I love my new bed It is so so comfortable, why did I wait so long. Sleep is a key 2008 goal, so why am I typing this at 3am, after going to bed around 10pm.
This is the problem, I have had such a terrible night sleeping tonight, probably the worse in some time, and I sleep poorly in general. I’m so so tired, but I can’t get to sleep, even Unisom didn’t help tonight.
It’s a 2008 goal, but I can’t survive another few weeks at this pace.
Today I got a delivery at my new location, a bed. One key goal of 2008 is to improve my sleep and a good new bed is a start.
Apart from thinking now that a queen was not a good idea, a double may have been better for space, but it’s done. I can finish unpacking and maybe re arranging but I’ve got all I need now for a comfortable room of my own stuff. Later this year, all I need is my own place and I’ll be truly a NY transplant.
Diary: Sat Jan 12th 2008
I had the need to really get out last night, had some last minute canceled plans, so I headed over to Meetup and checkout today’s NY Events. I found a group I thought would be great, a social meetup of people, and there were meeting at Zanizibar, a lounge/bar/restaurant close by.
It was actually a new group, the first event and it was an excellent evening of meeting a number of new people. A clear goal here in New York to find people to do stuff with, be it just talking, walking, viewing or eating. A few of us then headed over to China Club. Not my idea, and I’m not a nightclub person, and I needed some convincing but my mantra is “Life is Short. Live Life. Life is an Adventure”. You have to go with the flow. A mix up with others that got in “on the list” before two of us, a cover charge, a mandatory coat check and charge, expensive drinks and lots of loud music I’ve never heard, a lot of people wanting to show off their wears confirmed it’s not really my scene, but it was interesting observing people. I had a lot of fun dancing, didn’t quite get to see much of the fashion show due to people in front of me. Yes, runaway & models in the middle of a nightclub.
However the best part of the night, being able to walk home 10 city blocks, about 1/2 a mile. Priceless.
I wrote my 2007 Looking Back just before the end of 2007, and yet one of my biggest goals of 2007 was achieved with 2 days remaining. I’ve finally moved into Manhattan, on the corner of 34th Street and 9th Avenue, downtown central Manhattan, it actually has the first zip code of Manhattan 10001.
I am 8 city streets (less then 1/2 mile) from Time Square, two blocks from Madison Square Garden, which is also Penn Station (direct trains to both JFK and Newark airports) and I have Macy’s a few blocks down just to start. The subway starts at the end of the block.
A 2007 goal I’m glad to say I achieved. I’m also clearly more focussed this year to make my 2008 goals happen.
Diary: 31st December 2007
A review of 2007.
Archievements? — 1 year at my new job. Space Shuttle Launch. 4th July Fireworks. Taking a flying lesson.
Best Thing since sliced bread? — Custom ear plugs ~ $50 - priceless.
New Places Visited? — Too many to list. From Cedar Rapids, St Louis, Chicago, Boston, L.A., S.F, Orlando, to Burlington.
New Countries Visited? — Grenada.
Overseas this year? — Canada (Montreal Jan for work, Whistler Dec for skiing), Grenada (Mar for World Cricket Cup), Australia (May for my fathers Heavy Horse Day).
New Person that has most impacted my life? — Meg.
Biggest Regret? — No yet getting an apartment in downtown Manhattan.
Favorite Photographic location? — Washington DC. postcards, photos, 1, 2, 3.
Most significant photographic event? — 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial
Somethings new? — Taking up tennis, Opera, Ethiopian Food. Broadway show.
Skiing? — Killington, Vermont (2x), Hunter, New York State, Whistler, Canada.
Greatest pain? — My identity questioned????? Other noted events included Credit Card Fraud, Almost not getting into Grenada due to new visa requirements, a visit to hospital via ambulance. Some horror flying stories (nothing life threating)
Purchases? — Canon 40D & 50mm F1.4 Lens , iPhone , MacBook
Other Enjoying writing from blogging to poetry.
Flying?I fly every week, about 100,000 miles this year. I’ve managed 6 canceled flights and overnight stays in Houston and Charlotte due to. No lost luggage, but I’ve learned the art of carry on luggage for most travel. The best airline is clearly JetBlue (I wish I could fly them more), just a few days ago a flight landed a full 30 minutes early (SF to JFK). I would have had 3 or more JetBlue flights arrive early.
Identifying Goals? A clear sense of my next two professional goals.
Happy moments? Seeking my very close Australian Friends Tino & Sylvia and their children Amy, Daniel and Kathlyn.
On impluse? Space Shuttle Launch, Live Earth.
New Friends?George, James, Jillian, Katie, Hillary, Marc S, Marc M, Kara, Kynan & Shona, Leslie, Seth, Taso, PJ, Caroline, Meg. Quality time with older friends including Frank & Michelle, Jay, Baron, Mary M.
Diary: 1st January 2008
2008 New Year’s Resolution List
My 8 Goals
Weight
Sleep
Feet
Fitness
Network
Career
Love
Travel
I make my list public because I want to be accountable for my actions or lack there of this year.
1. Weight - My goal is to lose weight. If I fail at all other goals, this is the single pursuit I refuse to fail at. This is difficult with a traveling lifestyle, however getting into Manhattan and within minutes of fitness locations will make a big impact. I’ve started playing Tennis this year, something I’ll be pursuing more, along with more skiing this winter.
2. Sleep - Those that know me, know I sleep poorly. This is not new, in fact something I’ve dealt with for 15 years. Countless different approaches and different drugs have all failed to deliver that ideal I seek; to wake after sleeping without interruption and to feel alert and alive. My friend Anthony has challenged me to get a sleep test this year, something I will be doing. I’ll be revisiting approaches, I know the single greatest thing of 2007 was my custom ear plugs, this has helped greatly in mornings when awoken to get back to sleep, when previously any noise would keep me from this.
3. Feet - The soles of my feet ache. Sometimes worse then others. An increase in sports the past few months has had me trying different insoles but I still have symptoms. Skiing this past week has been a nightmare, my feet unable to take it. At the end of day 1, I got custom fitted insoles, with a hope this will stop the severe cramps I was getting. While these subsided, constant discomfort quite simply made my experience unpleasant.
4. Fitness - While loosing weight is key, my general fitness is far from where it has been previously, even as most recently as arriving in Nov 2006 when I was exercising daily, an hour not a chore but enjoyment. My work again makes this challenge difficult, organized sport not possible, however I will not let this excuse stop me.
5. Network - I wanted this past year to build my network significantly, to meet key people (CEO,CTO,CIO etc) and to build my network outside of my key profession, into areas such as marketing, finance, sales etc. While I’ve certainly improved my network within my profession, within my core expertise, this doesn’t get to the professional goals. Possibly the greatest event this year was The Hatchery, something I will be continuing next year.
6. Career - I have in recent months got both clarity, a heighten desire, and a sense of urgency to reach a number of professional goals. My current position neither satisfies this now, nor will. There are a number of obstacles here, the most significant, and constant bane, the inability to work freely without a visa tied to a specific employer.
7. Love - I can’t be satisfied with believing that I will not expect to meet anybody again. I’ve lived with this pursuit of my own doing, due to past events but my joy with friends stops and them I’m alone. I don’t want to live this way, I want more.
8. Travel - While I have such a strong desire to travel, to so many places I’ve actually not traveled this past year at certain points because I’ve had nobody to travel with. I finally organized travel last month with a friend, and fate and weather ruined it, with only me making the destination. I was most saddened that such a great opportunity and goal, ended in a disaster. I have places I want to visit, but I’m not interested in doing it myself, a conundrum to overcome.
It’s 2008, it’s already started, we all only have 366 days to make 2008 a year to remember, and I’ve already started.
