DAY SIXTEEN (11/30/12)

One day over the halfway hump and I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed.  This is becoming a lot of work.

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     Waking up early has its benefits, but it's hard to remember those benefits when you wake up so warm, comfy and in a half-comatose daze.  The sun hasn't even gotten his ass out of bed (in my time zone), why should I!?!  But I do...barely...and I'm thankful later.

2 - Scottish Shower

       The ground temp has made my coldest setting even colder.  Today I had to turn the knob two taps to the warm.  I'd rather not lose an appendage to frost bite during this Challenge.

3 - No Television

     Rachel is in Edina taking the GRE for grad school and as of 12:30pm, she will have a huge weight lifted of her overbearing load.  I believe it's time for a celebration.  Probably steak!  (No TV!)

4 - Clean My Room

      Room is clean and I need to get cookin' on recording my songs.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

      Usually the first thing people ask me when I tell them about this 30 Day Challenge is, "How do you write a song every day?  That's crazy!  I could never do that." 
I wish my answer was something like this:  “If you want to do something, just go for it and give it a try! You don’t have to be a professional to do something. Amateurs started Google and Apple. Professionals built the Titanic.”  But I usually reply with something stupid like, "I just do it."  I don't have a lot of education in music and I'm not very good at it, but I love it and it's fun.  I thought I kind of had most of it figured out when I started this challenge, but HOLY SHIT I'm learning a lot about structure, styles, voicing, sound waveform and audio software capabilities.  NOW THIS IS FUN!

6 - 30 Minute Workout

     Neck is still really sore, but I was able to do some push-ups and worked out the legs (squats, stairs).  I don't feel as good as I did a few days ago, but when my neck is better and I can do a full workout, I'll feel better.

DAY FIFTEEN (Thursday 11/29/12)

Half way through this thing...

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     I just realized this morning that my bedroom's window blinds are open.  They have been since I started this Challenge fifteen days ago.  I guess I get up before the sun and go to bed after it does.  The hardest thing about getting up at 6:00am is that the sun isn't up yet.  But it comes up right after I get out of the shower.  Perfect timing!  I enjoy eating breakfast next to our huge sliding glass door.  It's beautiful!

2 - Scottish Shower

     Today's shower was the coldest yet.  BY FAR!  It's the first day I dropped an f'bomb while rinsing off.  The ground temp is so low that I might have to turn the knob a little further warmer as to not get sick in the future. 
(Content advisory)  Somebody asked me the other day, "What's the last part of your body to warm back up?  Your feet?"  A:  Nope,  it's my balls.

3 - No Television

     Spent the evening at Rachel's old apartment cleaning and moving things.  Cleaning sucked.  I thought my old apartment was dirty... Mike Rowe would even touch this dirty job.

4 - Clean My Room

      Cleaned my room while Rachel wrote a paper in my room/office.


5 - Write A Song Every Day

      DAY FIFTEEN is simple, yet I'm REALLY excited to produce it and post it on here.  I just jammed out a melody and rhythm (verse and middle eight) on the ukulele, but it's really haunting.  It could be an eerie instrumental a la horror soundtrack, but then again...who knows what will happen when I actually put it all together in the studio.

6 - 30 Minute Workout

     I opted out of a traditional workout this morning because of my neck, but I did spend three hours scrubbing Rachel's kitchen and moving heavy furniture, so I will still give myself a GREEN light on this one.

DAY FOURTEEN (Wednesday 11/28/12)

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     I popped out of bed this morning like I was 8yrs old on Christmas.  Don't know why, it just happened that way.  This morning was going to be great.  Was.  I brushed my teeth and went to work out.  Something happened and I broke my neck.  No, I did not literally break my neck, although I haven't gotten a professional opinion from anyone in a white coat.  I spent about an hour this morning on the floor trying to move my neck.  It's now 4:00ish in the afternoon and it hurts like Hell, but you're not reading this blog to hear me complain about my atrophied body.

2 - Scottish Shower

     Nothing fixes a 'broken' neck like an ice bath that would make a polar bear whiz his knickers.  Actually this didn't help at all.  It just made me tense up and made my neck feel even worse.  YOWCH!

3 - No Television

     I don't even have time for this nonsense today.

4 - Clean My Room

Room is clean = Ethan is happy.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

      Last night I joined an online group of musicians and sound engineers.  Within that group I learned about VST and DXi plugins as well as a bunch of other audio-nerd stuff.  I also got a bunch of new software from these sound engineer nerds.  I should have some pretty cool stuff coming out of the studio soon.  I still have to write a song tonight, but I don't foresee any trouble doing this since I can't do anything else with my neck holding my head up by a thread.

6 - 30 Minute Workout

     By now you got the point that my workout ended poorly.  I lifted weights for about 10mins then snap!  I finished my workout with some lunges and squats.  I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow if my neck doesn't magically heal overnight.  This whole challenge thing might be a literal pain in the neck, but I am enjoying myself still.

DAY THIRTEEN (Tuesday 11/27/12)

Took a while to get caught up after the Thanksgiving weekend, but we're up to date now.  Thanks to everyone for all of the support and feedback.  Yeah, the last couple of days were brief and boring, but such is life.

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

Alarm goes off.  (Did Rachel leave for school yet?  Can I go back to bed without anyone noticing?  I'll give myself a stupid RED light for sleeping in.  It'll be worth it.  Shit, she's still here...guess I'll get up)

2 - Scottish Shower

I feel like I've been bathing myself in a Siberian snowdrift for over a year.  It's only been thirteen days.  I was a little hesitant getting in the shower today.  Had to give myself the ol' "You're a man damn it!" pep talk.  I still feel refreshed as heck after getting out, but since it's gotten colder outside/in the house, it just makes me hesitate a little bit before taking the plunge.  Rachel knocked on the bathroom door the second I got out of the shower.  "My car won't start."  Yup, dead battery.  Jump-started the scholar and she was off to school.  I'm sure she was freezing her ass off watching me charge her battery, but I was really comfortable.  If you haven't noticed, I really love the cold weather now that my body temp is all whacked out.

3 - No Television

All day long I've had the same South Park scene running through my head.  Chef's dad and the Loch Ness Monster..."What do you want from us, Loch Ness Monshter?!?!  And that's when he said, 'I need about Tree-fiddy'.  I ain't givin' you no Tree-fiddy, you gol'darm Loch Ness Monshter!!!"
I had been quoting this episode all day.  Rachel had never seen it before, so to prove I was sane, I had to show her that episode over the lunch hour.  It's only 11 minutes, but it was on Netflix.  Yes, I'm not supposed to watch Netflix, but I figure I could've completely cheated and watched it on Youtube anyway.  I'll give myself a YELLOW light so it doesn't look like I'm changing the rules.  I did it to prove a point and to entertain my girlfriend...it's not like I was subjecting myself to mind-dumbing waste like Storage-Pawn-Toddler-Amish-Housewife-Swamp-Auction-Toy Hunterbattlewarstars.

4 - Clean My Room

Room is clean = Ethan is happy.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

I spent a significant amount of time tonight tweaking my audio software (about 3 hours).  Hopefully I'll have all of my ones and zeros in order and be ready to lay down some tracks tomorrow night.  I did take a little chunk of time to make sure I wrote something for DAY THIRTEEN as well.

6 - 30 Minute Workout

Got my workout in this morning.  Feeling pretty good about myself, but I really need to figure out a way to work in some more cardio.  It's too cold outside to bike or run.  Gym membership is probably coming my way after payday.

DAY TWELVE (Monday 11/26/12)

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     Internal clock woke me up at 5:50am.  "You've got to be kidding me!!  I only have ten minutes left to sleep!?!?!?"  I slept for ten more minutes.  The Challenge is 6:00, NOT 5:50!!

2 - Scottish Shower

     "Rachel, why is the bathroom door shut?" / "So it would be nice and toasty for your cold shower."

Dang, that's a good woman righ'there!  I've been trying to find a thermometer to get a H20 temp for you guys, but I can't find one that goes low enough. Crazy!

3 - No Television

     No TV today.  Rachel and I (and friends) went to dollar burger night at Korte's B&G in Welcome.  Of course, I retained my champion status on the beanbags/lawndarts video games...and Rachel proved once again that eggs are a part of every meal (on her burger).

4 - Clean My Room

      Spending so much time in my room writing music and working out leaves my room a little cluttered, but have no fear...it's clean!

5 - Write A Song Every Day

      DAY TWELVE.... It's becoming more difficult to be fresh with the writing.  It's very easy to just jot down a few campy licks and call it good, but I'm trying to not let one day blah-blah-blah its way into the next.  Themes/Ideas are always good and welcome.  I was flirting with the idea of a jungle song for Joe or a Beach Boys-esque surf ballad for today.  I leaned toward the latter, but it will probably sound nothing like it.  Still...mission accomplished.

6 - 30 Minute Workout

     Free weights, sit-ups, push-ups, squats.  Not a whole lot of cardio, but my heart rate is at least up a bit.  I'm feeling great and looking better.  At least that's what I see in the mirror.  Your eyes can get distorted when your body and mind feels great.  Nonetheless, I've lost SEVEN POUNDS (weight, not the movie) since this whole thing started.

DAY ELEVEN (Sunday 11/25/12)

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     Today was the first day that getting up at 6:00am was a joy.  My internal clock now has me waking up at 5:57am, so I get to opt out of my alarm's irritating chime.

2 - Scottish Shower

     It's almost two weeks into this Challenge.  Cold showers are no biggie.  Honestly, I can't even remember what a hot shower feels like.  After DAY THIRTY, it might be nice to experience a steamy shower again, but I'll probably keep doing the daily cold showers.

3 - No Television

     Rachel and I worked at Perkins today, then we went to her old apartment and cleaned most of the evening.  No TV for this guy.  The hardest part of this Challenge (besides having something to zone out with while eating lunch) has to be missing The Walking Dead every Sunday night.  Oh well, it will be there on Day 31.

4 - Clean My Room

Room is clean = Ethan is happy.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

      I spent a little more time writing DAY ELEVEN, but it again was another 'write and run'. 

6 - 30 Minute Workout

     I got up at 6:00am, brushed my teeth, worked out and got ready to work at Perkins at 8:00am.  My manager then asked if I would come in at 9:00am, so I had an extra hour to write the DAY ELEVEN song.  Working out at home has its advantages, but now that it's getting colder out, I need a place to get more cardio.  I guess I'll be signing up with a gym in the near future.

DAY TEN (Saturday 11/24/12)

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     Tomorrow will mark the first day that getting up at 6:00am became more of a joy than a pain in my ass.  That being said, I woke up on time.  And that's all I have to say about that.  Actually it was alright.  I worked out and worked at Perkins at 7:45am. 

2 - Scottish Shower

     It was REALLY cold out this morning.  I remember this because it was probably the first time that it was colder outside than it was in my shower.  Usually my body adjusts to the cold so much that I start my car in a t-shirt, but this morning, I went outside to start my car and was actually cold for a change.

3 - No Television

     I don't really recall what I did this entire day, but I do know that television had nothing to do with it.

4 - Clean My Room

Room is clean = Ethan is happy.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

      DAY TEN is another 'write and run'.  Like I said yesterday...I'll have to start producing these before I get really far behind, but the Challenge is to write a song - not record and post online.

6 - 30 Minute Workout

     I lifted weights before work this morning.  It's becoming apparent how nice life can be when you force yourself to be a morning person and not sleep 'til the last minute and rush getting ready for the day.

DAY NINE (Friday 11/23/12)

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am
     I woke up at 8:00am.  Sure, I could've risen with the rest of the consumer world to seek/destroy cheapened Chinese crap, but instead... I slept in.  Sue me!

2 - Scottish Shower

     Thank you cold showers!  My skin is the best its been in years.  My facial complexion is awesome.  Haven't had a giant acne breakout since I started this, even with wearing a scarf everyday which usually irritates the skin on my neck.  Starting to really dig the cold showers.  (Similarly, the Boyz are diggin' the cold weather)

3 - No Television

     No time for TV!  Rachel and I spent the day decorating for Christmas.  Got some new goodies from Fantasia in Sheldon.  Mom helped us with some decorating ideas.  Damn, she's good.  House looks pretty festive/classy.  (Horrible cellphone pic)

4 - Clean My Room

Room is clean = Ethan is happy.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

      DAY NINE was a 'write and run'.  I got it down on paper, but finding the time to produce it was tough.  Rachel and I took an evening trip up the Mpls to see Daniel Tosh at the State Theatre.  Good vulgar comedy was enjoyed by all.  The production for this Challenge is starting to snowball on me, but I'll find some time one of these nights to pump all of this material out.

6 - 30 Minute Workout

     I'm writing this on Tuesday 11/27/12.  I don't remember what I did to exercise, but I marked it GREEN on that day.  *Pat on the back.

DAY EIGHT (Thursday 11/22/12)

I've been MIA from the blog for a few days.  I debated doing an accumulated day (4 days in 1), but decided I should go back to these days and recall them individually for the purpose of tracking my growth.

But I'll still keep it brief, so we can all catch up fast...

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     It was Thanksgiving.  I was at home in Iowa.  I did not get up at 6:00am.  I was observing the holiday by being thankful for an extra hour of sleep.  I woke up at 7:00am and went for a run on the good ol' Lily Ave. blacktop.

2 - Scottish Shower

     Pretty sure the water in rural Iowa was the coldest yet.  Another thing I noticed...after spending over 18 years showering in that basement bathroom, this was the first instance that when I got out of the shower, the mirrors weren't fogged up for a half hour.  Kind of cool (pun)... no steam!

3 - No Television

     This morning, Mom was watching TV while prepping our feast in the kitchen.  She caught me zoned out standing in front of the mini TV set for a scene from The Rock.  Give me a break...you HAVE to watch that movie when it's on.  Five seconds ain't gonna kill me, Mom!!

4 - Clean My Room

      In Iowa for Thanksgiving all day.  My clean room will be waiting for me when I get back to Fairmont.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

      First time I've failed this challenge.  It totally slipped my mind while spending the holiday with Rachel and the family.  I did pen out a lick after we got back to Fairmont on Friday, but I'm still gonna give this one the RED light.

6 - 30 Minute Workout

     I went for a run on our blacktop this morning.  It was so cold out that I froze the back of my throat.  Shit that hurts!  Also got some exercise with the family on the Wii.  Erica is a worthy adversary in Wii Canoeing.  Impressive.

DAY SEVEN (Wednesday 11/21/12)

Another day of complete success...

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     Pretty painless today.  Rachel's alarm on her phone went off about point-three seconds before mine.  I got up, brushed my teeth and went to my office/room to work out.  Mr. Evil Six A.M. isn't killing my soul so much anymore.

2 - Scottish Shower

    The water felt even colder today.  My body temperature lowered so much that I walked around the house this morning in just a pair of jeans.  It felt warm.  Rachel will be the first to tell you that I'm always cold.  Not anymore, babe!

3 - No Television

     Having gone a week now without television, I'm pretty out of the loop as far as what is on to watch.  Out of sight, out of mind.  Lunch is quite boring without the tube on, but I don't sit on the couch all hour long.  I eat at the table, then go up to my room to work on the day's song.  I'm really liking not wasting my lunch hour on worthless programming.

4 - Clean My Room

      Rachel and I are trekking down to Iowa for Thanksgiving, so I'll have to make sure I clean my room before we go.  Other than that... Life is uncluttered = Ethan is happy.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

      I started writing DAY SEVEN over my lunch hour today.  When I started this Challenge, I was afraid that I would run out of ideas.  I have.  But I like it that way.  I simply pick up an instrument and start toying around.  Just like writing a story/school paper/commercial...the best way to start is just to start.  The only reasons this method doesn't work is: 1) You don't have enough information or knowledge on the subject...OR... 2) You don't care enough about the subject.  Thank God I have both.  For now.

6 - 30 Minute Workout

     Wake up...brush teeth...work out.  Today I lifted weights for 20mins.  I'm so sore from days prior that this is all the energy I could exert.  I was bummed that 20mins was all I could do, but decided I would just go for a run or something after work.

*I'm starting to think that the hardest part of this Challenge is soon going to be making this blog (and my life) sound fresh.  Like all things we do on a daily basis, they become a monotonous routine, tediously unvarying one day to the next.  I have to remember in the days ahead that THIS IS EXCITING, ABNORMAL and BREAKING. 

**Since it is Thanksgiving tomorrow, I just want to say that I'm thankful to have the ability to do this Challenge.  God has given me talents, health and unhampered freedom.  I'm also thankful for all the support from family and friends, and of course, my loving girlfriend who doesn't complain about not spending time together during this ordeal.  God bless all of you!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

DAY SIX (Tuesday 11/20/12)

Happy Turkey Tuesday!!


1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     This challenge is getting a little easier.  However, I am still tempted to say nuts to this every morning.  Five minutes later, I usually talk myself out of going back to bed.  Honestly, is that extra one hour of sleep going to matter in an hour?  At Noon?  After work?  Probably not.  I am just really bad at waking up when I don't HAVE TO.  Currently my morning routine is wake up, work out, cold shower, coffee, breakfast, a chore or two, off to work.  I like it, but I don't want any of this to become routine quite yet.  Routines are boring; mornings shouldn't be.

2 - Scottish Shower

     I'm wondering if any of you have tried this.  You should.  If nothing else, the next time you're in the shower...step back, turn the knob all the way cold and put your hand under the water.  What you're feeling is awareness.  You are now conscious of your hand.  The way it feels, the way it moves under the water, how it feels so much colder than the rest of your body.  Your hand has always existed.  Your brain and body are in constant communication with it, but your mind isn't.  Through pain comes awareness.  How often do you think about your big toe?  Never.  Then you stub your toe on the couch.  Suddenly the world doesn't matter.  It all becomes a blur.  The only thing on your mind is your appendage.  A direct link from your toe to your conscious mind.  You are reminded, "Holy shit!!  I've got a friggin' toe!!"  This is how I feel when I shower.  I don't sit in there fretting about the day's workload, contemplating whether or not I should buy a powerball ticket or figuring out what time I should start standing in line to get a big screen TV at Best Buy at 3:00am on Black Friday.  I am aware of my Self.  I am alive.

3 - No Television

Whether or not I'm rubbing off on Rachel with this whole "Challenge" deal, last night she decided to memorize a stack of vocab notecards the size of a Dagwood sandwich.  She also decided to watch the Chopped marathon on FoodNetwork (one of our favorite shows).  I would stop by every once and a while to find out why she was groaning at the TV set and it was very difficult resisting the old 'park my ass on the couch with snacks' scenario, but I ultimately avoided the marathon of "___ was undercooked; ___ tastes like total crap.  You've been chopped".

4 - Clean My Room

There's nothing like walking into a clean room after an ice-cold shower.  Pure bliss!

5 - Write A Song Every Day

I wrote DAY SIX on my lunch break while downing a Turkey Melt.  I produced it this evening.  Rachel's critical evaluation: "This one's my favorite.  I like the birdies."  I dubbed two single crow caws from the internet and remixed-remixed-remixed to create a flock of 'birdies'.  I am really bad at up-down picking, so this one took a lot of time and frustration to lay down.  The clamor from my room probably sounded similar to my first cold shower.  Here's the link: DAY SIX

6 - 30 Minute Workout

Waking up at 6:00am + Immediately working out = Success.
**Thanks again for all of the feedback.  These challenges mean spending A LOT of time alone...writing, recording and mixing...working out...cleaning my room.  The feedback connects me socially even though I'm in a silent room with my headphones on all day.

DAY FIVE (Monday 11/19/12)

SPOILER: I met all of my challenges today!

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     I swear my alarm clock's unrelenting cackle is connected directly to the axon that carries electrical impulses to the "I'm gonna kill something" center of my brain.  I laid there for five minutes.  Rachel came up to the room. "It's six o'clock, honey!"  In possibly the most acerbic voice I could muster, I replied, "Iiiiii knoooooowwwwww."

2 - Scottish Shower

     I'm actually getting (more) used to this.  My skin and hair are so soft and smooth.  My complexion seems to be better too.  I've said this before and not to sound like a broken record, but I simply feel more alive.  Less stress and more happy-go-lucky Ethan.  I'm thinking the benefits are starting to outweigh the less-than-friendly temperature.

3 - No Television

     What do you do while eating if not watch TV?  I'm eating at the kitchen table.  It's nice to actually use a giant piece of furniture for the purpose it was intended for.  Breakfast was an Egg-Cheese-Tomato English Muffin.  Lunch was a Turkey-Tomato-Mayo Sandwich.  Supper was Tots and a Turkey Melt.  Looks like I might be eating healthier foods AND smaller portions without the TV to distract me and hold my attention for longer eating sessions.  Food breaks are substantially shorter.  I've got shit to do!!

4 - Clean My Room

...like clean my room. 
Room is clean = Ethan is happy.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

Day Five's song is lachrymosely boring.  (Yes, almost to the point of tears)  The weekend's travels left me short on time.  I opted to produce some of the weekend's writing this evening rather than spend time writing a quality "Day Five".  Here's the link: DAY FIVE
(The song is better if you look at this picture while listening)

6 - 30 Minute Workout

Today is (I believe) the second day that I've achieved a green light on all challenges.  I think it should be smooth sailing from here on out.  I just have to combine the waking up early and working out.  Two birds with one stone.


**Only 25 more days to go.  This Challenge is definitely going to change me.  I already feel different with only 1/6 of my mission complete.

DAY FOUR (Sunday 11/18/12)

Happy 60th Birthday to my mother!  Again, things got a little complicated with the whole family in the Twin Cities for the weekend.

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     Another RED day for this challenge.  Sensing that it would be another long day, I hibernated until 7:30am (I think).  Had a great breakfast compliments of Aunt Arlis, got ready for church and played a little pinball with the family.  I swear I will get up at 6:00am again on Monday.  I'm starting to think I should combine the two challenges I'm ruing most.  This, and the working out.

2 - Scottish Shower

     I swear the water is colder in Bloomington, MN.  I want to make myself very clear that when I take a cold shower, it is not luke warm... it is as cold as possible.  The knob is so far to the cold, one more tap would turn off the shower head.  That being said, I'm starting to love this cold shower stuff.  It is starting to make me feel great.  One, for doing something I didn't think I could.  Two, for feeling so great and refreshed afterwards.  And finally, because I'm not cheating.  I'm certainly tempted to make the water just a tad bit warmer, but I'm following through with having it as cold as possible.  It's an experience everyone should try.

3 - No Television

     Again...too busy churching, shopping and spending time with family to think about TV.

4 - Clean My Room

     Had to do a little tidying up after dumping my bags off in my room, but room is clean = Happy Ethan.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

     Rachel and I got home from the cities around 6:00pm.  I unpacked and got crackin' on writing a new tune.  It's minimal and uninspired, but I was on a time-crunch and quite exhausted from the weekend's adventures.  I will produce this song Monday evening (along with Saturday's and possibly Monday's as well).  I can't let this snowball on me.

6 - 30 Minute Workout

      The day was so beautiful.  Rachel joined me for my so-called workout.  We took a 30min walk on the old Auto Club Rd., which is now part of the Minnesota Valley trail.  Beautiful 30mins of river walk, then on our way home.  Rachel and I also got some exercise with a lap around IKEA.

**The new zebra fleece sheets Mom got us for HER birthday were a great way to end the night!  Hooch and Joe like 'em too.

DAY THREE (Saturday 11/17/12)

Things got complicated over the weekend.  It was my mom's 60th birthday weekend.  The whole family was in the Twin Cities, so a few changes had to be implemented.  Maybe they didn't have to be, but they were.

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am     I opted to sleep in 'til 8:00am, which is still pretty early for a Saturday that I don't have to work.  I knew it would be a long day, so the late wake-up time was actually pretty important lest I fall asleep during Bye Bye Birdie.  Didn't accomplish the goal here, but I'm over it.

2 - Scottish Shower

     I think I've discovered the 'new drug' Huey Lewis was singing about: Ice Cold Showers.  It's still not easy jumping into the stream of arctic blast, but the second I introduce my entire body with the water, something happens.  I become alive, refreshed and giggle/groan a lot.  It's a high for sure.

3 - No Television

     Avoiding TV is easy with your family to distract you.  I didn't even have time to think about all the crap I was missing on the boob tube.

4 - Clean My Room

      Room was clean / I was out of town.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

       So it's probably not my most inspired work, but I managed to work out a rhythm and melody part on ukulele before we left for the weekend.  I'll produce it later and attach it to this section in the near future.  **In the future (Monday 11/19) - Here's the link:"DAY THREE" Song

6 - 30 Minute Workout

     This is easily becoming my least favorite challenge.  No motivation here.  Totally failed on this today.  My time was pretty much spoken for all day.  Drove to Mpls, shopped all day (which should be counted as exercise, but I won't sink that low...yet.  But it's easy to walk a few miles at MOA), attended Bye Bye Birdie (GREAT show) at Chanhassen, then called it a night.  Lame, I know.

**4 of 6 challenges green while out of town on the 1st weekend of the challenge.  Not good, but not bad.

DAY TWO (Friday 11/16/12)

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     After yesterday's debacle, I was certainly determined to get up on time this morning.  This 'determination' didn't make it any easier.  I laid there for a few moments, contemplating all of the quality things I could do with my extra time.  It worked.  I used my extra hour to make breakfast (oatmeal), make coffee (and drink two cups), read the paper, do a load of laundry and watch the sunrise.  Not bad at all.  Like I always say... I love being up; I hate getting up.

2 - Scottish Shower

     "You did it yesterday and survived.  Just get your ass in that freezing shower and do your job.  You're a man damn it!  This is what men do.  We grow facial hair, drink black coffee, climb mountains, kill animals with our bare hands, and we bathe in frigid-friggin' water!!  Bonzai!!AHHH!!!!!"  Today wasn't as bad as yesterday.  At this rate, by Day Thirty, I will be giggling and splashing in the tub like I was 2 years old.  (Sans older sister)
     The health benefits are starting to show.  My skin is softer, less dry and I am starting to feel like one with the cold.  I drank a cup of coffee in the backyard and watched the sunrise with only a long sleeve t-shirt on.  (23 Degrees)  I feel great!

3 - No Television

     Rachel and I are spending the evening hanging Christmas lights and decorations, then going bowling with some friends.  Temptation to melt into the couch will be at an all-time low tonight.

4 - Clean My Room

      Room is clean = Ethan is happy.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

      "Day Two"'s inspiration came during lunch today.  I imagine I won't have any difficulty writing it out and producing it this evening.  I do have a growing concern:  This weekend I will be in the Twin Cities for my Mom's 60th Birthday.  Possible solution:  Rachel drives and I jam out in the passenger seat with my keyboard and ukulele.  I may not get the music produced every day, but the challenge is to write a song every day, not to produce it.  I may have to upload the weekend's music on Monday night after I write Monday's song.  This is going to landslide, isn't it?  I will update the page tonight (Friday) to include a link to the song "Day Two".  Here's the link:  "DAY TWO" SONG

6 - 30 Minute Workout
    
     Still have to exercise tonight.  Probably after we get Christmas decorations up and before we go bowling.  I just hope I don't sweat too much.  I don't really desire to take 2 Scottish Showers today.

*************************
"Do something today worth talking about tomorrow" - Ethan Van Gorp

Thanks for tuning in.  Like I said, I will always update the blog when I get the daily music produced and attach it to the day that it was written on/for.

DAY ONE (Thursday 11/15/12)

1 - Wake Up @ 6:00am

     The start to Day One was unsuccessful.  I had every intention of waking up at 6:00am.  I set my alarm, but opted for the "This ain't gonna happen today" attitude.  Failure is a part of life, so I'm over it.  Since I'm holding true to the 30 Day Challenge, I will simply wake up at 6:00am on Day Thirty-One.  In fact, the idea behind this whole challenge business is to alter my lifestyle, so I will probably make this a solid behavior after the 30 day expiration anyway.

2 - Scottish Shower

     Having failed my first task, I was very eager to not let failure become the day's theme.  I set the shower knob to a setting labeled "Cold As Hell" and may as well have frollicked under a frozen garden hose.  The Polar Bear Plunge ain't got shit on my shower.  Naked, convulsing, hyperventilating, I noticed that my shower time was significantly shorter.  Post-frozen shower, I never knew how warm a room-temperature towel could be.  I was awake!  I felt cold-blooded...almost super-human.  I started my car and scraped my windshield in a t-shirt with nary a care about the 25°F breeze.  I was immune to the cold, having already defeated it mono-a-mono in screaming girl fashion.  What did I learn from my first of many cold showers?  Life is better with a cold splash to the face.

3 - No Television
     This damned Siren and her seducing song.  I knew subtracting television from my life would be near impossible, but much like Orpheus aboard the Argo, I simply whipped out my musical instrument and played a much sweeter song (A big reason I took up Challenge 5).  Thirty Days is a long time though, and TV's jagged shores are wide and wrecking.  It also doesn't help that my girlfriend is a walking TV Guide.  This is going to be a hard habit to break.

4 - Clean My Room

     Room is clean = Ethan is happy.

5 - Write A Song Every Day

     30 Songs - 30 Days.  To quote Rachel Grotte, "It's not about quality; it's quantity."  You're damned right.  I spent a couple of hours writing/producing this instrumental.  It's rough, unstructured and difficult to listen to.  But it's music and I made it, so it counts.  Here's the link:

http://www.4shared.com/mp3/LmRIXZjr/DAY_1_MIX.html

6 - 30 Minute Workout
     Mainly just free weights, push-ups, squats and sit-ups.  I'm not tearing phonebooks in half or bench-pressing my girlfriend, but I feel great.


**Off to bed at 10:00pm.  (>2hrs earlier than usual)
**Very excited for Day Two...

PREFACE

     I spent a substantial amount of time trying to find a clever way to open this blog, but in reality...you're going to skim right over this section anyway.  So let's get started:


     This so-called CHALLENGE is not an original idea of mine.  The idea was popularized when Morgan Spurlock consumed 30 days of Big Macs and American Fries in 2004.

     However, my attention was brought back to this Change-Your-Life-In-A-Month philosophy when I internetted myself into an online discussion evaluating the difficulty of individual 30 day challenges.  (i.e. Making Your Bed=Easy, Doing 500 Pushups=Intermediate, Snail Mailing Thank-You Cards=Hard, Remaining Mute=Impossible).

    
     I posed the question, "What would happen if one person accepted multiple simultaneous 30 day challenges?  Is it possible?  How would it affect the person mentally, physically, emotionally?"  The unanimous reply was, "It's your question.  Answer it yourself."  Thus leading me here.

I wanted to include a VARIETY of challenges that, as a whole, would have both mental and physical effects.  Here we go:

**30 Days - 6 Challenges**

 


1-Wake up at 6:00am
[Intermediate]
*I usually wake up at 7:00am and rush to get ready for work.








2-Cold Showers
(Scottish Shower)
[Intermediate]
*Health benefits: Relieves stress, increases immune system, healthier skin/complexion, etc.  











3-No Television (including Netflix) [Intermediate]
*Sure, I get cooking ideas from FoodNetwork.  And who doesn't feel like pumping some serious iron and sprinting flights of stairs after watching Rocky Balboa clobber Mr. T?  But, what about the other garbage we submit ourselves to?  Remember in high school Algebra when you asked yourself, "Why do I have to learn this crap?  I'll never need this information in the real world!"??

 





4-Clean My Room Every Day 
[Easy]
*Not too difficult for me, but I'm a much happier person when my life is


uncluttered.

 

5-Write A New Song Every Day
[Hard]
*I used to write music all the time. I haven't written anything new in a few years, so I’m excited to rejuvenate this area of my life. I'm not saying the chart-topping hits are going to be rolling out of the studio. I'm just looking to fire up my creative juices again and see if this will help me break through other ruts in my life.

 

6-Exercise For 30 Minutes Every Day [Hard]
*I haven’t worked out in over 2 years. Any exercise at this point will be a change in lifestyle.  I'm giving this one a HARD rating because I really don't want to do it, but I know I should.  Plus, I need a physical challenge to balance out the mental/physical qualities of this list.

 

 

 

I’m not sure if I can keep this up for 30 days, but I’m REALLY going to try.

Stay tuned.  Or not.  I don't care.  I'm getting paid for this.