Science Monkey

It’s the end of March and as good a time as any for a little navel-gazing. I thought I’d take a few minutes and review my resolutions and see how I’m doing and how I might be able to improve over the next three months.

1. Lose 40 pounds.

This is the one I’ve been struggling with the most. Since January I’ve been on a 10-pound yo-yo. Very frustrating. I tend to eat and exercise well on Monday through Wednesday or Thursday, then slack off the rest of the week.

I’m going to try and take up running. Well, jogging for the near future and walking for the immediate future. I figured out a nice two mile walk around the neighborhood earlier this week, but haven’t walked since Wednesday. I’ve been pretty good about riding my bike or walking to work, though, which makes me at least a little proud. I’ve only driven in or gotten a ride about five times this year so far.

2. Spend more time with my family.

If by family, I mean wife, I’m doing pretty well with this one. I’m trying to work hard in the lab when Emma is on a more time-intensive rotation and then spending more time at home when she’s not. Er, not on a time-intensive rotation, not not at home. You understand. I haven’t spent much time with my immediate (or extended) family but…so be it.

3. Make new friends and spend more time with old ones.

Yeah, this one is trying. I’m reasonably good at being social and amiable at work (I think), but I’m a total loner afterwards. Let’s work harder on this one, eh? Maybe I’ll get my happy ass to a Florida Free Culture or Alacloud meeting, given my desire of being that sort of geek. I should go flogging, too…that’s almost like exercise.

4. Drink good beer.

Check. I’ve been enjoying Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat and Sam Adams White Ale this season very much. I’ve been on a wheat beer kick for this last year or so but think these are really nice. I could always go check out the homebrew shop and learn to make my own. That might be social, too, but will probably work contrary to goal #1.

5. FINISH MY GODDAMNED DEGREE.

Getting there. I had a committee member tell me that I’m essentially ready to move on, other than having a coherent story that I can turn into a manuscript, a thesis, and a job talk. I’ve got a decent plan to get that story right now, so we’ll see what I can bang out in the next three months. I suspect I can get a lot of data if I can maintain my focus.

6. Take piano lessons.

Check.

7. Ride 1000 miles on my bike.

So far, I’m at approximately 178 miles for the year, so I’m a little off the thousand-mile pace. I can pick that up this next quarter.

8. Write something every day.

Meh. Not so good. I’m blogging more regularly, which is almost like writing, but I’m not doing the productive, work-related writing that I’d like to have done. Now that I have a good idea of my final project, I should start working on my thesis. I can do the Introduction, Relevance, and Materials and Methods sections now, and work on the rest as I get the data.

9. Get my happy ass organized (GTD).

Nope. Haven’t even read the book yet. I’m trying to write lists of what I need to do at the beginning of each day which helps, but I’m nowhere near organized yet.

10. Learn to use my camera well.

This one has been fun. I’m having a great time taking pictures with my new camera, as you’ve probably noticed. I should try and learn some of the features of the camera and see if I can’t take some more artistic pictures. That’d be nice. There are lots of great birds around the house right now, including a great blue heron in the pond up the hill, so I’ve got some good subject matter.

Okay…that’s enough navel-gazing for now. New petite protopodcast coming soon, I promise. I know you’re all on tenterhooks waiting for the next one. Go Gators!

One last question. What do you think: Haircut? Or no?

Courtesy of the incalculably awesome Merlin Mann, GTD for Scientists (written by Drew McCormack at MacResearch). One of these days I’m going to actually read that book.

Happy new year, everybody! I hope you got at least a little sleep last night. I managed to stay up until midnight, for about the third year in a row. Emma had to work last night (and is actually still at work, on a 24-hour shift), so I just lazed around the house.

In the spirit of New Year’s resolutions I went out this morning and bought a copy of David Allen’s Getting Things Done, which seems like a good system of time-/self-management and organization. I’ve been reading Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders blog off and on for the past year and the system seems like one I might be able to follow. Also, because I’m a dork, I bought myself a moleskine. I bought a 3×5 moleskine with a grid, rather than the straight ruled type.

Off to work for a little bit, then a birthday late lunch/early dinner for Grandma. Type to you later.