General – Charles Stricklin's Personal Blog

So I’m retired

I started receiving partial Social Security benefits (such a strange word for money being given back to me after paying into the system for 40+ years) last month and I must say that it has eased my financial concerned immensely.

I’m also getting out and earning more money driving for Uber (almost) exclusively. I think I’ll have to be careful not to earn more than $21,240/year lest I lose my partial benefits until I turn 67 when I’ll receive the full amount, anyway. $21,240/year translates to $408/week, and I can earn that doing Uber in my sleep. I am set to receive $1,184/month which equates to $14,208/year. I’m told that those earnings are taxable as income, which I don’t fully understand because I’ve already been taxed as income when I originally had taxes withheld on my gross income at the time, didn’t I? Now I have to pay income tax on top on income tax? I’m so confused.

So, $408/week is all I’m allowed to make with Uber which translates to about $100 for 4 days/week.

Bottom line is: I’m thinking that, although I’m now on a “fixed income,” I should be able to breathe more easily until I die, which I keep thinking is sooner rather than later.

An update

I haven’t updated my blog in quite some time. My bad. Matt Mullenweg said at a WordCamp many years ago about how microblogging platforms like Facebook and Twitter might diminish regular personal blogs. I think there’s some truth to that.

I rarely post on the leftist echo chamber that Twitter has become. Still, I do post quite a lot on Facebook, even though I keep my religious and political views relegated to a private group of somewhat like-minded people. They may not always agree with me but at least they acknowledge my rights to believe and speak them without calling me any of the “-ist” pejoratives.

Anyway, that’s why I haven’t been posting to my own blog. That, and potential employer’s HR departments now read people’s Facebook and blogs, lest I be passed over for a job that I want because of something innocuous that I said 7 years ago or something. As I’ve sort of semi-retired now it’s less of a problem, but it’s still a problem.

For example, I’ve recently applied for a Help Desk position at UTSA. That’s the University of Texas at San Antonio for you non-San Antonians. I’ll be disappointed if I don’t get it, of course, but if that happens I’ll just keep paying the bills with Uber and Social Security.

That’s another thing in my life these days: I’m receiving partial Social Security benefits. I’m 62 now, but I applied for early benefits and I have to say, getting back what I paid to our bloated federal government is quite helpful on the pocketbook. If I get the UTSA or pretty much any other job it’ll put me over the $19,000/year threshold and I won’t get any more benefits until I’m either 67 or go back to making less than the maximum allowed again, but if I do get such a position, my annual income won’t need it. It’s kind of a nice cushion.

Of course, I still fear we’re headed toward a worse recession than we’re in right now, or maybe even a depression. I’m not worried about it because there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it except being as frugal as reasonable and, when the opportunity allows, stuff income away in gold or Bitcoin or both. Health-wise I’ll be screwed, especially if the VA or the USPS goes down, but if either of those happens, we’ll all be screwed, not just me.

I try to remember a phrase that has helped me tremendously when I suffer from my major depression: “None of this takes God by surprise.”

My take is everything collapses and a New World Order is instituted to recover from it, either way, I’ll see Christ’s face sooner rather than later. Either He’ll come again, or I’ll die (probably in opposition) and see Him that way. It’ll be good to see Mom & Dad, Mimi & Paw Paw again, plus I’ll get to hang out with the Apostle Paul, and Peter… heck all of the Apostles. It’ll be epic!

I’ve got nothing else major to share: My body’s starting to hurt in places where it didn’t hurt before, some equipment doesn’t work anymore (just your imagination on that,) Sharon is encouraging me to find a less expensive first-floor apartment here or elsewhere and I think I agree with her. I bought a dashcam to mount on the car’s dash because it better ensures my personal safety and might even lower my car insurance, I’ve ordered a replacement logic board for my mid-2012 MacBook Pro and as long as I don’t botch the replacement I’m fairly certain that it’ll fix the problem where it shuts off at random and sometimes doesn’t even start up. I’ve been making these 10-hour-long videos of ambient noise (cat purring, air conditioner, gentle rain, light ocean waves, etc.) and posting them on YouTube because people use stuff like that to fall asleep and I hope to be able to create a passive income stream by monetizing them, but that’s a long way off. I keep talking about working on the Texas history podcast but never seem to find the time and the energy at the same time.

That’s about it. I’ll try not to be a stranger in the future.

As The Ruin Falls – God never promised us freedom from pain

I periodically have to remind myself of something:

God may not always have my best interests at heart.

At least not as I understand them.

He never promised me joy. He never promised me freedom from loneliness. He never promised me a life with purpose and meaning. He won’t even promise me my next heartbeat or thought.

The same can be said of you. Show me anywhere in the Bible where God promises us the high life, and don’t use Jeremiah 29 11 as a relevant scripture because that promise wasn’t made to each of us individually… back up and read Jeremiah 29 4 first, This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon … So Jeremiah 29:11 was a promise specifically to the Jewish people who were brought out of bondage from Egypt during the Exodus, not you and I.

But back to my premise: God never promised us a pleasant, Earthly life. And to Christ-followers, He promised the exact opposite. Because of the Fall, we all live in a world of disease and pain, but to the Christ-follower things are even worse,

“Remember what I told you: A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. John 15:20 (Partial) NIV)

Before you accuse me of being all negative and dour, please note that God did promise to be with us throughout the suffering, so there is some hope.

But my point is that God doesn’t say He’ll shield us from the worst The Enemy brings to Earth. He just says He’ll get us through the trials and suffering.

A quote attributed to Mother Teresa of Calcutta goes, I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much. That is pithy and funny, but not accurate. God also never said He would never give you more than what you could handle. He did say

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1st Corinthians 10:13 NIV

I believe He does allow temptation that may only be endured when we lean on Him for strength because if we attempted to face down the temptation on our own strength, we’d fail. Every. Single. Time.

The reason I’m dwelling on these thoughts tonight is that I’ve come to believe that I’m addicted to abusing the worst addiction man can face: Food.

Why is food the worst addiction known to man? Mankind doesn’t require (unnecessary & abused) drugs to survive. We don’t require gambling to survive. We don’t require porn to survive. We don’t even require sex to survive. But just try going more than a couple of days without food and you’ll begin to see that food is as necessary to survive as air.

Ultimately an addiction of any kind is a coping mechanism to avoid or dull pain. Pain is a byproduct of suffering. And humans will always suffer because of the introduction of sin.

One of my favorite authors is C.S. Lewis, and one of my favorite Lewis writings is a poem about suffering titled, ‘As The Ruin Falls.’ There’s debate about what the author meant or even whom it was addressed to, but I believe it was meant to be addressed as a prayer to God:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvOrVv19sJk

All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.
I never had a selfless thought since I was born.
I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through:
I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.

Peace, re-assurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,
I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin:
I talk of love –a scholar’s parrot may talk Greek–
But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin.
Only that now you have taught me (but how late) my lack.
I see the chasm. And everything you are was making
My heart into a bridge by which I might get back
From exile, and grow man. And now the bridge is breaking.

For this I bless you as the ruin falls. The pains
You give me are more precious than all other gains.

I won’t pretend to understand all of the poem, but this is what I take from it:

1. It is my nature to always think of myself and my well-being above all others, including my loved ones, and yes, even God.

2. It is also my nature to want to be comfortable and enjoy life.

3. I talk about what love is and how I want to be loved, but I don’t really know what love is because I can’t think of others first and I avoid pain and suffering.

4. The only way to know love is to be willing to risk loss and self-sacrifice, and as long as I put myself before everyone else I’ll never really understand love.

5. The only way to grow is to risk something knowing full well the cost of growth is almost always pain and vulnerability.

The author closes with the realization that God allowing suffering in his life ultimately serves to inform him of the importance of suffering as a catalyst for self-realization and learning.

Another maxim that I feel I have to remind myself of often is that a 100% struggle-free, suffering-free life would be extremely boring because it’d not only be monotonous but there’d be no growth because there’s be no challenges. So my goal is not to give in to temptation or give up when faced with problems, but instead to ask God for help in all things and see problems for what they are: Opportunities for growth.

Countries Where I’ve Traveled

My list of preferred Austin restaurants

A friend has family visiting Austin next month, and has asked me to provide a list of area restaurants that I prefer, so here goes!
I’ll try to include primarily locally owned restaurants, although a few are national or regional chains, albeit with local roots. I’ll also try to include only those restaurants where I’ve actually eaten, although there may be a couple that are still on my to-do list.

Franklin Barbeque – Without question my number one choice. And it’s “Franklin Barbeque”, not “Franklin’s Barbeque”. Listed by Bon Appétit Magazine as one of the world’s most important restaurants, it opens each day, except Mondays, at 11:00am, and by noon they’re sold out. Lines begin forming at about 8:30am, and can sometimes go around the block. Don’t worry, though, about an hour before they open, an employee begins walking back through the line and learns what you plan to order, (Hint: Say, “A little of everything”), and they can also bring out a cold beer or two to help bide the time. It’s not a bad idea to bring lawn chairs, though. Trust me, any standing around and waiting is well worth it!
Frank – Again, just “Frank”, not “Frank’s”. (What is it with Austin and possessive nouns?!) Purveyors of artisan hot dogs and cold beer, with the occasional live music thrown in. Parking downtown is horrendous, though.
Annie’s Café and Bar – I don’t know how trendy or historic this nice little restaurant downtown is, I only know I stumbled upon it one night waiting to enjoy jazz at the nearby Elephant Room. Very nice atmosphere and food.
Threadgill’s – 24 hour Southern comfort food. Go to the original on Lamar Street… That’s the one where Janus Joplin used to perform, before she’d go on be famous.
Matt’s El Rancho – Family owned for over 50 years in South Austin, Matt’s El Rancho is a must stop if you’re in Austin.
Manuel’s – Definitely not TexMex! High cuisine Mexican food.
Torchy’s Tacos – Austin has this thing about tacos, I’m not sure what it is, but this former food truck chef has gone on to open up at several locations, all of them damn good!
French Quarter Grill – One of my personal favorites, a nice, little family owned restaurant specializing in étouffée, gumbo, and many more dishes you’d find in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
Kerbey Lane Café – a 24-hour diner that started by catering mainly to UT students, you guessed it… on Kerbey Lane. I’m excited that they’re about to start construction on a new location a few blocks from my apartment, but for now, the one on Guadalupe Street is probably my favorite. Or, go to the original one on Kerbey Lane. For breakfast, have the migas and/or the pancakes… they’re awesome!
P. Terry’s – P. Terry’s is a no-frills burger place, with high quality, mostly local ingredients. Think of it as an Austin In-n-Out, but arguably better, and with no lines around the block.
Cajun Pizza Place – Offers pizzas with a distinctive Cajun flair, also fried shrimp po-boys, muffulettas, and authentic Cajun boudin. The owners are related to the owners of Pizza Village in Lafayette, Louisiana, the only pizza place I’ve been to where they frequently have waiting lists to be seated most nights. Ask for The Joe, which is pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage, hamburger, and shrimp at the Pizza Village. At the Cajun Pizza Place, that’s the same as The Crusher, except you substitute shrimp for the jalapenos.
Chuy’s – Chuy’s is a national TexMex chain with headquarters in Austin. There are more tradition TexMex restaurants out there, but Chuy’s is a place I prefer, possibly because of the kitschy atmosphere.
Freebirds – Started in California, Freebirds is a nice place to get a burrito, and in my opinion, better than Chipotle. Better tasting, better atmosphere, and slightly better politics.
Chi’Lantro – Korean Mexican BBQ… let that sink in for a minute. Lines start forming when the truck rolls up.
Café Java – This is a little bistro about a block away from where I live that I like to go to for the occasional breakfast, and I love their Cajun Grilled Chicken Sandwich.
The Salt Lick – Before eating at Franklin, Salt Lick was my favorite BBQ.

Honorable mentions: Rudy’s, County Line, Bill Miller, Pok-e-Jo’s, and El Mercado. I understand Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew is also supposed to be very good, although I have not been there… yet!
I’m sure there are many more deserving to be on this list, some I’ve been to, some I haven’t, but consider this one man’s partial list of good places to eat while in Austin, Texas.

My Genetic Makeup

Source: 23andMe

14 Things About Austin I Learned from Living There

In March, I will have lived in North Austin for two years. If you’ve ever lived or visited Austin, Texas, then you’ll know what I mean when I tell you it’s decidedly different from other large cities, even within Texas itself.
Here are 12 things I’ve learned while living here:

Austin isn’t as nearly politically liberal or progressive as you’d might think – If I’ve heard that “Austin is the Berkeley of the South” once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. And while the Austin City Council is extremely liberal, and the area around the University of Texas and South of the river tend to be a little… “out there”, the further North you move, the more libertarian and conservative you find people. So far, the most “progressive” lunacy I’ve been forced to endure are the Austin paper and plastic bag ban, and the frequent trolling for money downtown and in Barton Creek by President Obama (and the subsequent traffic jams from shutting down traffic).
Traffic and parking is terrible, nearly anywhere you go – I’m fortunate to live less than 2 miles from where I work, and a little over 5 miles from where I worship. Fortunate because, when I have to travel anywhere else, I’m guaranteed to find heavy traffic and frequent gridlock. I avoid downtown like the plague. If you visit here, either allow a lot of time to get where you’re going and/or avoid the major highways.
There are some serious foodies here! – Particularly BBQ. The Austin-area is home to Franklin BBQ, The Salt Lick, County Line, Pok-e-Jo’s, Bill Miller and Rudy’s. As well, the nearby town of Lockhart is known as the “BBQ Capital of Texas”, with four BBQ pit restaurants, each with their own fierce proponents: Black’s, Chisholm Trail, Kreuz Market (pronounced ‘Krites’), and Smittys Market. And that’s just BBQ! Austin has lots of excellent restaurants (and food trucks) that prepare every conceivable type of food imaginable. Other notable restaurants/local chains include Chuy’s, Freebirds, Frank (Not Frank’s… Frank!), Kerbey Road Cafe, just to name a few.
This is a fantastic place for small business and entrepreneurs, particularly tech – I think it may have started when Michael Dell began making computer systems out of room 2713 of the Dobie Center residential building when he was a student at the University of Texas.
Austinites pride themselves on being different – The catch phrase de rigueur in Austin has been “Keep Austin Weird” for years, and although every passing day it becomes more and more like other large cities like Dallas, San Antonio and Houston, most residents still like to think and behave in, let’s just say, novel ways.
Californians are moving here in droves, and that is not necessarily a good thing – Austin is expected to double in size in the next decade, and although people are moving to Texas from every other state in the union, Californians fleeing the overly taxed, overly regulated, imploding economy that is California (and that their politics brought about) prefer Austin because it is to Texas what Berkeley is to California. So, Californians bring three things to Texas: Traffic, increased housing prices and liberal politics.
It’s pronounced “Man-chack” – There is a small town Southwest of Austin named Manchaca, and there is a road leading there named, appropriately, Manchaca Road. One would naturally be inclined to pronounce it “Man-chock-a”, but they’d be wrong. It’s pronounced “Man-chack”. Say it the wrong way and you’ll quickly be revealed as a newcomer.
Lots of celebrities call Austin home – Or at least one of their homes.Nicolas Cage, Billy Bob Thornton, Willie Nelson, Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosling, Robert Plant, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Matthew McConaughey, Lance Armstrong, Dan Rather, Mike Judge, Kyle Chandler, and Connie Britton are just some of the celebrities that call Austin home. And if you ever see one say, in Whole Foods or somewhere, do not make a big deal out of it!
There are 1.5+ million bats here – I haven’t seen them at dusk, when they wake up and go hunting for flies, mosquitoes and other insects, but I know they live underneath the Congress Avenue Bridge and elsewhere. Each night, they devour 10,000 to 20,000 pounds of insects, making it safe to go outside nearly anytime and not be eaten up by those pesky mosquitoes. Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America and one of the most unusual tourist attractions in the world.
There are fans of the University of Texas Longhorns everywhere – Everywhere you’ll see burnt orange cloths and the longhorn symbol. Whatever you do, do not go to Plucker’s or any sport bar when there’s a UT football game on unless you’re joining the masses to cheer the team on.
Everything is on an incline – Well, almost everything, but being near the edge of the Texas Hill Country, there are a lot of hills and valleys nearly everywhere you go.
Everywhere you’ll look you’ll see stone and concrete walls surrounding fields of grass – Those are called “retention ponds” and they’re there to catch runoff rain water to prevent flooding. They could’ve built a sewer system, but noooo! I think it’s something to do with the soil, preventing them from building lower-level parking garages and such.
Get ready to deal with panhandlers – They’re everywhere! Many of them, when you give them anything other than cash (a sandwich, socks, etc.) will scowl at you, proving that they feel they’re feeling entitled to your continuing to subsidize their addiction to alcohol and drugs. Never… never… never give panhandlers money!
Everyone eats breakfast tacos – What I would call a breakfast burrito, Austinites call breakfast tacos, and you can find them everywhere.

Austin is different from any other place I’ve ever lived, and it has a distinctive character that I really love. These are really just a few of the ones I’ve been able to identify and articulate.

John Stricklin’s Will

I John Stricklin of the County of Hardin and State of Tennessee, planter, do make and publish this my last will and testament, hereby revoking and making void all former wills by me at any time heretofore made. And first I direct my body to be decently entered in a manner suitable to my condition in life, and as to such worldly estate as it hath pleased God to entrust me with I dispose of the same as follows. First I direct that all my debts and all my funeral expenses be paid as soon after my decease as possible out of any money I may die possessed of as may first come in the hands of my executors from any portion of my estate real or personal. Secondly I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Martha during her life the following property to wit my land containing fifty acres be the same more or less lying on the big branch a fork of Horse Creek with its buts and bounds together with all the household and kitchen furniture and all the farming utensils belonging to said plantation also one wagon and yoke of steers seventeen head of hogs one rifle gun one scythe [sic] and cradle and one set of blacksmith tools to have and to hold for her use and benefit during her natural life and at her death what is left to be equally divided between my two sons William C. Stricklin and Jesse Stricklin after paying one dollar to each of the other heirs to wit Thomas Stricklin, Jack?, John Stricklin, William B. Stricklin, Elizabeth Lance?, Dicia Dulea?, Martha Akins, Sally McCarn, Nancy Mills, Mary Stricklin, and Agatha Stricklin. I do hereby make ordain and appoint my beloved son William C. Stricklin Executor of my last will and testament. In witness whereof I John Stricklin the said testator have to this my will written on one sheet of paper set my hand and seal this 17th day of July in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and forty eight.

Zombies 101

One of my favorite television shows these days is definitely AMC’s The Walking Dead, and I haven’t generally been a fan of the whole “zombie” genre, although I really liked Shaun of the Dead, 28 Days Later… and I am Legend. With The Walking Dead, though, I’m not really sure the writers adhere to a certain set of rules regarding how zombies behave. So, I thought I’d write a set of guidelines on the subject. Enjoy!
Things zombies can do:

Zombies can hear
Zombies can smell
Zombies can move… slowly
Zombies can grab things using their hands (if they have hands)
Zombies can bite (if Michonne hasn’t already removed their jaws)
Zombies can growl
Zombies can move their head and limbs normally

Things zombies cannot or do not do:

Zombies don’t circulate blood
Zombies don’t sleep
Zombies don’t run
Zombies don’t jump
Zombies don’t swim
Zombies don’t reason
Zombies don’t get tired or rest
Zombies don’t lay down or sit down
Zombies can’t climb (stairs, slight inclines are okay)
Zombies bodies don’t regenerate on a cellular level
Zombies don’t communicate with each other
Zombies don’t “play dead” or in any way misrepresent anything

Things I’m not sure if they can do or not:

Can zombies see?
Can zombies feel? (touch, not emotions)
Do zombies salivate, chew and/or swallow?

All these observations lead me to these conclusions and questions:

There has to be some sort of low-level brain function, otherwise they could not move, smell, hear or know when to grab or bite.
If zombies can chew and swallow what they bite, then they must salivate and be able to digest their “food”. And if they’re able to digest food, then they would need to defecate and urinate. And since you don’t see stains on the fronts and backs or their clothes, I’d assume that they cannot salivate, chew, swallow or digest their food.
If they cannot do the most basic function of eating, they must simply be biting their victims and tearing their flesh and muscles, and then letting them fall away.
If they are able to swallow, but do not digest food, then their stomachs are becoming full. If that’s the case, would they still feed? What would happen if they did?
I maintain that the walker that bit Hershel violated rules 14, 15 and 19, so this is a case where the writers screwed up.
If their bodies don’t heal (rule 17), then eventually the flesh and muscles will decay, the ligaments holding the bones together will wear down and the body will fall apart. If that’s the case, their numbers will begin to dwindle after a few months (years?)
Rule 8 is critical. If zombies don’t circulate blood, how do they infect their victims? Also, when the body falls apart and the skull is simply laying there on the ground, will the brain continue to function, or will it shrivel up and die?
If everyone has the virus within them, does that mean that if Rick, say, simply died of non zombie-related causes, would he become a walker anyway? If that’s the case, why did it suddenly start happening now?

Other questions cross my mind when I’m watching The Walking Dead, like:

Even though it’s rural Georgia (presumably North of Atlanta), why doesn’t anyone think to go find a Walmart or a Sears somewhere? They’d have guns, ammo, clothes, medicine, tires and other car-repair equipment, building supplies and some non-perishable food.
If the group has been living in these conditions for months, wouldn’t the beards be longer? Wouldn’t the arm-pits and leg hair be longer? Wouldn’t they all be stinking? Presumably people’s teeth will be rotting out soon, because no one’s brushing their teeth.
What about women’s menstrual cycles? I know women survived for thousands of years without tampons and pads, but how would Maggie and the others deal with the problem?
If couples like Glenn and Maggie are having sex, are they considering what they’ll do if the woman becomes pregnant, or are they using condoms?
If the zombie apocalypse comes, and public utility workers either flee or turn, will the plumbing still work? I assume the electricity will not, but I’m not so sure about the water.
How did the group get inside the prison? Presumably the guards had the building locked down, wouldn’t you think?
Why don’t you hear more people praying or talking about God? This is Georgia, after all. Some people would be praying, others would be questioning why God would allow this to happen.
Where do people urinate and defecate? Especially inside the cell block? When the prisoners were in the kitchen they did their “business” in the refrigerator, but that may have been because there was no bathroom in the kitchen area. If the plumbing still works, then a bathroom would be preferable, but if it does, wouldn’t it have working sinks at least, allowing everyone to wash themselves?
I assume that, given the makeup of the groups, that no obese people, blind people, deaf people, mentally or physically-handicapped people or people with medical conditions that require medications (Type I Diabetes, asthmatics, people needing dialysis, etc.) haven’t survived. Neither have most children and teenagers.
Why doesn’t anyone listen to a radio? Surely there’s someone, somewhere, who’s trying to find out if there’s life elsewhere.
If you snapped a zombie’s neck, it wouldn’t “die”, but would it be able to walk?
Wouldn’t the second floor and above, or an island be the best places to be safe?

Yes, I know The Walking Dead is fictional and I’m supposed to suspend my disbelief, but stories should be cohesive and logical, to the best of their ability. That said, there aren’t a huge number of flaws in the show thus far.

My Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® assessment is a psychometric questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. These preferences were extrapolated from the typological theories proposed by Carl Gustav Jung.
The original developers of the personality inventory were Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers. They began creating the indicator during World War II, believing that a knowledge of personality preferences would help women who were entering the industrial workforce for the first time to identify the sort of war-time jobs where they would be “most comfortable and effective”. The initial questionnaire grew into the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which was first published in 1962. The MBTI focuses on normal populations and emphasizes the value of naturally occurring differences.
I took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment again in October 2010, and the results, shown below, indicate that my MBTI type is ESTJ, which stands for Extroverted, Thinking, Sensing, and Judging.

Where I focus my attention: Extroversion
People who prefer Extroversion tend to focus their attention on the outer world of people and things.
The way I take in information: Sensing
People who prefer Sensing tend to take in information through the five senses and focus on the here and now.
The way I make decisions: Thinking
People who prefer Thinking tend to make decisions based primarily on logic and on objective analysis of cause and effect.
How I deal with the outer world: Judging
People who prefer Judging tend to like a planned and organized approach to life and prefer to have things settled.
ESTJ Description

Decisive, clear, and assertive
Logical, analytical, and objectively critical
Adept at organizing projects, procedures, and people
Likely to value competence, efficiency, and results
Likely to prefer proven systems and procedures
Focused on the present, applying relevant past experience to deal with problems
Usually seen by others as conscientious, dependable, decisive, outspoken, and self-confident

I’d say that pretty well describes me, would you agree?