allomammal

[allomammal]

It has been - for the most part - a great joy to have these two keep me company for the last several months of that #WorkFromHome life. Teaching and tutoring students can often be a drag but - with the exception of that time that Haruo-kun ate the class notes that I had yet to copy and upload... and the times that Oshun-chan gets a little too enthusiastic when trying to play with Big Sis Millie - they have been pretty good moral support in these trying times. https://www.instagram.com/p/CNJk1s9MddYYd5VuuA1gU38MB3-bYogyzh8ft40/?igshid=3f7t4cl3omas

#workfromhome

[allomammal]

Resolutions for 2K21

How It Started

I’ve sat out on my back porch thinking of how to describe the last two years of my life (2019 - 2020). The phrase that I sometimes use to characterize them is, Stop the Bleeding. I hadn’t made any long- or medium-term goals  for myself in a while -- which is completely out of character for me as I tend to live in the future, scheming of ways to gradually advance my career, or learn better ways to save and invest money, or desperately search for that basic and mundane comfort that poor children everywhere dream of some day attaining.

But, in this period, I just needed to survive myself- the guilt, the regret, the fear for the future.

And at the beginning of 2020, I recall growing (increasingly) brazenly confident that I was turning a corner on a dark period in my life. I began a mediation practice with the Yellow Dog Sangha - Insight Mediation San Antonio. I began reading texts on non-violent communication, mindfulness, and Buddhism. Quality time with my friends from work at our favorite bars and local breweries was helping me regain my confidence and sense of self-worth. And when all else failed, I had one of the greatest loves of my life, my hetero life-partner and roommate, by my side to, at the very least, be present when I needed a good cry (#SoftBoiGang). One recurring theme that you’ll take away if you begin reading mindfulness texts (or listening to meditation instruction) is this metaphor that meditation is like practicing death. It sounds morbid, but the intention of the metaphor is grounded in a Buddhist context, wherein each moment passes away and another begins, naturally, in perpetuity. So, in some sense, the message is to have the courage to begin again. When your mind is full of thoughts, come back to the body, back to the breath, and begin again. And, when your life slips into chaos and confusion, gently note, “This is not forever,” and begin again.

When the Pandemic began, I again found myself face-to-face with my trauma. Ever more isolated, I was honestly astounded by how deep my wounds were. Despite all my work and deliberate attempts at healing, the tenderness of my battered and bruised heart was still immensely sore. So the work continued as I continued learning what it means to build (and, in some cases restore) connections with my loved ones through the outward sincerity that only comes from embracing the world with broken-heartedness. Because, as we all found out, the world itself is broken.

But, there’s an openness, an honesty, about being broken that has great dignity - and, I’d go one further to say there’s something divine about it. There’s grace in it. It doesn’t necessarily seek comfort or consolation. It can just be. And that’s perfectly okay.

How It’s Going

The Year of Our Lordt 2021 is off to a [insert adjective] start. In the past few months, I’ve tried to open myself more to expressing my true self. I’m trying to be less self-conscious about posting video of me singing on social media while I tinker amateurishly trying to improve my technique. I’ve binged beautifully heart-warming (and heart-wrenching) anime series and picked up drawing from time-to-time. On occasion, I’ve even written a poem for that sweet cathartic release that I used to be more familiar with.

But, as far as explicit resolutions go, I wanted to be modest here. I wanted to begin (again) with smaller, achievable goals.

100 push-ups/day: This is a simple holdover from resolutions past, so I know it’s achievable. It also works towards my vague fitness goals, though I’ll have to come up with a more explicit plan if I want to lean up a bit this year. Working from home is working against me.

100 squats/day:  Every man needs a donk. That goes without saying. And much like my early-life fitness idols (basically every Dragon Ball Z character), I would like to have quads like a Super Saiyan. We’ll see how this one goes. I anticipate some strength #gains here more than size gains since (a) my regular running regimen is still in full-effect (and I’m trying to do at least 520 miles by year’s end), and (b) I’m not working with a full home-gym squat rack setup. But, each month, I plan to increase the amount of weight held (dumbbell or plates) during squats.

Read more books:  I’m going to continue reading books on meditation and Buddhism because I find them quite helpful and centering. I’ve found in myself, lately, an uneasiness around the fact that American Buddhism/meditation practice is so god damn White. So, I’d like to understand the historical development of American Buddhism a little better. Eventually, I want to begin digging into literature on cognitive psychology, consciousness, and the use of psychedelics in treating trauma. I’d also like to get back into literature on community ecology and niche construction. We’ll see how things go.

Write More Things: First off, this counts. At the very least, I’d like to write something once a month. Short-form (songs or poems) will suffice, but I’d like to do some synthetical, long-form writing at some point so I can dust off my academic writing skills.

Draw more doodles:  Right now, I’m going to try to doodle something once a week and post it to my Instagram stories. I’ve been REALLY obsessed with the cartoon series Hilda and a handful of other anime series (Anohana, Toradora, A Lull in the Sea, etc) and they’ve been my inspiration as of late. Additionally, I began a set of Zuni-inspired corn maiden drawings back in the Spring that I want to get back to working on.  But, because I want to color these projects, this will take some study of the color wheel and much experimentation with my oil pastels and alcohol-based blending markers. In other words, I think this will be a heavier lift if I’m going to do it right.

Again, I think this is a relatively modest list. I became a  homeowner late last year, and it turns out that furnishing a home and fixing up a property is routinely a chore that requires large chunks of my time that I could otherwise be using to achieve the above-listed goals. No one could have predicted this.

Absolutely no one.

In any case, and in lieu of an infinite supply of money, patience will be key. And, like all resolutions, goals, or aspirations, I’ll need much self-compassion when things fall through and the courage to begin again when necessary.

[allomammal]

Maintenance & Repair

I struggle still, knowing that I should become more open to sharing my missteps and vulnerability. But, I’m nearly two years out from the year I lost some of the greatest loves of my life, and I can still feel how wrong-headed it is to proceed this way painting with broad brushstrokes my own character arc with the pain of loss. I proceed nonetheless, and more often than I would like.

I have observed that many people carry themselves through with the loss of a significant other, a parent, a child, a pet, a good friend. To some extent, I feel like I, too, am gone with the gone. I have a vague and haunting memory of my own reflection, smiling -- not through the pain of loss, but just smiling. I vaguely remember laughing hysterically but, more often than not these days, I clearly remember crying hysterically to myself at night after everyone is asleep, in the morning before anyone’s awake.

At the worst moments, it comes on like a pressure headache accompanied by a conspicuous inability to focus thoughts, feelings oscillating with great uncertainty of their intention, and a sharp rising fear in my chest that everything will always be this way and I won’t ever escape. The pain is unbearable. I gasp and cry, for if someone could find me here and truly love me, they would rip the feeling out of my body. They would hold me until my breathing calmed and the storm was pacified. But, it’s just me.

I want desperately for someone to love me again, but I’m overwhelmed with misgivings that, right now and given all the hurt that I have caused, I am still wildly undeserving of anyone’s love.

I wish I could say that the description above was metaphorical, but that is quite literally what my anxiety attacks feel like. They creep in slowly, then grip me all at once. And, I’d say I’m fortunate - in some sense - that at this point in my life they have rarely happened in front of an audience. My most recent anxiety episode was the morning of Dec 31, 2020.

So at the end of this year, I find that I am still a tangled mess of trauma, despite all the intentional effort to heal (and help others heal). I repeat to myself truisms about the arrival and passing away of negative thoughts and feelings - not everything we think is true, not everything we feel is kind. In any given moment, I have varying degrees of belief in the comforting power of the sentiment, a still effervescent abstraction of some state of human affairs, natural wakefulness, mindful presence, buddha nature. Right now, I trust it less; and, it’s the lack of trust that reminds me how important ongoing maintenance and repair really is.

By the end of this year, 2021, I hope I get to a place where I have sincerely shrugged off more of the vestiges of a good and penitent Catholic child, that when the world opens up again, though it may never feel the same, that I, too, will open up again, turn my face to a gently rising sun, and I will just smile.

[allomammal]

Late for Work

You were up before my toes had even thought to grace the tile In the kitchen making scrambled eggs to sustain soft bellies I was beckoned by the bacon smell pulling me with its eddies I’d kiss the back of your neck and hold you, having walked many miles We turned the burners off because breakfast can wait Grasping lips, gasping for one more kiss Grasping hands, gasping for one more caress Remember to text work because we are gonna be late

[allomammal]

Love in the time of COVID

I want to die with the weight of the world gripping my lungs; laughter in the face of anxiety for all global ailments, I want to relinquish my life as a sacrifice on the alter of nothing. Fading in and out, I want the screens, blue, red, and silver, to Flickr in and out of sight with a myriad of pictures and messages of all the places I’ve seen (most which I haven’t) for all of the men and women I’ve loved (most which I haven’t). I want to erupt from my body, viscera strewn about the room, another body from which I want to escape. I want to die with a smirk on my stupid face, an inside joke that no body cares about so no body remembers.

[allomammal]

My baby, #MillieTheRabbit made it to another Easter Sunday. All hail #KweenMillizabeth. Bunnies over everythang! #MillizabethWarren #GreenNewDeal https://www.instagram.com/p/B-4zOZXnCrLXuVWQibkh71FPWF4aEqKzEfkCDY0/?igshid=1psktqqza6mlx

#millietherabbit #kweenmillizabeth #millizabethwarren #greennewdeal

[allomammal]

I haven’t had a chance to make Zucchini Boats #Enchiladas in a while. Much of my bakeware is still in boxes, so I had to cut the boats into quarters so they could fit in the only Pyrex dish I could find. It turned into a casserole as opposed to the “canoes” I was hoping for. Either way, this dish turned out great. Probably would be good on a bed of plain rice (the sauce is rich and flavorful, so no need do the extra work of making Mexican rice). Ingredients: Minced Garlic (ajo) Diced onion (cebolla) Carrot 🥕 (zanahoria) Chicken 🐓 (pollo) Zucchini (calabaza) Red Bell Pepper (pimiento rojo) Jalapeño (...uhh huh) Cilantro (...simón) That’s the basic ingredient list. You can make the enchilada sauce a number of ways, or you can get it out of a can if you’re strapped for time. Vegetarian version can sub the chicken for black beans. And vegan versions could omit the cheese or try some nutritional yeast. #homecooking #mexicanfood #calabazita #eatcolors #enchiladas https://www.instagram.com/p/B-yGL2Jnd1XSIBjVA7JouIKNMZ_ZZtRkh5CJIA0/?igshid=1oiyexqoweaxr

#enchiladas #homecooking #mexicanfood #calabazita #eatcolors

[allomammal]

Today, my #socialdistancing took me on a +4 mile walk and I managed to pic some flowers along the way. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9xiWe0pgwrgS4_efSumcT9QwenV6BoxwWYwCs0/?igshid=165c2745txgrb

#socialdistancing

[allomammal]

#PresidentWarren https://www.instagram.com/p/B9GE9evJAg0PVzWqeo9TEm0no3excA01pO1keU0/?igshid=175dm639hz21e

#presidentwarren

[allomammal]

Resolutions 2K20

In the year of their lord 2019, I had nigh 10 resolutions set up for the new year.

1.     Run 600 Miles 2.     100 Push-Ups a Day 3.     Flexitarianism 4.     No Lattés 5.     Limited Take Out 6.     Practice/Learn Spanish Daily 7.     Reading (At Least) One Book a Month 8.     Writing/Journaling (At Least) Twice A Week 9.     Undefined Resolution On Programming (Python/R) 

However, the year would encounter me in the most precarious position that I have known to-date.  Having separated from my pair-bond in late March, my entire world fell to disarray – certainly not all at once, but in bursts of calamity with intermittent, fleeting calm, and frequent tears.

I accomplished a resounding… NONE of my 2019 resolutions (though, I did come close with 594 miles over the course of the year [Anxiety, Illness, & Injury, 2019]).

BUT…

As I’ve recently been reading up on and trying to practice mindfulness, I am learning to forgive myself for those things that I could never have foreseen. (To be completely honest, a more **MINDFUL** me should have seen it all unfolding and it is now painfully obvious that I could have and should have changed course; hindsight and all of that).

I intend to keep this post brief, as I’m still re-calibrating my self and trying to re-fashion a version of me that postures less and emotes more honestly; a me that takes account of and responsibility for his own emotions; a me that communicates sincerely from a place curiosity and care (I’ve been reading “Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication” by Oren Jay Sofer).

Resolutions for 2K20: 1.     Run at least 365 Miles This year, I’ve become increasingly aware how closely related my physical and emotional state are – having experienced the worst anxiety attack of my life during and after a 3 mile run over the summer. Additionally, I suffered through a two-day bout of depression after running 14 miles on Thanksgiving Day and then not eating or sleeping enough to allow my body (and mind) to recover. I don’t like how my physically-emotionally exhausted self interacts with the people who love me. So, I think I’m deciding to focus on shorter runs with more strength and flexibility training. I’m not sure how this will turn out, but let’s give it a go, yeah? 

2.     100 Push-Ups a Day I guess this is part of the strength training that I was talking about above. Really, this is a small, mostly cosmetic thing. I liked the way my chest looked and felt when I faithfully executed my daily 100 push-ups back in 2018. So, I just want to look and feel pretty. Is that a fucking crime???

 3.     Hiatus from Facebook Having separated from one of the greatest loves of my life, I find that Facebook inspires in me nothing but existential dread and a reminder of what I’ve lost. I suspect I will not deactivate my account, but I may adjust my settings on Twitter and Instagram so that those posts are automatically fed to the people that still check for me via Facebook. I’ll still have the Messenger app, too I guess.

4.     Practice Spanish Weekly In the past few weeks, I’ve occasionally practiced Spanish by listening to newly discovered acts like Fer Casillas, Kordelya, Los Mesoneros, Elsa y Elmar, and Siddhartha. I’ve also taken to writing out their lyrics and then annotating and translating their lyrics. I’m not sure how this will ever help with conversational Spanish, but… I guess… fuck it, right?

 5.     Read A Book (YOU ILLITERATE FUCK) or an Ecology Paper The books I’ve been reading lately are of the Buddhist, mindfulness, self-help variety. In lieu of expensive and infrequent therapy visits, these seem to be helping me engage and examine my emotions more thoroughly and I hope that, someday (with enough practice), I’ll be able to communicate my emotions sincerely and won’t hurt the people that I love with my imprecise or harmful language.

6.     Draw Some Shit Weekly In high school, I was active in my drawing classes and loved expressing myself with mixed-media (mostly pen and pencil, but occasionally oil or chalk pastel). In the past few days, I’ve been sketching again. I have a couple of sketchbooks so it’s about time I use them. I’ve rediscovered how focused I become when drawing and working on shading. The amorphous cloud of anxiety that I occasionally experience just seeps out of existence. And, at the end of an hour-long doodle-session (not to be confused with a 10-15 minute-long doodle-session), I feel pretty damn accomplished… and I have some tangible product to look back on (as opposed to the other kind of doodle-session).

7.     Blog on Ecology or Maths at Least Once a Month This one hinges on the one about reading a book and ecology papers. I wrote, like, one explainer on an interesting ecology paper back in 2018. I want to continue writing those sorts of things because I think I might be well-positioned to demystify some ecology and statistical things for people who aren’t as ecologically or statistically-minded. That, and I think I need to start writing again to hone any semblance of skill that I may have had. Maybe, I can position myself to apply for a PhD in the next few years.

8.     Fold and Put Away My Fucking Clothes After Laundry My Room… is my mind. If my room is cluttered, then my mind is cluttered. I think my short-term efficiency in the past few weeks and months have made me feel less accomplished and less organized. To rectify that, upon doing my laundry (which is often on a weekly basis), the gods command that I iron and put away my fucking clothes.

9.     Cook Weekly Meals (Less Take-Out) This has been difficult to do since moving in with my long-time friend and current roommate. Negotiating how much space my groceries take up, how much time I spend in the kitchen, etc. that has been a challenge that I have allowed to disrupt my normal habit of preparing a weekly meal for work. This has resulted in me spending more money than I’ve needed to. It hasn’t helped that I’m easily influenced by the eating habits of friends (this was the case when I lived with friends in the past). I definitely need to regain discipline in the culinary arena. I’m hoping that this will also help with my physical and mental health. 

10. Limit Alcohol Consumption This has been a financially unwise routine to help me get through grading my students’ work this semester. Daydreaming about simply talking to the pretty bartenders has also helped pass the time (though, it’s probably been counterproductive to healing and becoming a functioning human being again).  Anyhow, I need to cut back on how much I spend (it turns out that drinking IPAs at the bar is expensive AS FUCK). So I’ll probably limit myself to at most 2 bar-visits per week, a maximum of 3 drinks per outing, and I will probably forbid buying any beer that is not on special… at the bar. I’ll still be able to purchase my beloved fancy-boy IPAs at the local HEB. It’s just not financially sustainable for me to drink like that at the bar... Ya know, this also goes for getting coffee at cafés. I’ll have to rely on Valero and QT for my coffee needs if I’m ever out and about.

And finally, this is not really a resolution but I just want to directly address myself:

Leave Cigarettes in 2019 YOU STUPID FUCKING BASTARD.

I said I’d make it brief, but I’m my Dad’s son. So, there it is.

[allomammal]

Miguel, Interrupted

It’s incredible how disruptive 2019 has been for me. In February, my rabbit Cocoa passed away.

In late March, my pair-bond of 8+ years and I separated.

In the summer, after a series of severe anxiety attacks - the likes of which I had not experienced since high school - I decided to move out of the apartment my pair-bond and I had shared for over a year and move in with an close friend.

In August, days before my birthday and on the first night of staying with my new roommate, my dog Chico passed away.

In November, my Grandma Caro passed away.

It’s December now. By the most favorable accounts of some close friends, the year has been on a upward trajectory for me... professionally. I completed my Master’s program back in May, obtaining 18-hrs of graduate work in Mathematics in the process. This paved the way for the opportunity to teach College Algebra at the community college where my parents once took their basics. Moving in with my friend has allowed me to begin aggressively paying down my student loan debt, saving money, and learning about and trading in cryptocurrencies. I seem to have grown on my department chair and many veteran faculty members have taken an interest in unofficially mentoring me, grooming me to become full-time at some point in the near future.

Since I was young, I’ve always become gravely pensive at the end of the year. This winter break - a stretch of approximately 30 days without the distraction of work - is one I fear will be extremely difficult. I mean, I’m four days in and I’ve cried at some point every day whether I was venting the pain and fear in the comforting presence of my roommate or whether I was in my car or in a cafe just listening to music (Pangea by Los Mesoneros feat. Elsa y Elmar).

This moment in life, for me, is a test of humility. It’s a moment where I’m struggling to remember that I want her to be happy regardless of whether or not we are together. I don’t want to obsess over the question, “What about me?” I don’t want to stare anxiously at my phone waiting for someone to check on me. I want to let go of this idea that we have very much (if any) control over timing or circumstances.

I don’t want to be the villain in my own story, nor do I want to be a victim. I know there’s a version of me that smiles sincerely, not just to hide away his pain. I know there’s a version of me that can have fun and, in those moments, is grateful for the company and this chance to be alive and breathing. I want to find him again so that the me who is still very much a hurt and struggling child can be reunited with the me who will hold him tight and be that source of solace in much the same way that the sun shares its light and love with the moon.

This moment will pass. What will you do with the next?

[allomammal]

I made this handout on #function notation today. I find many college students (traditional and non-traditional alike) have difficulty parsing the meaning of function notation. For students coming out of a developmental math course - having just learned that parentheses imply multiplication - the notation f(x) is extremely frustrating... and understandably so! But math is more than just blindly carrying out operations on numbers. Math is a symbolic language. And, like any language, it is context dependent. So, it’s best not to over-generalize some problem-solving algorithm until we understand which objects we’re working with and the operations the given symbols imply. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv2i0WGAjjmqGQCigDLvRewHvYrG8Lq-BQCiWg0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=13om92vwagyox

#function

[allomammal]

#Chico at McAllister Park. While running at the park the other day, I realized how fleeting bluebonnet season. So I decided to take the boy to the park for a photo-sesh. (at McAllister Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/BviIbtQgIcAqIeTL-HtaqQH2Y5ozvfHvLWo5b00/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=4ai7i9y40sl6

#chico

[allomammal]

On the morning of February 15, 2019, we lost another member of our tribe. Originally belonging to my sister-in-law’s late mother, Cocoa came into our custody during my first year of graduate school. He traveled with us as we moved out of a rental house where, in good weather, he had an opportunity to explore the backyard, eat henbit and dandelions; to a townhome where he finally got to bond with and live in the same habitat as Millie and Chai; and finally to our current apartment where I had to come up with growing grass on our balcony to simulate a yard. We had him for almost 5 years. Your loss is felt enormously. There is never enough time for all the love to share. More than a friend, you were the protector to both Millie and Chai. They sought and found comfort in the mass of your tangled mane, and I am eternally grateful that you could keep them company. You are so very loved and sorely missed. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt9kxUlAYFVA9GSduXDzoWuUTWyfsVAMgRSZu40/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=i9ywlppeds9c

[allomammal]

The 2K19 Resolutions After a Brief Reflection on 2K18

Last year, my declared resolutions were as follows:

Flexitarianism - 40 Weeks Vegetarian; 12 Weeks Omnivore (with 3 weeks allowing for consumption of red meat).

Run 400 Miles - self-explanatory.

100 Push-Ups a Day - again, self-explanatory.

No Lattés - “latté” meaning caffeinated drinks with high concentration of sugars/syrups; milk and soymilk were excepted.

Limited Take-Out - That is, limited take-out meals or fast-food.

The resolutions - though maybe I prefer a different nomenclature - I can say confidently that I vanquished were (1), (2), and (4). Temporal partitioning of meat consumption turned out to be a very effective strategy for implementing Flexitarianims. At the Summer, I participated in a clinical trial that required me to consume standardized meals (which contained red meat). On the fly, I decided it was permissible to simply dock “red meat days” from my “red meat meals.” So I still consider this in the bag. I’m, perhaps, most proud of my ability to complete my running challenge because, this past year, I was able to (A) complete a half-marathon, and (B) complete a cumulative 500 miles over the course of the year (my best months, as you could imagine, being in the Summer). There were probably a few more jogs and hikes that I could add to this statistic, but I only retained miles that were recorded through the MapMyRun app. Shout out to H-E-B and Café Olé for making their San Antonio and Houston blends so god-damn delicious. Black coffees at Starbucks and Local Coffee suck so much ass and are, on the face of it, extremely overpriced (though, upon consideration of how society valuates water and the labor of coffee bean farmers world-wide, I retract the spirit of the preceding statement; though, I doubt the price of coffee currently reflects environmentally conscious or fair-trade).

While I did complete over 36,500 push-ups - one for each day of the year - the I eventually became tired of opening up my spreadsheet each day to record that days push-ups and would sometimes wait a few days. If I was smart, I would write down on a white board the date and number of push-ups completed so that I could bulk import them to the spreadsheet. But, when I didn’t do this, it became very easy to forget on which days I truly completed my push-ups. Also, after 3 months, the idea of “100 push-ups a day” seemed too low a bar. I figured that I would raise that bar by 100 each quarter (every 3 months). That only worked for the first 3 quarters, because I found myself very tired toward the end of the year (end of the Fall semester) and started having many “0″ entries in my spreadsheet. The month of December was essentially a complete wash. In total, I did over 50,500 push-ups. But I don’t feel particularly good about it. What I want for the next year is more consistency.

Finally, towards the last quarter of the year, my pair-bond and I succumbed to ordering Jimmy John’s whenever it became convenient - which often times happened twice a week. We did not hold ourselves steadfast to this resolution. So, I’d like to do this one over again.

The Resolutions for 2019 will be...

Run 600 Miles

100 Push-Ups a Day

Flexitarianism (of a different scheme)

No Lattés

Limited Take Out

Practice/Learn Spanish Daily

Reading (At Least) One Book a Month

Writing/Journaling (At Least) Twice A Week

Undefined Resolution On Programming (Python/R)

The first 5 resolutions here are continuing resolutions - they are better thought of as life-style choices at this point. The last 4 are new and seem challenging. I will need to take this week to think of clearly defined ways of measuring weekly progress (it may take the form of a spreadsheet or google doc). No. 6 will be accomplished partly through practice on DuoLingo, but I may need to come up with some quota of new vocabulary words that I document in a Spanish Journal. I may need to require that one of my weekly journal entries for No. 8 be written in (or maybe translated from English to) Spanish. No. 7 seems like it will be a fun challenge. At the end of 2018, I finished reading Robert Wright’s “Why Buddhism Is True.” And as of Jan. 1, 2019, I’ve been reading Leonard Mlodinow’s “The Drunkards Walk.” These have stimulated the reader in me. Finally, No. 9 will take some more careful consideration. I definitely want to ramp up my practice/learning of Python and R so that I can eventually do some serious Data Visualization/Design. But, again, I’ll have to think about what might be a good measure of progress on this front.

#NewYear Resolutions Challenges

[allomammal]

#Gorditas xicanas https://www.instagram.com/p/BqD8VYyFqfeYyH6tCqOULrIDUWViSzo4SobteM0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ntpr5kyprho7

#gorditas

[allomammal]

#Texas #Progressives are still here. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp4mRzqAI1Qo3RVghOHWidOmWMAcD2jO9ANTMI0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1tdum3nxecbde

#texas #progressives