Last night before bed

10 regualar push-ups
10 elbows at the sides push ups, wow were those hard
20 squats

Slept good for about 10 hours. My lats are sore, my legs feel the squats, and the arms feel the push-ups.

Pull-ups

The numbers:

5-4-3-2-1

Tried to do round 2, but failed. It was hard.

3-2-1

Gotta watch these

Top 10 Incredible Animal Videos

*Tip of the paw to cuteoverload

Pull-ups

And I want to, in almost 8 months, be able to do 10 un-assisted pull-ups?

Used the band again tonight, and the Pull Up FitDeck. Only did a couple of cards, and even at the beginner level, I would have to stop and take a break.

6 - Alternating grip
4 - 2 hand Outlaw rope pull-ups (even harder).
8 - Mountain Climber

They were not pretty. They were not easy. If other people were counting, some of them probably wouldn't have counted. I got up, but not always chin over the bar.

my arms hurt. By the way, it took about 20 minutes to do those.

Another thing I'm trying between now and then is Lat Loading. If you saw Dave Whitley's post on Engaging the Lat video, you'll know what I'm trying. Hanging from the Pull-Up bar and pulling the shoulders back into their sockets.

I miss having a house

The people that live above me love to stomp around at all hours. They love to bang on their floor / my ceiling, when the bird is freaking out. Which only makes it worse. And he's usually freaking out because they've been stomping.

Doesn't look like I'm going to work out in the mornings. The bird likes to squawk as I work out. He's right there, but I'm not doing what he wants me to, so he's noisy about it.

Was trying to get through 10 FitDeck Stretch cards, but the bird wouldn't let me.

10 2 hand swing - 16kg kettlebell
Neck rotation
10 right hand swing
hamstring stretch
10 left hand swing
calf stretch
10 right hand swing
scorpion
10 left hand swing

2009 goals

Made my goal list for 2009.

Here it is, like always it's a living document.

Finance:
Lower current debt, save more:
Use less plastic. Carry cash, leave debit card at home.

Transfer remaining checking balance to Emigrant Direct from previous pay on payday.
Create Orange Checking account. Direct Deposit rent + to it.
Learn and start using GnuCash
Look into getting a second job

Improve employability:

Xen:
Read running Xen,
Get some virtual servers working with Open Source Xen.
Upgrade the Laptop to a larger hard drive.
Get a new Server system with VT chip set and working
500g to 1tb hard drive space
8 to 64g memory
VT Chip
ATX form factor
LPI Level 1:
Brush up on shell scripting
Read Running Linux, LPI Nutshell
Perl
Read Learning Perl, all the way through. Work on scripts.

Cisco:
Read CCNA books
Practice on the lab
Need power supply, Hex tap?
Then what?
CCVP(?), CCNP(?), CCSP(?)
Resume Update – rebuild resume from near scratch

Health:
Get down to 190lbs (from 240lbs)
ETK with 24 kg. (Goal April 26 2009)
Providence one a week, until I can go all the way through with 16kg
Newport after Providence
Martial Arts 3 times a week
FitDeck schedule and stick to it.
10 un-assisted pull ups by my birthday
100 push ups by May
Get Ring System


Martial Arts:
Ready for Black belt by Christmas 2009
First Gup requirements:
Pyung Ahn O Dan
Ba Sa Hee
Bow Staff
Chil Sung Il Ro
Chil Sung EE Ro
Knife form
10 take downs
Actually make it by 6pm every week
Attend Saturday Classes

Improve Education:
Get better at math:
Schaum's Elementary Algebra
Schaum's Intermediate Algebra

Read More:
Finish Hogan's Giant Novels (2 to go).
Beyond Fear - Bruce Schneier
Kathy Reichs
Assault on reason - Al Gore
Kathy Reichs
God Deliusion - Richard Dawkins
Kathy Reichs

5x3 pull-ups

5 sets of 3 pull ups, 3 minutes rest between sets, using my 1 3/4 inch band.

The first 2 from each set, was chest to the bar. The last one each set I had a hard time getting my chin over the bar.

I could probably do more right now, a few more sets, but I did more than planed anyway.

More FitDeck stuff (I get email).

I emailed the guy that made FitDeck, Phil Black, suggesting the blank cards. He responded saying they've played around with that idea some, and plan to include them in the 2009 cards.

While not much use to me, I have all the cards I want right now (unless they come out with some "volume 2" decks), it'll at least be useful to other people who haven't gotten theirs yet, so they can wait and get the new run.

His email response:
Hi, Chris. Thanks for your suggestion. We have toyed with the idea of including a few extra "blank" cards for people to create their own favorite exercises. We plan to incorporate this concept in the next generation FitDecks which will launch in 2009. Thanks for the feedback.

Best wishes,
phil

Something I wish FitDeck had included

After using three decks, I realized that there is something I would have included when i made the decks, if I had made them. 2 to 5 blank cards, for users of the deck to make their own cards.

About 8 years ago, give or take, I was talking with a company about making guitar flash cards. I was taking guitar lessons at their Southfield MI store. The instructor I had suggested making flash cards, for the different cords he was teaching me. Everyone he had would use 3x5 cards, make rough drawings of the guitar neck, and indicate which strings were held down, which were open, and which were not strummed when playing. Being the geek I am, I was able to use Viso to make them. They printed out really nice. Then I printed a few blank ones, so I could take notes, and make new cords on, when I learned them. The instructor saw them, because I kept them in my music folder, and took them to the store's education manager. I made about 10 prototype decks, even laminated those. The instructor took some and gave them to his other students. They really liked them. The manager took it up the food chain. The last I heard they were going through legal to see if there would be any problem printing them and selling them nation wide. Problem is, I stopped taking lessons (the instructor left) and the store closed (they went bankrupt).

The one thing that everyone liked was the blank cards. It was just the guitar fret board, which people could draw things on. I've seen other card decks (Munchkin) do similar things (the blank cards). Actually that might have been where I got the idea from, I don't remember anymore.

It would be great to have a few blank FitDeck cards per deck, which had the same layout as the other cards (different color card from all the others) with the level bubbles, exercise description area.

I know I'd add Burpees to the body weight deck, some more push-ups to the combat deck, and then Snatches and Turkish Get Ups to kettlebell deck. I'd have to figure out what deck to put pistols into.

FitDeck Kettlebell, post workout review

I've used 3 decks now in different ways. The Combat Sports deck and the Body Weight Decks rock. The numbers on all the decks could be a little higher though for the more advanced people. I'm used to ETK in week 1, you're doing 20 swings and 1 minute active rest, for 12 minutes.

Also trying to workout on Christmas when you have no one else to answer the phone, or chase down the bird / keep him company is just a pain.

It also lets people know what they're in for before buying the deck. If I had known what the 18 exercise cards were, I would have probably skipped this deck. Which would have saved me money because I would have not got Military Madness (set of 6 cards), since I don't need stairs, I could have bought the 4 decks instead of the 6.

FitDeck Kettlebell workout, shuffle and draw:
Flip and Squat
Russian Twist
R/L Clean & Press
Alternating Swings
Wave Squat
L/R Suitcase Dead Lift
L/R Single Leg Dead Lift
Double the next card
Turkish Sit Up
[removed the rest of the list]

FitDeck Kettlebell review

First the disclaimer for those that don't know me: I'm not a kettlebell professional yet. That will change when I get the money saved, and I feel I'm in good enough shape. I've been using Kettlebells since March 2007, and I wrote this in December of 2008. While I'm not a professional, I have taken classes with 3 different RKCs, studied kettlebells fairly in depth, and used them to rehab from lingering physical defects of being a pedestrian hit by a car. This review might sound negative, but my goal was to be critical of it.

So I haven't ran the deck / workout yet... But when I looked through the cards yesterday, I saw some that disappointed me with their instruction, and some that just made me say what the hell is this guy smoking.

The first thing that troubled me about these cards, was the "Using FitDeck Kettlebell" card, one of the 6 information cards. Under equipment needed: "Kettlebell(s) (from 5-50 lbs.)". Maybe I'm just being picky, but I think the weight range is too light. If you look at either the Dragon Door site, or the Art of Strength site, you'll find how to pick the right size weight. They usually say 8kg (about 18lbs) for women just starting. The upper weight range is higher. Personally, as my heavy weight, I have a 32kg, about 72lbs, Kettlebell. My normal workout weights, depending on what I'm doing, are 16kg (36lbs) and 24kg (53lbs). Personally I think anything under 4kg (about 9lbs), the weight I would use for teaching kids only, is just a marketing gimmick. Adults, unless special circumstances, shouldn't use anything less than 8kg to start (for the record, with my limp and bad hip, I still started off at a higher weight than that).

Next was the "Warm Up" Card, again an information card, covers how to warm up, cool down, and stretch. Those 3 items didn't bother me at all, what did was the last item on the card. The Rack position. The image of the person holding it, shows the wrist bent back instead of locked straight from the arm. If you're not familiar with the rack, it is one of the basic holds for a kettlebell. The handle is in your hand, at about shoulder level, the elbow is close to the side, and the bell rests on the back of your forearm, with your wrist locked. If you want to see a locked wrist, take and arm and hold it straight out in front of you with your hand in a fist. If you're doing it right (like you're throwing a punch) it is one straight line. The wrist isn't bent at all. Another way to see what a locked wrist is, is to do knuckle push-ups. Like I said, the card is not showing that.

The cards that I have the what the hell attitude towards are these, and I said what I'd do different or switch them with:

"CRUNCH" - put the kettlebell between your feet in a sit-up position, then do straight arm crunches. you go back down when your hands pass your knees. When this one comes up, I'll do Turkish Sit Ups (press kettlebell, sit straight up).

"LEG SWAY" - Hold the kettlebell by the horns directly over your chest. Bring your knees up, to a 90 degree, then lower them to the side. Go back and forth. The kettlebell stays over your chest, and your shoulder blades stay flat on the floor. I'm going to swap this card for a Russian Twist.

"RENEGADE LUNGE"renegade lunge - hold the kettlebell at the naval by the horns. Side lunge right and left. Actually the only problem I have with this card, is how they hold the bell. I'll be doing bottom-up at the chest thanks.

"GOOD MORNINGS" - Stand with both feet together hold the bell 2 handed in front of you, then bend over and touch your toes. Looks really like a legs together, straight legged dead lift. Going to replace this one with Wave Squats.

I think the following are bad instructions, nothing wrong wit the exercise itself, just not explained very well:

On all the clean cards, they say to start from the rack position and then drop the bell and do a clean. I think his point was so people wouldn't do dead cleans each time, but could have been said better.

On the swing cards, except "alternating swing" aka hand to hand, he tells you to swing too high. He says to Swing to eye level. The alternating swing card, he says chest level.

The one arm swing is listed as an upper body exercise. To me that sounds like they expect you to lift with your arms (ie bad form).

And lastly the funniest card in the batch, Swing Catch Squat. Swing bell up, catch it, and do a squat. The card just looks funny, because the way it's drawn it looks like the guy has to reach out to grab the bell. It also says to swing bell up, let go and catch it. That's great, but that means I'll have to lean forward to catch it. Thankfully I know Flip-n-Squat.

Things I would have liked included in the deck:

Snatches, High-Pulls, Windmills, full Turkish Get Ups (closest they came was the "Get Up Sit Up" which was only half the TGU.), Thrusters, and chest presses.

Don't get me wrong. I think the cards are great concept, and I appreciate the work that Mr. Black did on them, but I think he should have have ran them past some certified Kettlebell instructors first. I do think that these cards will give you a hell of a work out, especially with the proper weight at the higher levels. I do not think however that all the cards are good for you, meaning a few of them might hurt you (Leg Sway, Renegade Lunge, Good Morning). These cards in my opinion are for people that have experience in kettlebells and not just starting out.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go grab 24kg and hit the deck (after changing the 3 cards I really do not like).

Go here for my follow up, after workout review

10 from Combat Sports

The first time it felt good. the second time, I felt worked out. Now I think I'm just torturing myself.

Since I was shuffling the 20 card combat sports set this time... I took 10 from there. Combat Sports is all body weight.

Order I did these 10 in:
6 Sprawl
6 per side Rear Thrusting Kick
Double NEXT Card
6 per side Staggered Leg Push Up (which I had to repeat again).
6 Hip Up
6 Back Bend
6 Jump with Rotation, I think back and forth would work better for a count instead of each turn
6 Red Rover
20 seconds of Fingertip hold (think finger tip high plank). My fingers hate it. I could only do 16 seconds. Both my ring fingers hyper extend when I do that, even when I do finger tip push-ups.
8 Judo push-ups. Also known as Navy Seal Push-ups, Hindu Push-ups, and Dive Bomber Push-ups

And last set for today, since I'm leaving about 4:30, cleaning up some and going to a good old southern style christmas dinner.

Another Hour, Another 10 cards

After the last set, I put the cards on the bottom of the deck, and reshuffled.

This trip through:
24 run in place knee taps. Only counts every other one.
8 half sit ups were back
20 second wall sits (squat down a wall, and hold it for allotted time)
16 side crunches (switch half way through. Sit up, move knees one way or other. I need to work on the flexibility some.
20 seconds tripod hold. Switch hands half way through
8 dips (used my desk since the chair has wheels)
8 Belly angles. Lay face down, and move your hands from side to head and back.
Repeat Last Card
20 second crab crawl came back
20 seconds The Bridge (we call these planks where I come from)

AT&T U-Verse TV SUCKS!

AT&T U-verse TV is defective by design. Normally when you hear the phrase Defective By Design, it means DRM. However that is not the case this time.

As I said the other day AT&T has a problem with the tuner box shutting itself off.

I called before I left for work today. I spoke to a nice lady at the tech line, but all she could tell me was, the magic number is 6 hours. Its to protect the tv screen from "Image Burn In" in case the system crashes. The time is burnt into the firm ware, and can not be changed. I don't care what ever way you try to cut it, that is a system that is Defective By Design. The defect is in the Set Top Box (STB), not the residential gate way.

So here are my options:
- Cancel AT&T U-Verse tv, and get Comcast (the only other provider in my complex).
- Cancel U-Verse and get rabbit ears and a HD Converter box.
- Keep U-verse, get an HD Converter box, rabbit ears and a signal switch box.
- Build a new DVR / Media Center from a pc. But that means finding out if there are any tv capture cards for the AT&T system (which uses cat 5 instead of Coax)
- Buy a bird sitting DVD or two (which the guys at the bird store said could be set to loop.

Right now, I'm thinking the last 3 options, although considering how little I watch tv, canceling is still way up there.

A NOTE TO AT&T's ENGINEERS: YOU FAIL SIRS
A NOTE TO AT&T: Until you're boxes are fixed and people can opt out of the ENGERGY STAR Stuff, or at least change the timers YOUR TV SERVICE SUCKS

Bored at work

Sitting at work bored. Most people took today off, but I work in a department that needs to have people here. The manager wanted me here, because everyone else in our group, except the new girl, had the day off. Everyone else scheduled for more than just today off because they went out of town this week.

Anyway, bored and looking through my FitDecks. So I decided to shuffle the bodyweight one for a bit. then drew the top 10 cards. Only 8 were work out cards. Since I'm wearing work clothes (dress shoes, cargo pants, and a polo shirt (change the shoes and the shirt I'd be willing to go for a while)) I decided to do just the beginner level of the cards. This was before I knew that 2 of the cards were modifier cards.

In order I drew them:
40 vertical arm rotations
8 half situps (ie crunches)
8 kick backs (I did 8 per leg instead of switching halfway through like the card said)
30 seconds (intermediate level opps) Oblique bridge. (switch sides after time).
12 stationary lunges, switched after 6 per side. My right knee no liked.
20 seconds crab crawl. I just went back and forth in the space I had.
30 - second water break. I didn't take no 30 seconds
30 half jumping jacks. those were fun, but my legs kept going further than they should have.
8 staggered push-ups (I switched after 4 per side, my chest and arms are tight from the other workouts. Been tight for about a week. Only really notice it when I go to do more exercies though (usually push-ups))
Last Card: Double Next Card. Probably should have just doubled the push-ups.

FitDeck order

I have to go pick my FitDeck order up at the post office tomorrow.

wow my hands hurt

The blister / callus things hurt. They're also puffed up. I think I'll have to rethink the set up on this work out, since it's the pull ups that is causing them to puff up and hurt like this.

Since I was pressed for time, because I'm a lazy git that didn't want to get out of bed, like most mornings; and wanted to get a workout in before work.

24kg bell, no breaks:
5 right hand swings
5 snatches
5 right leg suitcase dead lifts
5 pushups
5 pull ups (with band assist).
5 left hand swings
5 sntaches
5 left leg suitcase dead lifts
5 pushups
5 double 24kg squats (double clean, and then squat 5 times).

Actually feels pretty good. Wish I had more time to do more. But I want to try and be at work before 9am.

Oh and in slightly related news... I've had my sweat pants for about 10 years (9 I think). they're great. 5 pockets, UofM's M logo, a bluish gray color. Got them at K-mart when I went back to martial arts late 98 early 99 time frame. there are holes where the cargo pockets attach to the legs on both sides. They're way comfy. Earlier this week when tying them, the draw string broke. Where the string crossed itself to be tied. I was able to slide it around and re-tie it no problem. Today when I did the 3rd squat, the string broke again. the other side where it used to cross, but was now in the band. I pulled the string out. Kind of sad, I really like these pants, and I can't find another pair. No my weight has had less to do with the pants falling apart, than the age of the material. OH AND I'M STILL WAITING FOR MY FITDECK.

blisters

My hands have blisters. Really really sore right now. The blisters are under my calluses. Mostly from the pull ups. They've been puffing up after doing them, but this is the first time it hurts to open and close my hands.

It's a good day

I feel good today. I felt a little wore down when I got up. Lack of working out probably. Dragged my but to martial arts.

We did a light warm up. Lots of basic motions. Got my basic stances tweaked some. Lower stances. Lower stances burn the legs. Think squat on one leg, about 1/3 of the way to a full squat, roughly. Then hold it for about a minute. Wash and repeat.

This afternoon, I've worked some pull ups. Clean and press the 32kg bell. 20 push ups. More pull ups. a couple of bridges. I'm liking those by the way. Oh and some sumo dead lifts with 32kg bell. Plus I picked up my 45lb plates and put them on end of the pull up stand's legs. So I could do kip style pull ups (kick the knees up).

My legs aren't too bad. they're a little sore, the knees hurt on the sumo dead lifts (20 of them). My arms and back however hurt more. Those are sore and a little stiff.

Oh and my bird is trying to eat my face off.

ninja warrior

I saw the 2008 Ninja Warrior. The third stage looks way wicked. I was impressed.

What I'd still love to see is some of the RKC higher ups take on Ninja Warrior. That would be awesome to watch.

My problems with AT&T U-verse

I'm thinking of canceling my AT&T U-verse, my cable and internet. Yes the service I just got turned on yesterday.

Nutshell version, they're sales people lie, and they force their environmental beliefs on you.


1) The sales lady lied to me about the install date. She said that they'd be able to push it up in the calendar. They didn't. They didn't even show up ON TIME.

2) They lied to me about the availability of Static IP addresses. there is no where in the router / cable modem combo that I've been able to find to set my static ip. Which I'm paying $15.00 a month for, for a block of 8 addresses. (Either way this is getting canceled).

3) The biggest reason I'm thinking about canceling and going to Comcast (and if you know how much I hate comcast, you'd understand how pissed this made me), is because the U-verse equipment had built in Energy Star technology. The system turns off if you haven't changed the channel in a while. Or done anything else with the remote. Now at night that doesn't bother me... But can anyone guess why that does bother me during the day, while I'm not home? It has to do with something about a foot long, very very loud with the mentality of a 2 to 3 year old.

Yes my bird watches tv. It's used to keep him company during the day while I'm at work. I can't train him to use the remote. He hates them, and attacks them. so what ever this magic number for going into energy star power down is, it's less than the amount of time I sit at work. I was very unhappy when I came home today only to find the tv blue with a bouncing AT&T logo.

And from what I've quickly read on-line there is not a way to change it. There is not a way to get them to change it, and there does not appear to be a way to opt out of the Energy Star garbage. And yes, that is a huge reason to cancel it, and go with a service I know is sub standard, and not worth the cost. I don't care if I can record 4 tv shows at one time, if the tv is not calming my bird down, then it's not worth the cost I'm paying for it.

Pull Pull Pull

So lately all I've been doing is pull ups... Mostly one or two here and there through out the day. From a standing postion. Last night I decided to use my thinner band.

3 sets of 3. 2 minute rest between each set.

How is porn dangerous to children?

So before I went on vacation, I found through the firewall logs, that someone was using the kiosk computers (the ones that we have for people to use on lunch in the lunch room) to surf porn.

I think it was Monday, the director said to get some kind of nanny software, clean those boxes, put the software on it, and put them back in place. I've been looking at nanny software today... Which all claims to be about protecting the children?

So I have to wonder protecting them from what? Porn is like Tv. It's real only to a point. As long as you realize that, what is there to be protected from?

Anyway.... Just got my hackles up because several places all said the same thing. Porn is Dangerous to children. Not those exact words, but that is what it's saying.

Tried something new

So I tried something new last night, in the exercise realm. It was really fun actually. I know my form was off, and I was less than impressed with the instructor and senior people in the group. Mainly because they were doing it too, but not really saying that my form was wrong or how to fix what I didn't understand.

Really it was supposed to be instructor lead, but he just put the DVD in, and we followed along as best we could.

What was it? Yoga. And I actually feel good today. This is the loosest I felt in a long long time. I feel relaxed too. Look froward to doing it again, in about a month (no more classes until after the holidays). The apartment complex I live in, has free yoga classes on Mondays. I guess they have a Saturday class too... but my weekends are meant for sleeping in. If they weren't I'd be at martial arts, or kettlebell classes.

What is this really about?

I live in Michigan. I just moved further away from the Detroit area, but still think it's considered a suburb. I'm on the out skirts of Ann Arbor. I would have posted on this sooner but I do not have any net access at home yet, and have to use common area of the complex I live in. However I have few hours of the day to go there.

So what was the Auto Loans about? Why were they needed? And why did the republicans against it?

1) The loans are about giving the Auto Companies money that the Banks are NOT giving them. The auto companies have to buy equipment, raw materials, and pay their employees. The banks were given shit loads of money but have chose to sit on it, instead of using it for what it was supposed to be used for. Getting cash back into the system in loans.

2) They're needed because the companies have debt. They have to pay everyone for building the car before the car is sold. Cars are not fast food. They do not get built when you order them. They get built in advance, but don't bring money in, until it's sold. People are having problems buying cars right now. Not because the cars they make suck, but because the BANKS are refusing to give loans, if you need the money for anything. Don't need the loan, you'll get the money.

3) Why did the Republicans in the Senate kill it? Because they want to make people slaves. I'm watching Chris Dodd right now. He's talking about how the Republicans wanting to blame the workers for the problems that the auto makes have. They want to say the workers are paid too much. The guy getting paid $18.00 an hour to sweep the floor is a myth. I've worked in the auto industry. I got $15.00 an hour when I worked for EDS at a GM plant. When I went to work for GM I was making 30.00 an hour. But I was doing project management. and I was under paid. Yes there were UAW guys that made lots of money and hour there... but that's because they were there for 20 years, and that was the raises they got for performance. The reason that we're not seeing the Japanese companies asking for the money, because they get their money from over seas banks. BANKS that are not SITTING ON money they got from a Government.

So what the republicans are saying is that people make too much. They're still trying to kill the middle class. They're about getting their buddies (the ones that bribe them with donations) more money, while they get the American people who elect them even less. They gave shit loads of money to banks, and the banks are not doing what they are supposed to do, yet the republicans say they want to be the fiscal group. Bull shit. They want to make us a two class society.

did 2.

From a standing position, I did 2 pullups today. Chin over the bar both times. Now I just need another inch or so, and get the chest to the bar.

Dropping weight

I'm sure eating less has something to do with that. Down 10 lbs in a week. Not a healthy loss. Don't know if the weight is going to come back or not. I don't think so. I am eating more though. Still sleeping a lot, tired a lot. Still have a lot to unpack. But I am working the pullup bar a bit. No strap for help, and can almost get full pull in, from the standing position.

Almost completely moved.

I forgot a few things at my Uncle's house. I'll run over there tomorrow and get them with the bird.

I'm not handling the stress well. Not sleeping much. 2 hours Friday Night. When I weighed myself Friday night before taking a shower I weighed in at 246lbs. After the move, I weighed myself on the scale at work (I came here just for the net access), I weighed 246 with all my clothes on. Which means I lost even more weight.

Thursday I was 249. I worked out hard, ate less. Friday I ate lightish. 3x total.

Yesterday, after 2 hours sleep, I ate 2 reese cups, and had some doctor pepper (around 1:30. My day started at 7:30. I ate diner around 6pm. Soup and a sandwich from Tim Hortons. Today the first thing I ate, was soup and a sandwich from Tim Hortons. I couldn't even finish it. Around 7pm I had an apple. I did feel like I had more energy about an hour after eating, than I did before eating.

Along with not handling the stress well, I'm not adapting to the move well either. I think the bird is doing a better job than I am.

Moving Day

Moving today. Half the distance to work. From my uncle's house, where I've been kind of renting (complicated), to an apartment.

Won't have a net connection for two weeks or so. Maybe longer (thinking of changing the service from what I got to something cheaper). Might wait til it's installed, and then down grade.

legs hurt

They were sore after Tuesday. Martial Arts was good Tuesday, but left me achy, mostly my legs.

Tonight it was my turn to kill the adult class.

Set 1:
Joint Mobility
Jumping jacks
crossing jumping jacks (feet cross on the down)
Front and Back jumping jacks. (feet swap front to back each arm motion).
Light stretching (touch toes, spread legs wider keep stretching, long front stance at the end).
10 Burpees
Russian twists
5lbs TGU
Front Stretch kick
front kick
side stretch kick
side kick

Set 2:
More jumping jacks
more toe touch
5 burpees
1 tgu per side, without weight
bear crawl sprint back
more stretch front kicks
more front kicks
round house kick
side stretch kicks
side kicks


Then we went and did break falls, with sprints back to the end of the line. Bunch of one steps, then take downs, then free fighting. Got to fight one of the Masters tonight. I love that, but they usually use me as a punching bag. Which is why I love it. I'm learning to cover my open spots. Now if I could just get attacks in too.

Not Done Yet!

So far... this is how the boxing project looks. This is how I spent the first week of my vacation.

Interesting...

I found certs today, that said I've taken Juniper Training on Advanced VPN Concepts and Firewalls.

I don't even remember those classes.

follow up to crypto

It's really really going over well. At least with the test group. The two help desk people that were here today, have already started to use it for personal conversations too. The ones with their friends. One of them im'd me from home, to see if it was working. Of course since it wasn't the same key as the one he had here, I was getting conflicting key errors.

Just really neat to see it spreading like it is. They're using it, they're getting their friends to use it. Yeah it's not as good or strong as GnuPG or PGP, but it works.

I also know that one of the developers is on board for it. I think the other one might be too.

It shouldn't be THAT easy

I've sold my manager, and director on Encrypted IM... We're running a small test right now, in the IT group (the IT people, we'll fold the rest of the IS people in later (the developers, dbas and etc).

We're using Pidgin, with Pidgin-encryption. Really easy to set up. Install Pidgin. Install Pidgin-encryption. Works with all major IM servers, and Operating Systems.

After installing, set your user accounts (don't have to, but that is the way I like to do it), then go and turn on the plugin for pidgin-encryption under options>plugins.

When you turn it on, by selecting the check box, it creates rsa keys for all accounts in the client. Click on configure plugin button, and go to the second tab. Highlight the account, press regenerate key. Change the key size to 2048. The bigger the key the harder it is to break. I have mine set at 4096 (the largest size supported by the client at this time).

Then when you IM a someone, you'll notice somewhere in the text window (here at work it's on the top of the window) a little lock. Click it, and it turns on the encryption. If the person on the other side has the plugin installed, you'll get their key. You should have 2 locks at that point. with arrows pointing to each other. You're encrypted and good to roll. If you're sending an im to someone without encryption, just turn off the crypto, by hitting that little green lock.

So what does encryption do again? It makes it so no one else can read your messages, unless they are supposed to. Encrypted IM rocks. This is really fast, easy to set up, and simple to use. You don't have to worry about someone, like Google (if using Google talk), storing your IMs and giving them to the cops. Because It's encrypted. However, the cops can make you give up your key, at least in the United States. But, if you're transferring Intellectual Property (YOUR OWN, or YOUR EMPLOYER'S) you don't have to worry about the competitor getting your data.

So what shouldn't be that easy? Getting upper management to buy in on this. I've been trying for 2 years. They both said yes today. The director said to bring it up at the next team meeting, and we'll work it out.

ouch and fail

So I tired to do snatches tonight at 32kg. Couldn't do it. My toes hurt (dropped my scale on it today), and my knee still hurts from Thursday. It's still bruised in color.

hmm... time for the weekend review

Like most weeks, I don't remember most of them, but this is my first weekend off in a month. So I burnt it so far, at my computer. Muhahaha.

Here is what I remember that's worth it (most of the week is a blur).

Tuesday, I cooked. 2 tofurkies, with the oil and soy sauce baste. I cooked them on a bed of red potatoes, onions, and carrots. I also made cranberry sauce. yummm...

Wednesday I over ate at the pot luck.

Thursday, I went to Martial Arts. It was good. I liked it. My endurance level appears to be one of the highest ones there. Which is a little sad. I'm basing this off of people moving away from me in free fighting, while sucking wind. I'll be breathing heavy, but they are sucking wind.

Fell pretty bad too. Landed on my elbow pretty hard, buy my knee much harder. It's still bruised. I had a hard time walking Friday. Of course, I had to walk all around the building, which did help it some, even if I did limp most of the time.

Thursday it snowed. I fell on the ice outside, before going to class. Wasn't that bad in that case, just had one leg go out from under me, and was able to turn it into a kneel, before crashing. I tend to do that a lot when I fall on the ice. End up in a one knee kneel. The drive home sucked, once I got near the airport, went to a complete stand still.

Earlier Thursday, the director emailed me about a wireless access point showing near his office. They're pretty paranoid there about that stuff. I really don't care too much myself. To a point. Once a month I walk around with a laptop, looking for wireless access points. I'd much rather have a better tool, that finds the non-broadcast SSIDs too, but it makes them feel good. Anyway, it looks like someone set up a new access point across the freeway and we're getting bleed over. One troublesome thing though. Thursday during the quick initial scan. I found one that really did bother me. It was an ad-hoc peering point called "Free Public Internet". Ad-hoc networks are computers without a router, that can access each other no problem. Lets just put it this way, it is a bad thing to find. Turns out it was on the CFO's laptop. A VERY BAD THING. Basically anyone could sit out in the parking lot, or even across the freeway (with a directional antenna, which can be made with a pringles can), connect to the computer and get files from it.

I get to do a computer security class in a few months. It's for the Executives and the Sales people. Should be fun. I'm going to write the manual from scratch.

Friday, wandered around, then spent the majority of the afternoon at my desk being bored. Could have done some other stuff, but didn't feel like it at the time.

Today, I had fun. I set up some neato computer stuff, GnuPG, and the ability to encrypt my google email. (Encryption is good, it prevents people from reading what they are not meant to be). The way it works, you make a key pair. One is public, one is private. The public one you share. The private one you hide. When they want to send you an email, only you can read, they encrypt it with your public key, and usually sign it with their private key (because you're public key is public, anyone can get it and say they are so and so, but signing it with their own private key means it's from them). As long as you have their public key, you can read the message, after decrypting it with your private key, and can confirm it's from them, by checking they're signature against their public key. It sounds harder than it really is. Which is probably why so few use it. It took me all of 30 minutes to get set up.

I also looked up the details on creating a spice mister. Going to make some capsaicin oil to try with it in a few weeks.

I also got caught up on some tv. Watched about 4 hours of it today. About all I could stand. Read a lot of neat stuff on the web. Instructables and Life Hacker rock.

Only other thing of note, was I got the Ultimate bond, 42 discs. 21 movies (Doctor No through Casino Royal, minus Never Say Never Again). I finally saw Casino. It was decent. I look forward to seeing Quantum now.

Oh and I think I'm going to push and try to sell the idea of encrypted IM clients at work this week to the upper management.

The world if full of nutters

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/olgakurylenko_blog.html

I need to rant

It is kind of training related.

So there is a program called Enter the Kettlebell. It's known as ETK. It is broken up into 2 parts. The Program Minimum, which is designed to condition the body. Then there is the Right of Passage, where the real work begins.

TPM get's you ready for RoP.

On the AOS forum, someone asked if she was ready to move on to week 4, or if she should repeat week 3. I gave her my opinion, based on what she said her work out was. While she was getting work done, she wasn't getting it done as it was written.

Another comment made, by another user, said they weren't doing the program as written and doing something else altogether. This user has claimed to for the last four weeks, that they were doing the ETK: Program Minimum. However came out and said that what they had been doing was CHEATING. The person thinks they're way is as good as the real thing. The user doesn't feel toasted after the work out. Which is kind of the point of The Program Minimum. Because if you're feeling toasted after that, you're not ready to move on to the next week, or for the Right of Passage. You're not in shape to move on to the real work. You haven't paid in sweat, blood and tears.

It would be like someone trying out for the first chair in a band, when the person can only play 1 song on the instrument. It would be like trying to swim a mile, when the most you have ever done is 25 yards. You're just not ready.

I really want to call the person on it. I really do. But the forum doesn't need arguments, it has had a share of rough patches lately and doesn't need more people bickering. It used to be great, but more people of the "I don't want to work hard variety have been showing up on it lately". And they're playing an ego game. Posting just to post, with out really having any value to the posts.

The point is, you either do the program as it is written (there are 2 versions of it, in Paval's ETK Book, where you swing and jog, and the version in Anthony's Workbook, where he's mixed the jogging up with other things) or you're CHEATING. The work is 12 minutes, not 10 minutes.

Start doing the real workout, and stop lying to the rest of us, that really are doing the program, and not looking for an ego boost. One of the things Paval says in ETK, if you're asking if you can make substitutions, the answer is No. See page 161 and 162 of ETK if you want the exact quote. It's in the frequently asked questions section.

cocked, but not loaded

So I decided to grab a 25lbs kettlebell tonight. See how far down I could go without the door to help me.

Umm... All the way down it would appear. On both legs. Can't get back up though. And tend to fall back on my but, after about a second, when using the left leg. With less weight I get down to about knee level, and completely lose it, landing on my butt. With something of a soft thud, was expecting a harder one, since I'm about 250lbs still.

Looking like more door pistols in my future. Maybe I'll set up one my bands on a rafter in the garage.

135 lbs

Did dead lifts tonight. Actually built up the bar.

40lbs olympic bar
2 45lbs plates
2 2.5lbs plates
the joke plastic locking mechs, that weigh nothing, and don't work (need to be replaced).

2 sets of 5.

One clean and press from the ground to over head.

The bar I have, is designed for screw on locks. The guy I got it from lost those, and said these plastic things work. On my dead lifts, the plates slid off. I'm thinking of taking the bar with me to play it again sports and trying to get something better. That or maybe trade the bar for something better. I think these locks would work on a CAP bar, but not on what I have.

pistol trainning

Using the door jambs, like Jen said.

Using mostly arms to get up and down right now. Have to use 2 different doors to do it.Just the way the house is set up right now. Can do 5 per leg, but like I said, mostly arm. I'm hoping by week end, that I'll be able to start doing pyramids. Hoping to have them down by Thanksgiving.

First Edit:
2 sets of 5 done. Legs burn.

I'm going for a 5 to 1 pyramid now.

Edit 2:
Boooyah
5 right, 5 left
4 right, 4 left
3 right, 3 left
2 right, 2 left
1 right, 1 left.

My right side is way more stronger than my left. More arm needed for left. but that could be because I have to use a higher grip on the left for that door jamb. I feel good, but need more work. A better area to do it in would be nice too.

My legs burn, in a good way. My fingers hurt from the grip from the door for the left, but not in as good a way.

Edit 3:
I found another way to do pistols, with the door. way more legs... and now they're starting to shake.

tonight

I forget how far the walk was to the car, about 175 yards or so. Maybe more. Not important enough to look up again. I'd just forget it.


Anyway 16kg (35lbs)
Right side 1 hand clean walk, we'll say 80 yards, 1 hand over head walk 80 yards. 1 hand Farmer walk 100 feet (give or take)

50 swings
long walk, about 300ft
50 swings
walk
50 swings

left side 1 hand Farmer walk 100 feet (give or take). 1 hand clean walk, we'll say 80 yards, 1 hand over head walk 80 yards.

The time between taking it in and out of the car was a lot longer of break than before and after the work out.

I had problems stabilizing the walk back to the car, so I know my left sie

"So that's what that is"

Topic is a reference to the episode called talent night of reboot. If you've done computer rendering, you know what the cone, the box and the sphere is. In it, they had a group called the primitives, which was a band made of the box, the sphere and the cone. It was a very very nerdy in joke. At the end, they took the shape of the Reboot logo.

I bring this up, because while I can do a normal clean, I never thought of why you couldn't curl a clean, other than cheating. I went out to my car tonight to get my 16kg bell. I really need a 20. Anyway instead of doing a proper clean, I curled it into the clean position. Something didn't feel right in my shoulder when I did that. That didn't stop me from carrying it down in a clean (about half way) to an over head walk. I did a one hand farmer's walk in the building. my shoulder feels a little stiff now. I can't wait to take it back up the hill in the other hand.

cisco load balancer

So I have a content switch module in one of my switches. It's used for Load Balancing of services across multiple servers. Think multiple servers for 1 web page, all the servers are mirrored so you get the same content, it just spreads the pain around to 4 servers instead of having 1 server to do all the work.

So I'm renumbering 4 of the servers. We're actually upgrading some of the content to virtual servers, but leaving some stuff behind on the old server. It was a case of a new product not having a home and sharing the load on the servers, with out creating a virtual server.

Anyway like I said, renumbering servers. Set up the firewall to point the traffic to the load balancer. Set the server up to pass traffic. I already have one up and running this is the second one. I spent roughly 2 to 3 hours trying to figure out why this thing couldn't get a network connection. It could talk to the other servers on the same vlan / network, but moving across to the other vlans and networks (where the firewall comes into play) it wouldn't.

Change ip addresses, same problem. Change gateways to the DMZ instead of the LB, and it would get a net connection. Double check the firewall routing. It still didn't work.

Then I thought, ok, the only thing I haven't done is put it into a server farm yet, on the CSM. As soon as I did that, it started working. Why the LB, needs to know what server farm something belongs to before it starts passing traffic I have no idea. I think it's a bad design though. I can see why they'd do it that way. That way you don't have things pointing to the load balancer that aren't being balanced. But when you're just setting up a box, you don't want it to be balanced, you want it to work.

Meh

Single leg squat

I've made no progress on these, and I'm so thick sometimes.

IN my basement I have one of those oversized ball things. It used to sit upstairs, but the bird hates it like you wouldn't believe. Emergency Squawk on full when ever he is around it.

Anyway, I was thinking today, about trying to get my friend Ruth more motivated in working out. She's not doing much, but she's improved. I was thinking of offering to work out with her on the side, at her place. Yes I'm not a certified instructor, but I have been teaching Martial Arts off an don for the last 10 years or getting pretty close to it. Part of the training, is physical exercise. All body weight. well 99.99% body weight. In fact I'm at the rank now, where there are no new forms to learn. The point of this and the rank above it is to get better at teaching. Improve your skills by teaching others. And work on your endurance and strength.

Anyway I was thinking the ball in the basement to get her to start doing squats. While I was doing laundry today, it finally dawned on me to use it for SINGLE LEGGED SQUATS!

I was really sad when I tried. I get about half-way to the ball, about 1/4 of the way down in a single legged squat, and then my leg gives out and I just fall back the rest of the way. I can get back up if I rock forward and use the momentum to get up. The ball kept trying to move around on me too.

They tell me it's a new world

I don't believe them.

1: until he takes control of the pen, and starts signing legislation that is acted upon, it's all a dream right now.

2: PZ Myers, aka Pharyngula said it much better than I could.

Prop 8 passed. It joins 2 other states with the same anti-rights laws. Florida and Arizona.


Things that did make me proud yesterday:
Michigan passed both Prop 1 (medical use marijuana) and Prop 2 (human embryo and human embryonic stem cell research).

Fun things today

So today was Election day. I got up at 6am, got to the polls at 6:30, and I was about 13th or so in line (I got ballot 0013). It was a minor cluster, and there were lots of people there. By the time the polls opened the line had already doubled back on itself. We had the silly fill the bubble in kind, with black or blue ink. Oh even though I had ballot 13, I was the 12th person to cast their ballot.

The person in front of me used to be my Rep to the State Senate. I recognized him. He doesn't know me, but knows my uncle. It was fun, actually kind of argued with him over politics. The problem is he's been in the belly of the beast, and can't see the forest through the trees anymore.

After voting, I had to go outside and wait for my Uncle who went up there with me. In the process, I got to call a pro-lifer (she claimed she was a "right to life" person) exactly what they are. PRO-Slavery advocates. They want the government to micro-manage their lives, because they're scared of their own sexual organs. It actually chased her, and the former Rep away. I also got to say that Religious Beliefs have no place in politics.

Pro-choice is more than the right to abortion. It's about having a choice period. It means being able to chose what you do and how you use your reproductive organs. The Pro-Slavers won't stop when they get abortion abolished. They'll go after any kind of family planing. They've already gutted sex education. Which you can see as there has been a rise in teen pregnancy. Hell look at the Republican's VP choice's daughter. Being Pro-choice is about not having the government telling us how to have sex.

The best thing today... THE VERY BEST THING TODAY... I'm wearing new pants.
Why is that the best thing? The people who make the slacks I wear to work stopped making the flat front kind in my size, 40x32. Since I tore my last pair last week, I went out and bought new pants. 38x32. AND THEY FIT!!! Its a small victory, but I take what I can get where I can get it.

Need to stop picking up that book

I got a free electronic copy (from the author's site) of Little Brother. I like to have something on my hand held computer to read, while I'm away from my desk and don't need to pay attention (lunch, long ass server installs, long updates on computers, and the like).

The problem is, I have a hard time putting it back down. I got it out today, and now that I don't have the time to sit and read it, I keep grabbing it, and reading it. Starting to get exciting, but the whole book has been that way. It'll build up, then piss you off, then build you up again, and then piss you off again.

I want to read it. I don't have much to do today at work, but I have other things (work related) that I could and should be reading.

Today will suck.

I'm behind in ETK again. I hate Tuesdays. And they hate me. Thursdays are almost as bad. My biggest problem is, I got to bed after mid-night, and don't get up when the alarm goes off. Only reason I got up at 6am today is due to the fact I have to take something to work and get it there early.

Round 1 (this morning)
ETK day 2.
3 warm up drils
4/4 turkish get-ups.

I'm having problems with my right arm being locked in and stable this morning. I'd pull the shoulders together and then start, but by the time, I was on my left hand, the arm wouldn't be locked in. First time I've had this problem. In fact I dropped the bell... On Captain's travel cage... Thankfully he was on his regular cage. Doesn't look like it's damaged. But I'll have to take it out of the backpack and check later.

Tonight when I get home, before martial arts I'll do round 2, which will be day 3 of the etk.
Then go to martial arts. For today round 3.

100 push-ups...

I tried restarting week 3. Still can't do it. I can do 30 to 32 when I test, but when I try to follow the program, I can't get though the first day of week 3. Where they said to start if you can do 25+.

tonight was better than last week.
14, 18, 14, 14, 12.

That last number should have been 20+ but my shoulders were tight and burning.

I think I'm going to do some windmills now. Just to stretch my shoulders some.

Edit:
Added more to my workout
5-4-3-2-1 Right / Left Windmills at 16kg
5-4-3-2-1 Right / Left Bent Rows at 32kg

Micro Center USB Flash drives

I like flash drives I really do. I'm thinking of getting some new ones. Because I've "lost" a couple. So I went to the Micro Center website, and pulled up their current ones. Search was USB Flash Drives. The store branded ones work great, and are fairly cheap.... I paid $30.00 for 8 gigabits either earlier this year, or late last year. I don't remember which.

The 16gb ones are now $30.00. I think I'm going to go and buy a bunch. Maybe I'll buy some more 8 gig ones too, for $15.00 each.

For Christmas this year, I'm thinking of giving everyone on my team at work the same thing. 2 USB drives. One with a linux install, I'm thinking damn small linux, and the other one with True Crypt and Portable Apps.

Feels good

"Dinner" sat like a rock last night. It was a peperoni and cheese roll. I know bad, very bad. Didn't even taste that great. Too much grease, which is why I'm not a fan of pepperoni to begin with. Then sleep took forever to claim me, only got about 5 hours. That'll catch up later I'm sure.

Sides are sore from yesterday, and my body was slightly stiff when I got up. Took a little bit before I could have both eyes open at one time (too much light). With both eyes open, I couldn't read anything, it looked like trying to read through water. Its been this way most of my life, so I'm used to it. Only really a problem when I wake up in the dark, and hit the lights or turn on the computer monitor. If I get up and it's already light outside, I don't have a problem with it.

Redoing ETK week 1.
Warm-up: Already seeing a huge improvement. I started, realized I wanted my shoes after 4 squats, put them on and restarted.

Still only 3 sets, but I actually had time to start a 4th one, and may have made it too, but it would have been hard with the pumps, would have really had to push it. Since I like three sets, I took a 2 minute water break.

Wall squats x10 (first few hard, because my legs were stiff)
halo x10 (Captain would squawk each time the bell went behind my head).
pumps x10 (I actually got 5 in a row in sets 2 and 3, that's an increase from last week).

Main Workout: Way less resting. push-ups to a squat thrust still a problem.
2 handed Swing x20
jumping jacks 1 min
right hand swings x20
mountain climbers 1 min
left hand swings x20
push-up to a squat thrust 1 minute (only got 5, and the 5th one launched the bird (spooked him and he took off for another part of the house)).
2 hand swings x20
jog 1 minute (in place, I liked Day 3 last week better, up and down the driveway, but would rather workout in the house for now)
2 hand swings x20 (would have went to 1 hand but didn't know who far I would make it).
Jumping Jacks 1 min
2 hand swings x20 (should have been 2 sets of 1 hand swings)
mountain climbers 1 min. I modified this set, more of a kick back than a mountain climber.
2 hand swing x20 (American active swings, I raced the clock. got to 15, but finished the set off anyway).

Should have taken a picture

Today's workout was on a white board. I should have taken a picture of it. I used 16kg bells. My shoulders are tight, and sore. Partly from ETK, partly because I tend to do strict presses instead of push or dip presses.

10 of each
Double swings
double cleans
double presses
double squats
double clean and press long cycle
double swings

100 sit-ups
1 minute plank
3 sets of:
{15 side crunches
30 second side plank
repeat other side}
Band walking, band in an X.

100 Jump rope
20 push-ups
100 jump rope
20 dips (think crab walk, but dip)
100 Jump rope

Oww

My left shoulder is not happy. Actually neither one likes it too much. Both ones burn on the pumps. I hate pumps. The first get up on the left my shoulder would not lock in. The others were fine.

Today's ETK. Day 4
Warm up, again only 3 rounds in 10 minutes, I need to stop taking breaks, but that's beyond my skill at this point.
Wall Squats x10
Halos x10
pumps x10

Work out:
3 Right / Left Turkish Get Ups.

Armored Up

Got ETK in under the wire. Man, the phrase is FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! and NO MAS! NO MAS!! My lower back hurts, I know the last two sets of swings. I would have got one more of the set in, if I hadn't had to psych myself back up at a few points, which killed time.

I put my under armor on, my shorts, and a shirt, along with my five fingers (I want the cold weather ones now). Grabbed my 24kg bell, and went to the garage.

Tonight, 1 day late, day 4.

3 sets in 10 minutes:
wall squats x10
Halos X10
pumps x10 (still hate these, no better at them yet, still have to stop way too much).

12 minutes of glory? I made it further kiddies.
2 handed swings x20

58 jumping jacks in 1 minute

Right handed Swing x20

1 minute mountain climbers. I moved them up a notch, half were just switch feet in a push up, the other half were knee to opposite elbow... well moved that way anyway About a foot away from touching.

Left hand swings x20

Subbed 1 minute pushup to a squat thrust with 1 minute jumping pullups. I tired assisted but the body would just not cooperate.

Hand 2 Hand swings x20

Shuttle Jog (think shuttle run,but done at a jog) up and down the driveway for one minute I was working out in the garage, lost time opening and closing the garage door...

2 handed swings x20

59 jumping jacks in 1 minute, I problaby would have hit 62 if I hadn't stopped with 20 seconds to go to see how much time was left.

2 handed Swings x20 again.

Colapsed for the last 30 seconds, on my hands and keens trying to get back into the mountain climber position.

By the way it was cold out side. After I was done, I came in, swapped my shorts for pants, and walked around the block. That's when I really started to feel the pain in my lower back, which I knew was from the last 2 sets of swings. I was barely able to swing when I was doing them.

Things I read

So I'm reading a book right now. It's called Little Brother. I'm only a couple of chapters in, and I like it. It's a bout a high school kid whose life gets turned up side down. He fights back using technology. I'm reading the book and even though it's set in the near future, I recognize the tech.

Anyway, I got the free ebook from the author. He said if you like to adopt a class room. So I did. 4 of them. All in Michigan. Plus one extra book for a friend at Martial Arts, who teaches in Detroit's Public schools. Oh and a dead tree version for myself.

The order came to just shy of 100.00 by the time shipping was included. But that's ok. It allows me to sleep at night knowing that somewhere, more people will get a chance to learn to avoid the censors. The same kind of person I've been for the last 2 days.

Seriously, I don't have a problem with people doing it, but my job is to protect the company, and they see porn as a threat. For historical reasons. I agree I don't think people should be doing that at work... But I feel bad (to a point) for busting people for what I do at home. After all. Work computers don't belong to you, you're only allowed to use them.

No workouts today, I was just physically tired. Stayed home played with my bird some. Went out to eat, and going to bed soon.

pain

It's time for work's monthly policy audit. Those are so much fun. People going to sites that they shouldn't during work hours. You'd think if they were going to do that, that they would at least try to hide it, by bouncing it off an off site server over SSH.

Plus I had to get a server ready for presentation tomorrow. It's a tools server, and I have to walk people through how to use it at 4pm. So I didn't even get home tonight from work until 9:30. Left about 8:45.

Tonight's ETK:
warm-up: 10 minutes, 3 rounds of each (my shoulders popped on the first round up pumps and the left one is sore).
Wall Squat x10
Halos x10 (24kb kettlebell)
Pumps x10

Workout:
5 minutes to do as many Turkish Get Ups, switching sides every one.
3 left, 3 right @ 24kg (53lbs).

It was hard. I wish I had 44s to practice with, but since I don't, and the point is to master the 53...

This is definitely a PITFA

My mouse died. No really. So I'm stuck doing everything without a mouse. Until I get another set of batteries charged. It really is a pain to have to do Tabs to get through everything. Especially with the way the "2.0" styled sites are.

Its like they didn't expect anyone to be without a mouse.

At least I'm not stuck in the and of Lynx, but I think more web-dweebs (developers) need to spend time without a mouse.

A co-worker was joking with me, only partly, when I said I was applying to teach at a local community college. To teach Intro to Computers. He said he could see it. First day, I'd have them pick up a mouse, say "This is a mouse. It's used for Guis. Now un-plug it. We're doing everything from the command line."

I said yep, they have to earn the right of a mouse, damn kids.

Update: Batteries are so nice.

"looks like your gut is getting bigger"

Comment someone made tonight. Sad fact it is. I'm between 3 to 5 pounds heavier than last week this time.

Tonight's workout:
PART 1 = ETK:
10 minute warmup:
3 sets of the following (completed in 10 minutes, with breaks)
wall squats x10
halo x10 (using a 53lbs kettlebell)
pumps x10 (I fucking hate these, I can't do more than 5 at a time).

12 minutes of real work:
Swing x20
jumping jacks 1 min
swings x20
mountain climbers 1 min (believe it or not, I nailed these bad boys dead on for the firs time ever)
swings x20
pushup to a squat thrust 1 min (I did 3. well really just 1, the other 2 were Burpees, the rest of the time, longer than a minute, I spent walking around the house)
swings x20
jog 1 min (I jogged in place. knees were not high).
swing x20
jumping jacks 1 min.

15 minutes later, I tried day 1 of week 3, of the hundred push-up challenge. I can do 30 straight, but breaking it up I failed:
14 push-ups
1 min rest
18 push-ups
1 min rest
14 push-ups
1 min rest
7 push-ups and had to stop. The sheet said to do 14.
rested about 30 seconds
tried round 4 again, got 6.
Never made it to round 5.

"looks like your gut is getting bigger"

Lost a little ground

When I didn't like the program the last time, and didn't see major improvements while doing it, I'm going to restart the 100 push-up challenge.

I did the initial test tonight I think my last test was about 33 or so. I know back on my birthday, I was able to do 32 (31 for my age, 1 for good luck). Tonight, my shoulders were burning so bad at 30, I just called it.

So the up coming plan. ETK, and 100 push-ups together. For the pain, for the pleasure, and hopefully nothing but gain.

Martial Arts tonight...

It was interesting.Andrea (my favorite black belt) was there. She hasn't been working out much lately (because she's being lazy after starting her new job) and has put on like 10lbs. I kept hearing her complain that her uniform was tight, and that she had gained weight. We did some kicks and hand work with focus mitts, she kept having to stop well before I did.

She was soaked like I was last night with the kettlebell. I barely broke a sweat.

Then we did a couple of forms. My higher forms are all jumbled together in my head, while I can remember my lower forms no problem.

Then it was time for the kids class to do forms, and we lost our practice space. After the kids class, the adult class started.

However tonight was movie night. Looks like Thursday will be too. One of the masters (and he is damn good), recently had a bunch of his home videos converted to DVD and was showing us the martial arts club the way it used to be. It was sad, kind of, seeing Master O (my first master, and founder of our club). He passed away in 94. It was educational too... but we'll probably do it again Thursday. Which means my plans for the week are all in wack.

However that might not be a bad thing. My glutes hurt from last night, and it means I can practice kettlebells again tomorrow, instead of using it as a rest day, like I had planned.

Original Plan: Sun, Mon Kettlebell work. Tue MA. Wed rest. Thur MA. Fri maybe KB maybe rest. Sat MA, rinse and repeat.

New plan: Sun, Mon, Kettlebell. Tue, ma movie. Wed Kettlebells. Thur MA movies(?). Firday Kettlebell, Sat MA, start next week all over again.

Soaked

Who would have thought, that would be enough to soak me.

Tonight's fun:
8 x 10 2 handed swings with 32kg kettlebell
1 x 20 2 handed swings with 32kg kettlebell

The rules were simple. 60 seconds total to swing and rest. Each time the minute changed on the clock it was time to swing again.

The first 8, I could tell they were getting harder, and I seriously doubted making it to 100... SO the last change, I went to 20, which I had to fight the whole way. But I got all 100.

I then had to walk around the house for a bit.

Once again I feel this way.

I feel like an embarrassment to myself and my status on the AOS Forums (as a Senior Member). Breakfast today was 2 slices of wheat bread, and a shit load of water.

One of the other guys from the forum told me about a place he does group kettlebell workouts at. I showed up. There was a lot of people there, I thought I'd be in the back of the class where i set up, but it turned out I was in the front. Just more easier for me to embarrass myself.

I couldn't keep up. I know I'm a slacker on true proper training when I'm at home. But I thought I was better than what I was. I didn't think I'd go in and own the workout, but I at least thought I'd be able to keep up. About the only part of the workout I could do was the Turkish getups, and even those were sad.

Slight stretch warmup. Joint mobility and the like (I guess).
5 minutes of Turkish Get Ups. I used a 20kg bell. 15 Right, 12 Left

Then I think we did Swing, Halo, Deck Squats. I did manage to do 12 of those, we were supposed to do 10, but I kept counting 3, no idea why, and I know I did that 3 times before I realized it.

Then we did 2 hand swing, 2 hand high pull, flip and press, 2 hand high pull flip and squat, 2 hand high pull, 2 hand swing, 2 hand high pull, flip and press, 2 hand high pull flip and squat, 2 hand high pull, 2 hand swing. 6 Reps of Each for 3 sets... I could do half a set, when I was lucky. After it was over at the end of the third set I was choking down my own vomit (mostly water, with a little bread).

Then they did 5-4-3-2-1 R/L Highpull, snatch, clean and squat. I got through sets 5 and 4, I couldn't go further.

Then they did of 1 min swing, 1 min snatches 30 seconds rest. I did more than choke down my own vomit at that point. I only did the first 2 sets, and the last set of snatches.

I feel like I should go hide under a rock, seriously.

The new tag stands for: Sunday RKC Led Kettlebell Class (SRLKC)

No I don't call this a work out.

Tonight's fun.
Weight: 32kg kettlebell
10 sumo-deadlifts
10 right hand swings
10 left hand swings

The 32 is still out of my range... but I'm going to beat it, even if it is slowly.

The strange things I think of.

So I'm in the shower this morning thinking... 'It's A Wonderful Life' is really quite interesting.

See what George really was, was a Liberal. He fought Potter, the robber baron of the town, and greedy conservitive. Look at what happened to the town after George was never born.

The town had strip clubs and porn theaters, you could tell Bert was crooked by looking at him, people lived in fear.

Go watch it and think about that while watching that. Then mourn with me for the country

meh to the world

So tonight's martial arts class, I just couldn't get into it. I didn't want to move. I've been having some digestive problems, feels like my intestines are full, even after going to the bathroom.

So I just wasn't there tonight mentally. As in I couldn't get the body and mind to do what they should do.

I went through the motions, but it was like autopilot on a robot.

Then I got used as the demonstration dummy for the 6th dan, Master V. Got an elbow in my face for it too... my nose hurts.

One last trip to the park

So because of financial reasons (one of the co-workers got a part time job on Saturdays)... Tonight was our last Saturday at the park. We're going to do the workouts at work on Monday nights.

Tonight was light, but out side of the comfort zone.

I had everyone move up in weight tonight.
20 swings @ 32kg (me)
20 swings @ 24kg (nick)
10 swings @ 16kg (deb)

Then we moved down to our normal weight, and did 20 swings
me at 24kg
nick at 16kg
deb at 12kg

Then Double swings.... we only went to 10

Then 5 per side clean and press at our normal weights.

Then we were done, and had the joy of pushing 320 lbs up the hill to my car. Nick grabbled the handle, I pushed. We actually ran most of the way up. We got the tennis courts, and had to stop. Then I pulled the last 50 feet up the hill solo.

more sore

something I noticed today, after pressing and snatching (but mostly pressing) the 70lbs bell today. Yes by the way, I did snatch it. Was that my lats and sides hurt. For my 35lbs and 53lbs bells, I don't have to load the lat to do the press. For the 70, I do. Wow I noticed the difference.

The problems I see with SaaS.

SaaS (the camel case abbreviation for Software as a Service), is providing the concept of Leasing Software. Kind of.

Different kinds of Software as a Service I can think of, off the top of my head: Gmail, Blogger (where we are now), Salesforce.com (CRM), Google Apps. In each of these cases, you can take similar software, and build a server. With virtualization you can put several of them on the same server at one time. I could go out and buy hardware; get sendmail and wordpress; and set up DNS. Then I could have full control over my mail and my blog.

However, I use services that run the software for me, and allow me to access what I want across the internet. That's great. It saves me hardware price, electricity, and space. I don't have to worry about upgrading or bug fixes, I don't have to worry about a lot of things.

Or do I? Here's the problems list, and why I came up with it. I started looking and thinking about this because of 3 things recently.
1: Yesterday I saw a job posting for a really good job. It was Linux administration, Xen Virtualization, MySQL administration, and playing with something called SalesForce.com (which turns out to be a Saas based Customer Relationship Management (customer database)).
2: I was contacted by a recruiter I've worked with in the past about the same position.
3: A comment on this blog post / article. And yes, that is me responding to the post with some of the same information below.

Problem 1:
What happens when you have no network connection? It could be because you're traveling, natural disaster, accident (someone hit the telephone pole with their car and broke it, your ISP caught fire and burnt to the ground, someone got too happy with a backhoe and took out the local fiber --I've seen all three-- ), mistake (telco disconnects the wrong circuit --something else I've seen a lot-- or the DNS expires and the company can't get it back), or maintenance (isp has to upgrade a switch and its year end for your company). You've lost access to your email, docs or customer database. And the problem could be at the far end, where the SaaS provider is, not just where you are, or anywhere along the line between you and them.

At least if the data is on your hardware and equipment, you don't have to send your staff home, or have them waiting around doing nothing until they can get access back. You can also sit down and make modifications on data off line, and upload to central servers later. You can review old emails (something I can do when the mail server crashes, because I have a local copy on my desktop) and get ready for meetings you're about to go into. The list goes on and on.

Problem 2:
Where are the items stored? Are they on your computer, under your control or on someone else's hardware? If they decide to upgrade, do you have a say? When Microsoft comes out with patches or an update, I choose when to upgrade. When someone releases a new version of the Software, I plan it around when it will cause the least amount of chaos. That isn't the case when it's on someone else's hardware. They do things when they want to, because they think it's best for them, with no buy-in from the customer.

Another note in the same vain. I've had 2 friends (well people I know online and consider friends), who had their blogs and things stored on a community site. They lost access to most of their data when the site didn't renew it's DNS. One of these friends I was able to help and get her some of her data back. I couldn't help the other one though, because it was set up differently for him.

Problem 3:
Backing up and restoring data. When it's on your hardware, you do the back ups, and if you mess up, it's you that goofed. However, when it's on their hardware, you lose that right. They make the back ups. Companies do a good job of backing up, but they don't keep the backups forever. If they fold will they give you access to your backed up data so you can move it elsewhere?

Problem 4:
Who besides you have access to your data? In the case of SalesForce.com, Wikipedia (another SaaS) talks about how SalesForce.com was compromised in 2007. The attackers used a phishing scam, and then moved out from there.

Yes, there will always be crackers, but at least if it's my hardware, I would hope my monitoring software would catch them before they were able to attack to far. With SaaS, they just have to attack one vector because they know that's whats there. With your hardware, they have to figure out what you have first.

Going back to Wikipedia, their site shows something else just as good, although in a different fashion. Anyone can update it, which means if people don't like what is being said they can change what is said.

Problem 5:
Network overhead. Where I'm currently working, I have a decent network. Lots of switches, Gigabit links and all the fun that comes with it. However while my network can do 100mbit+ speeds from the desktop to the servers, I have a much smaller pipe going out of the network to my ISP. If my company were to use the SaaS tools, they would have to buy the next size pipe. Considering they ask me regularly if they have to have the one the size we do... I don't think telling them they would need larger would go over to well. Especially if it's because they have no choice but to get a bigger pipe, or wait longer to access the information they need.

Problem 6:
Cost and return on investment. It might cost less to do SaaS, since you're saving on hardware, software, cooling, space costs, and staffing. But it's a re-occurring bill every month to a year. What if you miss the payment? When I had Sprint / Nextel, they'd leave service on until you were 2 bills behind, then they'd cancel your service. That worked great for me when I was a contractor, and would go a month without income. AT&T, who I have now, if your 7 days late with your payment the only places you can call are customer service, and 911. What happens if you miss a payment to your SaaS because of an unforeseen problem? Also when you own the equipment you can write it off over deprecation. Can you do that with a Service?


Problem 7:
Staffing. Lets face it the economy sucks. We currently have a high unemployment rate too. If you don't have the hardware on the floor, you don't need as many people to run it. So there are less jobs and people get let go. I know I'm tired of working more than 12 hours at a time and 5 to 7 days a week (even if they're not all 12 hour shifts). If people don't have a job, they don't have money, if they don't have money, how do they buy your product? If they can't buy your product, where does your revenue come from? If you don't have revenue how do you pay your bills, including your SaaS bill? See problem 6.

I could probably go on if I wanted to, but I'll stop here. For now. While I think the concept is cool, and have no problem using some of it, knowing that things can get lost at any given time; I don't think it is what Businesses should be doing. I think the businesses that are using it, are being ran by people that are too busy counting beans and not paying enough attention to the larger picture. If they looked at the larger picture, they'd see that in the long run they could have a better Return On their Investment if they maintained everything in house.

I'm sore

Martial Arts tonight was great. Took a kettlebell (my new one) with me to show off. A couple of people didn't think it weighed as much as it claimed. Some said it weighed more, one person was insisting it was over 100lbs, because his 95lbs friend was easier to pick up. So we stretched and took turns doing suit case dead lifts. Not many.

Just a couple each. Just before class I did some burpees (10), and some sideways jump pushups (6, 3 right, 3 left).

Class had jumping jacks, stretches, rotations of the neck; shoulders; and knees; some long stretch lunges, and some long front stances. Then we did kicks. Stretch front kick, stretch side kick, front kick, round kick, side kick. My feet were sticking to the floor badly. Then while trying to figure out what to do, some people suggested push ups, I said Jump Push-ups, had to show them to the master. He gave us a water break, and said to run them through 10 minutes of my training.

So we did 5 regular burpees (note all my burpees include push-ups), most of the class was complaining after 5. Then we did 5 high knee jump burpees (jump with your knees coming to your chest, or as close as you can). 5 step through lunges on each leg. 5 Super Planks (my shoulders were hurting at this point, probably from the presses before I left for class). A yoga tree on each leg (from the wii fit, no I don't have one, I have a friend with one, I would like one though). Then 2 laps of bear crawls. Which took about the whole 10 minutes.

Then we did one step fighting. That lasted about 20 minutes, then the last 15 of class was free fighting. I had 4 straight fights. One after another. First one against a white or orange belt (he never wears his uniform, his dad is one of the Masters), second fight against his Dad (who is one of the best fighters I have ever met. He kicked my butt up one side of the floor and down the other, and I wasn't that hard on his son). Then a green belt, who likes to grapple. Then the other 2nd gup red belt (my rank). Everyone else had breaks. Except for maybe one of the other green belts (the 12 to 13 year old girl).

By that point I was dead on my feet. Class ended. Then I had to take the KB to the locker room out to my car, left it on the curb while I crossed the street to get my car. Loaded in the car and got a light dinner. RamsHorn's healthy way breakfast (egg beaters, rye toast (usually dry), and 3 turkey sausage patties). Lots and lots of water. I was soaked. My uniform is soaked, has blood across the back too for some reason.

Came home, flip and caught the kettlebell. Think flip and squat, but there was no way I was squatting. I just did that to carry it into the house. I'm surprised I flipped and caught it.

The new bell was sitting there waiting for me when I got home. Had a nice warning sticker on it from UPS, due to it's weight. Opened the box, got it out. Did 2 hand swings, just a couple like 5, with no hands at the top. 1 hand swing on both sides. Cleaned it (way to easy). Pressed it. Way to hard especially on the left. But I did it a few more times in class on each side to show off. I did it after class to. Again to show off to one of the Masters. Tried to do chest presses. on the right I got 2, on the left, I had to use 2 hands to get 2.

I have to say, Anthony DiLuglio is a beast. How he can play with the 32kg kettlebell and make it look easy, I don't know. I mean I can on the swings, but I'm not going to get past 10, on presses, OH HELL NO, well not yet. I'm not going to try snatch it until tomorrow, but I expect it to be hard. Seriously though, when we were picking it up in class, it didn't feel like no 70 lbs. The scale when I weighed it tonight said it was 72.5 lbs.

The warning sticker, said "waring Heavy Package Over 70 lbs". My room mate said that the diver looked big and burrly, unlike the twigs they sent for the 53s last year and the small girl they sent with the 25s this year. I can't wait to get another one, but it's going to be a while before I'm ready to even think of swing 2 32kg bells.

That didn't feel like no 4.5 minutes.

Ran around the block... Well, jogged, and made it half way around before I started walking. Walked back to my street from the halfway mark. Then Interval sprints on down the block to home. I was surprised to see that it was a 4 and a half minute trip. It didn't seem that long.

Worked out to be about 3/10 of a mile, but since I hate running, and only broke the 10 minute mile in highschool...

little sad

Exercise to night was about 175 yards of jogging. I did it from work's front door to my spot up on the hill (the hill top parking lot). So part of it was up hill, but it's a really gentle slope.

Didn't time it. I was trying to run, but for whatever reason the legs wouldn't move faster. Shrug.

But it was raining, and I was carrying a book.

Of course was I was going to dinner, since I'm still at work (I thought I said this was going to improve, actually, I'm building 2 servers which works better after hours).

my legs felt funny afterward too.

signs you spend to much time in vi

Editing a text file today on a Windows box. On windows I use notepad++

Got done with the edit, and the first thing I though of doing was hitting esc 3x, and then typing ZZ.

Then I realized, regardless of what I'm in, I have a habbit of the following.

typing :q! to try and quit things
ZZ to save things
hit the escape key a lot
have to remove I,A and R from files I edit.

oh well

ended up not working out today. Person canceled last minute. The other person has a kb and training materials at home. so he's good.

I'm going to just relax. Since I'm showing someone else the joy of kettlebells tomorrow. And I still hurt in the legs from Thursday.

Working out

I have been working out, just not talking about it.

I've been doing groups of swings, presses, and putzing around on the pull up bar.

Last night, before martial arts, I did:
20 2 hand swings
20 right hand swings
20 left hand swings
20 hand 2 hand swings
6 pull-ups with the band.

Then I went and did 2 hours of martial arts.

My legs hurt, my ribs hurt (where I got punched) and my back hurts. Feels kind off good, except for the stiffness with the pain.

Tomorrow in the Park, our first time in 3 weeks, we're going Tabata. Swings, Kettlebell Squats, Burpees, and sprints. Not in that order. 6pm Sat night can not get here soon enough.

First day in a while, all destress

3-assisted pull-ups
10 sumo dead lifts (24kg kettlebell)
move wood from wood pile to fire pit for later
2-assisted pull-ups
9 sumo dead lifts (24 kg kettlebell)
Get kindling and rip it apart for later
3-assisted pull-ups
8 sumo deadlifts (24kg kettlebell)
move some more to the fire pit
2-assisted pull-ups
5/5 one hand swings (24kg kettlebell)

I'm still waiting to find out if anyone is coming over tonight to burn things. But it's time for dinner, shower and get the fire started, regardless of who comes. Have to do a beer run too.

The things you can find on line.

The Church of the Whale Penis. It's not porn, honest.

that is how dinner should be

Chicken, pirogies, peas and carrots.

With half the meal left over for tomorrow.

ugh...

I hate fried food. I hate the way it tastes, I hate the way I feel after eating it. The only thing I like less than fried food is McDonald's (or most fast food joints).

However work has been making it hard to eat real food. I left Monday night at 9:00pm, and stopped to get groceries on the way home. By the time I got home, I was not in the mood to cook, since it was after 10:30.

Yesterday I left at 2am. Yesterday was a 16 hour shift.

Last night I had fish and chips from bigboy. The only thing that wasn't fried was the coleslaw.

Today since I knew it'd be 6 hours before I get a chance to get out to eat again, I stopped at McDonold's across the street. I got a 10 piece chicken nugget, a quarter pounder with cheese, a small fry, sweet tea and 2 pies (one apple one cherry). Usually if I get McD's I get the pies, the fruit and nut salad thingy and sweet tea (occasionally the orange hi-c, it helps prevents hang overs).

I ate the burger... It tasted like the best thing I ever ate. I HATE BURGERS IN GENERAL, but it was all so good. I want another. I still have that ugh feel I get when I eat fried food, but it didn't taste like the ugh while eating it.

Nuggets and pie come later.

Fun with SSH

So I'm working on making new Xen Servers. The hard way. The p2v software from the vendor is not working. The vendor isn't responding to calls. We bought 45 trouble incidents but they are saying we don't have that ability.

So to work around that, I'm making something of a "gold-standard" image. Not exactly, but close enough. Its an image of a system that we know works, and I have to go in and make some minor changes to it at boot time.

Then I log into the original server, and copy the data over to the virtual one. I'm doing that via TAR over SSH. Last night, it was a pain. I would typo the password and then wait for ever for it to time out. Tonight, on the second system (the first one was only a handful of copies) and since I a lot of directories to copy, I made an ssh key. It was a bit of a pain to get it set up right... but WOW!!!!

Makes life so much easier.

I also set up a new way to connect to my box at home. It's a little faster. I used to set it up as: SSH to box, start vnc server, start client on same box, export x11 display back to desktop at work. It was slow. I set up vnc over SSH so I ssh into the box, start the server, and then use VNC from my Desktop. Way faster.

new personal best

Tonight, once again I worked out a little while doing the grill thing.

Tonight I tried un-even double swings. 16kg in the left hand, 24kg in the right hand. 5 swings. Switch hands, 5 swings.

Then I went to the pull-up bar. I grabbed hold, and got 4/5 of the way up. I got my nose to my bar. I tried hard, but couldn't get any further.

Then I went back and forth between pull-ups with the band, and 4/5 pull-ups without it. While doing the bands, I tried a couple of corncobs. I swayed my head more than I moved my body but that too was a start.

The Weather Underground says.....

The Weather Underground says that it's 58 degrees outside.

My head is still covered in sweat.

Tonight:
warm-up
10 burpees (really need to get better at those, I used to be able to do way more than 10 at a time).

Workout
4 sets of the following:
Double 24kg Kettlebell Swings
3 assisted pull-ups (at least I've gotten up to three with the 1 3/4 inch band).

Rested 2 minutes between sets

GLEEE

I can't really afford it, I can but don't want to spend the money....

A couple of weeks ago, a group of us on the AOS forum asked about a heavier reloadable kettlebell... They have some. It goes up to 150lbs (well 147). I want, and will be buying it Thursday when I get paid. I shouldn't but I said I'd buy one, and they have some that they are selling.

feeling it today.

I'm feeling yesterday's workout now. I'm a little sore in the legs, the butt, the lats, and the shoulders. It's kind of nice. I know I worked out, and feel better about yesterday's workout.

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to place an order for a 32kg bell thursday. Get a new heavy for swings.

I feel like a fraud

I feel like a fraud when it comes to working out. I don't do it enough. I don't put enough effort into it when I do, do it. I don't take it seriously, and take way too many breaks.

Today's workout. I only made it through 1 time, with lots of breaks. I would have loved to go through it again, because I don't feel worked out, but I don't have another 70 minutes to waist on it, since I have have to go to a friend's party, and I want to work on a computer before I go.

A lot of the stuff that involved the bell resting on my arm hurt too. My right wrist is brused from being smached between a sleeper couch and a door way. Two people on the other end (I was alone on my end) pushed before I was ready, and smashed the arm into the door. It's been bruised for a few days. I'm sure banging my kettlebell off it today (yes there was some banging which means that my form was off in a few spots) didn't help. However it hurt just resting the kettlebell on that spot too.

Today, all 16kg Doubles from a friendly challenge:
20 double swings
20 clean and presses
farmer's walk up and down the back part of my drive 2x
20 double thrusters
10 R/L renegade rows.
10 R/L double single leg dead lifts
clean walk up and down the back part of my drive 2x
20 burpees (without kettlebells, the way I meant it to be)
20 double bell getup situps
over head walk up and down the back part of my drive 2x
10 alternating cleans (probably the easiest thing besides the swings)
10 double kettlebell snatches

Like I said, with all the stopping I did, it took about 70 minutes.

While I was waiting

My sleep schedule is all messed up right now. Last night was probably the best night of sleep yet, but I've been up 18 hours now, and not the least bit tired.

Grilled a stake tonight, that was different. I ate so much chicken the last few weeks that I've taken to clucking... I'm only half kidding. Captain clucks, no idea where he picked it up at, him doing it has gotten those cadburry cream egg adds stuck in my head, the one where everything is trying to cluck like the cadburry bunny.

I can't seem to break past sets of two. I keep trying but I just can't pull it off. I've been working the negatives though, and got the chest all the way to the bar. When I do them, I put my knee in a band, and try from a dead hang. I just wish I could break the 2 barrier.

Tonight's workout (while waiting for the coal to get ready):

2 assisted pull-ups
1 assisted pull-up
2 assisted pull-ups
(adjusted the strap so I was standing in it, and got thrown like a rocket launched me).
2 assisted pull-ups
2 assisted pull-ups
2 assisted pull-ups

Tonight's solo workout

Made of fail tonight. I wanted to see if I could last an hour swinging. Original plan was supposed to be 20 swings, 2 minute break, repeat for 60 minutes total. Nick suggested 2min x 2min instead.

I decided to go with the 16kg bell to try and actually pull it off.

Sadly, after round 2 I had problems. Round one, I was doing all kinds of swings, 1 hand, 2 hand, hand to hand. Round 2 I was all 2 hands. Round 3 and 4 were mostly 2 hands, but I'd stop to itch. My leg was itching like mad and I couldn't ignore it any more in round 3, also felt like I was going to hurl. Round 5 2 hands, but my grip gave out on the left hand. The whole forearm burns. I think it may have had to do with my heart rate monitor.

Rounds:
75 swings
80 swings
30 swings
50 swings
40 swings. Mid swing on 40, the bell left my left hand, and I figured it was time to call it a night.

tonight's group workout

I've got a little red wagon to take the kettlebells up and down the hill with. I have to tighten some of the bolts. Still no Samantha. I'm being told in 2 weeks, since her mom and her can't make it next week. They have family coming in from out of town.

It really is fun to have people to work out with. They're catching on pretty quick. One has even went out and bought his own kettlebell. He got a 16kg. I talked him out of the 24kg. Some things he'd like to be heavier on, but other things the 16kg is harder than he can do. One of the Maintenance guys saw my KB while I was out to dinner last night (I worked 15 hours), he thought it was a 16lbs ball, meant to train bowlers. He said he was surprised at the weight when he picked it up yesterday. He asked what you do with it, and Nick (the guy that bought his own) said lots of things. He's hooked and infected.... He's going to try and drag one of his roomies out next week.

Tonight's Workout:
10 sumo deadlifts
10 dead swings
20 swings
10 release swings
10 r/l cheat curls
1 r/l windmills
Outlaw rope pullups (Mine were more like leg lifts, nick started it)
3 r/l turkish getups
10 wave squats
5 hill sprints

never thought I'd get to say this again

Kucinich for President.

If he had been allowed to speak like this at the so called "Debates" where it was a dog and pony show for Edwards, Clinton and Obamba, we'd be saying President Kucinich on Jan 20th 2009.

This is how you work a crowd.

Note to self

Do not do any other exercises after hill sprints.

Did 5 hill sprints at a park not too far from my house. 15 to 20 seconds up, 45 seconds down. 2 minutes total from the time I got to the top of the hill until I ran back up it.

I walked around the park afterwards.

I feel like I'm going to hurl

that is all

Yesterday...

Yesterday, I had this huge plan to go and bust my butt. I was even geeked about it. Up until I pulled in my drive way.

For the last few months I've been slowly cleaning out my garage. It's a slow go. One of the reasons is, you're only allowed 2 large items a week. I have old kitchen cabinets, old grills, old hoses and other things in there. So I only put out 2 things at a time.

Yesterday I caught a Scrap collector, he offered to come back to my house in a few minutes. I ran in, changed, and started pulling a lot of metal out of my garage. Someone beat the guy to the small stuff, but I had more back there. We carried it out to his truck. It went pretty well.

Then my neighbor called me over because they had found an injured bird in their back yard and didn't know what to do. They figured I would because I have a parrot. The bird didn't make it through the night. Which is kind of sad.

However I have more space in my garage now. I could even turn my pull-up / dip / leg-lift stand if I wanted too.

Tonight, I'm going to do what I didn't yesterday. Hill Sprints (the second set for the week will be Saturday), bike ride, and kettlebells. I really want to try the workout that Dave Whitley sent out.