Well there goes my plan to update every Tuesday... but I had several miniature updates in between. Time to get back on track!

My workout is going pretty well. I've talked to several people and they told me that my previous plan was definitely strength-training. That's all well and good if I want to gain muscle mass. My current plan is to lose weight so my plan was going to cause me to gain weight instead of lose it. I've switched to a different regiment- I weightlift only moderate amounts, doing many reps, and I've also switched to a new machine- the eliptical. It's taking some getting used to, but I'm getting the hang of it. I hope to get 3-4 miles on it every day. Right now I'm trying to find time to work out at all! That being said, there is a special milestone that I'm approaching: I have about 4 more pounds to lose and I will be under 300lbs and... officially weigh as much as I did in my senior year in High School. This is special because I can say I'm as healthy as I was back then. The very idea that I have managed to wipe the last 12 years of steady weight gain away is awesome.

In addition to my work schedule being bumped earlier two hours, I've also been picking up overtime. It's all part of my plan to save up money for this fall. I'm confident I'll still have a job here working part time, but I still want to be prepared.

There are some wonderful developments with my social/love life and I wish I could share them here but for certain folks who read this blog. All I can say is that my free time is spent wisely with other people and not completely in a single player video game.

I've finished reading "The Beast" by R.L. Stine, a gift from Candi. It was very cute and not really scarey(maybe for the audience it is) but I'm glad she gave it to me and I'll cherish it. I'm also just about to finish The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. I picked up The Millionaire Next Door audiobook so I'll soon be devouring that too.

I've changed my philosophy with the workout routine and it's allowed me to get more done in less time. Today was a continuation of that philosophy as I tried something new with the treadmill portion of my workout. I can now get the two miles done in 30 minutes! It's not easy, but I found that if I alternate between 3.5mph and 5.0mph, I can do it. When I'm done I'm all sweaty and achey but damn it feels good.
Additionally, I no longer count the number of repetitions when I weightlift. I now keep doing reps until it hurts really bad because I learned something new- when you lift past the point of pain, you make little breaks in the fibers of your muscle. Your body will heal them up and make them stronger the next time. It's working out really well!

Just wanted to post a quick update: I've completed a few books- including one on my list. I just finished The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, but also Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, MD. I'm also picking up where I left off with The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and only have a few chapters left of that. There's a huge sense of accomplishment with reading, I don't think I'm going to give it up anytime soon.

Wow, so much has changed in the past week or so, I don't know if a single post could contain it all!

1. My taxes, returns, and bonus checks have all come in, and I'm pretty happy about this- my emergency fund is growing and I should definitely reach my goal for the fall in a matter of months. I still plan on working the second job during the summer so that I can save up even more, but with what I have now there isn't as much crushing pressure to earn. Actually, that's not necessarily a good thing either, as that pressure is what is keeping me focused!
2. Valentine's Day really wasn't all that bad- certainly an improvement over last year. This time I had several good friends with good advice, and with some time well spent I made it through. This coming year is going to be great!
3. My book-reading plan is going well too, and I'm nearly finished with The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, with just a couple chapters left. I'm going to pause on the book list for a few other select choices, ones that won't necessarily take nearly as long- after that I'll move onto The Millionaire Next Door.
4. I have finally joined the technomasses and I am the proud owner of an iPhone. This handy toy does just about everything, and I really like it. I did not make the choice lightly- I thought about it a great deal as well as the cost that goes with it. Nonetheless, I feel justified in that it does several things for me that I've always struggled with before. It combines my cell phone, my mp3 player, my notebook and several features of my laptop all into one, pocket-sized device. Not only that, but due to my extensive use of Google Calendar, I felt I needed something that was more convenient to access it. I really want to focus on the philosophy that the iPhone is a tool and not necessarily a toy, so I keep reiterating that to myself... but man the mp3 and video player is so nice Even the contract with AT&T isn't so bad, as I've already got the money to pay off the contract(or even the early termination fee if necessary). I guess the only detractor is the manacles of iTunes - this program is wretched
5. My employers have asked me to move my schedule to 3pm- 2 hours earlier- and I couldn't be happier! This gives me much more freedom for mornings. I'm gonna need it for morning church and classroom observations at the many schools.

i. I've taken a break from the podcasts that I listen to, including Rush Limbaugh and Dave Ramsey. I miss listening to music so those guys get to take a back seat for a while. I'm sure I'll pick them back up sometime but for now, I wanna dance
ii. School is going really well- I've been getting schoolwork done ahead of time and it's doing wonders for me.
iii. Made a crab risotto with sage for Melissa. It was fantastic! You can now call me Chef Raven!
iv. Life in general is pretty awesome. I've learned quite a bit about myself recently and I'm striving to make changes for the better. I don't really want to go into details right now but perhaps in the future I can indulge in the readers of this blog.

1. Church this week wasn't too bad, but the sermon was disjointed. The substitute pastor had many lessons but he didn't tie them all together at the end as neatly as I would have hoped. He's not bad but could be better.
2. Federal taxes are completed, so I'm just waiting for the check. I think this year though I'm gonna fix it so I don't give so much to the government as an interest free loan. The state taxes will be completed once I visit Dad on Wednesday.
3. I'm digging my US Government class, simply because so many of my fellow students are Constitutionalists. There are a few who don't know much at all about our government and so their points of view are based on false information but I hope my posts are informative and help them learn.
4. While the idea of working part time and doing student teaching seems doable, I still have to convince my employer to let me work part time. I like the company but there seems to be a possibility that they won't allow me to work part time. I'm still waiting for more information but I have several contingency plans formulating as I type.
5. I've always lamented Valentine's Day, sometimes calling it Singles Awareness Day, but I think this year it's going to be different. I'm actually looking forward to it.

Oh yeah, there's a 6. in here too. I've been going without my CPAP machine for the last three days, and it's going pretty well! This morning I woke up before my alarm clock and I feel rested and alert.

1. I've decided to be more proactive in what I do. So far the results have been very positive- I've been doing things that are important but not urgent in order to prevent them from becoming urgent.
2. School is going really well- part of that proactivity I mentioned. I've been making sure I get my homework done as soon as possible.
3. Money has been a little tight but as long as I stick to my budget I should be fine. I'm gonna try to save more money on food too. Apparently clipping coupons isn't done anymore- you gotta get them through the web.
4. After talking to several of my fellow classmates who have done their student teaching, it seems I should be able to work part time for Time Warner Cable while doing the student teaching. I was a little afraid that it would be impossible, but after discussing it, it should fit fine as long as my employer is willing.
5. The zombie horde continues to suffer major setbacks, as my friend and I continue to rampage.

Additionally, I've made up my mind about moving. I'm definitely going to move south. Once I have my teaching certification, I will take it to another state that has lower taxes and more freedom.

Live free or die.