Positives Wed Nov 30-Sun Dec 25, 2016

*Cleaned the house.

*Watched The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 and The Imitation Game.

*Purchased Tommy Hilfiger underwear and Macally car suction holder for my phone.

*Checked flashlight batteries, first-aid kit, and smoke detectors.

*Interviewed for a contract analyst position.

*Finished reading 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

*Ate at Rose Cafe & Donuts restaurant for the first time.

*Ate Tiny Toast Strawberry cereal for the first time.

*Merry Christmas.

Positives Mon Nov 7-Tue Nov 29, 2016

*I voted.

*Watched Raging Bull, American Gigolo, "10", and Fight Club.

*Finished reading All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

*Happy Thanksgiving!

*Black Friday purchases included The Wizard Of Oz DVD, pole caddy shower shelf, NERF Alpha Trooper CS-6 gun, Ryobi 40V cordless jet fan blower, and shower bare necessities.

Positives Mon Oct 17-Sun Nov 6, 2016

*Watched The Omega Man (1971), Shaun Of The Dead, The Right Stuff, and American Graffiti movies.

*Cleaned the house spot clean.

*Ate Artesano Bread for the first time.

*Updated my web page Innovate Infinitely.

*Rearranged parts of my room which included spot cleaning and dusting.

*Phone interviewed for a sales analyst job.

*Kickstarter Mimoodz light bulb and Luxor 2 flashlight arrived.

*Showered with Nivea Power Refresh 3 In 1 for the first time.

Positives Thur Sep 29-Sun Oct 16, 2016

*Repaired sunglasses mailing it to the company to install new temples.

*Purchased new Bosch Excel+ wiper blades at Pep Boys online website using a 30% off coupon and pickup at a store.

*Watched The Full Monty and Dawn Of The Dead (1978) movies.

*Watched San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium.

*Used my Clipper Card to ride light rail for the first time.

*Ate garlic tater tots for the first time.

*Mapped my hike using Map My Hike app for the first time. I hiked at Castle Rock. I hiked parts of Summit trail visiting Summit Rock for the first time.

*Kickstarter Joking Hazard Cyanide & Happiness card game arrived.

Positives Sat Sep 10-Wed Sep 28, 2016

*Watched Flight, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, and North by Northwest movies.

*Viewed Google Cardboard for the first time.

*Cleaned the house.

*Visited Zion National Park. Hiked The Narrows Bottom Up and The Subway Bottom Up. Also, camped at Quail Creek State Park in Hurricane, UT for the first time. Visited Virgin Hotel & Casino in Mesquite, NV for the first time.

*Finished reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed.

Positives Sat Aug 27-Fri Sep 9, 2016

*Finished reading Python Crash Course by Eric Matthes satisfactory.

*Poured fuel injection cleaner in my car.

*Purchased REI Passage 1 tent and Chaco Outcross Evo 2 water shoes.

*Watched White Men Can't Jump, The Lost Boys, and Airplane movies.

*Ate Milano Milk Chocolate cookies for the first time.

Positives Sun Jul 31-Fri Aug 26, 2016

*Cleaned the house.

*Ate at Los Gatos Cafe, Koja Kitchen, and Ike's Sandwiches restaurants for the first time.

*Shopped at Restaurant Depot for the first time.

*Watched Patriot Games, Rocky I, and The Big Lebowski movies.

*Ate Zapps potato chips, Mindland Harvest brown rice, and Kinder's BBQ sauce with garlic for the first time.

*Completed Codecademy HTML & CSS and Make A Website online courses satisfactory.

*Replaced my car's cabin air filter.

*Kickstarter project 911 Operator successfully funded.

*New gym workout one set with more reps on days I feel weak successful.

What Am I Feeling Today?

I'm tired. I'm tired being frustrated. I'm tired being second. I'm tired being this close to success at *fill in the blank*. I'm tired being just one away from *fill in the blank*. I'm tired being patient. I'm not tired failing; I'm tired being rejected.

Enough is enough. End the pattern today. End the pattern now.

Positives Wed Jul 6-Sat Jul 30, 2016

*Interviewed for a database coordinator job.

*Watched Mallrats, Reality Bites, Money Train, The Bourne Identity, and The Bourne Ultimatum.

*Ate at Kokyo Sushi Buffet and Korean Fusion BBQ restaurants for the first time.

*Completed Python course at Codecademy.

Positives Sun Jun 5-Tue Jul 5, 2016

*Finished reading The Linux Command Line by William Shotts, Jr. satisfactory and 1984 by George Orwell.

*Rearranged my room creating more free space. I discarded junk.

*Purchased a soap dish suction for the shower.

*Followed another beginning bodybuilding.com workout. It's my third workout plan.

*Ate Double Chocolate Milano for the first time.

*Watch repaired replacing a battery.

*Watched Dallas Buyers Club and We're The Millers.

*Played Mahjong (Riichi) outdoors for the first time.

*First aid training for CERT from the American Red Cross.

*Cleaned the house.

Random Self-Inspiration Optimism Statements

*Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish. Self-explanatory. Always get more of what you want--never settle. Have courage to make mistakes--intelligent mistakes.

*Still Young. I'm still young in life. I'm still a fresh person. I'm catching up what I missed when I was in my 20s. I'm catching up what I should have experienced when I was in my 20s. For instance, I drank wine and beer for the first time when I was 39 years old.

*I'm Not Starting Over. I continue moving forward finding time to catch up what I missed. I continue moving forward seeking new adventures and experiencing new experiences. I live the present moment today for a better future tomorrow. Both the present and the future complements each other.

*Single For Now. I believe the ultimate happiness is being in love. I'm looking for a woman who's still new in life. She's catching up like me. We have some uncertainly how to live. We are late bloomers. Sorry, no divorce women because I want someone marrying for the first time. (Ironically, my job searching almost all positions require experience.)

Positives Sat May 14-Sat Jun 4, 2016

*Cleaned the house.

*Phone interviewed for a Business Analyst II contract position.

*Watched Breaking Away, St. Elmo's Fire, and Guardians Of The Galaxy movies.

*Purchased new backpacking and hiking equipment: Mountainsmith Carbonlite Pro trekking poles, Kelty Redcloud 90 (2016) backpack, Camlelbak Fourteener 24, REI Half Dome 2 tent and footprint, and a bigger hat size 8 inch Tilley Airflo.

*Ate Cape Cod potato chips for the first time.

*Applied Epionce Lytic Tx cream to my face.

*Redesigned my webpage Innovate Infinitely.

Positives Mon Apr 11-Fri May 13, 2016

*Cleaned the house.

*Checked flashlights and smoke detector batteries, and first aid kit.

*Ate at Jersey Mike's Subs for the first time.

*Installed hooks in the shower for my bath sponge and back scrubber.

*Participated in a CERT neighborhood drill practice.

*Watched Million Dollar Arm, Fifty Shades Of Grey, Shutter Island, and The Mirror Has Two Faces movies.

*Completed CodeUpStart Python Flask building Punchstarter website course.

*Satisfied learning VBA Macros for Excel.

*Installed VirtualBox and Ubunta in my desktop.

Why Was April 2016 Sad?

It started on Fri Apr 15. Nothing went my way. I wasn't mad. I wasn't blaming others. I wasn't blaming myself. I was sad. Simply sad.

Share The Background For A Better Understanding

I have been unemployed since May 1, 2015. I have been job searching. There were four interviews. I lost count the number of phone interviews at 11. I have been learning new job skills and reviewing existing job skills. Some of the new job skills are Oracle, Tableau, and VBA Macros. Some of the existing job skills are Excel, SQL, and Salesforce. The last job interview was Nov 2015. I knew if I didn't get the job, the job search becomes harder. It has been harder each month with no employment which adds another month of unemployment on my resume.

I have been making sacrifices. I have almost no social life. I stopped hanging out with my closest friends. They were little help. I contributed almost nothing in our hangouts. The short answer is I grew out of them. We diverged in our interests, hobbies, and thoughts. I have new priorities. Maybe we meet up later in time. My limited social interactions are with three other friends we rarely hang out because they're busy with other priorities and a Mahjong (Riichi) group I meet once or twice a month.

My parents have been little help. They help me the easy way. I live in their house rent free as long as I contribute to the chores and cook meals. Ironically, many people like me consider my parents help easy and big. I admit living rent free is huge in Silicon Valley high cost of living. Moreover, my thinking goes deeper. My parents can help me find a job by communicating and networking with their friends. Unfortunately, my parents have no friends.

Every Fri Is A Sad Day

Yes. I wish I never reach Fri. Fri is the end of another work week without a job offer contract or full time. Fri is the end of another work week my hard work job searching and working on my job skills resulted in no interviews. Fri is the end of another work week I'm still at home. No independence. No spending time with friends. No spending time meeting new people and making new friends. No spending time experiencing new experiences. No spending time seeking new adventures. I'm lonely.

It's the waiting game at home for Sat and Sun. I want Mon now to continue job searching and learning new job skills. I spend either Sat or Sun job searching and learning new job skills

What Other Events Made Apr Sad?

My brother's family stayed over a week for their children's Spring Vacation. Nothing against my brother's family. They were a distraction. I went with them to a museum which was a distraction that worked a little bit.

No interviews. One phone interview. The position I phoned interview it seemed there was no hire. I saw the same position online two weeks later. It's a job frustration I experienced. I interviewed. Nobody was hired. Job opening went back on the market.

I experienced minor lower back pain during the last week of Apr. It resulted from lifting a heavy object incorrectly which was my fault. Lesson learned. Lift correctly or use a cart. Another lesson I learned was my treatment. I took Advil, applied ice, and applied Icy Hot. None worked. I should have rested on the day my back hurt. Thereafter, resume normal activities without going to the gym. I believe Advil, ice, Icy Hot, and lying down on my bed delayed my recovery. I stopped the treatment on Fri Apr 29. My back started to feel better on Sat Apr 30.

You're Not Alone

I know there are people in a similar situation as me. Similar age. Live at home. Lonely. Smart. Professional. Mature. Doing the best they can. Hoping for the best. No breaks. Bad luck. The people I know are not in my situation. That's why I'm lonely. Everyone else are working, going to school, or raising a family. They have reliable friends with commonality enjoying their company.

Apr Starts Future Apr Sad Months?

God, I hope not. Years ago Mar was a bad month for a good stretch of years. If I remember correctly, bad Mar months started in 2002. It stopped in 2009 or 2010.

Anything Happy Happened In Apr?

To repeat, the lessons learned during the last week of Apr regarding my minor lower back pain are remembered forever. Another happy moment was improving my Mahjong (Riichi) skills which included placing first in official games.

What Do You Want To Say To Yourself?

Don't give up. Move forward. I have nothing to lose. Keep learning. These are clique. These are to the point. Work hard intelligently. Hope for the best. One of these days good luck and favorable timing come to you.

There Are Four More Days To Fri

I'm not thinking about Fri. I'm thinking about the present day. Make the present day productive for my future independence. My future Fri happiness.

Do You Have Anything To Add?

For now, no. I said everything to the point. I was concise. I can self interview myself if I have more. Let's hope not. Let's hope the next self-interview is happy.

Positives Sun Mar 20-Sun Apr 10, 2016

*Purchased a new smart phone, 64GB microSD, and belt clip. I also purchased The Resistance: The Dystopian Universe.

*Watched Norma Rae, The Birds, and Avengers: Age Of Ultron movies.

*Ate at Capriotti's Sandwich Shop for the first time.

*Ate Oberto Beef Jerky, Mint Oreos, and Hershey Extra Creamy With Toffee & Almonds for the first time.

*Phone interviewed for a financial analyst position at a medical tech company.

*Visited The Tech Museum for the first time since 2009.

I'm Doing The Best I Can, Really II

Blogger's note: Today's blog is posted at both Innovating Common Knowledge and Finding Raymond Mar.

I'm still unemployed. I'm still living at home. My life is moving slowly. I'm doing the best I can. I really am. I job search two times a day six days a week. I work on my personal projects six days a week which are learning Python and VBA. I learn Python at CodeUpStart. The ten lessons I completed so far are poorly taught. I complete the class because I backed the class on Kickstarter. I learn VBA watching YouTube tutorials and reading books. There are days I cook meals for the household. My leisure activities are playing Mahjong (Riichi) and working out at the gym four or five days a week. Three hours a week are spent doing errands out of the house.

I eat three meals a day. I rarely eat at restaurants. I rarely watch television. I sleep eight hours a night. I groom myself to keep my appearance good. I take advantage of opportunities meeting new people. I listen to music, listen to sports on the radio, and listen to podcasts during some of my daily activities.

Independence Is Part Of My Current Manifesto

Some of the small accomplishments during my unemployment include reading books, losing ten pounds, upgrading my phone, and watching one movie on Sat nights. One book worth mentioning is Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. I do a good job controlling my spending. I minimize splurges.

Some of the big accomplishments during my unemployment include backpacking and camping for the first time in Utah, visiting Las Vegas for the first time since 2006, and writing my 1,000th blog. Another big accomplishment is my new feelings: sacrifice, nothing to lose attitude, going out of my comfort zone, willpower, and not giving up. I learn new job skills such as Oracle, Tableau, and forecasting. I review my existing skills Excel, PowerPoint, and SQL.

I work hard intelligently working my way to live independently. I'm stronger with the pains of rejection. I'm wiser with the mistakes I learn. My brain grows bigger with new knowledge. Each day is devoted to be a good productive day. I feel I'm close to find a job. I feel I'm close to move out. I feel I'm close to live a good life consistently. I feel I'm close to make more good choices. I feel I'm close to control more of my life. I feel I'm close to live a more proactive life. The easy life is gone. I'm responsible to earn my successes. I need a little luck. I need timing in my favor. The life flows with me. I'm an independent mature adult very soon.

Further, there is more working hard intelligently after I fulfill the independent mature adult manifesto. There are more people to meet. There are more adventures to seek. There are more experiences to experience. Never take life for granted. Never stop learning, training, and reviewing. I never stop innovating my life.

Side note: The first time I wrote I'm Doing The Best I Can, Really was on Oct 8, 2012. The two blogs are similar. The difference between the Oct 8, 2012 and Apr 6, 2016 is anime not disclosed in both blogs. I watched anime in 2012. I'm not watching anime today because I retired in Sep 2014.

Positives Thur Mar 10-Sat Mar 19, 2016

*Learned VBA Excel macros watching YouTube tutorials satisfactory.

*Purchased new Nike trainer shoes for the gym.

*Finished watching The X-Files six episode mini series.

*Won Starbucks $10 gift card and Target $10 gift card.

*Watched Poltergeist and Apocalypse Now movies.

*Ate Quaker 10g Protein almond cranberry oatmeal for the first time.

*Successfully backed Kickstarter Joking Hazard card game.

*Drank Clover milk for the first time.

*Finished reading Microsoft Excel Programming by Denise Etheridge satisfactory.

Positives Fri Feb 19-Wed Mar 9, 2016

*Attended a Red Cross Shelter training course.

*Watched Deadpool and The Shining movies.

*Ate at Kula Sushi for the first time.

*Informational interview for a Data Analyst position at a recruiting agency.

*Read Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

*Backed Build Kickstarter with Python and Bootstrap by CodeUp Start on Kickstarter.

*Cleaned the house.

Positives Mon Feb 1-Thur Feb 18, 2016

*Cleaned the house.

*Watched Casino as a rewatch and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.

*Super Bowl 50.

*Phone interviewed for a Customer Support Analyst and a Business Analyst positions.

*Attended a MBA tech network gathering.

*Happy Chinese New Year.

Positives Tue Jan 19-Sun Jan 31, 2016

*Watched Shaun The Sheep and Taxi Driver movies.

*Cooked dinner with Kinder's Organic Buttery Steakhouse Seasoning for the first time.

*Applied Loctite glue spray to repair my car's headliner.

*Ate at Men Bei restaurant for the first time.

*Worked out with J&D Sports Armband to listen to music on my phone.

*Finished Burn Notice Season 3.

Positives Thur Dec 31, 2015-Mon Jan 18, 2016

*Marathoned Burn Notice Season 3.

*Watched Where Does It Hurt and The Martian movies.

*Cleaned the house spot cleaning.

*Changed the oil in my car. I also applied fuel injection cleaner. Tires were rotated and balanced.

*Sold more useless goods on eBay.

*Reviewed PowerPoint job skills.

*Purchased Kamea Exfoliate foot cream.

*Treatment for bumps on my face at my dermatologist.

Was 2015 A Good Year?

I stopped writing my year in reviews because I don't want to jinx the next year. I choose to review 2015 because I want to ask myself, "Was 2015 a good year?" I believe many people say my 2015 was a bad year. I answer the question myself. There are no restrictions at Finding Raymond Mar blog. Let's see what happens to 2016.

Bad Year?

I worked at Palo Alto Networks as a contractor supporting an engineer. I hoped there were new openings in other departments or my contract was extended a longer term. Neither happened. There were no new openings. My contract was extended for two months. The company was phasing out all contractors.

My last day was Fri May 1, 2015. There were multiple sources why my contract was satisfied. One source was the department had no money to extend my contract. Another source was no need for my services. And a third source was, as mentioned in the last paragraph, the company phased out all contractors. In other words, the company employed full time workers only.

I have been job searching since Wed Apr 1, 2015. The first week of being unemployed was optimistic. Three phone interviews. No face-to-face interviews resulted. As of the blog entry, I interviewed face-to-face four times. I stopped counting phone interviews after number 11.

2015 was a bad year because I was unemployed. I had no income. Correct?

Incorrect. 2015 Was A Good Year.

2015 was not a bad year. 2015 was a good year. I learned lots of new job skills such as Oracle, Tableau, forecasting, and Agile. I reviewed lots of my existing job skills such as Excel, Access, Salesforce, and SQL. I trained to be a Community Emergency Response Team. I lost 10 pounds. I blogged my 1,000th blog at my Innovating Common Knowledge blog. I read at least ten books which included The Color Purple by Alice Walker, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, and various books learning new job skills. I upgraded my desktop computer.

The icing on the 2015 cake was new feelings and new emotions. There was sacrifice such as spending less time with my close friends. I grew out of my past relationships. I had the nothing to lose attitude. No more data entry positions. There were moments I lived outside my comfort zone. I backpacked 23 miles for two days at Zion National Park. I hung up on a persistent unhelpful recruiter. I never hung up abruptly and impolitely before. I experienced willpower and never give up when I hiked.

2015 was a good year. I did my best to get better. I stayed strong to survive the long term. I built my foundation. There were no monetary rewards. I'm optimistic what I did yesterday reaps any and all rewards tomorrow. The monetary rewards are coming soon. One of these days I look back at the hard work, the frustrations, the setbacks, the struggles, the new feelings, the new experiences, the lessons I learned of 2015 telling myself, "The journey was worth it." I continue to get better, get stronger, stay the course, do it today for tomorrow, and grow my foundation. Moreover, if the only 2015 lowlight was unemployment, then 2015 must be a good year.