Here are my secrets so far. I highly recommend Lose it![iTunes link] as a goal setter and daily calorie counter. I am nowhere near the first person to promote this little, uh, FREE, app. Use your eagle eyes and you'll spot this as one of the apps featured in Apple commercials. It's simple enough and with a comprehensive enough food library that it will definitely get you started and provide some education. Like, don't eat at Chili's... ever. A month and a half later I hardly ever fully log my calorie intake but the way it got me started on a smaller portioned and educated diet is definitely worth the price, which is, uh, FREE. Some good food choices that definitely help me are almonds for snacking and light yogurt for desert. Low in calories, good fats, and helpful protein. Of course, the tip that may surprise you the most is this. As long as I have been dieting I have been Mountain Dew free. Sigh. I mean, yay!

Alright, hope you're still reading. The next really good things is the thing that is, well, really good.

Two: I've got to keep this all in perspective. Positive thoughts. Good fortune.

I got a phone call last night. It's the first time this has happened in two years. An employer was looking at my resume and buzzed me for a preliminary chat.

Immediately afterwards the second guessing always begins. When asked why I was interested I led with location instead of talking about my passion for the craft. I thought I explained my television experience both clearly and concisely but this was a radio position. I held on to my nerves but I definitely stumbled holding my composure as the phone call began to exit.

Perspective. Fortune. Be positive.

It's a relief. Resume after resume has disappeared into the internet's ether and the only response is silence. Often it felt like I'd rather be told flat out not to bother so I could be crushed and moved on. This helps. Two weeks from now my phone may still sit silent, no invitation to come in for an interview ever extended, but I've been shown something. My past experience, my education, and my resume, is enough for someone to look at me at least once. That, after all, is the hard part.

I'll keep you posted.

I moved. How about that? Hey, look, my computer is finally set back up. I mean, it's been "finally" set back up for a week now... but you know how it is, right?

You want to know more about the moving? No! No time! I'm still in Groton, that's good enough for now.

There were some holidays. They were good. Real good! I definitely wanted to share the projects I was working on for some special gifts. I think I will get to that, eventually. Look for that update mid-February or so.

Keep moving! Keep typing!

This is the year I lose the weight I've had since I was 18. Just you watch. It's already on it's way out. Peace! (Hold me to it, please?)

What's next?

Here's the truth, here's what is really on my mind:

Conan opted to leave NBC this week, not news. I found the entire thing very inspiring. That gangly goof was one of my TV heroes and I got to watch him do what he does best: Make TV. Furthermore, I can no longer watch any talk show or variety show without remembering what it was like to make my own. I have never done anything more rewarding in my entire life. If you know where I used to spend my summers you know that I'm saying an awful, awful lot. (Okay, a couple kayak trips are probably tied... and that one time at Melody's, and that time... oh, nevermind!)

So there I was, listening to Conan's farewell speech:

To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I'll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask of you is one thing: please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere.

Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen.

And it was as though he was speaking to me. I have long since given up on my television degree and experiences.

I've had great reasons to quit. There are no jobs to be had and there are certainly no jobs in the dying dino that is the media. I'm a fantastic child-worker and a great educator and sometimes it seems like the world is calling me elsewhere. In fact, a little bit of research has shown that a teaching career can be started by a quick trip across the Thames River and two more years of education at New Haven University.

Conan reminded me. In 2005 when I returned to school I had made up my mind. I was taking the risk, I was going to see what would happen, and I was going to create great things. I know where I will one day end up. Happily in a classroom teaching kids to be great themselves. I'm just not done with myself yet.

I'm trying again. I have until June 30th and then my New Haven application would be due.

Either way I resolve to once again turn down the bright lights, shake hands with the creative team I'm blessed to be a part of, and knowingly say, "Good job, everyone, good job."

I'm left wondering why. I wish I knew for sure that it was an act of retribution for my poor parking job. Then at least I would know that, although the vandal remains a criminal in every regard, I'd have someone to be mad at: Me. Now I'm trying, but the anger doesn't stick. I'm just sad, sad that my car, that was found used in such excellent condition, has started to expeditiously march on her once slow fade to junk.

Here are some gruesome photographs of KayleE's damage:

Across the hood, real deep

The passenger door, it continues...

...all the way down to the rear

A little extra exclamation point on the passenger door

The full side, I don't know if you can pick it out

The hood, once more, where they really got her

Yeah, so um, this is mine:

Beep, beep! Vrooooom!

An ever so polarizing 2004 Honda Element, with all the fixins'. It's a senior citizen with a healthy 89,000 miles on it but the exterior is practically pristine and the interior nearly as good. It runs well and it remains fully featured. When I'm talking upgrades from my other car I'm talking about the little details like, cruise control, air conditioning, uh, a passenger's side mirror, or, you know, starting when the fuel drops below a quarter of a tank.

I think there are three parts of my quirky personality that make me love this auto so automatically.

One. Hauling stuff. I think I've gotten addicted to it thanks to a history of deceivingly roomy sedans. I've spent the last eight to nine years taking all or nearly all of my belongings on the road to temporary locations and I demand a vehicle that can do it. Sadly the temporary and transitional me is on the road to retirement but I still like having the space for, I don't know... say, a Rhodes electric piano??... behind me.

Two. Recreational vehicles. I grew up vacationing in vehicles designed for living in the outdoors. It's silly and subtle, but like home cooking, parts of the Element bring me back to my childhood. A couple of times since the car has been mine I've parked it for the night and then left the cab of the vehicle to fuss around in the cargo hold with the transforming seats or star vista granting skylight. It felt just like times past with the RV reined up to the highway rest stop and Mom coming back from the cab to make sandwiches in a home on wheels.

Three. Irreverent need to be different. Which is exactly what Honda was trying to do to me with the Element in the first place and why I've had my eyes on one since it debuted in 2003. Which means I'm not being different at all. I am one hundred percent conforming to the message Honda made for me. Oh well, same thing I'm doing every time I "slam a mountain dew" or rooting for the Red Sox, or eating macaroni and cheese with my ears. No wait, that last one is pretty different. If I did it. But I eat my mac and cheese with a fork... like the rest of you brainless robots.

I hope to take it into the Adirondacks real soon, drop the tailgate, and relax inside my new favorite automobile... which for the first time also happens to be mine.

After a month of preparations the Lisbon, CT Target will be opening this Tuesday night. It started with four days of madness they call "planorama," where 200 Target employees try to put the shelves together as fast as they possibly can. I was disappointed by this. I was hoping that one of the benefits to working a new store was going to be getting the chance to set it up right. We're only a couple days away and there are still things I find wrong every day that I want fixed before it becomes the department I have to work every darn day.

If I didn't already mention it this new store will be a new type of Target the company is trying out. It's called a "P-Fresh" store and it will feature an expended amount of groceries than a normal Target but not quite the ridiculousness of a Walmart Supercenter. I would be fair and reference a Super Target instead but I've never been to one. Like all big, silly things they tend to reside in Texas. I took this photo of the mayonnaise to share with my Niskayuna store manager since he was always obsessed with how low the price of mayonnaise is at a Target compared to grocery stores. I've actually yet to visit the Niskayuna store since my departure but here it is for you:

Hey-O Mayo!

That's from a long time ago. By now all those blank spots are packed full. In fact it's sort of creepy to walk a picture perfect stocked store with no one touching the product on the shelves. I'm actually pretty excited for the guests to start coming and break up the monotony of an empty store.

That's not even the real reason I'm tired. That was just a poor excuse at blogging courtesy and keeping folks up to date. The real reason I'm tired is our new friend:

Jack

He's one heck of a beautiful rascal.

He spends his first day alone tomorrow. Everyone please wish Jack luck. We're very nervous first time kitten owners and want him to grow up right and safe.

I'm sure he'll grace the blog again soon.

Goodnight.

There just hasn't been time.

More time please.

I've been making some investments in time lately by selling off some goals and perhaps setting is up for some wholesale changes.

Maybe I'll have time later to talk about it.

So there I sat, my car freezing over, not starting.  So, like anyone who likes to pretend they know what's wrong with their car, I got out and looked under the hood.  From what I could tell, everything seemed to be fine.  There was no sign of things on fire, and nothing looked like it needed to be stuck back together with gum.  I tried to start my car again, but no dice.  I called UP and waited for them to show up to help me get my car started. 

As I stood outside with the car hood up, waiting for UP, I encountered about 15 good samaritans looking to help a fellow human in need, all in about five minutes.  All of these kind people stopped and rolled down their windows, mind you on one of the coldest days we've had up here in a while, and asked me if I needed help, or if I had help coming.  I was amazed at the kindness generated towards me by all of these strangers.  Now, this was a busy intersection, but none of them had to stop, none of them had to say anything to me.  They did, and I was grateful.  As I stood there, I wondered if I would be a person who would stop. Would I be a good samaritan?  I like to think that I would be, but I don't think I would. Maybe when the next opportunity presents itself, my time will come.

I waited for a bit, and tried to start my car and it started, and kept running.  I informed UP when they got there that I was fine and thanked them for their concern.  I drove away with a smile despite the fact that my car is generally a wimp and can't handle a little cold weather.

Well, beliefs can be a funny thing. Just now, on routine trip to the mall in Groton, Connecticut, Michelle and I found this line of people and this... Well...

This World Series trophy!