What I do while my wife studies for her exams

I could do more productive things, but that's what work is for, right? So here are a few things that have been helping me unwind lately.

National Geographic

I have a subscription. My grandpa had a subscription, and I've always been fascinated by the golden rectangle. The problem is they don't come often enough-- only once a month. It doesn't even take a couple nights to get through. If you can limit yourself to one article a night, you can stretch it out. Sometimes I skip articles though. Philippine eagles just don't capture my attention. Maybe I'll go back and read it some day.

Zeta Gundam

I pretty much love anything Gundam.

Tape Op

My other subscription. This one is actually free. If you're into recording, this publication is indispensable.

Flight of the Conchords

My sister got me the first season for my birthday, so I felt obligated to watch it. It was kinda funny actually. It's the Kiwi version of Tenacious D back when they were on HBO.

Extras

I bought season one and two as a gift for my family's Dirty Santa gift exchange. My poor grandma picked it. I could tell she wasn't pleased for some reason. She was stuck with it for a while until Michelle swooped in to save her. So I got to watch season two, which I hadn't seen yet. There are only six episodes though, so it's not enough to cover months of lonely nights unless you watch it over and over again.

Casio PX-200 Digital Piano

I picked up one of these for my birthday. Lately I've been teaching myself Satie's Three Gymnopedies. Not being a pianist, prior to this, the only thing I could really play on the piano was "Hey Jude". I figured the Gymnopedies would be good pieces to work on for someone who doesn't really play before I start diving into some crazy Chopin preludes.

Netvibes

I keep all my RSS feeds organized on Netvibes. I can go deep, or I can graze depending on my mood.

The Daily Show and The Colbert Report

I get my national and world news and laugh a little at the same time-- what a combo.

Blade Runner

I got the four-disc set for Xmas. As to be expected, it's loaded with making-of documentary footage to help you literally pick up the craft of film making.

Books

I've actually had time to finish the book my buddy at work lent me like a year ago. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon is an epic story of two Jewish cousins in WWII New York who take on the Nazis through their popular superhero comic, The Escapist. As a work of fiction, it's meticulously researched and feels more like a true stylized biography of these characters as they interact with real people and events of the time. It was little too tidy and straight-forward for me, but I was still able to enjoy many sections.

So that's what I've been up to. Now you can go off and be me. I'll try to be more exciting for the next time.