Thursday, March 13, 2014

Missing in Action

So it's been almost 6 months since my last post. It's been harder than ever lately to keep up with the blog I started over 5 years ago. My peak was 2010 with 37 posts that year. But by 2013 I was down to about 1 post a month. I guess once I stopped making it a priority, it quickly became something I had to do rather than something I wanted to do. I love writing. That's why I started it. Writing is such a great outlet for me, but I'm feeling too busy these days to keep up with it. Audience is a factor as well. I don't think many of my friends would read my blog anymore even if I did update it regularly. We're all quite consumed with the hectic pace of our lives, it's mind-numbing. 

So far this year I've been quite busy with my design career. At my day job with Coach, we're expanding heavily in the Asian market, which I handle, as well as drawing up a new concept design for our store fleet. This leads to a lot of late nights at the office. Outside of my day-to-day, I'm studying for the LEED examination to become a Green Associate. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and is developed by the US Green Building Council to make our buildings and communities more environmentally responsible and energy efficient. As an architect that is admittedly adding waste to our environment as well as depleting our precious and finite resources, I want to do what I can to minimize this impact as much as possible. Even be a part of the process that can get all of our buildings to climate neutrality someday. But, in order to start down this path, I have to pass a test. Ugh. My first exam since college. I'm nervous to say the least.

I've been playing piano again. I bought a new keyboard this winter and have been practicing. I love this new toy. It's a Yamaha S70xs and it plays beautifully. Of course the owners manual is friggin' huge and I haven't even started reading it yet. But for now, I've figured out how to turn it on and play the built-in sounds and that's good enough for me. My plan is to start recording again but for now I'm just having fun and getting re-acquainted with the keyboard.

I still have a physically active life. I regularly rock climb (mostly at the gym these days), run, bike (still biking to work when weather permits), and practice yoga. I'm signing up for the Born to Tri in Asbury Park triathlon again, so I've just started to add swimming at the local Y to my regiment. 

It's getting late, so I'm going to stop here. I realize this is a pretty lame post about why I've stopped blogging with some random life-updates (snooze). I hope not but it may be my last post at Botha's Boots. Or perhaps I'll write something in another 6 months. Or maybe tomorrow! Either way, I just wanted to acknowledge that this may be it for now, that my life is too busy at the moment for this to continue as a regular hobby. It's a bit regretful, but I simply have other priorities at the moment. And they're happy ones. My life is good and I'm lucky to be so fortunate. I don't take it for granted. Life is short and precious so let's all go out and make the most of it….together.

Cheers to a happy 2014 for everyone!
Love,
James