Happy Holidays and ramblings

Happy Holidays everyone! I know Christmas has passed, but I hope you had a good one if you celebrate it.

I had a pretty good Christmas, with the exception of being sick, but I had some nice time off and had many surprises (including the stomach flu). Next up is New Years with the Wargos and Dio (and Kat of course), then Kat's birthday.

The lack of posting on my part is due to lack of creativity (or just being lazy) and work. The office tends to be where I blog, if it is a slow day or I just need to shift my focus. At the moment I am the interim head of support, so I am looking after the department I used to be a member of. It is different, but it is getting me some more experience with upper management.

The most exciting news I really have to report is that Kat and I should finally get the house we have been in battle to get since September. It needs some work done, but I am ready to get started on it. Hopefully this week or next we should have all the paperwork in and then I can start crying over not having any money.

Again, I will make empty promises of hopefully posting more, and I have an idea of reviewing some games I have been playing for the few of you who read this and play computer and video games. Just a thought I had, especially since so many games are cross platforms nowadays. I hope you have a safe and happy New Year! ABRUPT ENDING!!!

My biased douchebag outlook

This is going to be short and sweet as I get ready to do some things for work...but I am so glad Obama won. I know what it is like to not have your candidate win, because it happened to me in the election prior...but you Republican voters will get over it (and if you do not...sucks to be you). I do not vote straight ticket, but in this election I voted for who I (and I cannot stress the 'I' enough) thought was the best candidate.

Now it does not come down to who lost, because he lost, and who feels they got shafted. This is our (again, I need to point out the stress of 'our') president, our future, and we just have to hope things change for the better. We were rooting for politicians after all...

It was great seeing Indiana make a change though...actually seeing a lot of states make changes, it has too at least make you realize that the nation wanted change...and we actually DO need change. Again, you may not agree with my thoughts on the election...however if you feel the need to argue with me in the comment section feel free, but I would just move to a different site and begin the healing process (try avoiding CNN and other news sources as they will only exacerbate your feelings of sadness).

Weight Loss (Without Much Effort)

Now, I am no weight loss guru by any means. I am far from a healthy being in general, but that comes with my nerdy territory. Over the last few months (maybe weeks, I really have not paid much attention), I have managed to lose 13 pounds. I am pretty happy about this, but I haven't put a lot of effort into anything. At least, I will explain what I have been doing.

The first thing I did was cut back on my portions. I no longer go for seconds, unless I am absolutely starving. I have not cut back on what food I eat, which I really want to do. I am quite tired of pizza...I just wish I did not like it so much. The portion control helped, and cutting out snacks after 8 PM has added to that.

The biggest problem I have with snacking is, I just get bored and convince myself that I am hungry. Last night, for example, I was just watching tv and I got bored. So I went into the kitchen and was looking at cookies and other snacks, when I realized I really did not want any of them. I went over to the table and grabbed an apple instead. It actually hit the spot and I felt better for choosing the apple over a cookie.

The point is, I am 25 now, I am not 15. I need to start eating like an adult, and not some teenage garbage disposal. At 15 I weighed around 120 pounds, and I could eat anything in any quantity. After I hit 19, the weight gain started, especially since my diet did not change. I was still a kid, even if I was considered an adult, and I did not want to put much effort into watching what I ate. Of course, I have been paying for that even since. I am using different notches on my belt now,
and I do not cringe so much when I see myself in the mirror with no shirt on. It is probably in my best interest that I never like beer, because then I would really hate my gut.

My next goal, is to start some form of exercise, with the ambition to tone up and get in better health. For the last three weeks or so, I have been stretching at night. This is more for my lower back pains than anything, but it still is a form of activity. Hopefully I can start heading to the fancy gym attached to the high school I went to with my friend Chris. I need to do something, and since Kat and I are at my parents, it is not like I have a lot of things to keep me busy. It would be nice to have some home projects to do...but alas I will be waiting a while on that.

Kat and I have decided to not get cable tv when we do get a house. We are going to just stick with watching programs online or watch movies. We will probably get NetFlix which should help. I have a bad problem with channel surfing, and when I should be doing something useful or going to bed, I will channel surf. It is a habit I have always had. Which is why we do not want a tv in the bed room. We can still watch shows we want to watch, but we do not have to get sucked into to all the other BS you pay for when you get a television subscription to whatever.

On one last note, I will keep everyone (the two of you who read this blog :) posted about the house as I get information. Unfortunately, I doubt I hear anything this week or next.

New Job, Day 2

So I started my new job yesterday. They have thrown me into the fire if you will. I am already setting up servers, something I have not done in almost a year. I still have the initial first job jitters and nervousness. It is even worse when you are moved to an area where you know everyone, definitely worse. At least if you do not know them, if you screw up who cares. All-in-all I think I am going to enjoy this new position and I will have a lot of learning and challenges ahead.

I was told today that we have to wait 2 to 3 more weeks on whether or not we get a counter or get a house. This sucks, because since I know it will take 3 weeks, that makes it November. If Winter comes early, that gives me NO time to do any outside work. It also means I will be paying for heat when I am not living in the house. While I am not thrilled to wait any longer, I will. If I can get this house for cheap, it will really be worth it in the end.

On a completely different note, and something I have been meaning to blog about. A good friend of mine whom I do not get to see very often, John, has asked me to be in his wedding. This really means a lot to me, and I am honored to be asked to be a part of the wedding. John has been with his fiance, Ann, for a while now and I could not be happier for the two of them. Hopefully, if time and job permits, I will make a point to see him long before his wedding. Unfortunately, while not incredibly far away from each other, it has been rather difficult for us to make any plans to get together. Again...I hope to remedy that in the next month or so :) shhhhh....He doesn't know that yet.

Long time, no blog

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. I have been really busy and with the exception of some major things occurring in my life, there has not been much for me to blog about.

I got a promotion, in a sense. I applied for a job in our System Administrator department, and by some stroke of luck I got on. This means a pay raise, a raise in security clearance, and I finally get out of doing support. Now I do not mind support, I have done it for a very long time. However, it has really worn me down. I am usually bombarded by the same things over and over again. I will miss being in the same room with the Support team and goofing off with them, but I think this is the next step in my career with computers and I am looking forward to it.

Since my last post we have bid on a house. We bid on this house three weeks ago, and have barely heard a word on it since. Now, I know they are running the numbers, I at least know that much. We will see if we hear anything by end of day tomorrow. It has Katherine and I both in knots, we would just like to know if they even want our offer or not.

Well I will try to do better at posting, it is just easier for me to do so at work, when it is a little quiet. Unfortunately, for the Support team, it has been far from quiet the last several weeks, hence no posts. I doubt I'll be able to blog much from my new desk, but I will see what I can do.

*Sneeze*

Is it Friday yet? If you are reading this post on Friday, then you are correct, however I am posting on Tuesday and it has already been a long week. Kat and I both left work early on Monday due to being under the weather. I am not too sure with what, possibly a sinus infection. After a day of rest I do feel better, but I cannot stop blowing my damn nose.

This past holiday weekend was an exceptionally good weekend. Got to see some friends on Friday, and then got to see more friends at a wedding on Saturday. Unfortunately, Saturday seems to be the only "big" vacation Kat and I will get to take until summer is over. It was nice getting to see some people I do not normally get to see in the summer, and now that they are all grown up and out of college I will get to see them even less.

The house hunt is still going slow...Kat and I are hoping to look at more homes on Friday. I am really ready to start turning a house into what I want it to be, and to be able to do projects on it instead of just lounging about in it. Kat and I already have a lot of ideas of what we would like to put into a home. It would be nice to find one just to conglomerate all our junk...

Home Life

Well we have been living with my parents and brother for a little over a week now. It has been great getting to see them daily, and to have access to more than one room (especially since one of those rooms is a kitchen). This being said it has helped me lose weight. Close to 7 pounds. Kat and I have been trying to get as much fruit as possible, pineapple (fresh), strawberries, etc. We have also been waking up earlier since we car pool to work now, and eating a nice breakfast. I actually feel more alert and awake. It helps that we have been trying to get to bed around 10 every night as well.

We are still looking for a home. We really have not been very successful yet. Nothing has really caught our eyes. We are going to take a break from looking for a week or so and see if any prices drop or new homes come onto the market.

It is fair season where I work, which means it is nuts. We provide support for every county fair in the state, so that means June, July, and the first week of August are insane. That is part of why I have not posted in a while. I will try and post some more during breaks in calls at work.

ZzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZ

The house hunt is taking a lot longer than I had hoped. I cannot say I am surprised but I will be very happy once we find the perfect house. On top of the house search, Kat found out she starts her new job a lot sooner than we expected. This means we will have to move out of the room her current job provides us. We have been moving things out of or room (that is all it can be called) and taking things to each of our parents homes.

We are hoping to save up some more money and stay at my parents house for a few weeks. It is kind of inconvenient for all involved, but I really do not want to rent anything at this point in time. That would just feel like a waste of money to me.

To be honest, we could live in a box for all I care. I am really ready to get out of where we are now. It has been a blessing since it was provided for us, but the air conditioner barely works(and by barely I mean it freezes up after 2 1/2 hours of use), and the room and air conditioner get our allergies and sinuses to go haywire. Needless to say, I am ready too move to a much cleaner and comfortable place, even if it is in my old bedroom. Sure, moving back in with your parents as newly weds is not ideal, but it will help motivate us to find a home.

Well I would write more...but due to my allergies flaring up I took benadryl or something and it is knocking me out. I will try at least once a week to keep this blog updated, but until we get moved out in the next two weeks life is going to be pretty hectic.

w00t

Well my life has, and will continue, to get really crazy over the next few weeks. This is a good thing. Kat recently got on at the same university I work at, and fortunately, only a few blocks away. So we can carpool...and buy a house. Now begins the arduous task of finding a home, and a loan. I have already scheduled some time off of work to begin the loan and home search. It is a very exciting time, but it also means I will be really busy.

A perk of Kat's current job is the dorm room we are allowed to live in for free. That being said, we have to be moved out by next month. I will miss not paying rent...but I will gladly pay rent to actually have a kitchen and another room.

In any case, while I cannot boast about my studying or work out routine as of late, I can at least say I purchased a few books the other day. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I, for one, have never read either of these books, but obviously knew of them. I am enjoying The Great Gatsby so far, definitely a book you can define by the period it was written in and about. I am trying to get myself to read some classic literature, since I was pretty lazy about reading such things in high school.

So the next time I post, it will have hardly anything to do with what I intended to use this blog for. I will try and chronicle the purchasing and moving process though...when I get the time.

Long Time, No Post

Sorry about not posting in a while...life has caught up with me. In the last few weeks I've been hanging out with some students at SJC who I may not see for a while, Kat and I have been booked constantly, and a certain game came out that is taking up time I should be using to do other things. I've been waiting on GTA IV forever, so naturally I want to take some time and play it.

During Little 5 weekend, I messed my finger up which made it hard to do certain exercises...but enough for excuses.

On a positive note, I've been running at least once week. I've been trying to do twice a week, but the weather hasn't been the best maybe I can run tonight...Kat and I have been making up for it by taking long walks which have been nice when it hasn't been raining.

I ordered a book off of Amazon to help me with my kana's and I plan to start using it soon so I can began the arduous task of reading Japanese. I also need to figure out how I can put Japanese characters in html...if anyone knows how to do that please let me know, I've been searching but haven't devoted a ton of time trying anything.

Well I promise I'll try and post more often now, especially since this blog isn't that old. Once I get parts of my life in order, like my living situation, and can get a bit more organized I'll try and post about my work out routine and my progress on Japanese.

Taking Action

I've began taking time to brush up on my Japanese and started doing a workout routine(let's hope it stays a routine). I've been practicing my Hiragana lately, and from what I've read I'm really trying to get away from reading romaji. Romaji basically shows the English pronunciation of Japanese characters - which is basically been how I've been learning.

I'd say I'm progressing fairly well, I bought a small dry erase board to help me actually write the Hiragana over and over again. I found a few nice Web sites too, that way I can listen to the pronunciations and how to write the characters. If anyone is interested in where I went:

KanjiStep.com - I used this for pronunciation - it also shows you how to write the characters.

Yosida.com - This site gives some more insight into Hiragana and Katakana. It shows how to write characters as well. (Wish I could go there and study)

RealKana.com - This site is almost like flash cards, a nice way to brush up on what I've been studying. You can even select what cards to put in. That way you aren't being asked stuff you haven't studied.

Let me know if any of you have any advice on learning a language. Tomorrow I will try and post what I've been doing as far as a workout. I'd love some feedback on anything you would add to the routine.

Habits

I recently stumbled upon a blog entitled Zen Habits - ways to live your life a little less complicated. Leo, the guy in charge over at Zen, has created a training blog for himself because he's trying to get into better shape. Now this site is not just a list of what he wishes to do as far as a workout schedule, but a dietary schedule as well. Very cool idea, and a good one at that.

Now that the weather has gotten a lot nicer, I do plan on taking a lot more walks. I took a good one with my coworker today and it was great. Let's hope it stays this way...Indiana weather has a way of being pretty crazy. In any case, I'm trying to think of creative ways to work on my kanji and Japanese and also incorporate a sort of work out/diet plan without having to have two blogs - I have a feeling I would post on one and not the other.

I am open to any suggestions on this blog. Let me know if I am putting too much useless info in a post, if I need to be more elaborate, etc. I'm not a pro at blogging or typing out my thoughts and feelings, so I need the criticism.

I'm curious to know what goals you the reader(s) have set. Were you able to achieve your goal? What held you back if you couldn't? Any tips for those of us who want to achieve our goals but haven't?

Now I'm not talking about hitting level 70 in WoW or completing your Star Wars Pez dispenser collection. What is something you really wanted to achieve - but something, yourself, someone held you back. I have a bad habit of getting "bored" and turning a video game on. A lot of it has to do with willpower, and I don't have a ton of it.

My friend John is a great example of someone taking control of their life. He started being more active and has had great success in dropping weight and being healthier all around. Could you stop drinking soda and eating Wendy's? I know some really skinny people who have the worst eating habits. I'm sorry, if you are at your recommended weight and you live on Dr. Pepper and Fritos...you're still unhealthy. Not that I'm one to talk about living healthy...

Welcome to KHOP! Would you like some syrup?

Welcome to Kyle's House of Pancakes. I hosted an actual Web page of random musings back in the 90s when I was in high school, but I never got into blogging. I guess I just didn't feel I had much to say. After reading a blog recently, www.tofugu.com, I decided it was time I tried my hand at it.

What do I plan to accomplish with this blog? Probably the norm...vent and post about things in my life. However, I want to change a few things in my life, and I hope to use this blog as a chronicle on how I go about making these changes. The changes range from eating habits, changing my somewhat sedentary lifestyle, and achieving goals I've set for myself years ago.

I have been taking small strides in changing my diet and becoming more active. Now, I'm not horribly overweight, maybe by about 10-15 pounds. As some of you may know, I used to do karate weekly, but due to my current living arrangements, I'm too far away from my dojo. I've been trying to start my own workout routine (without weights because I haven't got any), and at least stretch to get off my lazy ass.

Like most people, I want to learn and do new things, and like a lot of people, I always put these things off. On my list of things to learn is guitar and Japanese. Those are the two I can at least say I've been trying to do for quite some time. Now the guitar...that may never happen. I can be somewhat tone deaf, and I can only read tabs. Japanese I've been "working on" for a few years. I haven't adhered to a very regular schedule and thus I'm still in the very beginning stages of learning Japanese.

I am very open to suggestions from those of you who take the time to read my blog on what I should try (not seppuku) or post. I'm trying to change my life for the better. Feel free to email me at murasakiblogATgmail DOT com.

I'm just trying to be a better person...my name is Kyle. Unfortunately that last line's not my own...