Wednesday In The Library: Newspapers

            Morning, I think my sleeping pattern is back to normal for the most part. And feeling pretty good about it. I’m going to wait to start working at my desk till after the concert, but might start the reading part later today. I am both excited and nervous about the concert tomorrow. After all it is my first concert and I am meeting the band as well. I’m on my way to finishing the Math Paper today. Took me a while to get my research done but it all seems in line now. I also steps yesterday to work on getting groups I work in back on track. I feel bad for letting them lapse but we all got busy, but now it is time to get back on track. I’m also getting into a daily routine I just need to adjust my schedule to reflect it. For one thing I am getting back into writing more, especially when I am at my desk. Plus I am reading the newspaper more as well as listening to it on iTunes. Both different titles, but still giving me information about what goes on in the world and fairly centered from what I have seen.

            And newspapers are what we are discussing today in the library. I’ve read the newspaper in one form of another since I was about 10. Usually in the morning before school or right when I got home from school over a snack I would sneak. It was taught to me early on that it was important to read the newspaper as well as follow the news in general. I read The Washington Post and listen to The New York Times now. But if The Portland Press Herald was on Kindle I would read that instead. I prefer reading the newspaper digitally because it saves paper in my opinion. But everyone has their own preferred method. And it is important to read the news to get deeper into stories that appear on the news when they are first breaking. Plus to find out more about the world around you locally and some stories that don’t make televised news.

            Along with things like comics, book reviews, advice columns, and more. The newspaper gives us insight into things that might only get a blurb on televised news. As well as more good news than you tend to see on the televised news. Plus it strengthens our reading ability and vocabulary. Plus most articles flow smoothly as well. It’s like an all in daily reading in some cases, especially on Sundays. And it is not a long read normally. Maybe an hour at most for most people. And most people usually have a favorite part of the paper as well.

            I remember when you used to get the paper twice a day and even when it originally dropped down to once a day which it has done now. I also have seen the birth of the weekly free papers around me as well, which in themselves are interesting as well. And work well for small communities where only the local news is reported. I read some of these here and there in waiting rooms and on the bus now and then. It gives me different perspectives to reflect on. And it has given me certain columns I want to write in as well in the local paper.

            I hope you have enjoyed today’s visit to the library. Feel free to leave comments about your newspaper reading or your memories about newspapers below. For now I am going to get back to work on my Math Paper after I read The Washington Post for the day. *Tips his hat and walks out the door headed for the study.*

Tuesday Insights: Improving My Health

            So I finally slept fully through the night the way I wanted to, though it wasn’t easy. But I hope it will get easier as the week goes forward. Especially with the concert coming up on Thursday. I’m still working on my Math Paper, but got my topic approved. Which has made it easier to move forward. I ended up canceling counseling yesterday, because after sitting at my desk for six hours I was left sore and in pain with a major cramp.  Feeling better today though but still taking it easy. But as a result I got a writing assignment from my counselor on what I could do to prevent it from happening again basically, which became today’s prompt for the essay. So without further ado on with the show.

Prompt: How to improve my health after having laid around the house for so long.

Improving My Health

            As some of you might know already I spent a great deal of time lying in bed. Whether I am just hanging out on my computer or reading. Or whatever else I might be doing. I tried changing this Monday by sitting at my desk, which ended up lasting six hours. The end result was me being sore and a major cramp. I might also add that I had a case management meeting in between all of this as well, which I was also sitting up for. Now normally I sit around for like two to three hours at a time at most. Even then I am a little sore afterwards since it is like doing a sit up and holding it for that long for me. This is definitely not good for my health. So there needs to be a change to my situation for the future or as I see it I am doomed.

            As I was starting to look at it yesterday I remembered that when I shave and shower I break the two into two separate activities with resting in between to prevent back pain because of my weight. So I figure I should do something sort of similar with time spend sitting up. To start out with in my change of lifestyle I should sit at the desk no more than two hours without taking a rest break from it. And that rest break should be an hour or two in my normal fashion of laying down. Then either reading for an hour or two sitting up or back at the desk for another couple of hours. This will help me ease into longer times at the desk slowly. After a month I would add an hour to the desk and a half hour to an hour to the reading. Adding more each month till I could do a whole day of a combination of the two with no breaks.

            But on top of all that I need to get out of the house more as well. I knew this and was planning for it even before having to cancel counseling yesterday. I will be getting my library card back in August giving a day pass to the Art Museum once a month whenever I want to use it for starters. Plus I am going to be getting MoviePass, which will allow me to go see movies as often as I want for $30.00 a month starting in August as well, which will get me out of the house more as well. I’m a big fan of the movies. I’m also going to try and utilize the library more as well. Plus I will be getting back into playing Magic: The Gathering which will get me out of the house to play games against people as well as I build new decks to try out. I might also find my way into other tabletop games as well who knows, but for now those are my three plans for the moment.

            And while I will be doing that I won’t let my schooling or other projects suffer either. It will be hard I know but I will find a balance to it all somehow. Just as everyone in life finds their own balance between a social life and work. I think I can handle it even as I am a bit nervous about it all. But I also look forward to finding new inspirations for stories at the museum and having new pictures to share on my Facebook. I’m sure I will also be taking pictures other places as well once I start getting out. It is time for a change and that change starts now.

            I hope you enjoyed a look at my plan for change, and don’t worry you will still be getting regular posts here on the blog as well as maybe a couple of shoot off blogs. Feel free to leave comments about what you think of my planned changes or about changes you plan to make below. For now I am going to get back to work on my Math Paper. *Tips his hat and walks out the door headed for the study.*

Monday Beginnings: Mellow Start To The Week

            I actually slept last night, which is as surprising to me as it probably is to you. But it was good to sleep mostly through the night for the first time in a while. I still have a paper to do for last week but I have some extra time to do it. I’m going to try and get it out of the way today. I might be changing my topic from what I was originally going to do, but that remains to be seen. It’s going to be a busy day today, but I am up for it. I have appointments for a good portion of the day and in between them I will be working on school work as well as a few other projects. And this week I am going to Boston for the Veruca Salt Concert. So you won’t be getting the story this week I was thinking I would be giving you. Since I will probably be gushing about the concert on Friday, but we will see.

            I’m actually shocked coming out of Weeks 2 in my Math class that I have an A in it. Math is my weak subject after all. But since we are dealing with concepts it is easier to deal with than actual formula work like in most Math Classes. Though some of the concepts are hard to wrap my brain around at times. But I am working on it as the class progresses. It is interesting to see that some of the stuff I am into fits into Math though. Even stuff I just do around the house un general. Wondering what else I am going to learn as the class moves forward.

            I’m also following the news more closely now a days. Not just in monthly magazines but in The Washington Post as well. It was the most cost effective paper that I could get on my Kindle. I’m trying to think of the environment what can I say. I’m hoping my local paper gets put on the Kindle at some point. I know it is only a local paper but I would switch papers for it in a heartbeat. And it would get Kindle sales up and would do wonders to save on paper and save trees. And they could up the ad rates since they could get instant results from the ads now. Well at least some of them. I think I might pen a letter to the editor on this very topic later in the week. It might do some good and it might not but at least it is try to get something done.

            I’m actually working at my desk today as well, which feels good as well. Though a little strange as well. Though it needed a little cleaning up as well. I still have to do some dusting once I figure out the best way to do it. I might try working at the desk the rest of the week, not sure yet. But it won’t be all day, just a few hours a day. I also have to get my files in order as well soon. That is a hell of a back log to get through. But I will get through it eventually. And there is some other organizing to do as well. But nothing to major other than the filing.

            So for now I am going to go work on getting my late paper done before my first appointment. At least get my topic straight and the introduction done. Feel free to leave comments about what you think about how my week starting out or the state of my desk or just random thoughts below. Not sure what the essay will be about tomorrow but there will be one. *Tips his hat and walks out the door to get more to drink before heading back to the study.*