Five Cool Things - Cody's Turn

We’re back again for another entry in the ‘Five Cool Things’ series, this time it’s me, ya boi, Cody Eastlick running you through five cool things I’m enjoying right now! Let’s cut the preamble and get right to it!

Magic: the Gathering

This past year has a big one for me in rekindling old hobby passions. Some might call it regressing, I think of it more as finally getting to have the funds to truly explore the hobbies I couldn’t afford when I was a young buck. One of those hobbies? Magic: the Gathering.  

Created by Richard Garfield back in the early 90s and published by Wizards of the Coast, Magic: the Gathering (or MtG for short) is a collectible card game in which players build decks of spells and monsters, creatures and enchantments and use those decks to pummel each other. The game features a few things I love: magic, fantasy, and incredible art.I started getting the itch again when the recent set of Norse-inspired cards came out and since then I’ve been playing a few games using the Arena app every morning before work. The newest expansion or set is called Strixhaven: School of Mages and it just came out this week, and I can’t wait to crack open a few packs, see what this magical school setting has to offer!

Legalized Recreational Marijuana (Blaze It Baby)

And yes, today is the day - 4/20. This last election almost two million Arizona residents voted to pass Prop 207 and the necessary departments got right to work. On January 22nd, Arizonans, over 21 years old, were able to purchase marijuana legally for recreational purchase and use.Legalizing marijuana is just the first step in a long journey for Arizona to find better ground in its approach to drug and substance abuse. This journey is a long time coming in America and I just think it’s cool progress is being made!Also, yeah it’s 4/20 today so if you’re out there in Arizona and over 21, blaze it legally my dudes!

@SearchLiasion on Twitter

Just an absolutely clutch follow if you are in the SEO game! @SearchLiasion is Google Search Liaison, home of “Official tweets from Google's public liaison of search, @dannysullivan, sharing insights on how Google search works.”  They tweet out when there have been algorithm updates, blogs on new features being implemented and how they may affect sites, and more. As is often the case with Google, they rarely give you the exact specifics of their process or methodology. This makes the increased info incredibly useful for SEOs like us at Helix House. We can use it to diagnose problems when they occur, and, better yet, prevent them from happening in the first place! It often feels more like alchemy than true science but with @SearchLiasion we have a good bit more data and instruction to leverage.

A Good Old-Fashioned

Cocktails are an absolute delight and when they’re done well it really elevates the drink. I’ve been acquiring tools to make them myself and bar books to learn a few recipes. I’ve committed to starting with the Old Fashioned.This whiskey-based cocktail has been a classic since the 1800s (was it called an ‘Old’ Fashioned even then? It begs the question…) Anyways an Old Fashioned is simple enough, you place a sugar cube in a glass, saturate it with the bitters, add a dash or two of water and stir it together. Then fill the glass with ice and add whiskey, garnishing with an orange slice and cocktail cherry if you’re feeling fancy. Rarely do I feel fancy.For my purposes, I’ve used simple syrup instead of muddling the sugar cube step and that seems to be a fine substitution. It’s a simple enough drink to mix together and after a few dozen more maybe I’ll move on to something else.

Weight Training

Everyone has been scrambling to find their home workouts of choice over the last year and I am no exception. I tried out a few myself, starting with the Centr Fit app. It was intense. Real HIIT stuff that I don’t think my body was prepared for. I lost a decent amount of weight, about 20 pounds, but it was tough to keep up with six workouts a week for six weeks but shortly after I finished the first round and started the second I injured my back.In an effort to strengthen my back and put some muscle on, I picked up weight training as well. Doing a variation of the Greyskull LP (lifting plan) I’ve been lifting three times a week and putting up higher and higher numbers. I’ve been lucky to already own a decent setup at home including a bench and some squat stands making it easier than ever to just step outside and crush out the workout. With the start of the new year, I made a resolution to hit a bench of 100 lbs. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but more than I think I’ve ever lifted before. The beauty of it? To get there I’d have to stay regular and build the habit of working out I’ve been missing my whole dang life. Yesterday I benched 92.5 lbs. 100 is within sight and I know I’ll keep on lifting past that! Weight training has been a great way to work out, blow off stress, and feel good. Alright, Nate you happy? Are these five things cool enough for you? Listen I gotta get to work on other stuff!