Podcasting to work.
I've decided enough's enough. Driving to work every day is stupid. I stayed within walking distance from work for a reason: so I could walk. But I haven't been.
I like walking. But the trouble is I also like sleeping. And there's nothing I can do--I'm going to be dragging myself through the morning no matter what happens. It takes me about an hour of sitting upright and drooling (usually in front of the laptop) before I'm even capable of making breakfast. So if I'm going to make it into work by or around 10 (I know, poor me), it always ends up that the 20 minute walk is too long and I have to jump in the car instead.
The car's easier in other ways too. Like I can go somewhere different for lunch, or run errands, or stop by the grocery store after work. Stuff like that. But it mostly comes down to the morning situation.
I tried biking a bit during the summer. That didn't last long. I like riding the bike, but I hate riding a bike in traffic (not that I even have much traffic to ride through). Along with that, biking to work seems like it's a hard sell for my subconscious. Maybe it's the helmet (since I started wearing one). Maybe it's the fact that I have to do something with the bike (we have a bike room at work now...). Maybe it's the fact that it always starts raining on the days when I bike. There's just enough inertia making biking a solid third choice in my getting-to-work buffet.
So anyway, I was thinking I really needed some way to convince myself to walk to work in the morning. And that's when I heard (I think on a podcast or something) a guy suggest that he downloads a bunch of podcasts every morning, synchs up his MP3 player and does his hour-long walk to work every morning, blissfully catching up on Internet audio chatter.
And this, to me, sounded like a great idea. Except I don't have an MP3 player.
Of course, I could buy... Wait! Dammit, I do have an MP3 player! And it's about time I used it. That's why I got the stupid 1GB card for it I haven't been using.
Mind you, it's a little chunkier than an iPod nano, but my PSP can play MP3 files. I have pockets. And if I get stuck somewhere waiting for something, I can whip it out and play a little Loco Roco. I'm liking this idea.
What's more, as of some recent firmware update (yes, I actually update the firmware. I know, I'm lame), it has built-in RSS support. So I don't even have to sync it up with anything. Provided I can get the RSS feed into the reader (and it looks like I have to go through the browser, which is kinda a pain), I can just tell it to download everything over WiFi in the morning. That's pretty awesome.
Even so, I'm debating asking for a nano for Christmas... They're adorable.
So two birds with one stone: I get to catch up on the podcasts I haven't had enough time for lately, and this is just enough incentive, it seems, to get me walking in the morning. We'll see if the incentive holds when the temperature drops.
Podcasts I've been listening to:
And now that I can get through more a week, I'll probably start tracking down others.
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tinkerer
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Wow. (shakes head) The whole scene you describe just blows me away. You see, I used to live a little over one mile from work and *always* walked. It helped me wake up enough to BE awake (heh) in the mornings, and helped me de-stress at night. Now, I live close to 7 miles away, so walking just won't do...but still park close to a half of a mile away from my actual workplace building. I LOVE to walk, and often do it--for FUN--during my lunch hour. :D
As for having trouble getting to work by 10am. Ahem. Crying rivers, dear. ;> Not only do I have to be at work and at my desk PERIOD by 8am, but the kid is now doing volleyball (as well as hockey) and frequently has to be to school by 7am for practice. We're usually up by 5:30 at the latest! This, btw, astounds my sister, who still remembers how I would sleep all day after staying up all night when I was young. My daughter & I are both night owls (often still up by midnight), but hey--ya do what ya gotta do, and you learn to adjust. You really do, I'm living proof...
I agree that bike riding in traffic would be a sad option, tho'. I'm dating a co-worker who does that--rides 10 miles every day into the downtown core where we work, through heavy traffic and in any kind of weather (barring snow/ice on the road, then he busses). That's 10 miles ONE WAY, mind you. And yeah, I think he *is* a little nutty. But his gas bill is a whole lot less than mine, lol!
Totally agree about the iPods. But the name brand is a bit pricey. The kid has a 512MB MP3, and complains at not having enough space. So she's getting a 2GB player for Christmas. But not iPod. Too spendy, no matter how cute. Instead she's getting a quality generic, and then the camcorder she's been after for nearly two years (picked up both at nearly half price by standing in line at 4am at Circuit City to have a shot at the day-after-Thanksgiving blowout sales, woohoo!). I'm kinda hoping she'll let me have the older 512MB. I keep swearing I'm going to start a regular workout, and that would be fun to have to distract me from the fact that I was --OMG--*working* *out*!!!
Speaking of Thanksgiving, I hope yours was quite splendid. :> I actually hosted (my first!) at my home, and guess what I had for dinner tonite? Leftover turkey and mashed potatoes! ... Again!... Too bad the dressing and gravy were already gone, those are actually my favorites...um, and the pie, of course. lol!
Best of luck with your incentive plan, Squirrel. Just don't forget your ear muffs when the weather turns, you might lose some momentum. ;>
Submitted 2006-11-28 23:59:02
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flying squirrel
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I'm a big fan of walking. I've been telling myself that the driving to work thing is okay so long as I get out at lunch. And I'll go out for a walk in the evening maybe once a week if I'm not doing anything and the weather's nice.
I'd gotten into a bad habit with the car thing. And, being me, I feel the need to rationalize it. There's no good reason for it. It's just easy. And every morning I'd get in the car at 9:55 and go "I really have to stop doing this" and listen to 5 minutes of the news and then I'm at work.
The only reason I'm in at 10 or later is because nobody seems to care. I'll work till 6 or 6:30 and get my stuff done, so it's all good. I mostly blame my inability to get up and moving on the fact that I'm living alone (or more or less alone... my basement-dwelling housemate sleeps later than I do, and wouldn't even bother me if she did get up). I can get up when I'm staying at my parents'. There's stuff going on. I can't sleep through that.
So yes. The PSP is kinda quirky in a lot of ways. I do like the wireless download thing, but it's a bit slow. So I think I might look into getting a portable audio thing. I'd like something that's a bit more versatile than the iPod, but if I'm asking for something for Christmas, I have to make it very specific and easy. Saying "iPod" is just easier than "A 2GB player that has decent Mac support and preferably is capable of playing Ogg/Vorbis files, even if that means custom firmware and faster hardware. And it would be cool if it looked nice too." My parents don't want to hear that.
I've signed up for a gym membership for next year (Hey! I hadn't thought about podcasts for that. I guess I was trying not to think about it. It could work!). The PSP wouldn't cut it in the gym...
Submitted 2006-11-29 14:43:17
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tinkerer
writes:
Speaking of iPod, have you seen the iDog? I was at the store tonite and dropped by electronics to get some prices on DV tapes and to look for LCD photo frames (perfect grandma gift, yes?), and saw some of those little puppies. My daughter has expressed an interest in them, as has her best friend's little sister. And I must admit, they are rather cute. But what got me the most was, right next to all the little doggies in their varied colors, were little boxes of chic winter outerwear (hats, scarves, sweaters) to fit said doggies, and even a specially designed pink iDog carrier handbag replete with fluffy accents.
OMG! Even our robots have become Paris Hilton!!!
If I ever quit laughing long enough to get off the floor, I think I'll die of a heart attack...
Submitted 2006-11-29 23:48:28
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flying squirrel
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iDog is the stupid dancing flower of the modern era. :P
Submitted 2006-12-01 10:29:50
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