New theme called P2. Easier to post short items like this. Yum!

I helped out my mother-in-law, [Anne Brown](http://keckeley.wordpress.com) with a computer overhaul. It took me the better part of two weeks, working on nights and weekends only, to strip the computer down to the hard drive and build it back from scratch.

Burl and Anne were great about the whole thing. We cleared off plenty of old software, moved pictures and other files around to make things easier and even got some bonus tasks mixed in. Their ink jet printer had stopped printing black some time ago, so a good cleaning of the print head with rubbing alcohol made all of the difference. I also put their laptop in the same “workgroup” as the desktop and shared the newly-cleaned printer. That will allow Anne to sit in the family room and print patterns for [pretty dresses for nieces](http://keckeley.wordpress.com/2009/06/18/sushi-anyone/) while surfing the web.

I get a lot of good-natured teasing about my “geek brain” but it sure feels good to give back to some of the people who’ve supported me throughout the years. Anne and Burl have really been there in some tight spots, so computer work is some of the least I can do to say “thanks”.

Bungie released a new trailer for Halo 3: ODST today at the E3 trade conference. I had a quick chance to watch it over lunch and it looks like there are some interesting bits:

* You can hold 3 standard greadades at once
* Landing from a jump incurs a health damage like the original Halo. There’s a health indicator at the top of the HUD that drops slightly when you hit the ground.
* You’ll use terminals and the Superintendent to navigate the city and possible do game saves
* Swapping weapons is done with the “B” button and not the “Y” button. Wonder what new function we might get? Since you’re not a Spartan, will “melee” even apply?
* Around 0:22 in to the trailer, you’ll see that you land separate from your team and are stuck somewhere high, forcing you to blow the hatch and jump down.
* HUD has a traditional compass and waypoint indicator like war-type FPS games like Call of Duty.
* Night vision adds outlines to highlight object shapes.
* What’s up with the “Remember Reach” spraypainted on the wall?
* Note at about 00:37 in to the trailer, the ODST trooper accesses the Superintendent through a data terminal that looks like a payphone. That’s got to be a way to leave messages for your buddies (so you know where to meet) and do mundane save tasks or get a map. Anyone remember the terminal behavior in Marathon? Kinda like that.
* At 1:13 in the trailer, you see a bit of footage from Firefight. Note the list of modifier skulls with the enabled one highlighted. If you’re in to gaming for score, Firefight is for you.

Today is my 39th birthday and I finally got to fire up an early present, a Breville Ikon Expresso Machine. Anne and Burl fixed us dinner and we had a little cake and presents. After opening a killer household use impact driver, Tammy, Anne and Burl surprised me with the Ikon. It’s been sitting in the kitchen, politely waiting until the birthday morning when I would have time to prep and experiment.

After some initial troubleshooting involving priming the machine’s pump, we were ready. I used our existing coffee and was not disappointed. Our grinder has an espresso setting, producing the correct “grains of sugar” texture that you need. It was as simple as loading the filter, fitting it tightly to the machine and pressing a button. The Ikon produced some great looking espresso with a decent crema (the reddish-brown foam on the top) which maintained a very good flavor. We added some hazelnut syrup and steamed milk (with amateur foam) and had cappuccinos while reading the morning paper.

I have to say a special thanks to my wife [Tammy](http://tammykirks.com) for recognizing the perfect gift and to [Anne](http://keckeley.wordpress.com) and Burl for chipping in to make it affordable. Tammy and I saw the machine in the fall last year but even at 75% off, I didn’t think I could justify the expense. After we started our [Dave Ramsey financial planning journey](http://www.houseofwarwick.com/2009/01/27/financial-planning-class/), that made a purchase of a luxury something that we didn’t schedule or budget. Tammy was able to pull it off without letting me see where the money came from or how.

Thanks everyone!

I bought Flight Control, an air traffic control game for iPhone, when it came about a month or so ago. Since then it’s become quite addicting, making good use of graphics, sounds and iPhone’s touch screen interface. It was a steal at 99 cents when it came out and still a good bargain at $2.99. Here’s a screenshot of my latest score of 128 consecutive planes safely landed:

I’m coming up on three weeks and I’m holding steady with my new habits. I’ve had to slow down on somethings because there’s just not enough time in the day. Here’s my typical schedule:

5:00AM – out of bed, get dressed for a work out, try to wake up
5:30AM – start a 45 minute workout followed by 30 minutes of cardio
7:00AM – arrive back at home, rush a shower and shave, find a suit to wear
7:20AM – hit the road to work
8:00AM – arrive at work
5:15PM – hit the road to home
6:00PM – arrive at home, help to fix dinner

This is where is starts to break down. Dinner’s usually ready at 6:30 and we’re done eating a bit after 7:00. That gives me 2 hours to study or spend time with Tammy or even prep things for next day. By 9:30PM I need to be in bed to start this all over again.

Whew! Studying has become something I try to squeeze in at lunch and that doesn’t work each day. Working in Branson means that I don’t get to help with any of the errands of life like changing the oil in my car, picking up dry cleaning or going to the bank. All of those things are in Springfield.

So far, it’s all been worth it. I’ve kicked my sugar cravings and the emotional roller coaster that goes with it. That’s something, right?

Right now, I’m on a streak. I feel like there’s a sign above my head that says “11 days without being lazy” I’ve managed to keep my appointments at the gym and dress more professionally. I’ve also learned a couple of things I that surprised me:

1. I don’t crave sweets any more. Sure, I wouldn’t mind a chocolate chip cookie or even junk food like a Twinkie, but the reasons for eating it are gone. Off like a light switch. Outta here. I’ve stopped eating out of the candy bowl at work and stopped drinking diet soda. Just like that, my moods leveled and so did my sugar cravings.

2. Wearing a suit all day makes people treat me differently. For example, I stopped last Thursday at the Wal-Mart in Ozark for groceries since it was on the way home. Most people stared politely, wondering why a guy in a suit shops at Wal-Mart. At work, things have changed a little, mostly with personal interactions. When I say things now, the reactions are a bit different.

3. My sleep cycle changed in about a week, so now I’m waking up right about 5AM. Also, with the change in caffeine and sugar intake, I have a better workout and recover faster. I’m taking vitamins when I get to work and I think that’s helping my food cravings too.

I’m trying to focus on the momentum. Mainly I keep telling myself that since I’ve gone this far, there’s no reason to quit. Honestly, it is exhausting, but I can’t think of anyone more worth the effort. 🙂

I had a minor setback today and I learned a valuable lesson. I missed my workout this morning but I still kept the suit streak. I started wearing suits to work on Monday for a variety of reasons, all of them my choosing. The best reason is it conveys professionalism plus, it’s hard to feel down about yourself in a suit.

I missed the workout because I hadn’t planned well. I didn’t get clothes ready or set out my shoes. I was tired and knew that I didn’t plan, so that made me sleep in. The lack of discipline was a disappointing, but not so bad I want to quit. I don’t think there’s very much that would keep me held back at this point.