Reading Update

A few months ago, I mentioned that I began reading the Left Behind series. I had no idea that the series had been out for so long. It shows you how out of the Christian loop I have been for awhile. Needless to say, I finished the fifth book in series on Sunday night. I have seven of them to go. It is a very compelling series and I am interested to see how it keeps going. I will talk more about these books when I have read them all...that may take a little while.

Since I did not get a chance to get to our church to get the sixth book, I began reading Bill O'Reilly's Culture Warrior. A few years ago I read Who's Looking Out For You? and I found the book very interesting. What I appreciate about O'Reilly is that he does not make issues a matter of liberal vs. conservative or Republican vs. Democrat. In his latest book, O'Reilly looks at secular humanism vs. traditionalists. From what I've read so far, he is worried that secular humanism will ruin the fabric of our nation.

I would definitely agree with him on that point. We'll see how much I agree with in the meat of his book. When I'm done with him, I'll be moving back sixth book in the story of those left behind: Assassins.

Running Away

As I was playing Oblivion last night, I came upon an interesting realization. As with any game, the more you play it the more you realize the subtle nuances and the easier it is to be more efficient in your playing. That has been the case. I have discovered that sometimes the best strategy for survival in this game is to run away.

Now, the game won't necessarily let you run away from creatures...they will keep going after you. What I mean is that instead of going in with guns blazing, you go in with a hit and back off plan. This allows you to re-group and plan your next strategy. On a gaming level, I can cast spells on a creature and stay out of attacking range or I can heal my character to get ready for the next round.

This seems to go against our common perceptions of facing life. Instead of always needing to go in right away and get it done right away, there is something to be said for taking things ins chunks or taking care of what is reasonable and knowing that the rest of it can get done later. Sometimes it is OK to run away :).

I realize my posts of been erratic lately. I am trying to make a commitment to post more often. I also want my posts to be more meaningful. Some of them have really stunk lately.

New Look

As today is Good Friday, the beard officially gets shaved off. Every year I grow a beard beginning with the first measurable snow fall of the year and ending with Good Friday.

I must say it is a weird feeling to not have facial hair. I got quite used to it. However, I know my mom will be cheering when she reads this :)!

Safe travels to everyone going home for the Easter!

I survived!

Well, the wisdom tooth surgery is done!. The picture you are seeing is about 30 minutes after I got back from the oral surgeon. Don't I look so happy?

I spent all of yesterday on the couch and overall the recovery is going well. The lowlight of the day was throwing up after trying to something. I think we tried to food up the food chain a little too fast yesterday.

I was fearful of how I'd be feeling this morning, but the swelling has not increased and I am feeling less pain today.

I will continue to keep you posted as we go. I am thinking I am going to get out there and take a walk this morning; they said no strenuous. It would be nice to get out of the apartment just for a little while.

Bowling

Despite the inclement weather last night (more snow!) our staff ventured to Oshkosh Lanes to do some bowling. We had been planning for a few weeks, but some staff members had things that came up the last few weeks. So, yesterday was the day.

I actually had a good night bowling. I bowled a 137 my first game and a 156 my second game. I had a lot more focus that night than I have had in previous bowling opportunities. I don't bowl much anymore. I used to bowl a lot. That could attributed to the following factors:

• I used to go to a graduate school that had a national champ bowling team. This meant they had good facilities.
• Bowling in the Union only cost $1.50. Sometimes it was free if you knew the right people.
• I had more free time in graduate school.
• I had a really good friend who also liked to bowl.
• It was a good stress reliever.

In Oshkosh, bowling is expensive and the alleys smell like smoke. I don't have as much free time as I'd like. I will need to figure out how to feed this old habit.

Today, well this week...is a struggle

My supervisor gave us the day off on Monday, but I did not take this opportunity because I have too many other things going on in the next two weeks. I did decide to sleep in and try to catch up on some of the sleep that I lost over the weekend. I know that you can't make-up sleep, but I though I'd try.

I slept nine hours and felt a little better on Monday. I decided to skip running on Monday because there was no time for it and I still felt a little worn down from OPE. Sadly, Tuesday did not improve all that much. I am still tired but I am doing my best to get back into my regular
routine. I was able to run for a little while, but I still drained. I am thinking that by the end of the week, things will be close to "normal".

With all the other stuff going on in my life, I still feel behind and in some ways I am. This week will be a catch-up week so that I can be ready for CA/PA selection week. I am hoping that some free time in the office on Wednesday and Thursday will let me get back to where I'd like to be.

Sorry for today's entry not being all that exciting. It is what it is :).

Sub-190 Trend Weight

One of my initial goals this year was to finally get my "trend weight" under 190. I think I have mentioned this before, but my runner's log has a calculation where it takes your daily weights and creates an average so as to take into account fluctuations that may occur. This morning when I step on the scale and inputed 188.4 into program, my trend weight came up 189.9. That felt good! Now, on to the next goal, one that will probably be a little harder. I would next like to get down to a trend weight of 180.

Christa and others have commented about how it looks like I'm losing weight, but now I am beginning to see it. The "gut" that I have is still there, but it's much smaller. My muscles are beginning to become more defined and I have more energy than I have had before. I even managed to run, lift weights and eat a healthy breakfast during OPE. This is the first year I have done that.

I look forward to seeing the continued effects of exercise. I appreciate everyone's support in this endeavor.

Brain.....About to Explode

I have officially reached the most hellish part of the spring semester for me. Over the next couple weeks, many responsibilities come at once. This happens every spring and I'm ready for it, but that doesn't necessarily make it any easier.

Over the next two weeks, I have the following:

• The Oshkosh Placement Exchange (OPE) - This takes place March 1-4. For this, I have to supervise the Transportation Center 19 hours, help with 6 hours or so of interviews and just generally be available.
• NBC Village Staff Interviews - Jocelyn, Michelle & I need to conduct seven hours of interviews for folks that want to transfer to the NBC Village. We will be doing these the same weekend as OPE.
• CA/PA Selection - We will be doing this the week before spring break, but I will need to review all of the files before selection. There are a lot of files to review.
• RHD Selection - Ia m on the RHD selection team. More files and more interviews.
• The Wedding - And to top it all off, Christa and I want to have invitations out when spring break starts. So, we are compiling addresses and ordering stuff so that we are ready.

It's not everything, but it's quite a list. I list these items not to look for sympathy, but more to understand that I have quite a bit going on for the next few weeks, so you may not hear from me too much or see me as much as you usually do.

Many of us in the field of student affairs are in the same boat, so they can tell a similar story. It';s the fun of being in Residence Life. Peace.

Dentist Visits Are Never Dull

I went to the dentist for a cleaning yesterday. The good news is that I didn't have any cavities. I did receive some valuable information about flossing and I will now be using ACT fluoride wash. I did receive some more sobering news...

...I need to have my wisdoms teeth pulled. *sigh* My dentist gave me a referral form for a oral surgeon in the area. I will be making an appointment as soon as possible. I made it all the way to 30; I thought I could make it a little longer. I am hoping to have this taken care of during the summer when not too much is going on...we'll see.

I also still have a baby tooth. My dentist gave me a variety of options. I can leave it there and see how long it lasts. His father had a baby tooth his entire life. I can have braces to make room for the baby tooth to come out and have the adult tooth come in (painful and expensive from what I can gather). or, I can remove both teeth and have a bridge where the tooth would be. Too many options, but for now I think I'm going to keep the baby tooth and see what happens.

Dentist trips are always exciting.

Reacquainting With Old Friends

After our staff meeting last night, I had a little time to kill before hall government. I thought I would try prepping for my Sunday AD&D adventure, but I didn't feel like working on that. So, on the spur of the moment, I busted out Guitar Hero. After playing Thunderhorse, Freebird and Mother on Guitar Hero 2, it made me wonder why I hadn't played in so long.

Similarly, while I was showering this morning I wonder why I hadn't started any games of E-mail Scrabble. So...I did.

I try to have a variety of hobbies. However, sometimes I get focused on one hobby that I forget about others. I think we can all be guilty of getting caught up in one thing and liking it, but forgetting about the other things in life that we forget. I suppose that idea goes well beyond hobbies and it can relate to friendships, relations, academics, etc.

I also think part of it is that I have been so busy lately, I think to myself that I don't have time to play video games. There's always time for video games.

Weight/Exercise Update

I went out and purchased a new scale last night. The one that I had was over 6 years old and I always felt like it was not very accurate. I went to Walmart and purchased a scale that breaks weight down to the 0.2 pound increments...pretty sweet. It is guaranteed accurate for 150 years.

I weighed myself this morning and I was...190.2. I was a little worried because I have been on a 6-days streak of being 193. I was waiting for the next plateau to break. It did. After my run this morning, I was under 190. I can't tell you the last time I weighed 190. It would have to be during undergrad.

So, I am definitely seeing the benefit of all this exercising. I will be beginning my weight training regimen starting later this week and into next week. I will keep everyone posted concernign the results :).

One Month Exercise Review

Today is the last day on January. As of today, I have run 98 miles in the month of January. When I started exercising on the 1st, I weighed 200 pounds. I now way 193 with a "trend weight" of 194.7. That is a weight loss of a little more than one pound a week, which is a safe amount and something I am very happy with.

It is nice to have completed a unit of time with running...one month.I look forward to the month of February so I see if I continue the gains found thus far.

Saturday Potpourri

• I finished my first full week of running since...well, high school. Most other attempts at running have been spotty at best or only haoppen a few days during the week. I am looking forward to resting up on Sunday and building on what I was able to do so far. I weighed 196 this morning and have lost two pounds overall since New Year's. Not bad.
• Christa found a wedding dress and the bride's maid dresses as well. We have had a productive week of wedding planning and it will continue.
• I had my one hour of radio glory on WRST Friday from 5-6 PM. I know at least two people were listening. My good friend Peter Brooks called in to the show and gave me a post-show talk. We actually had a real live caller who had a good question as well. Jason Dufek and I talked about residence life, college student life and how students can "get involved." I had fund, but I doubt I am on my way to a life in radio ;).
• Christa and I head up to Green Bay in a few hours for a Wedding Expo. If we sit through a one-hour presentation, we can get some free stuff. I'm game. And, I'll only miss one half of the first playoff game. I think I get to keep my man-card.
• My home computer is not working. I am typing this entry from the computer in my office, which conveniently, is only about 10 feet from my apartment :). I ran an anti-virus check on my computer and when my computer re-booted, it stays in a continuous re-boot loop. That's what I get for trying to fix my computer.
• The Bucks traded for Earl Boykins and gave up Steve Blake. I can say this is probably the most one-sided trade I have seen for the Bucks since I have followed them as a team.
  

Job vs. Career

When I was at the WCPA Conference earlier in the fall semester, I attended a program that Peter Brooks put on called "Orbiting the Giant Hairball". The program focused mostly on inefficiencies found in many of our administrative processes. Near the end of the program, he talked about something that really stuck with me. It was the idea that career and job can be different things.

When thinking about being a music teacher, it would have been my job and career. When I got out of graduate school, I viewed being a residence hall director as being my job and career. Much of what I did during my day had to do with my Residence Hall Director position. Being in my 4th year as a Residence Hall Director, I see things differently. I feel established in a community. I am getting married in less than six months. I feel a call to a different profession. I have passions in areas outside of housing.

I am starting to realize that being a Residence Hall Director is a job. It is a job that I enjoy very much, but it is a job. It is not my career. My career lies on another path, one I continue to explore and refine. It doesn't mean I view my RHD job any less, it just means it is one part of me, it is not all of me. I have appreciated feeling more well-rounded and well-balanced when I can put my energy into many areas.

Passion

As I write this entry, I have complete the second part of my two-day Senior Staff Retreat. While yesterday was a field trip, today we stayed on campus and did two different things.

IDI Explanation
The IDI is the Intercultural Development Inventory. All CAs and PAs on campus as well as A/RHDs took the assessment and we had a session that discussed the overall results of our department. I will not get into great detail about the assessment, but I did come away somewhat frustrated. I felt like some questions that I had did not get answered so I will have to do some follow-up assessment. Feel free to give me a call and I'll let you know my questions. There is also a website to check out.

Afternoon Activities
In the afternoon, we played Boxers or Briefs with members of Senior Staff. This was fun. I did not win, but I managed to connect with a few folks on answers. We also played the "Tap Game". If you are unfamiliar, a group gets is a circle, sits down and closes their eyes. A few members of the group are pulled out of the circle to participate. A facilitator reads a statement such as, "Tap someone who you feel is a good leader." Those outside the circle would tap the folks that, for them, fit that statement. I enjoy this activity (it sometimes even makes me cry).

I highly recommend this activity as a closure activity. Some thoughts as I reflect on today's "tap game" and those I've done before:

1. I have been surprised to be "tapped" for areas where I assume that I wouldn't.
2. Similarly, I have gone "tapless" for statements where I thought I would be tapped multiple times.
3. I always fear how people who receive few taps feel about this game. That is one drawback to the activity.
4. When your colleagues are highly skilled, you often find yourself tapping many people for many statements.
   
5. It really hurts to keep your eyes closed for that long :).

Other News

• I was invited to WURHA 2007 as a Conference Guest. Score!
  

Quick Update

Today we traveled down to Madison for an A/RHD mid-year retreat. It was an interesting opportunity to tour two of UW Madison's new residence halls; they also provided a variety of presentations about first-year initiatives as well. This will be helpful information as we think about the NBC Village as well as thinking about a new residence hall here at UWO. It made a for a good day; I had the opportunity to chat with Peter about a variety of key issues including discussions about Star Wars.

I have been running again instead of walking over the last few days. It has been wonderful. Hopefully it keeps up. One way or another, I am exercising. :)

Saturday Potpourri

• Christa's planetarium presentation went very well; now I wish I would have gone to the presentation. It sounds like any nervousness she had did not get in the way of her doing a wonderful job.
• Christa goes home today to hopefully find a wedding dress. Among my many other things in life, men have it pretty easy in the wedding clothing department. In 30 minutes at After Hours, I was able to reserve tuxedos for the wedding party, ushers, fathers and myself. Mine's already ordered and will be waiting for me on June 14. Christa has had a much bigger ordeal finding her dress and bride's maid dresses.
• A weekend of NFL playoff football. Sweet! There are some good match-ups this weekend; sadly, the Packers will not be in one of those match-ups.
• Character creation for my AD&D campaign continues. Three characters have been created with four more on the way. My goal is eight characters to start with and I think I have the eighth person picked out.
• A FUMC Oshkosh church member and choir member Milo Cushman died on December 31, 2006. His church service was this morning. I didn't know Milo all that well, but he would sings on and off with us in the three years I have been a member of the church. I got frustrated with how often he did not come to choir. I didn't think it was fair that he could sing at church, but not rehearse. I did not know until most recently that he had been battling cancer for the last ten years. Talk about not having the while story and judging someone...I learned a valuable lesson.
  

Habits

On Wednesday, I had the hugest craving for a candy. And, I relented having a Milky Way bar. It tasted good, really good. It was the first candy bar I had since Sunday. When you don't have something for a little while you realize how truly good something can be; it honestly tastes like a treat because you don't have it all the time.

My two biggest goals this year are to cut down significantly my consumption of both regular soda and sugar. I had gotten so used to both of them that I never stopped to think about how much of it I was consuming. It was getting almost disgusting. So, for the five days of the new year I am doing a good job cutting these down. When I do have them every once in awhile, it makes them more special.

Breaking habits are tough, especially really old habits. I have had more success this year than ever before. There are a few reasons for this, in my opinion:

• Christa - She has been helpful in holding me accountable to the things that I have resolved to do. She takes a genuine interest in me being a better person. It's one of the many advantages to marrying her :).
• Prayer - God has been very helpful in this endeavor. I feel stronger and feel a real purpose to making these changes. They will make me a better person and a better Christian.
• Maturity - I have more background and experience to draw from and can see some truly destructive habits in which I have engaged.

Hopefully, things keep going on as they are. I have more energy, less stress and I feel better about who I am.

Other News:

• Christa does her first planetarium show tonight at the Buckstaff Planetarium. You should check it out! It's at 7:00 PM. I have never been inside it before and I got to see it for the first time last night.
• So far the response to the second semester AD&D campaign has been good. People are creating characters and excitement seems to be high.
  

I-Pod Anniversary

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the purchase of my 30 GB I-Pod. Outside of Christa's engagement ring and my life insurance policy, this is probably one of the best purchases I have ever made. I use the I-Pod in my apartment, in my office, when I exercise and when I drive. It has made music, which is very important to me, mcuh more accessible.

It doesn't look like new anymore. In fact, it is pretty scratched up from so much use. I can live with that.

If you are thinking about getting an I-Pod let me know. I can definitely offer some perspective.

A New Beginning...of Sorts

I can safely say that for the last five years (if not more) I have made resolutions to change things for the new year. And, every year, they usually don't work out. Something might make it through the year and actually become a part of who I am, but for the most part it doesn't usually work out. I am truly hopeful that this year may be different.

To help facilitate some changes for the year 2007, I have done the following:

1. I have made a detailed list of all of the things that I would like to do (or stop doing) and created a Word document to keep them. That way I can print it out and always have it with me.
2. It is an agreement that I am signing, but Christa is also signing. I am hoping that she can keep me accountable to what I said I would be doing. She will be some excellent motivation.
3. This is also an agreement that I have made with God. Along with making me feel like I'm a better person, I think it will also help me to be a better Christian.

I won't get into the details of what I'm doing, but I am excited for the new year and I am excited for change. Hopefully, you see a difference.