I need to log a quick check in because I skipped a week and am already a day late this week.
Fitness: I feel like I’ve gained a few pounds, but my weigh-ins are showing it more or less static. We’re getting close to the end of winter, which I’m already lamenting, but must admit that my health would benefit from the season change. I have gotten some exercise in, but it’s definitely not enough. I’m also going a little harder than I should on late night snacking. I think this might also be a seasonal thing, to be honest, I kinda think the winter changes my cravings, for lack of a better description. Anyway, I guess the season is getting to me.
Health: My insurance change is already proving to be a huge pain in the ass. I will need to find a new Cardiologist and Dentist, and I have a feeling that this isn’t the end of it. I picked the MCO that I did because the signup tool made it clear they were the only one that covered my current primary care, but my primary care is connected to the same root that my cardiologist is, and that system don’t take this. So I suspect they don’t take it either, so I’ll need another one of them. Now I’ll have to take a big chunk of at least one day to try and sort all of this shit out. The health care provider that I want would cover all of them, but isn’t currently available to sign up for. I would prefer to just coast and just, I don’t know, not go to a doctor for a few years, but given my health problems, that’s not an option. I can’t remain healthy and perhaps cannot live without medication any longer. So I am now being punished for the crime living. Yes, this is a very fair system with real Christian values, isn’t it.
Academics: I’ve finally made it to my final project in CS50, which I’m also already mostly done with. I didn’t do great on the second problem in Week 9, and since this class allows infinite resubmits, I think I might try to clean up that project and see if I can get a better grade on it. But I’ve done really well with all of the other projects, so I’m not really sweating it too hard. After that, the plan is to line up a Python class, but I want one that offers college credit, is online and self paced, and is still actually useful, and I’m having a bit of a hard time squaring that. You know what? I should check some forums. I bet someone’s asked this on reddit or something. I’m also thinking about other coding classes, but I think the main stuff I’ll need for any of the potential careers I’m considering are Python, SQL, and then specialty stuff that I’m going to need to pick up there anyway. Maybe I should see if those forums have some suggestions on picking areas of focus as well.
I’ve been working my way back through Algebra, and it’s going well. But I’ve still not internalized the pace of this whole learning thing, so I always feel like I’m going too slowly. I do keep making silly mistakes, which is tough, because those build and compound and often prevent other stuff from sinking. But you know, that’s how it goes. I do feel like I’m on the upswing with it, though, because I’ve been doing problems very regularly. Like most days, almost every day. I’ll usually get a few problems wrong, and almost always because of those dumb mistakes, but there have been some huge successes. I already feel so much more comfortable with fractions and exponents. I had some real revelations with some factoring that I thought I understood, but I really didn’t. Other then doing enough problems to really lock those in, I’m mostly still worried about logarithms. I understand them conceptually, and I’ve done a few, but I’m just still really uncomfortable with them. I need a strong breakdown and walk back through of the rules.
After that, I think I’ll do an abbreviated, personal, non-credit Pre-calc. This will depend on just how bad my Trig is, which I’m worried it may in fact be very bad. But if I can catch up quickly, that would be great, and I could hurry up and get into that Calculus that I’m so worried about. And when I’m comfortable with my pace in both the math and coding, I’ll pick up the other classes I’m looking at for this “simulated semester” I’m doing in my run up to real college.
Speaking of seasons, I’ve been thinking about seasonality. I’ve had the thought in the back of my head for some time and, not wanting to fall into an “appealing to the ancients” logical fallacy, I’ve largely resisted the idea that our modern human lives are seasonally locked. I still believe this, as many people live more or less a-seasonally and are successful and happy. But I think I could use some real seasonality in my own life. I’ve been viewing this phase of my life as building to the life that I want, or am at least comfortable with. A big part of that is the not-job part, and I’m increasingly thinking that both the job and not-job parts would benefit from seasonal distinctions. Like given this year’s experiences, I think I need to change my next year’s winter expectations and plans to both accept that winter is just a bit of a fitness dip, but also make it easier for myself to take care of my health on a winter diet. I think reorienting other aspects of my life to seasons would support this as well. Like if I can make my winter work load a combination of physical work to keep the blood flowing paired with some real book-shit so I can enjoy the weather next to a fire, I think that’d really set my soul about right.
Alright, it’s late and I don’t think I’m making much sense. I’m out. Have a good one and keep it easy.