Board 8 > Andy Now Does Yet More Andy Nouns [ANDYMAN] Vol. 1: Self-deprecating, contained!

(+) Yeah! (+)

12,600 steps yesterday, to make 54,800. I am apace. Already over 60K total on the week considering today, but I need more. As of now... this will likely be the twelfth week in a row. Over that time, I'll have shed nearly twenty pounds while maintaining a decent social life, a job, and enough free time to feel semi-satisfied (would like five more hours of that though).

This has been a good year overall. I've made and maintained friendships. I became a State government employee, increasing my hours. I'll have removed 20 pounds and kept it off (the goal for winter is to maintain my weight). I've done things the "old me" would not have been willing to do. I'll have gone to multiple concerts. I had my most fun convention ever. I fell in love with Tales of Xillia. I had a girl my type attracted to me for the first time. I'll have moved out. All of this is contributing to a more positive me. I just hope these last three months don't U-turn it all downward, y'know? Scary thought, but... just gotta keep going. Hopefully, this will end up as a top-tier year in my life.

Only gaming last night was a little Xillia. The game is starting to get quite dull. They really dropped the ball on the Grade Shop this time - it makes an already easy game even easier. I'm playing on Unknown, using base-level weapons and armor (well, I upgraded a few so they all have the same level as Leia's default staff), and I'm having no problems with anything. To be honest... I liked Vesperia's way of carrying over the Devil's Arms but without kill counts, so they'd start out basic but get stronger as the game went on.

Yeah, so not much going on that's decent to talk about. Still somewhat restricted socially by this obnoxious cough. And by Survivor. And by fatigue from work. Going to dinner with my dad tonight, so that's something. Going to make plans for a lot of things! Need to find some stable indoor events that 1) won't have more children than adults, 2) won't have alcohol, and 3) are something in which I an interested. Not as easy as it sounds. With winter coming, there's a lot less going on Downtown... the Homecoming Parade is in two weeks but uh I can't think of anything else. When Daylight Wasting (winter) Time starts... yeah, that's going to be rough!
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Steps yesterday: 11,800. Today: 6000. 72,600 total, so TWELVE weeks in a row, which is insane!

Watching the game so just playing Sims since it's passive. I played a little Xillia earlier. And I got some much-needed rest.

I need to cook soon... let's see... that beef/bacon fried rice dish is still on the agenda. Deep-fried cookie dough balls is another (I'll need to bake the dough for two minutes so it stays in place). I am hungry just thinking about it...

Meh. Not much to report. This sinus crap has made it more difficult to manage my time, but I'm doing what I can.
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I got 5200 steps yesterday without leaving the house. Feels high and all, but I did walk around a lot. Would have gone out to do that but it was raining most of the day with varying severity. At times, there was this nasty amount of the light stuff. I can handle a drizzle, but if my vision is always misted... yeah, no. Supposed to be the same today. The heavy rain is the worst and if I ever see someone out running in that, I question their sanity. It's not healthy. Remember that William Henry Harrison died after being President for a month due to contracting pneumonia after giving a 8,947-word inauguration speech in the rain...

Gaming-wise, I mostly did Xian Du sidequesting in Xillia. A little more Sims as well. I am growing bored of Sims already once again. That tends to happen. I play for like 15 hours, get bored, come back a month or two later.

Life is boring right now. I largely blame my job for that. I also blame my envy that my boss is on vacation and I can't take any for two more months. The inability to take time off for an unreasonable amount of time (six months? Really? Should be three.) is having a dramatically negative impact on my workflow. It does not take rocket science to realize that overworking someone - and not even giving them a federal holiday like today off - will NOT produce more work. It will produce less due to fatigue, boredom, and misery. To make employees happy, you need to give them sufficient time for themselves. That's why people in first-world countries like Germany, Canada, and Australia tend to be happier than a second-world country (the undeveloping kind) like America. They get more work done in less time also because they're happier and less exhausted. I long to move to such a country.

Looking forward to the Phil Collins concert in two weeks. I have a plan to drive to O'Hare, get Giordano's there, and hop the L to the United Center. Anyone else seeing Phil this month?

Oh, and here's Something Happened on the Way to Heaven for ya:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vswLoSCNLlQ" data-time="

I don't think I did that one yet, anyway! But yeah, going to that concert will necessitate one of my remaining 3.5 personal days. Black Friday will use another. I'll be leaving work an hour early for Lindsey Stirling but making up that time the other days that week. This leaves me with 1.5 personal days, one of which I'll use the week I move out along with three days' vacation since my prodation ends that same week. I'll have to come in to work one day - that'll be Tuesday, when I won't even have to do any work because of the holiday party. No cookies, though. I'll be moving out, after all. No time for baking when I'm packing.

I wish there was more going on with me!
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Weight Loss:
Yesterday's step total was absolutely ridiculous - and that was by choice. I WANTED to get something mindblowing, in part because I started craving pizza and I can't have any on a fasting day. So I went ahead and got 20,100 steps total, thus allowing me to break my fast for dinner ^_^

Still had a smoothie in addition to one slice of pizza and a little snacking. I didn't want to overdo it. The intent of this incentive is to not overeat - I have to eat at home if I get 20K or walk all the way there (when I move, the conditions will the unchanged, however I'll need at least 16K total steps if I go with the "walk home" method). End result is that my weight is down from a day before. I need to control my stomach size and I will do that via portion control. Even though I'm going out for Pad Thai with my sister and her husband tonight.

Gaming:
Just 15 minutes of Xillia last night. I am going to give the Coliseum a second try. With the high-level armor and ridiculous kill count I have on Leia's Devil's Arm - never mind being level 47 - I should be able to take Beginner Single with ease. First time didn't go well because the game immobilized me. Largely due to the stupid "don't fall off the ledge" rule.

Australian Survivor 2017:
Another episode last night, the last before the merge. Still a incredible season even in its lesser episodes. Glad Odette left. She seems like a smart and amicable woman, but... she does not have a toolset to be adaptable in Survivor. She is a floater to the highest degree and only sought to vote with majority every time and baa like a sheep. She did not try to be adept socially. Her strategy was terrible TV and poor gameplay. She is no Queen Sandra in that regard - the Queen used "as long as it ain't me" to wondrous effects because of her ability to socially navigate the game. Sandra adjusted based on happenstance while controlling the flow of the game to only the extent she needed to, thus avoiding the target for the long haul. Odette meanwhile just went with the flow, always being a free agent with no control. Thus, she was a sheep who was fed to the wolves when she was no longer needed. Therefore, she's one of the duds this season alongside first boot Joan and whoever that Kate lady was. They could've cast any female powerhouse equivalent to Ziggy in that spot, really. This episode was pretty straightforward, with its best part being the epic showdown in the immunity challenge.

One thing my dad and I noted here was the level of sportsmanship that this Aussie cast exhibited. There were hugs and respect after the challenge, even Henry! Odette took her blindside in stride instead of being like "WHAT THE EFF?" in bitter fashion like some US contestants can be. I'd think Aussies would only be like that if it's a brutal blindside that they had absolutely no idea was coming - that's the only time it's forgivable, and only short-term. Human nature and whatnot. But overall, the Aussie casts seem to have better sportsmanship and that's probably due to a more amicable culture than the openly hostile one we have here.

Song of the Day:
Because I am really into this local group.

Sunspot - The Only Faith
https://sunspot.bandcamp.com/track/the-only-faith

You guys should check them out. Good rock music that's made by geeks for geeks (they're all about 40 y/o). A lot of paranormal, Medieval, and sci-fi stuff (they recorded a tribute to Scott Bakula, whose agent paid them to play it at Bakula's 50th birthday on the USS Enterprise).
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Steps totaled 11,500 yesterday - 36,800 total on the week - AND I did yoga! That said, with that + going to dinner with my sister, that made me have little time and energy. And for some ridiculous reason, my body is rousing me an hour earlier than it should. I can't let this happen given how Daylight Wasting Time (winter time) is going to start in a month. Then I'll start waking up at 4:30 am. GROSS!

I like to sleep 10:45 to 6:45 or so. I am a night owl because that's when I usually have my "me time" and think about things. The way to get this back on track is to trick my mind (fall back early? ew.) while exhausting myself sufficiently, I think. Oh, and taking that melatonin pill. Helps me stay asleep.

if you can't tell, I wish we could save daylight year-round. It's preferable to go home in the light when you're exhausted than for it to be light in the morning and dark at night. We should get rid of the winter side, not the summer one - else I might actually accept this 5:30 wake-up call...

Not much else to discuss right now. Survivor tonight. May have a little time/energy to game after that. I'm not really doing that much RHAP anymore for some reason...

Sigh... this seasonal change is really starting to cause a rut for whatever reason. I'm healthier than this time last year. But even so, I might need a sick day tomorrow just to recuperate. However, I have a LOT of work to do - stuff that won't get done if I don't get necessary rest. Gotta refill the tank to get anywhere, right? Better to do that than waste a day staring blankly into space. At the very least, I cleared 80,000 documents yesterday! That's in under 4 years - should get another 4K in two months to make it 21,000/year average. That's amazing considering how pathetic my year 1 total was. My average across the previous three is probably closer to 24,000 - where it should be.

Not much else to discuss. Anyone have things to chat about?
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My job is so boring right now. I have a feeling my productivity is about to plummet bigtime. Seasonal change causing allergy headaches + inability to take vacation for an unreasonably long amount of time (again, I get three months, but not six) + intimidating amount of paper to scan + general life fatigue = cruelty overwhelming me. I wish this country's work culture wasn't so fucked up, but I am powerless to change it. It's all controlled by politicians who are manipulated by money - ones who have lost sight of reality. Ones who are too used to the system to realize that the science supports a 34-hour work week for happier, healthier, and more productive employees. Why do you think Germany is so much more advanced than America? One reason is because people work harder there in less time, thus allowing them to have more time to dedicate to themselves, their health, and their families. Another is a first-world health care system. Things the US is slacking on. Germany has people who drink beer all the time - but they don't get drunk to drink away their problems. They have a beverage as part of a meal and keep it rationed appropriately. Because they are HAPPY.

No gaming last night. Survivor was good but the preview ruins it all. WHY ARE YOU SWAPPING? There's literally no reason to do that at this time other than to kill the season.

...not much else to talk about at this time.12,400 steps puts me to 49,200. Getting 80K won't be too hard provided I don't get an allergy issue. Which... I might. I am feeling it. And with this nippy wind and drastic sudden decrease in temperature... yeah. That said, I don't want to be selfish since things could be worse. I really feel bad for all the people whose lives are forever ruined because of Hurricane Michael, so my heart goes out to those affected.
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I had my most productive week at work ever due to the overwhelming demands of volume we received. Somehow, some way... I scanned 66 charts comprising a total of 830 documents and totaling 25" of paper. That is INSANE! I also caught roughly two dozen mistakes others made - ranging from an approval letter that wasn't supposed to be sent to misspelled names and things like that.

15,600 steps yesterday. 10,600 today. Puts the total to 75,400. Pretty damn impressive. Just 4400 to go to get that 80K for the last time in 2018. No way is that happening again with the weather that's coming. Just have to try to get 70K a week... even when I can't walk in the neighborhood due to ice.
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Meh. This topic really isn't doing much for me right now, but... bump.

(Yes I got the 80K last week, if you're wondering. 5900 today.)
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Steps yesterday: 14,100, putting my total to 20,000 even. Did yoga today, so a lower count is anticipated. Still going to go for 10K+ today.

No gaming last night due to watching the Brewers thump the Dodgers in the NLCS. And, as an added bonus, we got to watch the Packers come back to take down the 49ers! Why were they trailing against a bad team in the first place? But really, I don't usually care for the NFL anymore. That's been on a downward trajectory for the past few years but it really came to a head a year ago when Aaron went down.

And for some reason, I woke up at 5:30 again. WHY does my body do this? I need 8 hours, not just 7! It's going to be all wonky with Daylight Wasting time starting. I might not get much sleep for a while. I might go the #IWillNotFallBack route again this year. I should. We should save daylight year-round.

I am so bored. Work is so monotonous. I feel like I only post in this topic for that reason.

Hmm, could I maybe find some way to watch stuff at work? Would not be able to stream easily. Might have to buy a tablet, download videos to it, and watch them here while I bore myself with redundant work.

Siigh... why must my only current fulfillment be through work? Always seems to feel this way in October, once the leaves start rotting. (at least I'm finally getting to cook and possibly game tonight)
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So one thing that's worth noting - if I hadn't mentioned it is that, on Monday, I achieved a million steps in a span of three months. That counts yoga conversions, but still that's mighty damn impressive. It used to take me around four months. And when I first started this job, it took me eight. CRAZY how much progress I've made! I did only get 10,100 yesterday, but oh well. I still got five digits, did yoga, and am happy about that. That's not bad for October.

Slept better last night but because of that, it was hard getting up in the morning. I prefer that to not getting enough sleep. And frankly, I feel like going home early today. Might do that. For rest, for sanity, for increased productivity going forward. I haven't had a proper break in what seems like eons. Having a day to sleep in, drive to Chicago, eat Giordano's, see Phil Collins live, and get home after midnight... sounds really awesome. I wish I could take Tuesday off as well... at least I'll get an hour.

Gaming last night was just brief Xillia. Cooking:


That turned out brilliantly and deliciously. My mom wanted peas and/or carrots in there. I vetoed that. Would detract from this beauty. The bacon really adds a crispy, salty taste that you don't get from standard Asian grub. Basically, the ingredients for a two-person meal are:
1 bag of Uncle Ben's Minute Rice (I used Jasmine flavor)
2 strips of bacon
1/2 lb. cooked beef
6 sprigs of green onions, chopped
Soy sauce, to taste

I doubled it for 3 + leftovers. It was incredible. I cooked the bacon first, then put the beef in the same pan, drained the grease, then added the onions to mix. Rice went in the microwave. Then just toss it all in one bowl together. End result was delicious. Without the bacon, it'd have been boring.

Next up: Deep fried cookie dough. This weekend probably. I'll just use my homemade cookies for the base recipe. Bake a bunch of them, but save the rest for this.

Food is good.
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Survivor last night. Still hate the swap. Also hated how that was the most predictable boot edit in quite a while. Even though it made no sense strategically, I knew going in that Alec was a toolbox, so it didn't need to make sense. Only the edit did. There was no storyline for Elizabeth to be the boot here - there's plenty going on with her. No way is she getting any lower than 14th. Natalia only had one existing storyline - the battle against Natalie to be the HBIC with the same first six letters in her name. And her overt paranoia, the way she was portrayed, all that... it was set up for her to take the fall. And she did. The Tribal was glorious and all but I'd have liked it better had the edit set up a blindside. It was too obvious who was going. Going to miss looking at that one, though.

No gaming last night because of Survivor. Didn't watch the baseball game, either - and I'm glad I didn't based on the results. I am hoping the Brewers can win the next two games and defeat the classless Dodgers (especially that Machado thug) in consecutive blowouts. Would be delicious.

The leftover food was still pretty good. Still been losing weight. Step count yesterday was 11,100, putting my total on the week to 41,200. Below where I'd like to be, but not by THAT much. I need to get at least 12,800 today. Definitely can do that. I'm already over halfway to that. I haven't weighed myself in a few days but it was pretty amazing given how much I'd eaten. My metabolism is crazy good now. I just need to keep walking through winter to keep that up. Which is the hard part. It's not easy to walk in residential areas, outdoor malls (I don't get why they went that route), or by my work when it's so frigid out. It's worst in residential areas where homeowners are too preoccupied with their jobs to have time or energy to get rid of the ice on their sidewalk. I can empathize.

Not much else to talk about. I only get like 3 hours a day to myself due to the work culture in this country, the need for exercise, and the amount of sleep required. I wish I had twice that...
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13,500.

I rewatched Survivor last night, catching things I missed, particularly Mike telling Nick about Dan's idol, Dr. Alison refusing the immunity idol so Gabby could keep it, and Natalia tripping on her way out of Tribal. I also am annoyed by seeing the same beaches again and again on the show. Clearly, the orange beach is along the same stretch of island as Vanua/Tavua/Yawa/Malolo, the purple beach is Nuku/Heroes (those backwoods were a giveaway), and the Tiva (green) beach is Mana/Soko/Naviti.

After that rewatch, uh... I don't remember what I did. Sorry.

VERY happy to have Monday off, even if I'll be taking a day trip to Chicago for Phil Collins. I have logistics sorted out for Giordano's + taking the L from O'Hare. That's the most logical station for a return trip at 10:30 at night. If everything works out, I should be home around 1 am. Fingers crossed!
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13,999 steps yesterday. All I needed was 1300 today. I got it, of course. And then some. That makes it FOURTEEN straight weeks! Just a

The fried cookie dough was disastrous. I made myself sick. It did not turn out well - even though I did have a system that worked pretty well, so the mess to clean up wasn't as bad as it could have been. That's really all I had to say that wasn't a disaster, but alas, this won't be in my recipe book the way the fried rice dish is.

Also, Joe Buck sucks and has completely sapped my enjoyment from the NLCS with his monotone voice and extreme Dodger bias. Why they're trying to only talk from the perspective of the bad guys, I'll never understand. Have the Brewers tried to mow down someone trying to take them out and/or intentionally injure them if they got out? Have the Brewers constantly slammed their bats into the ground like babies? Have the Brewers mocked the other team's celebratory gestures? Didn't think so. And yet... all he talks about is how great the Dodgers are no matter who is up to bat. PLEASE.

...I'm going to game instead.
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Just for a note to myself here...
The omelet, the noodle dish, and the fried rice can all be added to a recipe book.
(Obviously, the deep-fried cookie dough is not a do again, seeing as it made me sick last night.)

Next up: A pulled pork grilled cheese sandwich. I bought some pulled pork at the store - I don't have the time to be making sure my oven doesn't start on fire for 6+ hours.

...I took care of some things today because concert tomorrow. Played some A Hat in Time (that games never gets old). And vegetated some, too.

Will tell all zero of my readers about the concert come Tuesday. I'm more concerned with getting home by 1:30 as I'd planned... and immediately going to bed. Also, deep dish pizza, yes.

Oh yeah, step total today: 4600. Not too shabby.
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Step count yesterday was 13,200 - got plenty with going to Chicago and whatnot.

The concert was amazing. My mom tried to prevent me from enjoying it by injecting excessive paranoia into me - she was more concerned with me being watchful than actually watching the concert. Sucks that my mom is such a toxic person, but once I move out, I won't have much of a relationship with her anymore. Good riddance!

Anyway, I don't think anyone cares about this topic anymore so tbqh I'm probably just going to let it go. Oh wellz.
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Last chance for someone to pretend they care! (srlsy)
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