Structure is good

Started my new job on February 13th. I'd been out of work since the first week in October, for the first time since 1981. Yeah, that was rough on me. BUT, everyone that saw me during that period commented that I had lost weight. I hadn't, but I was working out much harder and biking pretty regularly.

Well, I got a sweetheart job with the company and unit I wanted to be in. Took a huge cut in pay from the other place, but that might be the price of my soul, which I believe I've gotten back. Anyway, there's a one hour commute each way, so I had to get my life in order and it's been great. My superpowers have returned, I'm lifting much much better and feeling great. I'm struggling with my weight a little, these guys have chocolate and chips and all kinds of landmines all over the office. I'm just working one day at a time. Yesterday, I did not touch one thing that I wasn't suppose to. Today, I will work hard to duplicate yesterday.

Another siting...

I've gotten back on track this week. I was never that far off of track, just not really locked in. It's been cold here. Frickin' cold. 30 degrees at night cold. It's warmed up and started raining. That I can deal with.

Weight 212
Fat 36.4
BMI 36.3

Postcard from the Pukatorium

Don't know what went wrong, possibly a trip to the International Terminal at SFO, but Saturday night turned into the night of the living dead. Projectile vomiting, explosive...well you get the gist. Not good. No bike ride on Sunday, no food, couldn't even keep ice chips down. A four point fever and a day in bed. Monday was a little better. Ice stayed down, I added Gatorade to the mix and by evening ate a Quesedilla. Tuesday got me back to the gym sweating like a pig, but I think I needed it. Sure can't even consider wine right now. I'm taking this week off from weights because it's the end of a four week cycle and I've done two in a row with no break, so here's a self imposed break. Here's today's stats.

This seems high

Weight 208
Fat 36.7
BMI 35.5

Keeping the noggin screwed on straight

Not easy after eight weeks of unemployment. I got canned the week after I returned from my vacation to Denver to the Doberman Pinscher Nationals. My dog partied like a rock star. Here he is after doing a Pete Townsend to the hotel room.



We drove to Denver via the northern route, through Reno, Elko, SLC, Wyoming and then dropping down into Denver on the 25. Let me say this about Northern Utah. You only need to see the salt flats once in your life unless you're Chuck Yeager. Denver really is a pretty city. I loved the downtown area. We were stuck out at the Denver International Airport's Holiday Inn. Not my idea of a vacation destination but God bless them for having 300 Doberman Pinschers, God bless them for dealing with their ass clown owners and God bless'm for having us. My birthday occurred while I was in Denver and I wanted to go out for my birthday. Being the vinophile that I am, I went to Wine Spectator and did a restaurant search and came up with Restaurant Kevin Taylor. They had an Award of Excellence for their wine list so what they hell right? We arrive there to find a menu of Bison, Vennison and Duck. I said to the guy "Hey y'all! do you have anything on the menu that didn't come in on the back of a Chevy?" He didn't think I was funny and we ate at Ruth's Chris.

On the way home we took the southern route. Southern Utah is a marked improvement on Northern Utah. It's actually gorgeous. We only drove through Vegas, although if you saw this picture of Beauregard you'd think he partied at The Palm with Hef's gals.



Then I got home and lost my job. So I'm working on opening a wine bar if my house ever closes. I'm very concerned about it. Hopefully this following week will be the week that my life gets moving again. I have a Tarot reading today, that's how concerned I am, I've never had one before, it should be interesting.

Weight 210
Fat 36.1
BMI 35.8

In my defense, I went to the Santa Cruz Mountains on a wine tasting adventure yesterday. David Bruce, excellent. Testarossa, good but over priced, a screaming Chardonnay. Byington, great place, Lewis ROCKS! Excellent wine, very well priced. Anyway all day no food, I ended up at In and Out last night at 9pm trying to get something to go home on. I am planning on buckling down next week. I wrote myself an unemployment schedule to help keep my head screwed on correctly.

About my 3rd grade summer vacation

OK, I've been out of work for seven weeks now. At some point I will start to worry about this stuff. Right now, I'm Alfred E Neuman...what me worry? The good news is I have plenty of time to work out like a big dog. My pecs are getting even bigger. My super powers which had left me for a while, particularly in Chicago, have returned. There is no stress in my life. I feel decompressed. Beauregard is reaping the rewards of having me around all of the time. We have become inseparable. Now I have to work more on the eating. I'm a classic stress eater, and I also eat when bored. Your head does funny things to you when you're unemployed. Keeping it screwed on straight is my life's work right now.

Constant Motion

I've been getting the house ready to go onto the market. Unfortunately, it's been very hard on my body. Very hard. I've had to move a bunch of stuff into the garage by myself and my body is very sore and I'm exhausted. I hired a painter to help finish off. I'm just tired. I've been eating relatively correctly.

Weight 206
Fat 35.9
BMI 35.2

I haven't cycled since July 14 and this is getting a little old. I'm a little bloated from that and I think this might be the week. Oh my, getting old sucks.

Big Dog Style

6/18/06

Weight 211
Fat 35.5
BMI 35.9
Bust 43
Waist 40
Butt 47

9/10/06
Weight 206
Fat 35.7
BMI 35.4
Waist 40
Bust 43
Waist 39 1/2
Butt 45

Less waist, less ass. That's what I'm talking about. If I could only get my body to settle down. No cycle since 7/14/06. The water retention is making me nutty. At it again starting...NOW.

Fresh from the Witness Protection Program

yeah, I know I went missing. Life happens. I'm getting the homestead ready to sell and I've been biking like a mofo. And work's been crazy so the blog has been on sabbatical. I switched to Dr. Squat's weighlifting plan. I was a little bored with the one I was using. I've been doing more core work. My elbow has gone south on me which has adversely affected my golf game. I've been taking lessons, but I can barely swing the club. But I've been consist ant. I have 13 days left on the last challenge. My shoulders are pimped. Legs too. We'll see the results on the 10th.

Breakfast
Shredded Wheat, Soy milk, low fat cheddar stick, banana
Midday snack
1/2 turkey sandwich
Lunch
Turkey sloppy joe on 1/2 whole wheat bun
Snack
Apple and String cheese
Dinner
Chicken breast
baked potato
Caesar salad
Dessert
Ricotta and strawberries with sliced almonds

Today is the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. A year ago I got a message from my friend down there that her father had passed and they were going to Biloxi on Tuesday to bury him. I don't know when they buried the old guy. Thank God he missed Katrina. Bless you Miss H, I think of you often. Next month will be the one year anniversary of my trip to the region. Nothing has happened to rebuild the town. Our government should be embarrassed by the way they treat our people.

Alert the militia, there's been a sighting

Lots of news, some good, some not so good. I'm not sure where we left off, gentle readers. Had my dear old Dad broken his hip? Was I driving to Fairfield every day of my life to the tune of $3.35 a gallon? That was exhausting. Then there was the ill fated trip to Chicago. Yes, I bombed out for the first time in probably three years. The third time in my life. OTOH they had the rules so FUBAR that I really didn't completely bomb out, but I should have been so I stripped down and sat in the audience only to have my name called for the Dead. Are you kidding me. Oh well, it is what it is. The good news: The Chop House. Creme brulee that's off the hook. Morton's of Chicago, in Chicago, yeah, it don't get much better than that. The Mag Mile is in fact Magnificent. I'm back to the gym with a different workout. Dr. Squats. It's been 112+ for four days running. I'm melting. I took the big man in the pool yesterday. It was 114 out and I was afraid his core temp was going to sneak up on him. At first it thought it was a suck ass idea, then he warmed up to it. He put his feet on the bottom of the pool and his front paws on the floaty thing. It was very cute. Weigh in 203 in Chicago. 206 this morning.

My life so far...

3/27/06
Start:
Weight 209
Fat 35.1
BMW 35.6
Bust 43
Waist 40
Butt 47

6/18/06
Finish:
Weight 211
Fat 35.5
BMI 35.9
Bust 43
Waist 40
Butt 47

Unbelievable. I worked harder, probably had a little bit of wandering on the food, but I'm not mad at myself like last time. I've increased my bench press easily by 10 pounds. I've started cycling and running. I have a swim suit and may swim today. I'm doing a better job of living my life, so I'm actually ok with the results. I did some math and I need to weight 161-165. My knees are killing me, but it's not stopping me. That weekend up at Mrs. H's house did me good. I'm glad I got my head on straight then.

Last Monday, the 12th, my Dad fell and broke his hip. His feet froze on him, which is a biproduct of the Parkinson's. My Mother called me around 9pm on Monday, but didn't seem to want me to go up there. She futzed around and waiting to call friggin' Kaiser because she didn't want to go to emergency. The emergency room at North Bay is full of homeless people. Mom, then stop voting Republican. There were no homeless people before Reagan. And Hillary was so very wrong to want to fix the health care system in this country. Stop voting Republican. So finally 8:30 the next morning she gets ahold of Kaiser and imagine that! Call 911 and have a bus bring him to Kaiser. They operated on him around 5:30 that evening. He was stupid on the morphine until Friday morning. I thought he was getting better, but Mother can't handle him, she's fragile herself, so we wanted him moved to a rehab on Sat. I saw him Sat. afternoon and he was confused as hell. I saw him yesterday and he was just as confused. I don't have a great feeling about this but I don't know what else to do. Time will tell.

Stuff that gets my shorts in a twist

The Dixie Chicks

They are musicians. Artists. They can say what they want. Corporate America cannot blackball them. Natalie did it again, and God bless her.

Bon mots and cheap shots

That was my favorite Herb Caan column title. And that's today's theme. Things that make me happy this week, the California Primary.

Dear Jackie,
You will not go to the Capital on Breed Specific Legislation, not on my watch. Thanks for playing our game, now hit the bricks.


Me and my new bike went for a ride today, it was 28 miles with my friend Javier. He told me on the way back that the route (minus the coffee and donuts) was the old test route that the US Olympic Team used to use back in the 70's. Starting in Orinda, to Pinole, to Martinez back to Orinda. We started at 7:15, road 14 miles and stopped for donuts and coffee (today is my free day) and road back. I hit my 10 and my 11 and 12 and I hit the wall and bonked and everything else...but I finished. Some gals went by me at one point and said something that inferred familiarity with the route and I gasped, "it's my first time!".
They were at the end hootin' and hollerin' for me. That felt great.

Dear Right Wing Ass Wipes,
The Dixie Chicks are back and they're Not Ready the Make Nice and neither am I.

And at the gym this week, 200X2X6. Yeah, I'm a bad ass.

And a word from my pussyboy Doberman. Please make the wind stop, I'm afraid of it.

And about an epic free day:
EAS Myoplex bar
Maple bar and coffee
Pay Day
Hamburger on sourdough
Large slice of key lime pie
1 pound NY
Potato with everyfreakingthing
Caesar Salad
More Key Lime Pie

This weeks food:
WW English muffin 1/2
Turkey bacon
Lite Cheddar

1/2 ham sandwich w/lean ham
12 baby carrots

turkey sloppy joes on 1/2 ww hamburger bun

either apple and string cheese or protein enriched pudding

lemon pepper chicken
baked potato
salad

ricotta and strawberries or protein enriched pudding

MIA

Yes, I have been missing, but I have been working out, diligently. I have another meet coming up in July and I'm working very hard towards that. For the most part my eating has been pretty good. This week was:

Oatmeal with cottage cheese

1/2 WW english muffin, slice of lean ham, slice of lowfat cheddar

WW sourdough little roll with tri tip and salsa

apple and string cheese

Swordfish, ww couscous and salad

ricotta and strawberries.

yesterday, not so much. I'm remodeling one of our offices and the stress was off the hook yesterday. I shut down our biggest branch at 3pm and had every thing moved out on the balcony. At the same time a KD'ed all the existing cubes and had new workstations brought up and stored on the balcony. Finish time? 7:06, yeah I rock. Today the carpet goes in, tomorrow they build out the cubes, Monday the furniture goes back in and we're ready to run on Tuesday morning.

I've been running again. Hanging out with Mrs. H got that going. I got my new shoes two days ago and can't wait to take them out. I've been biking too. New shoes, new cleats and I can get out of the clips now without falling down. It's a great day to be me.

About Scooby...

Yesterday morning I took Beauregard for his morning walk. We went out a different way and I was planning on jogging home. As I turned to corner back into my neighborhood I saw something wierd, that I still can't identify in my head and heard I dog yelping and then saw him running in circles in the center of the street until he collapsed. Because I had Beau, I hung back while he was yelping and running. When he collapsed we ran, sprinted as much as I can sprint to get to him. He was down. He was a brindle pit bull with beautiful blue eyes. I knew he was in trouble, so I told him to hang tight, I'd be back. There were some landscapers hanging around and I told them to call the police. I'm sure they were illegal. They didn't. Jackasses. You can't live here if you have this little compassion for a poor animal dying right in front of you. I ran home got my truck and came back to take him to the vet, but he was dead. I had to fight with some idiot Mexican to get him to help me get him into the truck.
Will you help me?
No.
No? Are you freaking nuts? Do you want to leave this poor animal in the middle of the street?
No.
Then help me.
No.
Habla Inglis?
No.
Pero Muerto.
Si.
Then I motioned that I wanted him to help me put the dog in the back of my truck, and he did. Gracias. Dumbass.

Scooby, I'm sorry, I tried. Rest in peace buddy.

MY BIKE

Now, I haven't had a bike since my Schwinn Varsity I had when I was a kid. It was orange and to be honest with you, I can't remember what ever happened to it. I might have sold it. Anyway, after Dr. Anderson admonished me about my knees, I quit running and tried to lose some weight so she'd do a buff and shine on my knees. Well, I needed to replace the running so I bought a bike. That would be easier on my knees, right? Not if you fall off of the damned thing. So I got my clip stuck on Thursday and down I went, hard. Yeah, I hit my knee and my elbow. Then today, I'm smarter, I've been practicing getting my foot out of the damned things, so down I go on the right side. Beauregard is licking my wounds, he says that helps, but I just keep thinking that he licks himself too and how could that help? Beau?

...brings May flowers

The rain appears to be gone, and the flowers are definitely here. My roses are gorgeous. I hacked down the weeds in the front the day before yesterday, the Peace rose is En Fuego, the red rose is gorgeous, the natives are stealing them, which really pisses me off. The JFK by the pool is spectacular. All of the pool roses look great. I cleaned the pool decks yesterday and have been working on the pool to get it up and running for the summer. Yesterday I rode my new bike, LOVE IT. Jumped some rope and jogged a bit with Beau. I need to lift today, and will momentarily, after the little man gets his walk. It's amazing what a little good weather will do for me. I've been eating properly, making sales calls, doing what I need to do.

Weight 209
Fat 36.1
BMI 35.6

I think the fat measurement is off, but i'm not sure why.

This week's offerings

Oatmeal with cottage cheese
Apple and String cheese
Bean tostada
Turkey on WW sourdough
Salmon, brown rice and asparagus
Ricotta and blueberries

Getting grounded

What a weekend. Later today I will write a note to the lovely Mrs. H, thanking her for reminding me of who I really am. Mrs. H is amazing. She is beautiful, but not in a classic way. Her beauty comes from within her in an amazing way, and she is a woman of divine class. Her relationship with Mr. H is something to behold and I learn every time I'm around her. Her love for her son is so sacred it's impossible to describe. She is a triathlete. She has accomplished what I wish I had accomplished, but my body has crapped out on me. She impresses me, she's got it right. We went to her beach house for a long weekend. We drank like fish, acted stupid, professed plans for World Domination and shopped. Yesterday morning, I watched her come out in her running clothes and strap on her running shoes. I doubt she knows it, but I cried watching her leave. I yearn to run, but my body won't allow it. I want to strap it on again, and run the reservoir with my dog. On the way home we talked about things that I hadn't spoke of in at least 20 years. It made my chest hurt, yet, I remembered who I was. For that Mrs. H, I will be forever indebted and in your honor, I will work to never forget again.

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.