I'm gonna spend some space and time here musing about my micro/incentive economy that I'll be "playtesting" come the end of this current project. First off, a little history:
Since graduating school, I've been a mite obsessed with self-improvement. Losing the regimented discipline I barely managed to follow while I was in college exposed a stark fact: I did not know how to do anything. This is not an uncommon experience for anyone entering the "real world" after school, but it hit me particularly hard considering the fact I had been briefly hospitalized only a year before for profound emotional instability and spent half my senior year in a prescription drug addled haze. Add to that I had just moved to Montana with Emily, who I had only been dating for 6 months. I had no job prospects, significant debt and no direction. So, after appropriately watching the entire series of LOST, I decided to start with the basics:
FOOD - In college I had an infamous reputation for eating poorly. Eating food was a chore I had to do every so often to keep my body functional that I found no joy in participating in. I owned one pot that was used exclusively for macaroni and cheese and ramen. I also ate an unholy amount of sliced cheese and crackers. I still do the latter from time to time.
So keeping all this in mind, I decided to start figuring out how to cook. With Emily and my father's help, I managed to get a few recipes under my belt, chili and tacos being among the first. Here I discovered a few things: a.) shopping and cooking together is vital to any relationship b.) food tastes better with fresh ingredients and c.) it's a task of great short-term reward that can boost morale when long term tasks aren't going well (JOB SEARCH.)
Emily and I started branching out and went to Missoula's bustling farmer's market a few times and got a slew of new stuff to mix and match. I think it was around this time that we discovered Food Network magazine and it changed my life. I suddenly had mountains of relatively simple, high quality recipes to choose from and food became a boon rather than a bust. Unfortunately, this started cutting into another category I should probably bring up now.
HEALTH - I smoked for a time when I was in Scotland and once back in the states, I took up the horrible habit full time. This followed me into Montana and was supported by the job I eventually got as a painter's assistant. This, coupled with the new food interest and some unabashed day drinking that took place at that job as well, put me in the worst shape of my life. For the first time I gained a little paunch and found I couldn't run like I used to. So when Emily got accepted into Johns Hopkins and we set out for Baltimore, I set out to right my body and kick some habits on the way. The smoking didn't go until a year in due to the culture of my work, but I haven't had a cigarette in nearly 3 years and I plan to keep it that way. With the smoking gone I got back into running big time. We had a gym in our apartment complex and I rocked the heck out of the treadmill's there and got very good at getting into the zone despite how crushingly boring the treadmill can be. About this time I discovered Chore Wars and started to think about innovative ways to get myself and Emily to better cohabitate and foster better life practices. I tried a few different systems that didn't stick, and then made the big pledge at 26 to try the 1,000 miles that Boston disrupted. I'm sad that it looks like I won't make it again this time, but one of these years I'll get it.
Whew that was a lot and I didn't even get to the system I'd like to try out...will have to wait until tomorrow!
Today's Drawing (inspired by the word...uh....yeah.)
Today's "365" Project (Make a mini golf course. This one was scary until I thought of a way to make a VERY mini one.)
"Mi Casa Course"
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Since graduating school, I've been a mite obsessed with self-improvement. Losing the regimented discipline I barely managed to follow while I was in college exposed a stark fact: I did not know how to do anything. This is not an uncommon experience for anyone entering the "real world" after school, but it hit me particularly hard considering the fact I had been briefly hospitalized only a year before for profound emotional instability and spent half my senior year in a prescription drug addled haze. Add to that I had just moved to Montana with Emily, who I had only been dating for 6 months. I had no job prospects, significant debt and no direction. So, after appropriately watching the entire series of LOST, I decided to start with the basics:
FOOD - In college I had an infamous reputation for eating poorly. Eating food was a chore I had to do every so often to keep my body functional that I found no joy in participating in. I owned one pot that was used exclusively for macaroni and cheese and ramen. I also ate an unholy amount of sliced cheese and crackers. I still do the latter from time to time.
So keeping all this in mind, I decided to start figuring out how to cook. With Emily and my father's help, I managed to get a few recipes under my belt, chili and tacos being among the first. Here I discovered a few things: a.) shopping and cooking together is vital to any relationship b.) food tastes better with fresh ingredients and c.) it's a task of great short-term reward that can boost morale when long term tasks aren't going well (JOB SEARCH.)
Emily and I started branching out and went to Missoula's bustling farmer's market a few times and got a slew of new stuff to mix and match. I think it was around this time that we discovered Food Network magazine and it changed my life. I suddenly had mountains of relatively simple, high quality recipes to choose from and food became a boon rather than a bust. Unfortunately, this started cutting into another category I should probably bring up now.
HEALTH - I smoked for a time when I was in Scotland and once back in the states, I took up the horrible habit full time. This followed me into Montana and was supported by the job I eventually got as a painter's assistant. This, coupled with the new food interest and some unabashed day drinking that took place at that job as well, put me in the worst shape of my life. For the first time I gained a little paunch and found I couldn't run like I used to. So when Emily got accepted into Johns Hopkins and we set out for Baltimore, I set out to right my body and kick some habits on the way. The smoking didn't go until a year in due to the culture of my work, but I haven't had a cigarette in nearly 3 years and I plan to keep it that way. With the smoking gone I got back into running big time. We had a gym in our apartment complex and I rocked the heck out of the treadmill's there and got very good at getting into the zone despite how crushingly boring the treadmill can be. About this time I discovered Chore Wars and started to think about innovative ways to get myself and Emily to better cohabitate and foster better life practices. I tried a few different systems that didn't stick, and then made the big pledge at 26 to try the 1,000 miles that Boston disrupted. I'm sad that it looks like I won't make it again this time, but one of these years I'll get it.
Whew that was a lot and I didn't even get to the system I'd like to try out...will have to wait until tomorrow!
Haiku of the Day:
My post-runner high
flushes in a full-body swell
that shocks the system
Today's "365" Project (Make a mini golf course. This one was scary until I thought of a way to make a VERY mini one.)
"Mi Casa Course"
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