I meant to post at the beginning of two months ago, and then last month, but started to get overwhelmed because 1) I actually didn't get much done, and 2) we began to have a rotating schedule of 12 hour work days and so I became exhausted after long days and didn't feel motivated enough on my days off to write a blog update. And then 3) the holidays came up and I was having way too much fun and didn't post anything. So this progress check will have to include the last three months.
I didn't update my blog, but I trolled kids for Halloween!
I think that these goals that I have listed for my rotation will also be extended to count as my New Years Resolutions since I think they are good goals, and frankly speaking, I could work harder at them.
1. Eat healthier
Still continuing off the Fresh20 meal plan, which was actually featured on the NY Times here. The meals have continued to be pretty good for the most part. The best part is not having to think about a grocery list, or having to make grocery store runs mid-week (unless we run out of chicken broth or tomato paste, which has happened...), getting to try new ingredients and recipes I would have never thought of, and having close to no waste at the end of the week. Also, since our grocery store runs have a concrete list, we almost never wander and start buying things that aren't healthy or that we don't need. The only processed foods that we get are pasta, bread, and cheese.
Apart from the Fresh20, when my roommate was gone for a week, I had gone to the Asian market in Portland so I made Asian food all week. I made a lot of soup noodle dishes, including pho and a vegetable udon.
Homemade pho - delicious!
And homemade snickerdoodles - delicious, but not so healthy :)
Although I didn't bring my scale to Oregon (which I definitely should have), I can say that I definitely lost some weight from this meal plan. (And then I may have gained some back during Thanksgiving and Christmas.)
Status: Better... minus the holidays which shouldn't count (okay, and a few times that we made cookies)!
2. Exercise a lot more
Before the ski resort opened up on Thanksgiving, I will admit that I was declining in my exercise routine. I have never been fond of gyms... in fact I hate them. I think it has to do with memories from high school weigh lifting class for PE. I was, undoubtedly, the weakest kid in my class, and it was damn embarrassing. I tried to do some workouts at home with video, but could not get myself into that either.
When Ben visited in October, we did go on a few hikes though, so that was very nice. We went up to Lookout Mountain for an excellent view of Mount Hood. And we went down south to Bend, Oregon, and visited the majestic Smith Rock State Park.
View of the year-round snow on Mount Hood from the peak of Lookout Mountain
A river runs through the jagged rocks at Smith Rock State Park
We went on Misery Ridge trail, which was pretty steep!
I tried to bike more, but unfortunately daylight savings happened. And then by the time I came home from work, the sun had set. And then I should have biked on weekends, but got a bit lazy. And when the 12-hour shifts started, when I was at home, I just wanted to bum around.
When it was still nice outside, I could bike after work
I'm about to enter the hub of a tower (the nosecone portion)
The wind farm on an exceptionally beautiful warm day
The view when I come to work in the morning is absolutely breath taking!
However, when Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort opened up, after Thanksgiving weekend we have been skiing every weekend (minus a day when... well... we were involved in a car accident). It feels good to go skiing again, but I sure have a lot to catch up on. I remember as a kid being fearless, but I feel like I'm getting old now and have lost a lot of my confidence, therefore hindering my ability. Well... no pain no gain, right? If I don't go skiing a lot, how will I improve? So, I'm still planning to go every weekend and available chance I have to get better, have fun, stay in shape, and make up for the East Coast's lack of snow last year.
Lauren and I are enjoying fresh soft powder, and my car is happy with new snow tires installed
Not too long a line for Stadium Express even when it is snowing some nice, soft flurries
The snow was already excellent on the first weekend we went, and now there are about 100" of base
Status: Okay, but I will need to go skiing every weekend, and then figure out something on weekdays. Need to work on cardio.
3. Read more books
Definitely improved greatly on this, probably because work can be boring, and there is not much to do in The Dalles. Since last time, I've read:
- Brave New World (classic, provoking)
- What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures (mix of Malcolm Gladwell's articles; some were much more interesting than others, such as the one regarding birth control)
- Gone Girl (started off well, then flopped miserably)
- 1Q84 (I liked the premise and his style of writing, but it was way longer than it should have been)
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Again, and I've realized that I like the religion and empathy aspect of this book, but I like the ending of Blade Runner better)
I'm currently working on Life of Pi and the The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.
The Power of Habit is definitely a recommended read, even though I haven't finished it yet. But it has made me think about how I can condition myself to work on all my goals here, and create new habits so that they will become second nature! If I don't have to think actively about fulfilling these goals because they are just habits, the results will be quite rewarding.
The Power of Habit is definitely a recommended read, even though I haven't finished it yet. But it has made me think about how I can condition myself to work on all my goals here, and create new habits so that they will become second nature! If I don't have to think actively about fulfilling these goals because they are just habits, the results will be quite rewarding.
Status: Much improved.
4. Learn new things
Ever since I've moved to Oregon, I've discovered things that I really want to learn when I get back to New York state, but cannot be done here. For example, I really want to get decent at ice skating, at least good enough so I can learn to play hockey. There are no ice rinks here - the closest is in Portland. Also, I entertained the idea of taking an Introduction to Culinary Arts class at the Schenectady County Community College, but didn't sign up. I will sign up once I get back. And possibly take a Wines of the World course at the same community college, since my biggest regret of Cornell is not taking wines. When I go back to upstate New York, I wanted to go on more hikes and explore more of the scenery, as I've realized that there is so much around me that I have yet to explore.
I tried for a few weeks to learn Python on Coursera... but somehow could not motivate myself to watch the lectures or do the assignments. And I really liked taking the introductory computer science course in college too. I think that there is a tremendous difference between listening to lectures and having assignments in person versus doing it online.
Status: Not much improvement, but at least I've discovered that I really do like cooking and want to further develop it as a hobby.
5. Develop new hobbies.
This might be copping out, but I think that this goal and the previous one are somewhat similar, so I will actually just combine the two. As I said above, from using the Fresh20 everyday, I've really gotten to enjoy cooking and wish to further develop my skills by taking a class when I get back to Albany.
I can't believe I have less than two months left here, so I better take advantage of the things I do love here - the skiing, the amazing apartment, the time alone to discover things and get a lot more reading done, the gorgeous scenery. I hope everybody had a great 2012 and are looking forward to a productive 2013!
The Columbia River Gorge area is incredibly beautiful and scenic
