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.

1. School has started. The teacher was organized this time.
2. Saw a play on Sunday, "You Can't Take It With You." It was cute, but aside from the two kids seated in the back, I was the youngest one in the audience.
3. Melissa is back home. Her kitties are rejoicing.
4. I donated to my church's Haiti fund. Wow, that felt good.
5. Helped another friend out because she needed it. Money isn't the only thing that can be donated- time is also a precious commodity.

It's a brand new year and it's well on its way. If 2009 was the beta version, then 2010 is going to be the full release. A key skill I've developed in 2009 was my discipline. I have demonstrated to myself my capacity for making a plan and sticking to it. I know I can reach any goal I set my mind to(my diet, my exercise regiment). Discipline also means I have self-control to hold back excessive behavior(World of Warcraft dry for 12 months). I've also learned to be proactive. I couldn't sit and wait for my tasks to be completed on their own, I had to go out and get them done. Finally and just as important, I learned to set those goals with a time frame. To that end, 2010 will be a continuation of sharpening those skills.

By the end of 2010, I will be down to at least 250lbs. I went from 370lbs to 315lbs from July to December, so having a whole year to lose 65lbs more should be doable. My doctor says as I get closer to my trim weight, it'll be harder to lose weight because of my thyroid problem. I will not let it stop me.

By the end of 2010, I will either be working full time or hired full time as a science teacher with my newly obtained teaching certification. This year is the last year of education classes for the certification, so I will endeavor to make every class count.

By the end of 2010, I will have read seven books that I feel are important to my social, psychological, vocational and spiritual development, and those books are: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey, 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller, The Millionaire Next Door and Stop Acting Rich by Thomas J. Stanley, Boundaries by Henry Cloud, More than Enough by Dave Ramsey, and The Bible.

By the end of 2010, I will have made more real-life connections than connections over the internet in order to ground myself with my community. I will do so through my church, my place of employment, and my fellow students at school.

For the summer of 2010, I will have successfully maintained my primary job and a second part time job for the expressed purposes of saving up money for my student teaching. If the money saved is not required then it shall go towards paying off my debt.

By the end of 2010, my debt snowball will be smaller.

So these are my goals for 2010. I have the capacity to complete them- now all I need is the resolve. Additionally, I will make it a point to post at least once a week on this blog, even if it is only to post five positive things that are going on in my life. JR 1.0 installation complete.

Christmas is always special to me because family is special to me. I love Thanksgiving and Halloween is becoming a competitor for that exalted "Favorite Holiday" title, but Christmas is by far my favorite. I love the family, the food, and especially the reason for the season, gifts.

But it's not the receiving of gifts that's so important to me. I have been learning that one of things that is Christ-like is generosity and giving. Christians(and Jews) tithe not because it's a salvation thing, nor does God love tithers more than others. Rather, tithing is to teach us to be givers and be generous with our gifts from God. Christmas to me is a way to emphasize that spirit of giving.

So this year, for the first time I contributed a substantial amount to a charity. This is something I've never done before, and it felt wonderful. At first, I wanted to feel recognition for this act because for me it was something unique in my life. Now I see though that recognition isn't necessary and could detract from the act. It will be enough to note on my blog that I did give, but I won't go through the details.

It was wonderful sending a few gifts to my friends and family, and I hope they liked what I sent them. I also made some delicious snacks and shared it at the Christmas party. Additionally, I spent some time decorating the cubicles at work and many people were impressed by the hard work. I just hope it brightened their day while being there at work.

The next update with include pictures as well as a summary of my winter break plans!

Now that I have all this time on my hands... Yeah right!

I finished my classes with a rush and flurry that I haven't had to experience in a long while. The coursework was not heavy during the year but the execution was the problem. Both teachers had problems keeping the class organized. I liked the professor for my morning class- I learned a great deal. However her lack of organization made the class difficult and I ended up having to write two papers at the end because there was little preparation up to those papers. The teacher was nice and understanding, but her organization needs improvement. In addition, she used a bunch of material from the teacher who taught it previously and it added to the chaos. I hope she rewrites those assignments and makes them her own.

The afternoon class was made more difficult not because the teacher was disorganized, but rather because she was crazy. She would make it a point to name drop some of the more important educators out there. She obsessed over some of our fellow students' facial hair(creepy!) and would change her mind often on how things were graded. There was so much confusion in that class that while I did the work, I'm not sure what grade I'm going to get. She said I would have a "solid A" but then again she's crazy, so that could very well change.

I'm just glad I'm done and I can move on. Next semester I'm taking two classes, one is the next step in my education coursework and another is an online course I need to complete for my dual certification in Social Studies. Hopefully I got good grades but I won't know until Dec. 24th. Early Christmas gift? We'll see.

Update: I just checked my grades, 'A' for both of them. Fantastic!

One of the things I would like to share on this blog are some of my recipes... when I get around to it. However, my sister insisted I post this recent and tasty recipe I picked up from Candi. We're not sure what to call it. Originally, it was "Buffalo Chicken" but the hot sauce is Louisiana-style hot sauce, so there isn't much 'Buffalo' to it. Also, I've switched from using chicken to turkey breast instead. So what should I call it? Louisiana Turkey Fingers? Stripped Mardi Gras Turkey? I have no idea, but its so tasty, you'll like it. Remember, this recipe is adapted from Candi's recipe so all credit goes to her.

What you'll need:
8-10 ounces Louisiana hot sauce
15-20 ounces of chicken or turkey breast meat
2 tsp salt
1.5 cups flour
Cajun seasoning
(For the flour and Cajun seasoning, I used a brand of batter called "House Autry Chicken batter")
Frying pan with .25in of oil on the bottom, or if you've got the equipment, a fat fryer and oil.

Cut your chicken or turkey breast into 2-3 ounce strips(too big and the meat won't cook right). Soak the meat in salt water for 20 minutes, then drain and marinate the meat in the Louisiana hot sauce for 30 minutes, coating it. Mix your flour and seasoning and spread out on a plate. Begin heating your frying pan to medium heat. Once the meat is ready, remove each strip from the marinade and place it in the flour batter until it is coated evenly. Place each strip into the oil and cook until the meat strip is golden brown on each side. I've learned its about 3-5 minutes per side, but that can vary depending on the size and thickness of the piece of meat. It's good to have a meat thermometer handy too!

It really is delicious, hope you guys try it.

I was reading this article and it got me thinking about how I play video games, especially multiplayer games. These days its mostly Left4Dead/2 but my thoughts apply to World of Warcraft and other games as well.

The author was playing the game with his wife and found that it was frustrating when they were playing like they would when playing the game alone. This lead to some frustrating moments. However, when they filled roles that each of them were good at/enjoyed the most, they were playing much better.

When I played L4D(and now L4D2), I noticed that we went through a similar situation. Each of us would get frustrated when each of us were going off and doing what we wanted. However, in L4D, we learned what role we liked and were good at and stuck to it. Then the sessions got much easier and we got much better as players. MJ lagged behind in this area but now that I've read this article, it makes sense.

Now that we're playing L4D2, we're still figuring out the new items and weapons so we're still figuring out how we play and what we like. Already I can see the roles being filled.

Candi is the generalist- mass zombie death is her thing. Whether its a well-played pipe bomb or a chainsaw frenzy, she's really good at mowing down the zombies. At first I was jealous of the numbers she was putting up but now that I understand my role it's just fine.

MJ is the long-shot killer. He's great at killing witches from a distance, and clearing out the far-off shot. However, he has to get better at protecting his teammates.

I'm the protector of the group. I feel a need to knock that jockey off or hunt down the smoker to protect my teammates. I'm right behind Candi or MJ protecting their back. I think I fill this role pretty well. There's a new weapon in the game, the grenade launcher, which I really enjoy but if I'm going to be able to keep using it I have to get better at it- sometimes it explodes a little too close and if we go up to normal that would hurt.

I think once we learn the dynamics of the game more we'll fit into our roles better and become better players. For now, we follow Candi's trail of zombie corpses and try to keep the special zombies away.

I figured I'd give everyone an update on how my workout has been going. First, I've decided to erase the final weightloss goal. Since I don't know how low I can actually get to, I've decided a final weight is unrealistic. Rather, I'm going to keep to my diet plan and just keep losing until I plateau. Whatever that point is, is where I'll stop and then from there consider the skin surgery. Since I'm still losing, I've still got plenty of time before that comes up.

Suffice it to say, I still set mini-goals. A previous mini-goal was 320lbs by Oct. 23rd(the day of my Virginia trip), and while I didn't quite reach it on that day, I did reach it by the following Sunday. For now, I'm working on getting under 300lbs by January 1st.

I separate my workout into 3 exercises on the five days I get to the gym.

Walking(3.5mph) - I have scaled back a little bit because of time. I walk between 2-3 miles a day for each day of the workout instead of the usual 4 miles. Walking takes a lot of time and while the exercise is worth it, I am still pressed for time because of my classes and work.

Bench Press/Upright Press(3 sets of 10 repetitions)- I started doing this when I started going to the gym at the start of September. At the beginning, my bench press was 80lbs and now I'm up to 120lbs. The upright press I started at 60lbs and now I'm up to 90lbs.

Abdominal/Extension(5 sets of 10) - These two machines does the work that a single sit-up provides. However, sit-ups are painful without ample padding so I use the machines. On the abdominal I started at 60lbs, and now I'm up to 120lbs. On the back extension I started at 210lbs and now I'm up to 335lbs- however I can do a lot more and the machine's weight limit is maxed.

So there you have it. I don't believe my workout contributes to the weightloss as much as my own diet and discipline, but I've noticed some other improvements. I definitely have an improved stamina and I can exhert myself for a lot longer than before. I'm definitely stronger, and I can definitely feel my abs tightening up(even though I can't really see them). Overall things are going pretty good.

I forgot to post about these. What was going to be my birthday present from Candi turned out to be a Halloween gift instead. Here they are: The stash! and Frankenbubbles!

I really needed a break. It has been inordinately busy around here and I really wanted to do something other than a camping trip before the end of the year, but time was not working well for me. After discovering some free time and learning that Candi was interested in making a trip to Ohio, I decided that was the adventure I needed. My budgeting and schoolwork was planned out and I was gearing up for a stay in Ohio to visit King's Island, hang out with my best friend, and get to know Ohio once again.

But that was not to be. As many of you know, Candi was having stomach problems. It got to the point where an eight hour trip from Virginia to Ohio would have been impossible. I did not want the planning to completely go to waste so I asked Candi about me going to Virginia instead. She said it was great and offered to let me stay in her apartment for the weekend. We didn't have anything concrete planned but we had some ideas. So off I went.

The trip down to Virginia was gorgeous to say the least. I've never driven that direction through Pennsylvania before and there were many opportunities to take pictures. The only negative was the constant construction zones with no construction going on. You're still legally required to slow down to 45mph and turn your lights on in PA, but as a NYS-plate bearing driver, I obeyed the law despite the locals whizzing past.

Perhaps distracted by the gorgeous scenery, I accidentally drove past an exit near Pittsburgh, which forced me to double back. And because I had my lights on at a rest stop due to the construction, my car needed a jump. Other than that the trip was uneventful. Oh yeah, Maryland rocks! 70mph speed limit! Woohoo!

Arriving in Harrisonburg was the real treat. I got to meet Candi again and finally got to meet MJ in person. That night we grabbed some fast food and talked quite a bit. Even after MJ went to bed(he had class in the morning) Candi I still managed to talk late.

The next few days were limited by what Candi could do. Because of her digestive problems, we couldn't do some of the things we talked about beforehand. However, we did have fun doing the things we can. We tried to play Left4Dead, but because of the wireless we had problems with that. We did play cards and after three rounds we each had a victory. I finally got to see Saw for the first time and it was an excellent experience. We visited Glens, a party shop with a flair for Halloween(you've seen some of the pictures). We also took a walk in the arboretum, a park nearby James Madison University. Overall it was fun.

I also got to sample some of Candi's cooking, and it was delightful. When I arrived there was some Worms 'n Dirt, and later in the week I had some of her Buffalo chicken and garlic potatoes. I think Candi has a natural talent.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was about MJ. Most people picture this guy as a bumbling, naive fool who probably couldn't tie his shoes without help. However this is not the case. We hear a lot of criticism but the truth is MJ isn't so naive, and he isn't so bumbling(well okay maybe a little). He really does care for Candi and I had the opportunity to see that. I think most people would be impressed by his knowledge of the restaurants in the area as well.

Sunday morning it was time to say goodbye. Candi was doing much better by then, but I still had to make the 8 hour trip home. Candi gave me some of the left over chicken and MJ helped carry my stuff out to the car. All in all, it was a great vacation though being short. I learned a great deal and the experience was definitely positive.

Thank you Candi, and thank you MJ for allowing me to stay with you for that weekend.

Here's a quick post to the gallery. I'm gonna post more later, but enjoy the pictures for now!
http://jeffraven.net/images/galleries/va2009