INDEPENDENCE
1) Limit amount of energy focused on Work:
Mixed results. I have made better efforts to limit the amount of time spent in the office, but that has been complicated by my counterpart’s departure. Fortunately we are training a replacement that may alleviate the short term burdon of a smaller Operations team. It’s posisble that my initial thoughts on this topic were motivated by frustration, as I no longer feel like I’m overworked. There are several large projects in the works, and we’ve made some earnest progress towards implementation. There is a balance to be struck between work time and personal time, and I’m getting closer to acheiving this. Unexpectedly, all of my hard work has yielded benefits in the form of title elevation and a raise.

2) Limit amount of energy focused on relationships:
This remains a constant challenge. Striking a balance between time spent with the boyfriend and time spent doing things with my friends that might exclude him (by choice or by virtue) is not easy. I have made earnest attempts to include him in activities I am interested in with mixed results. I still harbor some resentment due to the lack of ‘free’ time I have to pursue activities with friends that might not be mutual. I have started socializing again, despite some resistance. I Joined a dodgeball league, hosted a former CouchSurfer, visited Chris in New York City, and will travel to Maui for Danl’s 40th birthday.

SELF-IMPROVEMENT
3) Develop new work skills:
In progress! I have spent the several last months studying SQL Server 2008 technologies in preparation of taking the 70-432 Microsoft SQL Implementation and Administration certification exam. Although I did not pass the first attempt, I am eligible for a free retake. I have learned a lot about indexing, security, and disaster recovery strategies…but that’s just the beginning. My goal, once I pass this exam, is to turn my attention towards Microsoft Hyper-V and possibly even Cisco CCNA.

4) Stabilize finances and reduce debt:
Off to a slow start. Unfortunately I have not been as disciplined as intended, but it has only been two months. I’m working on creating a budget so I can begin to pay down debts back to a respectable level. A recet pay increase will be a nice boost to being able to acheive this goal.

5) Get back in shape:
Long hours and poor weather have become obstacles and in some respects have helped fuel a downward trend in my overall fitness. I’ve gained a few pounds and some clothes no longer fit as well as they used too. Being on call every other weekend limits my ability to take long bike rides or attend spin class. Cold and rainy days prevent me from biking to work. Not taking lunch every day and lack of discipline with office snacks has led to poor eating habits. All that being said I have made some progress, at least as far as committing myself mentally. I am registered for Tough Mudder on 5/28 and have registered for a 100 mile AIDS/LifeCycle 10 training ride with the Pos Peds on 4/1. I am hopeful that March will finally be the month I pony up the $200 to join Cross Fit.

6) Eat better:
I’ve only been to the Farmers’ Market once in the last two months and I continue to snack during the day. This is one area I need to work hard on, as my eating habits have actually declined over the last two months. I must bring healthy lunch (and snacks) to work 4 out of 5 days. No exceptions.

SETTLE INTO MY HOME
7) Complete and organize the loft:
This is a work in progress, but much has been accomplished. I found an awesome TV/Entertainment cabinet at Cleveland Art, which I’ve adapted with a shelf and holes for running cables cleanly. I have a stainless steel kitchen table, and one bench. Networking stuff still needs some improvement, and I have yet to wire up all of the speakers. More art hangs on my walls now, and there are many more plants in the apartment. I have plans for painting stripes on my walls, to commence mid-March. I do still need to find improved benches for the kitchen table.

8) Make efforts towards finding a permanent home:
Nothing to report.

STAY CONNECTED
9) Travel more often:
Although my goal of one weekend trip per month was met with some resistance, I have succeeded. So far this year I have visted Nick in Chicago, Chris in New Jersey, and have plans to travel to Maui for Danl’s 40th birthday. Unfortunately circumstances at work will prevent any long trips in the near future, so my usual spring trip has been postponed.

10) Reconnect with friends:
This has been harder than anticipated. Over the last year I have fallen out of the loop with many friends, so renewing ties take a good amount of effort. Overcoming the inertia of the status quo is also quite an obstacle.

11) Enjoy LA:
I have used GroupOn as a vehicle for discovering and trying new restaurants. I have joined a dodgeball league. I am attending more concerts this spring. I attended my first two MindShares, and look forward to attending more of them. I definitely want to start doing more hiking and deserting as the weather begins to warm up this Spring.

12) Pursue new/old hobbies:
I’ve been making an effort to pull out the DSLR more often. I’ve driven down to Kenneth Hahn State Park to photograph the snow. I will bring the camera with me to Maui. I’ve also taken a liking to dodgeball.

—INDEPENDENCE—
1)  Limit amount of energy focused on work.
Sure, I have an important and demanding job that I enjoy more than any in the past. This does not justify putting work responsibilities above all else.  A salaried worker shouldn’t feel obligated to put in more time than required unless there are urgent needs. Goals:  Leave the office every day before 6, barring emergencies.  Avoid checking email incessantly when not on call.

2)  Limit amount of energy focused on relationships. Companionship is comforting, and having a partner in crime is great for motivation and avoiding boredom. Settling in to a relationship also leads to sacrifice, withdrawal from social circles and neglecting activities that are truly satisfying. Lacking enough common interests can lead to the lack of motivation and bordom I was trying to avoid. Sharing love with another person is an awesome thing, but should never come in the way of my personal freedom. I should not allow a boyfriend (or me knowing I have a boyfriend) to prevent me from doing what I want and spending time with who I want, provided there is no breach of fidelity.

—SELF-IMPROVEMENT—
3)  Develop new work skills.
This job may not last forever, and while I’ve learned a lot over the last 20 months, my overall skills have stagnated. Continue enhancing my skills to increase my value to both my current and future employers. Certifications in Microsoft and Cisco technologies should be a good starting point.

4)  Stabilize finances and reduce debt.
My credit rating jumped to 722 following months of responsible spending habits and paying down debt at an aggressive pace. I need to keep this up to pay down my remaining debt while limiting spending on credit. In the coming year I should be prepared to start saving money and carrying little to no debt. The eventual goal here: mortgage.

5) Get back in shape.
I have not been riding my bike as often as I should. Given ALC10 is only 6 months away, I need to get back in the habit of riding around. In addition to ALC10, this year I will participate in the following events:
4/2 Warrior Dash
5/28 Tough Mudder
6/5-6/11 AIDS LifeCycle10
9/25 Kaiser Los Angeles Triathlon (Sprint)
Goals: Spin Class or long-distance ride (>30 miles) one per week, bike to work (no bus) at least 3 days a week, join Cross Fit (and maybe ditch Gold’s Gym). Looking back at photos from my days in Chicago/San Francisco, I know I was in far better shape than I am now. 2011 will be the year I finally reach 160!

6) Focus on better eating.
No more junk food. More trips to the Farmers’ Market. More fresh ingredients, strive for as close to the “Cave Man” diet as possible.

—SETTLE INTO MY HOME—
7) Complete and organize the existing loft.
I’ve lived in this apartment for 18 months now, but much still needs to be done. Furniture still lacking: kitchen table, TV stand, coffee table or side table for living room. Organize all of the stereo equipment, with proper cabling to provide full 5.1 sound. Organize all networking technology efficiently. Hang some more art/photos on the walls.

8) Make efforts towards finding a permanent home.
Every time I pass the El Dorado, I kick myself for not being financially prepared to make a purchase. Once the goal of stabilizing finances and reducing debt (above) has been met, I should begin taking steps towards purchasing a home. I need to determine if this (semi)permanent home will be in Downtown LA or in Silver Lake. Do I want to do this solo, or collaborate with another person to increase my buying power?

—STAY CONNECTED—
9) Travel More often.
I need to take advantage of the flight benefits I have while I have them. I am incredibly lucky and should take every opportunity that arises to visit family, friends, and other places I’ve wanted to visit. Make weekend trips to NYC or SF more frequently. Go back to El Paso to finally see White Sands. Long weekend trip to London. Goal: at least one weekend trip per month.

10) Reconnect with friends.
I’ve lost touch with friends both local and non-local. How is it that I never see a friend that lives a block away? Friends that were close and important to me have become distant acquaintances. This year I will spend more time with friends and vow to break the trend of silence and no more making excuses to get out of social activities.

11) Enjoy LA!
I live in Los Angeles, a thriving city full of energy. I spend far too much time sitting around home, when I could be experiencing all that my city has to offer. I will try new restaurants, explore new neighborhoods, expand my radius beyond the block I live on. There are so many things to experiencing and I have been missing out.

12)  Pursue new/old hobbies.
Photography. Camping. Hiking. Deserting. Geocaching. All of these activities I enjoy have been neglected. I live in Southern California, surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery…and yet I haven’t been hiking in over a year. I haven’t camped (other than at OOS) since the Sequoias in 2009. This year I will update my camera gear and take more photos. I will plan more camping trips, and find ways to get out to the desert or mountains to go hiking…even if it means going alone.

I’ve been a fan ever since I heard Royksopp’s “What Else Is There,” to which she lent her vocals. I was thrilled to hear her on several tracks from their new album, and quickly became a fan of the Knife and her solo work as Fever Ray.

I’m looking forward to attending more shows and reliving some of my days as an indie kid…except less kid, and maybe less pretentious about the indie part. ;)

Time to return to that plan I originally laid out for myself.

GCP is a provider of conference calling solutions, offering both free services such as Free Conference and Instant Conference as well as Enterprise services such as Global Conference. As Operations Manager, I wear many hats. Along with the two other Operations guys, I provide second tier support to end users (under my alias Anthony Morgan). I contribute to the maintenance, design, and support of all systems in our corporate office in Glendale. By far the most challenging and enjoyable hat I wear relates to my role in helping to design, build, and support conferencing bridges and all customer facing systems. My background in telephony is admittedly fairly weak, but I enjoy the daily challenges and take lots of notes. I’ve learned more about unfamiliar technology in the last three months than I probably have in the last few years.

The office is pretty casual, although I aim to at least wear a collared shirt every day (even if I’m wearing shorts). Many people socialize outside of the office, and I’ve even found at least one coworker already connected to my circle of friends (thanks Facebook!). The benefits are very generous: fully covered medical/dental, 401k with matching contributions, decent number of holidays and PTO accrual, and stock options (that might actually be worth something someday).

Today was an amazing day. We started out with breakfast at Twin Sisters in Alamo Heights, where a major in civilian clothing covertly covered our tab. Since Ike is in his blues, it’s quite obvious that he is a recent graduate from BMT. I guess that was her way of congratulating him for his accomplishments, which was rather touching. After breakfast we went to the McNay art museum just down the street, after seeing a flier for an Edward Gorey exhibit (!!!). Ike had some familiarity, in the context of the Gashleycrumb Tinies. Everyone knows that book…but few have the opportunity to experience Edward Gorey with the depth the museum provided. I was thrilled to be able to share with Ike something I’ve enjoyed so much for so many years.

Swim trunks were purchased, swimming at the hotel’s pool, followed by a nap together back in the room. After being apart for two months, waking up next to him even after a snort nap was so fulfilling. It’s impossible to describe just how content I was laying in bed together.

I’m sitting in that same bed now, many hours later, alone, sad, but still feeling the afterglow of spending a day with the boy I love.

Tomorrow is another day, albeit far less liberal as we get to spend the day on base. Oh well. Soon enough we’ll have that alone time again, and hopefully DADT’s days are numbered.

Stay tuned.

Today I coordinated my trip with Pierce, which meant having a ride rather than taking the bus or metro. Plus being able to hang out a bit with him before he took off for Sunday Fun-day brunching was nice.

I spent $20 on the following items:
6 ears of sweet corn
1 basket of juicy gigantic strawberries
4 portabello mushroom caps
1 bunch of large beets
1 chicken and cheese pupusa with all the fixings

The best part about the beets was acquiring extra beet greens for free. I noticed people asking the workers to chop the “tops” off for them, which were then tossed into a box. I asked what they intended on doing with the beet greens and was informed that they return them to the soil as composting material. I voiced both my approval of their practice of composting and my shock that people were missing out on the deliciousness of the greens themselves. He then offered me a large bundle of greens for free. Score!

Beet greens are absolutely delicious and incredibly healthy for you. Saute them briefly with a little bit of olive oil, garlic, and salt and they’re a perfect side dish (or even just a snack!)