¡Gabz!

I have this urging feeling of changing things around, shaking things up, as they say. It always starts with my blogging settings. No, I am not opening another Ghost account, but will most likely play around with a theme, change menus, and other things. Perhaps other systems and tools I use may change. definitely, there are personal things that need revisiting... I am a messy work in progress.

Also, and super-unrelated.

Do you read every item in your RSS feed? Or, just like me, do you triage and keep what you might truly read later, or just read it and move on?

I found myself scanning and just skipping until I find something I know I would like to read. Then I read it right there and then rather than "saving it for later".

I don't know, just a thought.

Although I have had many thoughts recently and I am having a hard time sorting them out. Something is not entirely right up in here (points to the head). At least I know is not a lack of serotonin, according to my crazy-doc...

😝😝

Back in June, I had my RGT Test, which, unfortunately, I did not pass. Both my ego and pride (if they aren't the same thing) took a hit, not going to lie. 

And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.

  – Alfred Pennyworth  

On December, December 5th to be exact, in Chicago, I will have another chance to take the test. This means my anxiety ("Hello darkness my old friend...") is back again. Perhaps a wee bit less than before since now know what I am getting myself into. Still, the fear of failing – again – and falling is creeping into the back of my head.

Better get cracking!

I’m in a “strange” mood today…

Allow me to explain.

Normally, especially on Sundays, my motivation to do anything is next to nothing. Whatever needs to get done around the house or yard, I’d do the bare minimum. Everything is a drag.

Today, so far, it’s a little different. I felt, feel, motivated. I prepared breakfast for Luna and I, coffee, and headed outside for some yard work. Today I went above and beyond of what would normally be. I put on more effort into it and tackled things that had been bothering me around the front yard. I took the time to fertilize the trees and grass, which does need some work. These high temperatures have been rough on the yard.

Normally, I dread laundry, folding clothes, and putting them away. Today, I didn’t mind it at all, I just, did it.

I’m excited about dinner tonight, I am preparing a flank steak. I was actually creative and intentional about seasoning and letting it marinate for the next few hours, rather than just preparing it last minute and throwing it in the air fryer or something.

I’m not sure if it’s just a spur of the moment or something else, perhaps my new meds are starting to kick in?

So, what I call strange, is probably the normal self that I haven’t felt or seen in a while…

Today marks a week since I got my new CASIO G-SHOCK. I am not gonna lie, it has been a little bit of an adjustment.

As for the piece itself, I love it. I love its design, love the color, love the watch face, always been a fan of digital and big numbers. It is super comfortable and, again, it looks nice. This one is one of those G-SHOCK MOVE models, it pairs with your device using a dedicated app. It can push notifications, messages, texts, calls, etc. It does track calories burned, steps and runs. I think I can track workouts but I am yet to figure out if it can at all the same way the Apple Watch does.

What about Apple Watch Withdraws?

I have to be honest here, there have been a few times, in which I have found myself really missing the Apple Watch.

Daily use

As far as an EDC, I don’t find myself missing the Apple Watch as much, again, fashion-wise, the G-SHOCK kills it. I don’t mind not getting notifications or any of that. Is nice not having that distraction.

Where I do find myself missing it though is for example when out grilling, I use timers a lot and I always use my watch for that. Yes, I have my phone and can summon the all-mighty Siri for that but, it’s so much easier to quickly reach for your wrist.

Workouts

If there’s anything that the Apple Watch excels at, is tracking movement and workouts. Having that data easily accessible, timers, and data, is super-nice and convenient. The G-SCHOCK does have a stopwatch and timers, but they are not easy to access as they are on the Apple Watch. And of course, there are the rings, The Rings of Shame as I call them.

Conclusion

I am very satisfied with my purchase and I think there is a way in which both watches can coexist within my lifestyle. Just like shirts, they can be changed, depending on the day, mood, necessity, or occasion. For sure will be using the Apple Watch for workouts over the G-SHOCK, but daily use, either or, but mostly the G, for now, until I am tired of it, if ever (or if I get a new one?).

What goes through my mind at 11:00 PM at night?

I talk a lot in my head (I think I am talking), and I sort of guess what the next day will be like. I create conversations, and what I might be saying at tomorrow’s meeting (which got postponed until tomorrow, so I am sure we'll get back to it tonight). I imagine and plan the rest of my day, or rather, I think I am just mentally preparing for it.

I think about every issue, and problem, I have. I tell myself an idiot for worrying too much and that I suck. Impostor syndrome creeps in and doubts every decision made. What my workout will be for tomorrow? Gotta lose weight, I am still fat. I try to remind myself that there’s nothing I can do right this second about any of it and that I should focus on sleeping and getting some rest.

But no, I can’t.

I grab my phone, I doom scroll Instagram, Twitter is dead, nothing to see there this late at night, but I open Tweetbot and scroll anyways. I open any app that might show me something I hadn’t previously seen or read, or something I may miss. There’s nothing in my RSS. A podcast? Nah! Not interested. A book? Too tired to pay attention and remember any of it the next day. What about read it later? Nah!

Ugh!  

Shall I change my Micro.blog theme? Hm...

Nah, not on the macintosh phone...

Plays music...

Midnight comes around...

On the bright side, I got 4 hours of sleep rather than 3 like the night before. I call that progress.

I have completed my first workout using the new G-Shock Watch, honestly I am uncertain whether the Watch was tracking my workout. It was running some kind of times, but… I don’t know, I got to figure it out. It’s definitely been tracking over all activity, steps kcal’s and some.

Unless there’s a setup or function I haven’t figured out yet, I might use the Apple Watch for workouts only. I like having a record and easy access to my timers.

Then again, these are the little things the Apple Watch spoiled me on.

Not a thing I like to see anymore.

Today is my first day without a smarty-pants watch. I kinda feel, in some way, like I have left my phone at home. I am not getting the buzz on my wrist. I noticed that I rarely pay attention to my phone while at my desk, and whenever I interacted with it, it was because of the buzzing on my wrist. I believe I can set the watch so I get some notifications but I haven’t done that yet, or maybe I never will.

I also must confess, that I do have my Apple Watch with me, just not on me. It is currently in my backpack. I am trying to decide if I want to wear it at the gym today, just to record my workout.

Like I have said before, I have been using an Apple Watch since the very first model, so I am in that mentality that if I don’t record my workout on the watch, I did not work out at all, didn’t happen, doesn’t exists. I am used to having that quantitative data.

I should be able to set this up though, according to the website;

>This G-SHOCK MOVE watch delivers all you need for the ultimate workout. Access your smartphone GPS for precision accelerometer measurement when tracking running distance, speed, pace, and calories burned.

I may spend some time today setting it all up and report back, again, these are my 1st-day impressions so far.

Stay tuned…

UPDATE!

Set up the watch with the iPhone app!

Got Twitter and Hey notifications! 🤣

♥ Nostalgia, Graveyards & an NYC Apartment

I think, well, the whole video, for whatever reason just got to me, great story-telling. But the thing that really stood out to me was when he reads a note, that he scribbled; (I will be doing my best to quote here):

> Missing New York means, missing my friends, and missing my friends means missing the times we spent together, and missing those times, is nostalgia and it’s hitting me hard…

Definitely not New York for me, but let us replace NY with Puerto Rico (in my case), let us replace NY with any part of the world or place or activity in which we had great very memorable moments with friends, loved ones, or even by ourselves.

I often feel nostalgic, I miss friends and family of course, but mostly for those moments in which I was the best and normal version of myself. When the only worry was, in which direction to turn next at the next crossroad.

I relive those moments, in my head, often, and I smile every time. And maybe, hopefully, one day I’ll get to share and relive some of those moments with my girls.

Cheers!

I have always had my suspicions, but today was confirmed. Apparently, according to my psychiatrist, I have ADHD.

That confirmed some of my suspicions. Moreover, whatever medication I have been taking for the past few years for my depression, aren’t really doing anything to truly help. If I understood correctly, they just blunt my emotions, good or bad, preventing me from feeling my normal self.

Let us see how this goes, one thing at a time.

I have always been a fan of taking an original thing and making it your own, creating your own take, perhaps as an homage or as fan service but keeping the essence and respecting the original work.

For example, I like song covers, very much, or at least I know I will listen to it if I know it's a cover. Doesn't necessarily mean I will love it, but it excites me to listen to them, at least. 

On the other hand, I know people that hate song covers and I don't blame them.

This morning I listened to a good one,  Guiltiness by  Chronixx a cover from Bob Marley & The Wailers Guiltiness. 

On top of my mind, I have a few others;

Lovesong by Adele, a cover from The Cure's Love Song, I think is a cover well done.

Disturbed's cover of  The Sound of Silence from  Simon & Garfunkel, is another favorite.

Bernard Fowler, Chuck D's version of  Can't You Hear Me Knocking from The Rolling Stones.

Tems's cover of Bob Marley & The Wailers No Woman No Cry, it's beautiful!

And what about Lorde's cover of  Everybody Wants To Rule the World of  Tears for Fears?

Then there are some albums where there are all cover songs by the same artists.

Weezer's Teal Album, love it!

My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers & Me by  AWOLNATION, is my current favorite.

What are some of your favorites, or the ones you don't like?

Let me know in the comments below, like, subscribe and click that bell. 😋