5/1/2009

For the Chinese New Year (January 26th, this year), I decided my new year's resolution would be to pick up a new vice each month for an entire year. I think the hardest part is actually finding twelve vices I haven't already dabbled in. Even so, my New Year's Resolution has been a resounding success. February was coffee. I'd tasted it once or twice before, but never liked it for some reason. Now I love it!

For March, I chose to obsess over how long I have left to live. I set up a little bit of javascript on my browser's start page that tells me how many years and days I have left. Right now it says this: "I have 42 years, 54 days left to live (if I die at 74). I find it motivating even though I realize the better days are always in the past. It gives me that "do it now" feeling. However, half way through March I was totally taken over by Second Life. I tried it a year ago and thought it sucked. This time I stuck with it and got used to its crappy camera controls. The client still isn't anything to write home about, especially after getting used to first-person shooters (a type of video game that gives you incredible amounts of control over your own movement). Even so, now I think it's pretty cool. So, for March, my official vice was "wasting time while at the same time realize how precious it is". I spent enough time to learn how to build, script, and terraform. Most recently, I'm interested in using the Open Source version of it as a way to jump start my role-playing "projector pointed at the table" idea. Too wacky to explain here. I'll describe it to you in person if you're curious.

So, April kind of slipped me by. The first two weeks of it were consumed by planning Carla's and my diet and vacation. We had what they now call a "staycation". Basically, we stayed home last week. There was quite a bit of TV watching, but that was exactly what Carla needed, as she works way too much (nights, weekends, etc, etc). And she got a nice full day at the spa. This past week, we've finally implemented our diet. We've been slowly eating better and gaining awareness over the past two months, I'd say, but now we're weighing ourselves every Monday (4/27 = 245.2lbs) and counting weight watcher's points every day. By the way, here's the formula: Points = (calories/50) + (fat grams/12) - (minimum(4,fiber grams)/5), where "minimum" means whichever is less: 4 or fiber grams. Though, as a guy, I get about a third more points than she does (all those extra muscles), so I don't count points but simply eat what she does, plus a little more. My goal is to get down to 190lbs by January 1st, 2010. That's two pounds a week. So, since I didn't pick a vice, April's vice was either "the vanity of self-improvement" or "not following my new year's resolution". Neither are exactly new to me though.

So, greetings May! I've been thinking of taking up cigar smoking. I've tried it once or twice. I have the fancy lighter and the thing that cuts the end you smoke out of, but I never got into it that much. I certainly don't know what makes a good cigar. I'm certainly the anti-gourmet. I like strong food and drink that kick you in the face. You know, like cheap merlot red wine, single-malt whiskey, and blue cheese. The top shelf wine and commercial cheese and blended whiskey is so smooth you don't realize you're consuming it. What's the point of that? That said, I've never smoked cigarettes and don't intend to develop a nicotine habit. I have a friend that has a plastic cigarette-like thing that he adds droplets of flavored... um... drops with various levels of nicotine in it. It's kind of cool. When you puff on it, the LED light at the end of it lights up. Comes in different colors. That sounds great, but it also doesn't sound like a vice anymore.

Even if I come up with a good vice for May in the next week, I'm running short on vices. I can't look to the seven deadly sins for ideas. I've out-grown some and don't find the rest very interesting. Actually, there's more potential with the seven holy virtues: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility. Each one of these can easily be taken to illogical extremes. Ah well, wish me luck.