JDPFu.com 2025

Many people still have credit card receipts from a dinner in 1985. Do you?

Personal records management is simple and need not be complex.

1. Get a 3"-5" expandable simple 1-section filer.
2. Write the year on the outside.
3. Put most financial transaction paperwork (bills, receipts, bank statements) into the folder in the order they occur, approximately.
4. Keep paystubs, brokerage account statements, and other critical data filed separate. Things that show start/end dates for insurance, residency/citizenship.

If you later need a receipt for a warranty, you probably know which year/folder it is in. It happens so infrequently, that searching through a folder isn’t too much trouble AND the filing isn’t too much trouble that you won’t do it. If you enter transactions into Quicken, you can search and find the purchase date – a good hint for which part of the folder the receipt is located.

If you pay your personal bills, there’s little reason to keep bill records beyond 7 years (in the USA). Tax returns too. The last loan payment statement for big items (car, home) with either a current balance or payoff is all that is needed beyond 7 years. I’ve needed a car payment “thank you for your business, paid in full” letter to fix incorrect credit service information. Having that letter easily available made it simpler.

For electronic transaction data, the same method applies, file by year. It makes annual clean up trivial. Anything more complex requires a REAL need to justify it and you won’t follow it unless it is part of job.

Email – same thing, file by year. That’s close enough that searching isn’t too big and will probably prevent the 2GB issue that Outlook has. For about a month in January, you’ll probably use both year folders/PST files (current and last year).

Simple, effective, easy to do records management is yours. The most important part is to delete/shred them later …

I met up with a sister to do a little geo caching over the weekend around Cochran Mill Park southwest of Atlanta. It was around 40 deg when we got started. No trail map in hand, but we both had GPSs and coordinates for 5 or so caches to find.

In summary,

• we found 5 geo caches – searched for 7
• I lost my Bluetooth GPS receiver (normally tethered to my Nokia N800, somewhere scrambling up a very steep hill
• During a water crossing, as we returned from the first cache of the day, I slipped on some frost on the felled tree (over a stream) and took a nasty spill.
  • left shin has a superficial 3" scrap (little blood)
  • left knee has a knot on it
  • left forearm it very tender. No stress or strain is possible without pain

We kept going in search of a number of other caches for the next 4+ hours. I normally take plenty of water, but not this time. I didn’t realize how long we’d be hiking in the bush. Trails were not normally used since a direct path with GPS coordinates and bearings seem to be the quickest way, especially when we didn’t have a trail map.

After getting home, the extent of my injury became a little clearer. The leg stuff is nothing. The arm … that’s a different matter. Also, bush whacking is different from hiking. It is more difficult. My legs hurt.

In the middle of the night, I needed a drink of water. As I made my way downstairs, taking 1 step at a time and holding onto the wall, I felt like a 99 yr old must. Very stiff. Opening a drink top wasn’t easy with only 1 hand working (the other hurt too much to use).

This morning, the legs are mostly fine, not too stiff. The arm still hurts, but just a little less than yesterday. It will probably a few weeks before I get full use back.

Oh, check the gallery for photos of the day. A GPS track should be available RSN too. Obviously, it won’t be from my GPS.

So, I’ve been hiking a bunch this year and searching for waterfalls is a hobby. If you have access to my photo gallery, you get a feel for the lengths that I’ve gone thru to find them.

Anyway, as I was planning my next trip to NC, I came across this site: http://www.northcarolinawaterfalls.info/ FANTASTIC! It places markers on a google map for where all the waterfalls are located and occasionally provides links and directions.

It has more waterfalls which appear to be accurately located on a map than anyplace I’ve seen before.

See google is evil …. or just doesn’t want any hassles over what they index going forward.

Basically, google wants to not be sued over any content they come across – however they come across it.
Like lambs to the slaughter, we are.

I’ve pointed out how google wants to know their customers previously

Google is out to make money. All of use use google in some way almost every time we get behind an internet connected computer. Google is very good at taking raw data and correlating it for different purposes – mostly to target ads to interested people. That’s today. Soon, I predict, they will have much more relevant data than even Acxiom does about us.

In the grocery store today, the checker asked what a vegetable was – an Acorn Squash. I love them.

Here’s how I prepare them:

1. Select an acorn squash – not too large and preferably with a little yellow on the outside.
   
2. Cut the squash in half with a SHARP knife. I’ve had to stick the knife in to get the cut started on some squash.
   
3. Remove the seeds and other center parts, just like you’d do for a cantaloupe. I wash the seeds out and leave a tiny bit of water on the inside and outside of the squash. It helps steam it.
   
4. Place both sides into a microwave oven, face down on wax paper. The paper helps seal the moister inside. Cook 4 minutes on HIGH. Be careful, the squash is VERY HOT!
   
5. Turn over – the wax paper may rip, but just verify that it covers the top.
   Cook 4 minutes on HIGH.
   You may need to cook longer if the squash is large, or mature or has been picked more than a few weeks ago.
   Be careful, the squash is VERY HOT.
   
6. After cooking, I use a sharp knife and slice into the sides to help the pepper and butter soak in.
   Be careful, the squash is VERY HOT!
   

Yummy. Each half serves 1.

If you’ve heard of the GTD, Getting Things Done, Method, some of these tools will be helpful:

• PocketMod Stuff – a tiny, foldaway, organizer
  • Travel
  • Walkable Maps – didn’t work for me
  • GTD PocketMod I use this daily
  • Another GTD PocketMod
• GTD TiddlyWiki
• And perhaps the best tip is the DIY-Planner This is a larger day planner.

Beyond GTD, remember not to get bogged down with too much process and just do it.

Here’s a few more links:

• The Hipster PDA
• GTD-Introduction
• GTD with Emacs
• Learning GTD
• Notecase
  with a GTD outline
• Randy Pausch Time Management Talk

There are many, many MS-Word or MS-Excel templates out there. Also, some MP3 training sessions can be found fairly easily. These are the GTDF – Getting Things Done Fast recordings. Or you can always buy the book, but you’re probably too busy to read it anyway.

I came across a new diet tip that seemed to speak the truth.
See? Perfect solution.

A few questions to help you figure out what you should have been doing the last 10 years you were working instead.

1. When you were a kid what was your dream for a job?
2. What was your best day at work like?
3. If there were no rules, what would you be and where would you work?
4. Who makes you jealous with their job?
5. Who is doing what you would love to do?
6. What do you have passion for?
7. When you are 90, what would make you proud to look back on?
8. What environment would you like, small, medium, large?
9. What other characteristics of the environment are important to you?

I’ve been stuck the last few months at the same weight. Since November, I’ve lost about 60 lbs, so losing weight is something I thought I’d figured out. Guess not. In fact, I’d planned to increase my physical activity after losing another 20 lbs – total of 80 – to begin the get ripped process.

Ok, so by chance I’ve seen a few web sites that will help me get back on track (Hershey, PA didn’t help any either).

1. http://HundredPushups.com/ – I’m doing this.

Wk 1 (Col3) Day 1	10	10	8	6	7+	60 sec rest
	        Day 2	12	12	10	10	10+	90 sec rest
	        Day 3	15	13	10	10	15+	120 sec rest
Wk 2 (Col3) Day 1	12	12	9	7	10+	60 sec rest
	        Day 2	16	13	11	11	15+	90 sec rest
	        Day 3	15	15	12	12	15+	120 sec rest
Test		???					
Wk 3 (Col3) Day 1	25	17	17	15	25+	60 sec rest
	        Day 2	27	19	19	15	25+	90 sec rest
	        Day 3	30	22	22	20	27+	120 sec rest
Wk 4 (Col3) Day 1	27	20	20	17	27+	60 sec rest
	        Day 2	27	21	21	18	25+	90 sec rest
	        Day 3	30	22	22	20	29+	120 sec rest
Test		???					
Wk 5 (Col3) Day 1	40	32	30	25	40+	60 sec rest
                Day 2	20	18	15	14	40+	90 sec rest
                Day 3	18	16	14	12	40+	120 sec rest
Wk 6 (Col3) Day 1	56	45	42	40	56+	60 sec rest
                Day 2	30	25	25	22	56+	90 sec rest
                Day 3	27	23	23	20	56+	120 sec rest
Final Test		???					

1. Lifehacker Article
2. From Couch to 5K in 6 weeks

    Week 1:
        * Mon. 5 min run with 5 min cool down (start small, more on this later)
        * Wed. 5 min run with 5 min cool down (Your cool down can always be a 5 min walk)
        * Fri. 10 min run, cool down
    Week 2:
        * Mon. 7 min run, cool down
        * Wed. 7 min run, cool down
        * Fri. 15 min run, cool down
    Week 3
        * M: 12 min run, cool down
        * W: 15 min run, cool down
        * F: 20 min run, cool down
    Week 4
        * M: 15 min run, cool down
        * W: 18 min run, cool down
        * F: 25 min run, cool down
    Week 5
        * M: 20 min run, cool down
        * W: 25 minute run, cool down
        * F: 30 min. run, cool down
    Week 6
        * M: 15 min run, cool down
        * W:20 min run, cool down
        * F: 10 min run, cool down
        * Sat/Sun. Go race!
3rd) Execute your plan.

1. Run a marathon in 18 weeks
2. How to hack a marathon
3. ShovelGlove Workout throwing a sledge hammer around
   1. Shoveling
   2. Churning Butter
   3. Chopping wood
   4. All the movements
   5. Someone else is doing it too
4. No S Diet
5. How to get 6-pak abs