Volunteering Again

I had a slightly spontaneous (but not entirely unexpected) meeting with Sensei this afternoon. He called around noonish asking for some help with the podcast he wanted to start — mainly, where to start. So, we met at the dojo (a five-minute drive for me), drove over to Starbucks (another five-minute drive or so), and talked about podcasting over coffee. (By the way? If you're into corporate coffee, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is delish.)

After an hour of discussion, mainly about what podcasts are and how to create them and what we want to do with ours, I went home with his new H2 recorder, a CD of original music, a password or two, and some other vital info.

This is the result.

I spent two hours on the editing and tweaking of the files (which will get progressively easier as I (we) learn the appropriate level settings for the recorder), and I spent considerably longer than that setting up the domain name and the libsyn account.

Now, I know I don't need anything else on my plate right now, especially since I'm a.) job-hunting and b.) revamping the drum corps website. Oh, yeah, and c.) planning to do NaNoWriMo in a week. But, really, I could streamline this to a one-hour operation after zen on Wednesday nights. Aaron suggested I barter for a discount on my aikido, but Sensei suggested that this could be what I contribute to the sangha (zen community). I don't want to get sucked into more than I should, but I know that my talents are best used, rather than left to languish. Plus, like I said before, I like to feel... not so much important, but needed, I guess.

We'll see how this pans out. I want to be helpful, but I know that sometimes that translates to being used, depending on who I'm "helping." I may have to cut some other projects free soon to make room for this one.

New Podcast Episode Coming Soon!

I was sitting here tonight, feeling like being a lazy slug, when the sudden urge to podcast struck me. I hooked up the handy-dandy MXL 990, printed off the notes I'd written myself TWO MONTHS AGO, and sat down to podcast about why I hadn't been podcasting.

I'm so kewl, I even figured out how to make Movable Type post entries at a scheduled time in the future. So, Episode 11 of the Low Carb Lifestyle Podcast will be up at 8am tomorrow morning.

I'm going to try to keep a weekly schedule, complete with main topics that are recorded weeks in advance (what a concept!). I have... *counting* ...eight show topics right here on a list by my desk, with two book/diet reviews ready to go and a couple more books to read yet.

So, miracle of miracles, my podcast is back! And, for those of you not eating low-carb... it's really not going to be totally about low-carb eating. Some of my future show topics include:

• Vinaigrette
• Average Your Weight
• Disappearing Low-Carb Products
• Throwing Away Food
• Setting Yourself Up For Success
• Order An Appetizer
• Positive Thinking
• Stop When You're Full
  (or, it doesn't do any good to put your fork down between bites if you're going to stuff yourself anyway)
• Moving Outside Your Comfort Zone
• Review: Body For Life
• Review: Carbohydrate Addict's Diet
• Review: Protein Power

Basically, I'm writing down ideas that come to me at random times, and planning to write an outline about each of them and jabber about them for about 10 minutes each. Resources and references will be used heartily.

Oh, speaking of resources... I have a voicemail line! 206-984-2-EAT (2328). If you're into the diet thing, and have some diet or exercise advice or commentary you'd like me to include on my show, please call! You're also welcome to e-mail me mp3 files, too, if you so choose. But you know those free night and weekend minutes are eating a hole in your cell phone pocket. ;-)

Podcasting Vacation

I finally did it. I posted a message on my podcast site admitting that I may or may not be continuing my podcast.

I just have so many other things demanding my attention. The LSM site. Genealogy (sometimes). Blogging. Housework (again, only sometimes). And I tend to be really unmotivated anymore when I get home from work. I haven't even exercised in a couple of weeks.

I actually feel as if something's been crossed off of my perpetual to-do list. Now I have room for something else, like finishing one of my stories or writing letters to my family or cleaning my desk or my corner of the bedroom. We'll see which gets done first. Hmph.

Podcast

Have all the components of a 20-minute show recorded, despite my less-than-optimal sickly voice. Have music bed and ID bumper selected. Have list of links to include in show notes. Have "April 21st" in intro to podcast #10. Have it half-edited together.

Have to go to bed. Can't stay up another half-hour to complete the editing and post the show notes. My clamoring public will just have to wait another day, and pick up the new episode in the Monday morning rush (when my stats invariably jump by 50 listeners or so).

So tired. Ugh. Time to go to bed.

I'm in the Toledo Free Press?!

Check out what I found when I looked at my website referrers today:

Blog it, Toledo!
By Lisa Renee Ward
Special to Toledo Free Press

(exclusive online content: 3/8/06)

Most of the blogs out there are personal ones, people write not just to communicate with each other but to share what is happening in their life. Diana Schnuth's blog is personal in nature. However she's taken her blog beyond just the mere journal of life aspect. She has also created a pod cast and a second blog related to that called The Low Carb Lifestyle.  There are a few people in my life that follow a low carb diet, I've downloaded and listened to a few of Diana's pod casts and have found them very informative/helpful.

Some personal blogs are more like diaries, Petey P takes you thru the happy and sometimes the less than happy moments in Pete's life. Another thing about visiting blogs is checking out some of the people a blogger links to which led me to the next featured blog.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, I'd have to agree with that, especially when it is done in humor. The Peep series of posts and photos on Iron Duke had me not only snickering but glad that Peep season was just around the corner.

Another thing about personal blogs is that it seems from time to time a blogger will step away from blogging because real life gets too busy. Joshua at One Bad Website is at that point, "Lack of motivation and school has prevented me from posting. I'm sure this blog has fallen off of most radars. Meh." Au contraire Joshua?radar is still operational.

Most of these personal blogs are not meant for those under 18, Omar the Great is one of these. He writes about almost everything from his having the flu, dating adventures and personal exchanges he has with people that make me think at times?Gee, I hope none of these people read your blog?

Then we have blogs like Mind Matter where in her posts titled, "Through The Rabbit Hole" and "Blogging Under A Magnifying Glass", some of the reasons why people decide to not go into too much personal detail are discussed.

So there we have this week's adventure into personal blogging, from diets to dating to break ups to peeps, someone out there in our area is blogging about it. If you have a blog you want to share with me, email me at glasscityjungle@gmail.com. When I'm not out surfing the net you can find me at Glass City Jungle.