Bluestreak's Stream of Consciousness...

[Bluestreak]

It's been a tough week... the last 24-hours in particular. My penchant for noisy cars has shot me in the foot the last couple of days... as soon as I hit the parking lot at the office, people are on me like a bum on a ham sandwich. I didn't have my briefcase on the floor before I was being paged this morning... same thing yesterday. And I come in an hour early every day! Meeting after meeting, phone calls, questions... how'm I supposed to get work done, eat my SGX meals and play 20 questions every five minutes? I seem to figure it out, to my amazement, every day. 'Nuff 'o that crap...

I rewarded myself last night... not that I did anything spectacular to deserve it... but I bought a new guitar off Ebay. Well, new to me since it's a '95 S470FMTT. I've been itching for an S-series to add to my babies... and since I started studying Joe Satriani, I need a guitar with a mellower tone than my RG's or my Universe. I have the first 2:14 seconds of "Always With You, Always With Me" down cold. A little over a minute left to work on.

So... the first few days of SGX are behind me. I really feel great. Three weeks of screwing off didn't hurt much, but damned if I'm not pretty sore these past few days! I've forgotten what that felt like... it was tough to roll out of bed at 5:30 this morning. I felt my body ache as I put my feet on the ground. It was a good ache; that muscle soreness that reminds you you're alive, a warm blanket of familiarity was wrapped around me, reminding me why I workout every day.

The whole SGX program isn't that different from my previous self-designed program... which makes me feel great. That twisted little bean that masquerades as my brain seems to find some sort of validation to the time I've spent researching and planning for success. And now I have this unshakable feeling that I'm getting maximal returns from my best efforts. There's something about making the financial investment in the program that's got my pilot lit again. I'm taking daily pictures and weekly measurement/statistics to track my progress.

The program doesn't require meticulous tracking, but I can't help but maintain my spreadsheet to track kcal's, etc... it's habit now and keeps me honest. No disputing what I put in the computer, no matter how badly I eat. It's like a report card of sorts. Nobody ever wanted a blemish on theirs... or at least I didn't... it keeps me on the proverbial bandwagon. I do have a website I fully plan on deploying to document my changes on this program... but I likely won't have time to get it out there until this weekend, if even then. I'll be in the office Saturday... busy, busy, busy...

Within this thread, I also plan to put some "cookie cutter" posts that I seem to regurgitate over and over again. This way... I can link to it, rather than rehash it every day. You guys know how long winded I tend to be. Can I help it if I type like a maniac?

Oh, and you're free to respond to this journal. It's called Stream of Consciousness for a reason, since my mind has a tendency to wander aimlessly at times, the title fit. And it's a kick-ass instrumental by Dream Theater, too.

Tonight is the first full SGX leg workout and the first leg day I'll have done in over 8 weeks. Getting out of bed tomorrow morning should be hell... but I will. To the treadmill I will go...

-R

[TheLemonSong]

Notes:
-Dream Theater Rules
-I type like a maniac too
-SGX leg day should be renamed "The Legs are Evil and Must Be Punished!"
-That guitar is badass
-With all that stuff goin' on in the office you still manage to post at least 5 posts a day (big props to you my man!)
-Always With You, Always With Me is an amazing track, you'll have to record the outcome and share it with us...
-Good luck!!

[Ken In Canada]

It never ceases to amaze me how Bluestreak's posts become more and more articulate and intelligible with each passing day.

And while it was likely unintentional, there is some motivational stuff in what he said. It's very empowering to reward yourself after putting out so much for so long. And, as a performing musician myself, I can appreciate that guitar to be a bona fide reward!

In the future, I'm sure this journal will surely give you an opportunity to reflect on feelings and memories gone by. I know my personal journal serves as motivating for me in times of despair.

So I'll be shooting to read as many updates as I can, since I value most of the ramblings you've shared here. Much of that info is gold, and I hope you continue to learn and subsequently teach along the way.

Ken (A recent Dream Theater noob)

[Bluestreak]

I should have a recording that says "Send him to my voicemail", or "tell him I'm in a meeting" here. Just five minutes of peace would be nice... let's see how far I can get with this post before someone buzzes me.

Ken... you give me more credit than I deserve. In actuality... I've been twelve years old for... oh, 18 years? There is, at least for me, a great deal of truth in the saying, "The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys." And my wife is under orders: if I ever grow up, she is to shoot me dead.

SGX leg day IS hell. Putting my feet on the floor when the alarm went off at 5:15am this morning was not easy, and that's understating the effort. The temptation to just stay there and float back into dreamland was enormous. I didn't have to move to know my abs are sore, my legs... are Jell-O, yet I was going to get on the treadmill and punish them further this morning. And so I did... for 40 minutes.

I am determined to follow my program to the letter. I will be able to post my abs for everyone to see. Which brings me to a point... this is the first week since my initial transformation that I have been at the gym, in splits, for five solid days without missing a session. What I've noticed in looking around the gym each day this week is that no one has any consistency. I don't see the same faces each day at the same time. There are some regulars... but now I know why they aren't making progress. No consistency. I don't see them carrying around a cooler full of prepped food like I do to support their efforts in the gym. I don't see them keeping focused (most would rather chat it up between sets) and moving with any intensity. Kind of strange, if you think about it... 18 months ago, I was a complete and total slob, and today... I'm on the cusp of achieving elite physical fitness.

I've been putting more intensity into the workouts, but keeping the weights lifted down considerably this first full week to try to keep the DOMS to a minimum. I'd rather be able to comfortably execute the program with minimal pain/discomfort than miss a session because I went overboard on <insert muscle group here> day. But my legs are still pretty sore, being the first beating I've given them since... oh, some time in May? My legs were very wobbly last night. Holding in the mechanical clutch on the Mustang was not pleasant driving home from the gym last night. I couldn't believe how much strength my legs had lost in a two month hiatus from leg workouts. Most of my leg exercises were in the neighborhood of 50% of the weight I was doing two months ago in order to complete the required reps. I know they'll remember and come up fast, but that doesn't make it any less disappointing, as I'd reached record strength in my legs.

The good news is, the knees held up great (glucosamine to the rescue! I love that stuff...) and the feet are not swelling or bothering me at all after this week's punishment (orthotics RULE!).

I have some other thoughts... but I'll post 'em later while the computer is churning away on my stormwater models. Oh, no phone calls in the last ten minutes. Back to work...

-R

[Bluestreak]

Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick. Sometimes you just can't win. This week was one of those times. Crazy, crazy days at the office... tons of work around the house due to the wife's wrist surgery... and the following minor calamities:

Calamity No. 1. I was in an accident the beginning of this year... I hit my face and cracked off the tips of my two front teeth. The dentist "bonded" new tips on... but they keep falling off. I feel like the biggest redneck when one comes off... every time I open my yapper, it's like someone is pointing to my broken tooth with a neon sign. I'm going on Tuesday to get it fixed... again. Good thing, because I fly to Minneapolis on Wednesday for a business trip. I'd hate to stand in the board room of the corporate HQ of my biggest client only to reveal my wonderful broken tooth as I smile and address the president of one of the best-known retail companies in the US...

Ok... Calamity No. 2. Four years in this house, six times this stupid thing has been run over. It's a telephone service pull box, sticking up about 3 feet (about a meter for you metric folks) right at the end of my curved driveway. My mother ran it over backing out the other day as we were taking her and my grandparents to the airport for the family reunion in NY. She did $500 worth of damage to her bumper. Now I'm fighting with the phone company to get it moved elsewhere in the utility easement. Thankfully, I know some people in the engineering division with Sprint. It'll get moved, whether or not I have to take a 7-lb. sledge hammer to it... it'll get moved.

Calamity No. 3. I'm leaving the gym this morning when some asshole not paying attention and talking on his f@#$ing cellphone clips my rear bumper backing out. Tears the rear fascia off on one side. This is just as I'm leaving the gym after this morning's SGX cardio. Now, I'm hiding how livid I am because this guy has soiled my trusty steed. Not that she's any beauty queen right now... I call her "Frankie" because she looks like "Bride of Frankenstein" with her black body and white hood. I would be more upset, but he's admitting guilt left and right. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...". Ok, you're sorry? Get your insurance agent on the phone, assbag. He decides he wants to settle it right there. "Is $200 enough for the bumper?". Hell yeah, it is, as he whips out a stack of 50's and peels off four of them for me. Little does he know I have brand new front and rear bumper covers at home in the shed awaiting the day I finally paint Frankie! I bought 'em off Ebay a while back for $200 for the pair. And the best part? The el-cheapo rivets I used to mount the bumper fascia broke - not the bumper cover itself. I duct-taped the rear bumper up (yup, I keep duct tape in the trunk, ya never know... MacGyver always kicked much ass with duct tape and a ball point pen), drove home, broke out the rivet gun, and two el-cheapo rivets later, you can't even tell the yutz hit me. And I have $200 more towards the paint job... if I ever get off my ass and get it done.

Admittedly, these are just little hiccups in the grand scheme. My never-ending quest for perfection makes little things like this gnaw on my nerves. I know, I know... I should chill, let the little stuff go. There are very few, but some personality flaws you just can't change about yourself...

All this notwithstanding, I survived the first full week at SGX. I don't think I'm going to be able to walk right for another day at least... leg day is murder. I did back yesterday, but my back feels great as yet. But... tonight's cheat meal night! Boy, did I earn it. 54 hours at the office, chores galore with the wife out of commission, and I didn't miss a single workout from my SGX plan. After I sooth my overdeveloped sense of responsibility by taking care of a few little things at the office this afternoon, we're taking the big dog out of the garage and heading to Longhorn Steakhouse, for a steak and some fries... then we're going to DQ for dessert, as I'd kill for an Oreo Blizzard right now. Oreos are my weakness, I must have them. Oh yes, I must have them.

Off I go... may this day be trouble-free from here on out...

-R

[Bluestreak]

Cheat day was magnificent. I ate clean all day... about 5pm-ish we went out for a steak, fries 'n a soda. That meal has never tasted so good. Probably because it's the first cheat meal I've truly earned in a very long time. We stopped at DQ for a couple of ice cream blizzards, but they ended up getting stuck in the freezer as we got invited to a friend's house last minute that night.

So we spent until the wee hours of Saturday night with some close friends in a wonderfully temptation-free environment. I had a protein shake before we went over there to tide me over, as it had been a few hours from our cheat meal. When we got there, they offered drinks, but I wouldn't. The nicest part of the evening? They're health-nuts too, very fit people, so they totally understood why I'm doing what I'm doing. After spending all week at the office with Mayor McCheese and the Fry Guys who go off to some fatty lunch every day... it's nice to be with someone who was respectful of and genuinely interested in discussing the new program I am working with.

They just said on the radio... "It's just past 8 o'clock... some of you are just waking up!" I've been up since 5:25am. I seem to run on autopilot in the mornings now. The alarm rings at 5:25am. My feet hit the floor. On go the gym clothes. Pack cooler, take bags to the trunk of the car, guzzle water/supps, then off I go. Sometimes I feel like I don't really wake up until I've got 20 minutes on the treadmill's clock... it's so early it's feels like I sleep-walk to that point.

The wife is on a milder version of SGX now, but can only work her lower extremities and do cardio due to her wrist surgery (they took a ganglion cyst out not quite two weeks ago). Boy, was she pissed when she got her BF% tested and stepped on the scale after taking so much time off due to her hand. It has been a bit awkward of late, because I have been the one driving our little fitness crusade instead of her. When she got into the whole NPC competition thing last year, she was posessed. Seems like I'm the one with the supernatural drive this time. Once she's at 100%, we'll be able to make the final push together and because we'll both be where we want to be, we'll be able to maintain it more easily.

The new guitar should arrive today, possibly tomorrow. I am, of course, hoping today's the day! I can't wait to meet her! I have it on good authority that the S470FMTT is a rare model and this one's supposed to be in mint condition. The fact that I acquired it for half what a store would list it for is icing... mmm... icing...

More thoughts to come later today, if time permits...

-R

[Bluestreak]

I'm going to start logging thoughts based on posts I read. If you see anything in here you think is bullsh!t, please feel free to call me on it.

First observation... newbies who come to JSF after diets fail, whether they be fad diets or based on good science. Dieters seem to have some misguided beliefs that, for my own edification and comprehension, need to be stated explicitly.

1.) Dieters believe that they can effect permanent changes in their body through minor, more often than not ineffectual changes in diet. Probably my favorite example is the diet soda. While less damaging than a regular cola, a diet pop is a worthwhile calorie reduction but it isn't going to enhance the nutritional value of a Big Mac and large fries. I've seen this behavior many times.

2.) Dieters of the stereotypical genre believe it's possible to make a temporary change in eating habits to attain a positive, permanent change in physical appearance. In the unlikely event that a dieter actually reaches the desired weight/body image, they return to their old habits mistakingly thinking that they've achieved a static body. The popular, unspoken belief is that it's OK to return to old habits.

3.) Most dieters don't realize that in most cases, it took years to add adipose tissue. They see little to no change in outward appearance in the shortest of time frames without realizing that since it took years to bulk up, it will take an appreciable amount of time to remove the extra tissue. As a result of (2) and the reasons stated herein, people lose motivation quickly. Body changes can't be maintained when a return to previous habits occurs, and this is usually the result of changes not occurring fast enough for said dieter's liking. Hence the stereotypical "yoyo" dieter.

4.) Lack of planning. This is self-explanatory, and I was once counted among this group. How can someone lose weight if lunch every day is what's convenient at the nearest fast food joint? Prepping food is something they seem to know about, but don't seem to fully grasp the concept of. In my case, it was laziness, pure and simple - and I'd bet that 99.44% of the rest have the same lethargy I once had.

5.) A general misunderstanding of what a healthy lifestyle is. These are some of the many misconceptions that I grew up with, and that those of use who've sustained transformations have likely blown out of the water:
- Three "square" meals per day
- Spot-training is possible
- Running/jogging is best for fat loss
- The US Government's nutritional recommendations (which are major BS)
- A poor definition of "fitness"

6.) Excuses. Oh, the excuses! I could turn this into a 400-page book, but I'll keep it short. Excuses fly out of the mouths of everyone I know when it comes to failed fitness regimes of their past. I know, I used to make them, too. Work, chores, baby, family, etc... the fact of the matter is, I don't care how much you have on your plate, if you want fitness bad enough, you'll achieve it.

7.) The "all or nothing" mentality. Too often, one Krispy Kreme will start a dieter spiralling into a depression-laden binge whereby a dump truck full of Doritos couldn't drown the sorrow of failure. Drop the "all or nothing" attitude. One donut isn't the end of the world. It's satisfying a craving - we're all human, and we all get 'em. Don't think of that donut as the end of a diet, but a treat to yourself for a job well done thus far and continue to move along with your weight loss program.

8.) Lack of vision. What good is a trip with no destination? You need to know where you're going to get there. A Sunday drive is just fine when you have no idea where you're going. But if the car is your personal health and you're driving around with no road map and no destination, well... then you're like the 65% of Americans who're considered overweight - you're lost. Sadly, most don't seem to care that they're lost.

That's all I can think of now.

-R

[jopreacher]

Good thoughts Blue.

I think the biggest change comes from realizing that if you want to look good and be healthy you have to make changes for life, not for a week, a month, or a year. You have to realize America is trying to sell you something, and it doesn't care if it is good for you. You have to break out of the easy way mentality and realize that its going to be a challenge. Then rise to it.

Also, the all or nothing thing you were talking about I see alot. All things in moderation, including moderation I always say.

[Bluestreak]

Moderation in moderation. I kinda like that, JO.

So... I leave for Minneapolis tomorrow morning for a big business meeting for work. Since coming to this position in January, I have had to learn to be a politician and an engineer. I didn't sign up for this when I got out of college. Oh well. It's a good job working with good people and fun projects. I can deal with politics for the returns I'm getting.

The new guitar came in yesterday. If I think of it, I'll snap a picture and post it tonight. Due to the extreme change in climate, it's ALL out of whack. The setup, I mean. It came to Orlando from the mountains in Montana. From a dry climate -> mega-humid climate. The wood swelled like a cankle... it was unplayable. I won't have time to disassemble, clean and adjust her until this weekend. I hate having new toys I can't play with.

Anyway... I'm staying across the street from the HQ of my client in Minneapolis. So tomorrow I will get my morning cardio in early, be at the office for a bit, then I fly out at noon. I have a dinner meeting tomorrow night, then a breakfast meeting in the morning, I'll be in a presentation all morning after that, then a lunch meeting, more Q&A from the presentation, and then I fly back to FL later Thursday night.

At the HQ of a major retail giant, you know they ain't gonna be serving egg whites. I doubt baked chicken breasts will be nearby. It's not going to be easy, but I'm going to do my best to stick with the program. I'm trying to find out if the hotel has a gym, if they do, I'm taking my workout clothes so I can at least get in cardio before Thursday morning's meetings. Week No. 2 of SGX and I have to have a monkey wrench tossed in the works. Oh well, I'll roll with it and make the best of it.

Gonna be a long day today... gotta get to it.

-R

[guava]

Your wife doesn't post here, does she? If she ever did post here, I'd recommend she use the name White Lightning. Sounds like you guys make a good team. PM me if you know of any good sites that deal with women's competitions. I don't know a thing about them, and it would be interesting to learn some more and see if it's something I'd like to pursue. I'm suffering a bit from #8, and need all the help I can get.

What bugs me? Those people that try to lose weight by eating half the calories that they've normally been eating. Are you going to go the whole remaining of your natural life eating 1200 calories? No? So why do it now?

[Bluestreak]

Originally Posted by guava

Your wife doesn't post here, does she? If she ever did post here, I'd recommend she use the name White Lightning. Sounds like you guys make a good team.

She is the sun around which my galaxy revolves and to say I'd be lost without her would be an understatement. In the not too distant future, look for posts from "Chameleon". That's my girl.

Originally Posted by guava

PM me if you know of any good sites that deal with women's competitions. I don't know a thing about them, and it would be interesting to learn some more and see if it's something I'd like to pursue. I'm suffering a bit from #8, and need all the help I can get.

I'm liable to say something of informational value (it does happen now and again) so I'll post this here rather than PM you. If you have any specific Q's, feel free to hit me privately.

The only site I know of is the NPC's website. My wife competes in figure division, which is, in all honesty, a glorified bikini contest.

But... I don't want to sell it short by describing it that way, though. The training and dedication required are nothing short of monumental. I have never been more proud of her than when she crossed that stage. In the span of 13 weeks, she lost over 12% of her body fat (27% -> 15% @ competition). She made the same concerted effort I'm making now on SGX, though I think she had greater motivation because her contest was the light at the end of the tunnel.

Now, the contest she competed in was a national level qualifier. I.e., if you placed at this show, you had the opportunity to go to the national show which would afford competitors the chance to earn their pro card if they won. To say the competition was "tough" is yet another understatement. I have pictures from that night hidden somewhere, when I dig them up, I'll post them.

Research after the fact turned up that the problem with figure division is that it's new, it's not well defined, and it tends to vary from one set of judges/shows to another. Many of the fitness division competitors cross over and compete in figure as well. Fitness girls are very muscular as their choreographed routines require them to be, but they tend to be less muscular than bodybuilding females. So the girls on that stage with my wife that night weren't necessarily feminine and the judging was disappointing to me in that respect as the judges leaned towards the bigger girls. We thought figure was going to be more about femininity. To call the ladies who placed in the top five "feminine" is to do the word an injustice, as I'd swear a couple of them had Adam's apples and were tucking something back, if'n you know what I mean. Monica Brant is feminine. A few of these so-called "figure" girls... might well have been able to bench press my car.

As for pursuing it - I highly recommend it. It forces you to concentrate on nutrition and training on a higher, more detailed level as well as other facets of your appearance - posture, tanning (competitors use sunless tanners - I have a GREAT blackmail photo of the wife during one of the many "coats" she had to put on) as well as a hundred other variables. It is a little time intensive, so your family will have to be a more supportive and understanding. In my opinion, you could do this without a trainer, but a trainer with competition experience is very comforting to have to assist with dietary tweaks to maintain optimal progress in your program. That means weekly visits to the trainer for advice, assessment and adjustment. The trainer we hired was invaluable at that time and had her in the best condition she's been in in over 12 years together. Did I mention how proud I was of her?

I'm probably forgetting or glossing over something as I'm half typing this and half watching my modeling software in the background. Here's the culmination of 13 weeks of work. These pictures were the morning of the contest.

[guava]

Wow, thanks for the information. I don't have time to check out that site now, but I will soon.

A glorified bikini contest, huh? That's what I thought, but better to say it than to pretend you don't think it is. It sounds like somewhat of a vain thing to do. However, it's not like I think it's beneath me or anything - you make some good points.

Originally Posted by Bluestreak

As for pursuing it - I highly recommend it. It forces you to concentrate on nutrition and training on a higher, more detailed level as well as other facets of your appearance - posture, tanning as well as a hundred other variables.

If I wasn't here at JSF, I would have quit at where I was at in April. In April I still didn't think I was the best that I could be, and I'm glad for JSF, that I didn't stop at anything less than perfection. Still going... just not sure where anymore.

So your wife will be competing again? What would she change this time?I'd have to take a look at some winners. If I couldn't imagine myself looking like that, then I don't see any reason why I'd want to compete. I'd like to hear what it did to her self esteem to not win. Maybe she doesn't even WANT to have the defined muscled look required by the figures judges. She looks beautiful in those pictures, so why aim to meet someone else's standard of beauty instead of trying to set your own?

[Bluestreak]

Originally Posted by guava

So your wife will be competing again?

Oh yes. She loved everything about it. I did too. Watching the show as a whole was excellent.

Originally Posted by guava

What would she change this time?

She would lose 1% more body fat, build more muscle initially, especially definition in the legs and back. She wants slightly smaller hips, too.

Originally Posted by guava

I'd have to take a look at some winners. If I couldn't imagine myself looking like that, then I don't see any reason why I'd want to compete. I'd like to hear what it did to her self esteem to not win.

No, she liked the compliments she received alot. She likes the positive attention it gets her and the satisfaction of knowing she's disciplined enough to do it. Since she's a blank slate now (she's almost back where she started last year) she'll be able to correct last year's mistakes. In all fairness, my father became very ill immediately after her contest. We both slacked off to help the family take care of my dad until his passing in January, but I was a little more conscious of my efforts than her throughout and I never gained a single pound over the holidays (her contest was the end of Sept. 03).

Originally Posted by guava

Maybe she doesn't even WANT to have the defined muscled look required by the figures judges. She looks beautiful in those pictures, so why aim to meet someone else's standard of beauty instead of trying to set your own?

She does want the muscle definition. Look up Monica Brant in conpetition shape and that's what she wants to achieve. More power to her! I'll be so proud, as I know she has the potential, we just need to work together to help her find it.

Here's a pic or two from the night of the big contest.

-R

[Bluestreak]

Aggression. It's just intensity... with attitude.

Yeah, yeah... I should be busting my hump right now... I leave to fly to Minneapolis in ... two hours. I need a rest.

I left the office yesterday around 2:30p to go get my teeth fixed. Between 2:30p and 5:30p, Murphy's Law was in full effect. If I'd endured what I did yesterday on any day a year ago, I'd have gone home and crawled into a bag of McDonald's or something.

Know what I did? I went to the gym, just like I was supposed to. I beat the shit out of some iron for 45 minutes, and that erased just about everything from that afternoon's hiccups. My own resolved surprised me.

I was looking in the mirror at the gym this morning after my cardio. I can see more vascularity and my obliques are starting to show. The skin on my stomach is beginning to tighten, but only the barest of outlines of my abs are visible. Seems all my fat has pulled together to make its last stand on top of the one thing I'd like to see... my freaking abs.

Such is life.

I'm wondering how I'm going to handle the next 36 hours as I'm away on business. I'm just going to have to go with the flow, eat as sensibly as I can, and come back with a vengeance on Friday morning. Here's to hoping the hotel up north has a treadmill.

Oh, Guava... the girl in red to my wife's immediate right is the girl who won the figure show. Those pictures are very, very kind to her. She was extremely muscular to the point where it was nowhere near attractive.

-R

[guava]

Thanks for sending me off in the right direction Bluestreak. I did some research on Monica Brant, and she has a fabulous website with lots of great information on it. It makes me sort of tired just to read it though. It sounds like she puts every second of her day into thinking about how she looks.

It will take me a while to figure out the difference between figure, fitness, and bodybuilding. The NPC site you suggested helped a bit. I used to love gymnastics when I was eight years old, but I don't think I could really get into any complicated moves at this point. But I'm even less of a dancer, so I think I'm pretty much out of luck there as well, but who knows. People change.

Your wife looks great up there on stage - happy. The girl in red does have beautiful shoulders, but the rest of her is not as feminine as your wife.

[Bluestreak]

Holy cow am I exhausted. 2,750 miles in 36 hours. To think that's going to be a part of the job from now on... our due diligence report was the catalyst that kept a $10.5M deal from going south. It was a very successful trip.

Minneapolis is a beautiful city. From what I can tell, due to the harsh winters, the entire city is enclosed. I got bored Wednesday night and walked about five or six city blocks without exiting into the atmosphere. It's so nice there - this time of year. It was like Orlando in November... 77 degrees by day, mid-50's by night. We ate dinner outside and it was magnificent... no instant sweating like here. The ladies there are... impressive. A city of very beautiful women. Friendly people. If I weren't so opposed to the freezing cold (one girl said it routinely makes -20 in the winter time) I'd actually consider living there. And the client's HQ is gorgeous. Very modern, inviting, and oriented towards making the employee, despite being part of a huge retail chain, feel like they make a difference - and it shows. They all, no matter what the job they do, seem to have a strong sense of loyalty to the company. The whole city has a healthy air about it... not like Orlando where you're lucky to find someone who'd hold a door for an old lady or a checkout clerk who speaks English. I like not having to drive everywhere. The whole world was a five to ten minute walk away. Everything from your apartment to groceries to the gym (yes, I went!! The hotel had a nice gym...) was a few minutes' walk away. In another life, I might have done very well as a city dweller.

Alas, the trip had to end. I came home last night to my chores, waiting for me. Did 'em. Went to bed. Went to the gym. Here I am.

I almost had a moment of weakness this morning. I opened one eye when the alarm went off (5:25am!) and got up... went to change the alarm ahead 90 minutes so I could sleep in... I laid back down... and then my goals popped into my head. I woke up. Got up. Reset the alarm for the wife, packed the car, and off I went. Whew. Close call.

Today marks Day 12 of SGX. I need to take pictures tonight to compare. Quite literally, other than wandering around Minneapolis after 10pm the other night, I haven't had a single free minute to myself since Sunday, but I've kept true to the program, including while I was away. I took five protein shakes with me, all my supplements, and except for screwing up the meal times a little (I had no choice but to go over three hours between meals a few times) I managed to eat within the program, even at the breakfast and dinner meetings.

To be totally honest with you, I'm taken aback at my drive and determination. I didn't think I had this in me beyond last year's transformation. My desire for abs is greater than my desire for rest, relaxation and sleep. It's not really taking all that great a toll mentally and physically, but keeping up the pace is at the very least a draining effort. But I made a commitment... I will stick to my word. I've done 12 days of cardio work in a row... and while that's not that great a feat, I haven't done it since last year. I will continue to do it. I did have to miss a lifting workout due to the business trip. I didn't get home from MN until around 9pm last night and after doing chores and getting to bed, it was around 10:45pm. Leg day will just have to wait until tonight.

I haven't spent five minutes with my new guitar. I'm dying to play it, but I'm working this weekend as well as driving 100-mile round trip to go cut my mom's grass because my grandfather hurt his knee and can't do it this week. Can you believe I couldn't find a lawn service who would do a one-time job? Bastards. It'll cost me $10 in gas just to do it... so $20 for a one-time cut would have been worth the $$$. Oh well. It'll make for a nice drive with the t-tops off (provided the weather cooperates, which ... it never does).

I think I'll take tomorrow for myself and work Sunday. We have a great party to go to tomorrow night and I'd like to be well rested for it, or it's not worth going as these things tend to last until the wee hours of the morning.

'Nuff babbling. I'm off to work.

-R

[jRS]

I'd love to see you write for a travel magazine.

[Bluestreak]

Originally Posted by jRS

I'd love to see you write for a travel magazine.

I won numerous awards throughout my academic career for my writing. My teachers would send things in to various writing competitions without telling me (because I wouldn't let them otherwise). Wanna hear the irony? I didn't pass algebra until I got into college. My brother took AP calculus in high school. Wanna guess what my brother and I do for a living? He's a sports writer and editor for a newspaper, and I'm an engineer. Go figure.

You know... every time I say, "Nothing else could go wrong today!", something invariably goes awry. And every time I say, "I'm never going to say that nothing else could go wrong today!", I forget and say it again.

I was 30-feet in the door of the gym tonight when my cell phone rings. My wife got rear-ended just around the corner from the gym. Don't panic (I already did enough of that for us all)... no injuries. Just lots of scratched paint and the wife's S-10 will need a new back bumper. But... by the time we got done with the accident report, etc... it was 90 minutes past my workout time and I was getting major hypoglycemia. I hotfooted it home and took my pre-made dinner out, nuked it and scoffed it down like it was going out of style. So there went another workout... two resistance workouts shot to hell this week, and too much work to do this weekend to make them up. I will be doing my cardio in the morning... but I won't have time in the afternoons to do resistance work. It'll just have to wait until Monday when I can start the cycle again.

Here's my SGX pictures from this morning. Notice the stylish hair and the bug-eyes (hey, it was 5am!). And I'll follow that up with a pic I took a few minutes ago, finally enjoying the new arrival to the collection. The flex was just for you guys...

It took me two hours to clean and set her up. The neck still isn't right; the guitar came from Montana to Orlando. From dry to wet/humid as hell. The guitar swelled like a balloon and it took quite a while for me to get her close to right. The neck will need a few days to settle before I can adjust it again. There's a little fret buzz up near the 3rd~7th frets. I don't want to rake the trem too high... I don't like high action. This being a cheaper Ibanez, it has the Wizard I neck. I wasn't sure how I'd like it... but it's great! The transition from 24 to 22 frets is interesting, too. Bending on a 22-fret axe is much easier... I keep bending sharp because I'm not taking into account the lesser resistance of the longer body length. I don't know why everyone bitches about the Lo-TRS II Floyd Rose... I got it intonated, tuned and adjusted in less than 30 minutes. All in all, two thumbs up. Very, very warm sounding guitar, the mahogany has gobs of sustain. I give it a 7 out of ten so far... and it's not quite right yet, so it'll get graded better.

Back to the fitness stuff... I'm still doughy around the middle. I know it'll be the last thing to go on me... that's my genetics. But damnit, if it kills me, I'll get rid of it. And I can see reductions body-wide. SGX is working... but slowly for me. I'd post my first SGX picture to contrast this one, but I left my CD-RW on my desk at the office. I'll try to remember to grab it when I'm at in my office this weekend.

-R

[Bluestreak]

I'm glad I'm not "normal". I dunno what the "normal people" were up to last night, but it can't be as much fun as what we did.

I woke up with a screaming headache (it was not due to last night's debauchery, though it may have been due to the monkey wrench it threw into my usual schedule). I went out to the hot tub with an ice pack to put on my occipital crevice. I'm feeling better now, but still groggy. After all, we wereup until around 4:00 am. I took a couple Excedrin to combat the pounding, and it seems to be working. I don't like taking painkillers anymore because I'm convinced it dulls the body's ability to respond to weight training. After all, if your body doesn't know the muscles are sore, how can it repair them? I guess I should go easy on myself; it's the first couple of aspirins I've used in a few weeks.

I'm not going to the gym today. Physically, I can't. My feet are like two little uncooked roast beefs. It's hard to believe that at 138-lbs. I could be this hard on two feet, but my toes are blistered (despite the best shoes money can buy, orthotics, etc...), my athlete's foot is back, and they just generally ache. I'm going to take my first trainer, Eric Shrieves' advice and "listen to my body". He always used to say that... so I don't push beyond what I feel I can handle. I felt like a bag of smashed <expletive deleted> when I got up today... feet hurt, body's sore and achy, so I'm not going to push it. Tomorrow's a new day and I'd rather be 100% for tomorrow than 50% today and tomorrow.

I'm supposed to go to work today too.... but I think I'll play hookie. Too tired and I just need a break and I have enough chores to do around here today to keep me busy until bedtime.

-R

[Bluestreak]

Podiatrist visit this afternoon. Gotta get these hams looked at. They are healing well, I've been rubbing Neosporin on the painful areas 2~3 times per day, treating with anti-fungal cream and putting powder in my socks to keep 'em dry. I made it through cardio this morning with zero aches or pains from my feet. Seems as though taking one day off was worth the rest without a doubt. The only thing my podiatrist was treating me for was some weird variant of athlete's foot and my arch support problems. The blistering/calloused toes are a new one I'll take up with her today. It may be something I just have to grin 'n bear it through until they get used to all this exercise.

I started re-reading a book I did last year about Brunelleschi and the Duomo in Florence. An outstanding read for an egghead like me, and I highly recommend it if you enjoy Renaissance architecture. Someday, I will get to visit Florence... and stand atop the Duomo (you can do that on the tours) with my wife. What a view it would be to see the world from a 20-story building constructed 600 years before modern technology was born. In the 28 years it took to complete the dome, the design of it and its support scaffolding was so advanced, only one man died to build it. Absolutely fascinating stuff.

Ok... fitness stuff.

Every morning when I get to the gym it's still pitch black outside. The tinted windows in the gym act like mirrors when it's dark outside. The treadmills are poised to face outside, so you're basically staring at yourself in the mirror when you're walking on the treadmill. There's a fitting symbolism I find in that ... I'm walking but I'm not going anywhere, asymptotically trudging my way to a perfection I will never quite reach. I did my 45 minutes, trusting that this, in conjunction with the rest of my SGX efforts, will at least lead me to the six pack we all desire... eventually. I still don't see enough change for my liking, but ... let's be honest, this is day 15 of SGX and the start of the third week. Rome wasn't built in a day...

"The body, in its infinite wisdom, knows that beneath sturdy bones and sinewy muscle, lies a magic potential. Tap into that, and glory is yours." I read this in the wife's M&F Hers. Just liked the sound of it, thought I'd share.

More thoughts to come in a bit.... gotta get busy designing.

-R