Chris

12/12 GHR Check-In!

by

This is the final check in of the year where I evaluate the progress on my Groundhog Resolutions. This is the 10th
annual attempt at creating life-long habits for myself. I’ve discovered
that right after the end of the year holidays I am not mentally or
physically capable of sticking with resolutions for the upcoming new
year. I need a break so I take the whole month of January off to reflect
and plan and start on 2/2 instead of 1/1.

After today I will take a break until next Groundhog’s Day (2/2/19).

Fun-

Get another tattoo: Coming soon #fail

More camping: Had more than a few great camping misadventures this year!

More skinny dipping: Think I’ll have to skip that this year

Learn Spanish more fluently: Downloaded the Duolingo app for practice but haven’t used it. Will work with the MissAdventurer

Join a book club: No decent bookclubs around town.

50 Books a year challenge: Nailed it! I’ll share my reading list soon.

Snail mail friend: Fail mail

Volunteer: Who’s got the time?

Fitness-

Kickboxing: The gym offers one class…during the day. One day a week. Fail.

Self-defense: Can’t defend myself. Fail

Yoga: Almost daily. Is it supposed to hurt when I stretch?

More 5 & 10k obstacle course racing: I finished the Warrior Dash again. Next year I want to do a minimum of 3

Consistent
training: Working out with Tracy is mutually beneficial. Accountability
may be the one thing I needed to maintain this.

Consistent
nutritional training: Really been enjoying more meals at home. Eating
out is becoming frustrating and disappointing. This is making my
decision to eat in easier

Hashing: I’m done for this season. My foot injury sidelined me.

Hiking: I want to explore more but again, foot. Time to hit some light, low elevation trails.

Geocaching: Will I renew my premium membership that is due at the end of this month? Lets find out.

Meditation: Ommm… this has been beneficial but not consistent.

Creative-

Complete
my book: I have been enjoying the process so far but It won’t get done
this year. There is too much I want to include and that involves more
research. Besides…still working on an ending.

Photo essay on a topic I am passionate about: Cold, crisp nights will help me round out my Tulsa After Dark series for the year.

Video log every month: This is so easy and yet it hasn’t been done.

Leave inspirational notes everywhere:

Year in photos album: Cannot wait to see what 2018 memories I’ll have at the EOY. I will work on it and display here soon.

Shoot more film: Film
is a precious commodity. A costly commodity. Sure, the Fuji camera is
fun but at almost $1.50 a sheet? I am convinced that I will buy a Canon
35mm soon though. It’ll be cheaper

DAM: I
have all the DSLR photos organized into yearly folders. Finally. Now to
sort the wheat from the chaff. Oh, and since I shut down Google photos, I
need to organize and integrate all these mobile pics from the years
too. I just doubled my work!

2018′s GHR has been about 50% successful. I’ll need to re-work some of these goals into something more manageable apparently. Overall, I think this was a positiv rebuilding year from a shitty 2017. Looking forward to an even better 2019. See you on 2/2!

46

by

Old enough to know better.

Too young to care.

Explore More

by

Someone close to me yesterday said “I really need to get out of the house more often. You have shown me a lot of different spots I didn’t know about.”

This was from someone who has lived in the same city and state their whole lives and I think it was one of the saddest things I heard.

Look, I know I am wired differently than most and have an insatiable desire for something new and different. Random beats repetition for me every time.

Sometimes I have to lose myself to find a new direction and the only way I can do that is by exploring more.

6th St, Pearl District looking towards downtown Tulsa in the snow

Distraction-Free Reading

by

When and how does anyone make the time? The simple answer is deliberately. There are plenty of mind-numbing, time-wasting activities out there but who wouldn’t want to get something out of it?

One helpful tip is that “Airplane Mode” on your device works just as well
on the ground. That’ll help you with distraction-free reading.

I can say I have accomplished another one of my groundhog resolutions in finishing over 50 books this year. Next year I may limit to something much less and even more deliberate. I also want to invest in more physical books instead of digital copies.

Because another goal for next year is practicing marginalia, the art of marking up one’s book with notes in the margins. I consider it a dialogue with the author and would invest myself back into the book as opposed to reading it and moving on to the next one, learning almost nothing.

This, I think, will make for the best, distraction free and deliberate way to enjoy books.

image

Somewhat Random Thoughts

by

Build It

Be optimistic and bullish

Don’t be a specialist, Be fullstack

Be unique or conform

Minority rules

Do more with less

Long-term thinking

Don’t compete

Continued learning

by

Novice

I’ve never been what you’d call musically inclined but there have been a lot of influences lately and I decided to try my hand, literally, at this gorgeous ukulele.

After some initial tuning mistakes that are now corrected, I played a total of two chords tonight. Looking forward to a jam session with my very patient muse this weekend.

Currently

by

Music: Obsessing over Magic Slim’s Born On A Bad Sign Blues album

Reading: Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With A Thousand Faces. Part psychology and part mythology.

Podcast: Imaginary Worlds, features a new science fiction story every 2 weeks

Food: Tracy’s quesadilla casserole and my prize-winning Thanksgiving chili

Plog

by

I’m on a photography hiatus for a bit but it doesn’t stop me from thinking about it. Now that I am off of FaceGram I will be focused on this web site and my photography website again (plog??)

I’m loving this idea more and more because:

  • I won’t have to look at ads
  • I won’t spam you with ads
  • My data and images aren’t being analyzed and mined for someone else’s benefit
  • It’ll be my platform, my content. Not someone else’s algorithm

If you are a creator I’d suggest putting the focus off of them and more on you and your work. I really do believe that the focus off of social media and to our own personal corners of the web are making a comeback.

Having said that, you can still catch me on these great sites. I’ll be redesigning them as well.

Website | VSCO | Smugmug | EyeEm | Flickr |

11/11 GHR Check-In!

by

Time to evaluate my progress for my Groundhog Resolutions, the 10th
annual attempt at creating life-long habits for myself. I’ve discovered
that right after the end of the year holidays I am not mentally or
physically capable of sticking with resolutions for the upcoming new
year. I need a break so I take the whole month of January off to reflect
and plan and start on 2/2 instead of 1/1.

I’ve got one more month (12/12) to wrap all this up until Groundhogs Day 2019.

Fun-

Get another tattoo: Coming soon

More camping: Waiting on warmer weather

More skinny dipping: Think I’ll have to skip that this year

Learn Spanish more fluently: Downloaded the Duolingo app for practice but haven’t used it. Will work with the MissAdventurer

Join a book club: No decent bookclubs around town.

50 Books a year challenge: According to Amazon and the library, I’ve read 46 so far. I’ll share my reading list next month.

Snail mail friend: Fail mail

Volunteer: Who’s got the time?

Fitness-

Kickboxing: The gym offers one class…during the day. One day a week. Fail.

Self-defense: Can’t defend myself. Fail

Yoga: Almost daily. Is it supposed to hurt when I stretch?

More 5 & 10k obstacle course racing: I finished the Warrior Dash again. Next year I want to do a minimum of 3

Consistent training: Working out with Tracy is mutually beneficial. Accountability may be the one thing I needed to maintain this.

Consistent nutritional training: Really been enjoying more meals at home. Eating out is becoming frustrating and disappointing. This is making my decision to eat in easier

Hashing: I’m done for this season. My foot injury sidelined me.

Hiking: I want to explore more but again, foot. Time to hit some light, low elevation trails.

Geocaching: I want to find at least ten more caches before year end. Will I renew my premium membership? Lets find out.

Meditation: Ommm… this has been beneficial but not consistent.

Creative-

Complete my book: I have been enjoying the process so far. It won’t get done this year. There is too much I want to include and that involves more research. Besides…still working on an ending.

Photo essay on a topic I am passionate about: Cold, crisp nights will help me round out my Tulsa After Dark series for the year.

Video log every month: This is so easy and yet it hasn’t been done.

Leave inspirational notes everywhere:

Year in photos album: Cannot wait to see what 2018 memories I’ll have at the EOY.

Shoot more film: Film is a precious commodity. A costly commodity. Sure, the Fuji camera is fun but at almost $1.50 a sheet? I am convinced that I will buy a Canon 35mm soon though. It’ll be cheaper

DAM: I have all the DSLR photos organized into yearly folders. Finally. Now to sort the wheat from the chaff. Oh, and since I shut down Google photos, I need to organize and integrate all these mobile pics from the years too. I just doubled my work!

image

Mind Mapping

by

I’ve recently re-discovered the app MindNode, an app that helps diagram ideas and thoughts in a visual way.
Here’s an example of what a basic mind map structure looks like:

Just a simple diagram I generated about mind-mapping and why I use MindNode instead of other similar apps.

  • Cost: $15 for the unlocked iOS app. Or free if you don’t mind limited features.
  • Sync: Using iCloud, it syncs very well between my iPhone and iPad
  • Export: I use a Windows laptop, not a Mac. So I have to use a Windows version of mind mapping tool called FreeMind. Whatever I create on my iDevices will open on my laptop.

Maps can be used in a variety of ways of course. I have used mapping for
productivity, goals, notes, brainstorms, problem solving, book
summaries, task management, video summaries ( I take notes while
watching TED or podcasts). Here lately though, I have been using it to
map out plots and story ideas for the novels yet to be but on paper.
Here is a sneak peek of one of them:

Redacted of course! Can’t give it all away just yet.