The Reformed Addict...

I must confess that my lack of blogging is working hand in hand with my lack of motivation on language learning and a general fallow spell on writing music as well.  The past year has been one of recovery and reconnection from my extended time on the road, and I think I've been trying to do a couple of things a little better than before:

When I'm home, I try to really be home and present for the family.  Isaac needs to be played with.  Bella needs to be read with.  But more importantly, Pamela needs to have time with me in the room (and I need to be with her too) to decompress at the end of the day.  It just doesn't seem right or fair for me to disappear upstairs to be working on my Japanese pronunciation or tweaking a bass drum track.

Which isn't to say I'm not pursuing geeky pursuits - I'm reading a lot and still getting caught up on old Doctor Who episodes... but these are things I can do with some earbuds in, sitting and looking at Pamela as she does whatever she's doing (recently it's been research on the 1990s for a set of posters for a Girl Scout sleepover.  These girls have no idea what Color Me Badd have in store for them).

I have been spending a fair amount of time at the Gym...  but there's a good reason:  Isaac LOVES the kids club at the Gym, and asks to go EVERY SINGLE DAY.   I try to go every other day.  Knowing that he WANTS to play for 90 minutes keeps me on my toes and encourages me to really get a good workout in - I'm running around 4 miles a session now.

Sometimes I bring Bella, but she's much more interested in reading and drawing than dodgeball.  Pamela's also in the mix, coming along 3 times a week for her group fitness team...  we're all working on health, here.  It's good.  I'm starting to recognize the crazy guy who used to teach fitness classes...  and I think I may actually be in slightly better shape now than I was back then.

So that's what I've been up to:  I'm just not quite in a writing state of mind.  I'm spending a lot more family time, and more free time is taken up with exercise these days.  I'll get there again, don't worry.