How Obesity Affects My Life

Let me first state that I am not obese. I have been a little overweight for most of my life, and am still a little out of my target weight range now. I would not consider myself obese at this point, but obesity affects many parts of my life. I am not just talking about sitting next to an obese person on an airplane.

Most of my friends are obese. I don't know why it happened as we were all about the same in high school. Over the last twenty years since we graduated they have steadily gained weight. A few have lost weight, then gained it back several times. One has had lap-band surgery and is doing pretty well. She is not at her ideal weight and I don't know if she will ever get there, but she has lost a lot of weight.

Here is how their obesity affects my life. This weekend The Queen and I were looking at some patio furniture. We were sitting in the chairs to see how comfortable they were. I tried several before I found the one chair that I thought was the most comfortable and looked to be the best built. I was sitting in the chair when The Queen said that we could not buy that set. I asked her why and she told me that our friends would not fit in them.

This is not the first time we have had that conversation. We have looked at patio furniture several times over the past few years and this topic comes up every time. Why can't I buy a piece of furniture without worrying if my friends will be able to sit in it. It is my furniture!

I have been working out pretty religiously for the past six weeks or so. I wake up at about four-thirty in the morning to fit it into my day without taking time away from family. I am tired most days because I wake up so early. I am really trying to get healthier and I finally feel like I am getting their. I have talked to coworkers about the subject from time to time and I don't feel bad about it.

We were at some friends house on Saturday for a birthday party. We were all in the kitchen and I started talking about my exercise program and how I am starting to see some positive changes. I wanted to share my excitement with my friends. Everything was fine until we got home. The Queen told me that I should not have talked about my exercise to my friends. She told me that me talking about it could make them feel bad.

She told me that she has heard the comments from them before when she has talked about exercising. If these people are my friends, why can't I talk to them about something that I am excited about? I can talk to my coworkers about it, so why can't I talk to my close friends about it? I see The Queen's point, but it just frustrates me.

It sure seems like we are all walking on eggshells around obese members of our society, which make up the majority of people in the valley. You see people criticize models for not being real people. There have been pushes for plus sized models. There are plus size stores popping up all over the place. Why are we catering to these people who are "sick" instead of trying to help them? It just doesn't make sense to me.

The Queen told me a story of a wife that got mad that her husband ate some fast food for lunch instead of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that he took to work. She was mad because she is trying to lose weight and he is supposed to be supporting her and keeping her motivated. This is so wrong for many reasons. If you are not motivated by yourself, you will not succeed. You cannot blame other people for your behavior. You must take responsibility for your own actions. So if he starts to lose weight faster than her is she going to make him stop exercising? Where does it all end? When will obese people stop affecting my decisions? Is it selfish of me to think this way?

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Excellent Debut

Earlier this year, Cheeseball informed The Queen and I that she joined the school track team. She is in third grade this year and it is the first year they let third graders join the team. Several of her friends joined with her.

This was a big surprise to me since after our Thanksgiving 5K run she told me she didn't want to run again. I was happy she decided to give running another chance because she is pretty good at it. She tried several distances until she ultimately decided to run the eight hundred meter, which is two laps around the track.

They have practice twice a week and were scheduled to have three track meets this year, the last of which was supposed to me a type of championship meet. Her first track meet was rained out last month. She was both excited and nervous for that meet. When we go there she started to relax after hanging out with her friends. She was really disappointed when they announced that the track meet was cancelled. I was a little relieved since I signed up to help with the timing of some of the events.

Her second meet was this past Friday. It was a month after the first meet was rained out. She did not seem either nervous or excited for this meet so I did not know what to expect from her. Before we left her with her friends, I gave her some quick advice. I told her to keep the girls in the lead within reach. Do not try to keep up with them, but keep them close. I told her to sprint to the finish. That was all.

I watched with a nervous excitement as her group was waiting to be called to the starting line. She actually had to stand their waiting for a few 100 meter races. It was finally her turn. They called her group to the starting line and got them set. The race started and she did just what I told her to do, although she was a little farther back in the pack. She kept a great pace for the first half to three-quarters of the first lap. Then she got caught behind some slow runners and she slowed down a bit.

She was finally able to move around them and then picked up her pace again. I was excited for her because she was running a good race. She continued her pace for most of the second lap. She was in front of the pack at this point and was using another girl to pace herself. That girls started slowing down, so Cheeseball slowed down with her instead of passing her. She didn't sprint to the finish, but kept pace with the girl in front of her. I really thought she could have passed her, but I was happy with her race.

She made her way back to the stands where we were and actually ran with one of her friends. She was not as tired as I thought she would be. We waited to hear the results of her race. It was hard to hear, but she ended up finishing in fourth place. If she would have known that the girl she was using for pacing at the end was in third maybe she would have passed her instead. I was really happy for her though. She did great for her first race and she ended up with the best finish from her school in that race.

I think the race was very confusing for all of the runners. The race included third and fourth grade boys and girls. There was a big crowd at the start of the race with a lot of runners.

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What is Happening?

I have hit the wall once again. I am not feeling creative. I am not tired, I just don't have too many ideas in my mind. I guess this just happens to me every few months. I can't explain why, but it is really a struggle for me.

Maybe I should be analyzing myself to find out why it is happening. But, It seems like a lot of other bloggers I read have slowed down now as well. There just does not seem to be a lot of interesting content available recently.

Apple previewed the new iPhone 4 OS today. Nothing was really exciting, but there were some good things. The best being multitasking. The only problem was that later we learned that it will not work on the 3g iPhone. Bummer. I guess I will just have to upgrade when the new iPhone goes on sale later this year.

The more I see of the iPad, the more I am contemplating getting one. It just looks really cool. I don't always take my current book with me everywhere I go, but I think I would take the iPad with me. The only questions would be if I would read my book or just mess around on the iPad. I don't know.

I started reading The Toyota Way this week. I know you are wondering why I would pick this book to read after all of the recalls Toyota has had recently. I actually bought the book a month or so before the recalls were announced and was just waiting for the chance to start reading it. I am only twenty-two pages into the book, but I have already read some interesting things about Toyota's culture and their TPS. I think they do a really good job with continuous improvement and I really think they have handled the recall very well.

According to the book, historically Toyota has handled recalls and other issues better than most auto manufacturers. I just think that they are better at a lot of things than most other companies. I am not saying that they are great or that they have no room for improvement because they certainly do and the recalls prove that fact. They just have a culture that allows them to attack problems with different thinking than most other companies.

The book is going to be a long read because it packs a lot of words onto each page. They type is smaller than most other books I have read recently, but I am looking forward to learning something.

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Work-Life Balance

I am a big advocate of work-life balance. If your equilibrium tips in favor of work, your entire life, including your career will suffer greatly. Life is too short to spend all of your quality time at work at the expense of your family.

I know some people who are at work for twelve hours per day. This does not mean that they work harder than those that are only at work eight hours per day. It just means that they choose work life over home life. I just don't understand this kind of thinking. It makes no sense at all to me to spend more time at work than at home, or with your family.

Family is much more important to me. I love being able to attend all of my children's school and sporting events, including practices. I love being able to help them with their homework. I love that they know that I will be there to support them with everything they do. They actually think it is odd when I am not at one of their extra-curricular activities. I really love that.

Having a good work-life balance makes every aspect of your life better, including your work. When you are over-worked you are not doing your best work. Here is a great article that shows you how to balance your life.

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What is Happening in the World

I stumbled onto a site that gives a lot of statistics about what is happening in the world right now. This site really makes you think. For instance, right now the world population is 6,836,601,315 people and growing.

I think some of the more interesting stats on the site are in the Governments and Economics section and the Health section. I would have thought that the military expenditures by governments worldwide would dwarf the speding on education, but it is almost half. I guess it goes to show you that the less developed countries lack of military spending really affects the worldwide total.

More interesting statistics are that there are more televisions produced every year than books. But even more disturbing is that the amount of money spent on video games in the world today is almost eighty million dollars.

This site is interesting to spend some time on and see how the numbers change by the minute.

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How to Improve Yourself

What a monumental task that is. I have been using this blog as one of the tools I am using to improve myself and I have just dented the surface. This is not easy and most people do not even attempt to do it. The majority of people I observe either sleep walk their way through life or spend their time seeking fun and parties. I am not saying that you cannot have fun while improving yourself, just that the majority of people have no intention of even trying.

A lot of people are not even capable of having real relationships and conversations. One thing that makes me uncomfortable in "manly" situations like golfing, playing poker or going out with the boys is that most guys just make fun of each other, make rude comments or talk about women. I do my fare share of these things as well, but I like to think that I have real conversations and have real relationships with people I am close to.

Over the last three to four years I have really tried to improve myself. I have removed some people from my life who I felt were not a good fit for me. Thinning your tribe is something that you have to do pretty regularly. People change pretty regularly, so if someone is not compatible with your life goals you need to remove them. Compatibility is important in every aspect of your life from your spouse to your friends to you career.

It is sad to think that a lot of people have a job just to make money. They are miserable and don't like going to work everyday, but they force themselves to do it to make money to keep up with the Jones'. They work to accumulate stuff, most of which is not a necessity. I think that is the wrong reason to work. There should be a purpose in everything you do, including your career. This is something that is very hard to accomplish and I am in the process of attempting to get to this point myself.

Many people say that they need to escape from life. They need to escape from the stress that their daily life causes them. These people are not in charge of their own life. They should be trying to make their life what they want it to be instead of just playing the hand that life deals them. Make decisions that affect your life in a positive way and give you choices for your future. Don't limit your possibilities. Aim big!

This list has some really good suggestions for ways to improve your life. As I read through the list I see several items that I am trying to do in my own life. One thing I really need to do that is not on the list is to create a profile of myself. Some of the things on the list I would love to do include creating a life handbook, use to-do lists, learn a new language, join Toastmasters and start a business. Maybe I will work on those items this year.

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Thirty Things Every Man Should Have

I came across a blog posting the other day entitled 30 Things Every Man Should Have by 30. I read through the list and feel that there are only a few items I do not currently have and most likely did not have when I was thirty years old. Below are the itmes I don't have with an explanation:

5. At least one friend who gives honest fashion advice. For some reason I have surrounded myself with people who are either stuck in a different era or who just don't have any fashion/design sense at all. I only have one friend who I would take advice from in this department. I think Topher has decent fashion sense, but our relationship is not such that we go shopping together. The friend I go to the most often for fashion advice is my best friend, The Queen.

14. An emergency kit in the trunk of his car. I don't have an emergency kit in my car and really don't feel like I need one. I carry my AAA card in my wallet and keep a cellular phone with me all of the time. I keep flashlights in The Queen's car.

15. A hobby that does not include a television set or a 6-pack of beer. I have had different hobbies over the years. I enjoy taking photographs. I play softball on a team. I tinker with graphic design and computers. I have built websites. I have designed t-shirts. Nothing has really stuck for too long, so I think I still need to develop a hobby I can stick with. I bought some canvases and paints a few weeks ago and plan to start painting abstract landscapes, so maybe that will end up being the hobby that sticks.

22. A nightstand that doesn’t say "Handle with care" on the side. My nightstand does not say "handle with care" on the side, but it is a beer crate. I took it from home when I left for college and it is still beside me bed to this day. The Queen and I really need to buy some new bedroom furniture, so it will move to the garage when that happens.

29. A place where everyone knows his name. I just don't have this place and I don't think I ever will. I have the wrong personality type for this. I tend to keep to my self and observe. People with my personality type don't usually have a place where everyone knows their name.

Here is another list for all of the women out there.

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Motivation

I came across a blog post for the 7 Most Motivational Quotes Ever Spoken. As I read through them I agreed with some and disagreed with others. I think the best one on the list is from the movie Pursuit of Happyness.

"You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you, you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period." These words were spoken by Will Smith's character in the movie. I have seen parts of the movie, but have never watched it all the way through. What I have seen of the movie has been really good and powerful, but I always seem to have something pulling me away. That quote summarizes the whole movie.

I always enjoy reading profound quotes from other people. We can learn a lot from reading other peoples words and really thinking about them to try to figure out what the person was trying to say. I always wonder if I will every say or write anything that could end up on a list like this one. I don't think so, but you never know. I also never thought I would be publishing a blog three to five times per week and I do that now.

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What is My Personality Type?

Here is a link to a story about the Nine Enneagram Personality Types. I have been doing a lot of searching that twelve months or so. I guess I have been trying to find myself. This is something I should have done while I was in college, but I was just too young and naive.

I think I know which personality type I fit into, but the article says that it is the people around you who have a better view of your personality. Please comment on this post and tell me which personality type you think I am.

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Live Big

I really enjoyed a TV show named Boston Legal. James Spader played a very cynical lawyer with a very unique view of life. William Shatner played an aging ace lawyer who was a partner in the firm. Those two characters had great interaction in the show. I remmeber a line from one of the episodes in which James Spader's character said, "live big." That phrase hit a nerve with me and I think about it from time to time. I don't know if I really know what he was talking about, but I would like to try to live those words. I don't think I have done the phrase much justice up to this point.

I had not really thought about the phrase for some time and I had even forgotten about it. For some reason, I really began thinking about it on my vacation earlier this week. I can't remember what made it pop into my mind, but I was thinking about it the entire time. I think I might have been waiting in line for a roller coaster when it just popped into my mind. It sure is strange how the mind works.

Live big to me means to live your life in a way that you will not regret. It means that you should do all of the things in life that you want to do. I have a book named 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. In my mind, that book is the epitome of living big. Make a list of the things you want to accomplish and then tackle that list. Live without boundries.

This phrase really ties in well with a book I read a few months ago. The book was called The 4-Hour Workweek. See my blog posts about the book here and here. Here is a quote from the book that I think really ties in well with the phrase live big, "The fishing is best where the fewest go, and the collective insecurity of the world makes it easy for people to hit home runs while everyone else is aiming for base hits. There is just less competition for bigger goals. If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is, too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think."

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Vacation

We checked into our hotel early on Monday afternoon after the long drive. We stayed at the Hyatt Century Plaza in Century City adjacent to Beverly Hills. The hotel was great for the price. I booked through Priceline and got a good rate.

We went to the Fashion District downtown to look for a prom dress for Chacha. We were off to a bad start as we walked through Santee Alley. I told her not to get her hopes up, but she ended up finding a dress she loved that fit her.

We left downtown and headed to USC, my alma mater. The Queen and Chacha had been probably fifteen years ago and Cheeseball had never seen it. I gave them a quick tour including Doheny Library, Heritage Hall and the bookstore. It felt good to be back on campus. Sometimes it feels like I only dreamed I went to school there.

Tuesday morning I went for a jog and noticed some filming going on in the hotel lobby. A TV pilot for fox, Traffic Light, was being filmed. There was a clown and an actor that The Queen recognized. I spoke to an actress to get the name of the show and asked her what the story with the clown was. She told me, "it's a long story dude."

We made our way to Knott's Berry Farm. We ate at the Chicken Restaurant before entering the park. It was weird because most of the employees were over fifty years old. The restaurant was a little run down and it was very fitting that the employees were all older people. We made some jokes, but the service was good. They ticket taker at the gate was also an older gentleman. I made a joke that there must be a retirement home attached to the park.

We entered the park with low expectations. The first ride line we looked at was pretty long and slow moving. We decided to look for another ride. We were surprised that the next roller coaster we went to had a short line. That was the trend for the day. Every roller coaster except for one had a fifteen minute or less wait. We entered the park at about twelve thirty and had ridden all of the coasters by about three o'clock. We then let Cheeseball choose whatever ride she wanted. She chose some of the kiddie rides. One actually had the longest wait of the day! We left the park very satisfied with our visit. It really was a good experience. At one point, I looked out at the park and all I saw were roller coasters. Knott's Berry Farm is a great alternative to Disneyland.

Yesterday morning we went to the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood to watch Alice in Wonderland. It is a Disney owned theater where most of their movies premiere. We had no problem finding a great general admission seat and ended up saving about ten dollars per ticket over reserved seats. There was an organist playing on the stage when we got there. He played a few more songs before the previews began. We put on our 3-D glasses for the last few previews, then the movie was about to begin. Another screen descended from the ceiling and a special movie introduction began. There were pictures and crazy designs being projected all over the theater, including the screen. Then, out of nowhere, flower petals began raining down from the ceiling. After the movie, we went downstairs and got to see some of the props from the filming of the movie. It was a great experience and the movie was OK.

We walked around Hollywood for a little while and then headed back to the hotel to check out. Traffic back to the hotel was horrible. We checked out and headed back home after a great little vacation.

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Why is Everyone So Angry?

I guess "everyone" is an overstatement on my part, but it sure seems like there are a lot of angry people in the United States these days. The conservatives are angry that Obama's health care plan has been signed into law. Fourteen states are so angry that they have sued the government over the law. Conservatives like Rush Limbaugh are so angry about the health care plan that they have resorted to comparing Obama to Hitler. I don't see the comparison.

Obama and his liberal friends have tried to do something to help all of us, not just the wealthy people that the conservatives bow down to. Hitler just tried to help the elite that he identified at the expense of everyone else. Hitler killed people. Obama is trying to help people. How are they similar in any way?

Many people are also angry that they have to complete their census forms. They think that there is too much government involvement in their lives. They want to be free from government control. The only problem is that if you don't complete the census forms, you local government will lose out on federal funding for things such as infrastructure and education spending. This means that the pot holes in your local roads may not get fixed or that the school your children attend may be overcrowded. There are many implications that I don't even know about. Just complete the census and stop being selfish!

Joe Biden was caught on tape at the signing of the health care plan. He whispered to Obama, "This is a big f***ing deal!" This has made some people angry. They cannot believe that the vice president said this. Come on! Do you expect me to believe that none of the other politicians use swear words. Maybe the conservatives want us to believe that they are good God-fearing church goes who never use that type of language, but I don't believe it one bit. I guarantee that at least ninety percent of the politicians use colorful language at least once a week. After all, they are very powerful men who are used to having their way and saying whatever they want when they think they are behind closed doors.

Give it a rest. Learn to control your emotions and use your energy for something positive. There are enough problems in this world that we do not need to worry about the vice president dropping a F-bomb while whispering to the president. Besides, it was a big f***ing deal! I can't fault a guy for showing some emotion.

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Why US is Getting Fatter

Since everyone is focusing on health care with the passing of Obama's reform, I found an interesting article on the use of High-fructose Corn Syrup. I have known for some time that it is not healthy. I have even suspected that it is really, really bad for you to consume. Now I have proof.

Princeton University researchers have released a report that focuses on research that was performed on rats. Some rats were given access to high-fructose corn syrup and some were given access to regular table sugar. With equal caloric intake of the two sweeteners, the rats who consumed the high-fructose corn syrup gained more weight. Long-term consumption even led to the rats gaining more weight around their midsection and increased levels of triglycerides.

One quote from the report really stood out in my mind. "Animals with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained 48 percent more weight than those eating a normal diet. In humans, this would be equivalent to a 200-pound man gaining 96 pounds" Wow! That is eye-opening.

So where did high-fructose corn syrup come from? HFCS, as it is known, was introduced to processed foods and soft drinks in the US from about 1975 to 1985. Prior to that time, the US Government was looking for something that corn could be used for. Corn was, and still is a subsidized crop in the United States so it made sense to try to find something else that it could be used for. Sugar prices began to rise in the late nineteen-seventies and the fairly new HFCS became a cheap alternative to food and beverage manufacturers.

High-fructose corn syrup is now consumed in greater quantities than regular table sugar. In 2005, Americans consumed a per-person average of almost 63 pounds of sugar per year. It is an ingredient in most of the products sold in US grocery stores today.

A few years ago, I tried to eliminate it from my diet. I grew disheartened upon examining products at the grocery store. It would be very expensive and a total diet change to completely eliminate it. It would be very beneficial to American society if we could completely eliminate it from the packaged food and beverages available to us. I think that they only way to achieve this is for the government to step in and drop the subsidy for corn. This is controversial because most of the sugar we consume comes from outside of the United States.

Most sugar cane is grown in countries located around the equator. These growing regions tend to have weather fluctuations that affect the crops availability. They also tend to experience political change that affects the infrastructure that makes it available for export to countries like the US.

On one hand, I am glad that my assumptions have been proven correct, but on the other hand I am disappointed that nothing has yet been done to try to fix this major problem. As we get more and more overweight, our health problems increase putting a strain on our health care system. Eliminating HFCS from our diets would be one way to help reduce the cost of the health care plan that Obama just signed into law.

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What Happened?

I never thought this would happen. I actually did not even think about it happening while it was happening. The Queen and I have been sickened by people who act the way we are now acting. We love our puppy!

I don't know what is different about this dog as compared to the last dog we had. The only thing that I can think of is that this new dog is a puppy. We found out yesterday that she was born on January 11th, 2010. This makes her ten weeks old.

Cheeseball has really bonded with Cocoa Bean already and it has just been a little more than two days since we got her. This is interesting since she was really afraid of most dogs before this. She did not even want a dog for a pet. We really had to convince her that it would be great to get a puppy and let them grow up together. We think that this is the best way to get her over her fear.

She has been reading outside with Cocoa on her lap the last two days. We have also taken Cocoa on a walk to the mailbox the last two days. On Monday she refused to walk and one of the girls had to carry her. Yesterday she ran almost the whole way there and back. It is really funny to watch her run. Because she is so small she almost jumps when she runs, especially through the grass.

I scheduled a veterinary appointment for Cocoa yesterday. We are also going to start having the girls take her for training starting on Saturday. We are doing everything the right way when it comes to this puppy.

We have friends who treat their dogs like they are children. We have always thought that was silly. I just never thought that the entire family would feel this way about a puppy. Cocoa Bean has definitely won us over.

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Health Care Reform?

Obama signed the healthcare reform bill into law today. Before it even happened, the state attorney general from Virginia threatened to sue if it was signed into law. After Obama signed the bill, thirteen other states sued the U.S. departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury and Labor. The lawsuits focus on the "individual mandate" that requires most people to have insurance or pay a penalty.

I just don't understand this thinking. Why is it a bad thing to have every citizen in a country with health insurance. This takes the burden off of tax payers. As our system is currently designed, tax payers support the people who do not have health insurance that go to the emergency room when they have a cold. That is a burden in my opintion. When you look at the big picture, I believe that while health care reform is a radical concept for us to accept it will save us all money in the long run.

I have an open mind when it comes to Obama's health care bill. I can see that it can really accomplish some great things. I can also see that it could fail miserably and cost us all a lot of money. Every radical plan has both of those potential outcomes and that really depend on how they are managed. If the right person, or group, is in charge of the reform it will be the best thing that has ever happened to this country.

While I am on the reform topic, I would be remiss if I did not bring up law enforcement. Criminals currently get better health care while in prison than the correctional officers who keep them in line get. They have newer facilities and get guaranteed medication every day without fail. Nobody outside of prison is guaranteed to be able to afford their medications every time they need them. My family members have been prescribed medications before that our insurance plan did not cover and we did without them. Prisoners never have to make this sacrifice. In addition, they are transported to hospitals by helicopter or ambulance whenever the on-call doctor can not come in to the prison to treat them. All of this is at the taxpayers expense.

If we are willing to spend this much on healthcare for people who have broken the law, why are we not willing as a society to provide basic health care insurance to law abiding, productive citizens? I just don't understand how we think as a society. If we can afford to do it, why not? We pay some of the lowest taxes in the world and are still able to have a government that functions well most of the time and is able to provide necessary services to our people. Let's keep doing that!

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Our New Addition

We finally brought a new addition into our family. She is a beautiful young girl. Her name is Cocoa Bean.



I was not ready for another dog. I have really been enjoying my nice clean back yard with no holes or extra clean up work, but Cheeseball has been asking for a pet. My first suggestion was a fish. She told me that you cannot play with a fish so she didn't want one. She asked for a hamster. I said no. She asked for a cat. I said no. She asked for a rat. I said no.

The Queen told me about a co-worker whose dogs had puppies. She told me about the puppies and I said no. She told me that she wanted to go by her friend's house on Saturday and I agreed. I didn't even put together that this trip would be about the puppies. She showed them to us and The Queen fell in love with one of them. And I was smitten myself. We talked a little about it that night, but did not make a decision.

The next morning I told her I would like to talk to the girls about it. Before I went for a run I told the girls that I wanted to have a family meeting. When I got back I told them that I would be OK with getting a puppy if they promised me that they would take care of it. We told them that we would even pay for them to take the puppy for training. They agreed, so The Queen called her friend and told her.

We went to pick up the puppy on Sunday afternoon. The girls both fell in love with her. We took her to PetSmart to get food and supplies and to look into training. When we finally got home later last night, Cheeseball could not stand the fact that the puppy was whining. We convinced her to leave the puppy alone. She slept in a box in the laundry room.

This morning, The Queen needed to get some clothes out of the dryer at six o'clock. She went in and the puppy started whining. Cheeseball came right in to take care of the puppy. She took her outside and was very concerned that it was too cold for her. I tried to tell her she would be OK, but she was still worried.

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Happiness?

Does anyone really know what happiness is? Are you happy when you are just coasting through life without any challenges? Are you happy when you have little to no responsibility? Are you happy when you are in a relationship? What is happiness?

I work with some guys who are seriously defective when it comes to relationships and life. One of them has never been married, but was in a serious relationship for more than ten years. She left him and now he is bitter, grumpy and nearly cries whenever he talks about the past. He does not think clearly and is on the verge of hating all women.

He accepts that fact that he is a little bit crazy now and has read books about what happens when a relationship ends. What he has read has told him that it will still take him about three years to get over his ex-girldfriend. He is OK with that, but he is still very emotional. The good thing is that he knows what he is going through and has accepted it. The bad part of all this is that he is now very cynical.

Another co-worker was talking about how needy his girlfriend is. She has to be with him all of the time. He sounded like a sixteen year old boy. The only problem is that he is in hi fifties and his girlfriend is sixty. All he does is complain about their relationship. I think he is putting up a front, becuase maybe he feels like that is how men are supposed to act when they are in a relationship. I don't like that at all. Be a man and admit that you are happy in your relationship.

Yesterday, he was complaining again and started talking about his ex-girlfriend that he lived with for sixteen years or so. She had no problem going off and doing her own thing and he did the same. They would do things with their friends instead of eachother. I asked him where she was now. He totally missed what I was saying and told me that she was probably at home watching tv. I repeated my question and he just kind of froze like a deer in headlights. I told him that was why she left him. There was nothing keeping her in the relationship because she already had her own life.

The Queen was telling me about a conversation she had yesterday with a few of her friends. Two of them were talking about how happy they were and the third asked them how it felt to be happy. Then they talked about people who cheat and how it is unbelievable that their spouse is really in the dark and thinks they are happy. I told The Queen that it is because the spouse only thinks they are happy, but is so selfish that they have not asked the other party if they are happy. They probably do not even listen to them at all.

I think my comments caught her off guard. I then told her that she needs to stop working so much and have work-life balance. She is working had to try to get a permanent teaching contract and I appreciate that. We just need to keep working hard to make sure that we have a strong relationship with eachother and our children, especially if we finally get to add another child to our family.

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Free Speech in the Classroom

I heard a news report this morning about a local junior college "professor" that used the bible as fact and said that homosexuals were mentally ill. The ACLU is suing the school on behalf of some of his students who have complained about what he is teaching. The class that he made those remarks in is a health class.

I am all for professors having free speech. At a university, it is the job of the professor to not only teach classes but to also perform research in their field of expertise. They publish books and speak at events. They are used to formulating their own opinions and it is only natural that they would give their opinions in their classrooms and lecture halls.

This so called professor is teaching at a state junior college. There are no requirements for research at most of these colleges and most of the instructors are not even professors. Professors usually have a PhD or have completed a post-doctoral fellowship. This level of education is not required at most junior colleges because of the high salary requirements.

The problem I have with what this individual is saying in his classes is that he is teaching hate. He is singling out certain people as not normal and that is not acceptable in a higher learning environment. I also have a very big problem with god-fearing Christians hating people. You may think that the word hate is too strong, but I think that anytime that you talk about a group of people as not being normal or not being right, that you are using hate. I always thought that Christians were supposed to love all of God's creatures and hate just does not seem to align with those beliefs.

I also have a problem with a well-educated man using the bible or any other religious book as fact. It is generally accepted that these books are not fact, but rather parable. These books are meant to tell a story and teach a lesson. They are not fact and accepting them as such can get you into trouble. There is, for instance, scientific proof that evolution is a fact. The moment you dismiss this fact and inject your religious beliefs into the argument is the moment that you lose all credibility.

It is not the job of a public junior college instructor to inject his religion into his teaching. I think a really good example would be if a Muslim instructor started teaching the Qur’an as fact in a city with a predominately Christian population. The people in that community would call for the firing of that instructor and would not rest until it happened. The instructor that caused this lawsuit happens to teach in a very conservative, predominantly Christian area. For this reason, most of the people in the community support him. That does not make what he is doing right and the ACLU is standing up for the little guy in this situation. I support them for that, but I am not sure that I want to censor professor's speech. This is a very tricky topic.

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Productivity Improvement

I have been reading a lot about how to improve my productivity. I really need to focus a lot of attention on this task so I can be more efficient. I manage my time pretty well, but I do get buried by the less important tasks quite often. I am not usually late on my projects, unless there is a legitimate reason.

I see real value in becoming more productive. After all, that is the only way to effectively increase your income. I plan to start my own business on the side while I am still employed full time. In order to accomplish this task, I will need to be much more organized. I will also need to learn to prioritize items much better than I currently due. I am starting to see that the secret to business success is organization. It doesn't matter whether you pay someone to keep you organized or you do it yourself, but it has to be done.

I read some advice from one blogger that recommended that you hand write your task list. Her feeling was that if the task is important enough to be written by hand that it is important enough to be on your task list. I agree with this to a certain extent. I can see more shuffling and moving of items on an electronic task list. I also don't know if I want to have access to my task list at all times. If I keep my list in a nice Moleskine notebook, which I already have, it will take on more importance for me. I really like these notebooks a lot because they have an archival feel to them. They feel like something you need to hang on to because it will be important in the future.

I may give this a try, since I know I have to do something. My only problem with a hand written task list is that I make fun of one of my coworkers for walking around with a small yellow note pad in his back pocket. I guess I can still look down my nose at him if my task list is in a Moleskine notebook.

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Americans Killed in Mexico

I saw on the news this morning that a couple of Americans were gunned down by a drug cartel in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico over the weekend. An American consulate worker and her husband were shot while driving in their car. Their seven-month-old daughter was in the car with them and was not shot. This is just the latest drug cartel related killing of Americans in Mexico.

This is a social issue, not a law-enforcement issue. The people of Mexico are afraid of the drug cartels and they are worried that if they step forward to try to stop them they will be targeted. This is the problem in most developing countries that have crime problems. It will continue until the people stop accepting the criminal activity and stand together to put a stop to it. The police and other law enforcement departments can only do so much to try to stop them. The biggest problem is that these governmental agencies typically have limited funds and manpower when compared to the criminal groups.

The Mexican government has realized that this is a social issue and has begun focusing on changing the social issues in Ciudad Juarez. The United States has continued to provide monetary support to the Mexican government allowing agencies to purchase x-ray machines and even helicopters. The FBI and DEA continue to provide support for investigations when American citizens are involved in the drug cartel violence.

My biggest problem with all of this is that if Mexico really wants to change, the people will need to be the leaders of that change. They cannot sit back and wait for the Mexican government to make the change happen, which is what they typically prefer to do. Mexico is not known for major social change happening organically at the hands of the people anymore. In the past they have had change happen in this manner, but it seems like the people have become more accepting and less active in recent history.

I personally love to visit Mexico. I find the culture and people very interesting. There is a lot of history to explore. My wife's grandfather still lives in a small mountain village in central Mexico. We have visited him there twice and have really enjoyed the trips. The village is in Michoacan, which has had a lot of drug cartel violence recently. We have been talking about going back, but I don't know if this year will be a good time with all of the violence that is happening.

Ciudad Juarez is located just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. It is one of the fastest growing cities in the world with a current population of about 1.5 million people. Juarez and El Paso make up one of the largest binational metropolitan areas in the world with a combined population of about 2.4 million people. The Juarez-El Paso border crossing is one of the busiest US-Mexico border crossings with more than 600,000 people crossing every day.

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Daylight Saving Time and New Exercise Routine

I hate Daylight Saving Time. I lose more than an hour when the time changes. I get so tired this time of year. I think it may be due to allergies, the time change, and the weather change all together. I usually struggle to wake up and get to work at my normal time for a few weeks. This year I wanted to change this.

I decided that I was going to start doing my exercises in the morning. The only problem is that this change was going to coincide with the time change. I decided to press forward and use it as a way to let the time change affect me less.

I woke up yesterday at about three o'clock and could not go back to sleep. I just laid in bed until my alarm went off at four o'clock. I finally got out of bed about five minutes later and got ready to exercise. It was tough to wake up this early and be ready to exercise, but I struggled through. I yawned almost the entire hour.

I felt good after I was done, but I was tired most of the day. I started getting groggy around ten in the morning. It was a real struggle to make it through the day. I picked up Cheeseball at her after school program and headed for home. I thought I might fall asleep and even asked her to wake me in time to make dinner if I nodded off. It didn't happen even though I was very tired. I made dinner and had every intention of doing some abdominal exercises, but I got tied up paying bills and doing some financial work.

Today is day two of my new exercise plan, and I must say that I am extremely tired. I woke up this morning at about a quarter after four. I felt more tired than yesterday, but I did not yawn through my exercise. I guess this means that I will be able to stick to my routine.

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The iPad

I am not sold on the iPad. I think it is too large and just does not fit into a well defined nitch. I think there is some very cool technology in the device, but I just don't think I will be purchasing one.

I like the size of the Kindle better and I like the fact that you don't need to pay for internet access to download a book from Amazon.com. I like that it has a paper-like display which will make it much easier to read books on. I don't like the navigation. I don't like that the screen is so much smaller than the overall device. I don't like that you cannot go into a store and touch one and try it out. I am impressed that it is the best selling item on Amazon.com.

When it comes to the iPad, I like that it has a color screen which will make it great for viewing magazines and browsing the web. I like the navigation because it is very intuitive. I like the fact that the screen dominates the device. I like the fact that it uses Wi-Fi. As I said before, I don't like the size of the device. I don't like the price tag. I am very impressed that they sold 51,000 preorders for the iPad in the first two hours it was available.

I am not in the market for one of these devices yet. I am going to wait and see how things shake out. I think Apple has a better idea of how it should work because they have experience with the iPod and iPhone and iTunes. Their system will be much easier to use and will be a much better experience. They just have years of experience with user interface design which Amazon.com is lacking. At this point I would lean toward the iPad, but I saw another reader in Popular Science magazine that had a paper-like display on one side and a color screen on the other. It opens like a book with one on each side. Now that is a great idea.

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Long Flight Home

I had a lot of time on my long flight back to Los Angeles from Puerto Rico. I read What the Dog Saw for quite a while. I read some magazine articles. I listened to the audio book Tribal Leadership. I even slept for a while. There are not many things to do when you are stuck in a seat for nine hours.

I found the free download link for Tribal Leadership on the Zappos website. I have been interested in Zappos and their CEO Tony Hsieh for some time. I think the he and the company do things differently and it works great. I would love to work for a company with a culture like theirs. Because they offered the free download link, I decided to give it a listen. It does not disappoint.

I got all the way through chapter seven on my flight. It was very interesting information. The authors of the book define 5 tribal stages:

Stage 1 is reserved for criminals or those who exhibit criminal or violent behavior.
Stage 2 is for people who believe that "my lief stinks." This is the dominant culture in twenty-five percent of organizations according to the authors.
Stage 3 is for people who believe "I’m great, and you’re not." An organization that has this stage as the dominant culture is a group of individuals who do not want to share information with coworkers and are out for themselves. It is not all bad though, because these people will out work their competitors. Salesmen are usually stuck in this stage.
Stage 4 is for the people who shift their focus to the group instead of themselves. They no longer believe that "I'm better." They now believe that "we’re better" and that "life is great." This is a big shift and is what makes an organization a great place to work.
Stage 5 is when people believe that "we can make a global impact." The authors of the book say that only two percent of organizations reach this stage and that they often oscillate back-and-forth between stages four and five. Companies that reach stage five are truly great organization.

As I was listening to the description of these stages, I began to identify which departments in my company are at which stage. I think some of the departments are in a mix of two different stages. I even think that you can break it down further and find out which stage each employee is in. I know that there are several people in my company who are stuck in stage three, but the majority of people are in stage two. I think of the people in stage three as being hoarders of information and people who have not necessarily earned respect. They try to do things their own way, but when they need something from you they expect you to drop everything and give them what they need. They are dysfunctional. I think we have a long way to go if we want to be a great company and I don't know if we have the commitment and leadership to change our culture.

I don't know when I am going to have time to finish listening to the audio book, but I need to make time. I even want to buy the book after I am done listening to it. I am also thinking about passing along the audio book to people in my company who I think are ready to listen, learn and try to take us to the next stage. There are only a few that I think are ready.

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Obamacare and the Tea Party

I was watching the morning news this morning as I was getting ready for work. There was a segment about Obama's health care reform plan. I missed part of it, but I think it was talking about people who report medical fraud. It showed a very excited Obama talking about the real opportunity of his health care plan passing. It also showed health care plan supporters protesting somewhere.

The next shots were the Tea Party and the person they were showing called the health care plan Obamacare. Wow, that is very witty. This group seems to be all about fear, hate and clever word play. I have not heard any valid arguments from them as to why the health care plan is a bad thing. They are not original at all.

They chose their name to appear to be patriotic, referring to the Boston Tea Party. That protest happened because the colonies were being taxed heavily and were not represented in the British government. To protest this, they sneaked onto the British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped the tea overboard. They were patriots and were protesting something that was affecting everyone in the colonies in a negative way. The British were taxing the colonies in order to support the government.

This new Tea Party group stole their name from these original patriots and are using the name to try to give their cause some credibility. Groups love to latch onto names and words that give their silly cause credibility. Whenever I hear about groups doing this, I instantly become skeptical of their cause. If there was a reason to be concerned, the group would not need to resort to these tactics.

I don't know why people are against health care reform anyway. Health care costs go up considerably every single year, even when the economy is struggling. The insurance companies increase their plan costs or co-pays and don't increase the service or the items they cover in the plan. That seems to be something similar to taxation without representation if you ask me. That is what the Tea Party should really be concerned with.

Anyone who has spent any time at all going to doctor's offices or hospitals knows that our system is broken. People go to the emergency room all the time for colds and other basic sicknesses because they do not have health insurance. This forces all of us to wait for long periods of time in the emergency room to get care when we have real emergencies. It costs all of us money because the government is left to pay the bill for these uninsured people. This is actually costing us more than reform ever would.

The other problem is the doctors know what the insurance plans will and won't pay for. So they will just run test after test or prescribe medicine in efforts to "try" to solve the issue you are visiting them for. They don't really try to diagnose the problem and come up with a treatment. Instead they just try things until they find something that works. For instance, my Dad was having seizures. His doctor just kept experimenting with medications until he found something that worked. The problem was that my Dad had to go to the hospital several times because the medications were causing him to have really bad seizures. So this medical practice cost the insurance company more money than it should have if the doctor would have just done his job the first time.

Doctors also refuse to communicate with each other. So if your primary doctor refers you to a specialist, many times the specialist will have duplicate tests run on you. This happens either because the doctors are not communicating or because the specialist knows that the insurance will pay for the test to be run again, so they just do it. They are taking advantage of the insurance system for their own personal gain.

Don't get me wrong, I think the good doctors earn their money. I don't believe they are over payed at all. Medical school is a big investment and they deserve to make a lot of money. That is not the problem here at all. The real problem is that the insurance system is broken in a way that does us, the patients, a disservice. We deserve more and that is why I support health care reform.

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Small Stakes at All Pro Pizza

I rushed straight from the airport to All Pro Pizza on Saturday night to catch my brother-in-law's new band, Small Stakes, play their first show in town. They have played other shows out of town on Sunday nights, so this was the first one that we could catch. It was an all ages show, so the whole family went. They played a mix of some of the songs from his previous band and some new songs.

The Queen and I really enjoyed his shows when he was playing with his previous band, The Everyday Theory. I helped them out by making show fliers, taking photos at their shows, producing some of their demo songs, building a band website and designing the packaging for their CD. I had a lot of fun doing this stuff, so I was looking forward to hearing the new band play live.

I have to be honest, I was exhausted. My flight from Puerto Rico was delayed so I ended up getting home about two hours later than I expected. I rushed back to town and went straight to the show without even going home first. The good thing was that pizza and beer were waiting for me there. The show was good and because I travel with my camera, I offered to take some photos. I was really experimenting and had a few shots that turned out great. I made prints and gave them to my brother-in-law's girlfriend last night.

I think the music was too loud for Cheeseball. She kept plugging her ears. There was also a weird older lady dancing and hugging everyone. She kept trying to talk to me, Cheeseball and The Queen all night, but I for one could not understand a word she was saying. She was drunk and might have also been on some harder stuff as well. All in all it was a good night.

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Last Thoughts From Puerto Rico

It was hot and humid. It rained very hard last night and has been drizzling so far this morning. I was told the weather is better in December.

Old San Juan has some history. It is the second oldest city in the Western Hemisphere according to a tour guide. I have not done the research, so I will have to believe her for the time being.

Old San Juan is a tourist trap. Prices for everything are high. They know they can charge the cruise ship passengers high prices. My hotel was not in Old San Juan, but sunscreen was more than eighteen dollars in the hotel store. Food was also very expensive in the hotel restaurants. It cost between fifteen and twenty dollars, including tip, to go anywhere in a taxi.

From talking to my friends in Puerto Rico and observing at the show, the people here will wait in line for hours for free food and drinks. They will do anything to get a deal. Bargaining is a part of their culture just like in Mexico.

And did I tell you how much they love music, drinking and partying? Let's just say they like it some and leave it at that.

I need to come back a few more times.

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And The Party Continued

The second day of the show was an exagerated version of the first. The party started even earlier on day two and did not even stop when the show ended.

At one point today I looked around the show and most people had a drink in their hand. I thought that must have been what it was like to do business in the 1950s and 1960s. At leAst according to what I see on Mad Men.

I can say for sure that Puerto Ricans love to party. They love music and they love to drink. They love to dance and love to have a good time.

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Puerto Rico is a Party

I arrived in Puerto Rico late last night and didn't have time to do anything but eat dinner. I thought I would wake up early this morning and see some sites. That didn't happen.

I got out of the hotel room really late. I went to old San Juan. The weather was horrible. It was about 89 degrees and extremely humid. I walked around the fort and then down a street or two. I was drenched. I had to take a quick shower and head to the show.

The trade show was very slow. They had a Latin/Caribbean themed opening ceremony to kick things off.

We brought out mojitos and sangria at about four o'clock and they were a hit. That is about the same time everyone else brought out the alcohol as well. It really turned into a big party. Everyone was drinking and the music was loud in most booths.

The show ended with a closing parade, which led to the opening night reception. There was entertainment and food, but it was just too busy to stick around.

One thing I learned today is that Puerto Ricans like to party and have fun. I guess I will see if it is any different tomorrow.

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Big Guy with a Booming Voice

I just got out of a meeting with a potential customer. The owner of the company was a big guy with a booming voice. He was not loud and obnoxious, but his voice commanded attention.

Why does it seem like so many business owners fit this description? Are these guys taken more seriously and respected more, or are they just smart? Do they have the commanding voice and then get the opportunity, or are they intelligent then develop the commanding voice?

I don't know for sure, but there does seem to be a correlation. I have seen research that suggests that both tall people and good looking people have more earning potential. I think the same applies to those with a commanding voice.

Unfortunately, I am short and have a very weak voice. I don't command much attention. Maybe I need to look into learning to command attention.

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Some People Really Do Change

I am sitting in the DFW airport waiting for a connecting flight to Des Moines, Iowa. There is a very loud man talking, or yelling, into his Bluetooth headset in a Texas accent. He is being rude and obnoxious as he speaks to an insurance company customer service agent. He repeats over and over again that, "you took money out of my escrow account and are going to jack up my mortgage payment." hearing him talk somehow reminded me of a conversation I had with The Queen on Sunday.

We got a phone call that she answered. After hanging up she told me that it was a friend of ours who we had not spoken to for some time. She invited us to a birthday party for her husband. He is turning forty. She told The Queen that they don't drink in front of their kids, so kids aren't invited to the party. That was a shock!

I had to think about that statement for a while. I just had to let it sink in. I then told The Queen that we must be horrible parents. I thought some more, then asked, "Why do some people get so conservative when they get older?" I made a comment that we are modeling good adult behavior by always being in control of our drinking. Who knows how their kids will end up after not having drinking models while growing up. They could become alcoholics.

I have been seriously thinking about that last question since that day. Why do people feel like they need to become conservative as they grow up. People think that you have to be conservative to be an adult or a good parent. I disagree. I am a little more serious than I used to be, but I am much more liberal now then when I was young.

Growing up I would say that I was on the conservative side. Even through college I voted Republican. But as I have aged I have realized that most conservatives only think about themselves while liberals think about how what they do affects other people. I would say that I am fiscally conservative and have considered myself socially liberal. As I have grown, I am thinking more about disadvantaged people and how my actions can affect them.

I believe that I need to think more about how my actions affect other people and even the world. I also think that people who do not ever think about this are selfish, which most Americans are. Most people in the US are just concerned about accumulating stuff. They are concerned with keeping up with the Joneses. They are much less concerned with doing something good for other people. I would put most conservatives in this category.

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From The 4-Hour Workweek to What the Dog Saw

I am still on track with my goal of reading 12 books this year. I finished reading The 4-Hour Workweek yesterday on the last day of the month of February. The book was not an easy read for me because some of the information is presented in a get rich quick type of voice. I don't particularly like reading this type of material, so whenever it started sounding like it was heading in that direction I started to lose interest.

Overall, there is a lot of good information in this book. There are a lot of things that I can put into place that will help me achieve my goals. I have started dream lining in my head and have also started to think about a muse. My dream line includes being free to travel the world within the next five years. In order to achieve this goal, I need to find a muse quickly.

Until I find my muse, I can start putting some of the other ideas in the book to use in my current job. I am really thinking hard about trying to reduce the number of times per day I check my email. It is going to be really difficult for me to change this aspect of my day. I really pride myself in getting back to people as soon as I possibly can. I need to realize that it is not always necessary and I need to train people to expect a delayed response from me.

I also need to start developing check lists that I can pass off to other people so that they can do some of my daily tasks. I am not in a position to outsource my work to a virtual assistant in another country such as India, but I can start passing tasks off to other people in my company. This could potentially free up a lot of my time for more important tasks.

Although I have finished reading the book, I know that I will continue to reference portions of the book as I move forward on the task to meeting my goals. I will start to use the book as a guidebook on my path to dream line realization.

I started my next book at lunch today. I am reading What the Dog Sawby Malcolm Gladwell. I have really enjoyed reading his other books, so I am looking forward to this one. I am practicing the speed reading technique that Tim Ferriss wrote about in The 4-Hour Workweekand am already reading faster. I will give some mini reviews of What the Dog Sawas I get through it.

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Family Introduction

I have been writing on this blog for a while now and have used some of my family's names. I realized recently that I want to change that and give them all different names to reference them by. So here we are.

My wife once told me that she was the queen of the rock hard truth and that I was the raisin of the world. I don't know what a raisin of the world is, but I thought it was funny. I had a t-shirt made for her with a design I created that said queen of the rock hard truth. She wore it to bed regularly until it was too tattered to keep any longer. I will be calling her QTRHT and maybe just The Queen from this point forward.

Our youngest daughter is very active and silly most of the time. She is always doing or saying things to try to make people laugh. She is a little shy around people she doesn't know, but quickly opens up. We have called her Cheeseball for a long time, so that is what I will call her from now on in this blog.

I am really struggling to find a name for our oldest daughter. She is athletic and was a bit of a tomboy growing up. She has become a very girly teenager and is moody like most other kids her age. I guess I will just revert to the nickname she has had off and on for her entire life. She will be referred to as Chachi whenever I write about her.

I feel like I need to use these nicknames now instead of their real names. They are not involved in this blog and do not even read it. As the old saying goes, their names have been changed to protect the innocent. I will also use nicknames for everyone else in my life that I write about on this blog. If you know me, maybe you can have some fun trying to guess who the person behind the nickname is.

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Summer Camping

I have tried several times to book a tent cabin in Yosemite for a summer camping trip. In past years, I was just never able to book it. I tried a few times this year to book one for this summer and did not have much luck. I looked on the website today and it show availability, but I was unable to book it. I called them and finally had some success. I am very excited for this trip and cannot wait until June.

Yosemite is a beautiful place to visit. I have made several trips since graduating from college. Interestingly enough, I never visited the park while growing up less than three hours south of Yosemite. I did not make my first visit until I moved to Fresno a few years after graduating from college. And even then, I did not see much of the park and only remember a long hike on a very wide trail through the trees.

I did not really get to see the park until The Queen and I started dating. She loves to hike in the park, so we have made many trips over the years. I even proposed to her on a trip to the park for her birthday.

Yosemite is amazing to visit when the waterfalls are flowing during the spring. This year, they should be flowing very strong with all of the rain and snow we have been getting in the valley. My only concern is that most of the runoff may be gone by the time we get there at the end of June.

Last year we took Cheeseball camping for the first time. It was not in Yosemite, but rather in Sequoia National Park. She loved it. She has asked me many times since then when we will go camping again. My father-in-law has talked about taking most of his grand kids camping this summer and I told him I would go with him, I just don't know what dates that will be.

I love taking photos of the park. I am really drawn to the Bridalveil Creek area. It has a wonderful shaded woodsy feel to it and there is a great bridge to photograph. I have not taken very many good photos over the years, but I keep trying. My skills and equipment have improved over the years, so hopefully I can get some good photos this year. I just can't wait.

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Upcoming Trip

Next week I will be visiting two places I have never been before. I am taking a business trip that will first take me to Des Moines, Iowa for a meeting with a potential customer. From there I will be heading out to Puerto Rico for a tradeshow. I really don't care about Iowa, but I am excited about Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico has a well established pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. I have nearly gone two or three times in my time with my current company, but things have just never worked out for me. I have heard a lot of good things about the area and cannot wait to see it for myself.

My major concern at this point is weather. I just looked at the forecast for both Iowa and Puerto Rico this afternoon and my suspicians were confirmed. Next week the forecast calls for snow and a high temperature of 35 degrees in Des Moines. The forecast for Puerto Rico calls for rain showers and a high temperature of 85 degrees. This trip will be an adventure to pack for and to survive without getting sick, but I am up to the challenge.

I already have a request from one coworker who has already been to Puerto Rico to pick him up some cigars while I am there. Who knows what else I will be asked to bring back. I hope I get to take some good photos while I am in each place.

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At a Crossroads

I am starting my second week of P90X, and I just don't feel like I think I should at this point. I ended up skipping 3 of the workouts last week due to sickness and commitments. I substituted a 2 mile run for one of the days, and really struggled after not running for a week.

I just don't feel like I have gotten the aerobic workout I was hoping for at this point in the program. I also feel like I am not losing any weight, but I know I need to give that some time. I am going to keep up with the workouts this week and next and then reevaluate it again.

I am at a crossroads, because I was really disappointed that I struggled with my run on Saturday. I had to walk for part of it for the first time in a long time. Although the walk was because I ended up tweaking my shoulder, which may have been due to the P90X workouts I did last week. I don't know what the cause of the injury was, but I felt really tight just before it happened.

I spoke to a friend of my father-in-law's last night who is a runner and he said that I was probably tensing up just before the injury happened. He said it happens to him sometimes and he just needs to drop his arms and loosen them up sometimes to prevent it from happening.

Maybe I should wake up a little earlier and run a few miles in the morning and do the P90X workout in the evening. That would be the best of both worlds and would probably do me the most good. I guess I will have to give it a try starting this week or next, depending on how I feel after my second week of workouts begins.

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How to be More Productive

I am about 2/3 of the way through my latest book, The 4-Hour Workweek and I am enjoying it for the most part. It is very informative.

I was reading some blogs using Alltop and I came across a posting titled, Everything You Know About Productivity is Wrong. This blog posting fit in very well with The 4-Hour Workweek.

The posting talked about the new rules of productivity. It is specifically referring to people who work on a computer. Here are the new rules:

1. Your productivity will vary wildly from day to day. This is normal.
2. Working more hours means getting less done.
3. Working harder means getting less done.
4. Procrastination can be good for you.
5. Happiness is the ultimate productivity enhancer.

I love the ideas presented in both this article and the book I am reading. I know first hand that I am much more productive in an office setting in short spurts. The rest of the day you are just looking for something to fill the time until you go home. It is not very productive at all and just brings you down. It makes you dread coming to work in the first place.

The author offers much more advice on how to put his new rules to use on his blog. I urge everyone to check it out.

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Youth and Deception

As you grow up, you do many things that you don't want other people to know about. You may sneak into an R rated movie before you are old enough. You may go over to your girlfriend's house without your parents knowing. Some people even sneak out of their house late at night and take their parents car for a cruise before they even have a license.

As a kid, you think that you will never get caught. What you don't know is that your parents always find out. If you knew then what you know when you become a parent yourself, you probably would not have done these things in the first place.

Lying is a tricky thing when you are growing up. You may not hate your parents, but there are always times when you think they are being unfair because they are not letting you do what you want to do. Because of this, you sometimes stretch the truth or even outright lie so you can get your way. What you don't realize is that your parents are just trying to protect you. What you want to do may not be the best thing for you, but you are too short-sighted when you are young to realize this.

Looking back now, I realize that honesty and discussion is the best way to handle this. If my parents would have encouraged honest conversation and debate, I might be a better communicator today. I am not saying that I did any of the things I talked about in this post. I was a pretty good kid growing up, but my communication style could have been much different today if dialogue was encouraged.

AS I am raising my own kids, I need to keep this in mind. I have a teenage daughter who is probably doing these things as we speak. I have to remind myself to have honest discussions with her and to always encourage her to debate the reasons why she should be able to do things so that she tries to figure out exactly why things are important to her and her communication skills improve.

I often look at kids today and feel that they are very materialistic and have warped priorities. Maybe my parents felt the same way about me when I was growing up. The difference is that I was taught to work hard by my parents. I was able to work in fruit packing houses when I was a teenager. Opportunities like that just do not exist anymore so kids are not able to experience hard work. This makes it more difficult for parents to teach them the value of work and sacrifice.

I really need to do everything in my power to make sure that I am able to teach my kids these lessons. I believe that their future rests on my ability to teach them about society and the world and to encourage their thinking and communicating.

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The Road to Recovery

Here is a chart that the Obama administration recently released. The chart basically backs up Obama's point that he inherited the economic mess and that he has taken steps to correct the problem.

Here is a link to the image and a description on the Obama website. Obviously, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has worked to a certain extent. It was not the only factor in the recovery, just as Bush was not the only factor in the initial mess.

I still don't believe that the Obama administration has done enough. Banks are not making the loans that the administration had hoped for. Jobs have been created, but they are mostly construction and other blue collar jobs. Education spending is still being cut in California and I don't see that trend reversing before the end of the next school year.

Inflation is inevitable in 2010. What this means to the general public is that if people still have trouble finding jobs, then the economy will be worse off. That could be a major disaster!

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P90X

I started a new exercise routine on Monday night. I bought the P90X program a few months ago, but just have not been able to start it. I have been lazy. I started running again a few weeks ago, figuring that I need to exercise more again. Last week some people at work started talking about someone else who started the program.

I am motivated to continue with the program, but the first night was really tough. I took all my measurements, starting photos and previewed the first DVD, back and chest. It really did not look that tough and the people on the video were not doing very many reps of the push-ups and pull-ups. I thought is was going to be challenging, but that I could complete it.

I was very wrong. I could not keep up with the number of reps they were doing. I had to use their approved cheating methods for most of the exercises and I was still not able to do them all. It is much tougher than it looked and it almost took a full hour.

At the end of the back and chest exercises I moved on to fifteen minutes of abdominal work with the Ab Ripper X. They do twenty-five reps of all of the exercises and I could not finish any of them. I had to take breaks, which they allow, in the middle of each one. Some I really struggled with because I have never attempted anything like them before.

During the workout, they encourage you to record your number of reps and wight that was used. I did this on paper then transferred all of the numbers into a spreadsheet when I was done. I really need to keep records so I can track my progress.

I mixed some Lemon-lime Accelerade with water after my workout as a recovery drink. It was tough to drink because it was a little grainy, but I got through it. I was very tight the next day, but was not sore at all. I think the Accelerade really helped me in this respect, so it was well worth the money.

I will keep writing about my progress with this exercise program throughout the 90 days.

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...Four Days Later

Wow! It has been four days since I wrote anything. It feels like I am coming back from vacation, but I am not. I have just been a little busier than normal and my blogging has suffered.

QTRHT had a party on Friday night at our house. I was madly ripping out dead flowers and planting new tulips, calla lilies and some other shrubs. I also planted some bulbs that we bought from Costco in both the front and back yards. The plantings in the front yard turned out great. I am struggling with finding flowers that will survive in the front yard because it is very shady.

Saturday was really the first weekend day we have not had anything to do in a long time. We just relaxed and watched some movies. You just need to recharge from time to time and Saturday was a great day for that.

Some friends invited us out to brunch for Valentine's Day and we took them up on the offer. We ended up going to a little, very little, restaurant in a town near us. The restaurant was named Monet's. It is one of the best restaurants I have been to in some time. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was fabulous. As we sat there we made plans to go back this weekend for dinner.

Monet's only seats about twenty-two people. The decor is French and is very well done. They try to only use local ingredients and feature wines from Central California. They also have a beer selection that features some that I have never seen before. The owner, waitress and chef were all very friendly and provided good service. The chef, Fred, is French and does a great job preparing the food. I don't say this often, but I can't wait to go back for dinner.

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Inefficiency

My wife and I were driving by our local community college the other day and saw a monstrosity of building going up right next to the road. This was the back side of the campus near the track. I have watched the progress of this building for months now and have been interested, but have never really thought about just how large of a building it was.

It has some yellow underlayment on it now and the color really makes it stand out and gives you a sense of the size of the building. It is huge! It will be used for some sort of sports activities. I don't quite remember the exact use. At this point it is an eyesore.

From the moment they broke ground on the building I questioned its need. The college is cutting classes and enrollment, but it is building this new facility for sports. How does that make sense?

The argument I always get is that it is a grant or there is a specific budget for buildings of this type. Those arguments just make me mad. Why do you cut back on education, but still fund sports? How does that make any sense at all. You are in the process of eliminating classes and students, but you are building a large, new facility for sports. This is just ludicrous.

Here is my argument to the asinine budget argument. Suppose you have a personal budget that includes $200 for food and $200 for clothing and $100 for entertainment. Your income remains the same, but you add twins to your family. Do you keep your budget the same? Or what if your family stays the same, but your income drops by 10%. Do you keep your budget the same? Of course not. Rational human beings change things on the fly as necessary. Why can't the government do the same thing?

It is just very frustrating to see education spending is getting cut while we are still spending money on buildings like this one. Education spending is getting cut, but we are still resurfacing roads. Education spending is getting cut, but we are still fighting two wars. Education spending is getting cut, but we are still bailing out banks and car manufacturers. I think we need to get our priorities straight in this country and start taking care of our people. We can't abandon our children and our future to rescue people and companies who make foolish decisions that affect all of our lives.

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Is a 4-Hour Workweek Realistic

I am currently reading The 4-Hour Workweek and I have to say that so far I am finding the book interesting. But, I don't know if it is realistic. Tim Ferriss is an entrepreneur who no longer needs to work a forty hour week to guarantee his income. He has automated his income by starting a company that he does not need to be involved with on a daily basis, which frees him up to lead the life he wants to lead.

I am a full-time employee, not an owner or a telecommuter. I am in the office every day. I cannot just work for an hour a day and leave. I am also in a position where several people rely on me to make decisions on a daily basis. How can I possibly apply all of the teachings in this book to my situation? At this point I cannot.

I have to admit that I am just over one hundred pages into the book and I have already read about some things I can start using. For instance, Tim suggests that you only check email, voicemail and return calls twice a day. I really could start doing this without too many problems. I just need to train people to accept this. I guess at this point I am being to helpful to people and need to make them a little more independent.

I can see how making this one change could really make me a lot more productive. It would allow me to focus on the more important items for the day without interruption. That alone would increase the quality of my work. The problem is that most people in my company do not have two or three really important tasks to complete every day. Instead, we spend our days putting out fires and accomplishing a few important tasks every week. I have seen for some time that this needs to change, so maybe this book will get me started.

He also recommends that you get rid of the busy work. I currently have a lot of busy work, as do most of my coworkers. This is work that I could very easily pass off to someone else. The only problem is that I work for a small company and we do not have the money in our budget for me to hire someone to do these things. The people who are already working for my company do not have the time to take on additional tasks, so I am left to do them. Maybe if I work with them to get rid of their busy work I can pass mine on to them.

As I am reading the book, I notice that my boss is accidentally doing a lot of the things that Tim suggests. He has not read the book, but he has embraced many of the practices and incorporated them into his work life. He is really pretty hands off on most aspects of the company. The only problem is that he is very reactive rather than being proactive. This means that he is hands off until something goes wrong, then he has to get involved in a hurry. He does not have the systems in place to automate the work like Tim suggests. I just don't think he has the mind for that.

At this moment a four hour workweek is not realistic for me. I hope to be able to achieve this within the next five years. I would like to go back to school and start another career in that time. I have always thought that I want to start my own business, so maybe this book will encourage me to get up and do that.

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Annoyances

I was listening to a podcast earlier today at work. One of the topics that was discussed was what mispronounced words annoy you. The word that started the whole topic was mayonnaise. It was being mispronounced by hosts as mannaise so someone called in to complain.

Here are some of the other words that were mentioned:

1. February - mispronounced Febuary
2. specific - mispronounced pacific
3. across - mispronounced acrost
4. for all intents and purposes - mispronounced for all intensive purposes
5. ask - mispronounced axe
6. kindergarten - mispronounced kindygarden or kindergarden
7. Valentine's day - mispronounced Valentime's day
8. moot point - mispronounced mute point
9. frustrated - mispronounced fustrated

There are so many of these that I can't list them all here. I would bet that there is even a regional and cultural influence on some words that could appear on this list. I know that some of these bug me, so it was funny to hear them discuss them. My particular pet peeve is pronouncing the word comfortable as comftrable. I even have Meg saying that one correctly.

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A Day of Lows...and Highs

Saturday was a day of extremes for my wife and I. We started the day with her shopping for food with a good friend of ours for a post funeral gathering. As I mentioned on Thursday of last week, our good friend's father past away recently. His funeral was on Saturday.

It was a rainy day. I was thinking that would be a fitting type of day for my funeral when that day comes. I guess it is weird for me to be thinking about my own feneral, but I could not help myself.

The funeral was interesting since it was the first one I have attended where there has not been a body. His dad was cremated per his wishes. Our friend is an only child and his parents divorced when he was young. His dad never remarried. All of this added up to an intimate funeral.

There was a slideshow of photos and then people spoke about his father. Our friend was the last one to speak and he was very emotional. His relationship with his dad had suffered a lot over the years, but they were just in the process of trying to rebuild their relationship when his dad died.

We went back to their house after the funeral. They had some food and drinks. I felt really bad for our friend. His mom lives out of state, so now he only has his wife and daughter. His wife's father has told him that he will never be without a dad, so that has made him feel pretty good.

We had to leave their house early to get to my mom's sixty-fifth birthday party. I guess I didn't eat before because I knew there was going to be a lot of food at my parent's house. It turned out to be a pretty good gathering of about thirty to thirty-five people. After a long emotional day it was great to end the day on a positive note.

After dinner, my sister stood up and spoke about my mom. It was a pretty good speach, but it left me itching to say something of my own. I waited patiently for the right moment. After everyone, including my dad, spoke, it was my mom's turn. She thanked everyone and mentioned something about her favorite child. When she was done, I seized my opportunity. I started off by telling everyone that I was the favorite she was referring to.

I talked about how fair she has always been. She has been fair when dealing with my step-daughter and has welcomed her into our family from day one. She has always done her best to treat her like her other grand daughters. I really appreciate this as I know how hard it can be to accept a new person into a family and to try to treat them all equally. It really takes a special person to do this.

I made a joke or two about what my sister had said earlier in the evening and then ended it. We sang to her and then had cake and ice cream. It was a great evening for her and she had a lot of fun. She has waited to be "old" for a long time.

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Life, Death and Emotion

The father of a good friend of mine died last week. It really hit him pretty hard even though he did not have a great relationship with him. He was actually in the process of rebuilding that relationship when it happened.

When something like this happens to someone you know, it really makes you think about your own life and the relationships you have. You realize that you don't want someone close to you to die while you have a bad relationship with them. My problem is that I don't have a good relationship with too many people.

I don't know what it is about myself, but I just don't need people and relationships like most people. As I say that though, I have to think about what would happen to me if I had no relationships at all. I don't know if I could survive the way I am now. People are hard coded for relationships.

The Limbic System is the center of emotions. It supports many functions including emotion, behavior, long term memory, and the sense of smell. I joked to my wife yesterday morning that I think my Limbic System is broken. I think she would agree with me.

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National Signing Day

Today was national signing day for high school football players. It is the day that they can formally sign with the college of their choice. It is a day that I usually look forward to and start following as soon as I get to work. I usually keep an internet window open as I work and get updates from time to time.

Today was different. I did not even get a chance to browse the internet until about 10:00. By that time, a lot of letter of intents(LOI) had already been faxed into the college athletic departments. I only had the chance to get updates about three or four times throughout the day. I was just too busy at work.

I was looking forward to today because it was the first time USC alumni were going to be able to judge the new coaching staff. Lane Kiffin and company did not have very much time to try to rescue the Pete Carroll recruiting class and add to it with their own players. I was worried that they were going to lose a big chunk of the recruiting class.

I was pleasantly surprised with the job they did. They hauled in a couple of players who were not verbally committed to USC and virtually kept the entire class in tact. A few players slipped away, but that was expected with a coaching change. If I had to give them a grade on the class, I would go with a solid A.

They had a lot of excuses for not keeping the class complete. Nobody could blame them if it happened. The timing of the coaching change was just not ideal for them. They did not rest and did not accept any of the excuses and did a great job. I can't wait to see what they are able to do with spring practice.

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The Start of My New Hobby

We received the catalog for the services offered by our city parks and recreation department in the mail over the weekend. I browsed it and noticed an acrylic painting class at the senior citizen center. I am intrigued, but I was thinking that it might be awkward to be the youngest person in the class. I am not the most social person as it is, so if there was nobody in the class near my age it would not be much fun.

I am a very fast learner, so it is very easy for me to get bored in a classroom setting. I have painted in the past and I think I remember enough that may allow me to be at the top of the class as far as pure painting skills are concerned. I may not be the student with the best art skill, but I should be close to having the greatest technique.

I used to draw all of the time when I was growing up. I drew in class when I was bored. I drew at home when I had some down time. Remember, I grew up before computers and at about the time home video games just started to be introduced. I did not have many indoor distractions other than TV and I just did not watch very much. If I wasn't drawing, I was usually on my bike somewhere around town. I am not saying that I was great at drawing, but I could hold my own.

I haven't drawn much in years. Every once in a while, Cheeseball or Chachi will ask me to draw something for them. It is very awkward to start again, but I usually end up with something that is passable for the object i am drawing. I think this will translate to painting well. The only thing holding me back is that I often question my decision making when it comes to color. I rarely colored my drawings and I have very little experience with color choices. Most of the time my color choices in the graphic design work I do can be considered very boring. I really need to work on that.

I don't know yet if I will take the acrylic painting class or not. I need to make a decision so that I can enroll in time if that is what I decide. It is just a two-hour class one day a week, so it would not be that big of a time commitment.

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What I Am Reading

I just finished reading the book Superfreakonomics. I read the original, Freakonomics, in 2008 and was really looking forward to the follow-up. I really enjoyed this book. Much like Malcolm Gladwell, the authors of these books find really interesting problems to apply microeconomics to.

Freakonomics featured research done on drug dealers in Chicago. In Superfreakonomics they discuss research done by the same economist on prostitution in Chicago. If I would have known that economics would be so interesting, I might have majored it econ rather than business.

I ordered several books from Amazon.com before I finished Superfreakonomics so I would stay on schedule for reading twelve books this year. As it happened, I waited too long to order them. It took six days for the books to arrive, which meant I went two days without reading. I really wanted to get ahead of schedule, but I guess I will just have to keep trying.

I am currently reading The 4-Hour Workweek written by Timothy Ferriss. This book was recommended to me by a former coworker who is now doing engineering consulting. I ran into him at our last trade show in Las Vegas. He told me that he was working three days a week and that was too much. He really embraced the ideas in this book and recommended it to me several times.

Since that time, I have done some research on Tim Ferriss and have read his blog and watched some of his videos. He seems to be an interesting person. He has some different ideas on life and success. He speaks multiple languages. He seems to be a bit self-absorbed, but that may be why he has been successful.

So far, the book is not very easy to read. It is not written like a traditional book, but more like a book you order from an infomercial that is supposed to teach you how to get rich. This is a bit of a turnoff to me as it seems like a method to get rich rather than a useful book. I am not going to stop reading it, so I have to keep an open mind.

I would love to lead the life he talks about in his book. In his ideal life, you are not tied to a particular place. You are free to move about the world freely, using technology to keep your link to your career. He says that it is best to take mini retirements along the way rather than wait until you are old enough to retire. I agree with him in that I would love to experience things now, while I am still fully functional rather than wait until I am retired. This book aligns perfectly with my current lack of satisfaction with my career.

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