New-ish Ranger-to-Be, making a formal introduction

[ytterbium]

So, I've been doing this challenge for 5 weeks, but I never actually introduced myself. I often seem to do things in atypical order, so I guess I'm sort of comfortable with that.

 

I'm ytterbium, after my favorite element, or Greg, after my name. I live in Chicago and I'm a periodically disgruntled and periodically gruntled writer. I've always been big (over 13 pounds at birth!). A few years ago I got up to 330 pounds, thanks in part to some pretty bad stuff in work and life. Things are better today: I joined a gym that's oriented around group exercise classes, which is an approach that has really worked for me. I dropped about 60 pounds, but then sort of plateaued. So I'm hoping to use NF to get off that plateau, physically. So far, things have gone well.

 

While I'm working to get my physical body in shape, I'm also working to get my career in shape. On the way up side, I published my first book this year. And to do so, I quit a long-term job that, in retrospect, was really bad for me. I've gotten another job, which is better in many ways, but also not something I foresee doing in the long term. So I've got some weirdly split efforts: working to find a job that is closer to the dream job (In another move that turned out well, I've been volunteering at a local nature museum for the past few years, and I'd like to get a communications position in a similar organization as my actual job), and working on the next book to supplement the day job (and ultimately supplant it).

 

So far things have gone well with my NF experience, and I'm hoping that it can help me get over the hump.

 

So... Hi.

 

(I'm awkward sometimes too.)

 

[citizenkade]

Belated welcome! 5 weeks in is an awesome investment! Good to meet you!

[mevre]

hurrah for the ranger guild!

wow, that book looks legit. i am impressed. did you self publish it? i'm guessing not since it looks pretty fancy... [i majored in English Lit and work closely with books, so i'm always curious.   ]

good to have ya on team NF! i hope it keeps working for you, and i hope you keep moving swiftly forward!

[ytterbium]

mevre: It's not self-published. I published it through Huron Street Press, which is an imprint of the American Library Association, where I used to work. So I was aided by some inside connections.

[Guest]

I've seen you floating around the forums, glad to see your intro Awesome name by the way. There's a special place in my heart for the lanthanaides. Though my favorite element would have to be caesium. Since it's so horrendously pyrophoric, and such a pretty blue emission spectrum.

Uh...anyway, coming back from that tangent.

Hi! It looks like you've made great steps toward levelling up your life Good luck to you!

Don't worry. You're not the only awkward one here...