in reply to Desperately Seeking Perla<BR>(Practical Ecumenical Real Life Advice)

If you can find some decent folks who have similar interests in technology, there are bound to be a few with expansive libraries willing to loan you a couple of books every month. (Hey, I even talked my mother into reading a book on GNOME and a book about the Gimp.)

Putting in an hour or so every other day will get you through the average O'Reilly book every couple of weeks. Retaining information may be a problem if you don't have a way to play with it immediately, but there are enough examples of good design (like UUCP, strangely enough) that the common elements will stick around in your subconscious.

Turn off the TV for a while and read, or play around and experiment with a new module or a question and answer you don't quite understand.

Oh, and go for 30+ minute walks every other day, or lift weights, but get regular exercise. It clears the head, gets the blood flowing, sends oxygen to the brain, and produces all sorts of good chemicals. If you haven't been in the habit before, you'll be surprised how much it helps with everything else. (After the first couple of weeks, anyway.)

  • Comment on Re: Desperately Seeking PerlaBR(Practical Ecumenical Real Life Advice)

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Re: Desperately Seeking PerlaBR(Practical Ecumenical Real Life Advice)
by coreolyn (Parson) on Jan 01, 2001 at 03:30 UTC

    What!? Actually physically move for 30+ minutes a day? Even when you don't have too?

    What a concept! I really should check that out one of these decades. :-}

    coreolyn1

    1Currently recovering from shock after shovelling the 'white death' of 2000 -- again!.

[reply]
Re: Re: Desperately Seeking PerlaBR(Practical Ecumenical Real Life Advice)
by PsychoSpunk (Hermit) on Jan 01, 2001 at 23:19 UTC
    Oh, and go for 30+ minute walks every other day, or lift weights, but get regular exercise. It clears the head, gets the blood flowing, sends oxygen to the brain, and produces all sorts of good chemicals. If you haven't been in the habit before, you'll be surprised how much it helps with everything else. (After the first couple of weeks, anyway.)

    chromatic, adamsj said he was in Houston, so I'd probably advise against this particular choice, at least doing this outdoors. :)

    adamsj, I think the standard advice I'd give is similar, though. Pick up the alternative weekly that's generally out each Thursday (seems to be standard practice in the major Texas cities). Find other things that intrigue you and meet other people. Aside: last night, my roommate and I were in Dallas and I ended up talking and drinking with the DJ and his friends.

    I can't think of any good computer stores down in H-town, but I'm sure they exist. If you can spare a day to make a road trip to Arlington (really, it's not that far), there's a good place there. Likewise with Austin, although I haven't found any as eclectic as the one in Arlington.

    Short of finding an amazing place that can cheaply meet your needs, you can configure a system for a fair amount at Altex.

    Knowing what it's like to be transplanted from OK to TX, and having now lived near Big-D, H-town, and in Austin, I'd be willing to try to comb through my knowledge base and give you some specific local advice. Good luck, and stick with it. Houston gets a bad rep of all the cities in Texas, but it's livable and there are things worth doing out there to make the transition bearable. If you can't survive there, give Austin a try. :) I'm amazed at how there were times I'd do a double take thinking that I was headed towards Memorial or Lewis.

    ALL HAIL BRAK!!!

[reply]

In Section Meditations