routine is something i have a very hard time with.
it's something i aspire to.
and yet, i don't actually want to have one.
i've thought maybe having a routine would be good. it could keep me on track with going to exercise, going to dances, eating meals, getting up on time, remembering to do things.
at the same time, there are so many factors that play into each day, that it's hard to keep the schedule going without having to adjust it all the time.
maybe my routine IS just very random. one day it's steady, the next day it's chaos.
when i lived in MN, i had a good routine. wake up, put clothes on heater, eat breakfast, put warm clothes on, go out into the below zero temperature and wait for the bus. same time, every day (except when i moved, but it was similar, just a different bus and location).
maybe routine suggests that a person who has a routine job, where one must be there at a given time and leave at a certain time. maybe because i have a wacky flexible schedule, i am not subject to the confines of routine. yeah, maybe that's it.
i don't like rules, anyway.
07 January 2010
night biking deserves a quiet night
i've done a fair amount of cycling in the past few years. living in a town where biking is welcoming and friendly and they give you your own lane, it's hard to justify not biking. of course, it is not always the fastest way to get around town, depending on your fitness, but you can get almost anywhere in a reasonable time (i.e. less than an hour). unless you're going up some steep hill, like on the way to one of the nature areas. or to visit friends who live near aforementioned nature areas.
where i used to live, it was a straight shot to downtown. probably a mile, maybe 10-15 minutes. fun to do during the day. but at night, coming home from a friend's house, say...well it was just darned lovely. there were many nights, summer or winter, where the still of the night air was so right, it didn't matter that i had to go a few miles to get home.
and now, i live in a new place, which requires a more uphill battle. i love going downhill to work. in fact, if work were uphill, i might never go. i sometimes don't go home because i dread the hill. it is a workout, both physical and cardio.
but this week, i did it 3 days in a row, which is a record for me. and each night it was raining. and each night i thought, "ugh, it's raining." but i put on my rain gear and went about my business.
now my bike has some issues with changing to the lowest gear. or any gear, really. but especially the low gears. i've tried coasting and changing gears, and it just doesn't seem to engage. which makes me think something is wrong with the derailleur. or something. i know very little about bikes (and don't want to be lectured).
but i do know that i need to be in the lowest gear before i make the climb. and i know that if i just take my time, i can make it up at least half way before i have to stop and shake out my legs. i'm getting less and less shortness of breath from the workout, but my legs are still working harder than the pain i can bear.
anyway, i try to think about anything besides biking while i'm biking up that hill. slow and steady (my turtle instinct), i try to put things like breathing and pain out of my mind, and just wonder about this and that, christmas lights on houses, branches hanging over the street, traffic in either direction, sticks in the road, people driving by too fast, why i wiggle around so much when i'm climbing (as evidenced by my wiggling bike light)...
but the ride is nice. the time out from the day. taking in the weather and the neighborhood and the road itself. thinking about what i've done today and what i'll do tomorrow. (wishing i had a way to record my thoughts while biking since i can't use my hands.)
when i get to the top of the hill, i always do an arm raise and pump, celebrating that YES, i survived it again. and when i get home, and have a sweet little downhill before i park, i think WOO HOO! i'm so glad to be home.
and i guess i sort of forget about the pain (but not really), because i go back out again the next day. the bike riding is driven by the not wanting to deal with the hassle of parking for free, not wanting to pay for parking, and trying to 'save the environment' as much as i can. it's not much, but it's more than some people do.
and i'm proud of that.
where i used to live, it was a straight shot to downtown. probably a mile, maybe 10-15 minutes. fun to do during the day. but at night, coming home from a friend's house, say...well it was just darned lovely. there were many nights, summer or winter, where the still of the night air was so right, it didn't matter that i had to go a few miles to get home.
and now, i live in a new place, which requires a more uphill battle. i love going downhill to work. in fact, if work were uphill, i might never go. i sometimes don't go home because i dread the hill. it is a workout, both physical and cardio.
but this week, i did it 3 days in a row, which is a record for me. and each night it was raining. and each night i thought, "ugh, it's raining." but i put on my rain gear and went about my business.
now my bike has some issues with changing to the lowest gear. or any gear, really. but especially the low gears. i've tried coasting and changing gears, and it just doesn't seem to engage. which makes me think something is wrong with the derailleur. or something. i know very little about bikes (and don't want to be lectured).
but i do know that i need to be in the lowest gear before i make the climb. and i know that if i just take my time, i can make it up at least half way before i have to stop and shake out my legs. i'm getting less and less shortness of breath from the workout, but my legs are still working harder than the pain i can bear.
anyway, i try to think about anything besides biking while i'm biking up that hill. slow and steady (my turtle instinct), i try to put things like breathing and pain out of my mind, and just wonder about this and that, christmas lights on houses, branches hanging over the street, traffic in either direction, sticks in the road, people driving by too fast, why i wiggle around so much when i'm climbing (as evidenced by my wiggling bike light)...
but the ride is nice. the time out from the day. taking in the weather and the neighborhood and the road itself. thinking about what i've done today and what i'll do tomorrow. (wishing i had a way to record my thoughts while biking since i can't use my hands.)
when i get to the top of the hill, i always do an arm raise and pump, celebrating that YES, i survived it again. and when i get home, and have a sweet little downhill before i park, i think WOO HOO! i'm so glad to be home.
and i guess i sort of forget about the pain (but not really), because i go back out again the next day. the bike riding is driven by the not wanting to deal with the hassle of parking for free, not wanting to pay for parking, and trying to 'save the environment' as much as i can. it's not much, but it's more than some people do.
and i'm proud of that.
that's the brakes
yesterday was wednesday. i had lots to do and i thought, "you know what, i deserve to drive today after dilligently biking for the past 2 days in the rain." i had errands to run and places to be and wanted to get to work early and thought that driving would be the best option.
that is, until, i started to go downhill and realized that my brakes didn't work. holy crap, that was a scary situation! i'd never experienced pressing the brake pedal all the way to the floor, and with no response. i guess the brakes worked barely enough to slow me down, since i hadn't really accelerated and was just coasting. but still, going downhill, around a corner, and toward a busy street...thankfully the car stopped appropriately before i got to the even bigger hill i needed to go down to get to work.
i sat at the stop sign thinking, "what do i do? i can't make it down this hill to get to work, i won't stop and i'll crash and that will be awful." i decided to wait until traffic was clear, pull a u-turn into the busy street (that wasn't busy at 7am) and then go back home (uphill) and sit and figure out what to do next.
i needed at least 30 minutes of thinking, sitting, calming down, and a few phone calls to decide to call AAA and get towed somewhere. but where? i don't know any place to get my car fixed in town. i haven't had to do that. and i hadn't ever asked anyone where they got their's fixed. and now it was WAY too early to be calling people to ask that. so i put my trust in AAA and let them figure out where i should go. they went with the company that was going to tow my car anyway, and i figured that was the best bet i had.
i sat in the car for 45 minutes. now, i hadn't gotten much sleep the previous 2 nights (average of 4 hours). so i'm waaaaaaaaaaay tired and sitting in my car and trying not to fall asleep before the tow truck arrives. hardest 45 minutes of my life, of recent. i now know that i can survive one night of complete sleep deprivation, but the second night makes the third day really, really bad. nothing like adrenaline though, to wake me up, at least momentarily.
got towed, got a ride to work, and on both of those truck rides i got asked eerie questions from the drivers. now it may have been just random chit chat. but it seemed directed. both of them asked questions or made comments about women being alone or working at a job like a tow truck drivers...i don't know it's hard to explain. but one of them we started off talking about my job, which led to global warming debate (he doesn't believe it), which led to my job again, which led to me being tired and working late hours, which led to him saying something about me being unattached, which led to me saying i didn't have kids, which made him ask the question if i was married, which made me answer that i had a boyfriend, and then he got on the topic of protecting women and women being careful and did i carry protection when i went home at night by myself...
reflecting back on it, i couldn't tell if he was just chatting because he cared about my safety, generally, as a woman who could be attacked, or if he was feeling for details because he could be an attacker. i couldn't work it out in my mind. i was just not sure. so then i was all worried about going home at night.
the rest of the day went well enough. got to work, got things started, went to the soup kitchen where i got called "little lady", and was told i looked like a qp doll, or better yet, one of the characters from south park. wasn't sure how to take that. we had breakfast for lunch and i made sure to get a few slices of bacon. soooooooo good. also there were sugar cookies to take home. i ate a few with some milk. soooooo good. my bad day was shaping up alright.
the rest of the day went fine. the mechanics at the place were out that day, so they wouldn't be looking at my car until the next day anyway. i survived the afternoon of work. i didn't fall asleep. the experiment must go on.
i did not go to the gym, however. my calf muscles are KILLING me. they are extremely sore and tight. those triple calf raises are the worst! i thought after the first round a week ago that i would have healed up from the pain. but oh no! it's back. tomorrow i will get out the rolling pin and roll the knots out of my legs. this morning when i got out of bed i almost fell over from the tightness. ouch. more stretching to come.
that is, until, i started to go downhill and realized that my brakes didn't work. holy crap, that was a scary situation! i'd never experienced pressing the brake pedal all the way to the floor, and with no response. i guess the brakes worked barely enough to slow me down, since i hadn't really accelerated and was just coasting. but still, going downhill, around a corner, and toward a busy street...thankfully the car stopped appropriately before i got to the even bigger hill i needed to go down to get to work.
i sat at the stop sign thinking, "what do i do? i can't make it down this hill to get to work, i won't stop and i'll crash and that will be awful." i decided to wait until traffic was clear, pull a u-turn into the busy street (that wasn't busy at 7am) and then go back home (uphill) and sit and figure out what to do next.
i needed at least 30 minutes of thinking, sitting, calming down, and a few phone calls to decide to call AAA and get towed somewhere. but where? i don't know any place to get my car fixed in town. i haven't had to do that. and i hadn't ever asked anyone where they got their's fixed. and now it was WAY too early to be calling people to ask that. so i put my trust in AAA and let them figure out where i should go. they went with the company that was going to tow my car anyway, and i figured that was the best bet i had.
i sat in the car for 45 minutes. now, i hadn't gotten much sleep the previous 2 nights (average of 4 hours). so i'm waaaaaaaaaaay tired and sitting in my car and trying not to fall asleep before the tow truck arrives. hardest 45 minutes of my life, of recent. i now know that i can survive one night of complete sleep deprivation, but the second night makes the third day really, really bad. nothing like adrenaline though, to wake me up, at least momentarily.
got towed, got a ride to work, and on both of those truck rides i got asked eerie questions from the drivers. now it may have been just random chit chat. but it seemed directed. both of them asked questions or made comments about women being alone or working at a job like a tow truck drivers...i don't know it's hard to explain. but one of them we started off talking about my job, which led to global warming debate (he doesn't believe it), which led to my job again, which led to me being tired and working late hours, which led to him saying something about me being unattached, which led to me saying i didn't have kids, which made him ask the question if i was married, which made me answer that i had a boyfriend, and then he got on the topic of protecting women and women being careful and did i carry protection when i went home at night by myself...
reflecting back on it, i couldn't tell if he was just chatting because he cared about my safety, generally, as a woman who could be attacked, or if he was feeling for details because he could be an attacker. i couldn't work it out in my mind. i was just not sure. so then i was all worried about going home at night.
the rest of the day went well enough. got to work, got things started, went to the soup kitchen where i got called "little lady", and was told i looked like a qp doll, or better yet, one of the characters from south park. wasn't sure how to take that. we had breakfast for lunch and i made sure to get a few slices of bacon. soooooooo good. also there were sugar cookies to take home. i ate a few with some milk. soooooo good. my bad day was shaping up alright.
the rest of the day went fine. the mechanics at the place were out that day, so they wouldn't be looking at my car until the next day anyway. i survived the afternoon of work. i didn't fall asleep. the experiment must go on.
i did not go to the gym, however. my calf muscles are KILLING me. they are extremely sore and tight. those triple calf raises are the worst! i thought after the first round a week ago that i would have healed up from the pain. but oh no! it's back. tomorrow i will get out the rolling pin and roll the knots out of my legs. this morning when i got out of bed i almost fell over from the tightness. ouch. more stretching to come.
06 January 2010
things to do in 2010
this is a pretty extensive list, sent to me by my mother. i'm not sure how one person can aspire to do all these things every day, but maybe it's nice just to have something to try to do each day, instead of trying to do all of it, every day.
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
05 January 2010
winter training, day 8
gym report:
20 min cardio / elliptical
3x10 @ 150lb leg press
3x10 @ 70lb leg curl
3x10 @ 90lb leg extension
3x10x3 - body weight: straight toe raise / toes in / toes out
3x10 @ 45lb squats
3x10 upright abs
10 min abs and stretching
weight: 164.8
stomper: she's baaaaaaaaaaaack!
notes: lots of people working out today. is it their new year's resolution? hard to find a cardio machine available. might have to start bringing music if sara isn't going to come with me. today i watched an episode of friends (which is neat because i never watched it when it was on but i understand the gist of the story) and some espn football weekend in review show. some amazing plays! i think the nfl has forgotten to teach the defensive players how to tackle properly. and these guys get paid the big bucks to do just that!
20 min cardio / elliptical
3x10 @ 150lb leg press
3x10 @ 70lb leg curl
3x10 @ 90lb leg extension
3x10x3 - body weight: straight toe raise / toes in / toes out
3x10 @ 45lb squats
3x10 upright abs
10 min abs and stretching
weight: 164.8
stomper: she's baaaaaaaaaaaack!
notes: lots of people working out today. is it their new year's resolution? hard to find a cardio machine available. might have to start bringing music if sara isn't going to come with me. today i watched an episode of friends (which is neat because i never watched it when it was on but i understand the gist of the story) and some espn football weekend in review show. some amazing plays! i think the nfl has forgotten to teach the defensive players how to tackle properly. and these guys get paid the big bucks to do just that!
new year's resolve
today i was reading an opinion article about how people make new year's resolutions, and how they break them almost as fast as they make them. the writer went into some history of why this is done in the first place, and furthermore to say, hey, if you break your resolution, just revisit it quarterly and see if you're still interested in continuing on with it. but his conclusion was that most people would make and break them and make new ones next year.
well, i'll have him know i was devoted to my last year's resolution, which was to skip dessert after dinner. it's a fact that i did eat ice cream once or twice, and ate a few cookies and a few pieces of chocolate. but for the most part, i kicked butt and took names! and lost 10 lbs to boot, but not sure if that came from the dessert, the working out, the break up, stress at work...who knows.
this year i'm going to try something new. since i don't care much about dessert anyway, i'll probably at least try a piece of pie if someone offers it to me. but i don't need a whole slice, or a whole bowl of ice cream, or any of the other lavish desserts people sometimes have. though i wouldn't mind if someone made apple crisp next fall...
my new year's resolution this year is to drink 2 liters of water a day, and to go for a 20 minute walk every day. a health related note is that i'm going to try to avoid eating / drinking sodium benzoate this year. unfortunately, my favorite szechuan spicy sauce has this ingredient, as does dr. pepper. i had already bought some dr pepper before i decided to do this, so i'm thinking i'll bring it to parties and leave it there...though i don't go to many parties...or else i'll just drink it. worse than having a resolution is wasting food. wasting food is wasting money and i'm just not into that.
so far so good. i knew i wouldn't be able to start drinking 2L of water every day from day 1. i allowed myself to gradually work into it.
day 1 - 1/2 L
day 2 - 1/2 L
day 3 - 3/4 L
day 4 - 1 L
and here we are on day 5.
as for the walking, day 1 and 2 i spent 3 hours dancing each night. and day 3, i admit, i was lazy and didn't do anything. day 4 i took a 20 minute walk to and from my mailbox, and plan to do the same today. i'm also hoping to get to the gym today. but i don't want the gym to substitute for getting out into the fresh air. i'm hoping to get to know my neighborhood better, and maybe learn something more about campus too. however at this time, work is so nutty that i don't see myself going on any early morning walks just for the fun of it. since i'm trying to get to work between 6-7am every day...yeah...not getting up earlier than that. and when i don't get home till midnight-1am...yeah...not happening. but it will. i'm confident. and i'm devoted.
well, i'll have him know i was devoted to my last year's resolution, which was to skip dessert after dinner. it's a fact that i did eat ice cream once or twice, and ate a few cookies and a few pieces of chocolate. but for the most part, i kicked butt and took names! and lost 10 lbs to boot, but not sure if that came from the dessert, the working out, the break up, stress at work...who knows.
this year i'm going to try something new. since i don't care much about dessert anyway, i'll probably at least try a piece of pie if someone offers it to me. but i don't need a whole slice, or a whole bowl of ice cream, or any of the other lavish desserts people sometimes have. though i wouldn't mind if someone made apple crisp next fall...
my new year's resolution this year is to drink 2 liters of water a day, and to go for a 20 minute walk every day. a health related note is that i'm going to try to avoid eating / drinking sodium benzoate this year. unfortunately, my favorite szechuan spicy sauce has this ingredient, as does dr. pepper. i had already bought some dr pepper before i decided to do this, so i'm thinking i'll bring it to parties and leave it there...though i don't go to many parties...or else i'll just drink it. worse than having a resolution is wasting food. wasting food is wasting money and i'm just not into that.
so far so good. i knew i wouldn't be able to start drinking 2L of water every day from day 1. i allowed myself to gradually work into it.
day 1 - 1/2 L
day 2 - 1/2 L
day 3 - 3/4 L
day 4 - 1 L
and here we are on day 5.
as for the walking, day 1 and 2 i spent 3 hours dancing each night. and day 3, i admit, i was lazy and didn't do anything. day 4 i took a 20 minute walk to and from my mailbox, and plan to do the same today. i'm also hoping to get to the gym today. but i don't want the gym to substitute for getting out into the fresh air. i'm hoping to get to know my neighborhood better, and maybe learn something more about campus too. however at this time, work is so nutty that i don't see myself going on any early morning walks just for the fun of it. since i'm trying to get to work between 6-7am every day...yeah...not getting up earlier than that. and when i don't get home till midnight-1am...yeah...not happening. but it will. i'm confident. and i'm devoted.
it's all so...political
sitting at lunch today, surrounded by college students and faculty alike, i realize that i no longer discuss politics with my friends. the thought was triggered by a christmas letter i got, talking about how obama had gotten elected president. for all i knew, most or all of my friends and family were FOR obama getting elected. but this person seemed to indicate that it was not the way they'd hoped it would all work out. not sure who they thought would have done a better job, but that's besides the point.
i learned, while in minnesota, that one particular friend and i could just NOT talk politics. it got him really heated and stirred up, and there was no calming him down afterwards. so, just avoid the topic and everyone stays happy for happy hour.
most things i politics i don't understand. it's better that way. i don't like to debate and i don't like to think about how people in power can make decisions over my head. in fact, i try to keep politics out of my daily life altogether. except, sometimes they just happen in there.
of late, i've been reading the political cartoons with jon. sometimes i have no idea what they mean and i have to ask for an explanation. sometimes we can figure it out. sometimes, we're left with numerous possibilities about what the cartoonist really meant. i like this form of reading and learning about politics. no one is going to war over a cartoon.
i also don't like that politics, on the whole, end up being influenced by others with power and money. i will give you a lot of money so that you support the causes that will make me more money. you get elected, i get rich, you get rich, aren't we all happy? i'm cynical enough, now, at this point, to know that everyone out there has an agenda, and it's usually to make themselves more money or give themselves more power. and lobbyists? forget it.
more locally, however, there are also politics involved in almost everything that we do. committees, for example, are a great example of where you can't just say what you want. you have to think about how to get what you want, and say it in the kindest and possibly most manipulative way you can. i don't like this. unfortunately, everyone is different and not everyone responds to, "do this now, for me, ok?" it all has to be tiptoed around, and treated gingerly.
i'm both the villain and the victim in these situations. sometimes i would really like some help, or sometimes i'm trying to collect news from classmates. the only way, it seems, is to reach out to these people personally. or else i simply don't get what i want. on the flip side, when i have a good idea, and i try to get what i want, the situation can be reversed, because i'm not in a position of power. i think my idea is great, and why don't others like it? who knows. maybe they don't want to put effort into it, or maybe they don't want things to change too much. or maybe they're exerting THEIR power over me.
my mom gave me good advice. first year on a committee - don't rock the boat too much. just do whatever needs to be done. in coming years, you can try to change things up. but don't force it down their throats. it doesn't do any good and it makes everyone mad at you.
here here, mom.
i learned, while in minnesota, that one particular friend and i could just NOT talk politics. it got him really heated and stirred up, and there was no calming him down afterwards. so, just avoid the topic and everyone stays happy for happy hour.
most things i politics i don't understand. it's better that way. i don't like to debate and i don't like to think about how people in power can make decisions over my head. in fact, i try to keep politics out of my daily life altogether. except, sometimes they just happen in there.
of late, i've been reading the political cartoons with jon. sometimes i have no idea what they mean and i have to ask for an explanation. sometimes we can figure it out. sometimes, we're left with numerous possibilities about what the cartoonist really meant. i like this form of reading and learning about politics. no one is going to war over a cartoon.
i also don't like that politics, on the whole, end up being influenced by others with power and money. i will give you a lot of money so that you support the causes that will make me more money. you get elected, i get rich, you get rich, aren't we all happy? i'm cynical enough, now, at this point, to know that everyone out there has an agenda, and it's usually to make themselves more money or give themselves more power. and lobbyists? forget it.
more locally, however, there are also politics involved in almost everything that we do. committees, for example, are a great example of where you can't just say what you want. you have to think about how to get what you want, and say it in the kindest and possibly most manipulative way you can. i don't like this. unfortunately, everyone is different and not everyone responds to, "do this now, for me, ok?" it all has to be tiptoed around, and treated gingerly.
i'm both the villain and the victim in these situations. sometimes i would really like some help, or sometimes i'm trying to collect news from classmates. the only way, it seems, is to reach out to these people personally. or else i simply don't get what i want. on the flip side, when i have a good idea, and i try to get what i want, the situation can be reversed, because i'm not in a position of power. i think my idea is great, and why don't others like it? who knows. maybe they don't want to put effort into it, or maybe they don't want things to change too much. or maybe they're exerting THEIR power over me.
my mom gave me good advice. first year on a committee - don't rock the boat too much. just do whatever needs to be done. in coming years, you can try to change things up. but don't force it down their throats. it doesn't do any good and it makes everyone mad at you.
here here, mom.
long day ahead
other titles for this post could have included:
devotion
is routine so bad?
night biking
new year's resolve
3 x 3 = what a way to end 2009!
---
i'm tired. it's only 840am and i can feel myself unable to overcome the day's sleep deprivation already. this week i'm back to my crazy experiment that needs near-constant supervision, as to not catch fire or stop working. so, yesterday i got a late start after chasing around some equipment that is now considered "stolen" (i didn't get my hands on it). the experiment got running around 3pm. i ran it until 12am. 9 hours is not bad for one day. except i needed to run it for about 12 hours yesterday. so now, in my quest to run the experiment for 30 hours over 2 days...well let's just say it's not happening.
i got the thing going this morning at 7am. if i stay till midnight again, that's 17 hours today, plus 9 yesterday = 26 hours. which means wedesday i run it for 4 hours, before cooling things and switching to the second phase of the experiment which again, needs to run for 30 hours over the next 2 days. if i get in by 9 on wednesday, run the thing until 1pm, cool for an hour, switch the solutions, get it going again by 230, and run it until 1230am, that still leaves me with 20 hours to run it over thur and fri. plus, after that's all done, there's something like a 4 hour hot water boiling period to wash out the remaining solution residues.
needless to say, work is my life for the next few weeks (i get to do it all over again next week!) this would all be a lot easier if i had help. as in, someone to watch the solutions after i put in 10-12 hours in a given day. if someone else could come in late and stick around until late, well that would be OK with me. *yawn*
i already had my oatmeal and tea this morning. and yet i'm not feeling peppy and revived. went to bed around 130am and first woke up at 530 this morning and decided, you know what, it's just too freakin' early. actually got up at 620 and got to work by 7, which for me is quite a feat. i prefer, and function more highly, on more than 4-5 hours of sleep a night.
i can't complain too much, because over the weekend i did manage to get plenty of sleep. it's unfortunate that sleep isn't more like a bank account, where you can save it up and use it when you're more tired.
so now i'm thinking about power napping. but there's no place to do so in the building where i work. and it's a 20 minute uphill ride home which has no appeal to me, since i'd have to come back down after such a short nap at home. and it's raining outside. which isn't exactly bad, but it's not ideal for biking home and back, just for a short nap.
speaking of rain. when i woke up this morning i thought it sounded like it might be raining out. but it was dark and my window is protected by an overhang, so there wasn't any droplets on the window pane. however, once in the living room i could hear the rain running down the gutter, and thought, "oh geez. it's really raining out there!" so i geared up in my full raingear attire, packed my gym shoes and some other essentials into backpack #2 (left my regular backpack at work last night, too tired to pack it up and for what?), and headed outside to brave the elements. it was still pitch black, same as when i got home from work last night. i thought to myself, "this really bites. going to work in the pitch black, coming home in the pitch black." but it's a job and i guess i have that going for me.
anyway, once geared up with helmet and lights and such, i walked my bike to the top of my driveway (enough of a hill that i never want to deal with it), and realized that, it wasn't really raining that hard. it was sprinkling at best. a little harder than misting. so maybe this biking in the rain wasn't so bad. i wasn't going to get soaked before i got to work; all my stuff was in plastic bags in my backpack so it was safe. i was basically weatherproofed, and all i had to do was pedal a short distance and coast down the big hill to work.
maybe winter isn't so bad after all. but i'm still very tired.
more later...perhaps i'll use up those other prospective blog titles!
devotion
is routine so bad?
night biking
new year's resolve
3 x 3 = what a way to end 2009!
---
i'm tired. it's only 840am and i can feel myself unable to overcome the day's sleep deprivation already. this week i'm back to my crazy experiment that needs near-constant supervision, as to not catch fire or stop working. so, yesterday i got a late start after chasing around some equipment that is now considered "stolen" (i didn't get my hands on it). the experiment got running around 3pm. i ran it until 12am. 9 hours is not bad for one day. except i needed to run it for about 12 hours yesterday. so now, in my quest to run the experiment for 30 hours over 2 days...well let's just say it's not happening.
i got the thing going this morning at 7am. if i stay till midnight again, that's 17 hours today, plus 9 yesterday = 26 hours. which means wedesday i run it for 4 hours, before cooling things and switching to the second phase of the experiment which again, needs to run for 30 hours over the next 2 days. if i get in by 9 on wednesday, run the thing until 1pm, cool for an hour, switch the solutions, get it going again by 230, and run it until 1230am, that still leaves me with 20 hours to run it over thur and fri. plus, after that's all done, there's something like a 4 hour hot water boiling period to wash out the remaining solution residues.
needless to say, work is my life for the next few weeks (i get to do it all over again next week!) this would all be a lot easier if i had help. as in, someone to watch the solutions after i put in 10-12 hours in a given day. if someone else could come in late and stick around until late, well that would be OK with me. *yawn*
i already had my oatmeal and tea this morning. and yet i'm not feeling peppy and revived. went to bed around 130am and first woke up at 530 this morning and decided, you know what, it's just too freakin' early. actually got up at 620 and got to work by 7, which for me is quite a feat. i prefer, and function more highly, on more than 4-5 hours of sleep a night.
i can't complain too much, because over the weekend i did manage to get plenty of sleep. it's unfortunate that sleep isn't more like a bank account, where you can save it up and use it when you're more tired.
so now i'm thinking about power napping. but there's no place to do so in the building where i work. and it's a 20 minute uphill ride home which has no appeal to me, since i'd have to come back down after such a short nap at home. and it's raining outside. which isn't exactly bad, but it's not ideal for biking home and back, just for a short nap.
speaking of rain. when i woke up this morning i thought it sounded like it might be raining out. but it was dark and my window is protected by an overhang, so there wasn't any droplets on the window pane. however, once in the living room i could hear the rain running down the gutter, and thought, "oh geez. it's really raining out there!" so i geared up in my full raingear attire, packed my gym shoes and some other essentials into backpack #2 (left my regular backpack at work last night, too tired to pack it up and for what?), and headed outside to brave the elements. it was still pitch black, same as when i got home from work last night. i thought to myself, "this really bites. going to work in the pitch black, coming home in the pitch black." but it's a job and i guess i have that going for me.
anyway, once geared up with helmet and lights and such, i walked my bike to the top of my driveway (enough of a hill that i never want to deal with it), and realized that, it wasn't really raining that hard. it was sprinkling at best. a little harder than misting. so maybe this biking in the rain wasn't so bad. i wasn't going to get soaked before i got to work; all my stuff was in plastic bags in my backpack so it was safe. i was basically weatherproofed, and all i had to do was pedal a short distance and coast down the big hill to work.
maybe winter isn't so bad after all. but i'm still very tired.
more later...perhaps i'll use up those other prospective blog titles!
03 January 2010
what a way to end the year!
i did 3 contra dances, 3 nights in a row, for the last 3 weekends of 2009.
weekend 1:
concord scout house - crowfoot
guiding star grange - wild asparagus
guiding star grange - green street (sort of)
weekend 2:
guiding star grange - open band (christmas night)
guiding star grange - greenfield dance band, with matthew kenney on drums!
powder mill barn - white squall
weekend 3:
multnomah arts center - the mckassons (new years eve)
burlingame water tower - open band
fulton community center - UnLeashed!
that's the spirit!
weekend 1:
concord scout house - crowfoot
guiding star grange - wild asparagus
guiding star grange - green street (sort of)
weekend 2:
guiding star grange - open band (christmas night)
guiding star grange - greenfield dance band, with matthew kenney on drums!
powder mill barn - white squall
weekend 3:
multnomah arts center - the mckassons (new years eve)
burlingame water tower - open band
fulton community center - UnLeashed!
that's the spirit!
30 December 2009
winter training, day 7
as my last day at the conditioning center, i was ready to cash in on my "how do i take care of my ailing calf muscles?" question. they were hurting big time, and no ibuprofen or ice was taking the pain / tightness away. i did a lot of calf stretching on the wooden block shaped like a wedge, and then kate gave me the rolling pin to mash out my knots. that really did the trick!
workout of the day for december 30
10 min cardio
3 rounds, in order:
squats x 20 (no weight)
swings x 20 (smallest weight)
single leg bridges (in place of calf raises for me) x 20 each side
double leg lowering x 20
hammer curls x 20 (10lb)
tricep extensions x 20 (10lb)
pushups x 20
slams x 20 (4lb)
those slams are great for getting out frustration. even if you don't really have any! my mom said i made a mean face while i did them. i personally enjoyed the grunting.
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
extensive calf stretching with the wooden wedge and the rolling pin
i look forward to going back there next time i'm home. who knew resistance training could be so much work?
workout of the day for december 30
10 min cardio
3 rounds, in order:
squats x 20 (no weight)
swings x 20 (smallest weight)
single leg bridges (in place of calf raises for me) x 20 each side
double leg lowering x 20
hammer curls x 20 (10lb)
tricep extensions x 20 (10lb)
pushups x 20
slams x 20 (4lb)
those slams are great for getting out frustration. even if you don't really have any! my mom said i made a mean face while i did them. i personally enjoyed the grunting.
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
extensive calf stretching with the wooden wedge and the rolling pin
i look forward to going back there next time i'm home. who knew resistance training could be so much work?
29 December 2009
winter training, day 6
today i could REALLY feel the workout from yesterday in my calves. luckily, it was mostly an arm day so i didn't complain too much about my legs, figuring they'd feel better in a day or so.
workout of the day for december 29
10 min cardio
prone chest press 4x12 (10lb)
shoulder press 4x12 (10lb, switched to 8 after 2 rounds)
bent over row 4x12 (25lb)
bicep curl 4x12 (10lb)
tricep kickback 4x12 (10lb) (lean on bench, keep upper arm close to body, pivot at elbow)
planks 4x30 seconds
back extensions (supermans with no legs) x 30
penguin heel taps x 20 each side (lay on back with knees bent. use obliques to reach your heels. adjust distance as necessary)
10 min cardio
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
workout of the day for december 29
10 min cardio
prone chest press 4x12 (10lb)
shoulder press 4x12 (10lb, switched to 8 after 2 rounds)
bent over row 4x12 (25lb)
bicep curl 4x12 (10lb)
tricep kickback 4x12 (10lb) (lean on bench, keep upper arm close to body, pivot at elbow)
planks 4x30 seconds
back extensions (supermans with no legs) x 30
penguin heel taps x 20 each side (lay on back with knees bent. use obliques to reach your heels. adjust distance as necessary)
10 min cardio
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
28 December 2009
winter training, day 5
we had a nice little break, with christmas falling on friday. we didn't work out for 3 full days, and it felt great to have such relief! of course we were ready to get back to it when monday came.
workout of the day for december 28
10 min cardio
kettle bell squats 4x12 - don't remember which weight i used.
yoga ball hamstring curls 4x12 (bridged up on ball, then rolled feet toward body and back)(for some reason this really hurt my calves more than working my hamstrings...)
weighted step ups 4x8 (10lb each hand)(couldn't do them as fast with weights. plus they added an extra step for me[total of 3 step blocks], just to keep things challenging)
reverse lunges 4x12
3 position calf raises 4x12 (straight legs, feet turned out, feet turned in)
superman hold 20 sec x 3
side plank 10 sec x 3
rollups x 25
10 min cardio
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
workout of the day for december 28
10 min cardio
kettle bell squats 4x12 - don't remember which weight i used.
yoga ball hamstring curls 4x12 (bridged up on ball, then rolled feet toward body and back)(for some reason this really hurt my calves more than working my hamstrings...)
weighted step ups 4x8 (10lb each hand)(couldn't do them as fast with weights. plus they added an extra step for me[total of 3 step blocks], just to keep things challenging)
reverse lunges 4x12
3 position calf raises 4x12 (straight legs, feet turned out, feet turned in)
superman hold 20 sec x 3
side plank 10 sec x 3
rollups x 25
10 min cardio
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
24 December 2009
winter training, day 4
workout of the day for december 24 (christmas eve)
10 min cardio
the 12 days of christmas: volume 2. pyramid style!
the way to do this...
first do the first exercise
then do the second exercise, then the first exercise
then do the third, second, first
then do fourth, third, second, first
...get the idea? sing the 12 days of christmas and you'll see just how many partridges are in your pear tree.
1 squat with high pull (smallest weight)
2 kettle bell deadlifts - 18kg
3 reverse lunges
4 bent over row - 20lb
5 pushups
6 double leg lowering
7 supermans
8 skiers (pull down with the jc band with arms, bend knees)
9 squats (no weights)
10 jc chest fly (pull band from wide open arms together in front)
11 slams - 4lb
12 rollups
10 min cardio
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
merry christmas everyone! my mom and i were very good and didn't eat any cookies that the ladies all brought in for us to eat.
10 min cardio
the 12 days of christmas: volume 2. pyramid style!
the way to do this...
first do the first exercise
then do the second exercise, then the first exercise
then do the third, second, first
then do fourth, third, second, first
...get the idea? sing the 12 days of christmas and you'll see just how many partridges are in your pear tree.
1 squat with high pull (smallest weight)
2 kettle bell deadlifts - 18kg
3 reverse lunges
4 bent over row - 20lb
5 pushups
6 double leg lowering
7 supermans
8 skiers (pull down with the jc band with arms, bend knees)
9 squats (no weights)
10 jc chest fly (pull band from wide open arms together in front)
11 slams - 4lb
12 rollups
10 min cardio
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
merry christmas everyone! my mom and i were very good and didn't eat any cookies that the ladies all brought in for us to eat.
23 December 2009
winter training, day 3
workout of the day for december 23
10 min cardio
TABATA
20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, 7 rounds each
alternating shoulder press (started with 10lb, reduced to 8 for last 3 rounds)
squats (no weights)
bicep curls (10lb)
jacknives (lift one leg up, roll upper body up with arms)
planks (forward only)
jc punches (using one of those jumprope type elastic bands. one leg out front stance.)
10 min cardio
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
note: this was by far the most challenging workout yet, but it did bring together the entire lifting community within the center at the time, since we were all working out to the sound of the same beeping, telling us when to start and stop. we cheered each other on and said, "just two more!"
10 min cardio
TABATA
20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, 7 rounds each
alternating shoulder press (started with 10lb, reduced to 8 for last 3 rounds)
squats (no weights)
bicep curls (10lb)
jacknives (lift one leg up, roll upper body up with arms)
planks (forward only)
jc punches (using one of those jumprope type elastic bands. one leg out front stance.)
10 min cardio
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
note: this was by far the most challenging workout yet, but it did bring together the entire lifting community within the center at the time, since we were all working out to the sound of the same beeping, telling us when to start and stop. we cheered each other on and said, "just two more!"
mama if that's movin' up, then i'm working out...
well it's christmas eve eve and i haven't got a single thing wrapped. but i'm with my family and that's the main thing. i see a long night of wrapping ahead of me. that's ok though because that's how we do it here :)
finished my christmas shopping (with my brother) last night. am trying to get my christmas letter done but it's dragging me down. 3 years to catch everyone up on...and wording it so it sounds like me...seems like it would be so easy but i'm just not motivated to do it.
i've already been to 3 contra dances in the first week i've been here. concord massachusetts one night (to crowfoot!) and 2 nights in greenfield massachusetts (wild asparagus, and green street!) i've seen a bunch of people i haven't seen in a long time, and got to dance with some of my favorite dancers. plus, i got to go the people's pint to have their home brewed ginger ale. delicious. yum.
have been watching the office season 5 on dvd. enjoy that show so much, thanks to my brother for introducing it to me and letting me watch his dvds. have also been watching this season of house that my mom dvr'd. is that even a verb? i guess recorded is right. it's not taped, like it used to be :)
have had a hard time sleeping the past week. not sure if it's just holidays, or insomnia, or the bed, or caffeine, or the tv, or time zone differences, or sleeping in, or what. i get up at 8am and am not sleepy until 130am. and, if i don't give into my first whim to just fall asleep, it takes me another hour to get rested enough to just drift off. i hate this because i've always been a good sleeper.
so, i've been going to the gym to try to help myself get tired. i've been working out with my mom for the past several days. went to her gym, which focuses more on resistance training and some small weight stuff, but mostly coordination, agility, strength, and flexibility...there are trainers there and they make up a workout of the day. my leg muscles are sore, despite not having done very much weight lifting with my legs. i guess my body weight is enough!
i haven't been good about writing these work outs each day, but here's what i remember from today.
--------------------
gym report:
finished my christmas shopping (with my brother) last night. am trying to get my christmas letter done but it's dragging me down. 3 years to catch everyone up on...and wording it so it sounds like me...seems like it would be so easy but i'm just not motivated to do it.
i've already been to 3 contra dances in the first week i've been here. concord massachusetts one night (to crowfoot!) and 2 nights in greenfield massachusetts (wild asparagus, and green street!) i've seen a bunch of people i haven't seen in a long time, and got to dance with some of my favorite dancers. plus, i got to go the people's pint to have their home brewed ginger ale. delicious. yum.
have been watching the office season 5 on dvd. enjoy that show so much, thanks to my brother for introducing it to me and letting me watch his dvds. have also been watching this season of house that my mom dvr'd. is that even a verb? i guess recorded is right. it's not taped, like it used to be :)
have had a hard time sleeping the past week. not sure if it's just holidays, or insomnia, or the bed, or caffeine, or the tv, or time zone differences, or sleeping in, or what. i get up at 8am and am not sleepy until 130am. and, if i don't give into my first whim to just fall asleep, it takes me another hour to get rested enough to just drift off. i hate this because i've always been a good sleeper.
so, i've been going to the gym to try to help myself get tired. i've been working out with my mom for the past several days. went to her gym, which focuses more on resistance training and some small weight stuff, but mostly coordination, agility, strength, and flexibility...there are trainers there and they make up a workout of the day. my leg muscles are sore, despite not having done very much weight lifting with my legs. i guess my body weight is enough!
i haven't been good about writing these work outs each day, but here's what i remember from today.
--------------------
gym report:
10 min gliding runner
each exercise we did 7 reps, for 20 seconds each, and 10 seconds of rest
- kettle bell swing throughs (straight arms, swing kettle bell through legs, up to head height, using legs, squat position)
- alternating shoulder press
- squats
- bicep curl
- planks
- resistance band punching
- jacknifes (with weighted ball)
10 min gliding runner
10 min stretching
weight: didn't weigh today, but yesterday was 159.7
of course, i'm on a different scale so who really knows!
22 December 2009
winter training, day 2
workout of the day for december 22
10 min cardio (depending on the day, i'd either use the elliptical, the treadmill, or the easy glide runner. never got on the bikes.)
as many rounds as you can do in 20 minutes
step ups x 10 (each leg) (i did these fast because i liked the rhythmic sound it made)
push ups x 10
single leg bridges x 10 (each leg) (like a regular bridge but with one leg out, or crossed)
double leg lowering x 10
supermans x 10
hammer curls x 10 (10lb)
slams x 10 (4lb) (hold weighted sand ball above head, and slam it to the ground, using arms, shoulders, hips, legs...full body. grunting gladly accepted. makes you look tough.)
[i was able to do 4 rounds.]
10 min cardio
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
10 min cardio (depending on the day, i'd either use the elliptical, the treadmill, or the easy glide runner. never got on the bikes.)
as many rounds as you can do in 20 minutes
step ups x 10 (each leg) (i did these fast because i liked the rhythmic sound it made)
push ups x 10
single leg bridges x 10 (each leg) (like a regular bridge but with one leg out, or crossed)
double leg lowering x 10
supermans x 10
hammer curls x 10 (10lb)
slams x 10 (4lb) (hold weighted sand ball above head, and slam it to the ground, using arms, shoulders, hips, legs...full body. grunting gladly accepted. makes you look tough.)
[i was able to do 4 rounds.]
10 min cardio
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
21 December 2009
winter training, day 1
upon my return to CT for the holidays, i decided i would like to try to spend more time with my mother. i also thought it would be nice to keep up the exercise regimen i had begun in the fall term. thankfully, the conditioning center (sort of like a gym with physical therapists on hand) would accept me into their loving arms, and i could pay for a given number of visits and then use a punch card to check off each time i'd been there.
i had to go in for an evaluation, first, to see if there were any real problems with my body, my lifting style, etc. aside from putting too much weight on my toes during my initial screening of squats, i'd say i passed the rest of the test with flying colors. doing forward planks for a minute? no problem! sit ups, roll ups, supermans, dead lifts, bicep curls, bent over rows...i'm all over that stuff.
so, here's the workout of the day for december 21
10 min cardio (i used the elliptical that day)
20, 15, 10 reps
1 minute of cardio between 20-15
1.5 minutes of cardio between 15-10
kettle bell deadlifts - 18kg
squats (no weights)
bent over row - 25lb
shoulder press - 10lb
skull crushers - 10lb
rollups (situps with flat legs)
10 min cardio
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
i had to go in for an evaluation, first, to see if there were any real problems with my body, my lifting style, etc. aside from putting too much weight on my toes during my initial screening of squats, i'd say i passed the rest of the test with flying colors. doing forward planks for a minute? no problem! sit ups, roll ups, supermans, dead lifts, bicep curls, bent over rows...i'm all over that stuff.
so, here's the workout of the day for december 21
10 min cardio (i used the elliptical that day)
20, 15, 10 reps
1 minute of cardio between 20-15
1.5 minutes of cardio between 15-10
kettle bell deadlifts - 18kg
squats (no weights)
bent over row - 25lb
shoulder press - 10lb
skull crushers - 10lb
rollups (situps with flat legs)
10 min cardio
stretching regimen included:
using a strap and 3x30 seconds of hamstring stretching on each leg
standing up, 3x30 seconds of quad stretching on each leg
08 December 2009
i peel the bark
at work today:
lady: "you peel the bark off those sticks? that's hard work!"
at least someone appreciates my hours of intense work ethic and steady hands!
work smells like christmas! peeling the bark off western white pine today, the air is filled with the aroma of the holidays. ahh. life is good!
thoughts from previous days:
uphill climb home
if work was uphill i might never go
cold air hitting my face...brr...gets under the glasses, makes my eyes water! it's been in the teens out there the past few days. it is not comfortable in any way to bike downhill in such conditions. of course, it's not much fun biking at all in those conditions. uphill is not much better, but i am warm by the time i get home...
which is good because our house is essentially unheated. we've been having some wet wood issues and as such, haven't been able to get a good fire started, and, as such, have a freaking cold house because we want to be cheap and not turn on the heat when we're not there. one day this week it was 43 degrees, INSIDE the house. some people have gasped when i told them we kept the house in the 50's, but this was almost unbelieveable, even to me!
working for the weekend...i go to work, but i think constantly about the weekend when i'm not working!
overdrafting - first time in 15 years or so...ugh! have to pay closer attention. fees are killer! this was the biggest slap in the face i've had since i don't know when. i almost cried. now i'm afraid to spend money. maybe it's a good thing. but not for the economy.
--------------------
gym report:
20 min precor
3x10 @ 30lb military press
3x10 @ 50lb upright row
3x10 @ 30lb overhead press
3x10 @ 50lb lat pull down
3x8 @ 45lb bench press
3x10 @ 30lb bicep curl (machine)
3x10 @ 10lb tricep raise
3x10 upright abs
3x10 incline situps
10 min abs and stretching
weight: 162.4
stomper: went WAY too late to even think to look for her
notes: the pool and gym are nearly empty late at night.
lady: "you peel the bark off those sticks? that's hard work!"
at least someone appreciates my hours of intense work ethic and steady hands!
work smells like christmas! peeling the bark off western white pine today, the air is filled with the aroma of the holidays. ahh. life is good!
thoughts from previous days:
uphill climb home
if work was uphill i might never go
cold air hitting my face...brr...gets under the glasses, makes my eyes water! it's been in the teens out there the past few days. it is not comfortable in any way to bike downhill in such conditions. of course, it's not much fun biking at all in those conditions. uphill is not much better, but i am warm by the time i get home...
which is good because our house is essentially unheated. we've been having some wet wood issues and as such, haven't been able to get a good fire started, and, as such, have a freaking cold house because we want to be cheap and not turn on the heat when we're not there. one day this week it was 43 degrees, INSIDE the house. some people have gasped when i told them we kept the house in the 50's, but this was almost unbelieveable, even to me!
working for the weekend...i go to work, but i think constantly about the weekend when i'm not working!
overdrafting - first time in 15 years or so...ugh! have to pay closer attention. fees are killer! this was the biggest slap in the face i've had since i don't know when. i almost cried. now i'm afraid to spend money. maybe it's a good thing. but not for the economy.
--------------------
gym report:
20 min precor
3x10 @ 30lb military press
3x10 @ 50lb upright row
3x10 @ 30lb overhead press
3x10 @ 50lb lat pull down
3x8 @ 45lb bench press
3x10 @ 30lb bicep curl (machine)
3x10 @ 10lb tricep raise
3x10 upright abs
3x10 incline situps
10 min abs and stretching
weight: 162.4
stomper: went WAY too late to even think to look for her
notes: the pool and gym are nearly empty late at night.
03 December 2009
a day in the pearl
had to take my car in to get the brake fluid / system checked today. after dropping off the car i had a bit of free time on my hands (and no car). since i was in portland and a stones throw away from the pearl district, i decided to walk around and do some exploring.
it was a cold, cold day. i had a thermal shirt, sweater, fleece jacket, and down vest on, along with flannel lined pants, wool hat and socks, and walking around i was pleasantly comfortable. each time i went into a store, i had to remove the hat and unzip the vest and sometimes the fleece, but for the most part i was cozy all day long.
i stopped for a cupcake (ok, 2 mini cupcakes) at cup cake jones. admittedly a little more expensive than necessary, the cakes were DELICIOUS and really hit the mid-morning snack spot. they were moist enough that i didn't even crave milk after i ate them.
for lunch i went to a taco shop that specializes in local ingredients. i had the chicken tacos, which were simply marinated grilled chicken chunks with fresh pico de gallo, but man-oh-man were they good. i usually don't care for tacos, because they usually give them to you on corn tortillas that immediately disintegrate upon anything moist touching them, and therefore tacos can become a very messy meal that would have been easier to eat with a fork. however, these were on small flour tortillas, and didn't fall apart or disintegrate upon eating.
i did a lot of window shopping, and actually went into several stores. places i remember going into include rei, powell's books, patagonia, hunt and gather, the north face, cargo, eddie bauer, a sheepskin footwear/bedding store, and a few small furniture shops that i can't remember the names of.
i noticed, while walking, that each street sort of has a personality of it's own. by street, i mean avenue, as i walked the numbered streets north and south and north again. anyway, one thing that stuck out immediately to me, is that 13th ave is not a very pedestrian friendly street. there are no continuous sidewalks, and each of the buildings has stairs to get up to the level of the front door, and most of the road is either road or parking. another thing i realized, is that things get marginally less ritzy the closer you get to 405. so these were good things to know, for whatever they're worth.
in the end, i wound up at the urban grind, a coffee shop near where my car was being worked on. they had dragonfly chai which was delicious, but the music in there was weird, bordering on manic. it made me feel crazy and like a headache was coming on just being in there. and i don't think it was the tea. thankfully, the car place called after about 1/2 hour of being there, and i walked briskly back under the freeway to pay up for my vehicular repairs.
what a great day, though! the weather was fantastic. i even got to wear my sunglasses. while walking about, i got to thinking how it would be neat to live in a little apartment down there. lots of activity, bustling around...ahh. sometimes i miss being near the center of action in a town, but then i remember how it can be noisy.
another great thing about the day was the growing level of holiday spirit in the air. i actually like walking around, during december, and hearing christmas music, seeing christmas lights decorating buildings and trees, and the general feeling of how wonderful it is to be alive during this chilly time of year. if only i'd been able to find a candy shop...
--------------------
gym report:
went with jon to his gym today!
2 minutes stairs / 18 minutes treadmill
3x10 @ 45lb bench press
3x10 @ 50lb lat pull down
3x10 @ 25lb bicep curl
3x10 @ 8lb flys
3x10 @ 90lb leg extention
3x10 @ 70lb leg curl (prone)
3x10 @ upright abs
3x10 @ 30lb overhead press
3x10 @ 50lb overhead pullover
weight: 162.8 (different scale, so who knows)
stomper: in fact, *i* was the stomper today!
notes: i was actually surprised at how easy it was to run on the treadmill. i set the speed for about a 10 minute mile, and had the incline up to "1.0" whatever that means. it was a very comfortable pace and i probably could have run like that for an hour, at which point the machine informs me i would have burned 814 calories. then i could have the extra donut!
it was a cold, cold day. i had a thermal shirt, sweater, fleece jacket, and down vest on, along with flannel lined pants, wool hat and socks, and walking around i was pleasantly comfortable. each time i went into a store, i had to remove the hat and unzip the vest and sometimes the fleece, but for the most part i was cozy all day long.
i stopped for a cupcake (ok, 2 mini cupcakes) at cup cake jones. admittedly a little more expensive than necessary, the cakes were DELICIOUS and really hit the mid-morning snack spot. they were moist enough that i didn't even crave milk after i ate them.
for lunch i went to a taco shop that specializes in local ingredients. i had the chicken tacos, which were simply marinated grilled chicken chunks with fresh pico de gallo, but man-oh-man were they good. i usually don't care for tacos, because they usually give them to you on corn tortillas that immediately disintegrate upon anything moist touching them, and therefore tacos can become a very messy meal that would have been easier to eat with a fork. however, these were on small flour tortillas, and didn't fall apart or disintegrate upon eating.
i did a lot of window shopping, and actually went into several stores. places i remember going into include rei, powell's books, patagonia, hunt and gather, the north face, cargo, eddie bauer, a sheepskin footwear/bedding store, and a few small furniture shops that i can't remember the names of.
i noticed, while walking, that each street sort of has a personality of it's own. by street, i mean avenue, as i walked the numbered streets north and south and north again. anyway, one thing that stuck out immediately to me, is that 13th ave is not a very pedestrian friendly street. there are no continuous sidewalks, and each of the buildings has stairs to get up to the level of the front door, and most of the road is either road or parking. another thing i realized, is that things get marginally less ritzy the closer you get to 405. so these were good things to know, for whatever they're worth.
in the end, i wound up at the urban grind, a coffee shop near where my car was being worked on. they had dragonfly chai which was delicious, but the music in there was weird, bordering on manic. it made me feel crazy and like a headache was coming on just being in there. and i don't think it was the tea. thankfully, the car place called after about 1/2 hour of being there, and i walked briskly back under the freeway to pay up for my vehicular repairs.
what a great day, though! the weather was fantastic. i even got to wear my sunglasses. while walking about, i got to thinking how it would be neat to live in a little apartment down there. lots of activity, bustling around...ahh. sometimes i miss being near the center of action in a town, but then i remember how it can be noisy.
another great thing about the day was the growing level of holiday spirit in the air. i actually like walking around, during december, and hearing christmas music, seeing christmas lights decorating buildings and trees, and the general feeling of how wonderful it is to be alive during this chilly time of year. if only i'd been able to find a candy shop...
--------------------
gym report:
went with jon to his gym today!
2 minutes stairs / 18 minutes treadmill
3x10 @ 45lb bench press
3x10 @ 50lb lat pull down
3x10 @ 25lb bicep curl
3x10 @ 8lb flys
3x10 @ 90lb leg extention
3x10 @ 70lb leg curl (prone)
3x10 @ upright abs
3x10 @ 30lb overhead press
3x10 @ 50lb overhead pullover
weight: 162.8 (different scale, so who knows)
stomper: in fact, *i* was the stomper today!
notes: i was actually surprised at how easy it was to run on the treadmill. i set the speed for about a 10 minute mile, and had the incline up to "1.0" whatever that means. it was a very comfortable pace and i probably could have run like that for an hour, at which point the machine informs me i would have burned 814 calories. then i could have the extra donut!
01 December 2009
it only tuesday
yesterday couldn't go by fast enough. i was grateful when it was finally tuesday last night. then someone sent me this link:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/it_only_tuesday
hilarious. even though it's a few years old, i still felt the relevance today. although, today didn't feel nearly as bad as yesterday. yesterday i was ill and slept all day. then last night i hardly slept. i was glad to be done with all that yesterday business and get on to today! and by the time i post this, it will be wednesday. so i will backpost because it's important that this be posted on tuesday.
today was a good productive day. i made myself get out of bed and bike to work. i made myself go to the gym. i made myself work a bunch. now i've got enough hours to fill up the week, so i can take my vacation!
-------------------------
gym report:
no sara, she had sick roommates to attend to last night...no sleep = no gym...
20 min cardio / step / elliptical (precor! hopefully i'll remember to call it this from now on)
- got to look out the window today, since there were none available looking at the tvs...it's for the best. i got to see parking services put the boot on someone's car tire because they'd been parked illegally for too long. i would hate to be the person to have that job.
3x10 @ 70lb leg curl
3x10 @ 70lb leg extension
3x10 @ 65lb squats
3x10 @ 150lb leg press
3x10 @ 190lb toe raise
10 min abs and stretching
weight: 161.8
i may have been this weight, but i felt good and thought i looked pretty good in the mirror while i was doing squats. so nyah, scale! eat it!
stomper: i went too early, didn't see her
notes: 11am is a great time to be at the gym. hardly anyone in there. few people in the pool. few people on the machines.
http://www.theonion.com/co
hilarious. even though it's a few years old, i still felt the relevance today. although, today didn't feel nearly as bad as yesterday. yesterday i was ill and slept all day. then last night i hardly slept. i was glad to be done with all that yesterday business and get on to today! and by the time i post this, it will be wednesday. so i will backpost because it's important that this be posted on tuesday.
today was a good productive day. i made myself get out of bed and bike to work. i made myself go to the gym. i made myself work a bunch. now i've got enough hours to fill up the week, so i can take my vacation!
-------------------------
gym report:
no sara, she had sick roommates to attend to last night...no sleep = no gym...
20 min cardio / step / elliptical (precor! hopefully i'll remember to call it this from now on)
- got to look out the window today, since there were none available looking at the tvs...it's for the best. i got to see parking services put the boot on someone's car tire because they'd been parked illegally for too long. i would hate to be the person to have that job.
3x10 @ 70lb leg curl
3x10 @ 70lb leg extension
3x10 @ 65lb squats
3x10 @ 150lb leg press
3x10 @ 190lb toe raise
10 min abs and stretching
weight: 161.8
i may have been this weight, but i felt good and thought i looked pretty good in the mirror while i was doing squats. so nyah, scale! eat it!
stomper: i went too early, didn't see her
notes: 11am is a great time to be at the gym. hardly anyone in there. few people in the pool. few people on the machines.
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