Ikea!

Alicia and I are at Ikea today. We're finally blowing a gift card generously given to us by her parents for the wedding. Dessert first (pictured is called a "princess cake"), curtains next.

Man we love our Ikea.

To Do lists!

How do you stay productive? What keeps you on task?

I use Google Tasks, a neat little To Do application that is part of Gmail (Google's Email service). I can look at the list on my phone and add or delete items from anywhere. It helps me feel on top of everything I need to do. I throw assignments, cleaning tasks, appointments, and even goals on that list. It really prevents that icky feeling of "didn't I need something the other day?"

I've only ever had one problem with it: the list stressed me out. When I finished something, I'd take it off my list. At the same time, I'd add new things to the list. As a result, I always had things to do. Worse yet, some items would stay on my to do list for awhile, making me feel worse and worse about them the longer they remained. I was focusing on what wasn't getting done as opposed to what I was accomplishing. Every time I looked at the list, I was reminded of what wasn't getting done.

To get out of the feedback loop, I went on the roof and relaxed. Getting away from the list, I realized that my stress was only because every waking moment, I wanted to accomplish something. Certainly that isn't possible. Staring at the cityscape of Brooklyn, I started recalling everything I had finished. That snapped me out of it. I suppose this needs to happen from time to time. I guess that's one of the Cons of having a to do list that is always accessible.

Other organization techniques I've used in the past include keeping a small notebook in my pocket and using my email account as a to do list. The notebook was never around, so it didn't work for me. Email was nearly perfect, though. I'd just email myself anytime I had something I wanted to do. This didn't stress me out as much because my real mail would dilute the pile of things to accomplish. The problem is, of course, that the inbox becomes really cluttered.

So, there are a lot of options out there. What works for you?

Hello from Brooklyn!

Leela: The definition of cute.

Instead of my typical update, I thought I'd just give a letter style post.

Everyone, thank you again for the Wedding. It was better than I deserve. The gifts, the fun times... Alicia and I couldn't be happier. I can't even begin to say how your kind thoughts and gifts have bettered our lives. I'm sure I'll brag later about all the cool stuff we got.

On the education front, things are about as normal as ever. I'm approaching day 12, which means I'm somewhere between 1/3rd and half way through with the semester. My students are doing better than average. On my last exam, the average was 80/100, which is a lot better than the typical 70ish.

As for the classes I'm taking, I fluctuate between worried and content. But, that happens every single semester, so nothing new. It's mostly a product of Grad school. Instead of completing assignments and working towards a grade, I'm trying to master the subject. This means there's no end to the work. Unlike my students, I can't finish the homework assignment and be done. I'm supposed to review the notes from class, read the textbook, work on suggested exercises, work ahead... But that's how it's supposed to work. I'm supposed to become an expert in the field, and be studying mathematics because I want to, not because it's my job. I have a love/hate attitude towards it, but it's much easier and comfortable than working 40 hours a week in an office.

Alicia's Birthday was last weekend. I'll let her tell you what we did (it's her birthday, afterall!), but I will show you these:

They were taken at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. It was very tranquil. Surprisingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon. It is a great escape from the city. High recommend!

Lastly, I wanted to show you what has made this semester great:

It's called the inSINKerator. It dispenses near-boiling water at the Graduate Center. I didn't even realize my school had this until three weeks ago. I've been using it every day to make fresh coffee without having to pay Manhattan prices (typically $2 a cup of coffee). I've even branched out and started trying different teas (which are super cheap if you buy loose leaf tea). Here's my setup:

The center is my new ceramic mug from Starbucks. On the right is my AeroPress, a portable espresso pump. I drink fresh espresso from the green mug, I drink tea and Starbucks' new instant coffee Via in the white and black mug, and I go back and forth between the two when I want an Americano (similar to coffee, basically watered down espresso). I've been super caffeinated, but paying practically nothing. Compare this to a year ago, when I'd average one $2.00 cup of coffee in the morning and one $4.00 fancy latte drink in the afternoon. Very sweet. If you ever have the option of purchasing one of these inSINKerators for your home or office, do it. Instantly.

That's about all I've got for now. I'm tweeting more, so keep an eye on the feed on the right side of my webpage. I've got a presentation to a Model Theory seminar on Friday, so back to work preparing my slide show.