2014 year in review

Almost a year ago I published this blog entry (http://elvisapocalypse.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-new-year-cognitive-shift.html).

I want to review some of that blog entry compared with one year later.  Did I make any changes that I am happy with?  Or was it the same thing just another year later?

The first thing I notice is that my weight on 3Jan14 was 295 (according to the blog).  My weight today is 273.  I have actively worked out quite a bit this year; just a guess but probably 7 or more months.  Reading through the headline entries where I mentioned what I did when I worked out I probably only worked out 3-4 months; felt like 7.  Overall, a win in the lower weight category and working out.  I have found that I do like conditioning calisthenics like TRX, American Ninja Warrior gym, etc.  So, this year, the plan is to increase exercising to at least something every day - today will be a TRX workout to see how that goes for me with the juicing since I've not really worked out in 25 days since starting the juicing.

Offending people - over the last year I have noticed more and more that people are more and more offended by less and less.  Some people seem to exist only to be offended.  Others seem to exist only to jump on the bandwagon of someone offended.  It seems like high school bullying has entered the world (years ago, but gotten worse); only now instead of being able to escape when you go home, you're inundated with attacks constantly.  As well, if someone says something you don't like you can public shame someone and then there aren't just you and your close friends that are offended, but whole groups in the world that can be offended.  If you make a mistake and it's captured on video you can be laughed at by many people in the world in a matter of days.  There are whole groups of people dedicating their lives to ripping apart what everyone says and taking one word someone says and turning it into a whole "they suck" message.  If you're so offended by so much then what the hell are you doing with your life that keeps you happy?

I apparently made some resolutions that I didn't keep
"At the end of this year I will be able to say that I ran a 5k, I lost 100 ish pounds, I'll have run and biked and played with my kids, and I wrote and filmed a sitcom that makes me laugh.  That will be me doing awesome for the year."

I didn't know I made resolutions, but apparently I did.  I didn't accomplish many of those things.  I did run, bike, skate, and play with my kids.  I didn't run a 5k, and didn't lose 100ish pounds.  I lost 20+ so 1/5th of the "goal".

What I did do this past year: 

• Helped develop an online Cherokee Dictionary (http://www.cherokeedictionary.net/)
• Started writing a Cherokee language book - mostly to take all of the lessons I've found and consolidate them into a reference book since there are no text books that I've found anywhere.
• Bought a TRX, roller blades, bicycle, and built a slide board that I used until my car died in July
• I learned how to ride a motorcycle and rode over 1500 miles 
• I did a lof of ancestry work this year to make sure I had information before elders in my family died
• I put my dad into a nursing home for Alzheimer's - now he and my grandmother see each other and don't know who the other is (just a joke, but we don't know if they actually remember each other).
• I attended a ton of BMX races from July/August until November.  My son's "rookie" year and 3-4 months racing took home the 1st place trophy for the 9 Novice class.  His trophy is 7' tall.
• I started work on Sky Net Now (http://www.skynetnow.com/) which is going to be awesome.  It's an weather early warning system.  Big things are coming with skynet in the next year.  Each module (called a Terminator) contains a LUCAS (Lightweight, Universal, Cartographic Atmospheric Sensor) module named after my son.
• I joined a group of friends to post about our successes and failures each week when it comes to eating better and working out.
• I've learned a ton about a bunch of electronics projects.
• I built a rudimentary HUD using BLE, my iPhone, an Arduino Mega, and an OLED
• I have been speaking out more to veterans about PTSD.  I want everyone to know that "they are not alone".
• I quit drinking Coke for 26 days (still going)
• I have had mostly vegetables and juice for the last 25 days (still going)
• I picked up my old Battlestar game (DRADIS) and started rewriting it

What would I like to do this upcoming year:

• Get my car fixed
• Skate, bike, and TRX more 
• Fix my slide board so it's more slippery
• Build an American Ninja Warrior playset in my back yard (ok, it's an actual gym, but we'll call it a playset)
• Ride my motorcycle more
• Clean up my office and get it organized the way I envision it with collectibles displayed
• Add a bunch of features to the Cherokee Dictionary project 
• Finish my book on the Cherokee language
• Do a Spartan Race, Highland Games, Run a 5k (Haley's Hope in August)
• Get down to 150-200 pounds (closer to 175)
• Build an articulated flight sim in my office
• Finish writing my sitcom (1.5 years and still not done)
• Complete a playable demo of DRADIS

Those aren't resolutions, just things I want to do.

I really only have three resolutions:

• Be a better person than I was last year
• Don't let myself stop me from accomplishing my goals (don't let negative thoughts get in the way)
• Workout at least 300 days during the year.  That gives one day off a week and a few days for vacations and if I get sick.