Welcome back!!
It's no coincidence that the time spent on this blog decreased dramatically when I started going out with my girlfriend last spring.
I found it hard to be open and honest on the blog while simultaneously trying to remain guarded and not open up "too soon" with her at the start of the relationship.
Why the sudden change now? Am I single?? No. No. It's nothing of the sort.
I just realized what this blog meant to me and my sanity. My mental health has taken a toll lately by keeping a lot of my "random" thoughts in my head. Purging my brian of these thoughts that have weighed heavy on my conscience has been cathartic. I've been depriving myself of the opportunity to be less stressed, less overwhelmed, and less helpless for the better part of 2010, which was a challenging year. I refuse to let that happen in 2011.
Those closest to me know that I am not one to open up or share my emotions/feelings very easily. That's what makes this blog rather unique. I don't really hold much back when writing here. There is something inherently impersonal in blogging that makes it easier to write whatever I feel without censoring the content. I do happen to know some of you that visit here, whether it's occassionally or immediately after every post. For the most part, I consider my "audience" to be anonymous. I admit there are times when I want to know EVERYONE that reads this blog. Nevertheless, I truly enjoy writing for the unknown readers (including the future me).
This time away has also forced me to accept something that is probably obvious to most folks. When in a relationship, you cannot force your significant other to like the person you want to be, or the person you try to be around them. They need to accept you for who you are. For better or worse, this blog is an extension of me and maybe even a bigger piece of who I am than I care to admit. After all, a lot of who I am is left in every entry of this blog.
I kept myself from writing much in 2010. That will change going forward. It's not as if I have anything to hide. ;)
For your continued readership and patience throughout 2010, I thank you.
For those of you new to RaUM, I hope you enjoy the sneak peeks into my life.
Until next time, faithful reader......
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Addendum (2 hours after posting):
For the record, those who know me well (and that is a very short list, folks) know that I don't share my emotions/feelings very well in the "real world". Blame it on my troubled childhood or poor social skills as a youth. Perhaps, it was never learning how to deal with rejection or never understanding how to accept that life can be fucked up sometimes.
That being said, I want to be clear that the issue with the gf and my blogging had to do with my perception of how she might (or might not) react to things I had to write about. I can be very self-conscious about what I post sometimes (believe it or not!) which can make me more sensitive to any potential feedback I might get from those close to me. I hope you didn't think I was using her as a scapegoat.
Showing posts with label update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label update. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Hesitation Kills (or Learning to Put One Foot in Front of the Other)
Hi there,
I'm glad you came back to take this walk through my thoughts today. Enjoy!
I've been hesitant this year. Hesitant to take any steps forward in 2010. I'm not quite sure why this is. After such a wondrous year of progress and personal growth in 2009, 2010 has been stagnant by comparison. I have a clearer sense of what I need to do but still have the old habit of over-thinking things instead of acting on given opportunities.
A thought occurred to me earlier today and when I went searching for it, I found this comment that I wrote back in August on Twitter (and posted as a Facebook status): "Despite being a man of reason, emotions trumps reason. And there are no rules that govern emotion." I wish I had remembered this tweet sooner. But it's 'done bun'. I can't change what's already happened. All I can do is look forward and learn from my mistakes and missteps.
Over the past week or so, I've come to accept who I am. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm more self-assured with a better sense of who I am now. I've discovered my strengths and what makes me quintessentially Alan. I'll continue to focus on the things I could improve upon to make myself a better person. It's one thing to re-affirm that you, in fact, "love yourself" but if you don't truly know who you are... well, then who is it that you're really loving??
I have realized that my entire life I've been driven by a constant need to be better than I already am, to try and measure up to other people's expectations, and to not let those around me down. I would try to anticipate what people expected of me and would attempt to exceed those expectations. Oftentimes, I was left feeling like I've let others down. The closer I feel to someone, the greater my desire to do right by them (and, often, the greater my disappointment when I didn't 'measure up'). This was something that was instilled in me by my father when I was young. But it was done in such a way that it had a tremendously negative impact on my self-worth. I have always thought I was never good enough for any situation, any opportunity, or anyone.
So today I'm taking baby steps forward: rebuilding my self-confidence; learning to truly love myself (not just the outer me but the inner me); and reaching out to others without fear of the unknown, of not measuring up to fictitious expectations, or of rejection. Several years ago, I had done a favor for a co-worker once and he thanked me profusely and told me "Alan, tú vales oro" (click here for the translation). For the first time in a long time, I can honestly say that I agree!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a completely unrelated side note... my new celeb crush is Kany Garcia! ♪♫
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for stopping by this lil' ol' blog. Be sure to come back soon! =)
Until next time, faithful reader......
I'm glad you came back to take this walk through my thoughts today. Enjoy!
I've been hesitant this year. Hesitant to take any steps forward in 2010. I'm not quite sure why this is. After such a wondrous year of progress and personal growth in 2009, 2010 has been stagnant by comparison. I have a clearer sense of what I need to do but still have the old habit of over-thinking things instead of acting on given opportunities.
A thought occurred to me earlier today and when I went searching for it, I found this comment that I wrote back in August on Twitter (and posted as a Facebook status): "Despite being a man of reason, emotions trumps reason. And there are no rules that govern emotion." I wish I had remembered this tweet sooner. But it's 'done bun'. I can't change what's already happened. All I can do is look forward and learn from my mistakes and missteps.
Over the past week or so, I've come to accept who I am. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm more self-assured with a better sense of who I am now. I've discovered my strengths and what makes me quintessentially Alan. I'll continue to focus on the things I could improve upon to make myself a better person. It's one thing to re-affirm that you, in fact, "love yourself" but if you don't truly know who you are... well, then who is it that you're really loving??
I have realized that my entire life I've been driven by a constant need to be better than I already am, to try and measure up to other people's expectations, and to not let those around me down. I would try to anticipate what people expected of me and would attempt to exceed those expectations. Oftentimes, I was left feeling like I've let others down. The closer I feel to someone, the greater my desire to do right by them (and, often, the greater my disappointment when I didn't 'measure up'). This was something that was instilled in me by my father when I was young. But it was done in such a way that it had a tremendously negative impact on my self-worth. I have always thought I was never good enough for any situation, any opportunity, or anyone.
So today I'm taking baby steps forward: rebuilding my self-confidence; learning to truly love myself (not just the outer me but the inner me); and reaching out to others without fear of the unknown, of not measuring up to fictitious expectations, or of rejection. Several years ago, I had done a favor for a co-worker once and he thanked me profusely and told me "Alan, tú vales oro" (click here for the translation). For the first time in a long time, I can honestly say that I agree!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a completely unrelated side note... my new celeb crush is Kany Garcia! ♪♫
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for stopping by this lil' ol' blog. Be sure to come back soon! =)
Until next time, faithful reader......
Saturday, November 14, 2009
My New Apartment (Part 1)
Hello there,
It certainly has been a while, hasn't it?
When I started writing this entry it was a week before Halloween. I was excited that I had finally found my next apartment. My bona fide bachelor pad. Then, the reality of having to pack, moving, and getting settled in the new place smacked me in the face. Hard!
Here's the story of my new apartment...
I had been actively looking for an apartment for almost 6 weeks. My roommate has found a place and moved out already. I was living alone in an apartment that was too big (and, frankly, too expensive) for just me. And even though I was alone, the apartment didn't feel like my own. It has been shared for several years and I couldn't shake the history that existed in that apartment. It would never be "MY" place no matter how long I lived there.
I spoke with my landlord in September and informed her I'd be forced to move (and thus breaking my lease). We agreed that, as long as they found someone to move in immediately, I wouldn't lose any part of my deposit.
I set a personal deadline of October 15th as my final day in the apartment. I figured I would find a place to move into by the 1st. This would give me two solid weeks to organized my things and move into the new apartment without having to rush. Well, Oct 1st passed and I started considering a quicker move. Perhaps I'd move on the weekend of the 15th instead. The stubborn old me wanted to stick to my self-imposed deadline. In the meantime, the landlord had people visiting my apartment every weekend. I didn't mind. If anything, I welcomed all the visitors. Every new person walking into my place was another potential resident who would assure me the full amount of my deposit.
Panic didn't set in until around the 15th. I hadn't been able to find a suitable apartment up to that point. Time was running out and I certainly didn't want to move in the winter. I've done a cold weather move before and it is BRUTAL. I definitely did NOT want to live through that again. Also, I didn't want my friends (those who would help me move) to deal with bad weather either.
That weekend, my landlord had set-up several appointments to view my apartment. I indicated to her that I wanted to move by Nov 1st. I had a concrete date now. A fixed deadline. I didn't want to back down on my word. I had to find a place... and soon!
(To be continued, faithful reader......)
It certainly has been a while, hasn't it?
When I started writing this entry it was a week before Halloween. I was excited that I had finally found my next apartment. My bona fide bachelor pad. Then, the reality of having to pack, moving, and getting settled in the new place smacked me in the face. Hard!
Here's the story of my new apartment...
I had been actively looking for an apartment for almost 6 weeks. My roommate has found a place and moved out already. I was living alone in an apartment that was too big (and, frankly, too expensive) for just me. And even though I was alone, the apartment didn't feel like my own. It has been shared for several years and I couldn't shake the history that existed in that apartment. It would never be "MY" place no matter how long I lived there.
I spoke with my landlord in September and informed her I'd be forced to move (and thus breaking my lease). We agreed that, as long as they found someone to move in immediately, I wouldn't lose any part of my deposit.
I set a personal deadline of October 15th as my final day in the apartment. I figured I would find a place to move into by the 1st. This would give me two solid weeks to organized my things and move into the new apartment without having to rush. Well, Oct 1st passed and I started considering a quicker move. Perhaps I'd move on the weekend of the 15th instead. The stubborn old me wanted to stick to my self-imposed deadline. In the meantime, the landlord had people visiting my apartment every weekend. I didn't mind. If anything, I welcomed all the visitors. Every new person walking into my place was another potential resident who would assure me the full amount of my deposit.
Panic didn't set in until around the 15th. I hadn't been able to find a suitable apartment up to that point. Time was running out and I certainly didn't want to move in the winter. I've done a cold weather move before and it is BRUTAL. I definitely did NOT want to live through that again. Also, I didn't want my friends (those who would help me move) to deal with bad weather either.
That weekend, my landlord had set-up several appointments to view my apartment. I indicated to her that I wanted to move by Nov 1st. I had a concrete date now. A fixed deadline. I didn't want to back down on my word. I had to find a place... and soon!
(To be continued, faithful reader......)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Milestones
Welcome back to another installment of RaUM,
I usually don't consider any drop in weight to be permanent unless I can have three consecutive days at or near the 'new' weight. But I can say unequivocally that I officially 185 pounds!
My first major milestone weight was getting to 200 pounds. When I reached 200, I thought I could make it to 185 and figured that would be the absolute minimum weight I could maintain and still be healthy. I created short term goals along the way. The first goal was getting under 200 pounds and maintaining that weight. Then I used every 5 pounds as a mini-goal. Now that I'm at 185, and feeling fantastic, I realize that I still have few extra pounds that I could lose.
I'm in a strange place now, mentally. I never thought I would be able to drop below 200 pounds on a consistent basis and 185 always seemed so far away for the past 2 years that, now that I am at this weight, I almost don't know what to do. Do I consider a lighter weight as my new "ultimate" goal? Do I maintain my current weight and stay content with my progress to date? I don't want to reach the point where all I want to do is continue losing weight because that's not realistic.
I know I mentioned before it isn't so much about weight as it is about how I look and feel. I can definitively say that one thing that has annoyed me about the whole weight loss process is realizing that almost every bit of clothing I wore last fall/winter fits a little too loose for my liking now for the colder weather we're about to experience in the Northeast. I need to go on a little shopping spree for my new body. =)
To be honest, I'm kind of afraid to go shopping since I may undergo another weight loss and change in my body which will make all the new clothes relatively useless. but I think it's a small price to pay for the "new" me.
I'd like to thank those of you who have supported me along the way, whether directly or indirectly. Every comment about how much slimmer I looked, every second glance I got from the most unexpected people, and every seemingly innocuous comment about how I was looking better, not only boosted my ego but gave me additional motivation to keep plugging along to my goal in the past two years.
Recap of my progress (based on weight):
Holiday season 2007-08 -- 225 (possibly closer to 230)
August 2008 -- 216-217
Dec 31, 2008 -- 206
February 13, 2009 -- ~201
March 23, 2009 -- 198 (plateaued at this weight for quite some time but I was happy to be consistently under 200 lbs.)
July 12, 2009 -- 195 (finally a break through in the summer but plateaued here again and became a bit frustrated but plugged right along continuing what I was doing)
October 15, 2009 -- 185!!
- 40+ pounds in less than 2 years
- 20 pounds in the 10 months of this year
- 10 pounds in the last 3 months alone
I'm soooooooo stoked. I haven't decided on my next milestone. But I can say that now I'm a full fledged Middleweight (my UFC/MMA fans know what I'm talking about!).
I cannot adequately express in words how immensely proud I am of getting as far as I have. Thank you again to those who have encouraged me, directly or indirectly, in the past 2 years.
I am a new man. And I'm loving every second of it.
Until next time, faithful reader......
I usually don't consider any drop in weight to be permanent unless I can have three consecutive days at or near the 'new' weight. But I can say unequivocally that I officially 185 pounds!
My first major milestone weight was getting to 200 pounds. When I reached 200, I thought I could make it to 185 and figured that would be the absolute minimum weight I could maintain and still be healthy. I created short term goals along the way. The first goal was getting under 200 pounds and maintaining that weight. Then I used every 5 pounds as a mini-goal. Now that I'm at 185, and feeling fantastic, I realize that I still have few extra pounds that I could lose.
I'm in a strange place now, mentally. I never thought I would be able to drop below 200 pounds on a consistent basis and 185 always seemed so far away for the past 2 years that, now that I am at this weight, I almost don't know what to do. Do I consider a lighter weight as my new "ultimate" goal? Do I maintain my current weight and stay content with my progress to date? I don't want to reach the point where all I want to do is continue losing weight because that's not realistic.
I know I mentioned before it isn't so much about weight as it is about how I look and feel. I can definitively say that one thing that has annoyed me about the whole weight loss process is realizing that almost every bit of clothing I wore last fall/winter fits a little too loose for my liking now for the colder weather we're about to experience in the Northeast. I need to go on a little shopping spree for my new body. =)
To be honest, I'm kind of afraid to go shopping since I may undergo another weight loss and change in my body which will make all the new clothes relatively useless. but I think it's a small price to pay for the "new" me.
I'd like to thank those of you who have supported me along the way, whether directly or indirectly. Every comment about how much slimmer I looked, every second glance I got from the most unexpected people, and every seemingly innocuous comment about how I was looking better, not only boosted my ego but gave me additional motivation to keep plugging along to my goal in the past two years.
Recap of my progress (based on weight):
Holiday season 2007-08 -- 225 (possibly closer to 230)
August 2008 -- 216-217
Dec 31, 2008 -- 206
February 13, 2009 -- ~201
March 23, 2009 -- 198 (plateaued at this weight for quite some time but I was happy to be consistently under 200 lbs.)
July 12, 2009 -- 195 (finally a break through in the summer but plateaued here again and became a bit frustrated but plugged right along continuing what I was doing)
October 15, 2009 -- 185!!
- 40+ pounds in less than 2 years
- 20 pounds in the 10 months of this year
- 10 pounds in the last 3 months alone
I'm soooooooo stoked. I haven't decided on my next milestone. But I can say that now I'm a full fledged Middleweight (my UFC/MMA fans know what I'm talking about!).
I cannot adequately express in words how immensely proud I am of getting as far as I have. Thank you again to those who have encouraged me, directly or indirectly, in the past 2 years.
I am a new man. And I'm loving every second of it.
Until next time, faithful reader......
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
My Fall Semester and Other Quick Hits
Fall is here and my second semester at Queens College has officially begun. My first impressions of the classes are mixed. They all seem interested in the material thus far, which is nice to see. Also, I was better at my opening day speech this semester because I was able to scare away about 5 students from my 2 classes. Nevertheless, I still have nearly a full course load since I approved 4 over-tallies (2 extra students per class).
My Monday/Wednesday class is similar to my 2 classes from last semester. They seem to take good notes and manage to keep up with a quicker pace (which I prefer since the class doesn't drag). The Tuesday/Thursday class asks lots of questions (not necessarily a bad thing when it happens occasionally). I need to offer a thorough explanation to repeat the answer in an alternate way so that they can understand the material better. The side effect of this is that I can see that I'm losing the attention of the students who 'get it' and then feel the class is dragging along.
I don't mind the questions since they're valid questions but every time we meet I get asked a lot of questions which then takes time from other things we need to go over. On a personal note, another consequence of this is that they keep me in the classroom until 9:20pm (the scheduled end time of the class)!! This is a bad for me but more so for them because the last hour of the class time needs to be dedicated to doing lab work (using SPSS, a program we have for statistical analysis). I have the Sociology department's computer lab reserved for my classes. What I tend to do is dismiss my classes after the lecture is completed and then hang around for the students who want to work in the department's computer lab. The more time we take in class, the less lab time they have (or the later they stay in school since this keeps them from having an early night).
We'll see how things shake out. First exam is tonight and tomorrow. =)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: Between classes (and grading of the first exam this week) along with finding my own place (among other things), I may end up having less time to dedicate to RaUM in the upcoming week or so. I'll do my best to write a short entry before another full week passes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd like to offer birthday shout-outs to the Virgos in my life. My fellow earth signs are people I have gotten along with very well for most of my life. Had some fun with some Virgos this past weekend. For the record, I am STILL upset that my sister, also a Virgo, didn't tell me if she had anything going on for her b-day. I may have to tell her to her face since it's not as if she reads my blog anyway. I actually have no idea if she did anything or not. Maybe I should call her...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I feel sad for my best friend Jorge and his wife who had to give up their 3 kitties after their 21-month old daughter started having very bad allergic reactions to them. I know losing a pet is always hard whether it's because they die, are lost (and never found again) or given away for sudden (yet valid) reasons. However, given his daughter's reaction to them, the choice was clear. I know that given enough time, they'll learn to live without them. I just hope that day comes sooner than later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm working on a RaUM entry (about Spanglish and my feelings about it) and hope to have it posted some time this weekend. I also hope it won't take me more than a week to finish it up.
Until next time, faithful reader......
My Monday/Wednesday class is similar to my 2 classes from last semester. They seem to take good notes and manage to keep up with a quicker pace (which I prefer since the class doesn't drag). The Tuesday/Thursday class asks lots of questions (not necessarily a bad thing when it happens occasionally). I need to offer a thorough explanation to repeat the answer in an alternate way so that they can understand the material better. The side effect of this is that I can see that I'm losing the attention of the students who 'get it' and then feel the class is dragging along.
I don't mind the questions since they're valid questions but every time we meet I get asked a lot of questions which then takes time from other things we need to go over. On a personal note, another consequence of this is that they keep me in the classroom until 9:20pm (the scheduled end time of the class)!! This is a bad for me but more so for them because the last hour of the class time needs to be dedicated to doing lab work (using SPSS, a program we have for statistical analysis). I have the Sociology department's computer lab reserved for my classes. What I tend to do is dismiss my classes after the lecture is completed and then hang around for the students who want to work in the department's computer lab. The more time we take in class, the less lab time they have (or the later they stay in school since this keeps them from having an early night).
We'll see how things shake out. First exam is tonight and tomorrow. =)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: Between classes (and grading of the first exam this week) along with finding my own place (among other things), I may end up having less time to dedicate to RaUM in the upcoming week or so. I'll do my best to write a short entry before another full week passes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd like to offer birthday shout-outs to the Virgos in my life. My fellow earth signs are people I have gotten along with very well for most of my life. Had some fun with some Virgos this past weekend. For the record, I am STILL upset that my sister, also a Virgo, didn't tell me if she had anything going on for her b-day. I may have to tell her to her face since it's not as if she reads my blog anyway. I actually have no idea if she did anything or not. Maybe I should call her...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I feel sad for my best friend Jorge and his wife who had to give up their 3 kitties after their 21-month old daughter started having very bad allergic reactions to them. I know losing a pet is always hard whether it's because they die, are lost (and never found again) or given away for sudden (yet valid) reasons. However, given his daughter's reaction to them, the choice was clear. I know that given enough time, they'll learn to live without them. I just hope that day comes sooner than later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm working on a RaUM entry (about Spanglish and my feelings about it) and hope to have it posted some time this weekend. I also hope it won't take me more than a week to finish it up.
Until next time, faithful reader......
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Catching Up (or Updates for my Diehard RaUM-ers)
I'd like to apologize for the lack of posts over the past few weeks. (Damn... has it really been almost three weeks!?!?)
There's been a lot going on in my life lately. I haven't as much time to dedicate to writing a blog entry as I would like. Some of the highlights of the recent weeks: starting up my new MMA-only blog (very exciting but still a work in progress), multiple trips to the beach (very relaxing), hanging out with old friends (reconnecting), my mom moving in with my sister (freedom), my other roommate moving out soon (more freedom), the start of the Fall semester (lots of prep work... remember I teach), chaos at work in Brooklyn (supervisor got fired, lots of instability).
I'd like to thank those of you who have commented on my previous posts. I read every comment (it's not as if there are THAT many) and I truly appreciate your feedback. One recent comment was thought provoking and something that I may post about in the near future. It was a comment to my HIMYM post: "I think a good follow up to this blog would be detailing what 'the one' would be for you. What are you hoping to find someday?"
This is a question that has come up quite a bit recently so it is something that should be fairly easy to write about. The issues with responding to this are the same issues I have with all my posts: How much do I divulge? How much am I willing to share? Is opening up too much a good thing or a bad thing? etc etc etc... And specifically for this Q: Is it even something I really know the answer to?
We'll see how things go. I like the RaUM posts to almost write themselves. Essentially, I try my best to let them flow out of me via my fingertips on the keys. There will be plenty to write about and I hope to have more time to get back to weekly posts (if not more frequently than that).
I'll leave you with one last thought. It relates to something that has been happening to me a lot over the past few months. I've been having more vivid recollection of my dreams, almost daily. I've also been experiencing a lot more deja vu moments. It's not simply the awareness that I've 'done this before' but with more sensory recall: emotions, situation, touches, smells, and the overall sensation of the moment. I read somewhere that before we are born our spirit (soul, divine essence, whatever you choose to call it) knows our life path and what we will experience in our lifetime before we are born. Deja vu moments are simply your mind recalling flashes of the life you're supposed to live (nothing 'simple' about it). This is not to say that we cannot deviate from our life path. It is a map, if you will, for the life we're designed to live. Whether it is to progress in the reincarnation process or to know our purpose in our one life on Earth, I am a firm believer that deja vu moments are like signs on a highway. If we see these signs regularly, then we know (I know) that we (I) am following my life path and fulfilling my purpose in this lifetime.
The fact that I've had so many of these deja vu moments in such a short span of time is no longer 'scary' or 'creepy'. Now they bring me joy. I know I'm living the life I'm supposed to live, for better or worse. I am fulfilling my life's purpose, for better or worse. It's not for me to say whether my life is good or bad. I still have the freedom to choose to strive for more or maintain the status quo. There is one thing I'm sure of. I can take solace in the knowledge that what I've been doing over the last year or so is what I was meant to do.
Even the tremendous amount of dream recall has been surprising. Thankfully, it hasn't been a reflection of negativity or doubt (a major theme in many of my dreams during the first half of this year). I don't buy into the oneiromantic logic of dreams forecasting the future but I do think it is a reflection of what a person is feeling at the time the dreams occur.
Maybe I'll blog about those dreams too. =)
We'll see where my mind will be over the next few weeks. Thanks to you all for staying on board and reading my blog after nearly a full year.
Until next time, faithful reader......
There's been a lot going on in my life lately. I haven't as much time to dedicate to writing a blog entry as I would like. Some of the highlights of the recent weeks: starting up my new MMA-only blog (very exciting but still a work in progress), multiple trips to the beach (very relaxing), hanging out with old friends (reconnecting), my mom moving in with my sister (freedom), my other roommate moving out soon (more freedom), the start of the Fall semester (lots of prep work... remember I teach), chaos at work in Brooklyn (supervisor got fired, lots of instability).
I'd like to thank those of you who have commented on my previous posts. I read every comment (it's not as if there are THAT many) and I truly appreciate your feedback. One recent comment was thought provoking and something that I may post about in the near future. It was a comment to my HIMYM post: "I think a good follow up to this blog would be detailing what 'the one' would be for you. What are you hoping to find someday?"
This is a question that has come up quite a bit recently so it is something that should be fairly easy to write about. The issues with responding to this are the same issues I have with all my posts: How much do I divulge? How much am I willing to share? Is opening up too much a good thing or a bad thing? etc etc etc... And specifically for this Q: Is it even something I really know the answer to?
We'll see how things go. I like the RaUM posts to almost write themselves. Essentially, I try my best to let them flow out of me via my fingertips on the keys. There will be plenty to write about and I hope to have more time to get back to weekly posts (if not more frequently than that).
I'll leave you with one last thought. It relates to something that has been happening to me a lot over the past few months. I've been having more vivid recollection of my dreams, almost daily. I've also been experiencing a lot more deja vu moments. It's not simply the awareness that I've 'done this before' but with more sensory recall: emotions, situation, touches, smells, and the overall sensation of the moment. I read somewhere that before we are born our spirit (soul, divine essence, whatever you choose to call it) knows our life path and what we will experience in our lifetime before we are born. Deja vu moments are simply your mind recalling flashes of the life you're supposed to live (nothing 'simple' about it). This is not to say that we cannot deviate from our life path. It is a map, if you will, for the life we're designed to live. Whether it is to progress in the reincarnation process or to know our purpose in our one life on Earth, I am a firm believer that deja vu moments are like signs on a highway. If we see these signs regularly, then we know (I know) that we (I) am following my life path and fulfilling my purpose in this lifetime.
The fact that I've had so many of these deja vu moments in such a short span of time is no longer 'scary' or 'creepy'. Now they bring me joy. I know I'm living the life I'm supposed to live, for better or worse. I am fulfilling my life's purpose, for better or worse. It's not for me to say whether my life is good or bad. I still have the freedom to choose to strive for more or maintain the status quo. There is one thing I'm sure of. I can take solace in the knowledge that what I've been doing over the last year or so is what I was meant to do.
Even the tremendous amount of dream recall has been surprising. Thankfully, it hasn't been a reflection of negativity or doubt (a major theme in many of my dreams during the first half of this year). I don't buy into the oneiromantic logic of dreams forecasting the future but I do think it is a reflection of what a person is feeling at the time the dreams occur.
Maybe I'll blog about those dreams too. =)
We'll see where my mind will be over the next few weeks. Thanks to you all for staying on board and reading my blog after nearly a full year.
Until next time, faithful reader......
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Reunions and Looking Forward
Greetings,
It occurred to me today that I managed to upload pics from my trip to VA this past weekend to my Facebook profile but I still haven't posted my pics of my cousin Nelson's visit to NY yet!! What's wrong with me... smh. AH YES! I remember what happened now... Problems with the Facebook photo uploader. [Update: I managed to make it work while writing this blog entry. Hooray Beer!]
Speaking of VA, I HAD A BLAST this weekend catching up with old childhood friends in Richmond. This was the first time that all of us have been together under the same roof in almost a decade. We even made time (at the last possible minute, of course) to recreate the photo we took the last time we were together on that cold December night years ago back in T's house. This reunion also included a few new additions to the 'family' (a high school friend of T and Lex, and Lex's girlfriend, Cyn).
The only regret I have from this past weekend (it's a minor one, mind you) is that I missed out on the chance to check out the bar scene in downtown Richmond. I will say, though, that visiting Busch Gardens and spending time with childhood friends was a fair trade-off. On a related note, Busch Gardens was surprisingly fun and was better than Six Flags in NJ, if I do say so myself.
What else do I have planned, you ask? What's next for me?
Well... after talking with the fellas... we're trying set up a week-long cruise in Sept/Oct to the Caribbean. It'll be a chance for all the single guys of the crew to hang out and do our thing. Sorry Lex, though I'm sure you'd rather spend the time with Cyn anyway. =)
A few days ago, I had announced on Twitter that I was considering stopping by Atlantic City to get some money to go on this cruise (without having to tap into any savings) to which a friend responded: "geez vegas, road trips, ac, and a cruise! Lol crazy." I suppose it is... but I'm loving every second of it!!
To add to that "crazy" list of activities, I'm considering going skydiving in late August right before the Fall '09 semester starts. I'd prefer to do this with a friend but I'm willing to do it solo if no one steps up to join me. Anyone down?
I may also get my tattoo once the summer is over. I'll probably do it at the start of the school year (with that first paycheck of the semester). Some of you may have heard me talking about it since the start of the year but when deciding between ink or traveling, sight-seeing won over every time. I am serious about getting it so you can expect it to happen before the year's end.
There are a few things to sort out in my life between now and the end of the year but everything will happen in due time. Maybe I'll write about it next time, who knows.
Nevertheless, I have visions of craps tables in my head and may head out to Atlantic City soon. I've been dying to go since I've been back from Vegas. Wish me luck in case I decide to go!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I added a new MCB playlist today. It's been a while and my apologies to those of you who actually tuned in weekly for them in the past. This week's playlist features Beatles songs. No real reason other than it's great music that will never go out of style.
I'm also working on some new "Ultimate" playlists so keep your eyes open for that. For those who haven't read some of my earlier writing, the 'Ultimate's are lists of quintessential songs that define a genre and are must-haves in anyone's mp3 collection. They're an excellent starting point for people that are new to a particular genre looking to build their musical collection. I've completed playlists for Salsa, Bachata and Freestyle thus far. The genres I plan to tackle next are Vallenatos, Merengue, and Samba. When considering 'Ultimate's for English music, it gets a little more complicated but I will probably work on songs by genre and decade (a.k.a. rock from the 80's, R&B from the 90's, etc)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'll leave you with this thought, borrowed from a blog I stumbled upon today:
"IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER
I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.
I'd relax, I'd limber up.
I would be sillier than I've been this trip.
I would take fewer things seriously, take more chances, take more trips.
I'd climb more mountains and swim more rivers.
I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans.
I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.
You see, I'm one of those people who lived seriously, sanely, hour after hour, day after day.
I've had my moments, and if I had to do over again, I'd have more of them.
I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute.
If I had my life to live over, I would start going barefoot earlier in the spring, and stay that way later in the fall.
I would go to more dances, I would ride more merry-go-rounds, I would pick more daisies."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time, faithful reader......
It occurred to me today that I managed to upload pics from my trip to VA this past weekend to my Facebook profile but I still haven't posted my pics of my cousin Nelson's visit to NY yet!! What's wrong with me... smh. AH YES! I remember what happened now... Problems with the Facebook photo uploader. [Update: I managed to make it work while writing this blog entry. Hooray Beer!]
Speaking of VA, I HAD A BLAST this weekend catching up with old childhood friends in Richmond. This was the first time that all of us have been together under the same roof in almost a decade. We even made time (at the last possible minute, of course) to recreate the photo we took the last time we were together on that cold December night years ago back in T's house. This reunion also included a few new additions to the 'family' (a high school friend of T and Lex, and Lex's girlfriend, Cyn).
The only regret I have from this past weekend (it's a minor one, mind you) is that I missed out on the chance to check out the bar scene in downtown Richmond. I will say, though, that visiting Busch Gardens and spending time with childhood friends was a fair trade-off. On a related note, Busch Gardens was surprisingly fun and was better than Six Flags in NJ, if I do say so myself.
What else do I have planned, you ask? What's next for me?
Well... after talking with the fellas... we're trying set up a week-long cruise in Sept/Oct to the Caribbean. It'll be a chance for all the single guys of the crew to hang out and do our thing. Sorry Lex, though I'm sure you'd rather spend the time with Cyn anyway. =)
A few days ago, I had announced on Twitter that I was considering stopping by Atlantic City to get some money to go on this cruise (without having to tap into any savings) to which a friend responded: "geez vegas, road trips, ac, and a cruise! Lol crazy." I suppose it is... but I'm loving every second of it!!
To add to that "crazy" list of activities, I'm considering going skydiving in late August right before the Fall '09 semester starts. I'd prefer to do this with a friend but I'm willing to do it solo if no one steps up to join me. Anyone down?
I may also get my tattoo once the summer is over. I'll probably do it at the start of the school year (with that first paycheck of the semester). Some of you may have heard me talking about it since the start of the year but when deciding between ink or traveling, sight-seeing won over every time. I am serious about getting it so you can expect it to happen before the year's end.
There are a few things to sort out in my life between now and the end of the year but everything will happen in due time. Maybe I'll write about it next time, who knows.
Nevertheless, I have visions of craps tables in my head and may head out to Atlantic City soon. I've been dying to go since I've been back from Vegas. Wish me luck in case I decide to go!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I added a new MCB playlist today. It's been a while and my apologies to those of you who actually tuned in weekly for them in the past. This week's playlist features Beatles songs. No real reason other than it's great music that will never go out of style.
I'm also working on some new "Ultimate" playlists so keep your eyes open for that. For those who haven't read some of my earlier writing, the 'Ultimate's are lists of quintessential songs that define a genre and are must-haves in anyone's mp3 collection. They're an excellent starting point for people that are new to a particular genre looking to build their musical collection. I've completed playlists for Salsa, Bachata and Freestyle thus far. The genres I plan to tackle next are Vallenatos, Merengue, and Samba. When considering 'Ultimate's for English music, it gets a little more complicated but I will probably work on songs by genre and decade (a.k.a. rock from the 80's, R&B from the 90's, etc)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'll leave you with this thought, borrowed from a blog I stumbled upon today:
"IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER
I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.
I'd relax, I'd limber up.
I would be sillier than I've been this trip.
I would take fewer things seriously, take more chances, take more trips.
I'd climb more mountains and swim more rivers.
I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans.
I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.
You see, I'm one of those people who lived seriously, sanely, hour after hour, day after day.
I've had my moments, and if I had to do over again, I'd have more of them.
I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute.
If I had my life to live over, I would start going barefoot earlier in the spring, and stay that way later in the fall.
I would go to more dances, I would ride more merry-go-rounds, I would pick more daisies."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time, faithful reader......
Sunday, July 12, 2009
The Fake Sound of Progress
Hello once again,
A brief explanation to my RaUM-nivores: I've been fairly quiet recently but not because I haven't actually written anything. I've been recording a lot of my 'random and unforced musings' but there are certain things that are for my eyes only. Lately, when I've put the digital pen to paper, it's been more for the sake of self-therapy than public consumption. I thank you for understanding the importance of that personal writing process for me.
With that said, I think this would be a good time to fill you in on my weight loss/fitness progress.
I'm willing to go so far as to say that I am in the best shape of my adult life right now. In terms of weight, I've been staying steady at 195 pounds. I'm not too upset about that since I know that I'm leaner now than I've been in quite some time. Admittedly, I don't put a lot of stock in weight per se. I think that is where many people go wrong when trying to "lose weight". They focus on this one dimension, this single measurement to track their progress: the number on the scale.
This is not to downplay the importance of weight. It is surely the most visible and easily noticed change when someone adopts a new diet and/or an exercise plan. However, it's not the only tool at a person's disposal. For example, I know I'm leaner. My stomach is not as pronounced as it was when I first started my journey to better fitness/health. In addition to weighing myself, I also measure my mid-section to track how much girth I'm losing. The decrease in the size of the belly (along with hips, legs, and other body parts you may wish to measure) is an excellent motivator and an easy way to double check your progress when the scale doesn't make it overly apparent.
Many people overlook the role of new muscle built when beginning an exercise plan. I haven't completely abandoned the gym but I've tried to keep things simple by doing basic exercises at home. I haven't bulked up tremendously but I have noticed an improvement in my physique as a result of both the weight loss and the slight increase in muscle mass. With these two factors combined, there is a 'canceling out' effect on the scale. For all the fat I'm burning with my cardio, I'm replacing it with new muscle. I won't be naive enough to say it's a 1-to-1 ratio but I do recognize that the likely reason for not dropping more weight once I got under 200 lbs is due to new muscle.
Does this mean someone is not progressing if the scale keeps giving the same read out for weeks? Absolutely not. You have to consider other factors. Measuring your body is one tool. Another significant and, in my opinion, often overlooked factor is how you feel. Has your mood improved? Is there an increase in self-esteem? Are you feeling a sense of accomplishment? If not, it is likely that you're being too hard on yourself or that you have unrealistic expectations that need to be tempered. I've been there before. Now, I'm pleased knowing that sometimes I will make quick and immediately noticeable progress and have learned to accept that sometimes it'll take baby steps to get to where I want to be physically. I no longer get frustrated because I know that I'm taking all the right steps to ultimately arrive at my desired goal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal milestone: I recently did 30 consecutive pushups. I probably could have done another 5-10 but had in my mind to complete 30 and stopped there. This is a significant milestone for me because prior to this year I was never able to do more than 15 pushups. Even when I managed to do 15 pushups, the last 3-4 were always a struggle and the jelly arms would kick in as I wobbled up and down the movement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My cousin Nelson flew in from Portugal this weekend and unfortunately only stayed in NYC for two days. I haven't seen him in about 2 years and I love when he visits. When we see each other it's as if we has seen each other just a few days before. The beauty of this trip was that it was the first time his wife has been in NYC. I have not had the honor or privilege of meeting her until now. She is very chill, down to earth, and has a good sense of humor. If she hadn't already been married to my cousin I'd would have hit on her. haha. ;)
I had a great time with them (and everyone else) last night at the family gathering. I offered to take them to the airport this morning for their flight to the west coast and had a nice convo with them during the car ride. I hate to see them go so soon but it gave me additional motivation to get my act together and visit them in Portugal soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With that, I bid you adieu for now!
Until next time, faithful reader......
A brief explanation to my RaUM-nivores: I've been fairly quiet recently but not because I haven't actually written anything. I've been recording a lot of my 'random and unforced musings' but there are certain things that are for my eyes only. Lately, when I've put the digital pen to paper, it's been more for the sake of self-therapy than public consumption. I thank you for understanding the importance of that personal writing process for me.
With that said, I think this would be a good time to fill you in on my weight loss/fitness progress.
I'm willing to go so far as to say that I am in the best shape of my adult life right now. In terms of weight, I've been staying steady at 195 pounds. I'm not too upset about that since I know that I'm leaner now than I've been in quite some time. Admittedly, I don't put a lot of stock in weight per se. I think that is where many people go wrong when trying to "lose weight". They focus on this one dimension, this single measurement to track their progress: the number on the scale.
This is not to downplay the importance of weight. It is surely the most visible and easily noticed change when someone adopts a new diet and/or an exercise plan. However, it's not the only tool at a person's disposal. For example, I know I'm leaner. My stomach is not as pronounced as it was when I first started my journey to better fitness/health. In addition to weighing myself, I also measure my mid-section to track how much girth I'm losing. The decrease in the size of the belly (along with hips, legs, and other body parts you may wish to measure) is an excellent motivator and an easy way to double check your progress when the scale doesn't make it overly apparent.
Many people overlook the role of new muscle built when beginning an exercise plan. I haven't completely abandoned the gym but I've tried to keep things simple by doing basic exercises at home. I haven't bulked up tremendously but I have noticed an improvement in my physique as a result of both the weight loss and the slight increase in muscle mass. With these two factors combined, there is a 'canceling out' effect on the scale. For all the fat I'm burning with my cardio, I'm replacing it with new muscle. I won't be naive enough to say it's a 1-to-1 ratio but I do recognize that the likely reason for not dropping more weight once I got under 200 lbs is due to new muscle.
Does this mean someone is not progressing if the scale keeps giving the same read out for weeks? Absolutely not. You have to consider other factors. Measuring your body is one tool. Another significant and, in my opinion, often overlooked factor is how you feel. Has your mood improved? Is there an increase in self-esteem? Are you feeling a sense of accomplishment? If not, it is likely that you're being too hard on yourself or that you have unrealistic expectations that need to be tempered. I've been there before. Now, I'm pleased knowing that sometimes I will make quick and immediately noticeable progress and have learned to accept that sometimes it'll take baby steps to get to where I want to be physically. I no longer get frustrated because I know that I'm taking all the right steps to ultimately arrive at my desired goal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal milestone: I recently did 30 consecutive pushups. I probably could have done another 5-10 but had in my mind to complete 30 and stopped there. This is a significant milestone for me because prior to this year I was never able to do more than 15 pushups. Even when I managed to do 15 pushups, the last 3-4 were always a struggle and the jelly arms would kick in as I wobbled up and down the movement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My cousin Nelson flew in from Portugal this weekend and unfortunately only stayed in NYC for two days. I haven't seen him in about 2 years and I love when he visits. When we see each other it's as if we has seen each other just a few days before. The beauty of this trip was that it was the first time his wife has been in NYC. I have not had the honor or privilege of meeting her until now. She is very chill, down to earth, and has a good sense of humor. If she hadn't already been married to my cousin I'd would have hit on her. haha. ;)
I had a great time with them (and everyone else) last night at the family gathering. I offered to take them to the airport this morning for their flight to the west coast and had a nice convo with them during the car ride. I hate to see them go so soon but it gave me additional motivation to get my act together and visit them in Portugal soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With that, I bid you adieu for now!
Until next time, faithful reader......
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Before and After
Hey there,
For those of you who were curious to see my weight loss progress, I've included "Before" and "After" pics in this entry.
I am now using the "After" pictures as my NEW "Before" pics. =)
185 (my target weight): here I come!!
BEFORE:
1 - November 2007: Watching a soccer game with my uncles
2 - April 2008: At a Mets game for my b-day
3 - July 2008: Outside MSG for the Bon Jovi concert
AFTER:
1 - Out and about in December 2008
2 - Around New Year's (Dec 08/Jan 09)
I've still got a bit of a belly (nothing's changed since my childhood apparently... haha) but it's not nearly as pronounced as before.
I will post updated pics when the summer comes around.
Until next time, faithful reader...
For those of you who were curious to see my weight loss progress, I've included "Before" and "After" pics in this entry.
I am now using the "After" pictures as my NEW "Before" pics. =)
185 (my target weight): here I come!!
BEFORE:
1 - November 2007: Watching a soccer game with my uncles
2 - April 2008: At a Mets game for my b-day
3 - July 2008: Outside MSG for the Bon Jovi concert
AFTER:
1 - Out and about in December 2008
2 - Around New Year's (Dec 08/Jan 09)
I've still got a bit of a belly (nothing's changed since my childhood apparently... haha) but it's not nearly as pronounced as before.
I will post updated pics when the summer comes around.
Until next time, faithful reader...
Monday, March 23, 2009
Unexpected Motivation
I've plateaued at 198 lbs, y'all. I've been stuck at that weight (approximately) for over a month now. I figure my body has gotten accustomed to my training and I need to make a change in my routine.
Sunday morning, I was going to play soccer at 8AM - which I hope will become a weekly ritual and will be a great way to shake my body up a little. Sadly, I forgot to set my alarm after getting home Saturday night just before 2AM (early for some, late for others). I overslept and didn't make it to the field in time to actually play but I got to check out the surface (astroturf... that'll be a first), scout some of the better players (as a defender, I would like to see who I'm up against... I can take these guys), and got a sense of their style of play. I was introduced to some of the players and they know to expect me next week. Should be fun!
I may also have the opportunity to play 'enforcer' once in a while. This should be fun as well and would allow me to release some pent up aggression. I pity the first man to earn my wrath on the pitch - and I DO mean 'earn'. I don't lash out at fellow players simply for the sake of it. We're not professionals and we're not getting paid so I'm not looking to hurt anyone. Yet I'm not against policing players on the field, especially when they get overly aggressive with my teammates.
Last night, while hanging out with some old friends, plans were also set to play handball in the afternoon today. I had decided I would play soccer in the morning and handball afterwards. When I left my friends last night, I mentioned that I was playing soccer early so I needed to sleep a little. After all, I'm not in my 20's any more... haha.
Turns out my friends were 'concerned' about me playing soccer and handball. They reasoned that since that is something they can't do now at their age - since they feel they are fitter than I am - that for me to try the 'doubleheader' would be ridiculous. I was offended when I found out about this and now have added motivation to push myself even harder, both in preparation for the High Rock Challenge in April and for my continued fitness goals. I'm so insulted that I'm upset that they judged my determination and how DARE they question my dedication.
I am certain I will be insanely sore after next Sunday. The aches and pains are worst after the first time. But the body adapts and I know I will get accustomed to that level of physical exertion. I am also sure that there will be a weekend or two where I will pass on one or both of the sports to take a break during on some random Sunday. But I'll be damned if I sit here and let these friends of mine question whether I can do this!!
You know what drives me?
- At my age, things are pretty much going downhill. I'm even more convinced of the accuracy of the old saying "Youth is wasted on the young." This is because many things are taken for granted by young people, especially when it comes to the body. Once the body starts to slow down, there are two options available to you: (1) accept it or (2) balance it the negative effects of aging with added physical activity.
- The need to be healthier. This is where my diet comes into play. I don't eat as badly as I did in the past. I've eliminated many eating bad habits (overeating at meals, emotional eating, 'blind' snacking), I snack less often, when I snack I eat smarter, and I eat a more balanced diet. I, by no means, follow the plan perfectly 100% of the time but I make a conscious effort to eat well whenever I can.
- Finally, when my weight first reached 200 lbs. I was stunned. I was weight training hard at the time and simply attributed it to the muscle mass I may have gained during my training. I can't say for sure whether it was true or not but I know that it was nearly 10 years ago that I hit that milestone and it wasn't until recently that I dropped below 200. I don't ever want to be 200+ again. Simple as that.
Until next time, faithful reader.....
Sunday morning, I was going to play soccer at 8AM - which I hope will become a weekly ritual and will be a great way to shake my body up a little. Sadly, I forgot to set my alarm after getting home Saturday night just before 2AM (early for some, late for others). I overslept and didn't make it to the field in time to actually play but I got to check out the surface (astroturf... that'll be a first), scout some of the better players (as a defender, I would like to see who I'm up against... I can take these guys), and got a sense of their style of play. I was introduced to some of the players and they know to expect me next week. Should be fun!
I may also have the opportunity to play 'enforcer' once in a while. This should be fun as well and would allow me to release some pent up aggression. I pity the first man to earn my wrath on the pitch - and I DO mean 'earn'. I don't lash out at fellow players simply for the sake of it. We're not professionals and we're not getting paid so I'm not looking to hurt anyone. Yet I'm not against policing players on the field, especially when they get overly aggressive with my teammates.
Last night, while hanging out with some old friends, plans were also set to play handball in the afternoon today. I had decided I would play soccer in the morning and handball afterwards. When I left my friends last night, I mentioned that I was playing soccer early so I needed to sleep a little. After all, I'm not in my 20's any more... haha.
Turns out my friends were 'concerned' about me playing soccer and handball. They reasoned that since that is something they can't do now at their age - since they feel they are fitter than I am - that for me to try the 'doubleheader' would be ridiculous. I was offended when I found out about this and now have added motivation to push myself even harder, both in preparation for the High Rock Challenge in April and for my continued fitness goals. I'm so insulted that I'm upset that they judged my determination and how DARE they question my dedication.
I am certain I will be insanely sore after next Sunday. The aches and pains are worst after the first time. But the body adapts and I know I will get accustomed to that level of physical exertion. I am also sure that there will be a weekend or two where I will pass on one or both of the sports to take a break during on some random Sunday. But I'll be damned if I sit here and let these friends of mine question whether I can do this!!
You know what drives me?
- At my age, things are pretty much going downhill. I'm even more convinced of the accuracy of the old saying "Youth is wasted on the young." This is because many things are taken for granted by young people, especially when it comes to the body. Once the body starts to slow down, there are two options available to you: (1) accept it or (2) balance it the negative effects of aging with added physical activity.
- The need to be healthier. This is where my diet comes into play. I don't eat as badly as I did in the past. I've eliminated many eating bad habits (overeating at meals, emotional eating, 'blind' snacking), I snack less often, when I snack I eat smarter, and I eat a more balanced diet. I, by no means, follow the plan perfectly 100% of the time but I make a conscious effort to eat well whenever I can.
- Finally, when my weight first reached 200 lbs. I was stunned. I was weight training hard at the time and simply attributed it to the muscle mass I may have gained during my training. I can't say for sure whether it was true or not but I know that it was nearly 10 years ago that I hit that milestone and it wasn't until recently that I dropped below 200. I don't ever want to be 200+ again. Simple as that.
Until next time, faithful reader.....
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Playlist 3 (The Ultimate Bachata) + a brief update
Hello friend,
This entry is more of an update to life on Blogger as opposed to a unique, quirky, and mildly humorous post (that I often try to use).
As some of you may (or may not) have noticed, there is a new feature to my blog. Blogger has allowed users to include a music playlist powered by iLike. So every few days I will update the player with 3 songs. I call it the "Musical Coffee Break". You can find the MCB on the right column of the main page of the blog. There are no arcane messages hidden in the lyrics or the song choices. They just happen to be a few songs that you can listen to whenever you have a few minutes to spare. I thinking that every 2 weeks or so, I will post the list of MCB's that have been featured in case you missed it or want to DL the songs. Suggestions are welcome.
For a long time, I had some unresolved daddy issues. The holiday season usually would bring out some of the demons that I've felt were contained inside. Now that I've learned to deal with his "legacy", I've been able to look back at some of my writing from years ago that were inspired by him. In an upcoming entry, I will post some of the work and allow you to reflect on it and hope that none of you have had any similar experiences.
As for the end of this weekend, I have compiled the Ultimate Bachata list. With the emergence of "Urban Bachata" in the past year, I felt it was necessary to look back at the roots of Bachata when it became a popular music genre. I could have dug deeper and found some truly classic bachata but no one would recognize any of them... So, if you're not familiar with any of these songs, I'd recommend downloading them because I'm pretty sure you've heard them. And if it turns out you don't know them, then consider that your bachata music lesson. =)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Ultimate Bachata playlist:
Raulin Rodriguez - Medicina de Amor
Frank Reyes - Quien Eres Tu
Antony Santos - Voy Pa Ya
Luis Vargas - Volvio El Dolor
Aventura - Obsecion
Raulin Rodriguez - Arrancame La Vida
Frank Reyes - Nada de Nada
Monchy y Alexandra - Dos Locos
Hector Acosta - Me Voy
Alex Bueno - Que Vuelva
Yoskar Sarante - Llora Alma Mia
Kiko Rodriguez - Ella Se Fue
Zacarias Ferreira - Si Tu Me Dices Ven
Joe Veras - Que Se Mueran De Envidia
Honorable Mentions:
Kiko Rodriguez - El Verde de Tus Ojos
Raulin Rodriguez - Nereida
Raulin Rodriguez - Mujer Infiel
Yoskar Sarante - No Tengo Suerte en el Amor
Yoskar Sarante - Guitarra
Zacarias Ferreira - Amiga Veneno
Zacarias Ferreira - Dame Un Beso
Aventura - Mi Corazoncito
Aventura - La Guerra
Frank Reyes - Te Regalo El Mar
Monchy y Alexandra - Perdidos
Junior y Jorge - Piensa En Mi
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Despite having ripped it off of Stephen King (thanks for blowing up my spot, you-know-who-you-are), I will continue to thank you for your loyalty with my regular sign-off...
Until next time faithful reader...
This entry is more of an update to life on Blogger as opposed to a unique, quirky, and mildly humorous post (that I often try to use).
As some of you may (or may not) have noticed, there is a new feature to my blog. Blogger has allowed users to include a music playlist powered by iLike. So every few days I will update the player with 3 songs. I call it the "Musical Coffee Break". You can find the MCB on the right column of the main page of the blog. There are no arcane messages hidden in the lyrics or the song choices. They just happen to be a few songs that you can listen to whenever you have a few minutes to spare. I thinking that every 2 weeks or so, I will post the list of MCB's that have been featured in case you missed it or want to DL the songs. Suggestions are welcome.
For a long time, I had some unresolved daddy issues. The holiday season usually would bring out some of the demons that I've felt were contained inside. Now that I've learned to deal with his "legacy", I've been able to look back at some of my writing from years ago that were inspired by him. In an upcoming entry, I will post some of the work and allow you to reflect on it and hope that none of you have had any similar experiences.
As for the end of this weekend, I have compiled the Ultimate Bachata list. With the emergence of "Urban Bachata" in the past year, I felt it was necessary to look back at the roots of Bachata when it became a popular music genre. I could have dug deeper and found some truly classic bachata but no one would recognize any of them... So, if you're not familiar with any of these songs, I'd recommend downloading them because I'm pretty sure you've heard them. And if it turns out you don't know them, then consider that your bachata music lesson. =)
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The Ultimate Bachata playlist:
Raulin Rodriguez - Medicina de Amor
Frank Reyes - Quien Eres Tu
Antony Santos - Voy Pa Ya
Luis Vargas - Volvio El Dolor
Aventura - Obsecion
Raulin Rodriguez - Arrancame La Vida
Frank Reyes - Nada de Nada
Monchy y Alexandra - Dos Locos
Hector Acosta - Me Voy
Alex Bueno - Que Vuelva
Yoskar Sarante - Llora Alma Mia
Kiko Rodriguez - Ella Se Fue
Zacarias Ferreira - Si Tu Me Dices Ven
Joe Veras - Que Se Mueran De Envidia
Honorable Mentions:
Kiko Rodriguez - El Verde de Tus Ojos
Raulin Rodriguez - Nereida
Raulin Rodriguez - Mujer Infiel
Yoskar Sarante - No Tengo Suerte en el Amor
Yoskar Sarante - Guitarra
Zacarias Ferreira - Amiga Veneno
Zacarias Ferreira - Dame Un Beso
Aventura - Mi Corazoncito
Aventura - La Guerra
Frank Reyes - Te Regalo El Mar
Monchy y Alexandra - Perdidos
Junior y Jorge - Piensa En Mi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite having ripped it off of Stephen King (thanks for blowing up my spot, you-know-who-you-are), I will continue to thank you for your loyalty with my regular sign-off...
Until next time faithful reader...
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