I did it…I went a whole month without a post…how sad. February was a short month though, so if I add an extra day to that month, then today would only be March 16th, and I wouldn’t be dead yet. Makes perfect sense.

Luke is three now! On one hand it feels like it has gone by fast, but on the other we see pictures of him at 6 months old and I can barely remember it. We’re getting the hang of going potty, which is great. We love Bob the Builder and fixing things!

Otherwise nothing too exciting is going on (guess that’s why I haven’t posted!). Now for some quick hits:

• I have 29 unique Androids now between series 1 and 2. I’m missing two from this new series, but they’re chases, and will easily cost me $75 a piece on ebay. Meh.
• I’ve been playing FF13 for 83 hours (and yes, I’m finally getting bored.) But I’ve got one or two trophies I’m soooo close to getting, haha.
• Can’t wait for baseball season to start.
• Running got a little sidetracked. Tweaked my back painting ceilings, so I wasn’t running as much as usual. I’m really going to have to push, but I think I can still reach my goal.
• Almost done with Dexter – Season 1. Enjoying it very much.

Guess that’s all for now!

I’m sitting on the couch, shirt soaked in sweat, and burning up in a house that’s only 70 degrees. That’s because I just broke the 100 mile mark. But this story starts back in January.

I’ve been battling neck pain for over a year and a half. I blame a chiropractor, but I’ve been over that. I tried traditional physical therapy for a couple months, and that seemed to be working, but then it wasn’t. Back in January I decided to visit a different chiropractor, one that was suggested by my physical therapist. I went to him in January of this year, and one of the first things he said to me was how important exercise was. At that point, I was willing to try anything, so I took up running. (11 or so months removed from that first visit, my neck isn’t perfect, but it is remarkably better than it was this time last year.)

On February 2nd, I went for my first run. I had no idea what I was doing, and I went into it knowing I’ve hated running in the past, but if the chiro thought exercise would help, I was willing to try it. Those first couple weeks were pretty bad. I would feel winded after a quarter mile! Trying to run one whole mile without stopping was out of the question…but I pressed on.

There was a hump to get over, and once I did, running started to be fun. At first it was one mile without stopping…then two….and three…(and one time four!) There were times where I could run non-stop for a half an hour! What a far cry from having to stop and walk after just a few minutes.

My running saga hasn’t been without setbacks. My first was knee and hip pain, and for that I blame big bulky running shoes. I switched to Vibrams, and it was night and day. Unfortunately I also switched to a pure forefoot strike (basically landing on my toes), and that led to some foot problems. In the middle of those foot problems though I developed a much more natural midfoot strike, but not knowing why my foot hurt, I went to my podiatrist.

He wasn’t a fan of barefoot style running, so he convinced me to buy a new pair of shoes. After a full month off, I started running in those…and I just couldn’t enjoy it. I did a few weeks in shoes, and then went back to my Vibrams, haha. I’ve done 15 miles since, and I’m feeling good.

So it took me 10.5 months (316 days) to rack up 100 miles. I had a couple months off where I didn’t really run at all while I healed up, but I’m excited I did my first 100 in less than a year. Sometimes I wonder if my body is cut out for running, but I’ve got this urge to keep pushing myself. If I can do 100 miles in 10 months, can I do the next 100 in 6 months? That’s like 1 mile every other day. Seems doable!

As much as I wish I’d never hurt my neck, sometimes I think it will be for the better. If I hadn’t, I might never have been scared enough to take control and get fit. I don’t want to wait until I’m 50 to realize I’m out of shape and can’t do anything about it. I want to stick around for my family as long as possible, and I think that starts now.

Like I said in a previous post, the last time I pushed myself to 1.5 miles “barefoot,” I had to take a two week break to recover. After my half-mile run the other day, I did a one mile run two days ago, and today I pushed to almost 1.5 miles. I feel pretty good right now, so I don’t think there will be a two week break like last time. Woo hoo!

My favorite part is that I feel like I’m putting my body in better shape. Right now I’m held back by getting my feet/ankles/calves in shape, but aerobically I could probably do 5 miles. When I first started out back in February, I could barely do a half-mile without huffing and puffing. Being able to do 1.5 miles and I’m barely breathing hard is very cool.

Doing a marathon would be really cool. Right now I just want to push myself and do as much as I can, but why not a marathon? Bad joints in the family or not, I might as well set the bar high and go for it. It might take a year or more to get there, but I can dream big.

No better way to start a blog post than with a PUN, don’t you think?

Went for my first run today in about 2 weeks. A couple weeks back I pushed myself to 1.5 miles barefoot (longest ever), and my feet weren’t ready for it!

I’m finding out that getting into barefoot running is going to be a sloooow process. After my very first run, my calves were super tight for like 4 days before I could even think about running. Then my next couple runs I spaced out by a few days, and I didn’t have any major setbacks. But then two weeks ago I did 1.5 miles, and I paid for it.

For the last two weeks my feet specifically have been recovering. First it was the tops of my feet. Those muscles (the few that are in there) were not happy with me. But even when they started to feel better, my ankles were hurting. I told myself I wasn’t going to do any running until they felt strong enough.

So today I forced myself to stop at .5 miles, because I did not want a repeat of the last run. I’ll probably be a little sore tomorrow, but it’s a good feeling. I’d rather my feet take months to get used to running this way, than to develop knee and hip pain from traditional running shoes.

I have no idea how long it will take before I can really push myself, but that’s what this blog is for…to chronicle that progress. Here’s hoping for a quick turn around so I can run again soon!

A month ago Stacie and I both got Nexus Ones to replace our old phones. We had Motorla W490s before (standard flip phones that were a couple years old). I had broken my outer LCD (though I actually fixed it with some parts off Ebay), but I was ready to enter the smartphone era. And I had to bring the wife along with me.

Hardware

The phone itself is far from flashy. It’s not as unique as the Droid, or as instantly recognizable as the iPhone…but it’s feels great in your hand. It has nice curves that make it a joy to hold.

By far my favorite feature is the 3.7″ AMOLED screen. At 800×470 pixels, it’s very high res, and looks beautiful. Right under the screen are four dedicated buttons that help you move around the OS and access different features. Below that is a little trackball. It’s great for selecting links on webpages with lots of links, instead of having to zoom in so your finger can actually press it. The trackball can also be pressed, so for example it can be used to take pictures. It also flashes to notify you that you have a notification.

Some of my other favorites about the hardware would be the 1ghz processor. Not only is the phone super snappy, but it should handle future updates to Android with little problem. It has a dedicated noise cancelling mic, and the 5 megapixel camera takes pretty darned good pictures (with an LED flash if you’re really in the dark).

Android OS

This is my first experience with Android, and I love it. The Nexus One is currently the only phone running Android 2.1. First, there are 5 main home screens. You can CUSTOMIZE these screens to your hearts content. By default there are some standard apps you’ll probably use a lot, like the browser and gmail, but this is old news on smarthphones. A long press on any home screen gives you the options that really make Android stand out.

Shortcuts – These can be things like a bookmark to a favorite website, a specific contact, a playlist, or even a specific phone number (super speed dial!). I have a shortcut that takes me directly to my different Pandora stations. The cool part being that these can exist on your home screens, and minimize the amount of searching and tapping needed.

Widgets – These are by far my favorite software innovation, and what I think really sets Android apart from its competitors. Widgets are like mini-applications that “run” on your home screens. For example, I have a search bar right on my main screen, a calendar, a settings bar, a facebook box that provides updates and the ability to update my status, and a music control bar that lets me pause/play and skip songs. But this is all without leaving the home screens.

(No, this isn’t my phone!)

Of course you can’t fit all your apps on the home screen, so there is a button at the bottom that pulls up all your installed apps.

Another cool feature is the notification bar. At the top of the screen is a skinny bar that contains useful information on the right like time, battery, signal, etc. But on the left it displays icons when you have different notifications. If you receive an email, text, chat, it shows up on the left. If you have the music player running it has a little play button. Then you just “grab” it and pull it down. If you’ve got an email, you can click it, and it will take you right there. It’s a super quick way to get the information you want.

Comparison to the iPhone

Talk of whether or not the Nexus One is an “iphone killer” began the minute it was announced, so comparisons between the two are inevitable. The comparison though is both a hardware and software issue.

First, I don’t have an iPhone, and my time playing on one is limited, but I think the only advantage the iPhone has over the Nexus One is the library of apps available. Due to the popularity of the iPhone, and the head start on Android, it has a lot more apps available. But with Android phones available on T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon (and soon to be ATT), the adoption rate of Android phones is about to explode. Will Apple have a new iPhone out eventually, and potentially on various carriers? Yes, but I think the competition only started to get serious very recently with the Droid.

But apps aside, I think the Nexus One is a better phone in all aspects. Hardware wise, this shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s newer, and it’s better. The screen has twice the resolution and the processor is twice as fast. Out of the box, the internal storage is only 4gb, but it’s expandable up to 32gb (when available). This option saves the consumer money if they don’t need it, and gives them the option if they do. The battery is user replaceable, the camera is better, and the screen is bigger.

Software wise (sheer number of apps aside), I think the Android OS is head over heels better than what the iPhone offers. The customization of the home screens is awesome, and the ability to run multiple apps is also cool. I can stream Pandora, run a jogging tracker app, and browse the internet all at once (though browsing the internet while I jog would be tough). Multi-tasking is yet another area that Android outperforms the iPhone.

Of course, if there is some must have app on the iPhone that doesn’t have a comparable alternative on Android, then all the advantages of an Android phone might not matter to you.

Conclusion

After using my Nexus One for a month, I can never go back to an old style phone. I think in both hardware and software it excels. If there is any area I think it could do better, it would be the pricing. It’s actually comparable to other smartphones bought out of contract, but if you’re looking to renew your contract and get nice subsidized pricing, you might want to look elsewhere. Right now it’s only offered subsidized with a specific plan (which can be changed later as far as I know), but that would have forced us out of our grandfathered phone and data plans. Again, that might not matter depending on your situation, but for us, buying the phones outright made sense.

For anyone looking for an Android phone, I can’t recommend them enough. The Nexus One is coming to every carrier in the next year based on different announcements, so if you don’t want to switch to T-Mobile to get one, you just need to wait.

I’m still here! Luke is one years old and all grows up. He said he’s moving out next week. Actually, I’m just stalling so I can have time to take pictures off the camera and edit some video.

I didn’t make it to the next round of the Amazon competition. The first “judging” was based on a 300 word pitch….and that’s where I got cut! Nobody even read my book, so in that sense it’s less defeating. All it took was someone to say “That doesn’t sound like my kind of book,” and I was done. Now I can look forward to all your honest reviews.

Waiting for some final edits to get finished, then ordering a new proof. I’m estimating another two weeks…but it’s coming this time, I promise!

Baby birthday will come sooner.

Unpacking my first book from CreateSpace

Here’s my dorky unpacking video! Overall I’m very impressed with the quality of the printing. The cover is a little thin compared to most major books, but the paper and printing inside is awesome. I’d say it’s even better than most paperbacks you’ll find at a bookstore.

Right now I’ve got a small list of changes to make. The text on the back is a little big, the gutter is too wide, and the top margin needs to be bigger. Stacie is going to read through it and find any final errors she can, and then I’ll make my final edits. I’m shooting for another couple weeks, and then this bad boy will be ready!

I’ve been thinking about “selling” my book and how it’s a little out of my comfort zone. I like to have opinions here on the blarg, but overall I really don’t like to talk myself up. It’s a little weird for me to talk about myself and tell people “hey, look what I did!” and make myself the center of attention. If I ever want anyone to read it though, that’s what I’ll have to do.

Edit:  Here is the original cover artwork if anyone would like to compare it to the new cover that is two posts below this one.

For the last two weeks I’ve been on lockdown working on the book, and it’s just about done. Over last weekend I finished all my edits, and I’ve been working on formatting ever since. If only work wouldn’t get in the way!

Now when I say formatting, I mean serious formatting. You have to design and format everything, from something as simple as the size of the book, all the way to stuff like the gutter (extra margin near the spine so you don’t have to tear the book apart to read words on the inside). By far the most annoying task was numbering the pages. At first you think it will be easy…just go to page one, and hit “start page numbers.” But then you realize, it looks stupid to have page numbers at the top of blank pages and first pages of chapters. I am now a master of the section break!

The next most annoying task was justifying the text. You can’t leave it on left justify because you get really dumb looking edges, so instead you use full justify. The problem with that, is that without hyphenation, some lines have super big gaps between words. This usually happens when you have a long word that needs to be hyphenated, but not always. You could tell Word to autohyphenate, but then you get stupid things like people’s first names getting hyphenated. Luckily there is a “manual” mode where it will search for large gaps, and then let you decide what to do. Hopefully all my margins and font size are fine, because if I have to change anything, it means going back through the whole book and rehyphenating. Ugh!

And finally, today I’ve been designing my cover. I bought an image off of www.istockphoto.com a few months back. I fiddled with it a few months ago, but you can’t design the cover until you have a final page count, because that affects the width of the spine (and thus your cover). So here is what I have right now, and I’m pretty excited about it. It’s the first thing in a while I’ve had to share, so feel free to give your opinions! You like it? Wrong font, too big, etc?

And in case you missed it a long time ago, you can read the back to see what it’s about. There will also be a barcode that gets put onto the back in the bottom right corner.