Spring Cleaning Updates

I successfully downloaded and installed the customized software on my phone. Unfortunately, I am still not satisfied with the performance. The interface works great; it's just slow. So rather than continue my customizations within the slow platform, I will be attempting to switch operatings systems. Android just came out with an installation for some HTC phones and I am jumping on-board... as soon I leave myself a free weekend.

This weekend I decided to visit Madison and help send the trainees off with a bang. Except this time, I went up Thursday night, worked from "home" Friday. This allowed me to actually relax and fully enjoy this weekend. The boss was cool with it, even though I came up with the plan 30 min before I had to leave my house to catch a bus. I will definitely use this as my defacto action plan for trips from now on.

In other news, my boss is moving to Hawaii permanently. I'm thinking this is a good thing for the eventual Move.

Spring Cleaning

Since New Years, I have been reading Atlas Shrugged during my numerous trips going between home and work on the Chicago public transportation system. The book renewed my desires to be the producer. At first, this was ensuring that my time at work stayed productive. But after finishing the book, the train rides now became constant reminders of wasted time. So I picked up an older read, the dip, and felt productive again. Unfortunately, Seth Godin reminded me that I'm not focusing very well.

With Opening Day creeping ever so closely, I've created a Franchise roster of personal activities for the coming months:

A:
-run my second marathon
-learn Italian


AA:
-restore/customize old motorcycle
-move to Turkey
-create personal (TheBruni) merchandise branding


AAA:
-learn Turkish
-apply Web Analytics to work sites
-create web server in the cloud for running personal blog/site (yes, I could continue using blogger, but I need to learn to run my own servers someday)


MAJORS:
-customize my phone's TouchFlo 3D/manila interface
-create home computer that runs ONLY linux distros(which implies taking Windows out of my personal life)
-read Web Analytics
-play AA Sand Volleyball (this will happen)


The idea of promoting/demoting activities feels better than a simple task list. The roster spots also fit better as it reminds me that if I want to do one of the lower activities, I will have to move one of the Major activities down, instead of my usual reaction of simply adding.

Lent

So I never really understand my underlying feelings of why Lent just made no sense to me. Then a co-worker explained how she and her husband gave up drinking for Lent. I exclaimed that that didn't make sense, especially with St Patty's Day coming up. She then retorted,"Well, Jesus, went 40 days without food." My cold-hearted reply, "Yeah. That didn't happen."

Seriously, the dude was a dude at this point in his life. Dude's don't live 40 days without food. End of story. End of tradition.

Different Wavelengths

It's Friday, which means I go to Dominick's for lunch and get sushi. Today, one of the guys in the office offered to go for me. He was kind enough to pay for the food, but not aware enough of sushi etiquette to bring back chopsticks or soy sauce.
So now I sit eating my sushi with no soy sauce and a plastic fork. There had to be a first time sometime.

Chicago Marathon '08

2008_Chicago_Marathon_Bruni_Conwell
Originally uploaded by mjbruni

The two with the medals are my sister, Michelle, and my brother-in-law, Scott. Both of them finished the Chicago Marathon this past weekend, in spite of the brutal temperatures. In our brief reunion, I got see the little guy in the picture, Braedan, who is now 3.

I also was able to gain further information on the lifestyle differences of my two older sisters. Melissa, the one in black, married Scott when she was 24 and had Braedan when she was 26. As I am now 24, the thought of going down this path is pretty scary. The eldest of the sisters, Michelle, on the otherhand, just moved back to the States after 2+ years abroad and a very recent excursion to Thailand, Spain, and Germany.

Although, I'm grateful for Mel having Braedan because the little guy is sweet, I'm still glad I'm not heading down this path, as there is no way in hell I could actually take care of him 24/7.

The Letdown

While growing-up in small-town Wisconsin, Chicago was the Mecca of the Midwest. Everyone went there at least once in their lifetime and would always have a story about the great times and sights of the city. Sometimes, a few people would even have stories about that one time when they became lucky enough to live in the Metropolis.

Even while in Madison, Chicago seemed like the place to be. Madisonians consistently complained about the lack of nightlife in Madison while concurrently exhaulting the nightlife in Chicago, as if venturing into the city at night would transport you into a higher dimension of awesomeness.

Fast forward to the present, where I am that lucky being fortunate enough to be living in the epicenter of Midwestern greatness. And all I find around me is the same thing: burgers, beer, and [insert seasonal sport].

It's not that the city doesn't have variety or events always going on; it just seems that the same events or places or foods that any other Midwestern city has are just multiplied by 100. So if you have one Greek restaurant, Chicago has 100. Or if a small city has one festival, Chicago has 100. The root of the issue: More is better.

The problem for me seems to be that I've already experience most of these foods, events, or places. Simply adding 100 times what I have already experienced, only makes it worse. The multiplicity makes my past and present experiences less thrilling and even less unique.

I'm hoping this is just a phase of accepting city life.