Monday, March 17, 2014

Just a little something to think about.

A neat intersection of ideas today.  While I was out for a run (Woohoo!  I went for a run.  Yaaay me!) I was listening to a podcast from You Are Not So Smart.  This is a neat program/website/book series where a guy named David McRaney.  He investigates the multiple ways in which we delude ourselves.  He interviews people who are doing research in that area of psychology and puts together an occasional podcast.  This one was about the power of narrative.  So, of course, I was interested.  What happened though is that I stuck on one fact and found myself thinking more about this one fact than listening to the podcast.  That's fine though, it will still be there next time. 

The other thing that happened was a call from my recruiter at the travel nursing company.  I had written a fairly extensive article about travel nursing and wanted to see if she had any feedback that might be useful.  She told me she loved the article and wondered what I was going to do with it.  She asked me when I had found time, with two kids, a job, a blog and all of the other obligations of a modern life, to write anything. 

Hell, I didn't have it in me to tell her I am finishing up a book about our first few years travel nursing and starting a novel length fiction work.  I did tell her about the article I sold to the RV magazine though.  I was bragging, I admit it. 

Now, back to that first point, the one from the podcast. 

Did you know that the TV series Lost had 121 one hour episodes?  Breaking Bad had 62.  Dexter had 96.  If you watched all three of those series ( I watched Breaking Bad, my hypocrisy only goes so far.) that totals up to 250 hours or so if you count commercials. 

Damn.

It takes 120 or so credit hours to complete a bachelor's degree.  30 more for a master's.  Now, I know that isn't taking into account study time or travel time or whatever other commitments it takes to achieve that education, but damn.  That was only three shows.  Add in a couple more and you have a pretty good college education.  Or a new skill, or language.  Or maybe just a better understanding of the world around you.  Or...

Or whatever you want. 

I'm not perfect.  Tonight, I didn't feel like doing anything.  When we got home from Grandma and Papa's house I was tired and pretty much done.  So I mixed a drink and watched two hours of Hoarders.  Far from perfect. 

But I don't watch much TV and if I find I have something I want to do that will take a time commitment, I know the first thing that will be sacrificed to do it. 

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Just living, and keeping busy

Not a lot to report here.  And I hate reporting that there is not a lot to report. 

Just living.  I am currently sucking as a runner and doing reasonably well as a writer.  I am at least getting some things done.  Unfortunately not as a blogger though. 

On the up side, Sarah's sister Rachel is going to watch the kids next weekend giving Sarah and I a rare date night opportunity.  On the not so up side, this is such a rare thing that we have no idea what to do. 

I don't know, what do you want to do?

We both decided we would go for a long hike or something to that effect if we were somewhere else.  Guess that doesn't help much here. 

The one thing that Houston does have in spades is good restaurants.  My waistline is showing it too.  Did I mention I have sucked lately as a runner?  Still going for a marathon this year. 

Wish me luck.