New Year's Resolutions

Grimnirsson · December 30, 2012, 12:47:22 PM

Let me quote Lee Marvin...

QuoteI don't take pledges; I quit drinking every morning and I start again every evening.

;)

LongBlade · December 30, 2012, 06:04:30 PM

Longdan · January 01, 2013, 12:43:46 AM

These
http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_503_13-new-years-resolutions-famous-people_p13/#1

Huw the Poo · January 01, 2013, 06:43:39 PM

This year I resolve to get my god damn life in order. At the moment we're just treading water, we're renting at a time when rents are insanely high but can't afford a deposit for a house, and I'm absolutely fed up of never having any money and being completely screwed any time there's any kind of emergency (like sudden repair bill for the car).

So this year I intend to study toward LPIC-1, which would give me a shot at switching to a career in IT. Even bottom-rung junior sysadmin positions pay double what I'm earning now. If I actually manage to achieve that it will get us out of the shit and we can start saving some money.

I think I'm going to restrict my gaming to weekends and use weekday evenings to study. Wish me luck!

Gusington · January 01, 2013, 07:09:09 PM

^We're in a similar boat but I'll be studying early morning. And don't be so hard on yourself. That's what your woman is for :)

MetalDog · January 01, 2013, 08:47:54 PM

Luck, Huw! Things are starting to get a little better for me. I hope they continue.

Silent Disapproval Robot · January 01, 2013, 08:55:09 PM

Quote from: Huw the Poo on January 01, 2013, 06:43:39 PM
This year I resolve to get my god damn life in order. At the moment we're just treading water, we're renting at a time when rents are insanely high but can't afford a deposit for a house, and I'm absolutely fed up of never having any money and being completely screwed any time there's any kind of emergency (like sudden repair bill for the car).

So this year I intend to study toward LPIC-1, which would give me a shot at switching to a career in IT. Even bottom-rung junior sysadmin positions pay double what I'm earning now. If I actually manage to achieve that it will get us out of the shit and we can start saving some money.

I think I'm going to restrict my gaming to weekends and use weekday evenings to study. Wish me luck!

What's sky high?

I want to buy a place as well but Vancouver home prices are retarded. I'm going to look at two different condos way out in the western suburbs on Thursday. 25 year old buildings, 40 km from the downtown core, 725 sq ft. $300,000. Plus a $300/mo strata fee. Same place downtown is over $1 million and people say the Vancouver market is actually cooling.

Longdan · January 01, 2013, 09:09:41 PM

Prices in Vancouver aren't retarded.
I would suggest they are rather precocious, advanced even.
You people insist on living there where winter is but a bad dream.
Thanks for the warm wind you sent over. It got above freezing
for a while this afternoon.

Huw the Poo · January 02, 2013, 01:44:17 AM

Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on January 01, 2013, 08:55:09 PM
What's sky high?

We've lived in three different houses in the last few years, and the average rent between them all is close to £700 a month. Absolutely insane. We're in a housing crisis in the UK (with the government doing sod all about it of course) and as a result rents have sharply risen. If we could only put down a deposit for a mortgage we'd be spending not much more than half that figure each month, but deposits these days cost tens of thousands of pounds.

undercovergeek · January 02, 2013, 05:41:43 AM

got to love renting - you can demonstrate to a bank that you can easily manage 650/700 a month for years and years and then ask them for mortgage which will have payments of 400-500 and they say no!!!

and the days of a 95-99% mortgage are long gone - 75% is the best ive seen - with an average house price of 200,000 thats a deposit of over 40k - i personally dont have 40k in savings and am in the sorry position of waiting for my parents to die before i get my hands on my own bricks and mortar

undercovergeek · January 02, 2013, 05:47:27 AM

Quote from: Huw the Poo on January 01, 2013, 06:43:39 PM
So this year I intend to study toward LPIC-1, which would give me a shot at switching to a career in IT.

do you have a long term plan Huw? id looked at the LPIC stuff but wasnt sure where to go after that

JudgeDredd · January 02, 2013, 11:27:57 AM

At 278lbs (126kg) I need to lose ideally 82lbs (37kg). I've been pissing around with my weight for years and avoiding the tough asks. My dad died at 56 of a heart attack...and that wasn't the kick I needed...because you always think it won't happen to you.

It's time to take responsibility. My body is starting to suffer the effects of carrying this weight around. I'm surprisingly fit - but if I don't lose weight, I'm never going to be able to keep up exercise! Because I took up cycling 4 years ago, my weight has been oscillating between 252lbs (114kg) and 280lbs (127kg) over that period...going down in the summer and up in the windet - all because I've been eating what I like and using exercise on my bike to work it off.

Like I said - I've been avoiding the things I should be doing - mainly keeping track of what I eat.

So I've downloaded an app called MyFitnessPal. You put in what you eat and put in what you use and keep a track of your calories. Sure - it's just using calories - but it's the basics that work...more calories expended than calories taken in = weight loss.

So - I put EVERYTHING in this app. It's extremely easy to use with a barcode scanner and a massive database of foods.

It then becomes a "competition" to come in under my allowed calories. Even going over you can then limit what you go over because you KNOW what you've had.

Already today I had a Tunnocks Chocolate Teacake (I bought them before New Year and left them at work). They come in a box of 6 and I normally eat all 6 (that's how nice they are!) - but I had 1 because they're 100 calories and I don't want to squander the calories I'm allowed...so it's already making me think the way alot of people already naturally do.

For a 2lb a week weight loss I'm allowed 1700 calories a day. Watching what I've been eating, I have 700 calories left for tea...and I'm out on my bike tonight which will give me about 700 calories for the "bank"

I'm hoping keeping a diary like this is the answer to my weight problem...otherwise I've got nothing else.

Centurion40 · January 02, 2013, 12:33:11 PM

I resolve to stay alive until 2014 (not that there is anything awfully wrong, it's just a minimalist statement). That's about all!

GDS_Starfury · January 02, 2013, 12:41:19 PM

I resolve to continue being the misanthrope you all know and love.

Huw the Poo · January 02, 2013, 03:10:28 PM

Quote from: undercovergeek on January 02, 2013, 05:41:43 AM
got to love renting - you can demonstrate to a bank that you can easily manage 650/700 a month for years and years and then ask them for mortgage which will have payments of 400-500 and they say no!!!

and the days of a 95-99% mortgage are long gone - 75% is the best ive seen - with an average house price of 200,000 thats a deposit of over 40k - i personally dont have 40k in savings and am in the sorry position of waiting for my parents to die before i get my hands on my own bricks and mortar

I know mate, it's bloody stupid. I can't imagine when I'll ever have 40K just sitting around in the bank. I dread to think where we'll be when we get to retirement age if something doesn't give. I wish I'd jumped on the 99% bandwagon.

As for your other question, LPIC-1 should be enough to get me in the door at sysadmin. After that I'll probably continue to study and work my way up the ladder. I'll probably do Microsoft certification as well, just to open some more doors.