Yeah, it’s real. When I built the save-a-lot over there one of the techs got his ass kicked/van jacked for staying late to work some overtime.
Now it’s one of the coolest areas in town. I go hit the strip every so often and have been meaning to head over and check out a few places.
So I lived in the city for about 13 years (started undergrad at CMU in 2004, then grad school at Pitt 2008 through 2013, and then stayed in Oakland/Shadyside area until we bought a house in the burbs in 2017) and obviously still go to Oakland every day for work. I spend a lot of time “between the rivers” so I’ve seen plenty of neighborhood transitions during that time - places that used to be “Wait, you’re going where? Why would you go there?” that at least had a place or two worth going to, if not fully gentrified. Heck, I’ve even seen some burned out areas rise and then fall back again.
I would make my way over to East Liberty, Bloomfield or even all the way down to Lawrenceville (usually on foot or a bike) every so often, especially once I finished undergrad. Specifically, re: Lawrenceville, once Industry Public House opened that became a favorite before we moved out to the burbs. After a little the place had gotten so popular that we started avoiding peak times and trying to go when we knew it wouldn’t be too crowded - we’d try to come in around 3PM on Saturday and have a drink / watch a little of the afternoon football, then scoot out of there before the place got mobbed.
Really interested to see what happens in our Burgh over the next decade. The city has a lot of things going for it right now, but I’m sure there will be more ups and downs ahead.
Darn hillside behind my house still managed to get water into the basement gym with all this rain. This happened despite me digging a 4 foot wide trench below footer level in 2017 and tarring that wall from footer to up above grade. Then I back filled with 8ft of gravel surrounded by fabric, with a French drain at the bottom of course.
It’s looking like the water is coming up from below the footer, the ground is that wet. Probably going to use a ditch witch at the base of the hill (50 ft from the house) and cut a drainage channel away from the house about 6 inches wide. Backfill that with gravel/fabric and zero dirt on top… maybe a grate.
Pulled up the horse stall mats and bleached everything. Those suckers are awkward to move.
Been training by running hill sprints daily and pushups, kb swings, pullups etc… got to do a Jeff Cavalier bicep and tricep workout at my friend’s house last night. Jeff is a maniac and I don’t like him.
Sitting at 222 this morning before water. Beach in 2 weeks. I wanted to be sub 200 by the beach… ah well. Might cut real hard and see if I can’t manage 210 or 215.
This weekend we celebrate a verbose resignation letter sent to an inbred English King by burning sulfur compounds invented in China and perfected in Italy.
First time using a fit tracker app. Everything’s a PR! Lol. Oprah Meme: “You get a PR!” Squats were not playing nice. Just did 3 working sets and moved on.
Woke at 3. Did work for 1099 job for 3.5 hours. Got a quick workout in after. My hamstrings were not recovered well enough for deads. They’re going to have to get better at it. Did some holds at 315 and 225 as penance for the poor showing.
Yesterday 07-22-19
Digging post holes for the boys’ tree house. Ran into some shale and sand stone about 20" down. Really driving the spud bar into the ground as hard as I could to break it up. Then this happened… so the score: Polish guy 1, Chinese made work pants 0.
07-23-19
BB Bench:
45x10
135x10
185x5
205x5
135x10
Stu Row:
135x10
185x10
185x10
Reverse lunges 3x10
EZ curl/tricep ext superset
50#: 15,10
Missed a bunch of logs. Just trying to get work in. Mixing sprints, BB complexes, runs and walks in for health and fat loss with whatever training I can get in.
Yesterday:
BB complex to warm up, 8 each with 95#: RDL, row, clean, front squat, OHP, back squat
Pullups 3x10 with light band
BB rows work up to 3x8 with 165# slow
DB rows 45#: 25, 31, 39
Cable face pulls 20# x a bunch
Seeing any body comp or strength changes?
Had a buddy comment on my arms looking better. My 36’s are fitting way better, but my 34’s aren’t there yet. Weight is staying right at 226 in the morning before water… frustrating.
To really get it moving I’ll have to cut calories by 500 at least and start counting way more closely. I really hate that process, but I hate being fat more.
You just need to make them breathable like the Chinese ones 
Nice.
Morning training. Barbell complex to warm up.
Squats up to 335x2
Dips 3x10
Fat man rows 3x10
Banded tricep push down 3xfailure (40ish reps)
Banded curls 3xfailure (45ish reps)
Still working out. Not sure about logging. Just trying to stay above dirt. Hit 315 for several sets of 5 on squats this morning felt really light. Some mornings at 5am it feels like someone turned the gravity up. Have to find a way to replicate today.
Circuit training: 3 rounds as fast as possible. Felt okay till last set of squats, breathing was tough. I enjoy this type of training at 5am. Keeps me from waisting time.
DB Bench×12 @45#
DB Rowx12 @45#
BB Squatx12 @225#
Band curlsx12
Band pushdownsx12
Band facepullsx12
Band pull apartsx12
Hanging leg raises x12
More abbreviated circuit training. Trying to get and stay out of breath. Took balroom dance classes with the wife. Only we had to dance with the rest of the class. I had 35 little old ladies tell me “your hands are so warm!” Just odd.
DB incline press: 45# 12, 12, 12
DB Row: 45# 12, 12, 12
TB Deadlift: 225# 12, 12, 12
Assistance: band spider crawls, band pull aparts, band face pulls, band curls, band tri extensions.
Did chest and back today. Warmed up with 50 rep band flys and then rows.
DB press 3x12
DB row 3x12
Dips 3x12
TB DL focus on back 3x12
Out the window where I work I can see a crematorium off in the distance. Daily I’ll notice a puff of smoke and think about how small my problems are and try and re focus on enjoying the ride, because it’s going to end.
Having a meeting with my boss and I see flames shoot out the top of the stack. “Well that never happens”. My boss who knows every business owner in the city calls the funeral home owner on speaker phone to tell him about the flames. We thought the burners malfunctioned or the building was going to burn down. Dude says “it’s just a really fat guy. No big deal”.
The deceased burned those calories after all.
Morning workout 4:45 am.
Bike 15 minutes moderate pace
Band curls x 50
Band tried ext x 50
Band shoulder shockers x 50
SS Ez bar curls 60# 3x10
SS EZ bar tri ext 60# 3x10
SS one hand bb press 60# 3x10
Repeat band work.
Workout on Thanksgiving. My 6yo joined me. Had him doing pushups, situps and squat jumps. He is uncoordinated and awkward-moving but he was psyched to be there and I was happy to spend time with him. All the innate athletic ability of his old man.
Squats
45x10
135x10
SS 225 3x10
SS calf raise 225 3x10
RDL 225 5x5 (man I’m out of shape, grip was actually a problem here double overhand, oh well, only one way to fix that)
Hanging Leg raises 5x10
Played with the ab wheel. Kid used it like a toy truck and crashed. Lol
