Dream Tech

Welcome to the Samsung Galaxy Tab (http://samsung.com/GalaxyTab)! A 7" Android tablet with Froyo, meaning Flash works. It's a $30/month plan for 2 GB of data + texting, no voice plan. I made five one minute calls last month, and only got ten calls in. I don't use the voice. But 7" is a great size for a portable - big enough to type and get around the web reasonably, small enough that it'll still fit in a big pocket (or a purse for the ladies). That dumb iPad you have has to stay at home or ride in a bag.

I don't have to ditch voice completely. Google Voice should work as a phone number for people to call. I should be able to call out from it too, and use Skype as needed. I can also do video calls from this thing with Qik out of the box.

Back to the point, this is an all-in-wonder for reals.

• TV? via Hulu, check
• Movies? Check (plus Netflix app on the way)
• Alarm Clock? Check
• GPS w/ turn by turn? Check
• Compass? Check
• Calendar? Check
• Email? Check
• Music? Check
• Radio? via Pandora, Check
• Documents? Check
• Games? Check
• Output to HDMI? Check
• Camera? Double check
• Record video? Also check

I'm already down to an iPhone, MacBook, TV, and a Wii (that hasn't been turned on in months). If I can get a good version of Vim (or if someone wanted to make an Android version of RubyMine, hint hint) I might be able to ditch the laptop too. The future arrives November 14th!!!

Angry and Alone

I'm worked up about work. It's always a mixed bag in my mind when I get this frustrated because on one hand it means I care, but on the other hand I have the rage because things aren't as awesome as they should be. I realized it is also weird because I can be happy with where I work and displeased with work all at once due to the nature of being a consultant.

Earlier a friend asked me why people don't want to do the right thing at work. I had a lot of strategies for dealing with it, but didn't really answer her question. I think the real reason is that people like me, like my friend, we have this knowledge that work, life, everything can be better. I do not believe everyone has that inside of them. As if some people have already arrived at the destination, and now they're just standing at the baggage claim carousel of life.

It is a curse of sorts - knowing. I long for complacency at times. To be able to say "it is good enough" and never need to add "for now" to the end of that statement.

And it is that way with my dating life too. Right now I just want someone I can nudge awake, and talk it out with. Someone who will have context of my life and understand my frustration. But there is no one, just a big dent on the half of the bed I always sleep on and these few typed characters in the cloud. It's not that I need a friend, or to wake up my parents. I want a peer, an equal, someone to face life with head on.

Blogging Less

I'm blogging less these days. Historically that's gone hand in hand with having a girlfriend. However, no girlfriend do I have. I think that means I'm talking to people more, and keeping less inside these days. Interesting.

Will Read: Unlimited

In a similar vein as the sentiment behind "The Summer of Matt", I hereby dub this period of my life "Will Read: Unlimited". You see, I spent the first 29 years of my life figuring out who I am. I did a really good job. I know exactly what makes me comfortable, how to play to my strong suit, and how to roll with the punches. I learned how to be a good moderator, how to never piss off anyone, and how to stop when it hurts.

What I was really learning was my limitations. Some are real, like I'm 5'9". Some are in my head, such as being unable to play a musical instrument. I use to lean pretty hard on my own walls when I didn't know where they were. I failed a lot more back then. And while I don't fail so much these days, I also don't really ever feel like I succeed either - at least not the same way as when you put it on the line and come out on top.

Going forward, my life will be about challenging those limitations that aren't real. I had previously resigned to a life as a skinny punk because it was the path of least resistance. But yet eating right and the right kind of exercise can flip that assumption on its ass; it'll just take more time and money than I've put in to it before. That's what this new period is about, pouring resources in to doing the things that I didn't think I was good enough to do. My name is Will Read. I am good enough to do anything.

Gravity

This week I joined a gym. It is going to stick with me for a handful of reasons:

• It is literally right next to work, no reason not to go
• A bunch of coworkers and Twitter employees go there, instant work out buddies
• I signed up for a trainer
• I also signed up for a nutritionist

Today was my first day with my trainer, Karen. She's got a good grasp of what I want which is to gain some weight. For too long I've been thinking "I don't even fill out a small t-shirt", or I feel bad when someone pokes me in the ribs and hurts her finger. So I just want some meat on my bones. Right now I weigh 132 lbs, 125 of which is "lean mass", and 7 lbs of fat according to a 7-pinch test. That means I'm just as lean as ground round baby!

At the gym today I also learned that I can bench 50 lbs without too much of a struggle. I know how to perform a proper squat. I now know the difference between a press and a push. And I know that i need to start ingesting a lot more protein (no cracks about living in SF, please... I already thought of them all). The hardest part thus far is that I've been told to cut out the Coke. I love me some Coke. So I guess this is goodbye sweet syrupy goodness, I will miss your caffeinated ways.

My personal goal is to gain 25-30 lbs in the next 6-12 months. There's no event, no hard date to hit, but I want to have some gravity to me. I don't want people I'm with to worry about me just because I'm small. I don't want my grandmother to ask if I'm eating well. I want to look at myself, and look at the other dude at the bar, and know I am just as good looking as he is, but I've got personality so that cute girl is going to want to talk to me more than him. That's right good-looking-but-douche-bag dude, Will Read is gunning for you.