Now

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Writing

Aside from occasional guest posts and ghostwriting gigs, I'm mostly working on my newsletter, Hello, My Friends. In the two most recent issues I critique Smart & Final's "Where else?" campaign. I saw the billboards and didn't like them or the tagline, so I explained why and came up with some alternatives based on my read of their customer base. Though I'm not much for advertising, I find it an interesting puzzle.

Last year, after we participated in a reading together, the talented poet Teresa Mei Chuc recited (in very good Russian) the poem "Giraffe" by Nikolai Gumilev for me. Later, she sent me the entire poem and I had started to translate it into English but got waylaid by life. I resumed working on it recently and intend to see it through.

I started a short story called "Goner" a while ago. I had written several drafts and received good feedback from trusted sources but had basically abandoned it probably out of a combination of laziness and fear. Too lazy to revise almost 6000 words again and scared that once I do I'll need to send it out and face potential rejection. So, writer stuff. I need to get on it. It's pretty much done!

Health

In the first quarter of 2024, I began tracking my bedtimes with the goal of shifting it to before midnight. Last time I updated this page, I analyzed 2/23/24 to 6/22/24 and found that of the 116 days there, I went to bed at midnight or before 64 times (55%). I mentioned that my intention was for that number to be around 75%. I guess just externalizing that was enough to push me towards a more conscious effort to get to bed early. From 6/23 to 7/27, I went to bed before midnight 79% of the time. Getting to sleep earlier makes a real difference in how I feel in the morning, especially since I'm usually roused by the kid's arbitrary wake-up times. When I'm in bed before midnight, I don't wake up irritated.

I ran the Rockin' Summer 5K. My original goal was to finish it in 30-35 minutes but during the course of my training, I adjusted that goal to 28 minutes. I ended up finishing it in 29:08 -- slower than I wanted, but I'm not disappointed. The locale was lovely and the run was enjoyable. I learned a lot about the differences between running solo and in a huge pack of people and will use that newfound knowledge to break 28 minutes next time. To that end, I intend to sign up for another 5K in a month or two.

Though I'll keep running in the loop, my next fitness goal is to do 100 burpess straight through. Burpees suck, but they're a highly effective and totally minimal exercise (fall down, get up, rinse, repeat). I started lightly a few weeks ago and can do just over 20 straight through, and 50 in around nine minutes (taking breaks between sets). In the next couple of months I'm going to work my way up to a cool 100. I'm both absolutely not looking forward and the opposite. There's something to a challenge!

Other

A couple of weeks ago, I listened to two audiobooks with psychologist Marshall Rosenberg describing nonviolent communication, an empathic approach to listening and connecting with others. The framework he described moved me -- I feel like it is a key to #5 of Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, "Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood". I bought a physical copy of Dr. Rosenberg's book recently and am looking forward to studying it. Even I can make use of some of it, I think it'll be helpful in my life.

One unrelated area I feel like I can improve in is getting better at planning outings with friends and family earlier. Immediate work, house, health, and family responsibilities often take up all my brain cycles so it seems like the time flies right by. I'd like to spend more time looking at the calendar and finding days to see extended family and other folks with whom I'd like to spend time.

This page was updated from Glendale, CA, USA on 28 July, 2024