three tomatoes

mommy, daddy, and baby tomato, are walking down the street...baby tomato lags too far behind and the daddy tomato smashes him and says ketchup! (5 points to the first who can identify the source of this fine piece of trivia; bonus if you can describe the context)

Anyway, I'm going to try to catch up on goings on over the past week. We had three games...lost to two teams that we can beat...and won last night...turning in a defensive gem by holding Tolono to 2 points in the entire second half. Cookie had his worst game. He was really tentative, afraid to make a mistake, which naturally led to LOTS of them. As is his nature, he didn't let it keep him down...joining in the celebration after the game.

On the BFL front, I lifted Tuesday and I'll lift tonight. The only aerobic activity this week was a half hour of basketball with the team. Little bastards almost KILLED me.

#1 son will serve as alter boy for the first time, on Sunday. I am so proud of him. Public display is against his nature, but he's agreed to do this.

Another Busy weekend ahead. Hoops tomorrow. birthday party tomorrow night, hitting camp Sunday A.M. and then on to the grazing grounds for Superbowl festivities.

I really, really wanted to call my dad last night and talk to him about the victory. To try and see why I couldn't enjoy it more. to see why I was thinking more about what we did wrong than what we did right. Guess I'll have to figure it out on my own.

obsession

My fantasy has turned to madness All my goodness has turned to badness My need to possess you has consumed my soul My life is trembling, I have no control (tip of the Phoenix Cardinals hat to Animotion)

So I'm thinking I might be a little too wrapped up in this whole weight loss thing....

Twice now, I've had a dream where June Lockhart is a bounty hunter. Weird enough, but there's
a catch. She only hunts fatties! In the latest iteration, she unfurled down a banner like some cirque du soleil bit player, smiled beatifically at me as though I were Timmy, freshly raised from the well, and aimed a harpoon at me. Thankfully I woke up before she speared me. That would have been weird. :-)

The cold and snow has curtailed my running. I just can't make myself go out to the garage and jump on the treadmill. I am still doing the men's health dumbbell workout three times a week, and I've managed to lose 8 pounds, but I can't wait until warmer weather so I can hit the streets.

snow crab

Weather in Vegas=Sunny with temps in the mid 60s

Weather in PHX= Sunny, with temps in the mid 70's

Weather in Orlando=Sunny, with temps in the mid 60's

Weather in Illinois=Ball shrinkingly cold, with freakin snow and wind and bullshit, and go ahead and try to go for a run you crazy bastard...and forget about seeing the sun for a month or so.
I'm supposed to be of hardy midwestern stock, able to put up with this with a smile on my face, but every year it gets more painful. I'm serious about being able to complete my first 5k. I'm serious about dropping the tonnage that I've accumulated over the past 15 years. And this weather is a serious impedement and it's pissing me off.

Seasonal affective disorder? Try seasonal affective frigging psychosis. No wonder the russkies/poles invented vodka, and the scandanavians perfected it, and I'm soaking up LOTS of it.

I did hit the weights with #1 son for a half hour last night. I introduced him to the unmitigated joy of the superset...hammering sets of db bench presses with push ups. He was impressed, certainly.

VG wins! VG wins!

Vg traveled to arthur Saturday and defeated the amish menace, 21-15. Cookie played some tough D, but didn't dent the scorers column.

I went 1.33 miles on Friday, doubling the run/walk splits, then followed by going a couple blocks further on monday..up to around 1.5 miles. Had some major pain in my left arch. I'm not sure why it manifested itself on my fourth run rather than on one of the first 3, but I'm too old not to worry about it.

Friday!

Another day, another mile or so. Katie dog enjoys our time running, although I think she's a little bored with the pace. So, I exercised for 5 straight days. Net loss-5 lbs. Net gain-mucho pain. I'm sore in places I forgot I had.

I'll do a light workout with the weights tomorrow before cookie's game, then rest the weary bones on Sunday before hitting it again next week. Looking like some treadmill time next week if the temps dip as low as stated.

Unity nipped the VG 5th graders 21-20 on a late basket last night. So close. Progress is coming, but we need a LOT of practice. We'll practice from 6-8 tonight, then travel to Arthur tomorrow to battle those crazy Amish.

another day...

#1 son and I did a MH 20 minute weight workout today...then he ran through his ssang jyel bong forms while I did an additional set of lifts. I really busted the shoulders today. It hurt to wash my hair afterward, but it feels good.

The road not salted

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.--(tip of the OSU cap to Robert Frost)

So I just returned from slip sliding my way around the 1 1/2 mile circuit. Funny, but it's easier to remain upright while running than walking. I'm certain there's a scientific reason for it, but it still seems strange to me.

I too tend to take the road less traveled...which is really weird considering my pathological need to be liked. In a way, I think Obama's ability to bridge this dichotomy is what won him the presidency, and I'm ok with that. I'll leave further political musings to those more qualified, like the nerd gardener.

So, day two of the new me went ok...did have a couple Vodka Tonics after work...I'm not a mormon....

Epiphany

1.
a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.
2.
an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity.
3.
a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
4.
a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight

So I went to two visitation services for two nice ladies on Sunday, and I realized that they both had died from complications of diabetes, and diabetes is hereditary, and my dad was diabetic, and I'm pushing the three century mark on the scale, and Holy Freaking Blubber, Batman! It's time to get a little serious about this weightloss/exercise thing. Seriously.

#1 son and I completed a 20 minute lifting circuit, followed by 10 minutes cardio this morning. It hurts SO GOOD, Johnny Cougar!

On hope....

Hope springs eternal in the human breast;Man never Is, but always To be blest:The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home,Rests and expatiates in a life to come. (tip of the Baltimore Ravens Cap to Alexander Pope)

So, with that thought in mind I ventured out into the frosty morning air and completed a 1-1/2 mile circuit at 5:30 this morning. Baby steps, to be sure, but steps that must be taken.

If I were a professional gambler, the kids would be subsisting on mac and cheese and hot dogs after the first week of the NFL playoffs. No way did I see Philly winning at Minny or the Dolts losing to San Diego. I thought Miami had a chance, also. The Cards and the ageless QB that I like, unlike the Jets' franchise killer, were my only clear cut winner. At least I have no emotional investment in this, thanks to the Hamsters of the Midway's brilliant chokefest in Houston last week.

In local sports news, my brilliant basketball coaching career is off and running....VG 5th graders falling to 0-2 in a very lopsided loss to Heritage. I know they're only 10 and I shouldn't care so much, but I feel like I'm failing these kids when they don't have success in games after putting so much effort into practice. So yes, I was up most of the night Saturday, fretting. Trying to come up with a way to make the kids see that the only way to overcome our general lack of speed and athleticism is to out work our opponent. I think that's a lesson that we can all take to heart.