Nine Things I've Realized Of Late

9. I'm not too old to learn new things, and when the software I learn is comparable to programs I'm already familiar with, the learning curve is easier. In my professional career, I've always done my design work with a program called Quark XPress, but we're in the process of switching to Adobe InDesign now. I attended 2 three-hour seminars giving an overview of it this week, and found that it was similar enough to other Adobe products like Photoshop and Illustrator, that many features were intuitive and I was quickly figuring out keyboard shortcuts. It's like programs I know in some ways, but so much more powerful in others, and I can't wait to really apply it, because using a program in practical applications everyday seems to be the best way for me to learn.

8. I continue to be faithful to my new rule of keeping my personal computer off each morning. I get to work a half hour earlier, which means I get done with work a half hour earlier, which means I get to the gym sooner and have been adding as much as an hour to my workouts. I've been feeling healthier, I've dropped another five pounds in spite of the holidays, my mind has been clearer, and I function better despite losing sleep to movies and blogging. Let's hope this trend continues; I don't develop many good habits that last.

6. There are a lot of beautiful women in this world. Water, water everywhere; restraining orders if I try to drink...

7. I can rob a format from the Unseen Blogger by changing things just slightly. It's a perfectly original crime....

5. If you can't win and don't try, and they think you tried to beat ‘em when you didn't, you will ultimately have to join ‘em anyway.

4. I WILL see every movie on the top 100 as soon as possible, before Kelly, who's trying to see them all, or B13, who probably doesn't care about the ones he hasn't. I saw The Exorcist Thursday night, and Magnolia and The Third Man will be done before the weekend is over. A competitive, borderline autistic Sicilian can't be stopped when something trivial is on the line. In similar news, my latest craze Perilous! continues to attract contestants, and it's still anyone's competition at this point...

3. A little alcohol can free my inhibitions, and allow me to do and say the things I should always be able to do and say. Too much alcohol can make me do and say things I should never, ever do or say. Everything in life boils down to balance.

2. Day Break is a great show. I wasn't sure how they'd pull off Groundhog Day as a 24 style series, especially since the unfortunately short-lived Tru Calling had its protagonist reliving a different day each episode and this would be 13 episodes about one day. Since Taye Digg's character gets new information to solve his case with each variant decision, and his injuries carry over while everyone else resets, so far they're pulling it off quite nicely. I just hope all 13 episodes get aired, since Adam Baldwin stars in this one as well, and every show featuring him that I liked from The X-files to Firefly to Angel to The Inside has been short-lived if he was part of the original cast, or canceled shortly after he joined. At least this one is on ABC and not FOX.

1. I'm not in the mood for Christmas just yet. I cringe when radio stations like KJOY play nothing but holiday music, and I couldn't get out of the kitchen fast enough when my mom started humming a carol. I like the holiday, but not the season, which expands further and further each year. Stores are a nightmare right now. It all seems too soon, and yet I realize, suddenly we're in December. I guess I should probably finish my shopping soon; I bought a few things, but only scratched the surface of the glacier...