Well I got a new job, quit my previous jobs, moved halfway across the country, and have taught so far one week of biology classes at Victoria College!  Woo!

Tenure track is awesome.  My own office, tons of classes that are less work than what I was doing before, all is great.

And yet it’s already piling up a bit!  I was really sick the week before classes and still a tad sick the first week (still not 100%), so maybe that’s some of it, but I’m also struggling to get organized.  There’s a to-do list on my whiteboard in my office and another on my phone but it’s not coming together.  I was supposed to get a ton of stuff done Monday which was a holiday but I only really got the essentials done and didn’t really get ahead per se.

I’ll try again.  I think I need to just run through the next few days to get things going.

Wednesday:

• Get to campus by 10, warm up etc
• 2404 Lecture (prepped)
• 2401 Lab is OFF due to the holiday, so get these things done in no particular order:
• Eat lunch at Subway because I’m too tired (and also out of ziploc bags) to make lunch right now CHECK
• Create gradebook for lecture (on computer)
• Create gradebook for labs (printed)
• EVC grade printouts CHECK
• Teach evening 2404 lab
• Come home tired, eat tilapia (oops I think I neglected to move them to the fridge), crash

Thursday:

• Morning run if possible
• Eat lunch at home
• Buy ziploc bags and hit post office to mail EVC grades (oops)
• Get to campus by 1
• Teach afternoon 2404 lab
• BJJ (assuming I’m feeling up for it)

Friday:

• Get to campus by 10
• Teach Friday lecture
• Science club meeting (?) and AMS meeting catchup (?)
• Grade and enter lecture quizzes while in office hours
• ADDED: Hit post office, HEB and Petco
• Go home, if everything is caught up play Xbox or something
• Make next week’s lesson plans (at least Mondays)

Saturday:

• BJJ if skipped in the morning, else run
• Make at least one lesson plan
• Once lesson plans are done, make quiz based on lessons
• Head to San Antonio for EXALTED!  Huzzah

Sunday:

• Rest of the lesson plans including labs
• More goofing off after! Hopefully.
• Don’t forget to make BURRITOS!
• BONUS INCENTIVE: If I have finished all my lesson plans BEFORE Sunday I get to play Civilization II and/or ZAngband.  WOO!

Doesn’t look bad at all!  I think the hangup is in my hesitation with regards to how to approach the lecture grading versus attendance.  Perhaps I can enumerate the questions:

• Do I maintain the attendance separate from the grade sheet? The answer is yes, even though it means double-entering everything it reduces confusion
• Do I print out the attendance? Don’t think so but check with Bill
• Do I print out the grades? Uh, no.  Duh
• Do I put the in-lecture quizzes on blackboard? Do I hand back the quizzes? This is tricky because I need to do at least one of these, but I really don’t want to clog up blackboard with lecture quizzes and I don’t want to hand back quizzes in a huge mess. Maybe I can just tell students to pick up their quizzes at my office.  It’s either that or make a grade box which I should probably do anyway to give them back their lecture exams

Well I feel a lot more organized now!  Time for bed!

November 15th, the official new beginning. The very first moments were on September 6th, and continued slowly apace through September 20th, picking up speed through October 31st, and have now reached a beautiful new era.

Yup, but I took Thursday off work and I’m doing a lot better.  It’s actually remarkable that it’s still on Friday (at least for another hour).  I got a lot done!!  Starting to feel better.

This is the list of things that was stressing me out:

• Grading (got started on playing catchup)
• ACT Science (FINALLY wrote the physics passage, still should write at least one more)
• HoS Finale Novelization (DONE BITCHES!)
• A bunch of minor stuff that doesn’t matter at all.

Saturday shall be a CHEAT DAY.  I’m excited to eat lots of garbage!  Thinking maybe some Polish sausage to go with Costco shopping, some other lunch out food too probably, then something home-cooked and unhealthy for dinner, then ice cream after workout (assuming Lyn doesn’t bail on the workout, if she does then I’ll still do it myself).

Also need to clean sometime.  Saturday should be good-busy!

Sunday is Exalted and Quidditch.  Not sure I’ll get anything else done, so hopefully can get that all squared away Saturday.  Like the lesson planning, oops.  Gonna go do that before bed!

Someday I’ll actually get to play my Xbox.  Someday…

So this week is turning out to be crazy hectic.  Already had wall-to-wall things to do earlier this week, now the rest of the week looks like this:

• Today: long-ass day, then BJs social event with HS2
• Tomorrow: Drop off car at 8AM, do work (grading?) maybe won’t be able to do aikido, then give makeup exam, then HS2, then after work DDR perhaps
• Friday: Biology meeting, first half hour of division meeting, makeup exam, aikido, SJSU quidditch, probably the tackling practice, then I’ll be dog tired probably but maybe I can get something done
• Saturday: Golden Broom Tournament Snitching!  Then afterwards, THE DAY TO FINISH ALL THE THINGS!
• Sunday: Morning off, then Mission Blues practice, then hangout, then go to bed early so I won’t DIE

So I’m really getting a lot more disorganized in the brain region now because when I set this up I had forgotten about the tournament (even though I remembered it last weekend when setting up my schedule).  This is frustrating!  Also it leaves WAY less time to do things since the tournament will eat up large parts of Saturday and probably leave me very tired for the remainder.  But let’s see how this all goes down!  I’ll try assigning when things get done.

• Grade the Bio21 exams (DONE AND DONE)
• Grade the backlog of Bio21 quizzes (WORKING ON IT A WEEK LATER)
• Fix the grade box (related to previous) (FIXED)
• Prepare next week’s lesson plans and lab objectives (and lab quiz!) (DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN)
• ACT Science passages (FINISHED THE HARD ONE)
• Apply for more jobs (THERE’S ONE IN CHICAGO LOL) (WHO THE HELL KNOWS)
• Novelization of end of Hearts of Silver (DONE!)
• Make 5 Minute Lessons videos (FINISHED ONE, DO THE OTHER ONE SOMETIME)
• Make videos for WWoF (NOT FOR A WHILE SUCKA)

Holy shit.

I feel like I was very ambitious in setting out to improve my health (both diet and exercise), in that I didn’t achieve all my goals, but I did make progress.  That’s actually very good!  If I hadn’t been ambitious I wouldn’t have pushed myself, but also I have to recognize that progress is still progress, and that not fully succeeding is not the same thing as failure.

Now that the new normal is less sodium, no processed sugar (except for ice cream) and more successful dinners (I’m getting the hang of lentil soup, water-packed tofu and tilapia!) it’s probably coming up on time to make another round of improvements.  My weight has dropped only very slowly (also my scale isn’t very accurate but it’s consistent, which suggests I’ve lost about 15 pounds since I started in June) and I know a lot of that has to do with food choices, so I think another round of improvements is on the horizon.  The original goal was to reduce both sugar and sodium, which only the former had much success, so maybe a new round of restructuring is called for.  But soy sauce is so tastyyyyyyy.  Oh well.  Here I will do this in two parts: the diet aspect and the exercise aspect.

The diet aspect (“diet” meaning food, not going on a diet.  The goal is to make the new normal)

• The “Body for Life” program, at least what I can see on the internet, has a lot of aspects in common with my plans.  Once the Soylent comes in I want to give that a try, especially since I can’t seem to eat healthy lunches (dinners are much easier)
• One cheat day per week seems good.  I’ve had more success than I expected in cutting sugar (not counting ice cream) so that will continue, and the goal is to cut sodium completely except on cheat day.  Right now 100% is the cutoff for “OK”, perhaps soon I should move it to 75% as OK.  I can always cook with less soy sauce!  Measuring it out seems to be working also.
• Needing food in a rush seems to be the #1 reason I end up getting Chipotle or Subway (not bad, since that’s more fixable than just being tired).  Can still eat those on cheat days of course, since avoiding starvation mode is good, but better planning can eliminate eating them on other days (need to make Sunday lunches before Exalted that can just be microwaved… or else make Sunday the cheat day?)

The exercise aspect (again, the goal is sustainability)

• Working backwards: The goals of exercise are:
  • Increased bone density
  • Increased stamina
  • Athleticism
  • Martial ability
  • Beach body
• This means a complete exercise regimen should have:
  • Bone density: strength training (currently lacking except for 7-min workout)
  • Stamina: Cardio work (currently lacking, DDR contributes some)
  • Athleticism: HIIT (Quidditch, DDR, Kinect and 7-min workout contribute, this seems to be my current plan’s focus)
  • Martial ability: Martial arts (aikido!, also having a punching bag would be great)
  • Beach body really has more to do with diet, but in general this is also attainable through a sustainable routine and more strength training (getting overworked on Mon/Wed is a serious problem for this, since they are as tiring as workouts but don’t give the same benefits)
• Aikido isn’t really very heavy on conditioning, and ingress basically turns into a relaxing walk, but they have their purposes so I won’t abandon them.  It’s more a matter of making a more efficient use of time.
• I have been procrastinating on getting a gym membership etc, but I think a 24-Hour Fitness Super Sport membership would be a good thing.  I also just ordered some fat burning stuff like what Charlotte used, I will give it a try.  Definitely not going to rely on it, just to try and up the ante for a bit.  Gotta be nice to my liver though!
• Definitely wish I’d taken some “before” pictures of myself.  Hard to track my progress solely with (inaccurate) weight measurements.  I should probably get a more expensive scale, though if I’m actually going to 24HF I can weigh myself there.
• SO!  To add to the training regimen:
  • Strength training 1x or 2x (max) per week, complete with some kind of checklist or something (want to construct a separate spreadsheet that can be checked off)
  • Cardio (running should be incorporated several times per week I think, while HIIT produces more overall health benefit I think I should also be able to just flat-out run 5 miles like before… also because I HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED!  Also maybe incorporate the kicks again? For better lower-body strength)
  • These are both doable through 24HF.  I’ve been reluctant for a number of reasons, mostly revolving around time/money efficiency, but if I want to take the next step (and also improve bone density and sexiness) this is probably the only real way to get it done.  TIME TO COMMIT!
    • Slots for 24HF workouts: Tu/Th/Fri morning before aikido (this requires better sleep discipline), Tu/Thu evenings (if I bring or buy dinner), Friday, Saturday.  Goal should be to do strength on 1 or 2 of those days, cardio on 2.  Maybe sub DDR in to one Tu/Th.  Also need to scheme what dinner to bring and how to eat it.
• Also once 24HF is properly settled, I should shoot for doing iaido.  Because iaido is awesome.

SATURDAY PLAN!

• Go to the GYM!  Sign up, work out, etc
  • This means I’m skipping the faculty gathering.  Oh well.  Still need to focus on myself first.
• Then do shopping, including for chicken/barley stew and lentil soup materials (also cat food)
• Then come home and finish grading
• Then do whatever (including kinect? Maybe I’ll be too tired)

The grading takes energy thing is lame.  Need to be able to be functional while tired.

Hmph, I thought at first when I found out that I would not be attending Skyfighters practice on Saturday that I would have Saturday off to catch up on a bunch of work.  But then I seem to have immediately committed myself to going out to practice with the Centaurs instead, go me.  I feel like finishing all the things I wanted to do while probably blotting out my entire Saturday to go visiting the central valley will be a very ambitious thing, but I think it can be done!  Let’s observe my plan*, followed by considerations.

*Note: This plan keeps changing because I am a weak and frail human.  At least I got the doctor thing done, not just the appointment but the actual doctoring too!

• Tonight: Business cards!
• Thursday: Make doctor’s appointment, go to doctor’s appointment, go to HS2, come home after work and rest, at least make the lab quiz though you lazy bum!  Blegh.
• Friday: VACCUM MOTHERFUCKER, then lesson planning (try to finish it! Shouldn’t take too long since just reusing summer lessons, yo), 5ML maybe? (turns out not so much), SKIP Aikido because I’m tired still and my ankle could probably use the rest, SJSU Quidditch, come home and rest (try to nap), see if hanging out with Eli is on deck, otherwise try to finish homework (lesson planning, Exalted).  5ML will have to wait until this next week (aim for Tuesday between aikido and HS2 video shoot)
• Saturday: Wake up by 7 to leave by 8 to get there by 10AM, then whatever all day
• Sunday: Grade all quizzes and make grade box before 1:30, leave by then for Mission Blues practice (alternatively get home with energy to spare by 8PM to finish this work)

I think it can be done!

• No DDR this week.  Mah poor legs!  Also SJSU Quidditch should be VERY LIGHT since my ankle hasn’t fully healed yet.
• I considered other times to shoot 5ML stuff but I basically don’t feel like dressing just for that, so Thursday between aikido and HS2 should work as long as I have the energy for it.  Also I could hypothetically dress and shoot if I can get out of the house by 10:45AM on Friday, since EVC to Aikido is probably max 15 min.  Except I slept until like 11 today.  Haha.
• The Friday rest needs to be controlled somehow so that I can get things done afterwards, at the very least the Exalted writeup.  Energy-consuming things should probably be put off to another day.
• Staying out at Central Valley all day works, but I’m not sure how late I can actually stay if I have a 2-hour drive back and need to take care of the cats.  We’ll probably find out eh!
• Even if my xbox gets in this week I probably won’t get to enjoy it until next weekend.  That’s okay.

EDIT: OR MAYBE MY ASTHMA WILL GET WORSE AND AIKIDO IS POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER THE DOCTOR’S VISIT.  THAT WORKS TOO.  I’ll redo the plan because posterity is for chumps.

I seem to have a certain amount of mental energy and when I’m very busy (as I am these days) that energy must be entirely focused on work, leaving me drained.  However, once I have recovered from a busy schedule I find creative outlets again.

I want to focus this creative energy once I have it again (I anticipate that once EVC ends in late July I will be much more free to do stuff).  Here is an ongoing list of projects I have wanted to work on.  I am hoping to dedicate each of my last four Fridays of summer one to each (a couple might be able to be combined)

• Embroidery
• Make exercise wallet
• IKEA curtains around bed
• Write book
• Castle of Glass cover
• 5 Minute Lessons – Physics
• Music Video
• Make lab manual for Bio20

So much to do!

The goal is twofold: get healthy, and stay healthy.

Two primary modes will be employed: food control and stable exercise routine.

Food guidelines:

• Primary: restaurant food will be limited to 1/week
• Fat and cholesterol intake will be controlled
• Sugar will be cut down substantially (no more non-diet sodas!)
• Sodium will be monitored (most days should be low-sodium foods only)
• Ice cream will be limited to Saturday, with an “earned” flex Friday ice cream as well (probably the wiggliest guideline since ice cream is also a comfort food)

One of the most key things to consider is that I have a strong tendency to relax my dietary restrictions when highly stressed or when celebrating/relaxing/on vacation.  This is minimally tolerable.  The best defense would be to stop going into boom/bust work cycles like what has been happening over the last few years, and stabilize the amount of work I take on.  Getting a single full-time job would be one big step towards this goal.

Exercise guidelines:

• Aikido (within the next two weeks) multiple times per week
• Update: Aikido delayed due to delay in getting new glasses and difficulty catching up on EVC prep, but will be in before July 15
• Quidditch if possible once a week
• 7 Minute workout in the morning, directly between feeding the cats and showering.  Getting to bed on time is key (6:45AM wakeups M-Th this summer).
• Gym membership may be required for additional commitment.  High-impact (punching bag) and low-impact (swimming) are both options.

Be sure to establish a cheat day and also respect the soreness (but jump back on as soon as soreness wanes!) so that a regular pattern can be held.

So much stuff to do it’s really piling up.

Also the AP physics lessons are getting harder. Kinematics was way easy but now I’m teaching fluid dynamics and in a couple weeks it’ll be electrostatics. Fun times.

Just have to keep juggling. Applications are important. Evergreen is important. Seeing people so as to not go crazy is also important.

Mid April is the crash date. Of course by then I need to start preparing summer’s lessons…

3/12/14.  A Wednesday. Just one month longer than a year. RIP.

Somehow I don’t even know what to think.