Practitioner of Life

So not a lot has happened recently, and a lot has happened recently which is why I haven't posted anything in a week.  The "not a lot has happened" part is really that there hasn't been a short story that began and ended in a single day, so hard to tell that story until it has made its cycle.  Now the "a lot has happened" part: my contract is ending with one company and beginning with another. The job is still the same, but just the hassle to get benefits, finances, and taxes all in order during this transition. There have online webinars, emails, papers to read, papers to sign, papers to scan and submit, offices to go to, deliveries in the mail....tons of stuff that was hard to independently describe without all the other pieces. So that is all coming from the new company KBRwyle. The old company, EXOS, is having its own share of paperwork, emails, and taskers to address during their phase out process. On top of that, it is tax time and I have procrastina...

So after taking off a couple days from the computer, I'm back. Thankful to have had a long weekend with friends in town and just enjoying actual interactions with people, a pastime many have forgotten in our society. We drove over to Seaside and made a day of it on Saturday. We got the massive mimosas from Modica Market and ate gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches from The Meltdown 30A. As we sat on the central lawn of Seaside eating our lunch, we noticed how everyone was enjoying this quaint town and what it provided. It was almost like the Truman show movie that was filmed here never left. Kids were riding bikes without helmets, making friends with other children they had just met, sharing, and parents were introducing themselves and being PRESENT! There probably 100 people sitting around this lawn and not a single one was on their phone! Not even to take a picture! I didn't take a picture, because I felt like that would ruin the moment as well. The nice part about not taking ...

Yesterday was a bit busy with Valentine's Day coming up and the holiday weekend with friends coming in town. I was finishing up some details on my coffee bar, grocery shopping for hosting meals, and planning and cooking Valentine's Eve dinner. I also got  a quick cardio session in the garage while wrapping my mind around some financial strategies and meal planning long term for dietary goals. So all that to say, I missed writing yesterday and I'm sure it'll happen again in the future. I think my tactic for writing in the future will be to write Monday through Friday with each day covering a different topic. Maybe Monday will be a weekend recap with some training plans for the week. Tuesday could be update on projects. Wednesday maybe some personal growth happenings. I'll figure it out as I go I guess. I don't want to be pigeon holed to one topic per day. If I want to share more I will, but I've got to have some strategy so I don't just ramble. Yester...

I have been working on a coffee bar for the house to create more counter space. It was also a good excuse to continue building my wood working skills. This is the first piece of furniture I have made with drawers, so it was a little intimidating. But I thought the worst that could happen is that I screw up and have to buy more wood. Today should be the last day I am working on/finishing up the coffee bar. I got the plans from Rogue Engineer. I have used his site rogueengineer.com for plans or inspiration on projects in the past. This one was called the Emma Buffet Table. I have finished it with Minwax weathered oak stain and a single coat of Minwax satin polycrylic on the top and shelves. I'll update the post and add the picture hopefully tonight when I'm done. Updated picture: Plans -  https://rogueengineer.com/diy-emma-buffet-table-plans/ Stain - https://amzn.to/2E6cSA0 Polycrylic - https://amzn.to/2GBkNXC Physical training for the day is as follows: Dynamic Wa...

And so my blogging journey begins... I am beginning this site for several reasons. The primary reason is to have a place to permanently record (journal) my thoughts and life in a place that can always accessed for myself and others in the future.  It will be a means to hopefully make new friends with similar interests, but also a place that my kids may get a glimpse to who their father was "back in the day." I believe that keeping a daily (hopefully) record of my happenings will not only encourage me to be more present, so that I may accurately record my life, but also encourage me to life a life worth recording. I don't want to merely exist from day to day, but to make the most out of each day. I feel that too many men don't maximize their potential. I also feel that society tries to put man in a box and define who he is or should be. The boxes come in many different shapes, sizes and colors. I don't want to debate what the box should be, because that would...