Update on the 3 words:


Start/Create: 
still working on this one. Even though i did start a big project (see below)



Motivate:
I have been hiking at least once a month since January. I purchased a fitbit a couple of months ago and even on what i think are my lazy days i see that i am more active than i think i am. i always take my camera with me when i go hiking and have been lucky enough to get i consider are some good shots.

Organize:
I do not like to use the word hoarder but it is what I am. last month it got to a breaking point and i decided i needed to stop this behavior and clean the house up. i was going to have to have work done on the house and people would be coming in and out over several days and i did not want them to see how things had got. so with 2 weeks to get things in some kind of order and having some vacation days from work i started cleaning. i worked 12 hours on average a day working on one room of the house till it was finished. Some rooms did not take long, others took almost the entire 2 weeks. one room is still being worked on. it was not needed to go into for the work on the house to be done. i work an hour after work on average working on that room. it was my junk room so there are a good number of things to go through. Last week I found an air conditioner that i did not know i had. not sure if it works as i have other things to organize before i can get to it. 

my biggest fear is i will go right back to my habit of letting things pile up again. i cannot go back to living like that.

I started watching "At the Movies" in the mid 80s. Read several of his books. Maybe agreed with half of his film critiques but always enjoyed and respected what he had to say about movies. Followed his blog for a few years now, reading about his childhood, his friends, the people who influenced him, his wife, his battles with cancer, losing his voice and other things that were important to him above and beyond movies.

Thank you and R.I.P. Mr. Ebert.

 

 

 

 

 

So, Google Reader will be shutting down July 1st. 

Why? 

It is arguably the most used Google product after Search and Gmail. This will effect thousands if not millions of users. First it was iGoogle, their start page which on some level I can understand. Then Google Documents was incorporated into Google Drive. Again, a move that somewhat makes sense. 

 

The elimination of Reader just is not making sense.

It is almost like Google is no longer wanting any of us to use any of their products including the ones that are still being supported. Loyal users of all their products be damned. 

 

So far, no explanation from Google has been offered. I hope at least some kind of message is sent out at some point with reason(s) why. 

 

Meanwhile, I go to look for an alternative(s). 

 

Blah

My skin is too thin. I take things personally when I know that I should not. I do not know how I can change as I have been this way all of my life. I have tried in the past to work on thickening my resolve and I think I have gotten better until something happens or something is said and I am right back where I always have ended up.

all my friends are married
every Tom and Dick and Harry
you must be strong
to go it alone
here's to the bachelors
and the bowery bums
and those who feel that they're the ones
who are better off without a wife

I like to sleep until the crack of noon
midnight howlin' at the moon
goin' out when I wanto, comin' home when I please
I don't have to ask permission
if I want to go out fishing
and I never have to ask for the keys

never been no Valentino
had a girl who lived in Reno
left me for a trumpet player
didn't get me down
he was wanted for assault
though he said it weren't his fault
well the coppers rode him right
out of town

I like to sleep until the crack of noon
midnight howlin' at the moon
goin' out when I wanto, comin' home when I please
I don't have to ask permission
if I want to go out fishing
and I never have to ask for the keys

selfish about my privacy
as long as I can be with me
we get along so well I can't believe
I love to chew the fat with folks
and listen to all your dirty jokes
I'm so thankful for these friends
I do receive

I like to sleep until the crack of noon
midnight howlin' at the moon
goin' out when I wanto, comin' home when I please
I don't have to ask permission
if I want to go out fishing
and I never have to ask for the keys

repeated regret

not getting out earlier

I still beat myself up for mistakes I made 20 years ago

I am not as busy as I would like to think that I am.

Organizing

This is the one out of my three words I am having the worst time motivating myself into doing. I have a habit of "collecting" a lot of things and not getting rid of most of those things so it starts to pile up fast. I have attempted to clean and organize many times over the years.

This is something I have struggled with most of my life. The only times I was successful was when I was living with my parents, living with a roommate, and living with my girlfriend(ex-girlfriend now). I seem to do better when there is someone else effected. It has been just me for 8 plus years now and the piles are large in some places.

I know I need to get it organized. I know I will feel better once it is done. It is such a huge undertaking. I know it will take much time and energy. Those are two of the reasons I do not do more. I am also afraid that once it is cleaned up I will let it get messy again. It is what I have done many times over. I need to find away to break that pattern.

Have thought of downsizing what I have, getting rid of not just the mess but some of the other things like books, DVDs, magazines, clothes and other items that just sit around and I do not use and in some cases I have forgotten that I even own. I am also afraid to ask people for help as I do not want them to see the way the house is. I have planned in the past to clean some of the worse areas and then ask people to come in and help with the rest of the house. Perhaps that is still a plan that I can carry out.

All of these thoughts have come from exercises in the book I have been reading: Amazing Things Will Happen by C.C. Chapman. The goodreads' blurb for the book says:

    "Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen. "Amazing Things Will Happen" offers straightforward advice that can be put into action to improve your life."

If you want to start on the path to amazing things, check out this book. It is a short read. I could have read it in one sitting but did read it in less than a day. I am on the second read through now. It offers advice on how to look at the good and the bad in life and how to start yourself on the path to the life/job/career/relationship you have dreamed of and never figured out how to start.  Oh, and get a notebook. Nothing fancy. Just have one handy as he has exercises that will get you thinking. 

Motivation

Have not been exercising as much over the past two weeks. I had two teeth pulled and just now I am feeling back to normal. I am planning go back to Morrow Mountain this weekend. I also have plans to visit Reed Gold Mine and the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge.The camera will be coming with me.

It has been about two weeks since I selected my 3 words for 2013 and so far I have done one of the three very well and the other two not so much.

Motivate: I have been exercising of some type almost everyday. I did rested on Friday in preparation of a hike at Morrow Mountain State Park I was going to take on Saturday. I rested again today as I think I hiked 4 miles too much. I was sore for the rest yesterday and could not settle down last night to get good rest. That was the opposite of what I thought would happen. I was expecting a good night's sleep. I also did not do any exercising today as I work today. The soreness is mostly gone and I did not want it to come back while at work.

Start/Create: While on my hike I took a good number of photographs. Here is the link to the ones I posted.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suchnone/sets/72157632501319701/

I was really lucky to come upon a Great Blue Heron on one of the trails. (image is below)He had something in its mouth but I could not tell what it was till I zoomed in on my computer and saw it is a frog. And a good sized one at that. I am planning to go back there at least once a month. I really want to see what the trails look like in the Spring and Fall. There are about 40 miles total of trails. I would like to hike all the trails but not quite ready to make that a goal for this year. The longest trails are in the 9 mile range and I am not sure if I would be able to do that many miles in one day at this time.



Organizing: I have done a little but have so much more to do. I am hesitant to post pictures of the mess I have accumulated as it is a bit embarrassing. I have thought if more people see it I will be more likely to do something about it.

Other: I read a good number of books last year, 25 in total. I have set 30 books for this year. So far, I have finished one, Watchmen and are working on two others: Game of Thrones and Dropping Ashes on the Buddha. Also have been catching up on Dr. Who episodes. I started at Series 1 from 2005 and have been watching an average of one episode an day. I am on the last disc of Series 3 but I do not have Series 4 so have slowed down watching them. Hopefully I will get Series 4 soon.

Motivate:

I have started exercising more. I was doing pretty good through August, September and October but early in November some thing changed and the time when I was walking was not available. I had to make adjustments but could not make them at that time. I made them earlier this week and so far so good. Think this will be easier to do than the other "words of 2013."(see previous post). I have rode the stationary bike every day this week but today. Will do that later this evening. I have lifted weights a few of the days but started to get sore so have decided to cut down on that and not do it every day. It is really is not much to begin with but I need to do it and still as regular as I can.

3 (+1) Words for 2013

this is an exercise i learned from C.C. Chapman. i have never done this before and it seemed like a good time to start. for more information on this activity check out his website with the link above.

Start/Create: 
i have a lot of ideas for projects that go nowhere because i never start them. i want to at least start these projects to see where they go. sometimes this just means sitting down and typing out thoughts. i like photography. i like to take pictures of the sky and trees. i want to take more pictures not just this year but the next and the next.

Motivate:
 i need to be more active, this means getting out of the house more often, walking more, or buying the bike i have talked about for years.

 Organize:
 i need to organize my life, my house, my workspace. this one may be the most difficult as i tend to collect things and i have a hard time getting rid of things i do not need. .


do not know how this exercise will work for me this year. perhaps i need a reminder(s) of some kind throughout the year. will think on that and see what i can come up with.