Recent Thoughts

So The Philosophress went to a workshop on stress and how to maximize
and sustain energy throughout the day. Here are some principles
(third-hand) with my added comments.

"Eat healthy and snack often." Lots of folks like to make fun of the
fact that I make my own sandwiches (I figure the toaster is in the
kitchen for a reason) and buy protein bars by the box at the grocery
store, but it's a great way to keep energy levels from spiking and
crashing throughout the day.

"Fit people need less sleep.". Recently, I certainly know the opposite
to be true. I wrote a post a while back on what a good time investment
the daily run is...maybe I should abide by my own wisdom.

"Develop a healthy mental soundtrack.". The Philosophress has recently
adopted a "no drama" policy, meaning she's trying to limit emotional
responses to irrational people or conversations that are critical
(whether just or unjust). My recent thought process has been "I am a
writer. Therefore, what should I do now?" That still involves working
a banking job each day, but it does change some of the ways I spend my
lunch and evening hours.

***

In short, we only have a limited amount of energy for each day, and
things like stress, multitasking, and worry detract from our
effectiveness for the tasks at hand. Managing short-term energy is
critical to moving toward longer-term goals.

Sports and Politics

I know the two aren't supposed to mix, but apparently a McCain article in Rolling Stone lists Cindy McCain as a former USC cheerleader. I know the rest of the article isn't that flattering, but if true, this is the worst sort of mudslinging there can be...

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/23316912/makebelieve_maverick/print

Twittering update

So I've figured out a way to Twitter away from my phone and have them post on my Facebook profile. I think that's about as good as I can do for now.

It's kind of nice to provide quick and humorous updates throughout the day, in sort of a between-blog-post fashion.

Weekend Recap

So it's Monday, I'm tired again, but if I don't write some stuff down here, time will keep marching on. This weekend was pretty awesome -- The Philosophress and I got to stay in a six-star resort in Phoenix as part of the BCG recruiting process. I didn't have to miss work and didn't have to deal with jet lag since I didn't leave the Pacific Time Zone.

Aside from sweet food, some familiar faces, and spending time together, there was the Saturday kayaking trip. There were various activities, but I think we hit the jackpot, as we had a two-person inflatable kayak for a downriver 3 mile excursion. As an aside, I think that marriage counselors should set up a nearby tent anywhere there's an activity that requires husband-wife coordination. We quickly learned that we could just float to our destination "Lazy River" style, but others were not so fortunate, running into rocks, low-hanging tree branches, etc.

We were told that there was a chance to see bald eagles and herds of wild mustangs, and sure enough, we hit the jackpot -- the second time this year The Philosophress and I have encountered a bald eagle whilst kayaking. Throw in the overcast day with some intermittent light showers, and it was definitely a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon in the Tonto National Forest.

It was also great to just chill with one of the scoutmaster guides, who was a young guy probably in his early 30s. He also does survival training, so I asked him my best Bear Grylls questions. We also got into some of the crazy things he's heard tourists say through the years, including a lady who would stop paddling, lean waaay over each side of the kayak and peer into the water. When asked what was wrong, she replied, "I'm just trying to see the track this thing's on."

Then there are those who pull their kayaks out of the water, see the buses, and say "Oh great, right back where we started." That's right -- the mysterious circular river.

Or the lady that demanded that the guide "bring the horses back out" because she wanted to see them again.

Some people really need to get outside more often...

~~~

Then Sunday we met up with Lee, Junk, and their ladies as an added ND bonus to cap off the weekend. It was fantastic to see all four of them, and there's some mischief planned, hopefully taking the form of camping in/near the Grand Canyon. I'll be tracking this story with interest, as I'm trying to be a bigger fan of the outdoors and shed the "clean and proper boy" moniker...

Forwarded from The Philosophress...