Work / Life Balance

I enjoy writing software. I can literally go for hours writing code. However, there are other things in my life than just writing code (though sometimes, it does feel like I’m getting a coder’s high). These are more than just “hobbies”. To me, they are all interrelated parts of my way of life.

Bike Riding – I live 1.5 miles from the American River Parkway William B Pond Entrance. I love going for long bike rides, usually eastwards, towards Folsom Lake. Though, I’m always up for riding elsewhere…
Hiking – Living near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and near the California Coast, there lots of hiking trails of varying challenge and length that I like to hike.
Square Dancing – I dance weekly with two different clubs in the Associated Square Dancers of Superior California and some weekend dances.
Gardening – I LOVE spending time in my garden. These past few years with the strange microclimates in my yard have been educational in learning how to get plants to grow. My garden includes a variety of perennials, annuals, fruit trees (mostly citrus), veggies, herbs, and flowering bushes.
Cooking – I’ve cooked hundreds of different kinds of dishes, ranging from baked goods, main dishes, side dishes, veggies, desserts, breakfast foods, soups, salads, Italian, Indian, Thai, Latin American, and more… And I even have my own recipe books (yes, more than one) which I’ve put together. Some of my more commonly used sites to find recipes these days include Fat-Free Vegan, McDougall’s Recipes, and Plant Based on a Budget.
Whole Food Plant-Based Eater – When I met Coach Ruben, he changed my life (and borderline saved it). What does this really mean? I’ve met vegetarians who don’t eat vegetables and unhealthy vegans (Doritos are vegan). To me, it has nothing to do with the animals’ rights or the environment: I’m a whole health person. Yeah, if there is a trace of egg in the bread I won’t complain. And I may occasionally take part in refined starches, otherwise, I keep it… very low fat and whole foods.