50th Birthday Resolution

 

I just turned 50 this year under the Aquarius Astrological sign and a Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac.

My beautiful family is celebrating my 50th birthday, and there's no denying it; besides my laid-back job for the dollar and laid-back hobbies, I need to get in shape. Not only to look better in my suit but also for my health issues. I had already survived a stroke in 2016, and I thank God I made it to 50 with a slight limp in my walk. I'll write more about my health plan later. For now, let's focus on what I've been planning this year and beyond regarding the projects I am trying to prioritize.

I am testing my Canon Rebel T2i with a Sigma 10-20mm wide-angle lens. I've been into Photography since my late teens, although it's been an on-and-off hobby. I've taken a few decent pictures that still inspire me to continue today. Unfortunately, due to my other passions in music and storytelling, photography has remained a last hobby for me. I used to have a photography website, but I believe it was hacked, and I plan to cancel it regardless. Before my stroke, I did consider joining the photojournalism industry and doing glamour photography on the side, but I needed more time to build a portfolio or invest in Photoshop, etc. Unfortunately, it seems there was some misunderstanding by some unknown parties in between. Regardless, my photography remains on Flickr.

I changed the autofocus (AF) setting to center, ensuring the focal point is centered and not focusing on the nearest object or being scattered all over. I plan to visit a museum in San Francisco and take a few landscape shots of the building with its fascinating architecture, which would suit wide-angle shots well. It's amazing what mobile phones can capture for landscapes, but using a DSLR is a whole different experience.

For standard daylight like this, I'll set it to 100 ISO and a shutter speed of 1/100. In all the tests I conducted outdoors with lighting similar to this, those settings produced great results. Just increase the shutter speed if there's action. Yes, this blog also serves as my quick reminder.

Set at 3200 ISO and 1/40 shutter speed, using the same Sigma 10-20mm lens indoors really requires a steady hand and a tripod for long exposure. With the right adjustments in Photomatix or Lightroom, the image can come out like a painting. Especially with my Canon D20, which is old, and with some additional lighting, the image turns out amazing. Fortunately, I purchased the D20 when it was more affordable. Now, it's over a grand if new, but used ones are cheaper - under 100 bucks. I recommend considering a used D20. Set up a background and lighting, and place a basket of fruits on a table for a great shot. I have to make an excuse for this one: time is the issue.

From the backyard with low lighting, as I mentioned, setting it to 100 ISO and a shutter speed of 1/100 works well as the standard, capturing that tint of darkness effectively. Unlike in mobile point-and-shoot cameras, where it automatically brightens up darkness, mobile editing can fix that regardless. Setting the autofocus (AF) point to the center also works well for this capture, which is the light bulb as the center.

I recommend avoiding reliance on the built-in flash of your DSLR cameras. Instead, I suggest using a detachable flash with light control, allowing you to tilt the flash where needed. This is the second bar of 8 on my affordable flash, the TT560 Speedlite by Neewer, made in China. Using a flash with the DSLR indoors captures wonderfully, especially at parties, clubs, or other events in low-light settings. It adds a certain vibe to the photos. Moreover, it captures great detail, making dust and dirt visible. For this, I typically set the ISO to 100 and use a shutter speed of 1/100, which is the standard for outdoor. If you want to capture a bit of movement, you can adjust the shutter speed accordingly until you achieve the desired motion blur or action stills. Additionally, flash control, instead of ISO settings, allows your images to come out phenomenally.

The other day, a group of kids of Hispanic descent passed by. One young lady yelled out from the street, "Hey! Why did you cut your long hair?" It caught my attention, and I turned to see if I recognized them. Instead, they turned their heads away. Then I figured out why they did that. I just concluded that it was worth responding back with the F word, which was the only way to release that frustration that day.

Well, there are three reasons why I cut my long hair this year:

1. I promised myself to have regular hair at 50, especially with an aging hairline, which is typical for my age.
2. It was thinning, and it naturally turned into dreadlocks from not combing it.
3. It could be my diabetes, but my scalp itches a lot when I don't use coconut oil mixed with vinegar, which stinks up my beanie.

I think that's it. The last thing, my dreads, served as my antenna to the spiritual realm to gather wisdom. As for now, I've gathered enough.

I'll leave the eyebrows from here to start re-growing my hair, including a goatee. Again, I'll keep my haircut short, with defined hairlines. I might even visit a barber, something I haven't done since my twenties. After I shaved off my long hair in my early twenties, I typically kept my head shaven. It was only when I reached my late 40s that I decided to see if I could still grow it long again.

I hope taking Ozempic won't sag my double chin any worse. Well, YouTube gurus say it will tighten up eventually. And some say to use jaw exercises.

It's not bad. I missed having a shaved head with awe. And scalp itch lessens a bit. A selfie with my shaven head getting ready for work with the turtle neck against the cold out there.

Here's my latest selfie at work, sporting a beard and my dreads tied up inside a beanie before shaving.

Well, this will also allow me to have a second job as a security guard with no hairs obstacle. Monthly pay is getting ridiculously high these days. I need an extra income as I try to climb the ladder a little higher with my passionate hobbies. Making a name for myself, that sort of thing.

It's been a while since I've considered Ozempic due to its price, but my diabetes doctor insists that taking this medication will help me control my diabetes and even lose weight. The cost has been an obstacle, even with my insurance, which offered a significantly lower rate compared to the price tag without insurance. Fortunately, I had enough savings to give it a try. So, in terms of health issues, the goal is to maintain the weight loss by continuing to work out, even if I stop using Ozempic, assuming it works. Perhaps joining an affordable gym will aid in achieving the desired weight loss. Taking Ozempic will involve dealing with potential side effects like abdominal pains, nausea, and diarrhea, but I am determined to lose this much weight.

Dieting also plays a significant role in both losing weight and maintaining it. I have to be cautious with certain vegetable and fruit intake due to their sugar content. Personally, I don't mind relying on oatmeal; it tastes great to me and is also beneficial for my heart and arteries.

I'll be eating less rice when consuming fish. I eat a lot of fish in general, but I also eat a lot of rice; it's just the best with soy sauce and fish sauce - especially with my ethnicity as a pacific asian with a mix of Latin, perhaps Mediterranean. Anyhow, I love fish. So, that is a good start. Maybe other fillers from the fruits and vegetable group, instead of grains like rice, will be beneficial if eaten with fish. The goal here is to buy several fish, grill them or fry them with olive oil, and leave them inside the freezer for the weekly meal; simply use the microwave when consuming them.

Recently, I signed up as a reviewer on Google Maps. I attempted to use Yelp, but encountered issues with my reviews being deleted and my images disappearing. It seems to be a common problem with Yelp, although I'm not entirely sure why. It could be related to the same individuals who have hacked me before, but I can't say for certain. Despite this uncertainty, I see this as an opportunity to explore various restaurants and hone my writing skills through reviews. Nevertheless, I'll only do this occasionally, unlike my initial plan of doing it every week on my days off. I'm interested in exploring not only restaurants but also museums and other attractions around the bay area. If I happen to join a group of photographers during these outings, it could lead to even more fascinating experiences. Additionally, this endeavor will allow me to improve both my photography and writing skills.

I'm currently on Chapter 25 of my manuscript for "PESTILENT," and there are just three more chapters to go before I complete my first Zombie Apocalypse story. My goal is to pursue traditional publishing for this project. To ensure its success, I plan to invest in professional editing services and enlist high-rated beta readers to provide feedback. I understand the importance of presenting a polished manuscript to potential publishers. As a security guard, my budget is limited, but I'm committed to investing resources to make my book the best it can be.

Previously, I had planned to produce albums in different genres this year, including therapy-type Jazz music similar to Andre 3000's New Blue Sun album of 2023. Now I am not so sure if it would be possible to accomplish that by creating separate albums, especially considering the time I need to dedicate to the gym due to my health. Therefore, I have decided that whatever sounds good to my ear will make the process easier, so I will focus on creating just one album, lol. The tracks I produce will initially be uploaded to SoundCloud before being sent to DistroKid for further distribution on Apple and Spotify. Additionally, I have this crazy idea of purchasing a dual set to practice for a label. Competitions, even those from unrelated genres, can also be overwhelming, but why not try signing with one of the millions of labels out there.

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