Operation Nova Aquila Update 1

For those who don’t know, that is what I have decided to name my time here in Australia. My first month having been here complete, I figure it’s time for an update.

Objective 1 (Lose weight): has been going slow, but is in fact going. I’m still hovering just below 45 inches, which is bad in the sense that I’m not losing at the speed that I first was, but good in the sense that despite slacking over the holidays, I have not reversed.

Objective 2 (Find job): My handler, Michael the Orange guy, has been (ironically) on the Central Coast with his wife. We are also going on a family road trip for a week starting this Sunday, so starting an actual job during holidays with a need to request time off, not such a great plan.

Objective 3 (Get Ripped like Jesus): well, that kinda follows Objective 1’s completion… so… ya…
But I will defend it right now, since so many other people are like, “Ripped like Jesus?” Ya! That’s right! You see… Joshua of Nazareth was a carpenter. Without power tools mind you. PLUS he walked… like a LOT. So, he must have been in shape, and those crucifixes with anorexic Jesus pisses me off.

Objective 4 (Save Money): Well just like O3 is related to O1, so O4 is to O2. But, I will say this, I’m not buying anything I shouldn’t be.

Objective 5 (House Makeover):
Edward 3 – Trees 0
Ya… That’s right. The Battle of the Back Yard has begun. Paul is making excellent progress in the Battle against the Shipping Containers. Objective 5 seems to be on course. The boys are getting use to a duty roster that I have implemented. We’ve all slacked at least once (including me) but… we’re trying. We are in a joint effort to keep to it (whether one Gemini likes it or not). Although, a few days ago, while helping Paul, he thought it would be really funny to drop a really heavy piece of sharp metal on my foot,
“And it was!” -Paul

Objective 6 (Quit Pepsico Addiction): WOW… talk about hard to do. I honestly did not realize I had such a dependency on it. I’m getting like headaches after a few hours without any. 4 days a week, I am allowed 2, and 3 days a week I’m allowed 3. The program is basically, I started with 3 a day, and beginning on Monday I’ve taken away one Pepsi a day, so in another 3 weeks, I will be down to just 2 a day. But I’m not going to lie… it is extremely hard. It is getting harder and harder. I’ve actually been labeling the cans (ex. Thursday #2) to make it harder to lie and cheat.

Objective 7 (Learn new life lessons): This whole being an only child living with brothers… well, I’ve always known about my problems with pride, arrogance, ego, and being a dick… but… I’ve kinda learned something new…

I’m a bit of a narcissist.

Some of you may be thinking to yourself, “no shit Sherlock”. But hey, come on now, admitting my own problems is a big step for me. Oh, and yes mother… according to Freud it is all your fault… but don’t worry, there are a heap of other German’s who say it’s my own, and a whole bunch of others that say it’s society’s, so, don’t be hard on yourself.


This update of the first full month of Operation Nova Aquila having been finished… I leave you with the closing of my hero’s first Inaugural address:

“The crisis we are facing today does not require
of us the kind of sacrifice that Martin Treptow
and so many thousands of others were called upon
to make. It does require, however, our best effort,
and our willingness to believe in ourselves and
to believe in our capacity to perform great deeds;
to believe that together, with God's help, we can
and will resolve the problems which now confront us.

And, after all, why shouldn't we believe that?
We are Americans.
God bless you, and thank you.”