A New Year starts today.

So it has been a year since I stood on the scale at Jake's house and weighed 279lbs.
I'm currently 251lbs. Not the best I've ever done in a year, but it is a start. I'm not down about it.

Do you have your New Years Resolution Goals set yet? I do. If you don't you should probably get to them starting right now. No time like the present. If it is something like lose weight, then start right now, and don't eat the holiday sweets. Waiting until after the holiday is like saying I'll stop drinking after I get alcohol poisoning. Just doesn't make much sense. This evening, my buddy Daniel talked about his new work out equipment and his new workout room tonight. He celebrated it with drinking nothing but water. I am super impressed and proud of him for doing so. It was our Thanksgiving after all, why not throw a few back?

My final resolution goal from last year WILL be accomplished by the end of this year as well. In case you don't feel like scrolling to the beginnning of the year, it was to get my finances in order.
I won't be out of debt, but I will have them in order. I am making some extreme decisions and I have some great friends and family who support me in this endeavor. Here is what I'm doing.

The first and foremost thing I am doing is getting rid of my '07 Dodge Charger. I still have payments on it but I am going to turn the cards in and tell them I can't pay it. It will hurt my credit (which is awful anyway) and won't look back. It was a very, very fun year with the vehicle and I don't regret actually getting the Charger. But right now I pay over $700 a month on bills for the vehicle alone. That is before gas, which I paid ~$70 every 1-2 weeks.

The second thing is I'm downsizing again. I sold my Yorkie Joey, selling old college text books (technical ones for computer Networking and Security if anyone is interested), and will be getting rid of other things such as totes full of cabling and other junk. Stuff I just don't USE and have hung on to for years. I don't need them. I hardly do any computer maintenance side work now a days. So, it will be rid of. My current computer will be formatted and installed with some basics and made into a server. I don't know yet if I want it to be a media server or not. Probably will. It has be capability. I am also gonna try and make some gaming servers on there for myself and friends.

The third thing is I'm moving. My friend has lent me her spare bedroom in her apartment rent free for Linux and I. We've discussed for about 3 months, but I'm sure if i need a little more time rent free she'd give it to me. But hopefully I'll be back to paying regular bills after 90 days.

So why the extremity you might ask? Well there are a couple reasons...

The obvious one is I don't want debt anymore. I have around 3 grand in Credit card debt, $300 to taxes, and I'm behind on my student loans. Those three months I will have approximately $1200 per month to spend. So most of the debt, if not all, will be gone. The only thing I would have is student loans, but I'd be pretty much caught up on them too if I play my money right.

The second one is that I am still dedicated to working out. I own a mountain bike, I've fixed it up and it works smoothly. My work, my gym, and my friends are all around a 5 mile block radius. (That's what kinda happens when you grow up in one location for so long.) There are a few exceptions who live god awful far, but those visits are never without a FB invitation with a few weeks notice. I would be able to find a ride to and from without a doubt.

Speaking of which, I am thankful to be surrounded by people who enjoy helping people.  All of my friends would give me a ride if I needed it, and I hope they know to not hesitate when they need to ask me. I have a car available to me when it is not in use by its owner, my parents are close and willing to help. They encourage me to face this task of lowering my credit score even further in hopes for a better future. Not to mention the task of being carless for three months at the very least.

The third and probably final reason is I want to travel. I have friends who are scattered across the country now that they are in the military. I also have friends I've made through Facebook who I have grown close with. Ya know, I have never used any currency besides the American Dollar? I want that to change. GOING on trips isn't difficult with my job, they give me plenty of PTO, I just don't have the funds to go anywhere. Hell, right now I don't have the funds to get a passport. Yup, I said it. I am 23 and don't have my passport yet. I've never needed it.

SO, there is my main New Years resolution.

Losing weight isn't taking a back burner though. My gym is a mile away from where I'm moving, and like I said I have a bike. In relation to weightloss, my goal is to have a six pack by the end of the year. Do you think I can do it? Words of encouragement WILL be needed. My friend Monica has given me a card for a personal trainer. I'm seriously considering it.

On a completely side note, here is a different way to consider what is called "The America Dream" I've passed this to a few friends, and I have listened to it more than once. Listen, enjoy, and maybe consider.

~Just a thought

"There are thousands and thousands of people out there living lives of quiet, screaming desperation who work long, hard hours, at jobs they hate, to enable them to buy things they don't need to impress people they don't like." - Nigel Marsh

Just a...

It was pointed out to me that I hadn't blogged in a while. It's not that I don't have much to say, I've just kinda sorta kept it to myself. Furthermore, the constant talking about my weight and workouts got boring to me, and I think it was boring to those select few as well. But, in order to tie off those open ended situations I put in my blog.
-I reached 245 and shaved my beard. It is very VERY nice having a chin. I haven't had a chin in, well, probably 6-8 years. I grow my facial hair to a very nice 5 o'clock shadow before shaving now, and I will continue to do so for a long time, or until I get sick of it.

-I ordered and wore a Captain America costume for Halloween, I was very proud of it and my friend Kristi and I attended two different parties and were complimented at both. The jacket is amazing.

-I really feel like I've been changing to someone who people can look up to. And that makes me feel good.

Now, I watch a lot of YouTube videos (Second most popular search engine now, only second to it's owner Google) and they usually branch out one of two ways: funny or inspirational. I like to laugh and I like to admire and want.

More recently, I have been watching different [insert]con videos from panels that people post online. Here are a few things that I came to know.

-People are generally good people
-Ideas are cheap
-I should only work at what makes me happy, not what makes me money.
-I need to work hard
-I need to work harder than others.

All are very relevant to my next little session.

I watched one with the Geek and Sundry casters Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton, if you don't know who they are yet, well, you should. Anyway, they had a really good panel, and talked about their Youtube posts and they asked everyone in their audience to be creative. Felicia made a point to make SOMETHING and post it for people to see, and see what comes of it. More than one person has had their 5 minutes of fame on Youtube. And, thinking about it right this moment, with Youtube you get your 5 minutes of fame played in 8 million different homes. even if you had 10% of people follow you enough to watch your second video, that is 800,000 people (That's a LOT of people). Anyway, that last part slightly irrelevant. Wil Wheaton made a point saying that it isn't about Youtubers battling for more views, that's not how it works. It is Youtubers battling it out against other media (He said, "The Man"). Because this particular creativity outlet doesn't need an approval board. It is strictly chosen by views and votes. It should be a place where Youtube shares the space, rather than fight over it. It should be a place where one Youtuber doesn't bash another... Now, the last bit of this particular video Wil and Felicia were asked, what their favorite Youtube video they follow and watch. It was very quickly decided that they watch and love "My Drunk Kitchen". (If you haven't seen that, you should check it out, it is pretty hilarious.)
Now, this particular event was in July of 2012. Fast forward to this past Halloween. I don't know who's idea it was, but My Drunk Kitchen featured Hannah Hart (MyHarto) who does My Drunk Kitchen, and Felicia Day. They just got together and made a My Drunk Kitchen video. This is particularly special, because you have to imagine that it made both of their days. And besides the flying out to location, I wouldn't think their was any real payment back and forth, just something that they thought would be fun and enjoy meeting each other.
I also found another popular Youtube person named Jenna Marbles who did a My Drunk Kitchen tribute. Through the show she repeatedly told her viewers to watch My Drunk Kitchen and told Hannah that she enjoys viewing her. How awesome is that??

During the "Come up with something creative" request by Felicia Day, I came up with "A Literature Circle." A webcast bookclub It is still in a Alpha stage, but it is something I am going to work seriously hard on. And even though I may lose sleep over it, and lose a bit of money, it is a creative idea I want to pursue. There are other "Circles" that will be created and posted and whatnot, but this is the first I am going to do. Hopefully, something will come of it. Furthermore, I am going to take the "tribute" section to a whole new level. After getting situated with a few "Circles" I have in mind. I think I am going to start reaching out to all the different Youtubers out there to join my cast sometime. I think it would be AMAZING to have the guy from =3 or Jack and Geoff from Achievement Hunter come on and talk about their favorite books, or play a boardgame, or SOMETHING and just have a good time.

That's the plan anyway. Hopefully someday you'll see me up there with the great Youtubers!

It isn't ~Just a thought.