Post #100! A Year in Review

Well, I made it.  One year, 100 posts!  And as the calendar year ends tonight, it seems like the perfect time to reflect on the year that was.  Way back on January 1 I wrote out some resolutions for myself.  Let's take a look back and see how well I did with those.

1. I want to read at least one new book each month
I didn't quite accomplish this, but I came close.  I finished ten books and am in the middle of another one.  I'm counting this as a victory because it's more books than I've read in a long time.  I plan to continue this resolution moving forward, especially since I got a lot of new books for Christmas.

2. I want to write at least 100 blog posts
Well, as the title of this post states, I did it!  I proud of myself for doing this.  It was fun to write so much.  I want to continue writing more posts.  In fact, I have a few ideas for posts that I didn't get to this year, which means I already have stuff to write about heading into next year.  I'm also planning on starting a new blog dedicated to my pin collection, so I'll be writing a lot for that as well.  I hope you all continue to read this blog and my new one, and share it with your friends too!

3. I want to start exercising more.  I'm not exactly sure what that means, so we'll see how this one goes.
I'm not sure I can say I really accomplished this.  I did start making more of an effort to go for walks during my days, so I guess that's something.  I haven't really done much else though.

4.  I want to stop cussing.  I have no real reason why I want to do this, or how, but I feel like it would be a positive change.
I didn't do a good job with this at all.  I still want to get better with it.  I feel bad when I cuss.  I don't know why, but I do.  It's hard when everyone around you cusses, though.  But I shouldn't make excuses, I just need to do it.

5. I want to cross at least one thing off my Life List.  Obviously, more than one would be great, but I'm not trying to get crazy here.
I did this!  I taught a college class, which was on my list.  It may be the only thing I crossed off, but my goal was at least one and I did that.  Next year I'll aim for two!

6. I want to hang some pictures in my home office.  This isn't much of a resolution, but I figure if I write it down here I will be more apt to do it.
Well, I did just hang one picture in there yesterday.  I guess that's something.

7. I want to talk to friends and family more.  Too often I wait for people to contact me, so I want to switch that up a little and be the one to initiate the contact.
This was a source of contention with me all year.  I tried to be better with this, but I got the feeling that the majority of people didn't really care to talk to me and were put off by me trying to talk to them.  Based on my experience this past year, I have no desire to continue trying to do this because I got the feeling that many people just don't care that much about my friendship.  If I'm wrong, maybe they will be the ones to initiate the contact this year.

8. I want to gain some self confidence and learn to like myself a little more.  This is probably the biggest and most important thing I want to accomplish this year.
One thing I realized this year is that I do like myself.  I think I'm an interesting person.  I'm kind, sincere, and genuine.  I'm funny and quirky and weird, but that's what makes me stand out.  I think, however, that I've been putting too much stock into what other people think of me and that's what has been bringing me down.  I can't figure out why others don't seem to like me.  I know that I am very introverted and it takes me a while to open up to people, but I feel like people don't take the time or give me a chance.  And it seems like those that do don't appreciate the depth of my personality.  So basically what this means is that I'm going to continue to be me and others can either accept that or not.  My new resolution is to try to not get bothered when others don't seem to want me in their lives.  It's a crappy feeling, but I need to work through it and focus on myself and the relationships with people who do seem to care.  And if you really value me as a part of your life, show me, don't tell me.

9. I want to do something every day to make at least one person smile.  I'm not sure how I'm going to accomplish this, or how I will even know if I make it happen, but I'm going to try.  So don't be surprised if you get a random message from me or if I call you just to tell you a joke or something.
I started the year making a concerted effort to do this.  By the end of the year I was just trying to do things to make myself smile.  If that made others smile as well then great.

10.  I want to floss more.  I know we all say this after going to the dentist, but this time I mean it.  I heard that you can add six years to your life just by flossing!  That didn't mean much to me before because I thought the world was going to end this past December.  But clearly that was a hoax, so now I have more reason to floss.
I actually did get better with this.  I still don't floss as often as I'd like, but I'm doing it more than before, so that's something.  Hopefully I continue to improve.

Well, overall, I really thought this was a crappy year.  I know that just because the calendar is changing doesn't mean anything else will change, but psychologically it will be nice to be done with 2013.  I hope 2014 is better and I'm already looking at ways to make it better.  Thank you to all who continued to read my posts this year.  I hope you keep reading in the future.  Happy New Year!

The Secret Life of Adam Davi

"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is one of my favorite short stories.  I loved it when I first read it and I loved teaching it.  And James Thurber is one of the most gifted authors I have ever read.  I'm currently rereading one of his books of short stories and loving every minute of it.  The centerpiece of the book is "Walter Mitty" though.  And with the new movie adaptation out in theaters, it has been nice to revisit the story.  I think the reason I like it so much is because I can relate to Walter.

Walter Mitty daydreams about being in heroic and dangerous situations.  He fantasizes about escaping his boring, pedestrian life.  I can understand that.  I often daydream myself.  In fact, I probably daydream an unhealthy amount of the day.  My fantasies are a little different than Walter's though.

Sometimes I fantasize how my life would be different if I had made different choices in life.  I create all these different alternate lives for myself based on changing one decision from the past.  Sometimes I fantasize about the future and what exciting things I might be doing, like being a college professor or a published author.  Sometimes I fantasize about telling off my old principal.  I hate that guy.  Sometimes I fantasize about being friends with famous people and attending red carpet premieres and awards shows.  And I fantasize about being able to talk more smoothly with women.  That would be nice.

I don't do all of this necessarily because I am unhappy with my life like Walter Mitty appears to be, but I do often think my life could be better.  And sometimes it's just my way of motivating myself to make some things better in my life.  Either way, it's my way of escaping into another world, a secret life as it it were.  Most of my fantasies are based somewhat in reality, unlike Walter's which are purely fantastic.  My secret life is more about envisioning a better me, not a different me.  I like me, but I know I can be better.  Sometimes I'm just afraid, though.  And that's why I fantasize, because sometimes that's easier.  But I hope it inspires me a little too.  Walter Mitty, on the other hand, fantasizes to escape the doldrums of his life.  He isn't happy or confident and imagines himself in positions that exude confidence and heroism.  I haven't seen the movie yet so I don't know how consistent that version is with the original story, though.  Either way, I'm excited to see it.  And I think we all probably have a secret life.  Some of us probably escape into it more than others.  But I think it's healthy and we should all probably acknowledge our secret lives a little more often.

Making the Best of an Unfortunate Situation

I was driving home from Phoenix to Tucson today when traffic on Interstate 10 came to a complete stop.  For those of you who have never made that drive before, you are pretty much just driving through the middle of the desert.  When you get stuck, there is no alternate route.  You are just stuck.  Unfortunately, this has happened to me on a couple of occasions.  Typically, one of two things causes these stoppages: construction or an accident.

I knew things were bad when we were stopped and the truckers got out of their trucks to talk to each other.  A few minutes later, a police car, ambulance, and fire truck all went racing by.  It was definitely a bad accident.  I texted a friend who did some research and called me back with the grim news that there was a crash and the freeway was going to be closed until just after 5:30 while they cleared everything.  It was right around 4:00 when she called.  So I set in to sit in my car for at least an hour and a half.

Well, I wasn't about to get out of my car and wander around, although many others did just that.  So I tried to find other ways to entertain myself.  First, I made a video of me singing and dancing to "What is Love" by Haddaway.  Why?  Because it came on and I thought it would be funny.  Then I continued to sing along to other songs in my car, and not quietly I might add.  I got a few weird looks and that made it worth it.  Next I made another Blair Witch Style video which I thought was funny.  Both videos can be found on Instagram and Facebook.  And finally, I wrote a couple of haikus.

Stuck on the freeway
Making funny videos
I want to go home

Brownies and root beer
Now I really have to pee
There's too many cars

All this managed to kill the time until we got moving again.  Now, none of this is meant to make light of a clearly serious accident.  I didn't know the severity of the crash, and I still don't despite searching for info online.  I hope everyone involved is OK.  But like the title of the post says, I was just trying to make the best of this unfortunate situation.

Why Buy a Vowel?!

I was watching Wheel of Fortune tonight, and it's been quite a while since I've watched an episode.  But I have to say I was getting quite frustrated while watching.  The contestants on the show kept buying vowels!  I can't figure out why people would give away the money they've earned to buy a letter that may or may not help them solve the puzzle!  In my mind, it's a flawed approach.  You're making money spinning the wheel and guessing consonants.  Don't give it away for vowels.

Now, I know there's some of you out there thinking that vowels can help you solve the puzzle, which helps you keep control of the wheel.  And you might say that if you're not spinning you can't go bankrupt or lose your turn.  But I'm not buying any of that (pun intended).  You should be trying to maximize your winnings, and buying vowels is not the way to do that.  If someone can show me a study that proves I'm wrong then I might be willing to concede, but until then, I'm sticking to my guns.  And if I ever end up on Wheel of Fortune, I'm not buying any vowels!

Totally Geeking Out

I know it's kind of late on a Saturday night and you might be wondering why I'm writing a post right now.  But I just had to share my star gazing experience tonight.  First, let me say that it overcast and rainy all day long today.  So when I drove home after eating dinner with my parents tonight I didn't expect to see a clear sky when I got out of my car.  But what a sky I saw!  It had completely cleared up and the stars were out in full force.  One of my favorite things about living in Tucson is how dark it is, making it great to star gaze.  I looked up and saw Orion right away.  That is the easiest constellation to spot this time of year.  But off in the east was a really bright star.  I immediately thought that it was way too bright to be a star.  It had to be a planet.  So I busted out my planisphere to check what it might be and there should be nothing that bright in that area.  My planet theory was starting to make more sense, but I didn't know which planet.  My initial guesses were Venus or Jupiter, as they are usually the brightest and easiest planets to spot.  So I took to the internet to try to find out more.  I came across this guide to the five visible planets in the month of December.  http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury 

Jupiter seemed to be the right choice.  So I went back outside with my planisphere to do some more research and confirm my assumptions.  I lined everything up and sure enough that appeared to be Jupiter smack dab in the middle of Gemini.  Even though I don't have a telescope, it was still cool to look at.  That is, until I started to feel the fact that it is 40 degrees outside.  Then cool became cold and I went back in.  And I should clarify, I do have a telescope but I don't have a tripod to set it up on, which makes it hard to use.  Any way, if you get a chance to go check it out either tonight or another night, you should.  And look for Venus around dusk too!

Here's what I could be seeing if I had a working telescope.

TV Characters Who I'm Most Like

As I watch a variety of TV shows I start to notice some similarities between myself and a few of the characters in the shows I watch.  I'd like to stress that I don't think these characters are exactly like me or that I'm exactly like them, but there are some characteristics that we share.  For those of you who know me well, you may agree or disagree with my view of myself.  For those who don't know me well, you may learn something, good or bad, about me.  So I present to you my list.

Chandler Bing - Friends
There are many similarities between me and Chandler.  First, we both make jokes when we're uncomfortable.  I don't know what it is, but it's just easier to give a sarcastic comment or crack a joke in uncomfortable situations.  Second, we both have difficulty talking to women.  There were many times on the show when Chandler fumbled with his words when talking to women or had issues trying to flirt.  That's pretty much my life.  Although he ended up marrying a hot chick.  Based on recent events I don't see that in my future.  But here is a video of Chandler moments.  See if you can picture me in any of those situations.

Jerry Seinfeld - Seinfeld
In high school people used to joke that my best friend and I were like George and Jerry from Seinfeld.  Not much has changed since then.  Much like Jerry, I'm very observant of things around me and like to point out and idiosyncrasies.  Also, I have a lot of cereal in my house.  And I've been known to make up nicknames for people.  These aren't all Jerry quotes in this clip, but see if you can see me in the ones that are.

Sheldon Cooper - Big Bang Theory
There are multiple reasons I think I'm like Sheldon.  First, we both love trains.  One of my goals in life is to ride a train across country, as well as take various other train rides around the world.  I don't collect trains like he does, but I love to ride trains.  It's so much fun.  Another reason is that back in college I had a routine for my lunches.  Each day of the week I had a specific thing to eat for lunch.  For example, Wednesdays were ham and cheese sandwich day and Sundays were frozen burrito days.  Finally, I know a lot of useless facts much like Sheldon.  Unlike Sheldon, however, I don't subject my friends to long stories surrounding those facts.  At least I don't think I do.  I like to think I just spew out the fact and then I'm done with it.  (All the Sheldon videos on YouTube are really long, so I don't want to subject you to those, but if you watch the show, see if you can picture me in it.)

Shawn Spencer - Psych
The main and only reason I think I'm like Shawn is because he makes obscure references to 80s and 90s pop culture.  Those of you who have spent any time with me know that I do that a lot.  In fact, at the camp I volunteer at some of the other counselors last summer kept a tally for how many references I made that people didn't get.

Well those are the characters that stand out to me as being most similar in at least one fashion to myself.  What do you think?  Am I really like any of them or is it just in my head?

My Guide to Finals Success

As finals descend upon many students and schools across the nation I thought I would be kind enough to share my guide for a successful finals season.  While finals are a source for a lot of stress and anxiety for most students, I never felt that way.  I always treated it like just another series of tests.  And I always fared pretty well.  So here are some of my secrets.

1. First, I utilized the library.  I love the library at UA.  It's quiet and devoid of many of the distractions of home.  And for the first couple of years I was there, there was a big hole outside that I could stare into while I studied.  It was very calming for some reason.  But the bottom line is to find a place that is quiet.

2. Now I didn't spend all of my study time in the library.  I did do some at home.  And when I was home I always had a jigsaw puzzle going during finals week.  Puzzles help me relieve stress.  So I would work for an hour or so and then take a puzzle break.  It would help calm me down and get me refocused.  Then I could go back to studying with the right frame of mind.

3. As you study try to create the frame of mind you want to be in while taking the test.  I recommend a calm state of mind.  Recall of information is a lot easier when you can recreate the conditions that existed when you learned it.  That's why studying in your bed or when you are excessively stressed out isn't a good idea.  So if you find yourself excessively stressed, stop, and get yourself calmed down.

4. Eat comfort food.  Mine is pasta.

5.  Before I went to take any final I would always play the theme to Rocky to pump me up.

Seriously, if that doesn't get you jacked up to go pass your finals I don't know what will.

6. Before going into the classroom I made sure to pick up a Daily Wildcat, the school newspaper.  Remember, this was before the time of smart phones.  But I would sit and read the paper or do the crossword before the test.  I would not do any last minute studying.  I figured if I didn't know it by then, I wasn't ever going to know it, so there was no sense stressing myself out trying.  Don't think about the test until it gets passed out.  Center yourself first.

7. And finally, when all my tests were done I would go home and blast Ode to Joy.

It's a good feeling.

Well, that's it, those are my keys.  Will I guarantee that you will pass all your finals if you do these things?  No.  But I do think they will help.  If finals are an especially stressful time for you, maybe it's time you try something new.  If nothing else, hopefully this at least puts a smile on your face.

Blanket vs Throw

My mother tried to school me on the difference between a blanket and a throw tonight.  I still don't understand.  I asked her if she had a blanket I could borrow that would fit a queen bed.  She wondered why I didn't have a blanket, and I told her I did, but it wasn't big enough for my bed.  She answered, "Oh, so you only have a throw."  I was confused and said I just had a small blanket.  She tried to tell me that was called a throw.  We playfully argued back and forth for a few minutes about it.  I still maintain that it is a blanket.  In fact, I would say all throws are blankets, but not all blankets are throws.

It's much the same with squares and rectangles.  All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares.  Also, all watches are clocks, but not all clocks are watches.  All boulders are rocks, but not all rocks are boulders.  It turns into a fun logic game.  What other examples can you think of?

Full House Episode Trends

I've been watching a lot of Full House lately, and I've noticed a few trends across the episodes.  Before you judge me for watching copious episodes of Full House, I recommend you give it a shot.  It really is a good show, and it was on for eight years so people must have liked it for a reason.  But for as long as it ran, they managed to recycle a lot of ideas.  Here are just a few that I noticed.

The Episode Where One of the Girls Gets Mad at Joey or Uncle Jessie and Refuses to Talk to Him Ever Again
This one has been done a lot.  There was the time Joey grounded DJ and she got mad.  There was the time Stephanie thought Joey threw away Mr. Bear and got mad.  There was the time Uncle Jessie yelled at DJ for taping over his jingle and she got mad.  There was the time Joey sent Michelle to the Principal's office and she got mad.  There was the time Uncle Jessie was mean to Michelle and she got mad.  I think you get the picture.  No matter what happened to make the girls mad, though, everything resolved itself by the end of the episode and there was a lot of hugging.

The Episode Where DJ has to Have a Big Sister Talk with Stephanie or Michelle
Every now and then there is a crisis that Danny, Joey, or Uncle Jessie can't handle.  That's where DJ steps in.  There was the time Stephanie was upset because she had to bring Joey to a mother daughter sleepover.  There was time DJ wanted to move into her own room and Stephanie got upset.  There was the time Stephanie was going to go out joy riding and DJ had to intervene.  I'm sure there were some episodes with Michelle too, but I can't remember them.  Again, the episodes ended in hugging.

The Episode Where Uncle Jessie Feels Old or Apprehensive
There was the time when Uncle Jessie tried to relive his glory days as Doctor Dare.  There was the time he didn't think his music career was going to pan out to anything.  Actually, there were a lot of those times.  There was the time where he actually just felt apprehensive.  Again, the rest of the family made him feel better and then they hugged.

The Episode Where They Reminisce About Pam
These episodes are typically on the more sad side, but at least once each season there is an episode where they reminisce.  You can probably guess what happens at the end of the episode.

The Episode Where the Family or Someone in the Family Gets to do Something Only Because They are a TV Family
Sometimes TV families get to do things that most normal families wouldn't ever have the opportunity or luck to do.  Like the time DJ won a night with the Beach Boys and the whole family ended up on stage.  In fact, the Beach Boys made a few appearances and even jammed with them in the basement.  There was also the time the family ended up in a parade at Disney World.  And the time Danny and Becky hosted the pregame show at the Super Bowl.  And, again, more hugging.

I could keep going but I think you get the point.  But don't let this deter you from watching the show.  It really is good.

Greatest Sports Finishes of All Time

After this past weekend's Iron Bowl finish, there has been a lot of discussion about great sports finishes.  As an avid sports fan I felt it necessary to get my two cents in as well.  Obviously the discussion has to start with great college football finishes, but I wanted to discuss great finishes in other sports also.  The issue becomes how we discuss the plays across sports.  I'm not sure there is an answer to that, but at least I can go sport by sport and list what I think are the greatest finishes in each sport.

NCAA Football
Iron Bowl 2013 - This instantly makes the list as 109 yard missed field goal returns for touchdowns to end a game don't happen every day. Or even every decade for that matter!  I can honestly say I will always remember where I was when watching this game.  Unbelievable stuff, especially when you consider the magnitude of the game.

Stanford-Cal - The band is on the field!  The band is on the field!  I don't even think I need to say anymore about this one.  Probably the craziest finish to a game ever.

NCAA Basketball
There are a lot of games to choose from here, mostly because the NCAA tournament provides so many opportunities for buzzer beaters.  I chose game magnitude as a way to differentiate between the many choices.

1983 NC State - Lorenzo Charles' dunk off an airballed shot attempt by Dereck Whittenburg won the National Championship for NC State.  It's one of the more indelible images in the history of the sport.

Christian Laettner beats Kentucky - Every time I watch this highlight I still can't believe that this play actually worked.  Knock it down!  It was an incredible play and incredible shot that sent Duke to the Final Four.  It's quite possibly the pinnacle of buzzer beaters in college basketball.

Tyus Edney coast to coast - I'm including this one because I remember watching it and growing up in LA, this was the biggest of deals.  It helped propel UCLA to a national title.  And it's one of my favorite sports moments.

NFL
The Catch - Montana to Clark in the back of the end zone.  We've all seen the highlight.  We all can't believe the pass made it to Dwight Clark.  But it did and it will go down in history.  Plus it was against the Cowboys and I always love seeing them lose.

Immaculate Reception - If you watch the highlight of the play even the announcer gave up on it initially until he saw Franco Harris running down the sideline.  Talk about a fortunate bounce and an amazing way to end a game.

Music City Miracle - This one gets an honorable mention because it caught everyone off guard, from the Buffalo Bills to the fans.  Some will still argue that it was a forward pass, but no one can doubt that it was an incredible finish.

NBA
The Shot - Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo is one of the lasting images of the NBA.  It probably also started the legend that is Michael Jordan.

Magic Johnson's skyhook - A game winning shot against your arch rival in the NBA finals over three of the tallest players on the court.  It doesn't get more clutch than that.  Another indelible image in NBA history.

MLB
The Shot Heard Round the World - The Giants win the pennant!  The Giants win the pennant!  The Giants win the pennant!  Bobby Thompson's home run off of Ralph Branca in a one game playoff to determine the NL champion is one the most iconic home runs of all time.  And it's also one of the most iconic calls of all time as well.

Kirk Gibson - He could barely walk, let alone hit.  He wasn't even on the bench for most of the game.  There is no way this should have ever happened.  But it did.  And when Gibson launched a 3-2 slider from Dennis Eckersley into the Los Angeles night he became the author of, what I think, is THE greatest sports finish ever.

So this is my list.  It is in no particular order and I'm not attempting at this point to compare plays across sports.  Although, Gibson's homer has to be number one.  I know I've left a lot of great finishes off the list, so please tell me what I forgot.  And if you have thoughts about cross sports rankings, please share those as well.

I'm Having Fun and I Don't Care What You Think!

I've decided recently that I am going to do things that are I think are fun despite what people may think of me.  Now, I know what you're thinking, I've always done that.  But I've really held a lot back because I was afraid of what people might think.  I've always been a quirky guy.  I know a wealth of useless information.  I love reading interesting online articles on a variety of subjects from history to science to current events.  I collect pins.  I want to bring back the woolly mammoth.  I love going to museums and zoos and even libraries.  I know at least a dozen different versions of solitaire.  The list goes on.  And for much of my life I've let the weird looks and eye rolls hold me back.  But no more!  I just need to do more things that are fun and make me smile.  And if other people don't get it or want to judge me, then that's their problem.  I want people to like me because of my quirks, not in spite of them.

So all those articles and videos that I've held back sharing before, will now be shared.  That's why I actually started making the singing lunchbox videos instead of letting the idea die in my head.  (If you don't know what those are, try following me on Instagram, and look for them to make their Facebook debut soon.)  And this is why I'm deciding to make all my Facebook posts for the next month song lyrics.  I just think it will be fun to do.  And next month I think I might do movie quotes.  As an extra added twist I plan on inviting people to guess the song and movie that the quotes come from, just to try to spread the fun.  I honestly don't expect many people to participate, if any do at all.  I have also decided to start on ongoing game of License Plate Bingo.  I want to see how long it takes me to find all fifty states.  Anyone who would like to join me in this game and make it a competition, let me know.  I know it sounds silly, but it also sounds fun.

And that's what I'm all about right now, having fun.  I need to make myself smile more, and the only way I know how to do that is by being my quirky self.  I hope that some of you will appreciate that, but can understand if you don't.  And feel free to join me in some of my wackiness and play along with some of my games if you so desire.  And if you think anything I'm doing is silly or stupid, you're probably right, but I don't care because I'm doing it because it makes me smile.  Hopefully it will make a few of you smile as well.