The Quantified Self

I've read some articles lately on the notion of the Quantified Self -- self-knowledge through statistics. I previously found such concepts useful in limited ways, like tracking my calories and my run distances and times. I've decided to crank this up a bit.

http://bigthink.com/ideas/meet-the-urban-datasexual

http://quantifiedself.com/

I recently purchased a Fitbit Ultra which will track my daily activities and sleep patterns. The fitbit mobile app and website provides a nice dashboard view and allows me to set goals. The system also integrates nicely with other apps like Runkeeper (my preferred mobile GPS app for tracking my runs) and MyFitnessPal (my preferred mobile app for tracking weight and food).

I tried out the Fitbit's sleep tracking for the first time last night. The small device clips to a comfortable wrist band and tracks movements during the night. It shows sleep / activity patterns on a bar chart and calculates actual sleep time and sleep efficiency. While I am normally a light, restless sleeper, I slept like a log last night. This was reflected in my fitbit results of 98% sleep efficiency. I suspect this might have been the result of having no caffeine all afternoon or evening. It will be interesting to measure this over time and attempt to determine root cause for my frequent restless nights -- one of the reasons I find such data collection both fascinating and useful.

I'll post more as I integrate the Fitbit into my daily routine, sync it with my other lifestyle apps, and find ways to make use of the resulting data.

 

Batch 19

My buddy Brandon shared an interesting new brew with me recently -- Batch 19 (http://www.batch19.com). It's an American Adjunct Lager. Not my favorite style, but I'm generally open to trying new brews.

I found this beer poured nicely, producing a creamy white foam. It was very clear with a nice golden color.

Aroma was sweet with a bit of malt and a touch of caramel.

I found the taste to be light and crisp with some pronounced hoppiness, though not as citrusy as many hoppy beers (like IPAs that I favor). It had more of a Carbonation was moderate, which I certainly appreciate. The finish was dry, clean and bright.

This will make an excellent summer beer due to its light and refreshing nature.

I think Coors has a hit on their hands with Batch 19.

Scentsy

Last year at the North Suburban Thunder fundraiser auction, Bonnie and I won the bid on a Scentsy basket. It included a warmer, a couple scent blocks, and a couple other goodies. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I have REALLY enjoyed it over the past several months. I had been thinking of buying a couple extra warmers (as I transport our existing warmer from the bedroom to my office to the main floor of the house quite a bit), some extra scents, and something for the car as well.

Bonnie came to me and suggested that she would like to consider signing up for the Scentsy business, if for no other reason than to get some discounts on these wonderful products we've been enjoying.

As I looked at the business materials, I was impressed. I've certainly done MLM before, but this looked very friendly and could support a low-key approach. So I'm announcing that Bonnie and I have started our own Scentsy business. No need to run for the hills. We're not beating the bushes and rapidly scheduling parties and all that. Our kit will be in this week and we'll have lots of great testers to smell and some fun products to share with anyone who is interested. We'll be announcing our launch party very soon as well as setting up an online party. We've got our web site up for those who would like to browse products and order. (http://robandbonnie.scentsy.us)

If you'd like a physical catalog, would like to see some of the products first-hand, and/or would like to smell some of the great scents, let me know and we can arrange a meet. You can message me here on FB, post a comment here, or e-mail me at scents@wg-family.net).


Cheers!

Rob

The Passing of a Dear Friend

It was cold and grey as I set out to bury my best friend. The frozen ground held firm and the old rusty shovel head broke. I grabbed a hand trowel and continued to dig, scooping the cold damp earth out of the hole with my bare hands. My dog Balder and cat Meriadoc sat quietly alongside the growing mound of dirt. Thin roots from the nearby aspen trees snaked in along the edges of the open grave. As I opened the small box containing my late companion, the smell of death filled my nostrils. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I placed her small, furry body into the earth. Balder sniffed at her, then laid down with his head between his paws, his silent goodbye given. The wind quietly rustled the aspen leaves as I scooped the rich soil over her with my stiff hands.

My dear Tribble -- thank you for 14 years of loyalty and love.