Bob the optimist

Yesterday this didn’t strike me as odd, but it hit me on my way home from work tonight…

Someone I work with accused me of being too optimistic.  Me.  He said “Why are you always so optimistic?!  You’re too positive about everything!”  Thinking about it tonight I realized how crazy that would have sounded just two years ago, maybe less, and how now I agreed and it seemed totally normal.  I like that.  I like that I’m no longer constantly negative.  Not that I’m as positive as he made it sound, but I’m definitely making improvements.  I feel that every day I’m improving my attitude and growing more and more positive, which is definitely a good thing.  I think between the job change and, probably more substantial, my meeting Jackie, I’ve kind of put my head in a different direction.  And it’s a good thing. 

Every day on my hour long drive into work I listen to motivational audiobooks and what not on my ipod.  This helps out a lot.  There’s no way I can retain the ideas and put all of them to use immediately so I’ve been listening to some of the recordings over and over.  Eventually the information sinks in.  These help a lot since I know deep down that these people really do know what they’re talking about and I know that by putting these ideas to use will only bring good things.  Anyways, maybe I’ll throw either some links for their stuff up or some quotes up tomorrow. 

Microsofts new “Surface” technology

I’m about as far from a Microsoft fanboy as you can get but… holy hell I can’t wait for this to make it’s way down to your average consumer computers!  Of course it needs to be polished up a bit (you can see where the pictures don’t drag when Gates moves them) but the possibilities are pretty awesome.  Definitely watch both of these videos:

• Interview with Gates and demonstration of “Surface” on Gizmodo.
  
• Microsoft developers showing off “Surface” and demonstrating it more.

New links

First off, some links I’ve come across recently that I think are worth looking into…

• Grandcentral – Use one phone number and have the ability to route all calls to specific numbers (cell, home, work, etc) based on who’s calling. Tons of other fun features too. As soon as I can get the “Call Me” button to work I’ll have that up here too.
• Joox -Watch/download movies and TV shows. Finally found Peep Show online
• Madrid’s jungle train station – complete with a picture.  “This covered jungle stretches out around 4.000 m2 and inhabits more than 500 species amongst which you can find carnivorous plants, goldfish and turtles.”
• Geni – A genealogy site that’s more of a social networking site than what you’d expect.  Input some family members, email them so they can insert more and it keeps going.  Real cool if you have a handful of family members (immediate or not) that have internet access.
• Dealighted – If you’ve got some money burning a hole in your pocket but want to get the most out of it, this site keeps you up to date with links to sales and good deals.
• Google Reader – I am absolutely loving Google’s new RSS feed reader.  So easy to use.  So far this is the first RSS reader I’ve actually stuck by, instead of getting annoyed or frustrated and quitting it.  You should definitely be using this.  I’m particularly happy w/ using it for my mp3 blogs… most of them allow you to download the mp3s right from the feed preview.
• Tumblr – Another blog service.  Interesting layout though.  Definitely not something to replace my wordpress blog, but pretty cool all the same.  I like how easy it is to post a link/picture/video/whatever and the page is just almost stream of consciousness feeling in it’s presentation.  Here’s mine in case I start using it more.
• WhereNY – A guide to all things NYC.
• HopStop – I hate trying to figure out NJ Transit or MTA’s site, let alone plan something.  So far it seems this site is going to help out tremendously.
• 42 Exercise Hacks – Helpful exercise info.  I haven’t started exercising yet but…. soon.
• Cork’d – A social networking site for all things wine.
• The Bathroom Diaries – Demand a clean bathroom?  Here’s a very extensive guide to clean and even impressive bathrooms.
• Fidg’t – A social networking address book.  The coolest part about it for me is the visual networking app you can download.  I like that.
• Howto make a t-shirt – Exactly as it says.  Screen printing for dummies  :p
• G2P -Pimp out google’s search function to find music for you without having to remember the search strings.

NYC

Yesterday was a blast.  Jackie had to go to Manhattan to take a Psych Rehab exam for work so I tagged along.  It was a 3 hour exam so I had a lot of time to wander around.  Then after her exam we spent a lot of time walking around even more.  I decided I really want a smaller digi-cam, something pocket sized so I don’t have to lug mine around.  The Apple store on 5th ave is awesome.  Craziest retail store I’ve ever been in.  The New York Public Library is not just a library.  In fact, it in no way resembles any library I’ve ever been to before.  Trying to find where the books are?  Good luck.  Instead you’re better off checking out the art and history displays and all of the beautiful architecture and paintings in the building.  CompUSA has surprisingly clean bathrooms with soft toilet paper.  Virgin Megastore does not.  L’Oreal confusingly has a retail store that only sells to L’Oreal employees.  The people who work at FAO Schwarz have to dress up like toy soldiers.  FAO Schwarz is ZOMG AWESOME.  Bryant Park is incredible.  Never, ever accidentally turn down the diamond district thinking it’s a shortcut… any time saved in distance is lost in window shopping/drooling.  Manhattan is home to the largest Mercedes dealer I’ve ever seen.  It’s a real easy bus ride up to Times Square from my area, which is something I would have known for the past year and a half of living here.  Apparently the women’s restroom at the Port Authority belongs in a certain scene in either Trainspotting or Desporado, you choose.  Next time less walky, more subway.

The last few days I’ve downloaded the Ben Harper and The Roots CDs I’ve lost over the years.  I’m a very happy man for this. 

I just watched the movie Cars and I’m surprisingly happy with it.  I really, really enjoyed it.  It’s no Monsters, Inc or Toy Story or Shrek but it is pretty freaking good.  I highly suggest watching it if you get a chance, especially for free 

Oh, and I saw a “Puggle” for the first time…  I want one so bad!!!!!!!

Nike USB Stick

Something else I want.  Before Nike sues the shoes (hahaha) off this company…

Bikes

I’ve decided I want a bike.  Not a bmx bike, but a road bike.  Something I can pedal around here on when I have off or in the mornings before work.  The problem is I know nothing about them.  So far I have two that interest me but I don’t know enough to know whether they’re any good or not.  Anyways, have a looky and click the pictures for the links…

A young Goldie interviewed

Ouch Remixed

This one I have no problem laughing at

iGoogle vs the others

There’s some competition to iGoogle now it seems.  I’ve been using iGoogle as my homepage which has all the information I want to see when I first go online.  I just found some others that do things similarly…

• Netvibes
• Pageflakes
• My Yahoo!

I guess I’ll have to give them all a try and see which one I like best. 

I have a great life ahead of me.

Jackie is right, my keyboard does suck.  I feel this way for a different reason, however.  I can’t stand it because of how loud it is.  Trying to type this without waking her is incredibly difficult.

I am so unbelievably happy with our relationship.  I seriously have the most amazing girlfriend in the world.  I was thinking about her tonight and I realized how much she means to me.  I think I’ve been trying to keep that realization at bay for a while, just in case.  Just in case she changes her mind about me.  But I’m now allowing myself to sit here and I guess kind of take it all in.  I’m thinking about happy I am with her.  Thinking about how great my life has become, just by having her in it.  It’s amazing how much things can change in such a short amount of time.  I really do want to spend the rest of my life with her and I have absolutely no reservations about saying that.  For the first time in my life I can sit here and say that or even think that and not have any voice in the back of my head saying “…but what if…”  For the first time I’m certain and that has made me so incredibly happy tonight.  I’m really wishing we had more time to spend together.  I think I need to start actually waking up when she does.  So far I’ve been useless in the mornings (on a good day at that!) and typically when I get home from work she’s sleeping, which leaves us with our days off.  I love having our days off together, but I think I’m also going to try to start waking up when she does.  Maybe I’ll finally start doing what I’ve been saying I would and go for a run (or at least a jog) while she’s in the shower, but at least I’ll be more pleasant in the mornings.  Not that that’s saying much since I’m only one notch above Satan on the kindness scale when woken up.  But I’m sure I can change that.  It might take some time, but I’m sure I can do it. 

Well that’s all for now.  Oh, if you haven’t seen ‘The Fountain’ then I highly suggest you go do so asap.  I love Darren Aronofsky’s movies (‘Requiem for a Dream’ and ‘Pi’) as it is, but I believe I liked this even more so than those.  A very, very different movie but also a very, very stunning movie as well.  Also, just found he’s apparently working on what might somehow be a sequel to ‘The Fountain’ that’s about Noah, his ark and the extinction of mankind:

“Noah was the first person to plant vineyards and drink wine and get drunk. It’s there in the Bible – it was one of the first things he did when he reached land. There was some real survivor’s guilt going on there. He’s a dark, complicated character,”

Click here to read more.