Closing Out 2014

2014- it was a year.

On a personal level, 2014 will always be the year I lost one of my best friends.  Barbara Jo, I still miss you and always will.  Life is so much more duller without you around, and I'll see you in the next life. 

On every facet of life, there are good points and bad points.  2014 seems like the bad points were brought out in full force.

Politics (federal)- Gridlock reigned supreme, unless they were cutting dealsto help out Wall Street.

Politics (local)- Eric Garner and Michael Brown put a spotlight on a rift between the police and the citizens

Entertainment- One great Comedian (Robin Williams) took his own life, due to depression and health issues.  Another great Comedian (Bill Cosby) has been credibly accused of multiple rapes.

And yet- good points can be found.  The economy is improving (more slowly than I would like, but it is going int he right direction).  Gas prices are falling.  Technology continues to improve- from solar panels that achieve 40% efficiency to breakthroughs in graphene.  Hell, we even landed a spacecraft on a comet.

But right now, it seems like the low points of 2014 stand out more.

Here's hoping things get better for 2015.

2014 Resolutions

I know people like to point out that one can start a resolution at any time, and that there is no need to wait until New Year's Day.  But sometimes you need an excuse to hit the reset button.  I wasn't happy with 2013, and am looking forward (hoping?) to a better 2014.  With that in mind, I have three resolutions.

1)  Project 190.

I weighed myself this morning- 229.2 pounds.  That's not my heaviest- I've been as high as 248.  But I keep wanting to drop the weight.  My goal is 190 pounds (I'm an engineer; I measure things with numbers).  

Now, I exercise.  I have an elliptical, and I use it 4-5 times a week.  My problem is food- I like it, I love breads and carbs, and I eat so fast I'm on my third helping before realizing I should have stopped.  

Mentally, I know this.  But it's hard to stop.  In a way, my Meniere's will help.  I'm supposed to cut out salt from my diet.  No salt, there's no need to get chips at the store or Chipotle.  And the vertigo is so miserable that it's suprisingly easy to say no to salt.

Now it's just a job of eating healthier and slower.


2)  Freelance Destruction

One of the best parts of 2013 was being part of Cleveland Improv Jams.  There's some fantastic people there at Mahall's Bowling alley on Tuesdays.  And it seems like everyone has a side project or three.

So a bunch of us are starting our own.  We're going to write some sketch comedies and put them up on youtube.  We've got about a half dozen sketches written- now it's just a case of filming them and setting up the channel.

Work is going to be a giant pain for me the next couple of months, so it may not happen right away.  But it is something we hope to have set up in 2014.  *Knock on wood*


3)  Blog more

I enjoy this blog- a place to put down my thoughts for the world to see.  But I tend to run bipolar- post a lot for a few weeks, then drop it.  I need to be more consistent.

Fortunately, this one will be easy to measure- every post is accounted for. 

I know what I want to do- now it's just a case of doing it.