Friday, January 27, 2012

Trying to avoid distractions.

Well, I guess I haven't kept up with this blog as much as I hoped I would.  Its just that there has been a lot going on.  Work takes up some time, they cut back my hours the last couple of weeks but it still feels like I'm there a lot.  I'm back in school now so when I'm not working I'm studying and doing homework.  Also my mom went to Jordan to visit her family for a few weeks so I've been taking care of the house, and in turn been taking care of my dad.  I'm not complaining, I'm ok with everything that's been going on, especially going back to school for my masters degree, but it just seems like I don't have time for myself anymore.  I used to do a lot of reading everyday, now I have this book and I've only read 5 chapters in the last 2 weeks.  When I do have some downtime I promise myself I'd do all these things but then I just get distracted and watch tv, or I fall asleep.  I have to get my act together, I should be more active and get a lot more done in my day.  Stop being so distracted when I do have some time to myself and go back to reading or other things I used to enjoy doing.  I gotta get back to the gym, get some energy going.  I have to start now anyway, this summer my brother's bachelor party will be at the beach for a guys weekend so I need to get in shape.  I'm not fat, I'm actually quite thin, but I have no muscle tone, it won't look good for the girls on the beach :)

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

First Post - Introductions and New Year's Resoloutions

Hello everybody.  My name is Ali and this is my blog. I've been enjoying reading other peoples blogs for a few years now and always wanted to create my own.  There's a lot I like to say about people and life and I need a format to say it.  I will try my best to keep you entertained as much as possible, but if I can't, sorry :)

So why now am I creating my blog, simple answer is that its first on my list of new years resolutions.  That's right, I am one of those people.  But unlike those people who say they want to go to the gym more and quit after the first month, I will keep up with this blog.  If you want proof, lets speak again in December.

So here is my list of New Years Resolutions:

1.  Start a Blog:

Ta Da!  I am already ahead of the game.  Although I won't consider this resolution completely fulfilled until I can show that I can keep up with it and not give up on it after a  few measly posts.

2.  Go Back to the Gym:

Yeah, I know I just made a joke earlier about people making this resolution.  But I think I have an advantage on this one.  I was going to a gym before and did well for a few years.  Then this past year I slowed down a lot and finally a few months ago I canceled my membership.  I think that the fact that I was going for a long time and know what it takes to go to a gym might motivate me to keep up with it.  We'll just have to wait and see.

3.  Clear Debt by at least 50%:

Like most people nowadays I have a lot of debt because of the economy.  My goal is to watch my spending, save money, and cut my debt.  This is a goal that a lot of people should make their priority for this year.

4.  Have a Short Story Published:

Easier said than done.  I like to read a lot and have written some short stories and even submitted a few of them to magazines that were turned down.  I know this one is not going to be easy, I have to do a lot of writing, editing, getting some feedback from other people and so on, and submit them to a lot of places.  I will be turned down a lot, and I can't guarantee that I will get anything published at all this year.  But at least I will give it a try.

5.  Learn a New Skill:

I don't know what it will be yet, but I want to learn something new and useful.  I have considered learning lock-picking as a skill, I just always thought it was cool.  Don't worry, if I do choose this skill I won't commit any burglaries... maybe :)  If you have any suggestions for a new skill I might like to learn please let me know.

6.  Take a Trip Somewhere:

Its been a long time since I've been anywhere outside of Pennsylvania, I need to get out there and have some fun.

7.  Go to a Casino:

Not a big gambler, just want to see what its like.  Won't bet anything big but at least I can get the experience of what it would be like to go to one at least once.

8.  Take a Self Defense Course:

Always wanted to do this and I am aiming to make it so this year.

9.  Improve my Arabic:

I am Palestinian, I am a moderate Arabic speaker, and can read a little of it if I try hard enough.  I want to improve it a lot more because someday I would like to go back to the middle east to visit my family in Jordan and visit a few countries like Lebanon and Egypt.  Always wanted to see the pyramids

10.  Go out of the way to do something really good for someone:

I don't mean loan somebody money or my car, it has to be something that I really have to go out of my way to do in order to help out a person.

That is it for my first blog post. Thank you for visiting and I hope you can come back again.