What Revolution Do You Want to Lead

Umm...the Rebel Alliance against the Empire? Or the revolution against the impending zombie apocalypse? Oh I know, the revolution against the One Ring of Power and its dark lord? How come every time I think of "revolution" I think of some battle where the odds are stacked against a hero but the hero still finds a way to come out triumphant?

Okay so a revolution doesn't have to be an actual battle or war. Basically speaking, a revolution is some kind of social change (or one rotation for you science people). So what social change do I want to be at the forefront of? I have no idea...

The only thing that comes to mind is being at the forefront of the ebook revolution. The way people are accessing books is changing and it won't be surprising if print books disappear in the future. It makes sense. Ebooks are cheaper to produce, cheaper to distribute, eReaders can carry dozens of books at a time in a single eReading device, and interactive features can be imbedded in an ebook to offer a more immersive experience. Imagine a book that comes with it's own soundtrack that fits the specific page you're on. Or a book that links to a character's (real or fiction) social media page. What if a self-help book connects you to people in your community willing to help you out. Furthermore eReaders are becoming much more user-friendly and will get to a place where the screen will do zero damage to your eyes. I want my stories to lead the migration from print to digital books.

What Difference Do You Want to Make?

That's a tough question for me. I don't think about this one enough and when I do I definitely overthink it. Let's try this approach...

I'm a storyteller and my most effective means of communicating is through writing. So I ask myself, what difference can a writer make? I'm no activist so spreading a message about some kind of political or social change movement is not where I want to go. I'm a creative writer, not too interested in the critical aspect of things, so high praise from literary critics doesn't hold much interest to me. I really enjoy reading fiction and hope that the stories I create will inspire a level emotional connection with characters and the same intrigue with plot development that I experience with a good book. Sometimes I experience more emotion through reading than I do in day to day life. Stories of real people and new ideas captivate me and cause me to pause and think "hmm, that's interesting. How do I feel about this?" I would also like to present/share ideas that gives people a new perspective to consider about things new and old.

Okay, so after thinking it through a little I guess I want to stir up dormant emotions and serve as a cerebral flint-strike which sparks new ideas.

What's Your Elevator Pitch?

And the question is:
"So what do you do?" - such a tough question because I'm tempted to answer with what I do to make a living (aka my job). Come to think of it, I've never really answered this question with something other than my job, probably because most people I come across ask "where do you work" instead of "what do you do?" But my job is what I do to make money, it's not what I do so this is a new thing for me. Time to give it a shot:

I'm a storyteller. I really like sharing my ideas and the ideas of others in the hope that people find them useful.
I could end the pitch there or I could add in the following:
Reading a good book is one of my favorite hobbies and I hope that one day the stories I create will connect with readers as well.

If they ask what kind of ideas do you share?

A wide range of topics but my favorites are about personal finance and physical fitness. They seem a little unrelated but in my experience the two really seem to tie together. When there's less stress about money people tend to be healthier overall. Do you find that to be true?

If they ask what are some of your favorite books?

I really like The Hobbit. But to be honest my favorite genre would have to be children's books like Harry Potter and The Rangers Apprentice. I especially like the work Rick Riordan does, he's the one who wrote The Lightning Thief. Riordan has a way of telling a fun story that also teaches readers about mythology.

31 by 31 Results

I set 31 goals to accomplish by my 31st birthday. How'd I do? Not too good! I chose to leave these goals alone last January when I was introduced to Dave Ramsey and began following his plan for personal finance. Basically, most of my goals were replaced by my pursuit to become debt free. In the long run, I think it will be worth it.

Regardless, here's a breakdown of how each goal went:

1. Get my book, Hunters - Rising, published in print. Currently it's a free ebook available here - Didn't do this one, mostly because I'm playing around with some changes to the main character and haven't decided what to do with him.
2. ePublish another book - Didn't do this one
3. Enhance my book, Hunters - Rising. Still working on this. I have a map drawn up so I guess this goal was 50% finished...which is still an F
4. Donate to charity - I guess this depends on how you define "charity." Does offering people advice count? How's about gifts to people and friends? Or is it about donating money to a cause? When I wrote this goal I meant donating money to a cause, so in that sense I did not complete the goal.
5. Get involved with a group, whether it be online or in person - Did this one. I am a part of the BJJ Life blogging group.
6. Contribute to Wikipedia - Did not do this either. 
7. Adopt a tsunami siren - Didn't even look into it
8. Read “Aspects of a Novel” by E.M. Forster - did not read it, though I did read several other books
9. Create and print a business card for myself - Did not look into it
10. Teach somebody a skill - I've taught some people how to budget themselves, I gave a few swimming lessons, and I helped a friend build a resume.
11. Volunteer - Failed
12. Drink something from the top shelf - I had a shot of some fancy tequila 
13. Live each month on a budget - I budget myself every month and stick to it 
14. Read an author recommended book - Yes, I read the book Start by Jon Acuff, recommended by Dave Ramsey who is a New York Times best-selling author.
15. Read a book about somebody great - I've read several things about Dave Ramsey, the guy is pretty great!
16. Surf a wave - Nope, didn't try.
17. Mix a tropical fruit inspired cocktail - I'm pretty sure I did this one using some kind of guava juice but I don't remember exactly what the drink was
18. Win a medal in a jiu-jitsu competition - Nope, I didn't compete this past year
19. Set a personal record in this year's Great Aloha Run - Nope, I injured my ankle a few months before the race and wasn't able to train at all. Although I am shooting for a personal record this year.
20. Go star gazing, find the Southern Cross or some other constellation - Yep, did this one on Kauai where the sky is nice and dark
21. Win a jiu-jitsu match in competition by submission - Didn't compete...
22. Write for a magazine or newspaper - Still in the works...so another unaccomplished goal
23. Do an obstacle run (Warrior Dash, Spartan Race, or similar) for time - Did not do this
24. See a 20+ foot wave - I missed the big wave days at the beach. I did see a line of kids get mowed down by some 12-footers though, that was pretty funny.
25. Eat pancakes from Boots and Kimo - Check, I ate them and they are very much overrated.
26. Cook a seafood dish - I did not do this.
27. Read a book by William Faulkner - I was too busy reading other things, so no.
28. Read a book of poetry by Billy Collins - I read some of his work, it's really good even if you're not into poetry. He doesn't use overly artsy language, it's pretty easy to follow.
29. Decorate my place with at least 3 pieces of art - I have a photo of a Van Gogh, a map of Middle Earth, and a poster of a zombie riddled with bullet holes (it was a target from a gun range), a piece of Hawaiian art, and a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge decorating my place. 
30. Read a grammar handbook - Did not do these thing...can't ya tell?
31. Draft Hunters 2 - It is in the works

What's One Thing You're Proud Of?

Writing an ebook. I spent almost 3 years writing, editting, erasing, re-writing, and researching that book. What I'm most proud of is actually meeting the deadline I set for myself. I wanted to publish the book before I turned 30 and I published it online through Smashwords a few weeks before I turned 30.

Writing a book was both fun and grueling. Creating the story and getting into the heads of my characters was really fun. Making sure all the events in the story were aligned with the central theme was also fun. Even crafting it in a way so that it can be a simple fun read or a critical read if you want to dig into it was pretty enjoyable. What was grueling was the editting. Making sure everything was written in the proper tense was tough, and I'm sure there are still plenty of errors I missed. I found a ton of typos too. I had to keep reminding myself that there's a difference between a good compositional writer and a good creative writer. I'm definitely on the creative side.

The book is called Hunters: Rising. It's the first in the Hunters series and is available to download here. The second book is in the making. I'm also playing around with a revision of the first book.

What Do People Thank Me For?

Holding the door open. I hear 'thank you' a lot for that. Giving a good effort when sparring. That's a cool one I get during jiu-jitsu training. We'll go at it trying to rip each other's limbs off or choke each other into unconsciousness and when time is up we thank each other for it. Sort of a reminder that we're actually helping each other get better and not actually trying hurt each other. Let's see, what else...

I get thanked by co-workers when helping them write a document, correspondence letter, or email. I've been thanked by friends for helping them write resumes. I've been thanked by family memebers for gifts. I've been thanked by friends for sending them chocolates from my family's shop. I've been thanked by my family for gathering honest customer feedback about their shop.

Hmm...what else. I've been thanked for sharing workout routines. I've been thanked for sharing running tips, teaching people how to swim, and for organizing outings with friends. I've also been thanked for saying thank you. This one probably happens most often because of the office environment I work in. It's courteous to say 'thank you' after each interaction and the most common reply is another 'thank you'. Funny how that works.

What Really Makes Me Angry About the World

All righty, I'm doing a blog challenge where I'm given some topics to write about. This is the first one. What makes me angry about the world? Tough for me to answer becuase I'm not an angry person. I guess what gets me is lack of grip strength. It sucks. I'll be lifting weights at the gym and my grip will tire out before the rest of me gets tired. It's especially irritating when going from deadlifts to bent-over barbell rows. My grip is so burned out after deadlifting that there's no gas left in my fingers or forearms to even hold onto the bar anymore. I can barely do a barbell row. And then pullups?? Forget that! I'd probably flop to the floor if I even tried. How am I supposed to get a stronger back when I struggle to hold what should be a light weight? And how am I supposed to have a firm handshake when I can barely squeeze a ripe avocado? Lack of grip strength...it's a curse.

Vacation on a Budget

Some of you may have picked up that I recently went on two trips. One to Kauai and another to Las Vegas. Only a few of you know that I am working to get out of debt by living on a budget and cutting things out of my lifestyle. Now there's probably a question in your head. How did you manage to go on two trips within the span of one month while on a budget?

Good question, I'll explain.

The first trip to Kauai was for a friend's wedding. As soon as the wedding was announced I immediately adjusted my budget to save up for it. That's the short answer. What I really did was figure out how much it would cost me to go and do the things I wanted to do there. Now for me, traveling from Oahu to Kauai isn't too difficult because my family lives there. No need for a hotel, no need to rent a car. Makes things a little easier. I do have to get there though so I went online and found how much the flight would cost. Luckily, I discovered I had enough reward points (aka Hawaiian Miles) to get some complimentary plane tickets. So far it would cost $0. A great start!

I'm not going to Kauai and sit around for a couple days, especially since it was my girlfriend's first time to the island. We gotta get out and see the island, do some things, eat some food, and all that good stuff. I thought of some things we could do: go to the beach, ride a zip line, snorkel, hike, go on a boat tour, maybe a helicopter tour. I found out how much those things cost and immediately ruled out boat and helicopter tours (really expensive...and I get seasick). I really wanted to do a zip line although it was a little pricey but I included it in the plan anyway. The other things are pretty cheap so that wasn't a problem. Then I budgeted for food. I thought of a few places we could eat and figured how much it would cost. About $25 at one place, $30 at another, and so on. I added everything up and figured it would cost about $350 to do everything, which includes getting a wedding gift.

There was 6 months until the wedding, I would need to save about $59 a month. Not bad, right? Then I looked at my monthly budget. There was no room for $59. I can't neglect feeding myself, paying bills, and paying down my debt. A quick note here, saving for vacation does not come before paying down debt. So what did I do? I spent less on groceries, I spent less on fun things like movies and happy hour, and I decided not to put money away to get new clothes and shoes later on. Sounds like I cut back a lot, but my budget is really tight and I was only able to free up $40 a month. Not enough to do everything I wanted to do, so I had to take zip lining out of the plan. I stuck to my budget and took $240 with me to Kauai. It was enough to go to a few beaches, get a wedding gift, and eat out without worrying about the bill. It was an awesome trip.

Now with my budget being so tight you may be asking something. How did you have any $$ to go to Vegas just a few weeks later?

Excellent question, and the honest answer is a bit of a cheat because I didn't have any money. What I do have is a wonderful girlfriend who paid for most of it. She got some very good deals that made the trip really cheap and she wanted me to go with her. Who am I to say no? I still had to bring some money for myself so here's what I did. Any time there was money left at the of the month, it got saved for Vegas. After the Kauai trip I adjusted my monthly budget so that everything I was saving for Kauai now went toward Vegas. What I usually budget for entertainment all went toward Vegas. I also managed to lower my car insurance bill and put the difference toward Vegas. In all I scraped up $300 for Vegas. I used it to buy gifts, gamble, and eat a few things. Again, note that I didn't pay any less toward my debt during this time.

In a nutshell, I was only able to go on two trips because of support from my family and girlfriend. They're really awesome like that and I'm very grateful for them. Now there may be another question in your head. That's really great for you but why does that matter to me?

Good question, here's the point. You see, I didn't ask for their help but they all know I live on a budget and they support me for it. That made them more inclined to help me out. When you stick to something and the people around you support you, they will offer their help. Whether you live by a certain principle or you're working toward achieving a goal, let people know. Those who care will naturally want to help you out.

Is it Personal, or Finance?

A couple weeks ago I asked a question: Consider the phrase "personal finance," what part is more important, the "personal" part or the "finance" part?

There were no responses, probably because I posted the question on Mother's Day, but I thought about it a lot and decided to write a quick blog to share my thoughts. To me, the "personal" part is more important. It's the first word you read and you usually put your best foot forward. But more so because taking control of your finances gets personal. It forces you to realistically look at how you handle your money. Do you overspend on clothes? Gym memberships? Beer? Restaurants? Movie tickets? Do you underspend on savings? Investments? College funds? It forces you to get real with your spending habits and behavior.

Then comes the part where you realize what needs to be different in order to get to a better place, financially speaking. And really, when you think about it, changing your spending habits means changing what you do. I mean, if you decide to spend less money at the bar then you're probably not going to the bar as much.

Behind all that, the "finance" part feels secondary. It deals with your money, your income, and outgo (aka spending), which is important but it's guided by how you handle it. How much do you bring in and how much you let go out. It's easier to pay more attention to the 'finance' part because it's easy to measure. All you have to do is see how much is left in the bank. It's much harder to measure if what was spent was spent wisely and well. That's the "personal" part. And it controls everything.

5 Day Veg - Motivations

Ok, so what made me want to try this diet? It all started with the documentary Forks Over Knives. The film documented the benefits of a plant based diet and highlighted some downfalls of a diet that has a high meat intake, which was dubbed a “western diet.” What got my attention the most was a chart showing the results of a study which surveyed the rate of heart disease in relation to the amount of meat consumed across several countries. The study showed a pretty convincing correlation. Countries that consume a lot of meat, like the US and Russia, have high rates of heart disease among their population. Countries with low meat consumption have low rates of heart disease. This caught my attention because my family has a history of heart disease, and we eat a lot of meat.

I used to make it a point to have a source of protein in every meal. And by protein I mean animal product of some sort. An egg at breakfast, turkey or chicken at lunch, beef or chicken at dinner. Add on top of that a bunch of cheese and my meals consisted of mostly animals. It wasn't very balanced, and I've been learning it's also not very healthy...at all.

Something I learned from Forks Over Knives, which I actually knew all along, is that there are other good sources of protein like beans, nuts, and seeds. So why not swap out meat for beans every now and then?

Another convincing story from Forks Over Knives was the remission of cancers and diseases when people changed from a western diet to a plant-based diet. The theory is that the human body naturally wants to heal itself, it just need the proper nutrients to do so. Therefore, eliminate the animal products, which are typically low in nutrients but high in calories, and introduce a variety of plant foods and whole grains which are high in nutrients and low in calories. Overall, the people studied lost weight, normalized their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and were taken off of all their prescription medications used to treat those things. And it went beyond that. One story that stood out was of an older woman who was given 3 months to live due to cancer and she was put on a plant-based diet and lived for several more years. The cancer went away. No surgery, no chemo therapy. Food saved her life in a matter of months.

So what to do now? Drop everything and become a vegan? The film was painting a picture that meat is bad. It was saying that any food product derived from an animal is bad. I don't believe that though.

People have been eating meat throughout history. It's a natural thing. But then after thinking about it a while, I doubt the meat we eat today is anything like the meat our ancestors ate. Back in the hunter-gatherer days animals were hunted or trapped. And hunts couldn't have been successful all the time. Take a cheetah for example, they are the most efficient hunter of the big cats and their success rate is about 50%. I doubt a human without a gun could match that. My point is that meat couldn't have been abundant throughout the majority of human evolution. It would have been scarce. Also, it was wild meat. Nowadays meat is farmed as livestock and processed from birth to sale. It's just not the same today in quality and quantity. But still, I don't think it's unnatural to eat meat. I just think we're eating too much.

Ok now what? I learned how beneficial a plant-based diet is and how detrimental the western diet is but I don't believe cutting out meat altogether is necessary. It's so conflicting...

Then I came across a TED Talk given by somebody in my exact position. He loves eating meat, doesn't think it's bad when consumed in moderation, but wants to reap the benefits of a plant-based diet. He came up with the 5-Day Veg idea. He didn't eat any animal products for 5 days of the week, and went back to his regular western-diet for the other 2 days. He lost weight, his blood pressure and cholesterol levels improved and he generally felt better. I had found something I was willing to try.

 

That's the path that brought me to this 5-Day Veg diet. My goal is to increase the amount and variety of nutrients I eat and lower my meat consumption. I'm hoping that doing a 5-Day Veg diet for a short period of time will have a long-term impact on the way I eat...in a positive way, of course.

Non-Existent Credit Score: Good or Bad?

A little over a week ago I posted a question: Why would it be beneficial or detrimental to have a non-existent credit score? Only a few replied with responses like 'no credit is better than bad credit.' Another response was 'it's not beneficial' while another person put it very simply that 'without a credit score you can't borrow but you don't have any debt.' All are good responses. Now it's my turn. Here's my take.

I've recently finished taking an online course on personal finance and learned a little bit about credit, debt, basic investing, and personal budgeting. One of the more surprising things I learned was about credit scores, how they're calculated and what they mean. Basically, a credit score is a measurement of different factors to predict how risky it would be to loan you money. In other words, lenders want to know if you're given money you'll pay it back. Some of those factors include how much debt you have, how long you've had it, if you've been looking to get any new loans recently, and how reliably you make your payments.

 

There's one common factor in these things: debt. The better you are at managing debt, the more likely you'll be able to get loans...and more debt.

 

Now if you have zero debt, you won't have a credit score. It just can't be calculated. Some lenders won't give you a loan without a score, but theoretically, if you don't have any debt you should be able to save up your money to buy what you want. You won't need a loan for pretty much anything less than a house. It'll take a little time but you could save up enough money to buy a car, go on vacation, get whatever toys you like a lot quicker if you have no debt. No loan needed, no credit score needed.

 

But what about that house? How do you get a mortgage without a credit score? Most banks won't because they've grown so used to using a credit score. But credit scores haven't been around forever. They've only been around for maybe 40-50 years and people have been taking out mortgage loans way longer than that. You just need to find a bank that will do a no-credit loan and they'll determine your risk through a process called manual underwriting. Basically, the lender looks into your financial situation, your income, and so on to determine your level of risk.

 

Ok so credit scores really aren't needed. The score just makes applying for loans more convenient. After learning those things and tumbling it around in my head for a while, I now fall on the side that a non-existent credit score is more beneficial than detrimental. For one, I'll have no debt. No bills outside of living necessities and I'll get to keep a good portion of the money I earn. And keeping my money sounds more appealing than sending it away every month.

 

The downside to not having a credit score? You won't be able to borrow money or buy services that rely on credit checks as easily. But the way I figure, if I have to purchase something that relies on a credit check (like cable TV, or renting an apartment) I'll have some negotiating power because I could make a real cash offer. Tell me I can't buy cable when waving $800 in front of your face and I say you're an idiot. As for borrowing money, I'd just have to look around for a bank that isn't lazy.

All in all, I don't put much stock into credit scores anymore because they're directly related to debt. My goal is to get out of debt and get to a point where I won't need a loan. I mean, rich people don't carry debt or worry about credit scores. Maybe if I act like a rich person does, one day I'll be one too.

5 Day Veg - An Update

Last week I stared longingly at a malasada.

Last weekend I struggled to not gorge on meat and cakes.

Last Monday, I salivated over the thought of beef jerky.

Last night I ordered a veggie burger for the very first time. It was so difficult I could barely get the words out.

I hope I last...

Veg Diet - 1 Week In

Ok so far this diet is not fun. It's been a struggle to cut meat, dairy, meat, butter, and meat out of my diet. I've mostly been eating salads, veggie tacos, pasta, and fruits. I was concerned that cutting meat out of meals would leave me starving but I haven't been overly hungry. But I don't really feel all that satisfied either. After a large salad or a few veggie tacos I won't feel full but I just feel tired of eating. I wonder if that's what it's like to be “content” after a meal?

It's not like eating veggies itself has been rough, it's more like I just miss eating meat. Kind of like how you might miss going on a daily run, or miss solving a morning crossword puzzle. There aren't any cravings for it, it's just that meals aren't the same.

There were a few challenges in the week. First was the snack table at work. Several bags of chips appeared along with a bag of fun-sized strawberry flavored 3-Musketeers. They looked really good. But when I checked the ingredients the chips contained cheese and the 3-Musketeers contained butter. Both were not part of the veg diet.

Next was the pizza somebody at work brought for lunch. It smelled so good. I caught myself basking in the aroma of it as I slowly walked by. It was pepperoni and cheese. So good...

Then Friday came, which was Valentines Day. Somebody brought in ice cream to work and set up an ice cream bar. Dairy, couldn't have any of it. Then the poi malasadas showed up (I love those things) with banana cream pie and some kind of blueberry cream pie. All likely made with butter. Had to pass on all of them. So I stayed at my desk and snacked on almonds. Just one more day and I can have some of that...

I slipped up at Starbucks. Feeling hungry from a long day at work I browsed for a sandwich to eat. All of them had meat except for the spinach, tomato, pesto, and mozzarella. I got it, ate it, then later realized I ate cheese. Dang it! Gotta remember all animal products are off limits Monday-Friday.

Real quick, thanks to those who sent words of encouragement and veggie recipes. I'll be trying some of them out in the coming week.

5-Day Veg Diet - Giving it a Shot

In my never-ending quest to be healthier I've recently learned about the overwhelming health benefits to having a plant-based diet. Plant-based? Is that like some kind of vegan thing? Yep! Basically, eat plants, fruits, whole grains, and avoid anything that comes from an animal. That means no meat, no dairy, none of the things that I really enjoy eating and taste really good. Man, that sounds rough...

Being honest with myself there's no way I could have a completely plant-based diet. I love pizza and steak too much to give it up. Then I heard about this 5-Day Veg thing. Maintain a plant-based eating routine for 5 days of the week and eat like normal the other 2 days. Okay that doesn't sound as bad. I can give this one a shot. But still, it's gonna be rough...

It began last Wednesday, and I'll be honest I felt sad on Tuesday night while chopping up a salad for lunch the next day. Never thought I'd miss a turkey sandwich so much. But my greatest challenge was yet to come: dinner.

What do I eat at night? Another salad? I don't think so! I had to surf online for some veggie dishes that were within my skill to prepare. I ended up cooking a mix of potatoes, kale, garlic, onions, and quinoa served over brown rice. Sounds disgustingly healthy. It tastes not too bad after using some seasonings. It's tolerable. I guess...

The plan is to try this 5-Day Veg thing for one month. Plant-based eating Monday through Friday, and go back to my normal diet on the weekends. I'm curious to see what changes come out of it. If my weight changes, my attitude toward eating changes, my ability to cook, energy levels. I'm even curious to see how it affects my budget. I'll be blogging about all of these and more over the next month. Please follow along, I'll need the help and encouragement.

31-By-31 New Year Update

Happy New Year everybody! Yeah, it's a few weeks gone by already but better late than never. Figured I'd make the first blog of the new year about the goals I set for myself and how I'm doing on them. Oh, and I changed one of the goals too. So much to do...

1. Get my book, Hunters - Rising, published in print. Currently it's a free ebook available here I've determined that I do not want to self-publish to get it in print. That means doing it the old fashioned way and sending it off to publishers and/or agents. However, I will need to finish goal #3 before I can get started on this one.
2. ePublish another book. Not necessarily Hunters 2 (although it would be awesome if I finish it that quickly) but any book. I got something in mind that will probably take a month or two to put together. Just need to get started...
3. Enhance my book, Hunters - Rising. It's been edited by a couple people (really appreciate it!) and I'm currently working on a few more things. I want to add more depth and background to the characters and I'm drawing a map.
4. Donate to charity...on my own, not through work - I'm thinking something related to education, medicine, or Wounded Warriors.
5. Get involved with a group, whether it be online or in person - I was recently invited to join the BJJ Life Blog Team. I've submitted my first blog to them and am waiting for it to be edited and published online
6. Contribute to Wikipedia - What can I add to it...should I be serious or satirical??
7. Adopt a tsunami siren - Gotta get on this one
8. Read “Aspects of a Novel” by E.M. Forster. It's a book recommended by James Franco, yes the same James Franco from the movies. He recommended it on a radio show I heard.
9. Create and print a business card for myself - Gotta get on this one
10. Teach somebody a skill - I've taught a few jiu-jitsu techniques but what I really have in mind here is teaching my girlfriend how to swim.
11. Volunteer. On my own, not through work - Gotta get on this one too
12. Drink something from the top shelf (hey, it wouldn't be me if there wasn't a liquor related goal would it?) - I had a shot of some fancy tequila with my brother a couple months ago. Forgot what the label was though...
13. Read a classic - Ok I'm changing this goal. New goal is: Live each month on a budget. Yep, it's time to get my money handling under control, pay down debt, and save up for that whole “life” thing I keep hearing about.
14. Read an author recommended book. It'd be interesting to see what my favorite authors read.
15. Read a book about somebody great. Biography, autobiography...either works
16. Surf a wave - There was a super swell this past week with waves reported at 50 feet. Yeah, I'll wait until they settle down to 1-2 feet, living is preferable.
17. Mix a tropical fruit inspired cocktail (hey, another liquor-related goal!) - Gotta get on this one
18. Win a medal in a jiu-jitsu competition - I haven't entered any competitions yet.
19. Set a personal record in this year's Great Aloha Run - Ok this one is definitely not happening. I injured my ankle a month ago and currently I'm getting over a flu. Haven't been able to train at all.
20. Go star gazing, find the Southern Cross or some other constellation - Gotta do this one
21. Win a jiu-jitsu match in competition by submission - No competitions yet.
22. Write for a magazine or newspaper - Gotta get on this
23. Do an obstacle run (Warrior Dash, Spartan Race, or similar) for time. The prices of these things keeps increasing but it would still be fun.
24. See a 20+ foot wave. As mentioned earlier, there was a super swell this past week with 50 foot waves. But I had the flu and couldn't leave home. Hopefully there will be another swell soon.
25. Eat pancakes from Boots and Kimo - A friend told me a good time to go is in the afternoon around 2pm. I have the plan, just need to execute.
26. Cook a seafood dish - I have to enjoy it too. Right now, I'm leaning toward some kind of fish.
27. Read a book by William Faulkner - Need to request something from the library.
28. Read a book of poetry by Billy Collins - Also need to request this from the library.
29. Decorate my place with at least 3 pieces of art - I have a photo of a Van Gogh, a map of Middle Earth, and a poster of a zombie riddled with bullet holes (it was a target from a gun range) on the walls. More to come.
30. Read a grammar handbook - I have the handbook, just need to open it...
31. Draft Hunters 2 - Working on it. Currently on chapter 2.