We're halfway through the 100daystooffload as well now. In retrospect, I should focus more on the DAYS to offload, rather than 100 posts. I need a bit of a fire to my feet sometimes to get me moving. I'll try to keep it up for the next little bit.

#100daystooffload #dayfifty #personal

For this session, I wanted to see how he would feel sitting back and watching me go through a more cinematic game: The Last of Us. Initially, I just wanted to go through the introduction with him, but he got pretty invested in it, especially after the car crash. I can remember him calling out “Is this a game?”, and being awestruck with how far gaming has come, visually and thematically. There was a hint of sad frustration in his voice when we finished the tutorial, “With everything going on in the world right now, why would someone make this game?” He was surprised when I told him the game was nearly 10 years old at this point, with a sequel that was released just a few months ago.

We ended up stopping at the point where Joel meets Ellie for the first time. I'm not sure when we'll get another chance to play through some more, but it was a nice two hour experience that the two of us can remember for a while.

#100daystooffload #dayfourtysix #gaming #personal

With the States being so impacted by COVID, I've been feeling the pressure a bit with cut hours, as well as an unclear outlook going into the Fall. I would like to focus more on aging my money, since paying off my loan threw me back onto the paycheck to paycheck cycle. Personally, I enjoy budgeting for two months (say it is August 1. I will already have money set aside to pay for everything through September. When I get paid August 7, that money won't be used until October). Having removed my large student loan payment, it will not take me nearly as long as it would have previously.

Afterwards, I would like to build an Emergency Fund. What makes this different than budgeting another month or two out is that the Emergency Fund can be used for any random circumstance that comes up. This can range from towing fees if my car breaks down to a plane ticket if a family member is sick to phone repairs.

Assuming all is still smooth with my income, I will be able to focus on my savings for bigger expenses. I would love to get a new set of furniture for my bedroom, and also be prepared for getting a new phone or even a 'new' car. With the discipline I gained the last four years, I have no doubts I can accomplish these goals.

#100daystooffload #dayfourtyfive #finance #personal

This week is about how we're feeling. Pretty simple and in the moment. I see why the tag is just #now.

How have you been feeling?

Life has been going well, in general. I'm happy with where I am and what I've been doing. Fear and panic due to conditions in the world aren't common feelings, but are intense when they do occur. In the evenings, my anxiety has been elevated. I've been nervous trying to 'speak' online in groups, and it's been rough just having someone talking to me in person (when I'm home). In spite of that, I feel on top of the world. There is a positivity engine in me that just won't quit, and I'll keep feeding it right.

What have you been working on?

I finished the platinum in Dark Souls 3 after a few weeks of intense playing. I doubt I will pick up another game to play that intensely for a little while. Instead, my next task is going to be reinstalling Linux on my laptop. There is a lot that I can still learn just from installing, so it isn't a waste of time. I'm considering a different distro, just to increase my experience with both the installation and Linux as a whole. I've also been tweaking different settings on my phone in order to improve the experience. I spent several hours yesterday learning how to actually use OpenCamera in order to take better pictures.

What have you been thinking about?

I've been thinking about the end of this year. Being out of debt is such a significant hurdle in my mind. It's the end of a very long race and will mark the beginning of something brand new I've never experienced before. I've been thinking about how I want to spend my time leading up to it: gaming, opsec, reading, exercising, socializing. How can I leverage my time effectively without feeling like I'm structuring things?

Closing thoughts

The cue is a nice change of pace. I felt like I was able to write more than just having to come up with something to write about on the spot. That's been an issue on the days that end up being shortform. I don't see myself using prompts super often, but they definitely have their benefits when I want to do something new. We're nearly a third of the way through 100 days to offload. I've missed a few days here and there, but I'm not beating myself up about it too much. I'm writing when I remember to, and not really forcing myself. I think that's the spirit of the 'challenge', and I feel like I'm getting better at putting my thoughts on paper. Thanks for joining me so far.

#100daystooffload #daythirty #cues #now #personal

I love to buy her different toys to play with, but she still just loves to climb up the door frame instead. She likes watching TV with me, but likes to interact with the screen as well. For every cute thing she does, she knows how to push my buttons.

But I love her a ton and I know she loves me. When I get home she is cuddly. If I leave rooms, she will follow me and just be around me. She'd rather spend time around me than exploring a lot of the time, and that just means the world to me.

#100daystooffload #daysixteen #personal #cat

My freshman year in high school, a teammate on my track team taught me how to solve a standard 3x3. I got to the point where I could do the beginner method and solve in just under a minute. Into college, I dated someone that had a 4x4 and a 5x5. I learned that even cross cubes are more difficult to solve since you have to build the center, and that can cause 'parity': a weird combination where one or two pieces are in the correct space, but oriented incorrectly. Parity is not fun. However, the 5x5 was a blast. Having multiple layers to turn just upped the enjoyment without the headache of parity.

The Megaminx is a dodecahedron (12 sides) rather than a cube. Funnily enough, it solves almost identically to a standard Rubik's cube. You solve one layer (1 side), then another layer (5 sides), then most of another layer (5 sides), then the last layer (1 side). I did need the help of a guide to get the overall 'order,' but the formulas could be solved with what's used on the 3x3.

Last night, my original clear time was four hours with breaks, and today I managed to get it done in one (could have been less, but I was trying an intermediate method from the 3x3). All in all, I love this gift.

#100daystooffload #dayfifteen #personal

#100daystooffload #dayfourteen #personal