January 2009 Archives

This week, I had my three month check up with my oncologist.  It was pretty routine.  Although, instead, I had a chest x-ray done instead of a PET/CT scan.  The doctor told me that the plan was to do the PET/CT scan every six months and alternate between x-rays and PET/CT.  Everything seems to be fine.  Nothing really new to report there.

I also had a checkup with the radiation oncologist.  Another standard exam.  I did get a bit of a kick in the pants though.  The nurse reminded me that I actually had radiation done.  And, because of that, I need to make sure that I put sunblock on every time I go out.  Putting on sunblock just to be outside is not a natural thing for me.  And it's a little frustrating to think about, because it also reminds me that life is no longer normal for me.  That's why I say it is a kick in the pants.  It's so easy to get back into old habits, but this is not something I can do anymore.  Hence, the kick in the pants.

Like most people, I always have create new year resolutions, the same ones over and over again, only to have them pretty much crap out by the end of the year.  So, this year, I am taking a slightly different approach and focusing on goals for the year instead of generic resolutions.

So, what are my goals and resolutions for this year?

1. Lose 20 pounds by mid-June.  Right now, I weigh 183 pounds and, according to my Tanita scale, have 26% body fat.  That's just utterly disgusting and embarrassing, and it's detrimental to my health.  After dealing with the cancer, I know that this is necessary.  I believe that 20 pounds is realistic.  I am also focusing on that body fat percentage.  The goal there would be to be down to 20% by then.  Why June?  That's when I will be going back to the Midwest for a series of weddings.  This goal is the mother of all goals and breeds some resolutions for the year. 
   
   
   • Reduce my intake of soda, diet or otherwise.  I've been reading how many calories even the diet drinks really have.  I'm sure it's not chock full of goodness either.
     
   • Join a gym.  I've been just running outside for the most part.  But I need to start lifting and putting some muscles on.  That helps burn more fat.  
   • Yoga.  While most people would be shocked by me saying that, some people have convinced me that it would good for me to do for the various activities I do and for my health.  I haven't yet decided if I'll do this as part of a gym routine, or go to a yoga specific studio (and, yes, I'd be avoiding certain studios).
     
   • Not drink as much beer everytime I go out.  This will probably be really hard to do, but I probably don't need to consume as much as I can.  But I definitely won't be giving it up.  I like beer way too much.
     
2. Snowboard at least 10 times this season.  I really would like to have a goal of snowboarding every week, now that I have a mountain pass.  In the past, what used to hold me back was finding people to go with and the traffic.  Now, I've met so many people and have learned of various carpools.  And also, with the flexibility in work, I can go midweek and work on the weekend instead.  That makes it easier to be motivated.
   
   
3. Travel abroad.  I have the travel bug right now.  So, I really want to go somewhere overseas.  Unfortunately, there are so many options and so little money.  Of course, now, part of me wouldn't mind being in a little bit of debt for personal travel, but in a reasonable manner.  I am hoping that I can do this as part of work so that money and vacation time no longer become an issue.  I don't know yet how reasonable that is.  But I really want to hit Africa by the end of the year and climb Kilimanjaro.  Having this goal also helps me with the first goal because I know I have to be in shape to do it.  It'll also mean doing some 14'ers prior to that.  It would also be great to go to Europe.  I have been thinking about going to Paris and practicing my French. 
   
   
4. Get my Java developer certification.  This is something that I've been holding off for several years.  I think it's just about time to just do it.  This most likely won't help me with my career. So, it's mostly for ego.
   
   
5. Volunteer somewhere.  I've been applying for volunteer positions as various cancer centers. Ideally, I'd like to work with kids with cancer, but the waiting lists tend to be pretty long.  I'm hoping to get something soon.  I just think that I can provide a bit of support to someone else who's going through the same things that I did. 
   
   
6. Have my house fully decorated.  I have not been fully focused on filling out my house with furnishings and decoration.  Now that I am committed to living here, I need to make my house comfortable to live in.  I've already started the work, just need to finish it.
   

I think what I've listed is fairly reasonable to accomplish this year.  I'm hoping that by putting this list in public domain, I will have a little bit more pressure to actual accomplish it and not be.  As I work on these goals, I'll try to blog a bit about them, so that it puts even more pressure.  So, here goes...