College: What does four years really get you?

The topic of school came up today, and I've been thinking about my current course of study.  The genereal course.  One which does not require specific foreign language classes, or high level math (which to me is calculus and statistics).  A Bachelor Degree of General Studies.  I like to call it A Degree of Distraction.  (ADD, perfect!)

College, for me, was always a point of internal conflict.  Because I looked at it wrong.  I wanted to get out of retail.  I knew that for sure.  I had doubts that a journalism degree would get me something I enjoyed that paid well (I like to write, obviously, but for fun, under no pressure to perform).  Law and Medicine just weren't worth the time involved.  I thought for sure that a business major was the only way to go.  Which required Business Statistics (Which I managed to pass with a C for my AA) and business Calculus (the only class I have ever failed, luckily I was able to withdraw before getting stuck with an F on my transcipt), along with who know what additional accounting and economics classes (Accounting: one of few topics I have ever managed to get a C in...).  As you can see I'm very Grade Oriented, and anxious about trying to learn things that hold 0 appeal.  So I pretty much forgot about college and set forth to work for a living.    So here I was, 3 years ago, knowing that if I want to be promoted very far within my current company (which I happen to like), I would need a degree. 

Here's where the politics of College really started to become clear to me.

More Accountability Soup

original thread: My Life with A.D.D/A.D.H.D.: Accountability and soup:



So here we are, a week or so later.  I have been for a few runs.  I have been watching my diet more closely (still needs improvement, but I'm getting there).  I ate terribly on Easter Sunday, but what I gained, I have lost (this with an INCREASE in water consumption). The plan to wake up when I wake up instead of trying to maximize sleep time seems to be working well.  my heaviest since the blog linked above was 216lbs.  I am now at 206.  I'm sure much of that is muscle weight, though, as I'm still having a hard time sticking to just protein and veggies.  The Dr. says I have a fatty liver and have to limit carbs and sugar, and stick to berries, leafy greens, and proteins.  Those who know me know I have a hard time staying away from ANY kind of food, and this remains true for breads, candy, and chips.



It's a work in progress, more to come in the next week or so.

I think I should find some way to make this a regularly scheduled program... like Taco Tuesday.  only no tacos.

Pamper me, I'm sick!

Sick men turned babies.

It's a topic we've all seen at least once.  In a meme, silly picture, or wifely rant.

In a nutshell it's like this: Men are macho and manly and can take on the world, until we're sick.

The Procrastinator

Here we are again.  Monday.  No one's favorite day to work except me.  Except, for some reason, I'm just not feeling it today.  I have 3 papers to write and 2 midterms to prepare for, all to be completed by next Monday.  Usually the high volume of work couple with preparation for night class keep me motivate on Mondays.  I've written about super powers, hyper focus... today they have eluded me. 

Today I am the Procrastinator.  Destroyer of deadlines.  Distractor of the mind.  I have unleashed the beast that is ... what was I saying?


I can't focus on anything.  I'm having a hard time with just "Thank you for calling *_____ my name is Andrew, How can I help you today?"

The office is out of coffee.  I'm pretty sure that has something to do with it.

I overloaded on Sugar this weekend, so that might be contributing too. 

Or maybe, just maybe, I'm so nervous about the upcoming deadlines, that it's the deadlines themselves, with the associated anxiety, that are leeching the thoughts from my mind as they occur...

Whatever the case, I'll figure it out later.

The run: backstory. When do I get to sleep?

A fellow blogger (who, I might add, is a pleasure to read) brought up lack of sleep yesterday.  Strangely, it pinged on everyone who read it.  What is this magical force keeping us all tossing and turning?  I promised I would keep everyone posted on my little experiment.  I committed to stay up when I woke up at all the wrong hours this morning.  I did.  I committed to go for a run, and I did.  I got the family out the door, went to work, did some homework between calls and Facebook.  Came home, snacked a bit, and am watching my fourth consecutive episode of Agents of Shield as I write this.  at 11:15 pm.  Been up since 5:30 and I'm totally wired.  I'm going to finish this episode and hopefully be tired.  Because I am definitely tired of watching endless Toyota and Chevy commercials on Hulu.

Next update will be the results of this LONG day on my sleep.  I will see if I sleep through the night and into the morning.  And I will probably write some kind of short blurb about it then.

Stay posted!  And Jackie: Thank you for writing a blog worth reading :)

http://indecisivelyblogging.blogspot.com/


Check it out and get her some readership!

The Run: a story of perspective

The Run version 1.0

Awake at 5:30 am.  Do I toss and turn for another hour or so like I did yesterday?  Nah, The Dr. says I need to exercise more, might as well get up and go for a run.  It's chilly outside, but not so bad that I'll need a jacket.  Throw on a sleeveless shirt under my black running shirt, my shorts, some good socks, shoes, and I'm out the door.  I have a loop around my half of the neighborhood (the hood is like a sort of sick figure eight) which is just over 1 mi.  Once around ought to do it.  

Gimme a break!

Many of us need to take breaks.  The day is best digested one bite at a time.  So here I am, taking a break from my homework, updating my blog.  It seems like no matter what I do, when I take a break from something, it is hard to get that focus back.  However, I have noticed that when I write an entry in my blog, I can more easily transition back into homework.  Maybe it's because I'm still thinking analytically? 

Semantics: Life long diets and ever-changing lifestyles

A pet peave for many of us.  What does Semantics even mean?  According to Dictionary.com:


the meaning, or an interpretation of the meaning, of a word, sign, sentence, etc.: Let's not argue about semantics.

No, Dictionary.com, let's argue about it...  I was reading a friend's status online regarding a change in diet.  Another person commented that diets don't work, it has to be a lifestyle change; completely discrediting my friend's efforts.

WTF, right?
Let's think about this:

Accountability and soup

How does one hold themselves accountable in this day and age, with so many distractions?  So many opportunities to stray from or procrastinate with a commitment? 

My Accountability Deficit Disorder has always been best handled when someone else holds me accountable.  Obviously, as a grown man, this is a problem.  My wife is not my babysitter (though she may feel like it sometimes), neither is my boss, or anyone else for that matter.  While that would make my life easier, that is not the way the world works. 

I could try an ADD/HD coach...?  I will definitely put a pin in that idea and revisit it in the future.

I want to be able to hold myself accountable, and I can't if I rely on everyone else all the time.  Right?  Right.


Here's a picture:

So, the point (which I actually remembered!) is this: