Desperately trying to maintain a positive attitude...

So here is the deal, on a previous blog (a few years ago) one of my calling cards was these rants I would go off on, random tangents about shit in general that pissed me off. Almost like comedy in that, I'm pretty sure I was just identifying things that everyone else thought about, but were afraid to mention. I think I was coming across a bit harsh though, but it's a fine line between comedy and acting ignorant. With that, I shall try to walk the line, some things just can't go unsaid.

I've also included this random shot I took while downtown in Cincinnati today. I was actually across the river in Newport, looking back at the City. Just bored, checked out some stuff, and all the people wearing huge coats and shivering like it was the 1st Ice Age or something. Granted, I hate the cold, but damn...

More to follow...

Officially bachin it for 10 dayz...

That's right, just dropped my wife and daughter off at the airport, they are headed off to tropical regions for 10 days whilst I suck up the cold here in the Nasty Natti. Usually I'm the one that leaves, for 2008 I've been gone about 8-9 months out of the year, this time they get to leave me behind. Funny thing, later this month I have another 3 week school, and then end of Feb I start train-up which effectively puts me away from home for 14 months. I love what I do though, wouldn't have it any other way. I was talking to a friend the other day, she was freaking out about leaving her kids behind to take a weekend trip with her husband...lol. Makes you realize this life isn't for everyone, andthats perfectly ok with me.

Ok, just a point of interest here, it's pretty difficult blogging while driving with a knee through a city construction zone on a major highway...but I digress...

So anyhoo, back to the topic at hand, I'm rollin solo for a while. Should make for an interesting New Years celebration, hopefully I don't meet one of my dogs under the mistletoe, as they will be my only company as we bring in the 2-double-oh-nizzle (2009). Hell, I'll probably go to sleep before then, what's the big deal anyways? A man made point in time given significance yet again by men, commercialized and bled dry by retailers, and an excuse to get blasted by party-goers. Good times!

First order of business for me, stopping at the gm on my way home. Should be pretty empty this time of day, can't wait to get my lift on, gotta smack the abs hard too.

Ok, I'm out!

Eat Mor...Chiken

Lunch today was interesting. While consuming our discounted (by 50%) meal, we were assaulted by a 7 foot Bovine who appeared to be comfortable walking upright. Actually, when I was stationed in the armpit of America, AKA Oklahoma, I learned that "cow" means the female variety of the Bovine, and a Bull (I think that's right) is the male variety, and somehow the term Steer fit in there as well. Regardless, it provided a nice opportunity for a photo op. You can tell how excited the creature was to be posing with two adults... It was hilarious that a few children were made to cry when the animal tried to "pet" them. hahaha.... Suckas! ps: Try the chicken salad with Caesar dressing, it's good.

A $15 haircut, but it's worth it...

I get my hair cut about once every week and a half, slight fade/taper but not too short, thinned out on top and leave the bangs longer. Costs me $13 plus tip = 15 bones. I don't just go for the cut though, it's all about the experience.

I've had the same barber since moving here 4 years ago. Multiply that by 4 cuts a month, that's a lot of time spent there. The funny thing is, he always asks me how I want it cut, as if it changed, but that's part of the experience. Also, I'm sure the actual "cut" could take about 5 minutes, but he makes it last 30. We usually talk about the same things, the weather, house, motorcycles, sports...you just know what to expect. Today I sat down in the chair, and mentally told myself the 1st three subjects he would bring up, and I was dead on.

He is a simple guy, nice as they come, and content to cut hair. I should mention his dad cuts hair 2 chairs down, so it runs in the family. He also cuts my dad and brother's hair...so I often ask if my old man has been in lately.

Sure, I could go to great clips and be in and out in 10 minutes, get my head wacked by some no-name fresh out of barber school, or I could head down to the hole in the wall shop in the corner of an old strip mall, with their 1970's wood paneling and sponsored Tball teams/trophies dating back 30 years. The place where if I don't come in for 3 weeks because I'm out of town my barber calls to make sure I'm not mad at him, needs me to come back because he's got bills to pay. Yup, that's where I want to go, just like Cheers, where everybody knows your name...

I always want to quit...

No matter if I'm running 2 miles, 6, 10....there is always a point at which I want to stop. It's interesting because that point varies based on distance, it has to be a mental thing. If I'm running 2 for time (Army Physical Fitness Test), I always think I'm going to keel over around the 1.25 mile mark. If I'm going for say, 6 miles, the 3rd and 4th are always the "hump" miles, and so it continues.

I'm so far away from where I need to be right now, I'm basically (to use an overused analogy) just treading water in the cardiovascular fitness department, trying to hold on to some form of fitness until it warms up. To give you an idea where I should be, last summer I was able to run 5 miles in the Georgia heat and humidity, over pretty hilly terrain, in under 40 minutes. This was one of our requirements to pass Infantry school. Of course there was the train up for the Army 10 miler too, where I was running 25 to 30 miles a week, not stellar but a pretty significant achievement for me.

Which brings us to my sad state of being currently. I just ran for 28 minutes outside, and it was a real struggle. I'm guessing about 3.5 miles at my snails pace. Like I said, I'm just hanging on by a thread. I couldn't have done another half mile if you told me there was a open bar waiting at the end. Maybe that's my issue? Too much booze lately? I dunno, I drank quite a bit in Infantry school, so that can't be the problem. After all, we all know a drink per day keeps the DR away.

So now I'm in recovery mode. Relax for about an hour, eat a Tuna salad and suck down a protein shake, and then go to the gym. Hopefully my struggles motivate others to get out there as well. I am probably one of the biggest procrastinators known to the human race, Captain Lazy right here ladies and germs...so if I can get out and do it so can you!

Testing...1, 2, 3...

Posting mobile from my Crackberry, microphone check if you will. Seems nobody is at work this week, so I'm at Starbucks currently sippin on some hot coffee. Think I'll go back and send out a few more emails, the pop smoke (military speak for exit) early so I can get my wig split (hood speak for haircut).

Alrighty then, time to make like a tree...

I curse the inventor...

Whoever invented Guitar Hero (World Tour) or the similar gaming system known as Rockband needs to be....well congratulated for bringing out the "wannabe" in all of us. I swear I have logged countless hours on this addiction since purchasing the game over a week ago. The stud in me really wants to be a Rockstar, and of course they have catered to this desire...and I'm sure many others have been caught up in the whirlwind of home grown stardom. I must admit, whether playing the guitar, drums, or screaming into the $20 microphone...it is hella fun and a great time. I am half Filipino, and when at parties with my relatives it seems someone always breaks out the Karaoke machine. Well my cousins, this tops regular karaoke like none other. I can sing, drum like Travis Barker and throw down on the guitar like Slash like fo shizzle! I'm actually getting pretty good, gonna have to get a band together and start playing gigs before you know it. That's it, I'm quitting my job! Gonna be a starving artist, buy a 1975 tour bus and live from diner to diner while showering every 3rd day! FTW baby!

Seriously, if you have the means.....BUY THIS GAME. I have really never owned a gaming device, and therefore had to purchase an XBOX360 along with the game, but wow has it been worth it. I have convinced myself that I could have actually pursued a musical career, even though my voice blows, I can barely keep up with drums on "medium" level, and the 5 button guitar whoops my ass every time. I love living in an alternate reality.

Patience (and boredom) pays off...

So today is one of those days where you sit around the house, do some laundry, wash dishes, get tired of watching TV, play on the internet, yadda yadda. I was sitting at my desk and opened the left drawer, and inside was my bib from the recent Army Ten Miler that I ran in Washington D.C., back in October. I kind of wanted to have a picture from this event, since for me running 10 miles might as well be like scaling Mt. Everest, besides I just like cool shit hanging on my wall.

Google assisted me in finding the website that takes and sells photos for various races across the country, hundreds of thousands of photos in their database no doubt. I found the link for the 2008 ATM, typed in my bib # and came up with a big fat 0. Hmmmm, this does not bode well thought I. However, they did say that if you can't find your picture, you can scroll through their "lost and found" archive to see if your picture was in there. Ok, cool, seriously how many pictures could there be? Ok sure, the race had over 25,000 runners but hey, most should have gotten a proper picture with their bib # exposed. And so my scan/click next page journey began. I found my picture...after looking at about 6000 people that WERE NOT me. Hey, what else did I have to do today? After all, a couple hours of time on the computer, a lifetime on the wall in a cool case with my bib # in there too. Bragging rights beotches!

The only bad part about this picture is the obviously older gentleman who is in front of me, this gives the distinct impression that I am running with an imaginary refrigerator on my back, or that I simply am slower than a donkey. Both are true, and if you notice my sexy knee brace, I will tell you that I simply overtrained for this event, and my knee was throbbing the entire way. Even now, in Dec, I still feel the strain sometimes when I run. Ah well, it's all good. I forgot to mention, this print was $30 to order as an 8x10! Yikes, what a rip! I got an 8x10 printed from Walgreens the other day, cost me $2.

Almost....health food

So I stopped on the way home from the gym to pick up some items which would be crucial to me attaining my goal of losing a couple pounds from the belly. Granted, these are not considered "health food" by any stretch, still not the best given their fat/sugar/calorie content, but the (much) lesser of two evils when considering what I have been putting down my throat. Think fries, chicken wings, various casseroles, ham, appetizers, the list goes on and on... I think we should all be entitled to pig out every now and then, this way we can get back on track with a definite motivation and willingness to stick with it. By simply drinking iced tea, eating salads loaded with tuna and substituting yogurt or other fruits for snacks instead of potato chips, the 5 or more pounds will be gone in a week and the tummy will be tighter. Too friggin easy, just gotta stick with it.

The gym workout today was pretty decent too, I almost forgot to mention. Did some circuits, round robin type stuff. Pull-ups, Dips, incline sit-ups, push-ups, leg raises....if that is 1 set then I did that set 5 times without many breaks. Definitely leaves you gasping for air, feeling like a weakling. Tomorrow is shoulders, and abdominals. One thing about me, I never really do any given routine on a set day, nor to I log my routines, nor do I do the exact same thing every time. I guess I just go until I can't go anymore, and do whatever feels right at the time. Seems to have worked thus far...

50 Meter Target

Short term goal this week. Lose 5 lbs. Easily achieved, and I've done it many times before. The problem is, do I WANT to do it, can I have the discipline to do it? I rarely weigh myself, but I'm pretty sure I'm tipping the scales at around 210 right now. I'm by no means fat, chubby, overweight, but in my personal opinion I need to be between 200 and 205 to feel good about myself. I have a few things working against me currently:

1. Winter
2. Holiday food binge
3. Winter
4. I hate to run in the cold
5. Winter

So as you can tell, I need to get off my ass and drop of few pounds this week. Since I don't utilize a scale, I depend on another scientific method to determine where I am weight wise. It's the "do I feel like I am constantly sucking my gut in/how do I look in the mirror" method. The first is self-explanatory, right now I feel like I have to suck my gut in all the time, lest it push out and make me feel bad. The second involves a mirror. If I can look in the mirror and see all the stomach muscles, I'm fine. If I look in the mirror and the bottom two are becoming obscured by a layer of evil padding, then well....we've got work to do.

The problem lies not in my workout, other than the lack of running. I still do cardio, and lift weights, and some circuit training. The issue is in my diet. So, for this week I vow to cut back and eat healthier, and continue to just do what I do in the gym. Today I'm planning on some circuit training and then the boredom of the treadmill. I hate the'mill, but its cold and windy outside, and us Infantryman just can't be uncomfortable, that would be a travesty!

We'll see where I'm at a week from now. Even writing this on the blog provides some form of accountability. Interesting how that works eh?

Welcome to the party

So, am I the only one in the room? Hello? Interesting....

2009 is upon us, and with that another year, more bills to pay, fluctuations in weather patterns and the stock market, the rise and fall of various leaders across the planet, and another few hundred piles of poo left by my dogs in the backyard. But I digress...

I'm starting this blog up as a general exercise in futility, as I'm sure the readers will number less than the fingers I have on one hand, one of those being me. However, the general feeling to release one can achieve from merely writing is good in itself, kind of a medicine I guess, so at the end of the day it's a win win situation.

We are moving towards as new year as I stated before, the meaning of which gets less and less as I get older. Holidays, birthdays, another year, or more like a pain in the ass (I must tell you now that if you are going to read my blog you will have to get used to the insertion of a few less than pleasant words) when you forget to write the new date correctly, time continues on no matter what "labels" we as a society put on things. Some dates do have significance though, and for me those dates start at the end of Feb. I'm moving towards my 2nd deployment overseas, and our training for that deployment begins at that time.

Currently I'm in the Army National Guard (hold all boos to the end please, thank you) and working on a full time basis to help get our unit ready for this deployment. I won't bore you with the details, but it is a pretty labor intensive project, with many many blocks to check and many points of contact. I like to refer to it as a moving target. Imagine trying to slay a deer, running at full speed across a field littered with trees, and you have a slingshot and a rock. This is the challenge, but at the end of the day it will get done.

The good news is I won't use this blog only to write about military stuff, I'll obviously use it for other things, to write about whateverthehellIwant! Should I throw a random "beoootch" in there? Seemed like a good time for a "beooootch!" But anyways, yes I do other things and I'm sure will post about them in here as well. My trips to the gym, should be some great material as we are moving into the season where a crush of newcomers will flood the gyms across America for the next few weeks in an effort to fulfill their New Years resolutions, only to take up space and then quit. Shame.... Lemme see, I am married with a daughter and two dogs, so I'm sure they will be apart of this blog from time to time, although to protect the names of the innocent I'll probably refrain from too much posting on that. I don't know what else, sometimes I do go off on tangents and rant, but I'm desperately trying to remain positive throughout this entire experience! PMA = positive mental attitude.

This concludes my opening post, where it will go from here nobody knows! All I know is, it's still early Sunday morning and I need more coffee. Ciao.