Thanks and much gratitude go out the men and women of the US Armed Forces.
As for myself, I went into work. Mercifully we were allowed to leave early. I quickly changedin my office and headed to the gym. The weather here is so freaking beautiful. If anything there is too much sunshine. There's hardly a cloud in the pale blue sky to afford one the occasional shade. I may have to rethink that whole thing about getting a convertible. The sun is unforgiving here. After work I did something I would only do for a good friend: I went shopping. *shivers* Few things on this planet work my nerves than clothes shopping. I gotta head back to Old Navy though. They have some good cheap stuff. Which makes me wonder...WHY is the stuff that cheap?? And how?? Almost seemed like sweatshop prices or something.
Oh yea, I was needing BBQ so I headed to Outback. I have to add a grill to my list of things to get in my apartment!! I can do so much better than Outback!
I am 31 years old and I have never owned a couch in my entired life. I got into my first apartment when I was 19 and lived the bachelor life. Stuff to sleep on, stuff to eat on, but nothing in the living room save for the stereo. Floor cushions were my sofa back then. And I STILL use those floor cushions to this day! haha! Then I went to UCSB and rented out rooms. Then it was off to the east coast, where my friends could tell you I had more furniture in my office than I did in the living room. haha!
Well no more. After MUCH searching I found The Couch. It's the most awesome thing I've ever seen. Even better the sucker was on sale BIG TIME. My Aunt Denise also sent me a late birthday present in the way of a USPS money order....mmm....love the smell of that ink. Between the sale price, a coupon I had found, the gift, and my own money...it was very affordable making it even more cooler.
The catch was I had drive up to Costa Mesa to do it. Which turned out to be great! I had to see it in person before I bought it. Mmmmm!! Ooooh baby it is even nicer in person. True to my anal self I did all kinds of research on the matireal, avoiding stains, blah blah. But when I sat down in it. Oh baby. The ish. Still I saved bucks even driving up there to do it in person.
See that's how I like to shop. Research it, go look at it, approve it, and buy the sucker. All told it took me longer to fill out the paper work than actuall check out the couch. Me likey!!!
Today was Kara's last day. It ended without much fanfare I hope we keep in touch.
Ok so this is shaping up to be a weekend of firsts. Tonight I went to my first drive-in with my friend and her sons. Yea, yea...I'm a grown ass man, but have never been to the drive-in. So bite me!! The one on St. Thomas closed before I could go. Then the one in Santa Barbara was shut down before I could do that one. So freaking finally I went!! It was a helluva thing. People backed up their trucks, fitted launch chairs, blankets and coolers in the bed. Or some folks just reclined their convertibles. For 6 bucks we saw 3 movies! I have to see X-men again though at at an enclosed theater for the sound. Although the story line did work my nerves a little. They were cramming too much into the movie and glossing over major bits!
One other remarkable thing was the drive-in was located about may be 10 miles from the CA/Mexico border. I have never been that far south in CA ever! LOL One of these days I'll have to actually cross that border.
Good gawd. My last update to the Treehouse was a month ago. This is unaceptable on the one hand, but on the other hand it is a good thing. In part it means that I've been occupied with other things and too busy to worry about logging each banal detail of my boring life. It just didn't occur to me until today that it had been sooooo damned long.
Today was a great day. The weather was on point. I've been sleeping with my windows open. The breeze reminds me of sleeping in my old room in St. Thomas. If I were on the East Coast right now, I'd be inundated with disgusting sweaty humid sticky weather. Hopefully I can figure out a way to make this apartment more like my new home. As it stands it's pretty bare. There's this book clearing house/warehouse thing around the corner from my apartment. They have cheap prints on sale and I've been meaning to pick some up and put something on my walls.
Went shopping with my friend and her son. Why did I volunteer for that duty?? Her son was easier to shop with! Afterwards I came home and passed out. I think walking twice a day is catching up with me, but it feels good.
And on tv right now is, the movie version of the video game House of the Dead. Last time I checked that was the ultimate run and gun video game...what sort of plot could be pulled from that?!
My best friend from work is leaving. I am bummed beyond belief. Kara is skilled and helpful and fun and made working there that much more enjoyable. Who am I going to walk with now? But it sounds like they've got an awesome opportunity and I can only wish them the best. Hopefully our paths will cross again in the future. Kara is good people.
I got the usual done today. I'm not even going to lie, I've had more productive days. After work though I went to my second golf lesson. That helped get my mind off of things. The golf pro put a 3 wood in my hands, and I just looked at him incredulously. Did he not know what happened the last time I had driver in my hands?? But with his help, I was hitting the ball down range and not at people! LOL Hitting it off of the tee was the most gratifying. Part of my problem was the clubs seemed way short. Someone told me a long time ago, if I ever got clubs I should have them sized. Now I see why. My back is going to be killing me tomorrow.
Afterwards I got some Corona Lites and a pizza and chilled at home for my Sci-Fi night. I got invited to a thing downtown with some co-workers, but no one called to let me know where it was. And I'm really not surprised I didn't get a call. At the same time I was relieved because I wasn't feeling particularly social.
I'd think that I'd be more used to change and people coming in and out of my life. 3 elementary schools, 2 high schools, and half a dozen towns...it really doesn't get any easier.
Today was Day One of golf lessons!! Woohaa!! Admittedly, I sucked for the most part. But after awhile it was very gratifying to hear the club make proper contact with the ball. The first time I stepped onto a driving range, I damn near killed the fellow who took me. I set up with a driver and looked down range, intent on whacking the shit out of the ball. Then after I hit the ball, it did something I thought only possible in the Matrix. The ball left the tee and travelled about 20 feet down range, in mid-air the sucker curved sharply to the right, came BACK and hit my friend squarely in the leg...dangerously close to his nads. Yea, it happened just like that...out, hooked back, whacked my friend. Thankfully I didn't repeat that performance at today's lesson!! With discounts at the driving range, I'll be taking advantage of that!
After work I headed to Lake Murray again to walk with my friend and her 2 sons. Kara and I had walked earlier that day, and the prospect of doing another 2-a-day walk session was only partially attractive! Still I'm determined to get into shape and will not be passing up on an opportunity to do so.
One thing is certain, I need to sleep more. The extra activity is good, but I don't think that I'm resting like I should be.
...I am loosing weight. I haven't been on a scale, because I don't want to see that I've just been gaining muscle. Still my clothes are fitting noticeably different, especially my pants. A couple of my friends said, my face looks thinner. I guess I'm loosing some 'face chub'...haha! Suz, damn you for giving me that term!! Now hopefully my ass and gut will be catching up. A lot of the work is tied up in eating every 2-3 hours. From when I get up around 6AM to bedtime around 12AM...constant eating of small meals. During my lunch breaks Kara and I walk. Then after work, I walk around the lake or head to the gym. I'm not getting into the mindset that I'm getting ready for summer or swimsuit season or whatever else. This is going to be a long and stressful process. There's no need to tack on unrealistic goals on their too.
Ok so this is what I've been doing for the past couple of weeks or so…
Get up around 6AM
7:00AM Bowl of cereal and some sort of fruit (Smart balance or frosted wheat)
9:30AM or so, coffee with creamer 2 breakfast lean pockets (about 300 calories total with good mix protein, carbs, little sugar)
11AM yogurt or some fruit or something
12PM-1PM me and my co-worker walk for about 45-minutes, about 3-4 times a week
1PM – lunch of 2 lean frozen meals…lean cuisine or whatever…between 400-500 calories
3PM-4PM a snack of some sort…cottage cheese & berries or yogurt and baked beans
5:30-6PM hit the gym
7:30-8PM dinner…I try to avoid breads here and just stick with vege and protein. If I have a starch it's whole wheat pasta or brown rice
10PM…last meal…may be fruit or cereal or popcorn
Sometimes my snack is 2 slices of wheat bread and an avocado. Or cheese stick, black olives and carrot sticks…or I may sub in some low fat wheat thins.
I try to walk at work 3-4 times a week. Hit the gym for cardio and strength at least 3 times per week.
I was on the fence about writing this entry because it could be considered offensive and inflamatory. But you know, I don't care.
This girl I was hanging out with said the most ridiculous shit that has me rethinking hanging out with her again. She text me that she and her friends had gone to a club, and it was an "asian fest". May be because it was too early or whatever, but I didn't put it together that she meant 'Asian Fest', as in there were a lot of Asian people there and she wasn't feeling being around Asians.
What kind of shit is that?? With all the shit that is going on in this country...illegal immigration, racial conversations that won't happen, racial profiling, and whatever else...it just blows my mind this person is going to make a statement like that. That wasn't the only comment she's made though. She had stuff to say about Black, white, and mexican people. We won't get into her decision to not date white guys because and I quote, "I don't like pink penises." She actually said that shit!!! Mexican chick raised around a bunch of black folks, but talks like a Valley girl straight out of Clueless. Go figure.
Which has me thinking, I crack on everyone. I don't care what colour you are or where you were born and raised, I'll crack on you. Gay, straight, lesbian, whatever. Which I think is one of the differences...I don't single out one group over another. And we shouldn't single out one group over an other. But people do it all the time, don't we?
We like what we like, based on very arbitrary rules. The anthropologist would say, we look for physically fit people because it harkens back to our hunter-gather days, and a more fit mate increased our chances of survival. Still these days a six-pack is more favored over a 1-pack. Hmmm, wonder why? May be to make pretty babies or have someone hot to be seen with? Hot person is like a status symbol?
Summarily tossing a group of people into mental/social/physical/whatever bin bothers me. Dismissing a group of people from a realm of experience because they look different also bothers me. ESPECIALLY today with people being raised in culturally diverse environments, who is to say the person you're looking at shares the same cultural constructions you're thinking off in your head?
Mission Impossible III was supposed to be the start of the summer blockbusters for 2006. It SUCKED. I hope it's not a harbinger of things to come. Its only redeeming quality is that it was very loud. Aside the from, it sucked monkey ass. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was pretty good in it. Otherwise it was a pretty unremarkable movie. X-men III had better NOT suck like that!!