Tag / Val

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FB4: Week 25

A tremendous week, pulling in my second highest weekly total of the year and my second highest single day total of the year and all-time.  Things got off to a slow start on Sunday, where I managed a pedestrian 3200 steps.  Monday was a nice bounce back, coming in at over 9800 steps thanks to going back and forth between Willow and South.  Tuesday was another nice day, finishing just shy of 7900 steps.  Wednesday combined work, a trip out with IBM, and some last minute shopping to come in close to 11,000 steps.  Thursday improved on that, finishing over 11,500 steps, thanks to a trip to the airport after work to head to Virginia with Val.  Friday was a slow day, as we spent the day working in Jeff’s apartment before heading out at night.  Saturday was the big day of the week, as we hiked up to McAfee Knob in the Appalachian Mountains.  All told, the day ended with 27,278 steps, taking over second place since I started tracking steps 8 years ago.

Total steps: 74,769

Daily average: 10,681.3

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FB4: Week 24

Another good week, thanks, in part, to the new working arrangement.  Things got off to a slightly slow start on Sunday, coming in just over 6000 steps.  Monday came up big, finishing over 11,300 steps, thanks to walking back and forth between plazas at work multiple times.  Tuesday was another strong day, coming in over 9600.  Wednesday was slightly lower, finishing a whole 209 steps beneath Tuesday’s total.  Thursday was the low day of the work week, falling just short of 7900 steps.  Friday was the big day of the week, combining a morning of work, an afternoon on the golf course with IBM, and night in the city with Val for a Sharp Objects event.  All together, I ended up with just over 13,000 steps.  Saturday used a trip down to Guaranteed Rate Field for a mere 6500 steps.

Total steps: 63,981

Daily average: 9140.1

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FB4: Week 19

Another good week, with 5 out of the 7 days coming in over goal.  Sunday started the week off on a good foot with over 7300 steps.  Monday was even better, with over 8700 steps.  Tuesday was back down again, coming in a whole 6 steps higher than Sunday’s total.  Wednesday was a big day, with a post-work trip down to Wrigley Field with Michael for a clock giveaway boosting me to over 14,100 steps.  Thursday and Friday were down below goal, with 5700 and 5300 steps respectively.  Saturday came in at nearly 9200 steps, thanks to a return trip to Wrigley Field, this time with Val and Daryl to see the Cubs battle the Pirates.

Total steps: 57,885

Daily average: 8269.3

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Top 200 Albums – #171 – 179

itunes_imageNearly 4 years ago, we first counted down the Top 200 albums in my iTunes library. Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact. So, I figured it was time to take another look, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2018.

We continue things with the next batch of 10 albums that rank between #171 and 179, including 8 studio recordings, 1 live performance, and, to kick things off, 1 comedy record.

#179: Patton Oswalt – My Weakness Is Strong
iTunes stats: 45 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

The third comedy album from Oswalt combines to make it’s debut on the list.

#179: Beatles – Beatles For Sale
iTunes stats: 45 plays
Previous Ranking: 141

Only 3 tunes make up this abbreviated total, which would be higher if I hadn’t deleted the original versions, for the remastered version of the Beatles fourth studio album.

#177: Garbage – Virgin Megastore In-Store
iTunes stats: 46 plays
Previous Ranking: 135

A slight drop in ranking for this WXRT broadcast of the in-store appearance to support the new Beautiful Garbage album.

#177: Cracker – Cracker
iTunes stats: 46 plays
Previous Ranking: 152

Only 2 songs from Cracker’s debut album make up this total.

#171: Weezer – Weezer (Green Album)
iTunes stats: 47 plays
Previous Ranking: 135

After a long layoff, Weezer returned in the early 2000s with their third album (and second self-titled effort), which had 2 songs make up this total.

Continue reading →

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The Ever Growing 10,000 Step Club

Last year, as I was finishing up my second year with the Fitbit, I took my last look at the top 25 step days I’ve had since I first started tracking my steps way back in July of 2011.  At the time, I had surpassed the 10,000 step plateau 116 times.  In the past year, I have managed to add an additional 49 occurrences, raising the total to 165.  With my third year using the Fitbit coming to an end last week, I thought it would be appropriate to take a new look at my top 25 step days over the past 6 1/2 years, featuring 7 new entries.

btn10K-41: 6/6/2013 – 24,988 steps

My best single day total continues to be from my 2013 trip to Disney World.  The day’s excursion to both Epcot Center and the Magic Kingdom ended up with a total of approximately 12.5 miles.  And yes, it still bothers me that I didn’t get those 12 additional steps to reach 25,000.

2: 3/22/2016 – 22,493 steps

My second highest day shares much in common with my #1 day, taking place in Disney World in March of 2016.  The day’s excursion started at Hollywood Studios before heading over to Epcot Center with Jeff and Val.

3: 7/27/2013 – 20,592 steps

My third highest total came nearly 2 months after my highest, thanks to the BTN 5K and a, for lack of a better word, misunderstanding about where I should be picked up after the race.

4: 8/5/2017 – 20,218 steps

The first new entry came last August on the first day of my trip to Boston with Danny and Michael.  After landing in town, we traipsed to the Science Museum, a breakfast joint, our hotel, and, finally, Fenway Park.

5: 7/14/2017 – 20,208 steps

Our second new entry came last July, as Angelina and I took a day trip to Disney World to celebrate her high school graduation.

6: 9/19/2017 – 20,028 steps

The third straight new entry, which helped to double my total of 20,000 step days from the previous 5+ years, had a myriad of activities.  First was the latest edition of the Sprint and Stride, followed by a trip to Best Buy with Val to buy a new TV, then off to her apartment to install the new TV, and, finally, Season Ticker Holder Family Night at Wrigley Field.

7: 11/11/2017 – 19,590 steps

Our fourth straight new entry came thanks to last fall’s trip to California to see Angelina skate.  This day was spent in Anaheim at Disneyland.

8: 6/2/2016 – 18,725 steps

Day #8, which dropped 4 spots, comes from June 2016’s trip to Universal Studios.  Our first full day at the park, we split the day between Universal and Islands of Adventure, taking in all of the different Harry Potter options.

9: 6/4/2016 – 18,617 steps

Our next entry is also from the June 2016 trip to Universal Studios.  The day included another trip to Islands of Adventure, and would have ended up even higher but for an afternoon trip to the hotel pool.

10: 6/21/2017 – 18,290 steps Continue reading →

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Book 2 (of 52) – 10% Happier

10% Happier: How I Tamed The Voice In My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, And Found Self-Help That Actually Works – Dan Harris

Last fall, Dan Harris gave a talk at work that I tried to attend, but missed out on due to space issues.  Val managed to get in seemed intrigued by what he had to say, so, when his first book found itself on sale the week of her birthday, I bought us both a copy.  Harris, one of the stars of the news division at ABC, had documented his path to meditation and how he learned to integrate the precepts into his life.

My first taste of meditation came last year, courtesy of Val.  She recommended an app to help with my sleeping problems.  I used it on occasion, but certainly didn’t become a devote.  Having now read Harris’ book, I’m intrigued enough to give it another shot.

The book brought me in from the get go, where Harris says he originally wanted to call it “My Inner Voice is an Asshole.”  Val had said something very similar to me a few years ago when I told her about the insecurities that kept creeping up inside me regarding our relationship.  Harris tells of his long journey, from skeptic to interested student to proselytizer.  If 10% happier is achievable, it is a journey worth taking.

 

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Fitbit III: Week 47

Yet another disappointing week, as I failed to make my goal for the 5th straight week.  Things got off to a decent start on Sunday, where trips to two different movie theaters helped me come in near 7000 steps.  Monday fell back a bit, just managing to surpass 6500 steps.  Tuesday was back up over 7300 steps, my second best day of the week.  Wednesday was a big dropoff, falling under 4700 steps, despite a trip out at night with Val.  Thursday was my best day of the week, thanks to a trip down to Wrigley Field to check out their Christmas market with Tina.  Friday was another down day, just barely surpassing 3700 steps.  Saturday used trips to multiple grocery stores to enable me to finish the week on a high note.

Total steps: 43,940

Daily average: 6277.1

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Fitbit III: Week 44

Another disappointing week, though one that looks worse than it actually was due to technological difficulties.  My Thanksgiving vacation came to an unsatisfying conclusion on Sunday, with a whopping 2600 steps.  Things bounced back on Monday, as I went back to work and managed to surpass my daily goal for the first time since the previous Wednesday.  Tuesday somehow managed to fall exactly at 6500 steps.  Wednesday combined a trip in to the city to pick up a cake for Val, a day of work, and then a trip out at night to make the week’s best day at over 7800 steps.  Thursday had another night out after work to come in just over my daily goal.  Friday should have been a good day, with a trip to Woodfield Mall for our annual holiday party, but a botched software update to the Fitbit made me lose most of my activity for the day.  Given that the week was already shot, I saw no reason to put special effort in on Saturday, again failing to surpass 3000 steps.

Total steps: 36,013

Daily average: 5144.7

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Book 24 (of 52) – I’m Fine… And Other Lies

I’m Fine…And Other Lies – Whitney Cummings

Comedian Whitney Cummings offers a helping of the different issues she has faced, both physically and mentally, to get where she is today.

Truth be told, I really didn’t plan on reading this, but, after a recommendation from Val, I’m glad I did.  Some of her mental issues really hit home with me, and hopefully some of her coping mechanisms will as well.

 

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Fitbit III: Week 41

What looked to be a disappointing week got turned around thanks to a trip to California.  Sunday got the week off to a slow start despite a trip out to see the new Thor film with Hayley and Val.  Monday was a nice bounce back, coming close to 8500 steps thanks to a trip to North to work out my issues with Hayley.  Tuesday and Wednesday were both back down under goal, despite Hayley’s goodbye party.  Thursday bounced back once again, due to post-work packing.  Friday started with a flight to California, followed by a trip to Hollywood and the Warner Brothers Studio Tour.  Saturday came 410 steps shy of 20,000 thanks to spending the day in Disneyland.

Total steps: 63,339

Daily average: 9048.4