Posts

It’s only 22 days into the new year, and I’m already failing at my habits. This happens to most people who set up New Year’s resolutions and start trying to execute them. Where I often fail is that missing any number of days will cause me to challenge the point of making the habit. So far, I’m tracking four habits: Doing 425 active / 500 total calories on the Elliptical Writing somewhere public (sharing instead of consuming) Reading for at least 10 minutes (not on a computer) Practicing the Banjo I started before the end of the year but haven’t recorded every day in my chart. I have made the Elliptical goal daily, but the rest often get missed. Sometimes just one of them, sometimes all of them. In the twenty-three days I have marked, I have hit all four goals only six times. ...

I love my dog. I spend a lot of time thinking about what I should be doing for my dog. One of the things I do is get my dog out twice a day, and usually to the dog park. In Newport, RI, that is hard because no dog parks exist. The closest is in Portsmouth, about 25 minutes drive each way. If we stay for about an hour, that is double the time when you include driving. Too much. ...

Someone recently asked me to paint rocks with them. In typical Zack fashion, I went off the deep end and invested in learning about painting rocks and creating art out of rocks. You can paint the rock and let it go somewhere so other people can see it. Some have pictures; others have motivational words. This leads to the question of how one paints rocks. I got together my art supplies and have tried several different approaches. I brought acrylic Posca and Krink Markers, Sharpie oil markers, and one shot paints and brushes. ...

Every morning, I make the same sandwich. While it might be simple and basic, I’m happy that I have found one way to start my day: by making something good and tasty. Saying it is healthy is a stretch, but at least it has protein. Since I’m at a loss for important things to write about today or just having a low-energy day, I decided to share my breakfast sandwich. ...

As a computer programmer and knowledge worker (I don’t love this term, but I don’t have a better one), my desk is my constant home. It’s also the continuous home for my stuff. My desk is the home of things I’m using and things I need to find a home for. And so the piles grow. As I embark on the challenge of cleaning this year, I decided to start with my desk today. I removed almost everything (only mandatory computer pieces were left), wiped the desk with dish soap and warm water, and coated it with mineral oil. ...