. I was so excited to be moving around, and when I started to lose my balance and stopped for a moment, she grabbed my hand and said "more - more". Very nice - maybe the best part of my trip, was dancing in the hallway.
Raquetball
Results from the Chazz-Jman Raquetball Challenge is in: Jman won 6 out of 6 and Chazz went as a loser. I am getting very good at losing, so I really don't mind. I did have Jman up against the ropes on several of the matches, so the score doesn't really reflect the game, however is good to note the score.
Rebooting your Hard Drive - Declutter
Recently, the battery to my PDA (iPAQ rx3114) died, and it took 3 weeks to have the new battery ordered and delivered - but it arrived and I was able to revive my electronic friend.
However, it was like a newborn baby, as far as it's recollection to knowing anything about me. It didn't recognize my computer, any of my data, or my preferences. They were all gone, vanished like the party was over hours ago. It was set on it's original parameters, and was as if I had just bought it.
Darn - this means hours - if not days - of recollecting information, recovering applications, data, records that it held for me, since I cannot remember everything. I put so much data and trust into my electronic friend, that I was not ready for this disaster.
I then recalled a situation a few years ago, while working as a System Administrator, that I was upgrading and Exchange Email Server. Due to factors beyond my control (including not having good hardware, too much data, unreliable backups, and an overall lack of preparation) the server upgrade went well, but the email data on the server was lost. Luckily most people were warned and had a backup of their information. One of my coworkers had over 4gigs of data still on the email server, and it was ultimately lost.
When I went to break the news, he laughed it off, and stated that this was his chance to clean out all of his old messages. He was relieved that I had deleted his messages, and didn't want any effort or energy in recovering them. I was shocked, but realized an important outcome - we keep too much crap that we will never need - be it email, computer files, papers, voicemail, or just stuff.
The fact that my past appointments, contacts, notes about "Phil's Chili Recipe Hints" passwords for "Classmates.com" and mp3s of old TV show intros were not needed for my productivity or enjoyment. They were just "there", some as space wasters, some as distractions, and some as wish list items or to do items that have been nagging me or hanging over my head for years. It was a blessing to have to start from scratch.
I recently listened to a podcast from a computer guy who every 6 months will format his drive and reinstall the operating system, not because of an errant virus or operating system crashing, but because he wants to have the most efficient computer all the time. By getting rid of applications and files that he doesn't use or need, he feels that he is being more productive and gets rid of the unnecessary stuff that may bog him down.
Will I go to such an extent to wipe my data every 6 months and start over? No, I don't think so, but I may consider 'decluttering' my files, and reorganizing the way that I store and keep information. I am starting the following principals in my 'decluttering' quest:
1) limit the number of places to look for emails. I am going to try to get down to only a few folders, and am going to throw away emails that I have no logical reason to hang on to. They are too distractive to me.
2) Better organize my computer files - pictures go in the pictures folder, music in the music folder. The installation files for applications that I use will go into an Apps folder. In case i need to re-install them.
3) I am getting rid of distractions in my 'work' areas, so that I can focus on the task I am working on. This is good for me, as I am ENTP and, wait, what was I talking about..... (oh, you get the picture)
4) Organize my physical space, and try to keep it organized. I have already discussed the issues of how I feel in the morning when the laundry is done and put away, and I have a clear floor to walk on and can easily make it to the bathroom without tripping over things, and can find my bags and clothes and be out the door for work.
5) I am going to try to remove one unneeded item (at least) from my home every week. Some of this is directly linking to my weight loss. My family noted that my body now exists "within my shoulders", and I am living within the frame. (I like to think that I am existing within "my battersbox") This has caused me to go through my clothes and move the clothes that are too baggy to the 2nd bedroom, eventually to be removed. I am also starting to look at other things in the house and wonder, does this really belong here? When is the last time I used it? Would I ever use it again, even in a pinch? If not, why is it still here...
6) Declutter my mind. This is more philosophical, but what ideas, concepts, list-items, or projects am I holding in my brain that don't need to be there. What fears do I have? Concerns that I can't do anything about? Stumbling blocks that keep me from being a better, more productive person? Topics for a podcast, I am sure.... One note on this was at church. I was confronted with a devotion that asked if I was holding frustrations that I was unable to ever resolve, why I didn't just give them to God and let them go. Why do I feel that I need to take up valuable disk-space in my brain to resolve ir-reconcilable issues or concerns. If you can't solve the problem in 2 minutes, then put it in a project folder. Decide which projects are worth doing, and if they are not worth doing, then either outsource (delegate) them, or throw them out, but DON'T keep them as a black cloud taking up space and valuable time.
Notes:
#Exercise#
I have been exercising regularly (30 minutes / 2.5 mile equivalent daily).
I have added a new item to the blog page from Joes Goals - there are 10 categories and I have a picture of the categories and how it looks below the blog - just scroll down and you should see it (keep it up until first week of May 2007).
Theoretically, at the end of each day, I click on the things that I have done, and it will automatically show my score on the widget over in the sidebar on the right of the blog. Just another reason to check in to see how I am doing with my 10 categories.
#Fine Art#
Practiced with the band last week, but the practice was horrible. We only played a few songs, and not very good. We talked for a while, though, and I appreciate these guys a lot, so it was worth going to practice.
I interviewed Memphis for the upcoming podcast (how many times now in this blog have I mentioned the podcast? It is coming.. in the next couple of weeks. I am sure you are all twitching with excitement...
#Money#
Started saving for debt reduction - automated through my bank a deposit to save every day into debt reduction. I am unsure if this is going to work too well, but we will see. It is a start.
#Geek#
I have been pretty geeky since procuring my laptop with Vista on it. Overall I like Windows Vista, but there are a few things that don't work. My Lexmark printer, my Samsung Camera, my Sandisk USB thumbdrive, and Norton Ghost all so far do not work with Vista. How in the world can a printer not have drivers for Vista! I am going to send a letter to all of these companies.
I have also started using Ubuntu Linux on the old computer. I am going to keep it as a dual-boot Windows XP and Linux box. Windows XP just because it is the only system that will use the devices listed above, and Linux because there is a part of Vista that is really rubbing me the wrong way. It is a little to corporate, a little to controlling, a little too "borg mind", even with the cool new stuff that it has. Linux, on the other hand is like the Star Wars rebels, it is community centered, Green (as in earth day) and Free (as in Beer) and Free (as in Speech). It also seems to have matured a lot since I last installed Linux. With the Ubuntu distribution, the install was very easy (with the addition of an extra hard drive to my computer - don't worry, it was an old drive that was sitting around - I didn't buy a new one). The only thing that didn't work was my Belkin Wireless Network Card, but I installed the Netgear WG311 v2 and I believe this is compatible. I will find out tonight when I re-install. If it doesn't work, I will need to do some more research, but I am thinking this will be ok.
I will probably geek out on this Linux thing, and post some more. Let me just say this: If you have a machine that is out of warranty, doesn't have enough memory or horsepower to run Windows Vista, and is in good condition physically, you don't have to throw it out. It is possible to run Linux and keep the computer. It is fast (I am told) and is pretty good alternative. I will let you know - heck, I might even install it and configure it for you, if I can get something out of it - we can barter....
Also, I have been researching PortableApps and U3 applications. The concept is simple, you can put your applications and files on your USB portable drive, and take everything you need with you in your pocket (everything computer-related, that is.) A large capacity USB drive is relatively inexpensive, so this is a good alternative for someone who wants to travel with their files, but not their laptop. You will need a computer somewhere to open them, but you get the picture.
#Personal#
On a personal note, thanks to my Dad and Jman, I now am driving with my window gorilla-taped to my car door, and the rest of the door is in pieces. I will order a new window regulator next month and have fun putting my door back together. It doesn't affect my driving, or use of the door itself, I just can't use the power window - since I don't drive thru anymore, not a problem. Just can't get pulled over...
The Renaissance Man Project:
Will be working on the interview with Memphis Evans, songwriter, father, and marathon competitor. The interview was fun, but it may have been too much question/answer and less dialouge. I will let it be what it is and plan the next step.
"What is a Technical Writer?" didn't get covered - talk about this later...
more later,
Chazz
"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."
~Walter Bagehet
New Picture!
When I get a chance, I will add this picture to the animated gifs.
Diary:~Walter Bagehet
New Picture!
When I get a chance, I will add this picture to the animated gifs.
Two weeks off without blogging - but I am still doing my job.
New Stats - Check the sidebar for the current damage. As you can see, I am almost at my next Goal - a few pounds, and I have broken the 30% barrier, although I am not going to brag about this as it is still pretty pathetic... long way to go.
Recently a friend of mine brought up a point that putting my weight and health information on this 'public forum' may not be such a great idea. Do I really want to expose myself and family to the internet world? That seems dangerous..
I guess it could be dangerous, as it opens me up to negative influence, but I guess I really never thought too hard into revealing information that could be damaging. "Bragging" about a 50-inch waistline I guess could be construed as an odd thing. It is a valid point, I guess. Here are my thoughts:
1) I did not really start the blog to communicate with anyone except myself. It started out as a daily diary, then was stopped for a while because I didn't feel like I was getting anything out of it, and it was getting too hard to do every day. I found that my hiatus from the daily diary (blog) actually was helping me to go backwards in my progress. Weight-wise, I lost 80lbs, and when I stopped my diary, I also stopped the things that I was diary-ing about (such as workouts, eating right, goal setting, consistent planning, reviewing progress, etc). I regained 30lbs during this 'vacation'. It is difficult for me to unlink the diary and consistent planning with the result. This concept may be fodder in a future podcast, as I have had other sources (weight loss, technology, writers) who all claim that the first thing you should do, when tackling a new or difficult project, is specifically to BLOG about it.
2) Along with #1, these weight loss concepts are really transferable to other parts of life. This really is a transforming project, and has impact on other projects I am working on. Hopefully this will become more evident as the podcasts begin.
3) I am somewhat vain, so really don't mind having people read about my life. It is also a very easy way for me to communicate about this particular project with others.
On to the "BAD STORY - GOOD STORY - Dancing!"
The last time I went dancing, I was hovering around 487lbs, on September of 2005. I have pictures of the Virgo Party, where I look somewhat like a giant weeble-wooble. You can see what I am referring to was posted at a previous post here. (Compare that with the image on this page... tee hee) It is rather difficult for me to look at that picture. In 2005, I had those pants, and maybe another pair of the same type of pants (size 62) and that shirt, and then a red version of that shirt. (6XLT) I could waggle my arms around in the music, and my body may have giggled back and forth. I am not saying this to have a pity party for my, just painting the BEFORE picture of this story.
After seeing these pictures that ApplePat took, I decided I would not dance any more. Nobody needs to see a fat man dancing, nor do I need to see any more pictures like this.
Turn the clock up to April 2007, and I have not really danced for 1.5 years. I was visiting with my Goddaughter in her parents front hallway, when she started to wiggle around and stomp up and down. "Do you want to dance?" I asked. We did a little dance (undefined name of our dance) sort of just bouncing around in circles and getting dizzy. I was so excited to be moving around, and when I started to lose my balance and stopped for a moment, she grabbed my hand and said "more - more". Very nice - maybe the best part of my trip, was dancing in the hallway.
Raquetball
Results from the Chazz-Jman Raquetball Challenge is in: Jman won 6 out of 6 and Chazz went as a loser. I am getting very good at losing, so I really don't mind. I did have Jman up against the ropes on several of the matches, so the score doesn't really reflect the game, however is good to note the score.
Rebooting your Hard Drive - Declutter
Recently, the battery to my PDA (iPAQ rx3114) died, and it took 3 weeks to have the new battery ordered and delivered - but it arrived and I was able to revive my electronic friend.
However, it was like a newborn baby, as far as it's recollection to knowing anything about me. It didn't recognize my computer, any of my data, or my preferences. They were all gone, vanished like the party was over hours ago. It was set on it's original parameters, and was as if I had just bought it.
Darn - this means hours - if not days - of recollecting information, recovering applications, data, records that it held for me, since I cannot remember everything. I put so much data and trust into my electronic friend, that I was not ready for this disaster.
I then recalled a situation a few years ago, while working as a System Administrator, that I was upgrading and Exchange Email Server. Due to factors beyond my control (including not having good hardware, too much data, unreliable backups, and an overall lack of preparation) the server upgrade went well, but the email data on the server was lost. Luckily most people were warned and had a backup of their information. One of my coworkers had over 4gigs of data still on the email server, and it was ultimately lost.
When I went to break the news, he laughed it off, and stated that this was his chance to clean out all of his old messages. He was relieved that I had deleted his messages, and didn't want any effort or energy in recovering them. I was shocked, but realized an important outcome - we keep too much crap that we will never need - be it email, computer files, papers, voicemail, or just stuff.
The fact that my past appointments, contacts, notes about "Phil's Chili Recipe Hints" passwords for "Classmates.com" and mp3s of old TV show intros were not needed for my productivity or enjoyment. They were just "there", some as space wasters, some as distractions, and some as wish list items or to do items that have been nagging me or hanging over my head for years. It was a blessing to have to start from scratch.
I recently listened to a podcast from a computer guy who every 6 months will format his drive and reinstall the operating system, not because of an errant virus or operating system crashing, but because he wants to have the most efficient computer all the time. By getting rid of applications and files that he doesn't use or need, he feels that he is being more productive and gets rid of the unnecessary stuff that may bog him down.
Will I go to such an extent to wipe my data every 6 months and start over? No, I don't think so, but I may consider 'decluttering' my files, and reorganizing the way that I store and keep information. I am starting the following principals in my 'decluttering' quest:
1) limit the number of places to look for emails. I am going to try to get down to only a few folders, and am going to throw away emails that I have no logical reason to hang on to. They are too distractive to me.
2) Better organize my computer files - pictures go in the pictures folder, music in the music folder. The installation files for applications that I use will go into an Apps folder. In case i need to re-install them.
3) I am getting rid of distractions in my 'work' areas, so that I can focus on the task I am working on. This is good for me, as I am ENTP and, wait, what was I talking about..... (oh, you get the picture)
4) Organize my physical space, and try to keep it organized. I have already discussed the issues of how I feel in the morning when the laundry is done and put away, and I have a clear floor to walk on and can easily make it to the bathroom without tripping over things, and can find my bags and clothes and be out the door for work.
5) I am going to try to remove one unneeded item (at least) from my home every week. Some of this is directly linking to my weight loss. My family noted that my body now exists "within my shoulders", and I am living within the frame. (I like to think that I am existing within "my battersbox") This has caused me to go through my clothes and move the clothes that are too baggy to the 2nd bedroom, eventually to be removed. I am also starting to look at other things in the house and wonder, does this really belong here? When is the last time I used it? Would I ever use it again, even in a pinch? If not, why is it still here...
6) Declutter my mind. This is more philosophical, but what ideas, concepts, list-items, or projects am I holding in my brain that don't need to be there. What fears do I have? Concerns that I can't do anything about? Stumbling blocks that keep me from being a better, more productive person? Topics for a podcast, I am sure.... One note on this was at church. I was confronted with a devotion that asked if I was holding frustrations that I was unable to ever resolve, why I didn't just give them to God and let them go. Why do I feel that I need to take up valuable disk-space in my brain to resolve ir-reconcilable issues or concerns. If you can't solve the problem in 2 minutes, then put it in a project folder. Decide which projects are worth doing, and if they are not worth doing, then either outsource (delegate) them, or throw them out, but DON'T keep them as a black cloud taking up space and valuable time.
Notes:
#Exercise#
I have been exercising regularly (30 minutes / 2.5 mile equivalent daily).
I have added a new item to the blog page from Joes Goals - there are 10 categories and I have a picture of the categories and how it looks below the blog - just scroll down and you should see it (keep it up until first week of May 2007).
Theoretically, at the end of each day, I click on the things that I have done, and it will automatically show my score on the widget over in the sidebar on the right of the blog. Just another reason to check in to see how I am doing with my 10 categories.
#Fine Art#
Practiced with the band last week, but the practice was horrible. We only played a few songs, and not very good. We talked for a while, though, and I appreciate these guys a lot, so it was worth going to practice.
I interviewed Memphis for the upcoming podcast (how many times now in this blog have I mentioned the podcast? It is coming.. in the next couple of weeks. I am sure you are all twitching with excitement...
#Money#
Started saving for debt reduction - automated through my bank a deposit to save every day into debt reduction. I am unsure if this is going to work too well, but we will see. It is a start.
#Geek#
I have been pretty geeky since procuring my laptop with Vista on it. Overall I like Windows Vista, but there are a few things that don't work. My Lexmark printer, my Samsung Camera, my Sandisk USB thumbdrive, and Norton Ghost all so far do not work with Vista. How in the world can a printer not have drivers for Vista! I am going to send a letter to all of these companies.
I have also started using Ubuntu Linux on the old computer. I am going to keep it as a dual-boot Windows XP and Linux box. Windows XP just because it is the only system that will use the devices listed above, and Linux because there is a part of Vista that is really rubbing me the wrong way. It is a little to corporate, a little to controlling, a little too "borg mind", even with the cool new stuff that it has. Linux, on the other hand is like the Star Wars rebels, it is community centered, Green (as in earth day) and Free (as in Beer) and Free (as in Speech). It also seems to have matured a lot since I last installed Linux. With the Ubuntu distribution, the install was very easy (with the addition of an extra hard drive to my computer - don't worry, it was an old drive that was sitting around - I didn't buy a new one). The only thing that didn't work was my Belkin Wireless Network Card, but I installed the Netgear WG311 v2 and I believe this is compatible. I will find out tonight when I re-install. If it doesn't work, I will need to do some more research, but I am thinking this will be ok.
I will probably geek out on this Linux thing, and post some more. Let me just say this: If you have a machine that is out of warranty, doesn't have enough memory or horsepower to run Windows Vista, and is in good condition physically, you don't have to throw it out. It is possible to run Linux and keep the computer. It is fast (I am told) and is pretty good alternative. I will let you know - heck, I might even install it and configure it for you, if I can get something out of it - we can barter....
Also, I have been researching PortableApps and U3 applications. The concept is simple, you can put your applications and files on your USB portable drive, and take everything you need with you in your pocket (everything computer-related, that is.) A large capacity USB drive is relatively inexpensive, so this is a good alternative for someone who wants to travel with their files, but not their laptop. You will need a computer somewhere to open them, but you get the picture.
#Personal#
On a personal note, thanks to my Dad and Jman, I now am driving with my window gorilla-taped to my car door, and the rest of the door is in pieces. I will order a new window regulator next month and have fun putting my door back together. It doesn't affect my driving, or use of the door itself, I just can't use the power window - since I don't drive thru anymore, not a problem. Just can't get pulled over...
The Renaissance Man Project:
Will be working on the interview with Memphis Evans, songwriter, father, and marathon competitor. The interview was fun, but it may have been too much question/answer and less dialouge. I will let it be what it is and plan the next step.
"What is a Technical Writer?" didn't get covered - talk about this later...
more later,
Chazz
No comments:
Post a Comment