But I have to tell you about this event happening next Thursday, May 17.

Back in September, I let you know why I'm working with the Future Fund. The Future Fund is a giving circle – in more cutting edge terms, it's crowd-sourced funding for local projects.

The group gives a $5,000 grant every year to a local organization. Members, who donate $100 to the fund, pick the focus area in September (this year we picked The Arts), and an open call for letters of intent goes out to non-profits throughout Central New York. The grants committee offers feedback on the letters and lets the applicant organizations know if their project sounds like a potential match. Applicants then send their full proposal to the fund, and members sit around a table and discuss the projects, then vote to get it down to three finalists. Site visits are scheduled for all finalists so members can see the project first-hand, and then votes are tallied for a single grant recipient.

Voting is still open (I'll mention the finalists in a minute), but the event next Thursday is a two-fold thing. We're writing out the award check, and unveiling a new tagline (which was voted upon by members). The event happens at Benjamin's on Franklin (the former Ohm and Styleen's), and is catered by Kitty Hoynes. Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for non-members and available here. We're also getting a performance from the Nottingham High Jazz Band, a presentation from the 40 Below Public Arts Task Force, and some sort of presentation from the grant recipient.

The finalists are (and this is the first time I've actually had to think about who I was voting for, because they're all really good projects this year):

- The Media Unit, which gets inner-city youth writing and performing about issues affecting inner-city youth, and they give dozens of performances for inner-city youth every summer.
- The YMCA's Y Arts Program, which is looking to provide scholarships for inner city youth to attend arts camp.
- ARC of Onondaga's Arts Outreach program, in which they'll work with a performing arts organization to have adults with developmental disabilities learn to act and to perform in a professional production locally.

Voting closes tomorrow night, so there is actually still time to join and vote if you want, but even without being a member, you're definitely welcome at the event next week.

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It turns out coffee is a comfort food to me. It's not the caffeine.

I discovered that this morning when I drank an Xtreme Shock. I like this stuff as a pre-workout drink. It's essentially a high dose of niacin and caffeine.

And after my workout, I just had to have a couple of sips of coffee. I'd certainly had enough caffeine to avoid a withdrawal headache, and indeed I was buzzing a bit. But I wanted that warm drink, I wanted the flavor.

In the film "Mean Girls," Lindsay Lohan's character says that she likes math because it's "the same in every language." I'm beginning to feel that way about coffee. Even if people are drinking decaf.

photo credit.

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Right now, I hold two management positions and one entry level position at a gym. I co-chair a civic group, and I sit on the steering committee of another. I try to spend as much quality time as possible with JB and Rufus, the black lab we rescued in January.

I also try to be a good son, brother and friend – not to mention a sports fan, writer and avid reader.

And then there's my health to consider.

How the hell do I keep it together?

Well, some things aren't where I'd like them to be, and some things are. I set a weight loss goal at the beginning of the year, and it's gone to hell. I'm evolving it to a body composition goal – not a very aggressive one (I'd like to be down in the 15% body fat range; I'm currently at 22%), but one that makes me healthier feeling and healthier looking (the latter of which wouldn't be so important if I didn't work in a gym, but I do).

Saying no. I'm currently a community manager, member services and day care manager at the gym, and next week I start coaching a new group fitness program. I'm doing my multiple organizations. When someone asks if I want to create a new website or something along those lines, I say no. Typically, my phrase is, "I'm not currently taking on new projects."

Productivity software. I use Google Documents, Google Calendar, Dropbox, Facebook, Hootsuite. I'm using a smart phone and a netbook and an iPad. I share everything in the cloud, and people share with me. I have whatever I need wherever I am.

Doing stuff for me. I get up early. The first thing I do is pour a cup of coffee and take the dog for a walk. I get my coffee, some movement, some fresh air, and I get the great feeling that comes with having a creature look at me and be like, "OMG it's Josh! It's Josh! It's Josh!" as I'm dragging myself around.

After that, I sit down and write on the dog blog for 10-15 minutes. It's enough to get the creative juices flowing, to make sure that I'm writing daily, and to make sure I'm not starting my day out with work. I also make sure there's a walk after dinner. More fresh air, more movement. It's time for me (even if it's also time for JB and the pup).

Limiting communication. Even with my staff, I have communication rules. Email me whenever you want. I will respond when I can. Only call me if it's an emergency; only text between the time I get to the club and 8pm, and even then, don't expect a response right away. Also, while I'm working, the best way to reach me is to call the gym. I don't sleep with the phone in my bedroom. If I go to bed early, I can be reached when I wake up. Sorry.

And that's it. Yes, I still have some work to do to get the balance where I'd like it. But I'm doing so much better now than I was in December.

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Beginning next week, I'll be coaching a great program called FIT-traxx.

The gym brought the program in at the beginning of the year, and after taking a class, I liked it so much I wanted to coach it. So I am.

I'm leading a demo class tonight at 5pm at the Dewitt Gold's Gym. You don't need to be a member to participate. Show up a few minutes early to sign a waiver and stretch. My class will be Tuesday and Thursday mornings before work (5:45am).

For the price, you really can't beat this program. You get four weeks of trainer-assisted workouts, nutrition advice, and homework for the days when you're not in the class. You also get my email address so we can chat about what you're eating and your workouts and how things are going and any other advice you might want.

I can't talk about price here; you can email me (that's my work email) for some details, but the demo comes with a coupon, and we'll talk about costs there. The two- and three-times-per-week programs come with a money back guarantee, and people who take the program three times a week are losing four inches in the month.

You also get full use of the gym for five weeks (it's a four-week program with a week for make-up classes).

There's also a demo at 8am Saturday, which will be led by Austin, who heads the program here.

Let me know if you have questions. I'd love to see some people I know from the community in my class! [I'll also take music suggestions to heart, and there won't be any John Denver!]

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The products are sleek and easy to use (sleek is relative, I guess, since the first Apple my family used was an Apple IIe, which was basically a box on top of another box, and my first Apple was an LC II, which was the same box-on-box design, just bigger).

But since the resurgence of Apple, I've been a PC guy. For a third of the price point, I could get a machine that wasn't as cool-looking, but definitely handled everything I needed more than adequately.

When the first iPad debuted, it looked cool as hell. But my take on it then was that it was too big to replace my phone and too small to replace my laptop.

Over the past year or so, as mobile application development really started to do great things in terms of productivity, I've been seriously looking at tablets.

My life is Google-based. I've been using Android phones. But the Android tablets just aren't up to snuff.

When Apple announced the new iPad last week, the company dropped the price of the iPad 2, which priced it competitively with Android tablets, making it worthwhile.

I've been using the tablet for a few days now. I still have a lot of work to do to get myself set up; I use multiple social networks (and multiple accounts on some of them), I have an Apple ID that dates back to when the iTunes store first launched but isn't tied to an email address I use regularly. I have to learn a new software suite and get back to using the Apple keyboard shortcuts, which are different from the PC keyboard shortcuts.

I've played with some photo editing software, and I've published my first blog post, and with this, my second.

I may need to pick up a wifi capable printer (that'd actually help us around the house anyway, since we have two smart phones, two PCs, an Apple, an iPod Touch and now the iPod, so our Dropbox accounts render irrelevant which device we're using).

Let me know your favorite apps so that I can give them a try.

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We've now been living with Rufus for two months. We've been through some things with him – some separation anxiety, some broken doors, some Firestarter bricks that disappeared into his belly, some pulled-up carpet and a couple of mangled crates.

But also lots of playing, smiles, conversations, walks, fresh air, new people and a new attitude surrounding almost everything.

You'll find our new blog at 365walks.org. We hope that if you have anything to contribute, you will. Use #365walks, and we will definitely be accepting guest posts if anyone wants to write (use the contact form on the blog).

We're not going to be using any analytics or anything. We're just using it to write (and hopefully inform and entertain a bit, but mostly for our own selfish goals).

Hope you enjoy.

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Last time we checked in, I was listening to The Art of Racing in the Rain on audio book. I finished it, and I can't say enough good things about it. Read the book, listen to the audio, whatever. It's a great work of fiction.

Some other stuff I'm reading or listening to:

How to be Remarkable. This is a free ebook that's basically an extended version of Life's Little Instruction Book. But rather than snap off a witty one-liner like "Always check for toilet paper before you sit down," this book rattles off something like "Learn how to say thank you" and then explains the cross-cultural value of thank you for a few pages. Definitely a good read.

The War of Art. After reading Steven Pressfield's Do the Work, I had to read more (someday I'll actually read one of his novels or something). This book is designed to get you through the resistance that stops you from doing things. Lots of things. Like writing that book, painting that portrait, or, in my case on one day while I was reading the book, going to a meeting I didn't want to go to on a gorgeous, sunny day.

Walden. I've been listening on and off to an audiobook version of Walden. It sounds like I'm a five-year-old getting a lecture. I appreciate the sentiment, sure. I love a good hike, and I love that I can do things like hang a door (or curtains) without the aid of a "professional," but I just don't see modernity as evil. Are there things we could change that would make our world better? Absolutely. Could we be more frugal? Certainly. Could we, as a society in general, be more skilled with our hands? No doubt. Is the solution isolation, self-reliance and a removal of the supply chain from your life? Probably not. Not even the Occupy protestors could do it without donations of things like canned food and propane canisters.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. I'd actually read this before, but with taking Rufus on a road trip, we decided to audiobook it. On the eve of the millennium, Biff – who traveled with Jesus on all his journeys – is risen from the dead to write the only truthful gospel. You know, the one that includes all those years the Bible doesn't talk about. Warning: Not for those without a sense of humor about religion.

The Bialy Pimps. I just started reading this fluff fiction story. It's hysterical. The end.

What are you reading?

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I was tired this morning. When you wake up, bury your head under the covers and just lay there for another couple of hours tired.

But Rufus was having none of it. With JB in the shower, he sensed I was awake, and he walked over to my side of the bed, nudged my hand, did a couple of circles, wagged his tail, brought me a bone, then a stuffed chimp, and it was pretty evident that what he was saying was, "Hey, Josh, it's daylight. You're a morning person. You love the world. Get up and see what Saturday has to offer."

And so it's 9am, and we've walked, and we've breakfasted, and we're going to go do some cleaning up and then have a day. You know, 'cause we're riding on a big blue world.

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One of the things I've been doing to relax this winter is putting a fire in the fireplace. I can sit with a book, or with the TV on, or I can just sit and watch the thing burn with a glass of wine in my hand. For hours, occasionally getting up to throw on a log.

I've spent the past year and a half of my life in the fitness industry. It's a world full of people who don't understand what moderation is, or how to achieve it. And those who do, are extreme in their moderation.

Mostly, people are really focused on working out, or on nutrition, or on both. They're looking for 4% body fat to see if they can do it. They'll spend one eight-week period trying to lose 15 pounds to see if they can do it, and the next eight weeks trying to gain 15 pounds, just to see if they can do it.

Then there are the people who talk about their goals endlessly and do very little toward achieving them. They're all motivation and no action. To an extreme.

Then there are the people who do find a fitness/fun balance – these are people who make sure they enjoy themselves from a food and drink standpoint, then do exactly enough exercise to maintain their weight. To an extreme.

I've noticed that, as I've become more and more part of the fitness world, I'm headed that way, too. I know what's in everything I eat. I know exactly what each protein:carb:fat balance will do to my weight the next morning. I know exactly what I'm going to feel like tomorrow based on what I consume. And it's not just knowledge; I think about it. A lot.

I've moved away from moderation.

So, back to that fire.

To keep a fire going is work. You have to make the time to add logs here and there, and move partly burned logs around, and create some air now and again.

You can't just pile more wood on and expect it to burn longer, because the fire will just spread and consume all that new wood immediately. It's greedy. It's a bit on the extreme side.

What we learn from fire is that, in order to keep it alive, we have to plan, we have to observe, and we have to be ready to deal with some things we weren't expecting – like airflow, or some wetness inside what we thought was a dry log.

That's how you keep a fire under control and burning for a while, prolonging enjoyment. Moderation and some attention.

That's how we get the most out of our lives, even while we focus on our health, our fitness, our nutrition, our enjoyment of day-to-day life.

Anything that you might do to the extreme? Tuck it down a notch. You'll enjoy it more, and over a longer period of time.

[photo credit]

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Here are some brief thoughts on what I've been reading.

279 Days to Overnight Success. There are a lot of how to make money on the Internet books out there, but this really combines the best of all worlds. Chris Guillebeau outlines a project that is intensely do-able. Be consistent, be honest, and don't promise things before you're sure you can deliver.

This is also a great guide to changing existing habits or creating new ones.

Stingray Shuffle. Mitch turned me onto the works of Tim Dorsey. Dorsey's hero, Serge Storms, is a wacky hobbyist-slash-sleuth-slash-homicidal maniac. Everything I've read is hysterical, fun and downright enjoyable. I'm not even going to bother summarizing the plot for you; just go grab some Dorsey and unwind.

The Art of Racing in the Rain. I'm in the middle of this on audiobook. JB recommended it to me when we decided we were getting a dog, and she talked me into trying the audiobook (which is great, because I can listen to it while I'm walking Rufus). I love the narration, I love that I don't need light or to pause to read it, and I love the book.

Narrated by a dog on the eve of his euthanizing, the novel is about Enzo's family, from living with Denny – a race car driver known for his ability to drive in the rain – to Denny's meeting his wife Eve and having their daughter Zoe, to Eve's brain cancer and more.

Garth Stein's Enzo is convinced that dogs are closer to humans than chimps are, and he puts up a good argument.

Do the Work. Steven Pressfield, an accomplished novelist, screenwriter, and probably something else, too, wrote this outline to completing a project. It walks you through the outlining process, the self-doubt, the crash when something goes horribly wrong, and the push to ship your product. This is a quick, easy read, and I highly recommend it, even if you don't have a major project on tap.

An Object of Beauty. Steve Martin is best known as a comic actor, and a really good one at that. But he's a great literary novelist, too, and this Manhattan art-world story focused on our protagonist, Lacey Yeager, is a great read.

We meet Lacey in art school, and follow her through her first job at Sotheby's, at a private gallery, and then into gallery ownership.

Your turn: What are you reading these days?

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