Biggs' Zone

A Gamer Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Tag: General Cogitation Page 3 of 11

Merry Christmas!!

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On December 20, 2018

In General Cogitation

The next few days are going to be quite frenzied. Coordinating and orchestrating Christmas has its challenges and often leaves little room for anything else. With that said I want to take a quick opportunity to wish all those reading this (the 2 or 3 of you that exist) a Very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!

I do appreciate any readers that I have and please always feel free to leave comments (so I know you exist). As long as the comments are not explicit or spam. You can disagree with me, you can simply say “nice post” or “nice ass”. I won’t get offended (I don’t offend easily).

Bet that as it may, enjoy the rare photo of myself in one (of 3) Christmas hats. Merry Christmas and God Bless.

“When I was a kid, it was a huge insult to be a geek. Now it’s a point of pride in a weird way.” – J.J. Abrams

The Matrimonial Sibling Event

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On October 15, 2018

In General Cogitation

The last weekend in September was also the last weekend my sister and I shared a last name. In a four-day period we drove 11+ hours down to Destin Florida to participate in an event that will ultimately change all our lives. The details that lead to this union is not a story I am at liberty to tell, however it is the stuff story books are made of, complete with a happy ending. I was unaware that she was seeing anybody but, being the tech savvy person that I am, when I was given his name, I began my Internet deep dive. (FYI, you would be amazed what you can find on the Internet about a person if you just know what to look for and where to look for it). Long story short, my search revealed no red flags and he received a preliminary thumbs up.

Coarse, Rough, Irritating and It Gets Everywhere!

Proof I stood in the sand (the things you do for those with whom you share DNA)

Needless to say, a wedding in Florida means a wedding on the beach. If you know me or have read my blog I’ve talked about how much I loath sand. The only place silicon has in our world is for the manufacture of computer parts. On my feet and between my toes is definitely not where it’s supposed to be. However, at the risk of sounding a bit schmaltzy, I am a devoted brother and I stood in the sand, in my bare feet. 

I’m not without my limitations. Once the post-ceremony pictures were taken, I hopped on the first shuttle back to the reception location (which happened to be a mere block from where we were staying). After a quick 2-minute shower, which involved thorough scrubbing of my feet, I was back. Nobody was none the wiser and I stopped twitching and scratching like a crack addict.

With Friends Like These …

I only really know the friends my sister had when we were kids. Unfortunately none of them could make it, but I did have the pleasure of meeting her new crew. When her and I moved to different cities to embark on our own journeys, our lives would be enigmas to one another. Our routines would change, our jobs would change, our friends would change. You can only glean so much about people from social media. However, I knew she had a great group of friends when they did exactly what I did the moment I found out this new guys name. It appears I wasn’t the only one that dug up whatever they could find on this guy.

I am very happy to know that she has friends that think like I do (at least in regards to my sister’s well-being). I barely knew these folks but I was looking forward to spending some time around them. She has picked some amazing people and I feel confident that she is well looked after.

It was the shortest time I’ve ever spent in Florida. However it was extraordinary, with some extraordinary people for an extraordinary event! God Bless the new couple!

minions_icon

I could accomplish so much more if I only had minions!

 

For Introverts, Gregariousness is Optional

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On July 10, 2018

In Fulmination, Random Cogitations

Gregariousness is optional for most introvertsI’m a homebody. I think many of my friends, family and co-workers don’t understand what that means. The definition is as simple it sounds “a person who prefers staying at home.” When I was in college I did attend quite a few parties and football games; I even helped start a tailgating tradition that is still going to this day. College were my gregarious years, all that is different now. I am, undoubtedly, an introvert and for introverts, gregariousness is optional.

I don’t mind small social gatherings, as long as they are short. In large social gatherings I eventually feel uncomfortable, even among my peers. I hate cliché small talk. Why does small talk always involve the weather? A piece of my soul dies every time I say something about the weather because I’m uncomfortable or bored. My home is my sanctuary, a place where my thoughts can dwell without explanation or judgement. It is the biggest reason I am more productive working at home than sitting in a cubicle.

Bewilderment is Two Sided

A while back I wrote a post about how I do not like the beach. My desk chair or recliner is an environment I greatly prefer over sitting on a sandy beach. I know that is probably as bewildering to you as I am bewildered by your bewilderment. (Wait, what did I just say there?) In other words, you are confused that I don’t like the beach because everyone likes the beach. However, I’m confused because you find that confusing. Why is it so hard to believe that I would rather sit at home, in air conditioning, reading a book or playing video games than sitting on the beach? This kind of goes back to that feeling of discomfort or boredom.

Just sitting there is boring, not to mention that I burn very easily and I hate sweating (unless I’ve earned it, i.e. jogging). I cannot sit comfortably reading a book while baking in the sun and if I have to make “cliché small talk”, I’d prefer not to have to squint to do it. The more effort it takes to be comfortable the more uncomfortable I feel. I’m using the beach as an example because it best illustrates the dichotomy. While going to the bar or singing karaoke is a fun activity for most, sitting at home reading, working on projects around the house or tinkering on the computer is equally as entertaining. If I find those things comparable, why do I prefer the latter? By now that answer should be obvious … Home Sweet Home.

/cheers

“When I was a kid, it was a huge insult to be a geek. Now it’s a point of pride in a weird way.” – J.J. Abrams

In Loving Memory: Ode to Gromit

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On June 16, 2018

In General Cogitation, Reminiscence

Gromit
2005-2018

Last week was a rough week. I was sick about half the week and on the day when I was vomiting and running a temperature of 102, we lost Gromit. He had a mild seizure in the kitchen, we rushed him to the vet and they found a weak pulse. They then instructed us to take him to the emergency vet where he went into cardiac arrest upon arrival. They revived him but explained that there is fluid around his heart and he is likely to experience repeated issues. The most humane thing to do, for him, was to let him go. It was really hard for me not to be there. Tuesday, June 5th 2018 is one of the worst days of my life.

Just Don’t Laugh Too Hard

Gromit came from a pet store in the UP Mall in South Bend; he was about three months old. However, he was still younger, by about three months, than our other dog Gus. They are also completely different breeds where Gus is about half the size. Despite the difference in genetics, they were brothers at heart. I may even be so bold as to say they were figuratively and literally akin to Lenny and George from Of Mice and Men. While he was trainable, Gromit wasn’t the smartest dog I’ve had (although he was house trained sooner than Gus). However his vapid demeanor was part of his charm. You knew when he was a happy dog, although behind that smile you can tell it was a thoughtless void.

The dog loved to give kisses. If he sets his mind to licking you, he will find any exposed skin to complete his mission. If you found yourself in a vulnerable position (ex: on the bed or the couch) and laughing hysterically, you may soon find him in your face. I was the common victim of Gromit’s tongue bathing. He was maniacal about it; literally pinning me down thus making me laugh harder. The experience was never too awful, aside from the fact that his breath smelled awful! I don’t know if gingivitis is or halitosis was part of the breed but there were other health related issues common to Wheaten’s.

Life with a Soft Coated Wheaten

He was afraid of everything, even Sphero BB-8

Gromit was a pure bred Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier. Unlike Gus, whom we researched before we bought him, Gromit was on a whim. We didn’t know anything about Wheaten’s prior to bringing him home. One thing is certain, he was afraid of everything. My little Sphero BB-8, dish towels, anything that made a noise (so just about every toddler toy we own).

An ailment common to Wheaten’s was a sensitive stomach. It’s highly recommended not to suddenly change their dog food. He did seem to suffer from stomach issues; acid reflux seemed to be a something we dealt with regularly. Unfortunately his solution seemed to be swallow anything he could find lying around on the floor, including our toddler’s socks.

Wheaten’s are hypoallergenic but he had allergies, which may have been something that contributed to his stomach issues. He had a mild allergy to yeast, which is often found in dogs skin. Yes, he was literally allergic to his own skin.

The older he got he did become a bit more aggressive, especially toward other dogs. He was not aggressive toward our other dog until starting about a year ago. Apparently this behavior is common in the breed. We had to be careful if he was around any other dogs; unfortunately he was in his kennel often during visits. Despite his bizarre allergies and his weird temperament when he was older, he was a good dog. We miss him and the house does feel emptier.

minions_icon

I could accomplish so much more if I only had minions!

 

RTotD: Turn Social Media Against Itself

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On April 12, 2018

In General Cogitation

Let’s face it (no pun intended), social media is the source of the dissemination of hate. Perhaps not the only source, but in the modern era it has to be the largest source. People are not afraid to say or share what ever comes into their wicked mind because they feel protected by ambiguity and distance. I believe I have ranted about this before. Perhaps its time we try something different on social media.

Just “Hide All”

I am now selecting to “Hide all from …” on everything that is clearly an attempt to elicit as response (regardless of political affiliation). I think everyone should start doing this. Instead of sharing, commenting and liking posts that disparage people of opposing viewpoints; let’s start blocking, “unfollowing”, and muting all of them. Facebook makes this really easy; Twitter does not. The only way you can avoid political vitriol is to unfollow a person, or simply stop using Twitter.

Obviously this will not eliminate hate altogether. Humans were finding ways to do this long before social media, it was just significantly less prolific. However, if we reduce the antagonizing posts, we can reduce the hate.

The things that go through my mind when I’m alone with nothing but my thoughts for entertainment is dangerous. Some might even say eccentric. Consider this your warning about today’s Random Thought of the Day

 

Bad Idea Birthday Challenge 2018

By

On March 26, 2018

In Fitness, General Cogitation

bad idea birthday challenge

Although the date does not appear, this is from my iPhone on my birthday

The “Bad Idea Birthday Challenge” is not something I came up with. A guy that is also a former employee of my previous company is a marathon runner and the concept belongs to him (but he calls it Bad Idea Birthday Run). He and I were part of the Wellness Committee for our former company so we always came up with different fitness challenges. His version is that on, or around, his birthday he runs his age in miles. As I said previously, he is a marathon runner so that is something that I will NEVER accomplish. However that doesn’t mean I didn’t find inspiration in it.

Bad Idea Birthday Challenge Accepted!

A couple of weeks ago I fully ran 3.3 miles (meaning I never slowed down to walk). So today, on my birthday, I divided my age by 10 and made that my birthday challenge. I thought that since I can go 3.3 for no reason at all, and in the spirit of “bad ideas”, I just need to go an extra half mile. As you can see from the screenshot from my iPhone Fitbit app, challenge completed.

The good news. I am less than 6 weeks away from the Flying Pig 5K race and I am already running more than 3.1 miles. The bad news. If my right knee could speak right now I would just be a constant, reoccurring line of expletives. “Icing my knees” (inside joke there) and a Tylenol and Advil cocktail will probably be in my immediate future.

Why Is It A “Bad Idea”?

The dichotomy is where the “bad idea” exists. You see the older you get the farther the distance. On the other hand, the older you get the harder it is to maintain your endurance. It truly is a mind-over-matter (but-don’t-kill-yourself) exercise goal. My friends on trying to convince me to try running a 10K next year. I guess working my way up to 4 miles is one way to work toward that goal.

Granted I do wish I would have started something like this 20 years ago but I didn’t know Wes back then. He’s my inspiration for doing this, “bad idea” or not.

/cheers

minions_icon

I could accomplish so much more if I only had minions!

 

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