Here they are... the resolutions for 2009, in no particular order:
The holdovers from 2008:
- 50 Hidden Blog posts per month. Pretty self-explanatory.
- Read ten books. Ditto.
- Smile. That's the name I've given to the daily chart I carry with me, since I use those hourly entries to keep me focused on the reasons to smile. There were dramatic increases in the number of entries per week since I started it up in December: 23 in week 1, then 17, 34, and 85.
New in 2009:
- 14% body fat by June 1 and by December 31. Better give myself a little cushion toward my age 55 goal of 15%!
- Volunteer for at least one hour with 12 organizations I've not served before.
- Explore how to become a community college math teacher, another step of progress toward my retirement goals.
Last year was fun meeting and beating most all the resolutions I set. Honestly, 2008 was a happier year for me than at least the last three before it. This one's looking better still!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Sugar Bowl Provides Background Noise Of Fun Outing
Coach Nick Saban agreed to stage a college football scrimmage against the undefeated Utah Utes Friday night in order to give the Youngs and McDonalds an excuse for fun.
With Dena needing something to occupy her mind quietly at home while recovering from Nyquil-induced loopiness, Dona and Joe contacted the University of Alabama's recently crowned Coach of the Year about the possibility of a season-ending matchup of two highly successful yet lightly regarded teams. Saban immediately embraced the idea, working quickly with Utah administration, the NCAA, Fox Television, and about 100,000 fans to arrange three hours of something resembling football.
"This game isn't about winning," said Saban, who suspended a key offensive lineman, talked several players into "injury" breaks, and set up a clownish game plan featuring shaky-footed Leigh Kiffin trying 50-yard field goals, defenders making fake tackles, and an offense consisting mainly of John Parker Wilson running away from five unblocked defensive linemen. "It's about chips and dip in Goodfield. Period." Nonetheless, Saban at times appeared genuinely angry about something, likely the humor of the commentators coming through his headset.
The images of the game fit nicely onto the Youngs' old and brand-spanking-new televisions. Each T.V. hosted the game for one half, with a halftime ceremony disconnecting the old T.V. for reassignment as a downstairs game screen. Meanwhile, amidst the smell of freshly cleaned carpets and the joyful cries of Utah fans, the family focused on the brighter side of Crimson Tide life, with topics such as hometowns and ages of Alabama players, movie analyses, home improvement, Wii, Facebook, local sports, rednecks teaching mules to drag logs through the forest, and puppies.
After watching the Tide's performance, the Youngs changed the channel to the Tonight Show with Robin Williams as guest, in order to see something less comical.
The success of the event, named the "Sugar Bowl" by Lane since the idea was so "sweet," prompted speculation of a future one involving the NFL. Although the scrimmage atmosphere of Friday's game was amusing, the new concept would add excitement by pitting two teams against each other for the title of world champion. "That'd be super," Troy noted.
With Dena needing something to occupy her mind quietly at home while recovering from Nyquil-induced loopiness, Dona and Joe contacted the University of Alabama's recently crowned Coach of the Year about the possibility of a season-ending matchup of two highly successful yet lightly regarded teams. Saban immediately embraced the idea, working quickly with Utah administration, the NCAA, Fox Television, and about 100,000 fans to arrange three hours of something resembling football.
"This game isn't about winning," said Saban, who suspended a key offensive lineman, talked several players into "injury" breaks, and set up a clownish game plan featuring shaky-footed Leigh Kiffin trying 50-yard field goals, defenders making fake tackles, and an offense consisting mainly of John Parker Wilson running away from five unblocked defensive linemen. "It's about chips and dip in Goodfield. Period." Nonetheless, Saban at times appeared genuinely angry about something, likely the humor of the commentators coming through his headset.
The images of the game fit nicely onto the Youngs' old and brand-spanking-new televisions. Each T.V. hosted the game for one half, with a halftime ceremony disconnecting the old T.V. for reassignment as a downstairs game screen. Meanwhile, amidst the smell of freshly cleaned carpets and the joyful cries of Utah fans, the family focused on the brighter side of Crimson Tide life, with topics such as hometowns and ages of Alabama players, movie analyses, home improvement, Wii, Facebook, local sports, rednecks teaching mules to drag logs through the forest, and puppies.
After watching the Tide's performance, the Youngs changed the channel to the Tonight Show with Robin Williams as guest, in order to see something less comical.
The success of the event, named the "Sugar Bowl" by Lane since the idea was so "sweet," prompted speculation of a future one involving the NFL. Although the scrimmage atmosphere of Friday's game was amusing, the new concept would add excitement by pitting two teams against each other for the title of world champion. "That'd be super," Troy noted.
Jumping Off The Treadmill
"The problem is that pay raises, new lovers, new jewelry, and new jobs can all seem exciting an rewarding at first, but over time you adjust, and their emotional luster dims. What was once thrilling eventually seems no moare than mildly pleasant. Brickman called this phenomenon - the idea that people can chase emotional highs but adaptation will drag them back to a neutral mood - the 'hedonic treadmill.'" - Ed Diener
The passage goes on to tell the story of man whose euphoria over beating cancer lasted just a few days! As far as I can tell, the mind needs constant refreshment, people need change in order to rediscover truly lasting happiness. Just this morning I briefly found myself stewing over a comment made at work last week. Lately my hourly journaling has nipped these kinds of mental pity parties in the bud. Why play around in the tired old moments of the past? Today and tomorrow are filled with opportunity to do something different - read something funny, run an errand by taking a new route, watch some news for current events, buy a new magazine, take a jog, organize something that's been disorderly for a while. Why be a "hedonist"? Why not make the next hour be a unique gem all its own?
The passage goes on to tell the story of man whose euphoria over beating cancer lasted just a few days! As far as I can tell, the mind needs constant refreshment, people need change in order to rediscover truly lasting happiness. Just this morning I briefly found myself stewing over a comment made at work last week. Lately my hourly journaling has nipped these kinds of mental pity parties in the bud. Why play around in the tired old moments of the past? Today and tomorrow are filled with opportunity to do something different - read something funny, run an errand by taking a new route, watch some news for current events, buy a new magazine, take a jog, organize something that's been disorderly for a while. Why be a "hedonist"? Why not make the next hour be a unique gem all its own?
Around The Horn
Yesterday we had lunch with our friend Dave Horn, who lives with his wife Jen out in Arizona since last summer. In upbeat way, he explained a pretty challenging environment that they're working in.
- Shortage of statewide funds has resulted in his workload expanding from Social Studies to Language Arts.
- Three prisons are in the vicinity.
- The children are heavily minority: Hispanic, African-American, Native American. The parents often show bitterness toward the "white" orientation of the textbooks on history; the students are prone to physical fights with each other.
- Dave estimates that 85% of his time is spent disciplining the class. That leaves about 10 minutes in every hour for actual teaching.
- Children of migrant workers leave for months at a time, as the parents bring them to Texas or Florida to help farm crops.
- Children openly admit their drug use or illegal immigration status.
- The person who hired Jen left shortly thereafter, and doesn't provide much support in disciplining the kids.
On the upside, the parents are taking an interest in their kids' performance. Still, it's a quick reminder how easy even a "stressful" 9-to-5 job really is.
- Shortage of statewide funds has resulted in his workload expanding from Social Studies to Language Arts.
- Three prisons are in the vicinity.
- The children are heavily minority: Hispanic, African-American, Native American. The parents often show bitterness toward the "white" orientation of the textbooks on history; the students are prone to physical fights with each other.
- Dave estimates that 85% of his time is spent disciplining the class. That leaves about 10 minutes in every hour for actual teaching.
- Children of migrant workers leave for months at a time, as the parents bring them to Texas or Florida to help farm crops.
- Children openly admit their drug use or illegal immigration status.
- The person who hired Jen left shortly thereafter, and doesn't provide much support in disciplining the kids.
On the upside, the parents are taking an interest in their kids' performance. Still, it's a quick reminder how easy even a "stressful" 9-to-5 job really is.
Happy New Day
"Renew thyself completely each day; do it again, and again, and forever again." - Chinese proverb
I once read from famed motivator Tony Robbins that anyone can turn his life around in an instant. How many people can point to one or two moments in their life that were pivotal for them? And we do have the power to overcome any trend that our attitude is taking - for better or worse. Whether it's first thing in the morning, right after work, or whenever it suits, why not pause a second and realize how good we have it?
I once read from famed motivator Tony Robbins that anyone can turn his life around in an instant. How many people can point to one or two moments in their life that were pivotal for them? And we do have the power to overcome any trend that our attitude is taking - for better or worse. Whether it's first thing in the morning, right after work, or whenever it suits, why not pause a second and realize how good we have it?
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Bedtime Stories
The newest Adam Sandler movie had some intriguing previews about a bedtime storyteller whose silly story ideas came true the following day. The beginning was unusually slow, but once the stories started flowing it turned into a satisfying bundle of laughs. The initially despondent Sandler character, whose father was a storytelling genius before his death, makes a feeble attempt for his estranged niece and nephew but it ends with "...and then he jumped in the moat and died. The end." But by the end of the film, the family jells, fortunes turn around, and a tidy moral emerges: When things seem most bleak, that's the time that heroes make their own ending by doing something remarkable.
You can safely wait until this one comes out on video or made-for-TV.
You can safely wait until this one comes out on video or made-for-TV.
Phlegm-Buoyant
It's the season for head colds, and Dena and I are bonding through a shared germy experience together. I'll tell you why this is so great. In the mornings I wake up thinking "If I can get my feet on the floor, I'm going to feel a heck of a lot better in an hour than I feel right now." The human body is a remarkable thing. Somehow once I start ambling around the house - no matter what speed - it's like my respiratory system panics like a lazy babysitter when then the parents get home and starts sweeping all the accumulated crud out the door. So a half hour, ten tissues, and several emphatic guttural noises later I've transformed from a nasal kazoo to my normal human form. Coupled with the wearing off of last night's alcohol-laden Nyquil and a fresh morning dose of Sudafed PE, I feel like the answer to a riddle: "What gets higher the emptier it gets?" With momentum like that, what could possibly stop me the rest of the day?
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