Monday, June 19, 2006
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Dork a la Orange
As of Thursday night, I'm an orange belt in Songahm Taekwondo, and Daughter's a yellow belt. I felt a little rushed to only have three weeks to learn the forms that would normally be part of an eight-week cycle, but I did okay, and Daughter nailed hers...the nice part is that the way the school runs, we'll both be learning the same form (she'll be learning the actual yellow belt form, I'll be learning the yellow belt form as an orange belt, then going back and learning the orange belt form as a yellow belt with the next class of orange belts...)
I think my big goal for the class is to be able to do all the calisthenics the instructors throw at us. Right now, I have to accept my limits and not overdo, and I'm sure as we advance, the cals will get tougher...but it's a good goal.
I think my big goal for the class is to be able to do all the calisthenics the instructors throw at us. Right now, I have to accept my limits and not overdo, and I'm sure as we advance, the cals will get tougher...but it's a good goal.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Monday Weigh-In
327. No net loss since Thursday. 8lb to go for 10-lb mini-milestone.
Theory: the rate of muscle development (mass-wise) from the TKD workouts is keeping pace with the weight loss. Muscle's 2x the density of fat, so if this is true, I should notice clothes fitting looser even with no scale loss.
Theory: the rate of muscle development (mass-wise) from the TKD workouts is keeping pace with the weight loss. Muscle's 2x the density of fat, so if this is true, I should notice clothes fitting looser even with no scale loss.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Oh, Good Morning, Mr. Tyler. Going...Down?
Why yes, my weight is, thanks for asking. Down to 327 as of this morning. BowWowWowYippeeOhYippeeYay.
I'm not sure what to credit...sticking to the MediFast (with exceptions, but fewer), or the Tae Kwon Do workouts. Probably a combination of both. Last night, the sadistic (not really, they don't want you going past your abiilties) instructors had us do three "ab-related" exercises in a row: situps, leg-raises, and "rotating" leg-raises. Oddly, my abs don't hurt as bad as they did the first couple of days, but I know I didn't do as many as they wanted.
Also, they added three different flavors of push-ups: partner pushups, where two people face each other doing pushups and after each up-stroke, they take their right hand up and clap against their partner's hand; "bouncing" push-ups, where you push-up and shift to the right or left of a line on each up-stroke; and "around the clock" push-ups where you do a similar shift, but basically describe a half-circle with your body (feet remain stationary) one push up at a time (12-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, 5-6) and then back again in the same fashion.
So, clearly more exercise on non-TKD class nights is warranted to jump-start my ability to do sit-ups (and related exercises) and pushups.
I'm not sure what to credit...sticking to the MediFast (with exceptions, but fewer), or the Tae Kwon Do workouts. Probably a combination of both. Last night, the sadistic (not really, they don't want you going past your abiilties) instructors had us do three "ab-related" exercises in a row: situps, leg-raises, and "rotating" leg-raises. Oddly, my abs don't hurt as bad as they did the first couple of days, but I know I didn't do as many as they wanted.
Also, they added three different flavors of push-ups: partner pushups, where two people face each other doing pushups and after each up-stroke, they take their right hand up and clap against their partner's hand; "bouncing" push-ups, where you push-up and shift to the right or left of a line on each up-stroke; and "around the clock" push-ups where you do a similar shift, but basically describe a half-circle with your body (feet remain stationary) one push up at a time (12-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, 5-6) and then back again in the same fashion.
So, clearly more exercise on non-TKD class nights is warranted to jump-start my ability to do sit-ups (and related exercises) and pushups.
Monday, June 05, 2006
It's A Good Story
Wednesday night, at Game Night, the table banter turned (as it has for the past few months) to making "Brokeback Mountain" jokes. I haven't seen the film, have no desire to. Perhaps that makes me closed-minded, perhaps that makes me unwilling to further reward artists for making movies I don't want to see. I mean, other than topping off the pop-culture tanks, I have zero curiousity to see this film.
Now, that may have something to do with the fact that I might be the only person on the planet who didn't think that "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was a masterpiece. Yes, visually stunning, but the story seemed disjoint.
Anyway, the only woman at the table (and one of only two people at the table who've actually seen the film) offered her opinion of the film, at one point saying, "it's a good story". I was stupid enough to try arguing with her, on the grounds that you can't evaluate the goodness of the story without considering the viewer (beauty and the beholder, anyone?) To wit, there is no story that is absolutely good (or absolutely bad), just on its own merits. I finally got her to admit that it was her opinion that it was a good story, but she seemed peeved that I'd even argue the point. If I'm offended by, or at best, disinterested in a story about a homosexual affair between two ranchers, it's not a good story for me. I won't say it's a bad story, but I'm under no automatic obligation to see it just because you think it's good. There've been many stories that I've suspended judgement on until I've seen them. "Brokeback Mountain" won't be one of them.
Now, that may have something to do with the fact that I might be the only person on the planet who didn't think that "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was a masterpiece. Yes, visually stunning, but the story seemed disjoint.
Anyway, the only woman at the table (and one of only two people at the table who've actually seen the film) offered her opinion of the film, at one point saying, "it's a good story". I was stupid enough to try arguing with her, on the grounds that you can't evaluate the goodness of the story without considering the viewer (beauty and the beholder, anyone?) To wit, there is no story that is absolutely good (or absolutely bad), just on its own merits. I finally got her to admit that it was her opinion that it was a good story, but she seemed peeved that I'd even argue the point. If I'm offended by, or at best, disinterested in a story about a homosexual affair between two ranchers, it's not a good story for me. I won't say it's a bad story, but I'm under no automatic obligation to see it just because you think it's good. There've been many stories that I've suspended judgement on until I've seen them. "Brokeback Mountain" won't be one of them.
It's Satisfaction, Enormous Satisfaction
229 as of this morning. Technically, down 6 from Friday morning.
A friend and I have a little wager going, with 10 lb milestones, and weigh-ins on Mondays. Either I'm 60% of the way to my first milestone, or I've just set the baseline.
Probably should verify that, given the stakes. :-)
Had a grand time with L and her girls yesterday, right up to the point she felt the need to rush home because she thought my ex was headed over at 6:00. I kept telling L that she didn't need to rush (I knew that my ex would call first, since she knew that L & the girls were over at my house), but to no avail. We went swimming (first time for me this season), and I got a mild burn in some of the less-well-sunscreeened areas, but overall, a good time by all.
But you knew that couldn't be the end of the story, right? In the course of conversation yesterday, L kinda hinted that things might not be all that great with her live-in, not-remarried-but-probably-having-sex, ex-husband. And in much the way a drowning man grasps at a line, my brain's latched onto that. Just not sure how to bring it up and test the water.
And just to prove that the universe has a quite perverse sense of humor, just as this new hope with L shows up, things have been inching ever so slightly forward with J (the woman I wrote about several posts ago, not my male friend and fellow MediFaster J).
Not content with my love life, the universe decided to have a little additional appliance fun. The microwave doesn't work now. I went to heat some water for bullion Saturday, and heard a "pop". The water stayed tepid even after 10 minutes in the 'wave. I think I'll be happier overall just replacing the damn thing (about $300 for a same-brand, slightly more capacious model) than calling out a repair tech, and having to make the same kind of choice I just made with the fridge.
Captain Algorithm, out.
A friend and I have a little wager going, with 10 lb milestones, and weigh-ins on Mondays. Either I'm 60% of the way to my first milestone, or I've just set the baseline.
Probably should verify that, given the stakes. :-)
Had a grand time with L and her girls yesterday, right up to the point she felt the need to rush home because she thought my ex was headed over at 6:00. I kept telling L that she didn't need to rush (I knew that my ex would call first, since she knew that L & the girls were over at my house), but to no avail. We went swimming (first time for me this season), and I got a mild burn in some of the less-well-sunscreeened areas, but overall, a good time by all.
But you knew that couldn't be the end of the story, right? In the course of conversation yesterday, L kinda hinted that things might not be all that great with her live-in, not-remarried-but-probably-having-sex, ex-husband. And in much the way a drowning man grasps at a line, my brain's latched onto that. Just not sure how to bring it up and test the water.
And just to prove that the universe has a quite perverse sense of humor, just as this new hope with L shows up, things have been inching ever so slightly forward with J (the woman I wrote about several posts ago, not my male friend and fellow MediFaster J).
Not content with my love life, the universe decided to have a little additional appliance fun. The microwave doesn't work now. I went to heat some water for bullion Saturday, and heard a "pop". The water stayed tepid even after 10 minutes in the 'wave. I think I'll be happier overall just replacing the damn thing (about $300 for a same-brand, slightly more capacious model) than calling out a repair tech, and having to make the same kind of choice I just made with the fridge.
Captain Algorithm, out.
Friday, June 02, 2006
The Dixie Twits
I don't even listen to much country music, and I never cared too much about the The Dixie Chicks, but I'm sick of hearing about it.
I touched on this a while back talking about how some people feel the need to inform others how embarrassed or ashamed they are to be loosely affiliated with someone else.
So the Chicks are back...and they're Not Ready To Make Nice. Good for them.
Here's my central argument. They were ashamed that the President is from the same state they are. They told a European audience this. To Americans, it seemed like pandering to the European crowd (would they have told a group in Houston the same thing? would they have felt the need to?) I'll say this: I don't agree that personal threats should have been made against them as a result. They're entitled to their opinion, and they're entitled to share it with whoever's willing to pay $90 to go to their concert and hear them preachify. By the same token, fans who wanted to organize Dixie Chick CD-barbeques were just as entitled to express their displeasure with their statement. And, since radio is supported by advertising, which is in turn dependent on listeners, if a radio station feels it needs to stop playing Chicks music to keep its listenership, that's just the free market, baby.
None of this makes the Chicks right or wrong. I personally thought their statement was ignorant, and just a little hypocritical. They're outspoken opponents of the war, and they cite being mothers as the impetus behind that. War is ugly, young people die in them, and mothers have always hated that (with the possible exception of Spartan mothers, who seemed to understand warrior culture and honor). But don't you think a band who's recorded a song whose hook is "Earl had to die" may not have the highest moral ground to stand on?
And yes, I understand that "Goodbye, Earl" is a song about the evils of spousal abuse, and that it's helped raise awareness of the problem, etc. etc. etc. But if you can sing about using violence to solve one problem, perhaps you should be prepared for people to find your opinions unpopular when you decry it in other situations.
Finally, there are those who wonder why people would stop listening to the music, just because of the personal statements of the band members. After all, they argue, they didn't become less-talented musicians just because their foot fits in their mouth. Well, let's ask the question a slightly different way. If I spend close to $100 a ticket to hear music, why should I be subjected to the personal opinions of the musicmakers (except, of course, when those opinions are actually contained within the songs, and I ostensibly know what I'm getting into)?
Since the Chicks' new CD just debuted at #1, perhaps in addtion to being ashamed that President Bush is from Texas, they could be a little appreciative of all this free publicity.
I touched on this a while back talking about how some people feel the need to inform others how embarrassed or ashamed they are to be loosely affiliated with someone else.
So the Chicks are back...and they're Not Ready To Make Nice. Good for them.
Here's my central argument. They were ashamed that the President is from the same state they are. They told a European audience this. To Americans, it seemed like pandering to the European crowd (would they have told a group in Houston the same thing? would they have felt the need to?) I'll say this: I don't agree that personal threats should have been made against them as a result. They're entitled to their opinion, and they're entitled to share it with whoever's willing to pay $90 to go to their concert and hear them preachify. By the same token, fans who wanted to organize Dixie Chick CD-barbeques were just as entitled to express their displeasure with their statement. And, since radio is supported by advertising, which is in turn dependent on listeners, if a radio station feels it needs to stop playing Chicks music to keep its listenership, that's just the free market, baby.
None of this makes the Chicks right or wrong. I personally thought their statement was ignorant, and just a little hypocritical. They're outspoken opponents of the war, and they cite being mothers as the impetus behind that. War is ugly, young people die in them, and mothers have always hated that (with the possible exception of Spartan mothers, who seemed to understand warrior culture and honor). But don't you think a band who's recorded a song whose hook is "Earl had to die" may not have the highest moral ground to stand on?
And yes, I understand that "Goodbye, Earl" is a song about the evils of spousal abuse, and that it's helped raise awareness of the problem, etc. etc. etc. But if you can sing about using violence to solve one problem, perhaps you should be prepared for people to find your opinions unpopular when you decry it in other situations.
Finally, there are those who wonder why people would stop listening to the music, just because of the personal statements of the band members. After all, they argue, they didn't become less-talented musicians just because their foot fits in their mouth. Well, let's ask the question a slightly different way. If I spend close to $100 a ticket to hear music, why should I be subjected to the personal opinions of the musicmakers (except, of course, when those opinions are actually contained within the songs, and I ostensibly know what I'm getting into)?
Since the Chicks' new CD just debuted at #1, perhaps in addtion to being ashamed that President Bush is from Texas, they could be a little appreciative of all this free publicity.
Tae Kwon D'oh!
Okay. I did it. I went to the first "Dads train free" class at Daughter's TKD school.
As you might imagine, a 6'1", 335 lb (yes, I've gained since March, about 12 lb) man is going to have a bit of trouble. I just didn't expect to have as much trouble with the basic calisthenics as I did. I can do about 10 push-ups, and maybe 1 sit-up. I think the problem with the sit-ups is that my upper body masses WAY more than my lower body, so there's no leverage. The sit-ups were done solo, which means no one holding the feet. I felt like a frackin' turtle on it's back.
Also, I think a salad w/chicken at the local Mexican place before class was probably a bad idea (and not just because it's not on the plan I outlined yesterday).
Regardless, I'll probably go back. Next class is Saturday. I can probably make 4 classes a week (Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat), which gives me 15 classes to figure out if I want to pay almost $80 a month for further torture (for the quick among you, I know there are 16 opportunities between now and June 30 on that schedule, but I'd have to miss this coming Monday).
My balance needs help. My flexibiilty needs help (particularly when it comes to the side kicks). Oddly enough, I seemed pretty solid on the punches, blocks and front snap-kicks (at least for my first time trying them all). Oh, and my general fitness level. Well, that's the whole point of the Medifast thing, right? And this IS exercise. Not just exercise, but exercise that really kinda requires me to do more exercise outside the class to not look like a total idiot.
Funny how shame is a more powerful motivator than health.
As you might imagine, a 6'1", 335 lb (yes, I've gained since March, about 12 lb) man is going to have a bit of trouble. I just didn't expect to have as much trouble with the basic calisthenics as I did. I can do about 10 push-ups, and maybe 1 sit-up. I think the problem with the sit-ups is that my upper body masses WAY more than my lower body, so there's no leverage. The sit-ups were done solo, which means no one holding the feet. I felt like a frackin' turtle on it's back.
Also, I think a salad w/chicken at the local Mexican place before class was probably a bad idea (and not just because it's not on the plan I outlined yesterday).
Regardless, I'll probably go back. Next class is Saturday. I can probably make 4 classes a week (Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat), which gives me 15 classes to figure out if I want to pay almost $80 a month for further torture (for the quick among you, I know there are 16 opportunities between now and June 30 on that schedule, but I'd have to miss this coming Monday).
My balance needs help. My flexibiilty needs help (particularly when it comes to the side kicks). Oddly enough, I seemed pretty solid on the punches, blocks and front snap-kicks (at least for my first time trying them all). Oh, and my general fitness level. Well, that's the whole point of the Medifast thing, right? And this IS exercise. Not just exercise, but exercise that really kinda requires me to do more exercise outside the class to not look like a total idiot.
Funny how shame is a more powerful motivator than health.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Insert Clever Title Here
June 1st.
By my wildly optimistic calculations, I should have hit my first goal (240 lb.) by this past Saturday.
Didn't happen.
Not surprising, really, considering I haven't really been giving any more than lip service to MediFast since about the beginning of April.
So, another pseudo-milestone is here. "What, oh what," you may ask, "is your wacky plan this time?"
Even if you didn't ask, you're going to get told. I remained convinced that MediFast can work (if only because J's wife has become pregnant as a result of her renewed sexual interest in his dramatically slimmer self), and as I've covered here before, the key is the evening. While I'm at work, the oatmeal, three shakes and the "candy" bar are plenty. I feel fine, not at all hungry and everything's great. Instead of the "salad with chicken on it" approach, I'm going to try using a double-packet of MediFast for dinner (I bought the chili, and while it's not bad-tasting, it's a bit inconvenient for work, so we'll see how it works). The MediFast site suggests taking an acid reducer (like Tagamet) to avoid the "gnawing" feelings, as they could be excess acid production.
So, we'll see. I'll do an official weigh-in tomorrow and reset my exepctations based on a June 1 start.
In other news:
Had to replace the refrigerator. Old one had an obstructed capillary line, and the repair was going to cost $750 with a 90-day warranty. It's nice having ice again.
Had to get the "downstairs" A/C recharged with Freon-22. Hell of a lot cheaper than it could have been.
Got the garage rearranged and the router table bench made. I've decided I still eventually need a sliding compound miter saw. The table saw is great for ripping, but not so good at cross-cutting narrow stock. I can use the circular saw to cross-cut, but it's not as precise.
Still need to replace the fence. The guy my friend used seems to have ceased being a going concern. The website's gone, and the phone he'd called me on has been disconnected.
I'm supposed to start "Dads train free" month at Daugther's Tae Kwon Do class tonight, but I'm considering ditching. I hate looking like a fool, and God knows a big guy like me isn't going to make a graceful sport like TKD look good. And there's no WAY I'm gonna be able to do a round kick above my belt. I'm just not that flexible. On the other hand, it would be exercise, and flexibility improves with practice.
No progress on guitar.
No progress on erasing the sleep debt.
By my wildly optimistic calculations, I should have hit my first goal (240 lb.) by this past Saturday.
Didn't happen.
Not surprising, really, considering I haven't really been giving any more than lip service to MediFast since about the beginning of April.
So, another pseudo-milestone is here. "What, oh what," you may ask, "is your wacky plan this time?"
Even if you didn't ask, you're going to get told. I remained convinced that MediFast can work (if only because J's wife has become pregnant as a result of her renewed sexual interest in his dramatically slimmer self), and as I've covered here before, the key is the evening. While I'm at work, the oatmeal, three shakes and the "candy" bar are plenty. I feel fine, not at all hungry and everything's great. Instead of the "salad with chicken on it" approach, I'm going to try using a double-packet of MediFast for dinner (I bought the chili, and while it's not bad-tasting, it's a bit inconvenient for work, so we'll see how it works). The MediFast site suggests taking an acid reducer (like Tagamet) to avoid the "gnawing" feelings, as they could be excess acid production.
So, we'll see. I'll do an official weigh-in tomorrow and reset my exepctations based on a June 1 start.
In other news:
Had to replace the refrigerator. Old one had an obstructed capillary line, and the repair was going to cost $750 with a 90-day warranty. It's nice having ice again.
Had to get the "downstairs" A/C recharged with Freon-22. Hell of a lot cheaper than it could have been.
Got the garage rearranged and the router table bench made. I've decided I still eventually need a sliding compound miter saw. The table saw is great for ripping, but not so good at cross-cutting narrow stock. I can use the circular saw to cross-cut, but it's not as precise.
Still need to replace the fence. The guy my friend used seems to have ceased being a going concern. The website's gone, and the phone he'd called me on has been disconnected.
I'm supposed to start "Dads train free" month at Daugther's Tae Kwon Do class tonight, but I'm considering ditching. I hate looking like a fool, and God knows a big guy like me isn't going to make a graceful sport like TKD look good. And there's no WAY I'm gonna be able to do a round kick above my belt. I'm just not that flexible. On the other hand, it would be exercise, and flexibility improves with practice.
No progress on guitar.
No progress on erasing the sleep debt.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)