Category: photo

Mind

CoopaI think Cooper secretly trains as Jedi night when I’m at work. I say this because there are days when I’m leaving for work where I feel a magnetic pull to stay home. It is as if there is a voice in my head saying, “this is not the job you want…stay home with me.”  heehee

In other Coopa news, he has decided he is part mountain goat. As you can see from the pic he has developed a habit of crawling up on the back of the couch. He’ll even lay down and go to sleep up there. He usually does it most when I’ve been gone for awhile. He likes to lay his head right next to mine. The other day he scared himself silly. He misstepped and rolled off the top down the couch and right onto the floor. The look on his face was priceless. I wish I could have caught it on film. He clearly knew what had happened but it scared him silly. It was a good two weeks before he tried it again.

He is also becoming less and less concerned with other dogs as he gets older. Used to, he’d try to play or dominate other dogs. Now he’ll sniff and play a little but he gets bored and walks away most days. I guess if they don’t have a treat or pet him he isn’t interested. There is a lady with a young poodle that often runs into us during the day. Her poodle plays the same way Cooper does so they get along beautifully. They’ll jump and paw and circle each other like crazy.

Other than that, it is a healthy loving well-adjusted doggie.

202

ArmToday I weighed in at 202lbs on the scale! This marks the first time in my life that I crossed the 200lb threshold! Ok, not exactly true. I crossed it once last year but it was fat-related. lol This time, I’m at my regular fat % and still over 200lbs! To say I’m giddy would be an understatement. I’ve been working out consistently for about 17 years now. [1]Give or take a year or two. I’m doing this all from memory. lol  My previous attempts met with failure back then because I was working out for the wrong reasons. Once I decided to take care of my body for my reasons and my goals, I stuck with it. When I came to SF, it was a new chapter in my life and switching to a gym like Fitness SF [2]Formerly Gold’s that was dedicated to muscle-building also made a huge difference.

I don’t remember the exact body weight I was at back then but I do remember it was roughly around 140-150lbs. I do remember weighing in once at 155lbs when I was still living in Boulder, which was 1995. That was also about the time I started working out in earnest. In roughly 17 years I’ve put on 45-50lbs of muscle. Sure I could have been more dedicated and gained it faster but that isn’t the point. The point is if a little scrawny weakling like me can put on that much muscle and size, anyone can. Seriously, I was so bone skinny back then it was laughable. I’ve mentioned it here probably countless times but my chest was so slight it actually sank in a little. My forearms now are bigger than my biceps were when I first started working out. It’s crazy because while I don’t see that skrawny kid anymore, he still lurks in my id. Thankfully, he is being subsumed by the new me.

The above bicep shot is a rare shot of me flexing. I don’t do pics of me flexing my biceps a lot because my biceps actually bulge out as much as they bulge up. I know it’s a bit odd but it is also sort of self-defeating when taking a bicep flex shot. lolol Of course, if I try to hold the bicep in so it bulges up instead of out, it looks like I’m cheating. hehehe Anyway, I’m just so excited. When I started out, breaking the 200lb barrier seemed like such an abstract and never-attainable goal. Honestly, back then it was mostly wistful thinking. After getting serious about weight-training, I suddenly realized my wistful goal was actually very real and very attainable.

Of course, this just makes me want to work out that much harder!

References

References
↑1 Give or take a year or two. I’m doing this all from memory. lol
↑2 Formerly Gold’s

Lean

MoiHere I is looking mean and lean. lol  Ok, maybe not so mean. lol

Anyway, I’m back down to my “healthy” weight. By healthy I mean my regular range of weight ups/downs. If you look you see the little pooch right above my shorts line. Sadly, my brief stint over 200lbs was fat related. That said, I’m still bigger now muscle-wise than I ever have been in my entire life. I’m only 12 pounds away from my goal weight of 210. But, when I figure in the 15 or so pounds of fat I want to lose, I’m probably closer to 22 pounds in terms of muscle. *sigh*  So close and so far away. hehehe  And you can see from the pic I can clearly loose a little more fat. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining just pointing out where I hope to be.

Right now, I’m 198 lbs, keep in mind 15 of that is fat I wanna ditch. And speaking of, the extra cardio from swimming has helped!  With the break up, debt, Spike dying, depression, etc I really dropped off on my workouts. I still hit the gym but it was pretty static and not consistent. As of this month I’ve rededicated myself to working out. I redesigned my workout routine as well. I have a horrible habit of neglecting certain muscle groups. To avoid that, I designed my new routine so that I work out a good and bad muscle every day [1]By good and bad, I mean muscles I like working vs the ones I don’t. lol  My new routine has me in the gym 4 days a week throwing weights and 2 days for cardio.  It’s off to a good start so far. I had the best dumbbell chest workout ever last week.

Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
lbs x reps
85 x 12
85 x 12
85 x 12
80 x 8

Dumbbell Bench Press
95 x 10
95 x 10
95 x 9
90 x 8

Dumbbell Fly
50 x 10
50 x 10
55 x 10
55 x 8

Above is just my chest workout for one day. I usually do 4 sets but my pecs were totally baked after just those 3. Another twist, I switch between free weights and machines every other week. The one thing I wanna point out here is I do not focus on a set number of reps as my goal while working out. Four sets is the goal. Reps per exercise is usually a maximum of 12 reps and a minimum of 6. Once I can do a full set all the way thru to 12, it’s time to up the weight slightly. I find that progressive intensity works best for my muscle/body type. In two months, I’ll be switching to a reverse routine of supersets of the same exercises.

So far it’s working because I was so sore this week I could only do one day of cardio. Seriously, everything hurt! lol  Referring back to my goals, take 15 lbs (fat) from the 198 for a base figure of 183. My goal weight is 210 for a difference of 27 lbs. In optimal conditions for non-juicers, the best one can hope for is about 2 lbs per month of actual muscle synthesis. It may sound small but that is actually a good chunk of muscle. So in the best of conditions I could hope for 24 lbs in a year. This IMO is not a realistic goal because I have a life outside of the gym, including work and a child. Goals should be realistic in their reach so I won’t be shooting for 24 lbs. lol  However, half that would be a good goal IMO.  So my goal for 2013 is to put on at least 12 lbs of muscle.

Now I could get there faster by juicing but I can’t afford it. Done right, steroids can be beneficial. They’re called cycles for a reason. You’re supposed to go off them for at least the amount of time you’re on them. [2]My doc says you should double the time off  Sadly, most people get caught up in the quick gains and end up abusing them. Don’t even get me started on the libido issues.

As always, consistency is the key. I’m super motivated now but I know that will wane over time. I’ll try to post workout stats from time to time to have you guys help me with my motivation. I’ll throw in some pics too!

Wish me luck!

References

References
↑1 By good and bad, I mean muscles I like working vs the ones I don’t. lol
↑2 My doc says you should double the time off

Stats

So I had a post all done up about my blog stats since the move and it has mysteriously Emotes face surprisedisappeared. For the life of me I can’t find it now. I thought maybe I might have published it and forgotten but not there either. Ironically, since I originally pulled the stats they have changed a bit so I’m just gonna start over. :p

First, you all know I’ve been happier than a pig in slop with my new hosting provider. I’ve also been on the warpath lately commenting on social & news sites. This has brought some interesting visitors to my modest home on the web. Quite a few have been from rather “religious” sites and let me tell you, some of God’s gentle people have absolutely filthy mouths on them. Seriously, one guy, not realizing the filter was kicking in, posted 9 times hoping it would hit my blog. lol [1]Silly boy, all new comments get held for moderation  Another guy apparently thought I was black and kept using the N & F words together. lol  So as a reminder dear readers, you are welcome to post comments here, even if we disagree on subjects. That said, you may not make personal attacks on me, my blog, my readers, etc. Such behavior well get you banned lickety-split. [2]If you notice some of my recent posts have been on adult subjects. Ain’t I a stinker?

Anyway, in other news. There is a big upset on referrals. Kelly from Rambling Along has taken over the top spot of referrals to my blog. hehehe. Number 2 & 3 added together still falls short. I don’t know what he’s been doing but keep it up! lol And speaking of #2, a newcomer [3]well to me. Nik the Greek snuck in out of nowhere to claim the number 2 spot. Welcome Nik and thank your readers for me for bouncing over so often. Large Tony fell to third and brettcajun fell all the way to 6th place. Even jimbo beat him. Tsk tsk Brett, you’re slipping in your old age. hehehe

In related info, I decided to add my blogroll back to my blog. Considering the list is a fraction the size it used to be, it is easier to manage now. Plus, these guys are sending readers my way, I feel it’s only fair to return the favor. So if you visit my page directly, you should already see the blogroll.

References

References
↑1 Silly boy, all new comments get held for moderation
↑2 If you notice some of my recent posts have been on adult subjects. Ain’t I a stinker?
↑3 well to me.

Jingle

Cooper loves wearing anything that jingles, the more jingle the better. lol

I bought him a stretchy red/white fur collar with bells on it and he goes absolutely apeshit. He LOVES it! He will try to push his head thru it while I’m putting it on him.

Here is a quick pic of him wearing his little jingle collar. Naturally, he gets even more attention while we are out and about. The cuteness factor is almost off the charts. hehehe  He jingles while he walks and I think he knows he’ll get more attention.

He’s definitely got holiday spirit!

New

*First, sorry for all the emails. I was working with my Hosting provider on an image upload error and forgot to turn the damn subscribe plugin off. Apologies.

Anyway, I bought a new bluethooth keyboard for the Nexus 10. Who knew there were so many to choose from now? There were easily 10 or 15 different choices. I even found an ergonomic one I plan on getting later for home. Anyway, here is my shiny new keyboard. lol I love that the case doubles as a stand.

Since the Nexus 10 and the Tab 2 (10.1) are basicaly the same size, I could have opted for the zagg keyboard like I had with the iPad. The zagg actually irritated me though. The keys were scrunched up too close and aggrevated my carpal tunnel after only a few minutes. This one is more spread out (I wrote this post using it) and comfortable to type on. I almost opted for the rubberized one that would roll up but it looked a little too flimsy and didn’t get the best reviews.

It’s funny how rarely I use my laptop anymore. I’m sure as the OS matures, I won’t even need a laptop soon. The nexus has a video port so I cactually plug it into an external monitor and use it like a computer.

iGone

It’s official, I ditched the iPad for the Nexus 10. My beautiful new beast arrived today! I’m so excited I can’t sit still. lol I’m still a multi-OS household but down to two now. lol I still have Windows on my laptop [1]No, I will not be upgrading to Windows 8. First time in MS history I haven’t upgraded when a new version came out.  However, I rarely crack open my laptop at all anymore. Usually, it is to write a really long email or more intensive work. If I could, I’d totally run Android on my laptop too.

This is my xmas present to myself this year. I’m still not caught up all the way yet so can’t justify spending a lot money on holiday stuff this year. It’s a wash on price so not bad for a self-gift.  I’ve already pre-sold the iPad. I sold it for just enough to cover the cost of the Nexus. I would have felt guilty making a profit, considering I won it from work. It’s going to a coworker’s little girl as a Christmas present. I threw in the Zagg keyboard/case since it won’t fit the Nexus. I’m sure she’ll love it, it’s in excellent condition.

I’m not kicking Apple & I gave it a good run. In the end, I just prefer Android. Apple gets props for setting the standard. To me, Android is more user friendly and provides for better functionality. It’s also a lot less restrictive on what I can & can’t do with it. This is my first foray into Android tablets so I’m hoping the Nexus 10 measures up. The specs are impressive and carrying the Nexus branding means it runs pure Android. [2]Which also means I get updates right away vs waiting for carrier tweaks for Android phones  So far, it’s a beauty. The display is amazing and it’s blazing fast so far. Even better, Google backs up not only your apps but also their working files. All my programs installed with all the working data! The only thing I had to manually setup was my email accounts.

My only complaint so far is some of my apps aren’t tablet ready. A minor annoyance but I can live with it. I’ll list out any big issues if anything major develops.

References

References
↑1 No, I will not be upgrading to Windows 8. First time in MS history I haven’t upgraded when a new version came out.
↑2 Which also means I get updates right away vs waiting for carrier tweaks for Android phones

One

Cooper
Cooper on the bus

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of little Cooper coming to live with me. Apple guy and I drove up to Folsom, CA to pick him up and bring him home. I still remember sitting in the visiting room at the animal hospital and him bounding into the room. He was (and still is) a little dynamo of energy bouncing and jumping. He was so excited and cheery, it was love at first sight. It was obvious from that first moment he was just in need of a good home with lots of love.

He didn’t have much training back then and was recovering from being malnourished. We originally thought his growth might be stunted but he is doing quite well in size now. He has reached a healthy weight of 63lbs and holding. His only real problems so far revolve around skin irritations. His little bob tail has to be cleaned with a wet nap every couple days to prevent irritation and booboo’s. He is also prone to skin infections. I’ve taken to dosing him with a little bit of Benadryl every night before bed and he gets sprayed down with an anti-fungal about once a week. Together, these keep his skin looking clean and ‘purdy.

It still angers me to this day that someone could abuse such a wonderful loving animal. Even the staff were quite taken with him. They were very happy to see him go to a good home. I’d like to think I’m giving him a good life. He has all but completely stopped trying to test me for dominance. He responds to commands very easily and for the most part is very well-behaved. He still has his hyper rambunctious moments but that just adds to his charm. hehehe He certainly seems happy. And like a good daddy, I am very protective of him. [1]Lord, if I had children I’d probably already be in jail! lol

The pic is from a few months ago. He was actually under the MUNI bus seat. It is one of my favorite pics of him. He is my little munchkin and I love him very much. Here’s to another healthy loving year ahead!

References

References
↑1 Lord, if I had children I’d probably already be in jail! lol

Best

I hit a new personal best at the gym the other day! It felt so good too because it was my chest muscles. hehehe Being a weightlifting typical homo I work out my chest a lot. One, well the obvious and two, I have such a hard time getting my chest muscles to grow.

I’ve you been using the exhaustion method a lot lately and I’m feeling/seeing the results. Instead of doing a prescribed list of set/reps I push heavy on the first set to failure [1]failure is officially the number of reps you can do WITHOUT breaking form, second set lighter weights usually by about 20/40 lbs to failure again, and so on. This method often requires more time in the gym as you need more rest time and going to failure naturally goes slightly longer.

Having recovered fully from my shoulder injury, I’m also doing almost 100% free weights now. I usually alternate between benches and dumbbells. The only problem with dumbbells is I’ve reached a point where it’s hard maneuvering the weights w/o a spotter. lol  Once in position it’s easy but getting to that position can be a hassle and creates a higher risk of injury. Don’t even get me started on the hassle of trying to to decline bench press with dumbbells. Having been at the same gym for basically forever, I know enough guys to reach out and ask for help. Often there are at least a couple guys I know that will pop over and help me when needed. I certainly don’t want to injure myself again so better safe than sorry.

Anyway, it felt good to push past a plateau I’ve been battling for awhile now. I’m not expecting any huge jumps but just being able to say I did it feels great. I’ve also been really good about not blowing off my cardio or leg workouts. I’m not pushing for huge increases on my legs but I wanna make sure they stay in proportion with the rest of my body. I’ve dropped all the extra fat weight I’ve gained lately as well. I’m taking the opportunity to see if I can lean up a little bit more. Naturally, this is a battle against my love for eating good food. [2]The previous batch of homemade cookies and cakes didn’t help none either!  lol  Either way, I’m comfortable where I am but looking a little more trim never hurts.

References

References
↑1 failure is officially the number of reps you can do WITHOUT breaking form
↑2 The previous batch of homemade cookies and cakes didn’t help none either!  lol

ARK

Stands for Act of Random Kindness. [1]Totally stolen from Evan Almighty, the movie

cookiesI recently helped a friends sister with tips on how to get a job as a dispatcher. She happens to be in a different state but they utilize some of the same testing services we use here. I originally thought she was applying locally but whatever. lol  I gave her my best advice on what I know based on how we hire. Basically, be yourself, answer honestly not what you think they want to hear, be polite, and dress appropriately. Not that hard but you’d be surprised how many folks miss the last two.

She got the job and sent me this lovely container of homemade cookies and cakes! I was really surprised she went to so much effort but it was very sweet, literally. lol I’m sure it wasn’t cheap to the mail them and I was truly touched. Of course, I’m already half-way thru the whole container. lol I set some out for the ginger [2]my new/old roommate but he hasn’t been around much this week. I’m sure once he sees them he’ll help me polish’em off.

It just goes to show, sometimes the smallest thing can mean something huge to someone else. It took me all of 5-10 mins to share my views on the subject. IMHO we should all strive to help others and do good in the world. If we did, I honestly think the world would be in much better shape today. I know from my perspective it has paid off time and time again. Karma if you will or just plain good will being returned to you.

Just a thought…

References

References
↑1 Totally stolen from Evan Almighty, the movie
↑2 my new/old roommate