Status

Zero to flopped blog in just over a month. That may be a record.

Calculus: Not even really started.

Cinema: Tampopo was recommended to me by a friend—in a good-humored sarcastic way—because of the way I approach my cooking and ingredients. (I've been accused of being too self-critical and picky, but it's really just perfectionism combined with an apparent inability to leave a food thought unspoken.) Anyway, I absolutely loved it. And I now hate that there's no decent noodle place around here.

Penmanship: Stalled. That said, I am now at least capable of writing legibly, although it does take me some time. The new grip is almost automatic. Sharpie now makes a felt-tip pen that doesn't bleed through normal paper, and that's apparently part of what I've needed all along. I hope they come out with a classy-looking refillable, though, because I really just don't like the disposable form factor. I'm not sure exactly what I need to progress further, but I hope that by the time I've worked through Drawing, I'll be able to do better.

Extracurricular: Stalled. For all the self-hype about what cutting edge technologists Hams are, they're all stuck in about 1996 on the web. We computer geeks can go to Best Buy online or whatever, and they can display side-by-side comparisons of several similar items: This one has this feature but not that and costs this much. Retailers who sell amateur radios online don't list their prices—even in the hard-copy catalogs and Ham Fest booth displays. (The brick-and-mortar stores started disappearing about the time drugstores began to retire their vacuum tube testers.) Ham clubs' and individuals' web sites appear to have never heard of Google, as they all seem to think that an uncommented listing of every such online vendor is useful. I know the ballpark price for my first radio is about $200, and I did manage to find out—by talking to someone on the way into Ham Fest; it sure wasn't available online—that the 2m band is where I should probably start, but I'm kind of turned off by the whole thing at the moment.

Speed Reading: Not started. This one's been on my list off an on for years, and I have the teaching book I intend to use. I just haven't yet.

Drawing: Progressing slowly. Most of my barrier here is the fact that I need quiet, uninterrupted time to "switch to R-mode" until I learn how to do it automatically. Such contemplative time doesn't often happen at work, and it takes actual planning and effort to make it happen at home. I'm not discouraged, however, as I've been trying to pay better attention to what I see rather that what I think I see. A main thesis (is that redundant?) of Drawing is that seeing is the key, and despite all the right-brain left-brain psychobabble, I'm at least convinced of that much.

Music Theory: Stalled.
Spanish: Stalled.
Both harder than I anticipated. That's not really a bad thing; it just means I'm going to have to put more effort into it than I have: Challenge mode rather than absorption mode.

US History. Stalled. I'm just not interested in that book right now. I'll come back eventually.

PE: Who'd've thought this would be my strong suit? I've dropped at least 7 pounds, I've managed to run a 5k(!) on the treadmill and ran just over 2 miles outdoors yesterday. I've even dropped my "contiguous" qualification as obsolete. I've also added the Hundred Push Ups program to my non-running days.

Voluntarism: I've begun early work on putting together a Band Parents Handbook. There are a few out there—link is PDF, but parts are heavily plagiarized in HTML just down the road from me—but not quite what I'm looking for. We get it: Your kid must be on time to practice; now someone please explain why the kids and the props are at this moment heading in two different directions.

Work did interfere with my playtime for a few of days, but that was long enough ago to be an invalid excuse. My original (if somewhat unconscious) intent was thoughtful self-entertainment. When I found myself watching Legend of the Seeker on hulu.com, solo and sober, I knew I needed something better. I'm not giving up on the more challenging material, but I think an excess of early enthusiasm has tripped me up a little bit.

I'm going to continue with the Drawing, because each exercise really has been enlightening and rewarding. And the PE, of course, at least until after the wedding and reunion this summer. I'll probably start putting some focus on the Music Theory again, now that I have a working keyboard at hand. I'll probably delay the Spanish until I've worked through the music book. (Or maybe I'll get through the Spanish book before doing the music. Dunno.) The others I'll circle back around to as they again interest me.

As for this blog? If there's something interesting to say, I'll say it. Yes, the 5k was "interesting", but I was already two weeks overdue for a post, so this catch-up was kind of a prerequisite. This will still be my journal of progress, but I'm going to follow the pattern of every other lame blog out there and not worry too much about regular updates. I'm guessing that the Atom feed is RSS-compatible. If that's not the case, just let me know if either of you would like an email notification, and I'll be happy to oblige.

Hello, World

My work calendar has been a little light.

Okay, that's a bit of an understatement. Through various decisions and their consequences, all of both well beyond my control--everything from idiot grandbosses to global economic catastrophe--I am bored as hell and I can't take it anymore. I haven't had an opportunity to do productive, useful, significant work--at work--since about August.

No, it isn't as cool as it sounds. The first couple of weeks, sure. I've caught up on TV shows I might have cared about the first time around if I'd had time, and I've seen movies I probably never would have sat down for. Many of these experiences have broadened my horizons. But pleasure reading somehow isn't, if I'm sitting at a desk designated for work.

Enough. If I had time, I'd learn Spanish. And speed-reading. And how to draw. And I'd improve my handwriting. And I'd get in shape. And. And. And.

And, there's that whole global economic catastrophe thing, so I'm out of my current job in the next <insert finite time frame here>. Assuming I understand the company policies, I'm in good shape compared to a lot of folks: I'll have about 2 months at my current employer to find a new job within the company. When that doesn't happen--my "good faith" will be "amazingly good faith" in my attempts, but the economy isn't going to be gentle to me--I'll have about 7 months where I'm still paid with benefits. All said and done, I foresee a stable income for the next 12 months from this moment. Then I'm fucked like everyone else.

I suspect it's time for a career change. IT has been rewarding, of course, and it's mostly been a good home for my geeky worldview, but I am sick and tired of being on the cost center side of the house. I just want to get away from the mindset that thinks quarterly shortfalls can be made up for by cutting staff and office supplies from the support organization. I'd much rather be on the (equally confused) side where there are new leather chairs and free beer to celebrate the gross revenues.

For that matter, I'm not sure I'm willng to ever again be a "resource", nominally human or otherwise.

So, career change. I always wanted to teach high school math, and my experience as a band booster tells me my age-group inclinations are right. IOW, my sense is that elementary school kids aren't yet fully human and middle schoolers are vile piles of hormones, but high schoolers are actually capable (sometimes with some prodding) of rational thought. My "sense" is flawed, of course, as any good elementary- or middle-school teacher will tell you.

So, career change. I love to cook. I've even taken a couple of introductory classes at the local community college. But the hands-on knife skills and commercial equipment usage and brigade approach and all of that is stuff I haven't been able to take classes for around a full-time job. With close to nine months of what would amount to paid leave, I could get in the basic cooking (and maybe baking) classes that would allow me to progress. While I don't need another Associates degree, I'd learn stuff I want along the way.

Anyway, the purpose of this post, this blog, etc. I'm going back to school. Home school. Extreme home school, because I'm the teacher.

Curriculum candidates--most or all of which are "if I had time" things--currently include:

Spanish - I think my subject knowledge is finally to the point I can begin reading YA novels to build vocabulary. I am convinced that the "Me llamo Phrits" sort of nonsense actually slows down many adult learners. I am no longer interested, for example, in "where's the library?" and would rather be able to ask "have you eaten here before and is it as good as last time?" Relevance is interest.

Drawing - on the Right Side of the Brain, actually. I had astounding results with the first lessons from the book many years ago, but I didn't follow through. Enough years have passed by to start over.

Penmanship - Why the hell not? If I need to write on a board... Besides, it's sad to be unable to take notes I can read a month later.

US History - Sneaky, but volume two of Taylor Branch's history of the Civil Rights movement has been hard to get into. I blame circumstance rather than the author. Make it part of the curriculum, and he gets at least a few minutes a day.

Math - I still have my Calculus book, which happened to be the same author for both high school and college. Most of it will be review--the parts I've been through anyway--but probably less than I expect. If I can make myself work some of the problems, my algebra and arithmetic skills might come back to life.

Music - I have a could-have-been-written-for-me book on Music Theory (nothing exotic) to work through so that I am no longer intimidated by phrases such as diatonic triad nor still too ignorant or intimidated to identify a diminished chord.

PE - I'm running a 5K in May. I'm already easily walking it on the treadmill, so getting to the real thing from here is at least visible.

I also have an extracurricular project I'll announce in the next couple of weeks (if I pass my test this weekend). My curriculum is lacking in science, but if this goes as it should, it will cover that and pick up some other cool things too.

So, way too long-winded, but it's a first post. Then again, others will likely also be long-winded. Welcome aboard.