Ah, what a week it's been. Well, let’s start at the beginning as that's the best place to start.
On Sunday I signed up for Gamefly two week free trial. I should have waited as Monday is a holiday and no mail will be delivered but I wanted to make sure that the ball got rolling. I really like the idea of Gamefly, for about what half a game costs a month ($22) I can have 2 games at a time unlimited number a month. This way I don't get stuck with a crappy game, or one that I finish in a week. Well so far I'm mixed on my opinion of them, they games didn't come till yesterday (Thursday) from Pittsburgh. Seems to me it shouldn't take so long to come from a place where I can drive in less than 5 hours.
For the majority of what is about a week now I've been suffering (and that's the word too) from nightmares and insomnia. My sleep schedule is messed up as it is, usually split between a 3-4 hour nap in the morning and a 2-3 hour nap in the evening, so collapsing in bed was never a problem before, but lately I have had no luck getting deep restful sleep. I don't know what the culprit to my plight is, but I need to find a way to restore balance before I go insane. Someone I knew from long ago said to stop watching the news before bed (she hasn't kept close enough tabs to know my odd sleep schedule or that we don't have TV in our house) and I could see that all the bad news in the world could easily give people nightmares. One reason I'm very glad we have purged that from our household. Another shocking revelation on the TV front came to me yesterday. I found that the school my daughter goes to has been showing TV to the kids at lunch time. That makes me REALLY mad! I guess they show them "Dragontales", a PBS show, but I didn't have any say as to what was selected, how it's presented, and I don't know if they are showing it on or off air, which determines whether they see commercials. And that is a BIG deal. At Christmas time my daughter was excited about things that SHE wanted. A shark tooth necklace, robot bugs, etc, not what commercial society determined she SHOULD want. And I've seen a big difference in how she acts and how some of her friends act. The starkest example is how nuts some of these kids are going over zhu zhu pets. A small stuffed hamster pet that retails for under $10 was going for upwards of $80 on eBay around the holidays because they were scarce and kids were told they NEEDED them by commercial society. Honestly, they look like something out of a happy meal toy to me. Sorry, that's my little rant on commercial society and how it's force fed to our children.
My youngest started swim class today and she LOVES it :) She's also very good at it, must me all the love for bath time. She is performing at the next level up in many aspects and listening to the instructor and showing absolutely no fear. I'm very proud of her.
And finally it was my lovely wife's birthday this week! It's her last year as a twenty something (She posted it herself so I figure I'm safe posting it too). I feel bad that funds are tight this year and I couldn't do all I wanted to show her how special she is to me, but we still will have fun this weekend when I'm off work. It sounds corny and trite, but I'm reminded when it comes to gift giving events that one of the corner stones of Buddhism states that desire is the source of all suffering and cessation of that desire is the path to enlightenment. I never thought I’d be one to subscribe to that (I really like getting presents) but last Christmas was one of the "leanest" Christmas (as far as presents go) I've had and I enjoyed it the most I think because I didn’t want much so I wasn't disappointed when I didn't get it. I'll try to keep that frame of mind when it comes to my birthday in a month, but there a number of things I have my eye on (most of them are work related NEEDS though i.e. new boots) so wish me luck.
~Peace
Friday, January 22, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Finances
Ugh, a dirty word to most, and a sensitive subject to nearly all I know is their finances.
Seems there is never enough to go around and make everyone happy, so in this New Year I am going to try my best to see what can be done to make me and my family a little happier and hopefully I can share some tips to everyone else.
Well first off there's this zero budget thing that seems to be going around. It's where you account for where all of you money goes. It's really simple Income-Expenses=0 You're probably saying the thing I said when I first read it too, well it seems my expenses outweigh my income. Well, unfortunately that's something that needs fixed before we can move onto step two. Take a look at your dining out bill. I know that's a vice for our family. A meal at someplace as cheap as a drive though fast food place (name withheld to protect the innocent) can cost as much as $20 for a family of four, easily. Take a similar meal, chicken strips for this example, and cook it at home. I used two chicken breasts ($3) shake and bake to flavor it up a bit ($.89) and make mashed potatoes ($2) and broccoli ($3). That adds up to under $10, the servings were MUCH bigger, the kids loved it and I know the food was a much better quality, and NOT FRIED. I know it takes time to cook food and home and who has it right? Well I've turned food prep time into playtime w/ the kids. They love dumping stuff, stirring stuff, getting dressed up in aprons, and helping. They let me do the steps that require sharp knives and handling hot food or pots and pans, but there's still lots to do and I get to spend time w/ my family.
Where was I after that lengthy side track...o yes, step two to making finances healthier. Becoming debt free! Sounds like a dream doesn't it? Well if you can make you zero budget a little heavier on the income side it's not. Check out {Simple Mom}'s article for how this works. But it amounts to focusing on one debt item at a time and burning it down to nothing before moving on to the next one. Burn down that credit card? That’s an extra $40 a month to throw at the next bill. Pay off the car? That's almost $300 in our case! Just think when u get all your bills paid off....it's like a second job's worth of income that was there all along.
I know my finances get in the way of my peacefulness. I worry about them, fight about it, and so much more. If I can find the path to financial freedom (and it really does seem like freedom) then I can't imagine how much simpler life could be.
Seems there is never enough to go around and make everyone happy, so in this New Year I am going to try my best to see what can be done to make me and my family a little happier and hopefully I can share some tips to everyone else.
Well first off there's this zero budget thing that seems to be going around. It's where you account for where all of you money goes. It's really simple Income-Expenses=0 You're probably saying the thing I said when I first read it too, well it seems my expenses outweigh my income. Well, unfortunately that's something that needs fixed before we can move onto step two. Take a look at your dining out bill. I know that's a vice for our family. A meal at someplace as cheap as a drive though fast food place (name withheld to protect the innocent) can cost as much as $20 for a family of four, easily. Take a similar meal, chicken strips for this example, and cook it at home. I used two chicken breasts ($3) shake and bake to flavor it up a bit ($.89) and make mashed potatoes ($2) and broccoli ($3). That adds up to under $10, the servings were MUCH bigger, the kids loved it and I know the food was a much better quality, and NOT FRIED. I know it takes time to cook food and home and who has it right? Well I've turned food prep time into playtime w/ the kids. They love dumping stuff, stirring stuff, getting dressed up in aprons, and helping. They let me do the steps that require sharp knives and handling hot food or pots and pans, but there's still lots to do and I get to spend time w/ my family.
Where was I after that lengthy side track...o yes, step two to making finances healthier. Becoming debt free! Sounds like a dream doesn't it? Well if you can make you zero budget a little heavier on the income side it's not. Check out {Simple Mom}'s article for how this works. But it amounts to focusing on one debt item at a time and burning it down to nothing before moving on to the next one. Burn down that credit card? That’s an extra $40 a month to throw at the next bill. Pay off the car? That's almost $300 in our case! Just think when u get all your bills paid off....it's like a second job's worth of income that was there all along.
I know my finances get in the way of my peacefulness. I worry about them, fight about it, and so much more. If I can find the path to financial freedom (and it really does seem like freedom) then I can't imagine how much simpler life could be.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Wow! been a while
It's been quite some time since I've had the opportunity to blog, or had something I considered to be "blogworthy." I guess I'm much more comfortable with the micro-blogging of twitter and facebook, but will try to contribute more here.
Well it's a new year and like so many others, I reflect on the past year and see where I came up lacking and what I want to change.
1. I am going to try to cut out soda completly. Water is a much more natural, healthy alternative and it doesn't have the unpleasant side effect of taking away your teeth and adding insulation to your middle.
2. Do some kind of stretch/workout for 30min, 4 days a week. This is a minimum. I'm tired of being sore in a bad way.
3. Become more selfless. For the longest time I've felt that if i don't look out for my needs, no one will. I must begin to trust in others that if I help them find enjoyment they will reciprocate.
4. Become financially healthy. Found a great debt free plan on my wife's blog about how to attack debt. Something about snowball and paying off smaller debts so you don't have to contend w/ monthly payments. i'll post a link when i find one.
I have made lots of progress on being less materialistic I feel. I have tried to trim down on my "OOOO I GOTTA have that" feelings and been content with what I have. I've really started to enjoy my little 2 min meditation sessions (before the kids smack me with foam swords or bombard me with snack requests). And I've come to the conclusion that even though my goal to become financially healthy is a priority, it's not something to get UBER stressed about. I can't make money appear out of thin air, so there is no purpose getting my knickers in a knot!
Here's to 2010, I hope it's peaceful and enlightening
Well it's a new year and like so many others, I reflect on the past year and see where I came up lacking and what I want to change.
1. I am going to try to cut out soda completly. Water is a much more natural, healthy alternative and it doesn't have the unpleasant side effect of taking away your teeth and adding insulation to your middle.
2. Do some kind of stretch/workout for 30min, 4 days a week. This is a minimum. I'm tired of being sore in a bad way.
3. Become more selfless. For the longest time I've felt that if i don't look out for my needs, no one will. I must begin to trust in others that if I help them find enjoyment they will reciprocate.
4. Become financially healthy. Found a great debt free plan on my wife's blog about how to attack debt. Something about snowball and paying off smaller debts so you don't have to contend w/ monthly payments. i'll post a link when i find one.
I have made lots of progress on being less materialistic I feel. I have tried to trim down on my "OOOO I GOTTA have that" feelings and been content with what I have. I've really started to enjoy my little 2 min meditation sessions (before the kids smack me with foam swords or bombard me with snack requests). And I've come to the conclusion that even though my goal to become financially healthy is a priority, it's not something to get UBER stressed about. I can't make money appear out of thin air, so there is no purpose getting my knickers in a knot!
Here's to 2010, I hope it's peaceful and enlightening
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Happy
It's been a while since my last post, and it's mostly due to a lot of crazyness at work. It's finally done and over with (at least i hope it is) and I won't lie, it's left a very sour taste in my mouth. It's one those things where if you could up and leave it'd be a strong consideration, but in today's economy tht's just not gunna happen. So as i was wallowing in my own self pity and cruising the twittervers i came across tinybuddha's link to a their blog posting. It got me to thinking that i could sit and see the hirrible side to everything or i could look around and see that there are positives everywhere. I didn't lose my job, I have great benefits, a family that loves me and is excited everyday i come home. So check out the link above, especially if you are having a case of the "Mondays" on this unseasonably warm tuesday here is overcast ohio.
Have a peaceful day.
Have a peaceful day.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Yoga and rumors
It's been a little while since I've posted so there's a bit to catch up on.
First off let me confess that I have an "obsessive" personality. It's something I try to bring more to the middle of the road, but when I find something I like, it's like a fire, I love it, research it, want to do it ALL the time, then as quickly as it came on, it's passed. It's a good an a bad ting in that I rarely commit to being great at any one thing, but I know a good deal about many things. Well as it sits right now my focus is on rock climbing. I've done it before many years ago, but it sounds like SO much fun again. There aren't many indoor gyms in the area but I found one I really like down in Peninsula. Kendall Cliffs seems a great place to go (I love the store it's attached to, but that's another story). But in looking around at all the skinny little rock climbing monkey people there I realize a couple things. One, I could stand to lose some more weight (less to haul up the rock face). two, I am no where near as flexible as some of the people doing this sport. Three, I HATE pullups, but I need to get better at them cause that's kinda what rock climbing is.
So in an effort to remedy my first two observations I've taken to doing Yoga. I did a little in college but it was known to be a kinda joke class. It was not the high energy stuff that really makes you work, but it did teach me a lot of fundamentals that I remembered once I started doing it again. I got the Biggest Loser Yoga DVD from the library and I gotta say I really like it. You get a good sweat going real quick and it has a built in 6 week program. The instructor (Bob if you watch the show) is really clear, and pretty entertaining, but there is an option to just have music once you get the hang of it.
Now for the rumor part of the post, it's what you're really reading this far for right?
I came into work today and my buddy on shift said there's a rumor floating around first shift about me. Curious about what it could possibly be I asked him to clarify. He said that one of the known rumor mongers is spreading that I'm a Buddhist. I just reply that I am and find it funny that my recent conversion is something so juicy that it is able to entertain the gossipers for about 5 days. Hopefully someone will ask me about it and I can share my opinions instead of this just being another whisper session thing.
Have a peaceful day.
First off let me confess that I have an "obsessive" personality. It's something I try to bring more to the middle of the road, but when I find something I like, it's like a fire, I love it, research it, want to do it ALL the time, then as quickly as it came on, it's passed. It's a good an a bad ting in that I rarely commit to being great at any one thing, but I know a good deal about many things. Well as it sits right now my focus is on rock climbing. I've done it before many years ago, but it sounds like SO much fun again. There aren't many indoor gyms in the area but I found one I really like down in Peninsula. Kendall Cliffs seems a great place to go (I love the store it's attached to, but that's another story). But in looking around at all the skinny little rock climbing monkey people there I realize a couple things. One, I could stand to lose some more weight (less to haul up the rock face). two, I am no where near as flexible as some of the people doing this sport. Three, I HATE pullups, but I need to get better at them cause that's kinda what rock climbing is.
So in an effort to remedy my first two observations I've taken to doing Yoga. I did a little in college but it was known to be a kinda joke class. It was not the high energy stuff that really makes you work, but it did teach me a lot of fundamentals that I remembered once I started doing it again. I got the Biggest Loser Yoga DVD from the library and I gotta say I really like it. You get a good sweat going real quick and it has a built in 6 week program. The instructor (Bob if you watch the show) is really clear, and pretty entertaining, but there is an option to just have music once you get the hang of it.
Now for the rumor part of the post, it's what you're really reading this far for right?
I came into work today and my buddy on shift said there's a rumor floating around first shift about me. Curious about what it could possibly be I asked him to clarify. He said that one of the known rumor mongers is spreading that I'm a Buddhist. I just reply that I am and find it funny that my recent conversion is something so juicy that it is able to entertain the gossipers for about 5 days. Hopefully someone will ask me about it and I can share my opinions instead of this just being another whisper session thing.
Have a peaceful day.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
a little vent on the state of racism
I like to think of myself as a fairly open minded person. I try not to judge people (i fail at this often) but when i do i judge them on their actions, not their appearance. I can't understand how such an archaic mindset as racism is still around, but even in 2009 and as far north as you can get before you get your feet wet, i still run into it on a daily basis. Living in Cleveland, we don't have a massively diverse culture in my opinion. We have smatterings of just about everyone but it is predominatly black and white. Now i don't know what it is about looking different from one another but it sure makes a difference when interacting with different colored people. One of my real good friends i worked with (he had to good fortune to move on to a more rewarding place of employment) is black and i am white. I noticed that black people would ignore me when i wished them good morning but would smile and wave at my friend. I asked if he knew them or had talked with them before and they were total strangers. On the reverse of that several of the white employees would not tarry and talk to me when my black friend was around and working with me.
This kind of thinking seems self destructive and self defeating. My friend is a source of great humor and insight in my life and couldn't even dream of not talking to him just because he is black. Edward James Olmos of Battlestar Galatica fame spoke at a special conference with the United Nations a little while ago and just recently he was interviewed on G4TV's Attack of the Show and he commented on his experience there. He revealed that the UN is changing the charter to never again use the word race to define or seperate a group of people. There is only the human race, not the black, brown, yellow, white, etc race. Just humans. With all the "forward" thinking that supposedly goes on here in the United States and all the higher thinking that everyone claims to do, why does it take a SciFi series to show us what we should be doing?
I have been a fan of the series (i have yet to see the last season though) and i am impressed how cleverly the directors and writers touch on such topics as racism, terrorism, forgiveness, and war and people find it entertaining. I just wish that the greater populace could take a deeper message away from the couch with them.
This kind of thinking seems self destructive and self defeating. My friend is a source of great humor and insight in my life and couldn't even dream of not talking to him just because he is black. Edward James Olmos of Battlestar Galatica fame spoke at a special conference with the United Nations a little while ago and just recently he was interviewed on G4TV's Attack of the Show and he commented on his experience there. He revealed that the UN is changing the charter to never again use the word race to define or seperate a group of people. There is only the human race, not the black, brown, yellow, white, etc race. Just humans. With all the "forward" thinking that supposedly goes on here in the United States and all the higher thinking that everyone claims to do, why does it take a SciFi series to show us what we should be doing?
I have been a fan of the series (i have yet to see the last season though) and i am impressed how cleverly the directors and writers touch on such topics as racism, terrorism, forgiveness, and war and people find it entertaining. I just wish that the greater populace could take a deeper message away from the couch with them.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The Five Precepts
Here is one of the things I ponder on most and try my hardest to focus on in daily life, the Five Precepts. They are the guide on how the lay practitioner is to live their life. Wikipedia says:
1. Affirm life; Do not kill
2. Be giving; Do not steal
3. Honor the body; Do not misuse sexuality
4. Manifest truth; Do not lie
5. Proceed clearly; Do not cloud the mind
I grew up Presbyterian so I like the ritualistic way these are stated but to boil them down to their basics we are to refrain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and using intoxicants. Having gone to church most my life these sound real familiar, as in Ten Commandments familiar. All except the no intoxicants (lookin at you Catholics :) are mirrored in Buddhism, Christians just added on a few extra Commandments.
The Precepts are here to help us become more like the Buddha and achieve enlightenment. I cannot see a murder or a thief becoming enlightened, nor a rapist or a person unable to tell the truth. Those were easy for me to integrate into my life. The final Precept was herder for me. I came from a fraternity where we were known for our parties and our ability to hold our alcohol. Since having children my desire for drinks slackened significantly but I still enjoy a drink now an then. I can understand that to become enlightened one must have a clear mind and alcohol does the opposite so it is something to work on.
That's my little blurb on the Five Precepts, just imagine a world if everyone followed these five simple rules (unless you're a bar owner...that'd be horrible).
1. Affirm life; Do not kill
2. Be giving; Do not steal
3. Honor the body; Do not misuse sexuality
4. Manifest truth; Do not lie
5. Proceed clearly; Do not cloud the mind
I grew up Presbyterian so I like the ritualistic way these are stated but to boil them down to their basics we are to refrain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and using intoxicants. Having gone to church most my life these sound real familiar, as in Ten Commandments familiar. All except the no intoxicants (lookin at you Catholics :) are mirrored in Buddhism, Christians just added on a few extra Commandments.
The Precepts are here to help us become more like the Buddha and achieve enlightenment. I cannot see a murder or a thief becoming enlightened, nor a rapist or a person unable to tell the truth. Those were easy for me to integrate into my life. The final Precept was herder for me. I came from a fraternity where we were known for our parties and our ability to hold our alcohol. Since having children my desire for drinks slackened significantly but I still enjoy a drink now an then. I can understand that to become enlightened one must have a clear mind and alcohol does the opposite so it is something to work on.
That's my little blurb on the Five Precepts, just imagine a world if everyone followed these five simple rules (unless you're a bar owner...that'd be horrible).
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