Project updates
- Math relearning – Since K overlaps a lot with pre-K in EngageNY, I tried a few different approaches to the Kindergarten material last week, but I didn’t settle on one until Saturday, so I’m going to take another week on it before my next break. I posted some of my thoughts so far in Kindergarten Module 1, and I added a missing part of pre-K Module 1 that has the first propositional concept list and an explanation of those lists (not sure how I left it out).
- Diet – I was in a much better mood last week, and despite all my bellyaching, I’ve actually been cooking more: pancakes; chicken breast with steamed asparagus, squash, and zucchini, which were better than I expected; taco salad with ground beef, which I make fairly often, so it wasn’t hard; and low-carb blueberry muffins, which I’m now addicted to, though in mine the blueberries sank to make a soggy mush on the bottom, so next time I’ll try placing them on top so maybe they’ll sink to the middle. For the sugar substitute in the muffins I used a combination of equal-ish parts saccharine, sucralose, and monk fruit extract, which was a good blend. This week I want to get around to making my low-carb version of my mom’s potato and sausage dish.
- Daily routine – Doing my devotions and walk right after dinner worked well last week for the most part. My sleep schedule is still all over the place, and I’d like to figure out how waste less time sitting around.
- Books
- The Magicians – My library’s digital audiobook service told me this book my coworker Matt had recommended was available, and I didn’t know when I’d get a chance to check it out next, so I reluctantly interrupted my podcast catch-up and went for it, and I’m so glad I did. Usually I have to push myself to get through an audiobook in a month or two, but the writing and audio narration on this one were so good that it only took me three days. I don’t want to spoil too much, but think an American, slightly older Harry Potter who grew up reading the Narnia books, and you’ll have the basic premise. Now I’m waiting on seven other people to get through the next book in the series.
- Philosophy – My pursuit of a metaphysics intro book has continued, and I debated ordering the one I settled on because, well, metaphysics isn’t relevant to anything I’m doing right now, but I did anyway because honestly I really want to round out my philosophy collection. In the process of researching I did find a few books on the philosophy of mind and of cognitive science that are more relevant, so I might order a couple of those soon.
- Finances – Church giving updated! Next up: investing, I guess. I’m kind of scared of it, but I do have a plan, and I need to get it over with eventually.
- Dusk – Tonight I was in the neighborhood of a forest preserve I’d wanted to test out for dusk photography, so after picking up dinner I put off eating it to explore, and the result was another incredible experience with nature. I felt rich living near such places, and I wondered why I’d wasted the past 20 years not visiting them more often.
Taken 6/5/16. Another local forest preserve at dusk.
A photo posted by Andy Culbertson (@thinkulum) on
A photo posted by Andy Culbertson (@thinkulum) on
Life updates
- Music
- Matt Peterson – The reason I was in the neighborhood of this forest preserve was that I’d just been to a nearby piano concert by a guy who used to play on a worship team at one branch of our church, though he was more of a rumor to me because he moved away before I ever met or even saw him in person, so I went to the concert to do both. He’s a composer, and the concert was for his work Paradise Suite. I also got to catch up with one of my old professors who was there and who walked over during the intermission and greeted me by name, to my surprise, since I didn’t think he’d even remember me.
- schmoyoho – The past couple of weeks I’ve had some old songs by the Gregory Brothers stuck in my head, and I made a playlist to share them. They do a lot of brilliant little things in those videos, in my semi-informed opinion, and I want to study their melodies and styles.
Ah. I see you are having “fun” taking photos. Now you can ask questions on http://photo.stackexchange.com/ and everything will be fine!