The healing process

OK the Cartoon Toe is healing. The Dog is almost completely healed. Hopefully that's the end of the crap. A Boxer came up to my house tonight. He had a collar and was really sweet. I called the number but no answer. I figured he lived locally so I hooked him up and started walking towards where he came from. Then my cell rang and it was his Dad. Yeah, I got your dog and I'm walking up Toyon, where are you? I live on Toyon, so I kept going and out comes Rasta Boy. I love freaks like him, but it must be a trip for them. I'm at least as old as their Mothers, but I'm just a headbanger.

Here's your dog dude, he's a cool dog.

Yeah, thanks, I gotta fix this fence.

Yeah, you do, he don't know to stay out of the street. I just hope someone would do the same for me if my guy got out, have a good one.

I'm off to Mendocino for the weekend. The Blonde called and was ticked that there were Reindeer Games and she wasn't invited. Like your family would let you play with the likes of us? We have:

2002 Rombauer Reserve Zin
2003 Rombauer Zin
Rombauer Zin Port
2003 Keenan Zin
2003 Unti Zin
La Storia Cuvee 32
2000 Freemark Abbey Bosche Cab
1999 Freemark Abbey Sycamore Cab
1998 Clo du Val Vineyard George III Cab

The ladies like their red wine. This should get ugly quick. Those are some fine vintages though. Lots of stuff way in the 90's.

Cartoon toe

Every now and again, I get a cartoon toe. This is where an ingrown toenail gets so far out of control that it resembles something from a Ren and Stimpy episode. Appropriate cartoon music should accompany the cartoon toe. I had this one cut out yesterday. It's always like the lion that has the thorn pulled from it's paw. As much as it hurts, you love your Podiatrist.

Can you dig it?

They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother
SHUT YOUR MOUTH!
I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft.
THEN WE CAN DIG IT!

Oh yeah, who's a bad mother? That would be me. APA meet yesterday in Sacramento. I opened with 195 since I'd been doing that for reps in the gym. Not a problem. Then comes the second lift. I'd done 205 in the gym a couple of times too. Punched that up no problem. I'd never ever done 210 in my life. So I put down 210 for my third lift and punched that up too. I missed my fourth lift at 215 but it was a good day all in all.

As if this were news...

Newt Gingrich is afraid that the GOP is going to have a rough go of it in November. Ya think? Let's see, what could it be?

Iraq?
Inflation?
The Economy?
$3 per gallon?
FEMA?
$400 heating bills?
Tom DeLay?
Valerie Plame?
Scooter Libby?
Babs $30k "donation" to Katrina victims earmarked to purchase her idiot son's software?
The Bushes?
Kevlar vests that can't find their way to Iraq?
Crappy international policy?
Sweetheart deals for Halliburton?
Soldiers making $30k while contractors make $300k for doing the same freaking job?
Uh, the 16 words that had nothing to do with fact? hint =State of the Union address WMD's
Church becoming State?

What's the difference between the Christian Right and the Muslim Fundamentalists? Uh, nothing.

Here we are..

I've got a meet next Saturday. Tomorrow will be my last weightlifting session before the meet. Then all cardio and possibly some yoga up until meet day. I'm certain I can press 205, maybe more. This is going to be good.

Here's this week's offering:

Oatmeal with cottage cheese

Ricotta and berries with almonds

Dirty rice (turkey, chicken andouille sausage, brown rice and a ton of spices)
Salad
OR Chicken Caesar.

Apple and String cheese

Ahi, couscous and salad
OR Grilled chicken, brown rice and salad

Chocolate mousse w/protein powder

The woman paid Beauregard's emergency bill. Unfortunately, Diablo View nickels and dimes you to death. I do like Dr. Schroeder though. The last guy gave him Rimadayl, which you should never prescribe for a Doberman. Never sulfur drugs actually. His tubes are out, but I'm fighting to keep his back drained. His stitches come out on Wednesday. And now a wine review, which I don't believe I did yet.

Collaboration Pinot Noir. MMMMmmm good. This is brought to us by the same guys that brought us Seven Peaks a few years ago. Michael got me cases of that stuff at $4 per bottle because they were bankrupt. At $16.99 Andronico style for this bad boy, they're going to go bankrupt again. This is a very good Pinot. A pretty wine is what Fifi would call this one.

Cranky Doberman

I got the big boy a Bite Not collar. It's a plastic turtleneck that keeps them from going after stitches. He's doing a little better with it, but he is just straight up depressed. He stands in the living room and bitches at me, he couldn't sleep last night, and neither could I. Oy.

Note to women who wear perfume, cologne, too much scent in the gym...Don't.

Weight 208
Fat 35.2
BMI 35.4

At the end of the week...

I had an epic free day yesterday. There was a bit of un-needed stress last week. A neighbor's housekeeper left their front door open while taking out the trash. The pit bull came running out of the house and attacked my Doberman. The owner pulled up just as it was happening, jumped out of the car and pulled her dog off of Beau. $829 later, Beau is home, resting, but pretty damn cranky about this change. OK the satellite dish sucks and the t-shirt tied in a knot is kind of faggoty. He's hoping that he doesn't have to wear Daisy Dukes too.




Free Day

Waffles and blueberry syrup
Buckhorn's Chipolte tri tip sandwich with fries and a Dr. Pepper
Key lime bar from Andronicos
Chocolate Bar from TJ's
Rum raisin ice cream
NY steak
Baked potato with butter
Salad
A lovely Pinot by Collaboration, the folks that brought me Seven Peaks...
A lemon bar

Today
Weight 211
Fat 35.3
BMI 35.9

This weeks menu
1. Oatmeal with cottage cheese
2, apple/banana and string cheese
3. dirty rice with chicken sausage and ground turkey or a tortilla with l/f cheese and black beans and salsa
4. 1/2 london broil sandwich
5. fish, pasta and salad
6. ricotta cheese and fruit

Settling in to another BFL Challenge

Actually the real challenge these days is dealing with an 80 pound Doberman who doesn't understand that when it's raining out the back door, it is also raining out the front door and walks are cancelled. It's been raining since I returned from Rancho Mirage on Sunday. SINCE. I drove into the rain and it just hasn't stopped. I'm not getting a break at all. I can't even hit golf balls, there's no break. The pool is near going over, moss is growing all over outside and I live in sunny California dammit. I really need spring to get here. Beau and me have had it.

Weight 206
Fat 35.3
BMW 35.1

Loading up the animals two by two...

My God I'm sick of the rain. I just got back from Palm Springs and the LPGA. Karrie Webb won in sudden death, but I had already left to drive home. I drove into more rain. It has rained ever since I got home last night. My weight is up a little, but not bad considering what the week involved. DW insists on going out every night. He thinks his meds are giving him a belly. It's his lifestyle. The best meal out was at Ormi & Boni in La Quinta. Unfortunately, Ormi and Boni are getting a divorce and the restaurant is being sold. Too bad. I had Pork prime rib with grilled pears and pineapples. Yum. A mushroom salad, which was grilled mushrooms and pancetta on a hearts of romaine salad and a lovely cheesecake dessert. Ormi is obviously brilliant. Off to the gym for now.

Meet Alyx

I don't know what that acronym stands for, but it's a fiendish device that lives at the Blood Bank.

I give blood, it's one of the things I do. Yesterday they talked me into trying Alyx, which is a machine that spins your blood, removes the red cells and gives it back to you with some added saline. It took about two hours and kicked my ass, but I did it. I'm O- so I'm the universal donor and they really need what I got, so I give as much as I can. The lady who hoodwinked me into the procedure was a gal named Terry. She used to work at Vacaville Prison, so she told me, and now was at the blood bank. When I asked how long the procedure took because my dog was in the truck, she asked what kind of dog. A Doberman. She had lost her Doberman two years ago to leukemia and was still broke up over her. I get that. I brought Beauregard down after for some meet and great. The lady just glowed. I gave her the web address of Dog Works and suggested she contact them about fostering to help her get over the pain.

The good news is before I went to the Ministry of Disinformation (the parental unit) I did go to the gym and had a spectacular work out. I benched 205 unassisted. Yeah, I'm a bad ass.

Weight 206
Fat 35.2
BMI 35.1
Resting pulse 64
BP 100/74

Today, I'm off to Palm Springs for the Nabisco Championship. Fore!

It's like teaching a pig to sing,

it takes a lot of time and pisses off the pig.

Yet, eventually I may learn. First, it's time to discuss the weekend's exploits. I was a "breath", yes a breath away from getting hauled in on Sunday. When exactly will I learn to stop speeding? This guy would have never even given me the time of day, but nooo, I got to speed. I know better. Hell, it was moving violation #48. Tom Cruise had me out of the car because "he smelled wine in the car". Oh, that's Harry, he's drunk that's why I'm driving. It sounded good, but didn't stop him from making me put my toes and ankles touching, hands at your side, follow the pen with your eyes. I did it, successfully, which I think pissed him off, but he had to let me go.

Weight 210
Fat 35.7
BMI 35.8

Today, I did 1 HIIT on the stair master, then another HIIT on the EFX machine. Then I had breakfast, took the BMW to the shop, did some work around the house and went BACK to the gym and did a spin class. Then I drilled out the grout in the bathroom that needed replacing, smogged the Truck, picked up the BMW and dumped $70 at Home Depot. Now, it's only 8:15 and I can barely hold my eyes open and I still have ricotta and blueberries to go.

Breakfast
WW Tortilla
L/f cheese
pinto beans

Snack
Apple
String cheese

Lunch
sirloin burger on ww sourdough

snack
ww sourdough and a piece of string cheese

dinner
8 shrimp, marinated in orange juice and tequila
brown rice
salad

dessert
ricotta
blueberries

JACKASS

My dog wants to know why my ass is so big.
Here's a depiction of what happens when you fall short of your goals. Yeah, these look just like the beginning shots, maybe a bit more muscle.

Weight 209
Fat 35.1
BMW 35.6
Bust 43
Waist 40
Butt 47

OK, go to your room and think about what you've done

OK, I have spent some time thinking about what I did for the last 84 days.

I need to be better when I have company. I can eat BFL, and for that matter so can they. I know how to cook it so no one notices and that's what I need to do. I need to be more careful on weekends. That's when things tend to get sideways. Yesterday for instance, Jake's Etouffe AND crab cake appetizer for dinner. No wonder my stomach is bothering me. That's way too rich for my blood. I should have held with the Etouffe, or even better had the grilled swordfish and no appetizer. I would feel better and there would be less damage. For the most part I don't pig out on free days, but free days bleed into free weekends and that is where the problem lies. I did lose inches and that's a good thing. I did get much stronger. I'm doing 195 for 5 sets of two. That is straight-up impressive. I am adversely affected by bad weather and we've had 4 days this month that haven't rained and it's the 26th of March fergodsakes. I have begun walking Beau twice a day. That's a good thing. I have started sneaking in spin classes. Also a good thing. My portions are pretty good for the most part. I need for switch to non-fat latte's with equal except for my free day. I will post a start point tomorrow. I'm taking today off too and starting on a Monday like I should. We're going wine tasting today. Nothing good can come of that.

The end

Not such great results. I deserve what I got though.

Weight 207
Fat 35.9
BMI 35.3
Bust 43
Waist 40
Butt 47

Starting numbers
Starting weight 209.
Starting Fat 36.2%.
Starting BMR 35.6
Bust 47
Waist 43
Butt 48

Strange progress. I need to be better in my eating and better at getting to the gym earlier. I have been workng harder, I think I need to kick it up even another notch.

OTOH four inches off my chest and three off my waist. Shut the hell up! I'm happy.

Getting there

OK last Tuesday, I had a bone crushing headache in the morning. I missed the gym, but then, I didn't. I left work for lunch and decided to go to a Spin class. I sweat like a pig, the headache left me, and all is good. Then I hit the gym pretty hard yesterday, had a visit at Fitwell, (I'm still sore from Dr. Covey's adventures) and am starting to feel almost normal again. This getting old stuff sucks. If men had to deal with what we deal with, there would be mandatory PTO's for three days a month so you could get your head straight. Today I did a great cardio session. I've been pretty good on my eating too. OK, since the great S'More adventure, I've been good. Tonight, blackened sirloin, brown rice, Caesar salad.

My brain is bleeding...

OMG I have the headache of all time this morning. Four cups of coffee, four tylenol this morning. Four Advil last night. No gym this morning. I'm going at lunch. I have an event for work tonight so that justifies a lunch soiree to the gym. I miss working out midday anyway. Got a little off track last night, which may be the cause of the headache. It was 46 degrees at 5pm yesterday so I built a fire. Well, if you're going to build a fire you gotta make S'Mores...right? I think the sugar did me in even though I went to dog school two hours after the fact, I drank a ton of water, my brain is in pain this morning. It's funny how I get a worse hangover from S'Mores than I do from wine. Weird.

stop, rewind, play

It was a really great weekend. I got to play golf, even though it was swamp golf. Loaded up on my BFL groceries. Made an excellent curried chicken and grape salad for the week. Pulled weeds, then gave up and moved to Round-up. Laid nekkid by the pool, certainly a favorite activity. One you will see no photo journalism of in this space. Watched Patton. Did you know Francis Ford Coppola was a writer on that? Me either. It's also pretty close to what actually happened. Sometimes I might be a Patton at work. OK, I don't slap the burned out EO's, jeez. Took the big boy to the reservior for a walk, gave him a bath. Cleaned out the BMW. Fussed with more weeds. Cooked my food for the week. Had an epic free day. A pint of Haagen Daz (light) a blackened sirloin a little loaf of sourdough. Truely epic. BUT TODAY:

1 egg 3 whites
WW cereal with n/f milk

1/2 lean ham sandwich
baby carrots

Chicken/grape almond salad

grapes and string cheese

BFL baked chicken parmesean
ww pasta
sauteed spinach

ff ricotta
strawberries.

And now for the sad part

weight 209
fat 35.6
bmi 35.6

I'm not going to be the biggest loser, eh?

Limp Wrist

OUCH! Medial collateral tendonitis in my wrist. I haven't lifted for a couple of days now. I've been doing cardio, but it's still not getting any better. Hurts like a mofo. I had ART done on it last Wednesday and it's been taped for two days. I've been taking Advil regularly and it's still pretty messed up. Golf tomorrow should be interesting....

What works, what's not so much

First the good news. I finished the four week cycle and added 10 pounds to the goal weight. I successfully pushed 205 in the gym the other day. That's a happy day. Actually the day I did 195 for reps was a pretty happy day too. My shoulder, elbow and wrist on the left side are giving me trouble. I made a pilgramage to Fitwell Chiropractic and Lisa worked on my arm. Some is better, some needs more work. My wrist is killing me. My very supportive network of friends have advised me that it's arthritis brought on by my advanced age. OK, they aren't so supportive. They probably aren't right either. It's probably a form of tendonitis. Anyway, I'll be back to Fitwell tomorrow and the following Wednesday in hopes of getting it fixed. Strangely, this is the good news. The bad news, I just can't behave with my eating. I start out with the best of intentions and then silliness occurs. I think it has had more to do with the stress of my job then anything else. I no longer manage the band of miscreants that I'd been saddled with, so I think that will help dramatically. The Prima Donnas had one last salvo, and they think they got what they wanted. Now I call that branch Toyota. You asked for it, you got it!

OK, I'm not much of a loser

Weight 208
Fat 35.4
BMI 35.4

End of an era, ok a 4 week cycle...

I will do the last workout of my four week cycle in about 30 minutes. I made every single lifting workout on this cycle. I'm having some issues with my left arm going to sleep but I'm pretty sure that's the result of my HUGE pectoral muscles pressing against the nerve in my shoulder. I will start another cycle on Monday. There's a contest in Sacramento on April 22, another one in Chicago on July 17th, Aurora, CO on September 24 and then one in December and that'll be my year. I need to start up yoga again, possibly tomorrow or Sunday morning. I've been having a terrible time focusing on my eating. It's been sort of right, but not really. So I'm at:

Weight 207
Fat 35.0
BMI 35.3

And I'm tired. Work has been boring.