Re: Hristo's FI Journal
Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2023 2:44 pm
A ~short update.
1. Weight Training: I have continued to train consistently and have not missed a single day of training since starting this current run with a 4-day split at the end of January. So, over 5 months of consistent training. The last time I trained this consistently (not counting high school sports) was after college while waiting to start up with the Peace Corps. That was also about a 5-month run during which I was running consistently and had a pretty strict diet, and during that time I lost over 50 lbs--from 225 at my heaviest to a little over 170. I am definitely getting stronger, though my strength goals are still very far away. But I am still hitting PRs across all 4 of the lifts on a weekly basis. And I am also becoming more informed as to programming, such that when I start to stall out on my lifts I think I know how to make minor adjustments in a way that doesn't mean scrapping the whole program and starting something completely different. My body is also changing noticeably; to the point that folks who I haven't seen in awhile are regularly commenting on me looking different. Relatedly, DW got me a pair of adjustable dumbbells for father's day and I have started working some more hypertrophic focused dumbbell accessory work at the end of my barbell training on upper body days; though I am still doing chins and dips--both of which I find to be fantastic exercises to do during work breaks (I try and do 90 minutes of work followed by a short 10-15 minute break, during which I will usually walk over to the garage and knock out some chin ups and dips).
2. Work: With the move I am taking another bar exam, which really hasn't been the worst thing in the world. I'm happy to see that my ~15 years of experience as a lawyer means that I don't really need to focus much time studying for certain tested topics (e.g., civil procedure, evidence, contracts). And I don't terribly mind having an opportunity to (re)learn some topics that I've mostly forgotten (e.g., torts, criminal law and procedure, wills/trusts, constitutional law, property, etc.). Technically I don't have to take the bar here, as the state's unauthorized practice of law rules don't consider remote work to be a problem--and my practice is definitely remote. That said, my law partners would like me to be licensed here (and they are paying for me to study and take the exam), and I would also like to build up a local practice where I live in addition to my more national practice. It's also been good I think for my kids to see me having to study for a big exam, like I'm in my early 20s again or something.
3. Books: With the bar study I have had to hit pause on my great books course of reading; as the 5:30-7am window of time I'd been using to read now has to be focused on trying to knock out 5-6 hours of billable work in the morning before lunch so that I will have a few hours in the afternoon to devote to studying for the bar. I've missed it greatly, and I am very much looking forward to getting back into dialogue with Plato et al.
4. Money Stuff: Nothing really to report here. As always we could do better and are prone to get rather spendy; but it's not something I worry about too much because so many categories of spending that had been thorns in our side before we moved are simply non-existent or else greatly reduced here. Also, we continue to automate savings such that there is only so much money in the checking account that we can actually get spendy with. I know we have some really big expenditures coming our way--as DW wants to add on a bedroom to the house and also take a big family trip to Europe. I'm dragging my feet on both of those things as much as I can, because that is all that I can do, but I know that eventually we'll be engaging our architect friend to draw up plans and also reaching out to travel agents. So be it.
1. Weight Training: I have continued to train consistently and have not missed a single day of training since starting this current run with a 4-day split at the end of January. So, over 5 months of consistent training. The last time I trained this consistently (not counting high school sports) was after college while waiting to start up with the Peace Corps. That was also about a 5-month run during which I was running consistently and had a pretty strict diet, and during that time I lost over 50 lbs--from 225 at my heaviest to a little over 170. I am definitely getting stronger, though my strength goals are still very far away. But I am still hitting PRs across all 4 of the lifts on a weekly basis. And I am also becoming more informed as to programming, such that when I start to stall out on my lifts I think I know how to make minor adjustments in a way that doesn't mean scrapping the whole program and starting something completely different. My body is also changing noticeably; to the point that folks who I haven't seen in awhile are regularly commenting on me looking different. Relatedly, DW got me a pair of adjustable dumbbells for father's day and I have started working some more hypertrophic focused dumbbell accessory work at the end of my barbell training on upper body days; though I am still doing chins and dips--both of which I find to be fantastic exercises to do during work breaks (I try and do 90 minutes of work followed by a short 10-15 minute break, during which I will usually walk over to the garage and knock out some chin ups and dips).
2. Work: With the move I am taking another bar exam, which really hasn't been the worst thing in the world. I'm happy to see that my ~15 years of experience as a lawyer means that I don't really need to focus much time studying for certain tested topics (e.g., civil procedure, evidence, contracts). And I don't terribly mind having an opportunity to (re)learn some topics that I've mostly forgotten (e.g., torts, criminal law and procedure, wills/trusts, constitutional law, property, etc.). Technically I don't have to take the bar here, as the state's unauthorized practice of law rules don't consider remote work to be a problem--and my practice is definitely remote. That said, my law partners would like me to be licensed here (and they are paying for me to study and take the exam), and I would also like to build up a local practice where I live in addition to my more national practice. It's also been good I think for my kids to see me having to study for a big exam, like I'm in my early 20s again or something.
3. Books: With the bar study I have had to hit pause on my great books course of reading; as the 5:30-7am window of time I'd been using to read now has to be focused on trying to knock out 5-6 hours of billable work in the morning before lunch so that I will have a few hours in the afternoon to devote to studying for the bar. I've missed it greatly, and I am very much looking forward to getting back into dialogue with Plato et al.
4. Money Stuff: Nothing really to report here. As always we could do better and are prone to get rather spendy; but it's not something I worry about too much because so many categories of spending that had been thorns in our side before we moved are simply non-existent or else greatly reduced here. Also, we continue to automate savings such that there is only so much money in the checking account that we can actually get spendy with. I know we have some really big expenditures coming our way--as DW wants to add on a bedroom to the house and also take a big family trip to Europe. I'm dragging my feet on both of those things as much as I can, because that is all that I can do, but I know that eventually we'll be engaging our architect friend to draw up plans and also reaching out to travel agents. So be it.