It's not spring -- but I'll take it!

A few January days in the mid 60s (17c or so) -- I'll take it!
I'm actually a little excited about it.

It is still just a bit above freezing, but I am looking forward to a much warmer than normal day today. Although I have plenty to do, I am pretty certain that there is a cigar waiting for me this afternoon. 

I ran across this list of challenges for the new year.

You can click it to big it.
Are there any here that you think might be beneficial for you?

I think the first one is good. Having to start over if you complain or gossip in the 21 days might make it an ongoing experiment that lasts the whole year.
Actually, they are all helpful in setting new habits and only as difficult as your current lifestyle differs from each challenge. The 75 day protocol would be the most difficult for me. The rest of them, not so much as I do a bit of them already.

I've never been a big New Year's Resolution person. If you need to change something, just change it. 
"Starting tomorrow..." would work just as well as waiting for January 1st to roll around. Having an artificially imposed starting day like Jan 1 doesn't do much for us procrastinators. 
Nonetheless, I think I'll get started early on my outside work today and make a little more time for that afternoon cigar.

Be well, my friends!

John

What are you learning?

Once again, I have decided to learn to speak Spanish.
Spanish is the official language of twenty countries and the US territory of Puerto Rico, plus it is widely spoken in Mexico, the USA, and the Philippines. 

I am using Great Courses plus to learn and am just over a week into the course. My greatest challenge is finding places to actually speak in Spanish. I need to find a cigar smoking Mexican man that might need help learning English so that we can smoke cigars, sip tequila, and help each other learn our languages. In today's world, I don't think that advertising for a Mexican person that needs to learn English would get any response, so I guess I'll have to find another way to practice.

I know there are AI courses that allow you to converse with an AI generated teacher. I might have to look into that if taking an old fashioned, repeat-after-me course doesn't work. I don't know that true fluency is the goal, but I would like to be conversationally fluent enough to do more than order a beer and tacos. I am glad there are online translation apps like Google Translate to help when we are in Mexico.

The US is a vast land and there really is no need to learn a second language if your travel is restricted to the US and Canada (although French would be helpful in parts of Quebec). However, it is a little pathetic that so few of us can speak more than just English. Truthfully, it's pathetic at the number that struggle to speak English properly.

Learning a second language is my current quest. 
That and shedding about 60 pounds (27 kg). 
Truthfully, I am doing more to learn Spanish than I am to lose weight, so it is more likely that I'll just be un gringo gordo rather than a normal sized English only American. 

I've completed today's Spanish lesson so I should probably get to work.
¡Adios amigos!

John

December 1 and a shout out to The Connecting Grounds

I never did make it out of the house yesterday. And since I didn't make it out of the house, there was no reason to get out of my pajamas, either!
Unfortunately, that won't be the case today.

After my morning coffee, I have a delivery of coats, clothes, and blankets to make. My cousin sent a bunch of things home with me for donation to The Connecting Grounds (TCG). 
The Connecting Grounds Outreach Center is a pretty cool place. It is primarily staffed by volunteers and is always a hive of activity. Much of the work is "paid" for by giving credits for bicycles, bus passes, or other items that are available. There is no cost for clothing, food items, or survival stuff. 
It is a resource for medical care, job placement, and other everyday needs such as haircuts and laundry.
The above link is to the Outreach Center site. If you want to find out more about TCG as an organization, click the "home" link.

If you would like to support TCG's Outreach Center, go to the above link and click the support button (upper right) to see the different ways that you can contribute.

One might think that TCG is there solely to provide care and support to the unsheltered and underprivileged of the Springfield community. Truthfully, TGC and Pastor Christie Love have given me more than I ever could have expected. Through my connection to them and through them I have learned to "Love Outloud" and become a much more aware and loving person. I will forever be grateful for what they have given to me.
It is through them (and others) that I find myself working at the Crisis Cold Weather Shelter for the third winter season. I am finding that I am a different person - a better person - when I am there, and I need to incorporate shelter John into the more isolated John that I am the rest of the time. 

By the way, I think The Connecting Grounds would be a great name for a coffee shop, don't you?

Have a grand day.
Find a way to give a little. 
Support my friends at TCG or a charity or cause of your own preference.
You'll be glad you did!

John

Challenges

So nobody took the challenge to change my mind about the human race being unredeemable.
Interesting.
And a little sad.

Were you one of the people that agreed to join me in my 100 Day Challenge?
How are you doing?
I missed yesterday, so I'm doubling up today.
If you didn't already join, it's not too late. Just send a note or message to one person per day for the rest of the year. If you want to do a full 100 days, just add days into 2022 to make it 100.

John