[quote]PeteS wrote:
Jack, braving the MOA for me used to require shots and beers. I made it in and out sober. For the time being anyway.
Notes on training. I keep posting how tight/sore I am. Weather is a factor, change of schedule/unemployment it another. Plus the new training facility. I know it is going to bring a lot out of me. Today I felt comfortable, for the first time, now I just have to get in the groove.
It is funny I might not be the strongest guy there, but I know I have to be. That is kind of where I have ended up in every gym before. Now I have to make some consessions to progress. Up until two weeks ago I didn’t. I love the atmosphere, I am adjusting to the personalities, I think starting this week I will be seeing good results… [/quote]
Now the fun part begins. Enjoy.
Family day today. Thought about doing cardio, that was about it. Went to Mom’s for December Birthday party, so it was my eldests, Mom’s and my wife’s celebration. Fuggen December can bleed me dry. Then took the wife and boy to get the Xmas tree. Have my favorite neighborhood spot run by this really cool retired dude, pulled up and he immediately thanked me for coming back again this year, and we started up the 2 hour conversation we had a year ago. Guy worked in sales his whole life to support his family, now in retirement he is doing his own things, and having a blast. Both he and his buddy who was helping him stated ‘been retired 4 years and never been busier in my whole damned life.’ Guy even remembered how I had gotten a steal on buying my Durango off its lease, and made me tell the story to his buddy. On the property he owns and sells trees from he also has a coffee shop and a tattoo parlor. They got the wife and kid free hot cocoas from the coffee shop, which is a dang nice little place, while we jibber jabbered and loaded the tree. Fugger probably overcharges me for the tree, but for that kind of customer service and fun I will go back every year as long as we’re here, and he is.
Decorated the tree, showing the little man how to hook the ornamanents on, and lifted him up to put the star on. All kinda trite stuff, but really loved it. Also made me pause and think about my dad, who passed 5 1/2 years ago. He really, really, really got into the spirit. I mean I have never ever met another man who was so into Christmas, and having his family close. I regret the years I couldn’t, or wouldn’t, make it to be with him, and the times when I didn’t appreciate his love for having his family close.
My wife is smart, and knows me, as I was trimming the tree with my boy she came in the room and said ‘you’re thinking about your dad, aren’t you?’ ‘how’d you know?’ ‘because this was his favorite thing, putting up the decorations’
Anyway, pardon my non-training related ramblings. Cardio in the a.m., squat tomorrow night. Looking forward to more time in the mono and the briefs… and this time gonna wrap the damned knees.
Harry’s said it in the past: These kinds of posts are what make this forum worth the time to read. It’s not simply the data of sets and reps - it’s the stories that make the difference.
Well said, Pete. And thanks! This is the 1st Christmas with my Mom and Dad in 7 years (since we our oldest was old enough to understand Santa). I have already been excited to have them here, as our family is extremely close as well, but you have just helped remind me why it is that much more special.
A sincere “thank you” and a very early Merry Christmas!
I really appreciate the stories as well. I honestly consider all of you good friends. I’m sure if any of us were really in need, plenty would step up.
anyway, I love this time of year. starting with halloween (my favorite holiday), all the way through New Years. When it’s all said and done, i always go through a bit of a depressed period.
Pete, I can’t imagine the holidays without family. My dad and i are very close. He’s definitely my best friend. I know when he passes away a big part of me will die too. i can’t even think about it. I just do my best to savor every moment i have. It’s a lot like the time i spend with my daughter. She’s 3 and I wish i could slow time down because she’s growing so fast. There are moments when i look at her and I can see the present and the future all at once.
I say all the time- “without family you have and are nothing”.
Slept like shit last night, they finally came: the unemployed nightmares. Then woke up startled in a quasi panic attack this morning. Final week of daycare for the kid, I will have him there probably today, Wednesday, Friday (Friday’s there is a little girl that I think he has a crush on there). More earnest job hunting will begin today.
BTW Meat, I am going to borrow you line: “without family you have and are nothing”. It fits. And yeah, savor the moments. One of the best decisions I made was moving back home ten years ago to get closer with my dad. We rarely saw eye to eye on things until those last few years. Finally we became buds.
And regarding 3 year olds: The biggest blessing I have right now is getting to spend more and more time with mine. He can try my patience (yesterday he was refusing to listen, then told my wife to put ME in a time out, lol), but so fun, and such a great curious, growing, intelligent age.
Anyhoo, back to Monster, the Ladders, and all those other sites.
[quote]PeteS wrote:
BTW Meat, I am going to borrow you line: “without family you have and are nothing”. It fits. And yeah, savor the moments. One of the best decisions I made was moving back home ten years ago to get closer with my dad. We rarely saw eye to eye on things until those last few years. Finally we became buds.
And regarding 3 year olds: The biggest blessing I have right now is getting to spend more and more time with mine. He can try my patience (yesterday he was refusing to listen, then told my wife to put ME in a time out, lol), but so fun, and such a great curious, growing, intelligent age.
Anyhoo, back to Monster, the Ladders, and all those other sites. [/quote]
yeah… my dad and i never saw eye to eye growing up. Once i got bigger and stronger than he was things changed. We are more like brothers now than father/son. at my wedding i gave him a watch that i had engraved “Best man, Best friend” I’ve never ever seen my dad cry until that point.
I often wonder if the feelings i have for my daughter are normal. Being a teacher i see kids that are neglected by their parents. unfortunately it has become the norm in my school’s community. I look at her with such wonder but at the same moment i get these sharp feelings of sadness becuase time is passing so fast. i guess it’s different having a kid in you 30’s. i think you really appreciate your time with them. i think if i had had a child in my 20’s i wouldn’t appreciate this time nearly as much. none of it, even after three years, feels real to me. i still look at her and expect to wake up from a dream because she’s too good to be true. like i said, i’m not sure my feelings are the norm…
I can say from experience you are correct about appreciating having a kid more in your 30s. I had my first son when I was 18, I was more scared than appreciative. Did everything to stand by him, but, well, right now he is going through some rough times and maybe if I had not let a couple of things happen, life would be easier for him now. With my little one, the wife and I tried for several years, had several miscarriages, before he came around.
In a sense it is a little bit of I want to make sure I don’t make the same mistakes I did before, and also I really really appreciate my time with him. I know I am not the ‘normal’ dad with him at all. And to that all I can say is something I have said my whole life: fuck being normal:)
Off to do the weekly grocery shopping. Updated my resume on Monster and a couple of other more industry specific sites. Applied for one decent looking job, which would have me office right across the street from the old job, lol. Don’t match the requirements 100% but we shall see. I have a long list of contacts to call/email which I will begin tomorrow.
Will be interesting seeing what kind of characters there are at the store at noon on a Monday. Have a fist full of coupons and the pregnant wife’s thorough list (ice cream shows up twice on there). Wish me luck.
About 4 years ago I went through some rough shit. Lost my job, lost my Mom, found out my ex (21 year marriage) had a BF, son joined the Army and went to Iraq. I absolutely clung to my Dad for emotional support. He gave me his house to live in and talked me into buying a Harley as well as front me the down payment. My family is the big reason that period in my life didn’t kill me. Later he was diagnosed with throat cancer and I lost him too but I really got a chance to know him.
I am in a way better place now, but I feel ya when talking about the holidays and family!
[quote]Colin Wilson wrote:
About 4 years ago I went through some rough shit. Lost my job, lost my Mom, found out my ex (21 year marriage) had a BF, son joined the Army and went to Iraq. I absolutely clung to my Dad for emotional support. He gave me his house to live in and talked me into buying a Harley as well as front me the down payment. My family is the big reason that period in my life didn’t kill me. Later he was diagnosed with throat cancer and I lost him too but I really got a chance to know him.
I am in a way better place now, but I feel ya when talking about the holidays and family!
Nice lifting going on in here BTW…[/quote]
a Harley definitely makes a lot of crap better:) i’ve taken many a long ride to clear my head on mine.
Squat night. Hour long drive in rush hour, snowy crappy construction traffic.
Warm ups: 145 x 5, 235 x 5, 325 x 5, add belt 415 x 3, add wraps 485 x 3, 525 x3 add briefs 615 x 2 655 x 2 (+ 10 over last week) felt good, depth good this time, getting the groove of the briefs
hanging leg raise 5 x 15
rackable cambered bar GMS 5 sets up to 385 x 3
2.5 hour workout, completely gassed by the end, but getting into the swing of things for sure, will up the weight by at least 20 next week on squats.
Texas squat bar. longer bar all around, moved my hands out for the full multi-ply stance, felt much more comfortable, had my feet out a few inches further and on warm ups broke at the knees. On my first ‘briefed’ set I broke at the hips, still came at least close to depth, but it was awkward. Last set broke at knees and it was easy. Got compliments on depth and bar speed. Still, 655 on your shoulders is 655 on your shoulders. Also got called out on, and broke, a habit I have from walking squats out. I had started to ‘GM’ the bar out on walkouts, because it was less of an energy expenditure for me. No need to do that when you ain’t walking it out.
Learning a lot, still not happy w/numbers (wish I would have sussed it up and gone for 675 at least tonight) but I am having to make so many technique adjustments I am forcing myself to take it a little slow.
Have you ever looked at Craigslist for jobs? Sidenote reading your posts and the responses made me go upstairs and just look at my daughter who is sleeping and tuck my little boy in who is sleeping with my Wife in our bed for about 15 minutes before coming down to type this post. Family is everything.
Man I don’t miss goining to the store(s) for pregnant wants, or how about goining to diferent resturants for the same meal!!!
Good sqauting by way! How much do the briefs help you out? The reason I am asking is my groin/inner leg tendon is still fubared and thinking these might help me when I sqaut wide.
Fischer,
Not sure yet how much I will get out of these briefs. They are the used, beat up Inzer Predators that is one of my ‘benefactors’ training briefs. If we take the baseline 1 rep I did down in Waukegan a couple weeks back of 615, which wasn’t quite a true max but within maybe 30 lbs, I am thinking I can get up to 700 to 725 in these.
However, newer, more properly fitting briefs? I have some had some guys tell me they get anywhere from 100 to 200 out of them. Kid I was squatting with in Waukegan said he got more out of his Metal briefs than he did out of his suit. Same could be said with one of the guys I was squatting with tonight. Raw he missed 525 for a double, new Metal briefs 655 came up for him fine.
Still not even close to sure what my openers are going to look like, going to start ramping up the weights with the cheater gear to get a sense of where I am really at. THIS GEAR STUFF IS HARD!!! But Fischer, for your uses maybe order a pair a couple sizes big just for support.
Side notes: glad I didn’t cancel my cable, that 655 x 2 was just new enough to my CNS to jack me up for the night. Also, my right quad is doing some really interesting twitching, I am sick in the head but I find it all cool. Gee, good thing I don’t have to go to work in the morning.
Last note: I remember looking on Cragslist a while back, might check again. I think I need to put most of my effort into networking. Had a former coworker drop off the NETA certification book, will look through over the next couple of days, my understanding is it is the easiest and the cheapest of the PT certs. Meanwhile will push for a ‘dream job’ in my previous field.