I apologize for not writing recently. I’ve been obsessed with keeping the maps updated and on the front page. That’s my fault. And I’m sorry.
But hey! I have news!
I bought an iPhone. I’m pretty freaking stoked about it though I do have SOME minor complaints, like how in the office it makes for an awful iPod. After a little while the iPhone locks so when a song comes on that you aren’t in the mood to listen to, you have to unlock the iPhone, select iPod if you’ve gone to any other screen and then press next track. Good thing I have an actual iPod.
Anyhoo, I love my iPhone. I have a Facebook app and a Myspace app though honestly I’m on Facebook much more. Facebook just seems to have more friends though I really wish everyone in the world would log onto one system and keep everything updated like maiden names, schools you attended, etc. etc. That way I could find anyone I’m after.
Ah, but that’s the crux of the matter, eh? Enticing people to go to a different social networking site? Look at Virb. I haven’t heard anything on Virb’s front, but when I was on it, it was very very slow. Almost dead...
I’m ALSO very excited to have my iPhone because I plan to get a blogging app so I can update the blog when Kim goes the hospital to have our next child, a baby boy.
I’m hoping it works out and I can add pictures directly from my phone AND type in landscape mode (it’s the only way to go, really) so I can keep everyone updated on what’s happening.
I know you’ll be just as anxious as I will be.:-)
Should be good stuff!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
2009
2009 is the year of activity for me. I want to see just how much stuff I can do before the year is up and so far I think I'm doing pretty good. I've read something like 25 books, written over 50 blogs for the 5th Fret, took three pretty challenging professional tests, took something like 13 CLEPs out in the desert (they're free for the military to take, by the way, so you take them and if you fail you just try again in six months) and I'm only six credit hours away from my associates.
Now, a little tangent. I fully realize how sad it is that I graduated in 2002 and here in 2009 am planning on finishing my FIRST degree. That's seven years for a two year degree. Yeah, I don't feel so great about that. But rather than let it beat me down and give up altogether because it's just easier to say you never went to college or you could do it if you weren't so damn busy, I'm not playing that game, at least this year. Besides, it's still kind of a big thing and at the core, it's something to be proud of. I THINK - I'm pretty sure - that I'll be the first person to get a degree higher than a high school diploma or a technical degree. I'm pretty excited about it, but I'm even more excited to get started on my bachelors.
Anyhoo, back to the activity. I moved, I took my Staff Sergeant test, and (don't say this too loud) I don't think I did TOO bad on it so let's hope the cut off score is really low and everyone else was sick or distracted when they took it so I can be really high and get my stripe soon.
For those in the know, making Staff is a big deal. My dad retired as an E-5 in the Navy (which is a petty-officer 2nd class, but in the AF is Staff Sergeant) after being in the Navy for 20 (I wish I could capitalize numbers) years. Here I am, I've been in for a little over four years now, and I've taken the test once and missed the cut off score so I'm hoping to get my stripe before my fifth year mark and start working on E-6. While I wouldn't be happy at ALL retiring as an E-6, I could at least know I did one better than dad. And if I make it to E-8 (one step away from E-9, the highest you can go) I will have made it past my father in law.
Of COURSE let's not forget the baby that's on the way. That'll be quite the hash mark on the "things done" list.
Tons of stuff and I'm trying not to be lazy about it. I'm pretty excited.
Now, a little tangent. I fully realize how sad it is that I graduated in 2002 and here in 2009 am planning on finishing my FIRST degree. That's seven years for a two year degree. Yeah, I don't feel so great about that. But rather than let it beat me down and give up altogether because it's just easier to say you never went to college or you could do it if you weren't so damn busy, I'm not playing that game, at least this year. Besides, it's still kind of a big thing and at the core, it's something to be proud of. I THINK - I'm pretty sure - that I'll be the first person to get a degree higher than a high school diploma or a technical degree. I'm pretty excited about it, but I'm even more excited to get started on my bachelors.
Anyhoo, back to the activity. I moved, I took my Staff Sergeant test, and (don't say this too loud) I don't think I did TOO bad on it so let's hope the cut off score is really low and everyone else was sick or distracted when they took it so I can be really high and get my stripe soon.
For those in the know, making Staff is a big deal. My dad retired as an E-5 in the Navy (which is a petty-officer 2nd class, but in the AF is Staff Sergeant) after being in the Navy for 20 (I wish I could capitalize numbers) years. Here I am, I've been in for a little over four years now, and I've taken the test once and missed the cut off score so I'm hoping to get my stripe before my fifth year mark and start working on E-6. While I wouldn't be happy at ALL retiring as an E-6, I could at least know I did one better than dad. And if I make it to E-8 (one step away from E-9, the highest you can go) I will have made it past my father in law.
Of COURSE let's not forget the baby that's on the way. That'll be quite the hash mark on the "things done" list.
Tons of stuff and I'm trying not to be lazy about it. I'm pretty excited.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Progress
I know you want to know. May was a record month for the 5th Fret. I have been accepted by Guitar World on their blips page which isn't THAT big of an honor but one more place that my blog can be read giving me a wider audience and probably GW some more money in some way. I don't mind.
Because of this GW thing I was able to join a forum of blog writers where I'm learning all sorts of stuff like their monthly numbers and let me say right now, I'm pretty sure I'm the lowest number-getting person there. I don't beat myself up about it though because if you look at my numbers, so long as I'm posting, the numbers are going up.
There was that time when I deployed where the numbers did go down, fairly steadily while I was gone but then I came back early May, started blogging as soon as I could and the numbers went past the previous record of 1,1XX (x=something I can't remember) to 2,0XX. The website was visited over 2,000 times in May. And that seems so small written out, I know, but honestly, when I started writing, I was happy that over 100 people came to visit. So there's progress being made, the numbers are going up, I think my writing is improving and there are even guest contributions about cool stuff I happened upon, one of them scheduled to come out on the 12th has an incredibly well-written article to go along with his amazing pictures.
I'm proud.
Because of this GW thing I was able to join a forum of blog writers where I'm learning all sorts of stuff like their monthly numbers and let me say right now, I'm pretty sure I'm the lowest number-getting person there. I don't beat myself up about it though because if you look at my numbers, so long as I'm posting, the numbers are going up.
There was that time when I deployed where the numbers did go down, fairly steadily while I was gone but then I came back early May, started blogging as soon as I could and the numbers went past the previous record of 1,1XX (x=something I can't remember) to 2,0XX. The website was visited over 2,000 times in May. And that seems so small written out, I know, but honestly, when I started writing, I was happy that over 100 people came to visit. So there's progress being made, the numbers are going up, I think my writing is improving and there are even guest contributions about cool stuff I happened upon, one of them scheduled to come out on the 12th has an incredibly well-written article to go along with his amazing pictures.
I'm proud.
Monday, June 1, 2009
One Of THOSE Days
So, in a nutshell, I came back from a deployment to the desert and got a ton of stuff done with not that many breaks. It isn't a big deal.
But then we moved.
When we moved we didn't feel like paying the movers an arm and a leg to move EVERYTHING wanting them to focus instead on the furniture or heavy things (like boxes of books). They'd take apart the beds, crib, dresser, etc. and put them back together at the house. It makes sense to us to move like this because I think my time and energy is worth the money I paid these guys. I don't want to lift that crazy stuff.
The apartment was not done the day we moved (Tuesday) so we worked on it, section by section until it was done (yesterday). We tackled Annie's room, bathroom and the porch, then we tackled the master bedroom, closet, and bathroom which took all day (the closet took all day and it was my fault), then we did a hallway, the kitchen, the dining room and living room. It SUCKED to sit down last night, WICKED tired from all this work, work that just spread out all over the place and think to myself, NOW I get to go to work.
I'm not excited.
But at least I'll be in a different office, so there's good news.
But then we moved.
When we moved we didn't feel like paying the movers an arm and a leg to move EVERYTHING wanting them to focus instead on the furniture or heavy things (like boxes of books). They'd take apart the beds, crib, dresser, etc. and put them back together at the house. It makes sense to us to move like this because I think my time and energy is worth the money I paid these guys. I don't want to lift that crazy stuff.
The apartment was not done the day we moved (Tuesday) so we worked on it, section by section until it was done (yesterday). We tackled Annie's room, bathroom and the porch, then we tackled the master bedroom, closet, and bathroom which took all day (the closet took all day and it was my fault), then we did a hallway, the kitchen, the dining room and living room. It SUCKED to sit down last night, WICKED tired from all this work, work that just spread out all over the place and think to myself, NOW I get to go to work.
I'm not excited.
But at least I'll be in a different office, so there's good news.
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