How to stop forgetting what you read

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https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2026/09/14/stop-forgetting-what-you-read/?ck_subscriber_id=2743925169 - How to stop forgetting what you read

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https://youtu.be/ VcUEwVLqfRU - How to Stop Forgetting What We Read

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So Much to Say

Obviously, this blog has become neglected when it comes to actually writing about life and my journey through it. I'm not going to list out each and every thing going on in life. That said, Bad Rumor played in MO on Saturday, 3-22-2025, and I will be updating https://prhmusic.blogspot.com/p/videos-of-me-playing-drums.html - All Videos of Me Playing Drums soon. Also, on Sunday, April 6, and Monday, April 7, I will be in Chicago for a two day BAYSIDE concert! My friend Chris and I are leaving North Liberty, iA, on Sunday (time TBD) and driving to the Chicago House of Blues. We're staying in a hotel in downtown Chicago that is walking distance to the CHOB. Then, on Monday, our tickets are VIP at the level where we will meet Bayside - Anthony, Chris, Nick, and Jack - prior to the show. The band Sincere Engineer is opening the show and the fact that I don't have "Sincere Engineer" as a label on this blog tells me that I am horribly behind in my writing about my life - they are one of the bands that I have come to really like in 2025. Also, as with the rising and setting of the sun, I am getting older. Last month, I went to see my eye doctor because I thought something was wrong with the glasses I purchased in December 2024. Nope - something was wrong with my eyes. I have cataracts. I saw an eye doctor on Thursday, March 13, and nearly twp weeks later, I've not heard when my cataract removal eye surgery will happen. I don't know if I've confessed in any of the other 13,388 posts on this blog ... but I despise having any action done associated with my eyes.

Help Me Understand

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She turned 60 and is going to step back to spend more time with her kids... who go to school... during the day... because the kids are above the age of 4, so at this point, I am unsure what is the purpose for this. It seems to me that now is actually when it makes sense to be working during the day... because the kids are not home. I am confused... https://www.dailywire.com/news/today-show-host-announces-shes-leaving-to-focus-on-raising-her-kids

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The Next Big Bad Thing in Life

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https://www.cdc.gov/candida-auris/about/index.html

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Alive for 20000 Days!

 As a reminder, I was 27 years, 4 months, 2 weeks, 3 days old when I reached being alive 10,000 days.

Today, I've been alive for 20,000 days.

If I am lucky enough to live yet another 10,000 days, I will be 82 years, 1 month, 2 weeks, 5 days old, if I am alive on my 30,000th day on Earth.

Who am I?

I agree with this text in the article - https://getpocket.com/explore/item/there-are-6-core-personality-types-but-which-do-you-fit-into - There Are 6 Core Personality Types – Which Do You Fit Into? - From self-assured Alphas to mysterious Sigmas, here’s what psychologists have to say on those six core personality types. - below:

If you’re anything like this writer, you’ll find that – depending on the day, week, month, or year – you might relate to several different options from the list below. And not just to their basic descriptions, but to their strengths, to their weaknesses, and to the lessons they must learn.

A personality classification is not something I put a lot of stock into. It's just interesting.

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There Are 6 Core Personality Types – Which Do You Fit Into?

Are you the sort of person who avidly takes personality quizzes and makes a careful note of the results each time? Have you taken the Myers-Briggs Indicator Test? Maybe more than once, even? Or are you the sort of person who finds the idea of personality types to be a bit… well, a bit reductive, at best?

If you fall into the latter category, it’s completely understandable; after all, learning about oneself is supposed to be something of an ­ongoing education – a work in progress, if you prefer, without a bevy of shortcuts. And, just as your blood pressure peaks and troughs throughout the week, so too does your personality shift and change with each new experience.

If you make sure to keep that thought in mind, though, there’s no denying that personality tests can be incredibly useful, as they offer us some insight into our psychology on that particular day. And mental health campaigner and TV & radio broadcaster, Neev Spencer, has made things even simpler by outlining the six core personality types.

If you’re anything like this writer, you’ll find that – depending on the day, week, month, or year – you might relate to several different options from the list below. And not just to their basic descriptions, but to their strengths, to their weaknesses, and to the lessons they must learn. 

To that end, then, be sure to save this article to your bookmarks, as it’s worth checking back on for a little extra guidance every so often.

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Alpha

“An Alpha is a leader; she is self-assured, powerful and confident in everything she does,” says Spencer.

“These personality types don’t hold back, tending to steer the pack in friendships and powerfully lead their teams in work. An overwhelming number of CEOs tend to be Alphas, actually, as they relish in striving to be the best and being challenged.”

“She knows her worth and excels in life by staying on track and true to herself and her needs”

Spencer concludes: “With this kind of leadership and power, Alphas can become overworked, stressed and disengaged from their personal lives. 

“As such, the best kind of Alpha is one that knows not just how to be the best person they can be, but also understand that balance in life is always needed to truly succeed.”

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Beta 

“A Beta is friendly, likes to be helpful, always tries to avoid conflict and wants to fit in,” Spencer explains, “and she is kind at the very core of who she is. She is driven by a need to help those around her, is loyal, and always puts her friends first but at the same time is more open to getting hurt.”

She continues: “Betas want to fit in and seek acceptance from others. Indeed, the world can seem like a harsh place for a Beta at times, so it’s important for her to know that being kind and unreactive and non-explosive can be a great strength in life. Protecting her heart and knowing her own worth deep down is a powerful exercise, as is finding strength in the knowledge she is more than she knows.”

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Gamma

“A Gamma is driven, hyper organised, confident and independent,” says Spencer. “She knows her worth and excels in life by taking pride in her actions, as well as by staying true to herself and her need to succeed. More importantly, she doesn’t rely on anyone else (or a job!) to do that for her.”

Spencer continues: “Gammas are in a world of their own – one that revolves around themselves, and that can be hard for anyone who wants to enter into and stay part of that world. As such, a Gamma needs to appreciate that, in order to stay true to ourselves and our goals, we need to be open to the people and the environment around us and all the chaos that may incur. 

“We can’t control everything… we have to let go sometimes and learn to flow.”

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Omega 

“Omegas are intelligent, romantic, at times slightly introverted, and overly sensitive,” says Spencer, adding that these personality types are “most comfortable in their own company.” 

“Usually bookworm types or studious souls, Omegas are deeply romantic, passionate and tend to keep themselves to themselves,” Spencer adds. “This can at times negatively affect their ability to make new friends, meet a partner and or put themselves out there in life.  

“Omegas are often known to bottle up their feelings, not being able to express themselves freely and therefore often feel the effects of pent up pressure. They use movies and stories as their escape but long for deep one-to-one connections.”

“Their mystery comes from their innate sense of trust in themselves”

Spencer finishes: “An Omega would do best to put that book down and head out into the world bravely and boldly putting themselves forward for what life has to offer. Joining a team sport would benefit these solo types and help them feel part of something bigger.”

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Delta 

“Deltas are great communicators, despite being self-conscious and at times shy,” says Spencer. 

“A Delta has all the attributes of an Alpha, but tends to keep herself and her hopes and dreams to herself, shying away from wanting to put her heart on the line in fear of it being broken. And, because she’s been burned by past experiences, a Delta is usually extremely realistic, often helping others around them stick to a more logical way or path.”

Spencer adds: “Deltas have a unique and empathic way of communicating with people and, although they may not always put their own past out there for all to hear, they take time in connecting with people and helping them in life. Indeed, a Delta is constantly wanting to improve and learn from her past experiences. 

“However, Deltas should focus less on what life did to them and more on what life can do for them.”

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Sigma 

“A Sigma is intimidating, loyal, emotional and is utterly elusive,” says Spencer, adding that “Sigmas are very like Alphas, but with all the feels!” 

She goes on to explain: “Sigmas are intriguing and powerful, easily commanding attention but also happy to step back when the need suits them. They know how to play the game. 

“Sigmas are devoted to the relationships in life that they value and are incredibly loyal, and their mystery comes from their innate sense of trust in themselves. Despite this self-assurance, though, Sigmas have the ability to be vulnerable.”

Spencer finishes: “Sigmas are a combination of all of the six personality traits in one, giving them a powerful and somewhat magnetic edge over all the other traits. 

“A Sigma would do well to remember this – and note that they’re far more likely to stay connected and earn the trust of others if they let things go more.”

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Confessions about My Clutter

I have clutter. While I wish I didn't, I do. 

Each and every time I drive the Ford F-150 into our garage, I confront the clutter. There's the workbench that I built in 1994 and all it is is a place to put clutter. Right now, it has our patio table on it, upside down with a blanket on it. The front of the garage also has the gigantic picnic table from Balltown that I haven't assembled for years. Then there's a white plastic shelf that is very old and very ugly. Next to that shelf is our deep freezer, which is next to a table we have had for decades on which there is a 3 shelf plastic drawer organizer. Next to that is the aforementioned workbench, and next to that is the fridge that used to be inside the house but that we moved to the garage when we swapped the fridge that was in the garage into the house because the ice maker in that fridge stopped working. However, when Calvin, our plumber, hooked up the water to that fridge, there was an issue and so, now, we don't have a fridge with a working ice maker.

Then, if you go inside our house and make your way to the basement, there's more clutter. I have tried to make the basement less cluttered but even after I spent the weekend of April 1 - 2 re-organizing both our storage room with our sump pump and our storage room with our furnace - yes, we have two storage rooms in our basement - I freely admit that I couldn't find the magical way to create more room for our stuff in those two storage rooms. While I was working on the storage rooms reorganization project, I noticed that roughly 33% of the stuff in the furnace room doesn't belong to Karen & I. Who owns it? Our kids! They have so much stuff, even though Karen and I are living in an empty nest.

I'll also confess my selfish intention and goal for the work I decided to perform. I wanted to figure out a better way to store my two acoustic drum sets - both the Ludwig Vistalite set that I've owned since 1984 and the Sonar set that I've owned for less than a year. I used to store the Ludwig Vistalite set under my basement steps. However, I took that set out from under the steps and put other stuff under the steps - trading places if you will. I had a vision of tuning the Ludwig Vistalite set and to then use it at a Bad Rumor gig. However, that hasn't happened yet. 

I digress. On the weekend of April 1 - 2, I took almost every thing out of both storage rooms. I moved one of the 4' shelves from the furnace storage room and into the sump pump storage room. I also moved our light blue Easter storage bins from the furnace storage room into the sump pump storage room. Also, I finally built the 5 shelf from Lowes. I purchased that shelving unit back in May 2022. I had not put it together while I tried for months to design the best way to use it. Instead of building it as a single 5 shelf unit, I built it as a 3 shelf unit and a 2 shelf unit. The 3 shelf unit is in the sump pump storage room and the 2 shelf unit is in the furnace storage room. Additionally, I moved our microwave cart and our white clothes rolling rack from the sump pump storage room to the furnace room. 

I freely admit that I will reorganize the two storage rooms in the future. Until then, I will continue reading articles - like this one -https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-top-5-sources-of-household-clutter-and-how-to-put-an-end-to-each-headache?utm_source=pocket-newtab - The Top 5 Sources of Household Clutter—And How to Put an End to Each Headache - in the hope that I have a revelation about how to use the storage rooms in the best possible way. Some friends I know don't have any storage in their house - I have two storage rooms. I need to figure out the best way to take advantage of that fact.

The Mandalorian 3rd Season Continues

This was initially a simple post, with only the video below embedded in it. This is a screenshot of Version 1.0 of this post: ------------------->

You can consider there to now be a Version 2.0 of this post.

Why? Why would I take a simple post and turn it into a post with a lot more words?

Blame math. 

I can hear your groan. Math helped me to figure out that this post represents the 130th post in the month of March, which is the sum of my posts in January (64) & February (66). I doubt that the sum of my posts on April 30, 2023, will be the sum of my posts in January (64), February (66), and March (130), which would be 260 as that would mean an average of 13 posts a day! For that calculation, I used the four full weeks of April to equal 20 days.

At this moment in time, I don't post to this blog on the weekend, which is something fairly recent. When I was trying to free up room on my cell phone at the beginning of March, I uninstalled the Blogger app from my cell phone. Side note, it was the Dropbox app that was taking up most of my storage room on my cell phone. I haven't reinstalled the Blogger app and don't plan to do so at this time. I'm open to doing so, especially when I might want to post while at a concert. 

I think my next concert may not be until Saturday, April 29 in Des Moines with Alex. While we don't have tickets yet, I want to go see Every Avenue / Makeout / Unwell at Lefty's with him. I had such a good time at their show at Gabes in Iowa City at the beginning of March. It would be the first time when I could say that the last two concerts I saw were of the same bands on the same tour in different cities.

I am a geek when it comes to Star Wars. I credit videos like the one below for training my eyes to watch the screen actively and to be looking for Easter eggs and references to other aspects of the franchise. Some of the ideas in the video below were ones that I actually saw during my initial viewing of the episode while other ideas were new. For example, in the New Republic bar, there's a character who is making his live action debut after being included in one of the animated series that I don't watch. I might have seen a picture of the character before but I didn't know his name - it's the alien in the video preview below, on the right side, and no, I didn't plan that. I just want to make the point that videos like the one below enhance my own Star Wars experience. I dabble in a lot of subject matter areas (SMAs) - pro wrestling, Metallica, drums, technical writing, politics - and rely on videos like the one below to enhance my knowledge. I don't consider myself to be a subject matter expert (SME) in any of those areas. 

I just realized I didn't mention the phone call on Monday night. I was home while Karen was at a hair appointment and our landline phone rang. On the other end was a woman in FL taking a poll about voters in Iowa. As we spoke, it became clear that she was basically calling on behalf of supporting Ron DeSantis, who may be a good candidate for president, but he hasn't declared he is running as of today. I secretly hope that Trump doesn't run because I believe the Dems / Libs are more scared of DeSantis than they are of Trump, but I digress. I want to report that I spoke to this woman for nearly 30 minutes. While I didn't agree with some of her statements, at the end of the conversation, she told me that I had done a really good job. Was she blowing smoke up my butt? Sure, that's certainly possible. For the record, I do like to speak politics - which is why I subscribe to The Daily Wire as well as why I have the "Get Your Political Opinions Here" pages on this blog. I have to be very conscious about who I am speaking politics with as I have seen politics divide families into two camps as well as friends divide into two camps. I love my family and I love my friends, I don't love politics more than my family and my friends, if that makes sense. 

Anyways, here is the video about the Mandalorian:

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https://youtu.be/ dSWa75v9VQ4 - MANDALORIAN 3x05 BREAKDOWN! Every Star Wars Easter Egg You Missed

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It's Never Too Late to Change the Rest of Your Life

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https://www.youtube.com/live/TQKOybSC_08 - It's Never Too Late to Change the Rest of Your Life

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My Life

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This is what I am like

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How to Stop Falling Asleep on the Couch During Movies

How to Stop Falling Asleep on the Couch During Movies

Still Drool when I see Drums Like This

Lou and Jean are coming to our house today and will stay until Tuesday. Karen asked me about the basement and I fibbed when I told her "it's clean."

It's not.

After the Bad Rumor gig on 1-19-2023, I carried all of my drums to the basement and, because I had it in my head that I wanted to reorganize the furnace room prior to putting those drums into the furnace room, I left the drums in the "living room" area of the basement.

Meaning, no, it's not clean.

Earlier this week, I did reorganize the furnace room. I took the two shelves that were parallel with the door and combined them into a single taller shelf. However, because those two smaller shelves allowed two stacks of "stuff" to reach the room's ceiling, I basically decreased my storage space by doing so by half. That led to creating a stack of Rubbermaids on the floor. The net result is that where I had thought I would put the drums from the Bad Rumor gig is now occupied with a stack of Rubbermaids, meaning I need a Plan B.

Plan B is likely to be putting those drums in the den, which has enough room for the drums. In fact, I have enough room in the den to actually lay out the carpet I use under my drums and to actually set them up.

I did that by moving the white file cabinet and brown bookcase that used to be on the wall to the right as you walked into the den to the corner, freeing up a nice space in the room.

However, at this moment, I haven't moved the drums into that space, meaning, no, the basement is not clean.

Guess what I plan to do when Karen goes to get a haircut today, I write as I am grinning.

All of the words about my existing drums in my existing basement leads me to the following drums for sale in Indy. I really want to have more drums, especially a Ludwig Vistalite set like the one in the ad. Prior to Alex and Hannah's wedding, I drooled over a similar set that was for sale in Iowa City, so much closer than Indy, but because of the wedding and the price being offered (I think it was ~$1200), I didn't pull the trigger. Now, there's a similar set with similar sizes for sale in Indy that would cost $600 more, plus there would be the $ involved in either driving to Indy or paying to have the drums shipped to my house, if that would even be an option.

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If I were to drive to Indy to pick up that Ludwig set, I could stop in Chicago and pick up this snare drum as well as I would be driving through Chicago to get to Indy. I mean, that would make sense.

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Behind the Scenes

Once upon a time, Karen and I wished to fly to Hawaii to mark our 30th wedding anniversary. However, at this precise moment, that trip is not happening in 2023.

Why is that? 

I am going to dip my foot in the pool of revealing details about what is going on in my life. Behind the scenes, there are many things peculating in life. I have decided to not write posts about those things as I consider them to be on the line in the sand between "public" and "private." For example, I believe I have mentioned - perhaps many times - that I write in a private journal which I would never ever publish. All of that said, I feel like I also need to provide a bookmark for when I want to reread posts during this time in my life someday in the future.

It is for that reason that I am including the text from the following article:

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Editor's Note: the URL for the article linked to below is https://www.stylist.co.uk/relationships/family-friends/how-to-manage-sibling-argument and, as you can see, it originated in the UK, which means that some of the words below may look like a typo - such as "favoured" which is using the UK spelling rules - when the posts on this blog would spell "favoured" as "favored". To be clear, since the following information is directly from a UK site, the spelling of words - such as "favoured" - have not been edited.

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How to manage an argument with a sibling, according to an expert

1. Arguments with a sibling are inevitably tough, but there are steps you can take to make things a little easier on the both of you and stop things from getting toxic, Yassin says. 1. Avoid repetitive arguments “It’s really important to avoid repetitive arguments,” Yassin says. “It can be tempting to name-call and accuse and point the finger of blame by using statements such as, ‘you are…’, ‘you’ve made me feel…’ or, ‘you’ve caused…’. Instead, use ‘I’ statements such as, ‘I’m feeling…’, ‘I’m worried because…’. You are not inferring there is blame from the other and it’s a helpful way to diffuse a conflict.”
2. Don’t bring others into the argument “No matter how tempting, do not bring other family members into the conflict,” Yassin advises. “Stay in the present and avoid weaponising information from the past. You may feel that you know your sibling inside out, but the reality is that you will never really know what the other person is thinking or experiencing and guessing someone else’s position can be dangerous.”
3. Be open, curious and honest “Take time to enquire about what your sibling is thinking and feeling,” Yassin suggests. “If it feels like the argument is running away with you, slow it down. If the situation is heated, take the initiative to calmly step away. Say that you are upset and activated in that moment and what you would like to do is take yourself away.”
4. Give them space if necessary “If you’ve had an argument with a sibling and it has not been resolved, do not bombard that person with messages or voice notes and do not ask a parent to speak to them on your behalf,” Yassin says. “Put it on ice, step back and ensure your sibling knows you are not avoiding the situation, but rather you don’t want to speak to them when you are angry and highly activated.”
5. Consult a family therapist if things can’t be resolved “If sibling arguments are repetitive and do not resolve, it can impact on our ability to connect and trust in other relationships in life,” Yassin says. “Sibling relationships are really important so invest what you can into settling arguments and rebuilding healthy bonds. “It’s really common for siblings to argue when one feels the other has been favoured throughout life and that can set up a sibling rivalry. It can be an underlying cause of arguments in teen, adolescent and adult life. If you feel there are unresolved problems from the past that relate to family dynamics, seek professional support.”

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Starting the 200 Days Countdown today

I am going to present a brief overview of my 200 Days project.

On Monday, January 18, 1993, I started to write in a black 200 page college ruled notebook to count down to our wedding day. I was living in the house I grew up in and I was so anxious to marry Karen. I decided to write that volume because I knew my life was in a phase that would never be repeated in my future and I wanted to capture what I was feeling. I decided that I wasn't going to expect any words to be added to my 200 Days notebook on our actual wedding day so I decided that I would use August 6, 1993, as the final day on which I would write, a decision I have carried forward with each 200 Days volume. I also decided that I would create a list of 200 topics and assign a topic to each page. I would write a single front of a page about the topic. Many of the pages in the first volume have a couple of sentences to indicate that the topic was irrelevant or that the topic didn't merit writing any words. I wrote about Karen (of course), my friends, my family, my job, and relevant news of the day.

It so happened that the first night I began writing about the countdown to beginning a new chapter in my life was also the day that Chris Street, a basketball player at the U of Iowa, was killed in a car crash. It was also in January 1993 when Metallica came to Carver-Hawkeye Arena and played a concert, which I attended. 

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On Tuesday, January 18, 1994, I started to write in a red 200 page college ruled notebook to count down to our first wedding anniversary. I was living in the apartment in Coralville that Karen had been living in prior to marrying me and I wanted to capture the magic of writing the first 200 Days volume again.

On Wednesday, January 18, 1995, I started to write in a blue 200 page college ruled notebook to count down to our second wedding anniversary. A lot of changes were happening in life, such as we had purchased a house in North Liberty and no longer were living in the apartment in Coralville. Once again, I wanted to capture the magic of the previous two volumes. However, I realized during the writing of that volume, I was not actually recapturing anything from the previous two volumes. It was a burden to maintain a schedule that allowed me to write a 200 Days volume, a personal journal, and what would turn out to be my final spiral notebook of lyrics and poems. 

Which is why it wasn't until Friday, January 18, 2013, before I attempted to write a 200 Days volume to document the countdown to our 20th wedding anniversary. So many changes in my life had happened in the 6375 days (17 years, 5 months, 1 week, 5 days) since I finished the third volume on Sunday, August 6, 1995, that I felt like the time was right to attempt another 200 Days volume. 

When Thursday, January 18, 2018, arrived, I felt like writing another 200 Days volume to document the countdown to our 25th wedding anniversary made sense. Once again, there had been so many changes during the 1626 days (4 years, 5 months, 1 week, 5 days) between Tuesday, August 6, 2013 and Thursday, January 18, 2018.  

All of that leads me to Wednesday, January 18, 2023, and the first day of yet another 200 Days volume. In a short 200 days (6 months, 2 weeks, 5 days), it will be Sunday, August 6, 2023, which is the night before being married to Karen for 30 years. I am going to temporarily not follow the guidelines of my 10 Year Project, which is how I have been writing my journals since January 1, 2012. I assign a month and year to each of the 5 sections in a 200 page  notebook. For example, I could have a month of writing from 5 different years in the same 200 page notebook, meaning my journal writing is not done sequentially, which is what I did from May 1989 through December 31, 2011. My intention is to write this 200 Days volume as a part of the 10 Year Project, except I started a 200 page notebook today and I am going to write sequentially in as many 200 page notebooks as I need until August 6, 2023.

I am uncertain how often I will mention this 200 Days volume on this blog. However, since it is the first day of this volume, I felt it was relevant to write about what is happening outside of writing this blog.

Kudos to JS for Disconnecting

My favorite paragraph in this article - I disconnected from the electric grid for 8 months—in Manhattan - What started as an experiment has turned into a habit I hope will inspire others. - Joshua Spodek - 1/13/2023, 5:45 AM - is the following:

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The experiment wasn’t easy. I had to remind myself that my goal was to develop a proof of concept. My building is 15 stories, and using the elevator would undermine the experiment, so I climbed 11 flights of stairs—twice on days that I charged—three or four days per week. I’m 51, so this could be a slog.

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I'm 53 and to develop a proof of concept means I have to walk 11 flights of stairs twice a day? Kudos to Joshua Spodek! I hope weight loss was

The Neverending Reorg Project

I have an on-going project in the den, which is to review the files in a hanging file system as well as the contents in a box that reams of paper come in. I need to devote time to this project prior to the weather getting warmer, which is really funny for me to say because a blizzard is expected later today. Paper Organization {Series}: Take Control Of Your Paper Piles

This is a Busy Week!

This week is shaping up to be very awesome!

• Tuesday - I'm going to go see the "Black Adam" movie today at 4.
• Wednesday - I'm going to Whiskey Jo's for the weekly jam session
• Thursday - I'm going to wash the Ford in the AM and load my drums into the Ford in the PM.
• Friday - I'm going up to Checkers in Cedar Rapids for my first gig with Bad Rumor - we play from 7-10.
• Saturday - I'm going with Jason, Zach (Jason's nephew) and Matthew to see Queensryche open for Judas Priest in Moline.
• Sunday - I'm going to play drums at 11 AM Mass and then, after Mass, I'm going golfing with Jason, Zach (Jason's nephew) and maybe someone else.

How to Get Away

How to Actually Take a Social Media Break

When will I Take my Drumming Seriously Enough to Play Better?

Within the past couple of years, I have been inundated with drumming improvement courses. I get emails all the time from reputable drummers that I know about through YouTube. Each of the emails promises, as a sales email should, to make me a better drummer in a specific area. The email from today led me to the Drumeo website where I can purchase a "Hands and Feet Bundle" for $200, which includes $450.94 in "FREE Bonuses" - by the numbers, a deal I cannot pass up.

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Or can I pass it up? My answer to that question is multi-layered.

1. I can easily pass it up because I don't have $200 burning a hole in my pocket.
1. Although, I have purchased dumber things that easily could add up to $200
1. I am not going to practice drums on a routine basis.
1. I have promised myself that I would practice drums on a routine basis, but when push comes to shove, I don't.

Obviously, I have been down this path before. I have a list of reasons why taking the initiative to improve my drumming won't work.

So, I sit in this loop, a hamster wheel.

1. I want to be a better drummer
2. I won't practice, which is what would make me a better drummer
3. Go to #1

What do I do to break out of that loop? For one thing, I need to have performances on my schedule. I didn't touch a drumstick until I knew that I was playing at 515 Mass on 7-16-2022 Saturday night. In the same vein, knowing that I am playing drums at 515 Mass on 7-23-2022, I will be motivated to sit down at the Yamaha electronic set in the den and play along to one of the recorded tracks in the drum "brain" for at least 10-15 minutes. Also, I reached out to Randy to jam on Wednesday evening, which is a tentative yes, depending upon whether Randy trades in his car, which if he does, he may be heading to CO, where he has family. This means that I will likely practice drums tonight, after work. I know we are going to go see Jurassic World: Dominion tomorrow night so I likely won't have time to practice drums. I thought empty-nesting was supposed to make life not as busy?

I am not going to purchase the "Hands and Feet Bundle" for $200, but I am going to practice drums tonight in anticipation of possibly jamming with Randy on Wednesday and, if that would not work out, for playing drums at 515 Mass on Saturday night. 

Ditching the Cell Phone

I'm not going to have my cell phone with me when Alex and Hannah get married on June 25, 2022, which is a short 10 days! To wit, I am including the content of this article: 13 small ways to ditch your phone and live more in the moment

1. I removed the apps for Facebook and Instagram from my phone and enabled two-step authentication on my Facebook account. Now I have to access those sites via a web browser, and it's a nuisance. This helps me because before it was too easy to get to the content. Now I think twice if I want to go through the pain of verifying my credentials. — Rob Wittman
2. I unfollowed nearly all non-family Facebook friends. Now I still see family photos and keep in touch with long-distance friends, but spend a small fraction of the time I used to on Facebook. — Mary Biddle
3. When I make a plan for [true] human face-time, my phone isn't invited to join. It stays on silent in my purse. We eat, we walk, we go to the movies — we don't need a third wheel. — Talora Michal
4. I noticed a pattern of friends and family posting things online, and then us not having much to talk about when we would visit each other in person. You'd already seen all their vacation photos, where they were, who they were with, what they ate, right? So I went cold turkey and got rid of all social media platforms entirely. I experienced some serious FOMO at first, but now I don't even notice the difference. It's an opportunity to reach out more personally to family and friends to see what's new in their life, and for them to reach out to me more, too. — Taylor Seale
5. For years I used to wake up in the middle of the night to look at or answer a text or email. I realized my quality of sleep and quality of life were being affected, so now I keep the phone in a completely different room when I go to bed. — Stuart Sutton
6. I'm starting to keep a list of random things that come to mind throughout the day that make me want to run to the computer to find the answers. So rather than running to the computer throughout the day, I save it for one session. — Charlene Gaubis
7. If I want to be untethered, I leave my phone and a note that says where I'm going by the front door. That way, my family is aware I don't have my phone and has an idea where to look if needed. — Linda
8. As I teach my teenage daughters how to drive, I test them on landmarks and street names in our neighborhood. Rather than dangerously reaching for a phone to search for directions, hopefully, they will instinctively know how to get around phone-free. If they take a wrong turn on the way to the mall, it may add 10 minutes to their drive, but they will learn not to take that route the next time. — Greta Bailey
9. I keep envelopes addressed to my favorite friends ready to go. That way I can send some letters to brighten mailboxes for no reason whatsoever. — Stafford Wood
10. I keep a small stack of 3-by-5-inch notecards on my desk with a pen, pencil and a little wooden carrying tray. Any thought, no matter how wild or rational, is written down. Any emotion, whether good or bad, is written down. It helps keep me focused and engaged with the writing medium, and if I need to draw something or sketch, it's right there! This helps me keep tabs on my feelings without being fully distracted from whatever I was doing. — Nathan Venturini
11. My husband and I are trying to decrease phone and internet use. One strategy we're using is to wear watches. (He wears his grandfather's and I wear my mother's). We were always tapping our phones to check the time, and then it was insanely common to find ourselves on an unintended trip down a rabbit hole. — Charlene Gaubis
12. Build activities you enjoy with analog technology. I have hundreds of vinyl records I still play in the background. I love cooking every day while listening to NPR's All Things Considered on my old analog radio. Jokingly, I tell my wife, "I need to start cooking with Michel Martin or Maria Hinojosa." — Sergio E. Serrano
13. Find a service plan that only offers talk and text. When I'm out running errands or spending time with friends, I have no other option than to stay engaged with my surroundings. Don't get me wrong, I got the plan without internet service because it's WAY lower cost (another side benefit), but I really do feel a modicum of relief when I'm out somewhere that I'm not able to connect to Wi-Fi because it allows me to focus on what I'm doing and giving the people I'm with my full attention. — Taylor Parnell