Chris

13th Annual Groundhog Resolutions Day!

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It’s that time of year again! This is my 13th attempt at creating life-long habits for myself for the whole year. I realize that after the end-of-year holidays I am not mentally or physically capable of sticking with resolutions for the upcoming new year. No new year day resolutions for me. I need a break so I will take off November through January and enjoy.

My resolutions, goals, best intentions, and life-changing habits are listed below. I will check in every month and then review my progress next on March 3 (3/3). After that will be 4/4, 5/5 and so on. Here we go!

Physical

The immediate goal is to drop 25 pounds quick. Last year I had a brief flirtation with the keto diet and was pleased with the results. But this was costly during a pandemic due to meat processing factories shutting down. I’m leaning toward this again and again, only for the quick results and then maybe switch it up to a low carb, more protein diet.

In addition to being more deliberate with my nutrition (I’m no longer calling it a diet) I will combine this with training (no longer calling it “working out”.) The phrase “Eat clean, train mean, get lean” comes to mind. I’ve registered in two obstacle course races this year. The Rugged Maniac course is in June followed by my third Tough Mudder course which is in November.

I’ve been on a 2 month perfect streak with my daily fitness goals using my Apple Watch. Combined with the Apple Fitness service, I think I’ll have my indoor cardio training set. Rounding out the training-from-home goals will be free weights and resistance bands with yoga. I’m eager to get back into the gym for some strength training and considering the risks/benefits thanks to the pandemic.

Throw in some fun activities like hiking, trail running, photo walks, geocaching and disc golf, I’d say this is going to be a great year.

Creative

Music

My fat fingers plucking tiny plastic strings on the ukulele at awkward angles? Stay tuned.

Photography

Sorting and organizing thirty years worth of photography has been a major pain in the ass, but worth it and about 95% complete.

I’ve been enjoying film photography lately and probably need to set up it’s own budget because film and development is a costly but rewarding endeavor to me. In addition, I want to finally frame some prints and be surrounded by my images. A few photo books will be on order too.

Writing

More short stories, micro fiction, One hundred word stories.

Work on that novel. Its been ten plus years and I still can’t get all of this out of my head.

Journaling my thoughts and experiences in addition with collages and white-out poetry.

Finally

Maybe I’ll throw in more fun stuff I’ve been thinking about like short podcasts, and exploring ham radio. Just because.

Knowing myself all too well, I could end up adding or subtracting this or that. Either way, I’ll check back in here on 3/3 for the first review of how I do!

62*

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I just wrapped up another month of closing the Move, Exercise and Stand goals. Perfect score since December 1st and I am motivated to do the same for February.

Why the asterisk in the post title? Well, Apple thinks I stood only 11 hrs that day instead of the targeted 12. #fakenews

On The Record

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Way back around 1978 BC (before COVID) our family had a decent stereo component system featuring a turntable, cassette, AM/FM stereo receiver and floor speakers. Not state of the art but magical for me, especially since I wasn’t allowed to touch it. I’d spend hours in front of those speakers listening to rock and roll albums my parents enjoyed and flipping through the album art. It was a great day indeed when I was finally permitted to use the turntable when I wanted. Trips to the library became less about book rental and more albums seeking and hitting pay dirt when one branch had an eclectic and modern collection of 80s pop instead of 50’s gospel.

Later on, Dad scoffed at my Sony Walkman because albums sounded better than cassettes. My argument was it was portable and therefore, better. Next came the compact disc, which was not portable. After that, the iPod and so on. There was a brief moment back in 2005 when I bought and personally restored a vintage RCA floor console but had to part with it to make room for a nursery. Even more brief was a portable record player from my mother that was damaged in a move. The album collection warped in the heat inside a storage unit. Since I left that old stereo behind I haven’t really touched music like I used to, and it hasn’t touched me the same. Holding a record album in your hands gives me a sense of connectivity to music like I haven’t experienced in years. My fingers are used to scrolling and tapping a screen to access my digital collection, or from a streaming service. Speaking of streaming…

This past month you may have read previously, that I’ve been listening to a new album every day and came across one from Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. On a whim, I traveled one city block to a proper record store and it threw me back in time. I’ve missed those days of flipping through album after album on the racks. And that smell of aged alcohol, tobacco or stronger burned into those paper album covers? It hasn’t changed and I am grateful. Anyway, as I was flipping through albums and inching up and down the aisles, I kept seeing stickers around the store saying “Herb Alpert Is.” Um, what? “Herb Alpert Is”….what? A scavenger hunt it seems. I found my way back to the jazz section and came across another sticker “Herb Alpert Is HERE!” So my whim paid off unexpectedly and purchased the same album I had never heard of but streamed the day before. Again, magical.

Yes, digital music is fantastically convenient but I have missed the tangible lately. I am buying physical books again and borrowing digital books from the library. I am investing in film cameras and enjoying prints again. From here, I want to buy and touch music while I am borrowing from a streaming service. The old ways aren’t necessarily better but they are standing up to time better.

The joy of reviewing and opening a record album, and placing it on the turntable, the having to get up and flip from side A to Side B makes me appreciate each song and artist even more. And just how freaking cool is watching a spinning disc produce a sound that never fades?

Record store even threw in one of their stickers. Streaming won’t do that.

31 Days of Music

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Earlier this month I posted about a new initiative where I listen to a complete new album every day of the month. The goal being to change up my Apple Music algorithm and be exposed to new tunes. I think it was such a success I may do it again next month. If you’d like to listen in, click the link and enjoy!

More Than Niche

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Try to be a legitimately interesting person with all the varied things you find fascinating, and don’t worry if it takes longer than the growth you see from others.

Someone

2021 Hike Log

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A little sneak peek into this year’s hiking log that includes dates, miles, GPS coordinates and notes. It’ll also feature ephemera and stamps from the parks and trails.

The Ukulele

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Picked up the dusty ukulele tonight and played with it long enough to get it tuned and strum a few chords. Maybe more tomorrow as I find myself really wanting to learn more.

Quarantine Day #300

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Going nowhere…isn’t about turning your back on the world; it’s about stepping away now and then so that you can see the world more clearly and love it more deeply.

-Leonard Cohen

A Gentle Madness

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Here I go again. I borrow or place books on hold from the library and they are available all at once. I’m in over my head again because I want to savor and learn as opposed to rushing through them. I need a book budget.

These are in my digital nightstand:

Two fiction, two nonfiction