No Pain, Just Weight Gain

Hi my name is Will... and I'm overweight. It all started a year ago when I changed jobs. I had really been working on dropping weight and was this close to reaching my goal weight for the first time since I got married. When I changed jobs I got busy, started spending large portions of my day sitting on my butt, and (worst of all) fell back in love with my old fast food friends... Fast forward to now and I am at my heaviest I have ever been.

Something has to change so I am trying to start working out again so I can get down to a weight that I can easily maintain. Here's to hoping I can make this happen. My flat feet will thank me if I can. Its no fun when you have flat feet and play soccer carrying about 20 extra pounds.

I'm Still Here

I know, I know... I pretty much suck at his whole blogging thing. I almost never seem to post on here and my other blogs (Mr. Will Software & The Wallace Perspective) lay dormant for months at a time. I just never seem to find the time or inspiration to write anything I would consider worthwhile. So I guess you could say I am suffering from long-term writer's block. You would think with my wife being in school full-time, having two rowdy young children, and being still in the first year of a job that I would have all kinds of crazy stories to share...

The 10 Day Single Dad Test

The missus has left for a ten day trip to attend a couple conferences. This means it will be a men’s only affair in the Wallace house for a week and a half. So far things are going okay, but it’s only been twenty-four hours since she left and the boys are staying with my mom for the night so I can go to my final soccer game of the season. So come Monday morning will be the real test. I will be a single dad with 2 toddlers. I am hoping and praying there are no morning meltdowns while getting them ready for school. I can handle them any other time, but when they need to get to school and I need to get to work I can’t take it.

So wish me luck. Whether things go great or poorly, it will be quite a learning experience for myself and the boys. I am sure there will be quite a few funny stories after all is said and done.

Shaking Writer's Block

At least once a week I sit down with my laptop with the full intention of doing some serious writing for this blog. And like most weeks, I sit and stare at the screen with nothing to write. I don't know when I reached the point where I was consistently having bouts with writer's block. This is certainly new to me.  When I was in college, it was well known that I could sit down and crank out a 10 page paper in a little over an hour. I guess joining the workforce has slowly dwindled my skills in that area. Actually, now that I think about it... I've barely written since I finished my Master's thesis back in 2007. That needs to change.

One of the things I have noticed since I've been working is how many people lack adequate writing skills. I know you might be thinking, "You are a software engineer. The only thing you need to know how to write is code." That is only partially true. There is so much documentation that you have to write as a software engineer, not including writing white papers, which are basically small research papers where you explain a formal opinion on a technology (I've actually never written one, but that should probably change). I can't tell you how many times I've had to read through poorly written documents where often the information is not clear and makes no sense.

Anyway, I'm rambling at this point. There is no rhyme or reason behind this post. I just had a strong urge to actually write for the sake of writing for the first time in a long time. Hopefully this is the beginning of me getting back in touch with my inner writer. :)

I Am the Anti-Photographer

I have come to the realization that I am terrible at taking pictures to document my life. I think I have maybe taken a grand total of 10 pictures in the past 6 months. With all of the things going on in my life right now I should definitely be doing better. My boys are getting so big and I am going to be mad at myself 20 years from now when I don’t have any pictures from those precious Father/Son moments because I was too lazy to get my camera. Unacceptable...

So I am going to make a pledge to myself to try and snap a few pics a week. That should certainly get me going on my way and I can finally have recent pics of my boys when people ask to see them. :)

Another Year Bites the Dust

Well, 2011 has come and gone. It was a pretty good year for me as well as my family. If you don't mind, I'd like to share a few things from my year.

• This was the year that I finally picked up recreational reading. I have never been one to do much reading for fun. If you saw me reading a book, it was 9 times out of 10 a book having to do with programming. I just never saw reading fiction books as a form of entertainment. Then a funny thing happened... I had to take a business trip to Denver for a training class and since I was going with co-workers I would not have a car of my own to go and explore the city like I wanted. I was going to have to have something to kill the down hours and hotel TV is pretty sketchy and we don't have a Netflix streaming account. Cara suggested that I read a book she had read called Hunger Games. I had never heard of it, but after reading a sample I agreed to give it a try and loaded it on my Nook Color. Little did I know, but I was about start the beginning of what I would later classify as the most entertaining series of books I have ever read. I only hope it will continue and each book I read seems better than the next. Oh yeah, TEAM PEETA!!!
• I forced myself to be more healthy this past year. The year began with the yearly Crowley High School soccer alumni game (the alumni have won 4 or 5 years in a row, what! what!). I was playing as a defender and in my mind I was the same All-Region player I was back in 1999, but in reality I was a guy who was knocking on crossing the 200 lbs. mark who was huffing and puffing while trying to keep up with kids almost half my age. A week later I turned 30 and realized it had to stop. I now had 2 young sons to look after and growing into a fattie was not going to help that. (Yes, we also welcomed a new son this year, but I will get to that in a bit. You have to save the best for last...) So I promptly changed my diet with the suggestion of trying to limit my calorie intake to less than 2000 a day. A year later I am down to between 170 - 175 lbs. and hopeful to shed 5 - 10 more this year.
• I learned how to write apps for both the iPhone/iPad and Android devices. My job sent me to training for the iPhone apps and I taught myself how to write the Android apps. I am still very much a novice, but I look forward to improving on both. I just need to get my hands on a Mac so I can really practice on the iPhone apps at home. (So if anyone has a Mac Mini they'd like to send my way just let me know... *wink* *wink*)
• And now for the most monumental event of 2011... I was lucky enough to become a father for the second time with the birth of Topher. He is just as awesome as his brother. They look so much alike, but a little more of his mom found its way into his genes (I'll work harder on that next time, haha!). He's already almost 10 months old and time is flying by, but I will never forget the day and a half spent in the hospital while Cara was in labor. This little boy was extra comfy in his mother and decided to take a couple of extra week to make his appearance, and even then we had to make him come out. I was so proud of his mom. She was able to go through labor with no pain meds, even after having to take drugs to induce and speed up her labor. I did a lot more work this time around and together we got him here safe and sound. I am so excited for him to be here and could not imagine him not being here!

Well that's enough of my sharing. I really enjoyed 2011 and I hope you did too. Here's to en even better 2012!!

Champions Are Forever

I remember when I was in the 6th grade, I would walk the halls in my green Dallas Mavericks shirt at least once a week. Being in the Dallas area, this should not have been anything out of the ordinary. However, this was the Jordan era. The Bulls was in the middle of their first three-peat so everyone was rocking their Bulls gear. The Mavericks? They were everyone's least favorite team to cheer for and their most favorite to make fun of. In fact they were one step above he Washington Generals to most people.  So what was I doing in this shirt every week?

I easily could have joined the crowd, but I have always felt close to the Mavericks. They were the worst franchise in the league and quite frankly in pro sports in America for a long time. I would watch the games, season after season, hoping to see some glimpse of hope for the future. Well, tonight that hope was fulfilled when my Mavericks popped bottles to celebrate being the 2011 NBA CHAMPIONS!! I cannot fully explain what this feels like. This is a team that was given no chance to do anything this post-season, but through it all I believed. The Mavs could go on to win a thousand more championships, but I will always remember this one.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!

YourNextRead!!

So I just found this really awesome site for big time readers, YourNextRead. How it works is you enter in the title of a book you have read and it will give you recommendations for other books to read. I would think this would be very valuable recommendations for people who fly through books like my wife. She will finish a book and then have to scour the Kindle store for a new book to read. You should check it out. Here's what the site looks like, but please ignore the nerdy book I am currently reading haha.

Mission: Accomplished

Like everyone else I just saw President Obama address the nation and inform us all that Osama Bin Laden was killed in an operation today in Pakistan. Though I do not celebrate anyone’s death, it is nice to know that he has been met with justice after ending so many lives across the world with his viciously orchestrated attacks.  I don’t have much to say really other than it is nice to see some result after spending almost 10 years hunting for the man. So I will spend the rest of the night taking in a monumental moment for the country and the Obama administration so when I wake up in the morning I can ignore all the negativity the president will receive from those who choose to oppose him at any cost.

Happy Man

A picture is worth a thousand words....

Waiting for Baby #2

I am getting closer and closer each day to doubling the number of sons in my family. I am getting more and more anxious as each day passes. Thanks to the technology of this millenium, I already know this next son already looks like me and 3.0, but I have no idea what his personality will be like. 3.0 is turning out to be a dancing baby engineer, much to my delight. With that said, the odds have to be that new baby will share more personality traits with his mom (which could lead to some funny shenanigans between the two children.

I just know how excited I am to be meeting the little guy soon.

I'm On The Clock...

The time has come...

I now have less than a week remaining in my 20s. As I sit here and watch the time tick away I can reflect on all I've done this past decade. There have been ups and down, but in the end I can't complain at all about how it all turned out.

Here's to you Twenty-something Will!! You loved, you lived, and came out on top. Now let's get ready to kick Forty-something Will's ass in 10 years...

New Photos on My Flickr Photostream

I recently took a trip to Jamaica with my wife (who is also pregnant with baby #2...) to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I snapped some photos while I was there and added the best ones to my Flickr photostream. Here they are:

UTA in the SportsCenter Top 10

Check out Lamarcus Reed's sick dunk at #2 around the 1:15 mark...

Phones, Phones, Phones...

I have a bit of a dilemma. I need to get a new cell phone, but I can't make myself decide on the phone I want. I have literally gone back and forth between the MyTouch 4G and the HTC HD7. They are both smart phones, but very different. One runs Android and the other runs the new Windows Phone 7. The nerd in me can write apps for both, though it might be a little easier for the HD7. I just don't know what to do. I am just going to have to go into the store and take a leap of faith...

March Madness Begins in November

With all of the BCS and NFL news filling up the Sportscenter broadcasts it is easy to not notice that NCAA basketball season has arrived. This is by far my favorite sports season of the year (I'm sure there being no UTA football influences that. C'mon Pres. Spaniolo, get on that ASAP...). So get out and support your alma maters this season.

Now for my UTA Movin' Mavs, it is going to be a season of unknowns. We have zero seniors and lost a big chunk of our scoring when Marquez Haynes graduated. That said, we have probably our most athletic recruiting class in school history (we even got a guy named Shaq...) that will be taking the floor. It should be interesting to see how it all comes together. We were picked to finish dead last in the West division of the Southland Conference, so the sky is the limit. Then again, the last time we were picked 6th we found ourselves in the dance. Who knows what will happen...

No matter what, this will be a season that goes down in the history books. This will be the last season Texas Hall will be used, which means no more ballin' on The Stage. As sad as I am I won't be able to see opponents mis-judge the distance to the edge and fall into the orchestra pit (I've seen it at least 5 times), I am just as excited for the new College Park Center to open next year. It's been a long time coming and I know the basketball and volleyball teams will enjoy the move.

Now, I'm off to go scan the tv guide I can plan for all the games I need to watch. The 2010 - 2011 basketball season has officially begun. Enjoy!

Braveheart Strikes Again!!

So today I had to call and get a medical bill paid, so I knew there was a great possibility of Braveheart coming into the short conversation. What I didn't know is that it would end in a complete laughter jackpot.

I had just read off my card number and expiration date, so I knew she would soon be asking for the name on the card. I gave my full name and made sure to include that I was the second ( a.k.a. II). The woman on the other end then said, "You know, there was a Scottish warrior with that same name." How did I respond?

"Yes, I know.... He's my dad."

From that point, the woman laughed on and off for the next few minutes. She ended the phone call by wishing me well in the rest of my battles and said I had brightened up her day. She brightened mine as well...

Case of the Mondays

Mondays are getting harder and harder to endure. It is not just that the day brings my weekend to a screeching halt, but it has become my official day to lick my wounds. You see, I recently started playing semi-competitive soccer again. That in itself is grueling enough for a Sunday afternoon, but when you add to that the fact that I am out of shape and about 15 - 20 pounds too heavy... Well, let's just call it a beating.

So today I made my way into work with a bit of a limp in my step. Even though I know getting up and walking around would help with the soreness in my legs,back, feet, and just about everything else (the price of getting older), I am doing my best impression of a stationary object. One day I will stop doing this to myself, but right now my love of the game will keep setting me up for a nice "Case of the Mondays" hahaha.

Yoga For Black People (NSFW)

I normally scan Funny or Die every few days to see if any of the new videos are any good and I came across this one. It's a funny video called Yoga For Black People. It's so wrong and so funny at the same time. Enjoy...

Yoga for Black People - watch more funny videos

Random Thoughts

Just have some random thoughts going through my mind...

*Why do people tip the car hops at Sonic? I mean, the person at the McDonald's register hands you your food just like the car hops do, but gets nada.

*If you are complaining about your baby daddy, it's probably because he's a baby daddy and not a father. Any man can make a kid, but not every man is willing to be a father to them.

*If a high school switches to a school uniform dress code to stop hoodlum activity, they are just giving the students a peek into their hoodlum futures. Hoodlums usually go to jail where, guess what, they wear the same uniforms. So we are basically turning schools into general population...

*Why is Hollywood so caught up with 3D movies? At this point every movie will be in 3D by 2015. I don't know about you, but I definitely don't want to see Eye of the Tiger: The Tiger Woods Story in 3D. Seeing Waffle House ladies in 3D is not my idea of a good time.

*Why does Dancing With the Stars have no stars? If the best you can do is Bristol Palin and The Situation you are better off calling the show Dancing with Random Ass People.

That's enough for now. I now return you to your previously scheduled program...