Tag: personal

2010 Resolutions: How I did

Patrick understands that if you never try, you never fail

I made nine resolutions at the beginning of this year.  I didn’t spend too much time thinking about my resolutions.  Looking back most of them seem to be things I want to scratch off of my bucket list (which I have never made.)  So, it comes as no surprise that I haven’t done very well this year.  I’m hoping to take what I learned about resolution making this year (more about that on Wednesday) and apply it to next year’s resolutions.  So let’s look at the list:

1. Get my SCUBA diving license – This is just something I’ve always wanted to do and I nearly did get my license back in high school.  I made this resolution without thinking about my schedule or where I live…  And, despite looking into programs it never happened.  I think a big reason for this was because none of my friends are interested in SCUBA nor is my spouse and going through all the effort of getting the license and then not having anyone to enjoy it with made little sense. FAIL

2. Go skydiving – Another thing I’d just like to do sometime.  Again, I had trouble finding friends who would want to do this with me and it seemed a lot of money to spend on something I couldn’t enjoy with people.  Unlike the SCUBA license I still really want to do this so it might appear on next year’s list.  FAIL

3. Become an Oddfellow – I’ve lived in this town for the last six years, four of those years were spent at the University.  I was actively involved on campus in various clubs and organizations.  Despite that I never felt like part of the community.  In an attempt to do just that I investigated a number of the social fraternities, clubs, and organizations in town.  Organizations like the Masons, Kiwanis, Rotary Club, etc.  The one that was the most active internally and in the community was the Odd Fellows.  I attended meetings and got to know the members and what they do in the community and after seeing all the good work they do, and all the fun they have doing it.  I successfully petitioned the the Odd Fellows and became a member earlier in the year. WIN

4. Brush up on my Latin by reading Harrius Potter et Philosphi Lapis Fairy Tales in Latin – I’ve read a lot of books this year, at last count I’m at 65, none of them were in Latin though.  This resolution came about over my guilt.  I have a BA in Classical Civilizations and in earning that degree I took a number of Latin classes.  Since college I’ve yet to use any of that knowledge and I’m sure it’s going to rot.  I’m definitely doing this next year. FAIL

5. Participate in NaNoWriMo Write a 10,000 word story Write any story – As you can see this resolution went through a number of revisions.  Even with all the revisions I failed to complete it.  It wasn’t that I did no writing this year, I wrote a number of pieces of poetry and I’ve been updating this site regularly.  When it comes to bigger writing projects though I find myself incapable.  I have several ideas for stories, but no writing to show for it.  This is going to be a resolution next year, along with submitting work for publication (terrifying, I know.)  FAIL

6. Complete my Battlefleet Gothic fleet, Horde Army, and Chaos Army – I’ve got a number of metal miniatures. I love the little things.  I love putting them all on a table and rolling a bunch of dice to play with them!  Sadly, I haven’t had much time for this hobby this year.  I didn’t have much time for it last year either which is why this resolution is here.  Sadly, I only painted once or twice this year.  I was only able to complete of few of the Battlefleet Gothic models.  My Hordes miniatures lie untouched and I’ve traded off my Chaos army to someone who has the time and inclination to good use.  FAIL

7. Make a Gaming Table – I’ve got the boards and the glue in my garage.  My friend has the sand in his.  All I need to do is get these things together with a little paint and this will be done.  Just not this year.  FAIL

8. Climb half-dome – The spouse did this last year with her cousins and I missed out.  So, I put this as a resolution and even reserved a camping space.  When it came time to go though we couldn’t figure out what to do with the dog, as they’re not allowed in the park… We ended up not going.  FAIL

9. Get in great shape – I’ve been working out at least three times a week, every week (barring some holiday and weather related) this year.  It’s been swimming three times a week with core, arms, and leg work on the off days.  This was the biggest resolution on the entire list and I’m thankful to report that it is a WIN.

TALLY:  2 out of 9

That isn’t a score anyone should be proud of and I’m not.  There were a number of resolutions that could have been accomplished in a single day and weren’t.  I’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking about why I failed so badly and I have a few ideas, as well as some ways around them.  I’ll share them with you on Wednesday.

A Late Apology

I was going to write about the Pentagon’s report on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell today.  I was going to laud the report’s findings and our military’s commitment to equal rights.  I might have even crowed a little about how bigots in D.C. and elsewhere can no longer use the Military’s policy as a shield to hide behind anymore.  Even throw in a joke or two at Senator McCain and Mike Huckabee’s expense.  But, the report speaks for itself, and many other, more qualified people have already spoken on the matter (here is a single example.)

I have to say I don’t understand why letting the courts do it is such a bad idea, but he Pentagon seems really against it…  Anyway I’m not talking about that am I?

I’m writing to apologize to Finch.  Who is Finch?  Finch is that guy in your group of friends who exists merely to make fun of.  This type of friend is most prevalent in high school, and Finch was ours.  The group of people I knew and associated with in high school were a mix of the “coolest”and the smartest, as little as that means… and by all metrics Finch shouldn’t have been eating lunch or talking to any of the people that he did, I know High School is cruel.

I can’t think of a single time I was nice to Finch.  Even worse, I don’t even know Finch’s real name.  I think Finch was his surname but I really have no idea and my high school yearbook is.

So, Finch sorry for treating you as an object instead of a person.  Sorry, for using you to make myself feel better.  I hope you didn’t let how we all mistreated you get to you and that you are wildly successful today…

Wouldn’t that show us?

Baby Steps

Salt Lake City Temple

If you look back in the archives of the site you’ll find a heated discussion on several posts regarding the California Proposition 8.  While I opposed Prop. 8, and still do, and the LDS church’s involvement in it is what ultimately convinced me to have my name taken off their records I still held out the hope that the Church would come around on their LGBT stance, as they did with Blacks in the Church.

It seems that a small step toward fully accepting LGBT into the Church has been taken.  The Mormon church still thinks homosexual relationships and acting on homosexual thoughts is still a sin, but they no longer consider thoughts of such activities a matter for confession and therapy.  This seems like a tiny, inconsequential step, and in many ways it is.  But, it’s also a big shift from what has been standard church policy and not what I expected from a Church run by conservative, old, white men.

I’m hopeful that this is a first step and that as LGBT’s rights are recognized in the United States and across the world the LDS Church will continue to revise its procedures and statements until one day one of their prophets has the revelation that God loves LGBTs just as much as he loves the rest of us.  If it doesn’t then the hope and nostalgia I still carry for what was a very large part of my life will die as will my respect for an organization that does a great deal of good work in this world.

I’m hopeful it won’t come to that though.  They have taken this step and they’ll eventually take the others and the hateful bigots who hide amongst the many good people in the LDS church will have to find a new way to cover their hate.

You can call me a dreamer, that’s okay I’m in good company.

It Came and soon I will Brew

 

Will this be awesome? It will... It might also be smelly...

 

I don’t know when I first thought about brewing my own beer…  I’ve known for a long time that brewing it wasn’t that difficult and that humans had been doing it for thousands of years.  The history of brewing is, like all histories, fascinating and worth your time even if you don’t drink.  One thing that struck me about its history that struck me though was how domestic the industry was, by that I mean people brewed their own beer for their own consumption.  Perhaps I don’t write about it much here but I’ve been holding an extended discussion with one of my dear friends about self-sufficiency and moving from consumption to production.  I think this is a direction that our nation as a whole needs to move in order to get its economic house in order but, right now I can’t do anything to direct national policy what I can do is learn a useful skill and try to pass it on to others, and hope that it inspires them to take action in their own life to consume less and make more.

This isn’t a post about my own philosophy, it’s a post about beer brewing.  I purchased the one-gallon brewing kit pictured above from the Brooklyn Brew Shop who also sell five gallon kits, several recipes packs, and other brewing accessories.  Obviously, I haven’t had much business with them but its been good so far and they came highly recommended by friends.  They have a several mixes and seeing as I’d never tried one I went with the one that sounded most delicious:  Apple Crisp Ale.

I’m currently scheduling the actual brew next weekend.  I was initially worried that I’d have to muck through this alone, but it turns out that not only is the internet full of resources (google: beer brewing), but my local community has numerous resources:  a restaurant that lets you brew your own beer; a local brewery with a its own brewers group that meets monthly to discuss all things brew; and, my Fraternity also has a Zymurgy committee.  With all that help at my fingertips I’m hoping my first batch isn’t a dud.

Of course, I’ll be blogging more about this as I move forward, as well as other projects I’m undertaking to shift from consumption to production.

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