6 Week Challenge - August 6 - September 17

I am on day three of my third 6 week challenge through NerdFitness. My specific challenge thread is here. 

For those of you too lazy to click the link, here are my goals:

1. Two family athletic activities per week.
2. Continue daily exercise and food tracking, and cut out caffeine completely.
3. Finally get that stinkin' 10 pull-ups goal.
4. Pass my certification tests, and either get a new job or get paid more at the current one.

And here are some before pictures. They aren't very impressive since I didn't take pictures before my last two challenges. I have noticed some increase in my arm and shoulder muscles.

I hope that there is a visible improvement in the near future. At least by the end of the challenge.

Anyway...lets be healthy.

7 Days of Sex

The other night the wife and I were flipping through On Demand, trying to find something to watch on TV to unwind after a long day. Right at the top of the list was a show called "7 Days of Sex". I was intrigued by the tittle. Turns out it is a show that takes couples who are struggling in their marriages and has them commit to having sex 7 days in a row.

We noticed, through the two episodes we watched, that the relationships of each couple were dramatically improved. Not that the sex by itself improved anything, but it seemed to put each person into a state of being more inclined to please their significant other.

The wife and I were inspired. Our own sex-life had been less than stellar as of late. And our overall relationship wasn't perfect either. So, why not try a week of sex? Lets see if we can get similar results as the couples on the show.

We are now 2 days into it. Today will be day 3, once we get around to it later. I've already notices some big changes. Not that we haven't had sex 2 days in a row before, but knowing the week long commitment is there helps.

For one thing, we are talking a lot more to each other about sex. Specifically, about our sex and how good/bad it is. And that has led to some definite improvements between the sheets.

We've even talked a little bit about....fantasies...*gasp*. A nun just fainted somewhere.

I'm excited to see what other changes come over our relationship over the next few days. And, who knows, maybe we won't stop at 7 days. Maybe we'll keep going.

Fail Boating Leads to Depression

I hope you're sitting down. What I am about to tell you will blow your mind.

When you suck at life, it's depressing.

I know. Mind blown.

Lets just say that I have conducted an experiment for the last 4 days or so in how being a big bag of suck effects your happiness. Studies have shown that it has a negative affect.

A Shift From Protector to Partner

I hope this doesn't come across as feminist in any way. I hate those wack-jobs.

While on a long run the other day I was thinking. It's something I do a lot while running. Sadly, I generally don't do it well. I remembered my youth, specifically the time while I grew where I pictured the woman that I might some day marry. And as I remembered, I couldn't help but compare those day-dreams of youth with the actual woman I am now married to.

First of all, I remember thinking that I wanted to marry a petite, delicate woman. One that I could carry easily in my big strong arms. I saw her, this future wife, as something that I would need to protect. In other words, I bought into that old school archetypal wife.

But, I married a strong, independent woman. I married someone that doesn't need my protection. I married someone that sometimes needs to protect me. And my life is richer for it.

The relationship that allows for an equal partnership is so much more fulfilling that what I had pictured when young. I'm exceptionally happy that I married who I did, and that I've grown to appreciate something so much more beautiful and powerful.

I find it interesting that society still tries to portray women as subservient to men. Women are not second class citizens. They are not a collection of body parts created for our enjoyment. My wife is my equal or better in every way that matters, and I love her all the more for it.

Inspiration

Keep Moving Forward

This post title is a rip-off from the Disney film "Meet the Robinsons."  Which is, by far, my favorite of the Disney animated films. Even though it wasn't as popular as some of their other films.

Anyway, I've loved the quote and the concept since the first time I saw the film. A while back, it, along with some other things, inspired me to write this:

I Am Strong, Intelligent, Faithful, Loving and Honest

I Work Hard, Play Hard, and Live Out-loud.

I Love My God, My Family, My Neighbor, and Myself.

Admittedly, I have not given my "Standard" as much thought recently as I should. But I do still think that is describes the ideal me. It contains the things I think are important for me.

I recently watched a video done on Arnold Schwarzenegger's 6 steps for success. It was actually really interesting stuff. So I'll go over it really quick.

1. Trust yourself.
2. Break the Rules.
3.Don't be afraid to fail.
4. Don't listen to the nay-sayers.
5. Work your butt off.
6. Give back.

Great stuff, right? Weird that it came from Arnie.

Well, I've been trying a lot more lately to 'move forward'. It's been hard, especially considering the situation my family is in, financially.

But I want to be better, and do better. At life. And so I am working at it. I'm fighting off the nay-sayers and my own encroaching depression to stay motivated. I'm doing this. No. Matter. What.

Did Not Finish

My blog the other day brought back memories of another Cross Country race in high school.

I was part way through my sophomore year, my first year of high school and as a runner. Things were going well. I'd lost 20 lbs of fat and gained it back as muscle. The real races, against runners from other schools were just starting. It was at a home meet, that this story happens.

The race started like normal. I was as excited as ever to run. Maybe even more so. The signal was given and a few dozen teenagers took off. It felt good, and there was a lot of adrenaline in my veins for that first bit. I was on a familiar course with new opponents to gauge myself against.

By the time I was in the second mile of the 3.2, the adrenaline was gone, and I was left running on my own strength and determination. But I was holding strong. I knew I could do it. I'd done it before, afterall.

I started into the third mile and I was hurting. It was hard. I was winded and my side hurt and my legs were sore. It was too hard. Slowly, I convinced myself that something must be wrong. It shouldn't hurt this much.

Then I stopped.

I lay panting in the grass while other runners passed me by. A few of my teammates voiced concern for me. I waved them on. After a few minutes I got up and walked back to the starting line.

I got back and my coach immediately let into me. He didn't yell, but I could tell he was disappointed. I made my excuses and continued on the day.

The next day in school, I went into the coaches office and saw the big poster-board he'd made to track our times and such. Next to my name, in black sharpie, were the letters "DNF."

I was ashamed. I'd seen those letters before, by the names of some of my teammates, but not by mine. Did not finish. It was the mark of failure.

I ran for two years, the mile and 2 mile in Track, and the 5k in Cross Country. Never again did the letters DNF appear by my name.

I had another teammate whose drive amazed me. His name was Mike. One time, at a large invitational, meaning there were several schools and hundreds of runners, he placed very highly in his race. Despite sharp pain in his leg, he ran. Only after the race did we discover that his leg was broken. He had a stress fracture that ran from the top of his Tibia to the bottom.

He ran 3.2 miles on a broken leg.

That, my friends, is determination. We should be just at strong.

How to Win?

I'm not always the kind of guy that learns from life experiences. Really, I'm pretty daft. Recently, while running, a memory of my high school cross country days came back to me:

In one of my first races as a cross country runner, I found myself running most of the race with another runner from my school. Kerry. Kerry was tall and skinny and was an experiences sprinter and hurdler. It was his first cross country race as well, I believe.

As we neared the finish line, we both started to sprint in, trying to beat the other. Sadly, he destroyed me in those last hundreds of feet.

Impressively, I did learn something from that defeat. I learned that to beat Kerry, I needed to be way ahead of him when the finish line came into view. In the next race, I did just that. I beat him in the long game, so he wouldn't have a chance to beat me in the wild sprint to the finish.

Lesson Learned.

Or, was it?

How often now do I look at my situation, at my opponent, and analyze how to win? The key in the story was to not allow Kerry to use his incredible strength against me. I created a situation where his sprinting ability never came into play.

I'm older now. I've left the imaginary universe of high school and joined the slightly more real world. My opponent is no longer a 6'5" sprinter. It is now me against the world. Not the people of the world, mind you. I like to think that most of them are on my side.

So, how does one win against the world? If we apply the lesson I learned in high school, it's easily explained:  Just don't play the world's game. You have to beat the world with your strength, and don't let it use it's strengths against you.

So, what are your strengths? What are your world's?

Nerd Fitness Challenge

I never blogged about my last challenge on nerdfitness.com, but I should have. It's awesome.

First of all, you create a character. You chose a race and a class. Then you ive yourself some starting stats. That's right, it's the DnD of fitness.  Here's my charater currently:

Trovan
Level 2
Half-elf Ranger
STR 5
DEX 2
STA 5
CON 3
WIS 4
CHA 3


With each 6 week challenge (one is starting today), you set goals and assign the stat points you'll earn for each goal.

Here are my goals for the next 6 weeks:

1. Exercise 6 days a week. (STR 1, DEX 1, CON 1, STA 1) No matter what. I usually do good for a week or two, and then fail miserably for a month or two. The goal here is to break that cycle. 

2. Track diet and eat healthy. (CON 4) I have the same cyclical problems with diet that I do with exercise. And again, I will break that cycle. To accomplish this goal and get full points, I will track my food consumption every day, and I will be below my goal calories 6 out of 7 days a week.

3. Get to 10 unassisted pull-ups. (STR 4) This was one of my goals last time. I got from 2 to 5 without really even trying that hard. If I work at it the whole 6 weeks this time, I will make it for sure.

4. Blog 2 times a week. (WIS 1, CHA 1) I love to blog, and to write, but my poor blog has sat untouched for months now. This is goal will get me doing again something I love.


As you all know, I'm a lazy SOB. That's why I set goals that require some dedication and consistency.


Now, since today is the start of the challenge, I will definitely be working hard to start off right. I didn't work out this morning, since I needed extra recovery time from the weekend. The hike I went on yesterday took a lot out of me. I will exercise tonight though. It's an Insanity day.


Also, I'm tracking my food at myfitnesspal.com. Which has always been a helpful tool, but I've not been consistent at it.

Fly home, little birdie!

This is just some of the funny I have plucked from the interwebs. Like an injured baby birdie I nursed back to health*, I now send them back out into the wild.

*I've never nursed a baby birdie back to health. I have shot a few with a bb gun though. It was a long time ago, so PETA can't come after me anymore.

I think I will now do a meme post in the near future. Philosoraptor inspired me.

Naively Optimistic for a Better 2012

I know, I know...I'm a few days late for a new years blog post. I'm a bit of a lazy blogger. I have also yet to write down any definitive resolutions.

I just hope, at this point, that 2012 doesn't hurt as much as 2011. Not just for me and my family, but for a lot of people. It seems to have been a horrible year for most people I know.

My 2011, in review:

• Had a good paying job, hated it but needed it.
• Wife gets extremely sick and has to have expensive surgeries.
• Got fired for not making sales quotas. I'm not a salesman, btw.
• Was denied unemployment so wracked up more survival debt.
• Got a new job that I like but pays very little and has crappy hours.
• Wife has more health problems.
• Got another new job, slightly better pay and hours than the other, but since I have to work both to make ends meet, it still sucks. I love this job, btw.
• Continue to work 2 jobs, for about 15 hours of work per day.
• To tired all the time to care about anything. I stop exercising. I start eating more to stay awake. And I get addicted to caffeine.
• I get fat again.
• 'Cougar Town' got cancelled.
• Still can't survive to we have to file bankruptcy. Everyone thinks we are doing just to be ass-holes. But we had no other options. Really.
• Brother-in-Law dies.

Now, I have to say that there have been some good things this year. I do have a job I love, where I get to play around with computers all day long. My kids are relatively healthy and happy. And they're doing well in school. A sister-in-law got engaged (not the same one that lost her husband). We have had a great holiday with lots of family time.

Now, in the spirit of blogging on the fly, I will now set my New Year's Resolutions as I write them. How's that for effective goal setting?

So, without further ado, and without any fore-thought whatsoever, I present you with:

Ben's New Year's Resolutions 2012

1. Lose weight. Again.
2. Break caffeine addiction.
3. Get into a house, with a yard.
4. Make enough money for Tauni to be a stay-at-home mom again.
5. Learn to play guitar. For reals.
6. Run a marathon and qualify for the Boston Marathon.
7. Write a novel. (my 2013 resolution will be to get it published)
8. Spend more quality time with my wife and kids.
9. Repair damaged relationships with certain extended family members.
10. 100% Home Teaching.

There are probably a few more things I should add to that list. Maybe I'll do some mid year resolutions to round it out a bit.

Life, as opposed to...

A Love Tap | Break.com

The above video is just awesome. And a little inspiring on the same thread as the rest of this post.

I spent a good chunk of today at a funeral. Someone close to me, and close to people close to me, died recently in tragic fashion. As I sat there, isolated from everyone I knew as loved one after loved one got up to talk about this person, I got to thinking. Selfishly, it wasn't about the man for whom I was there to pay homage, but about myself. I know, add it to the list.

Well, I realized something: I want to live a spectacular life. What do I want people to say about me when I pass? I want them to say "That guy really lived!" And maybe, if I'm lucky, they'll then shake their heads and add, "And what a way to go!"

You see, I'm no activist. I don't need to change the whole world. I don't feel particularly driven to right the wrongs of society or champion the underdog. My only legacy, at least the only one that matters to me, is in the few dozen loved ones that will miss me when I'm gone. Okay, a 'few dozen might' be a little generous. I don't want to be the guy that was always working and always tired. I don't want my kids to say I yelled to much or didn't play with them enough. I don't want my wife to say that I wasn't there for her, attentive enough, or loving enough. I want to revel in the successes of those around me as much or more than my own. I want to risk much and enjoy the failure as much as the win. I want to really learn how to play the guitar.

The man who we honored to day was a man who excelled at living. He had some demons that overcame him, which is what led us to today. But while he was alive, that man lived. I wish I had taken notes, or a lesson or two, when I had the chance.

I have no excuse for mediocrity. I wasn't born for it, but I have never really forsaken it. There is a certain comfortableness in being average, in the middle ground. It's almost as though it's where we ought to be, as most people are. But...It's not for me. I want to learn to hate those words: Average. Mediocre. Normal. I want to be described as amazing, extraordinary, or spectacular. No longer will I mill about in the dismal ranks of the many. I shall push forward to the high ground, where footing isn't as firm, but the view is magnificent.

Come with me, if you dare.

Venn Zen

Here's some Venn Diagrams to lighten up your Friday afternoon:

11.11.11

Ahhh....Friday...except that I still have to work tomorrow. It still sort of feels like the launch of a weekend. Then Saturday comes and I realize I was deluded and the circle continues.

Anyway, I stumbled on this trailer today:




My first thought was that I'm glad that they didn't make Snow White out to be the weak stereotype princess of Disney fame. They made her a warrior chick. It's a similar treatment to the one the new Alice in Wonderland received. Other than that, you can't really tell much about the plot. Though, it's probably safe to assume the general plot is the same:
Narcissistic queen tries to kill pretty girl.
Pretty girl shacks up with some short guys in the woods.
Narcissistic queen finds pretty girl and kills her.
Prince guy kills queen.
Prince guy brings her back to life with magic kisses.
Pretty zombie girl and prince guy get married.

In an unrelated note, I learned today that the number 11 is mathematically awesome. for example:
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
11 x 11 x 11 = 1331
111 x 111 x 111 = 1367631
11 x 111 x 1111 = 1356531
11 x 111111111 = 1222222221

Seriously. How awesome is that? Eleven (or similar numbers comprised solely of 1s) always makes a palindrome when multiplied by itself. Always.

Oh yeah, and today has something to do with military people too. Armistice Day or Veterans day, I think.

Thanks, Vets!

Spay and neuter your pets and weird relatives.

One More Thing...

I've decided I am definitely too busy and too tired to accomplish my NaNoWriMo goal. I guess there's always next year. I should have known better than to get all ambitious and life-changey. Lesson learned.

I'm not depressed, so if that last paragraph led you to think that, then I'm sorry. And here's a little song to cheer you up, unless you're not a geek, in which case it will probably depress you:

I spent the last few evenings building shelves for my wife. Technically, I guess, they're for my in-laws. Sure glad that is over though. Usually I really like building things, but at this point in my life, anything above what I absolutely have to do is daunting. Like writing somewhat regularly, for example.

Also, this:

And this:

The Best 10 Years

I have been married for <==== that long. Today is Tauni's and my 10 year anniversary. Double digits, baby!

It's kind of interesting to look back over the last 10 years. 2010 was the worst we'd had. 2011 started out just as bad but has gotten better. We had some rough spots, on occasion, but the overwhelming majority of our life together has been wonderful. We, through inspiration, were able to squeeze two wonderful girls into this world before infertility problems hit us. If's we'd done as the world suggests and waited "until we were ready", we'd be kid-less right now.

Ben and Tauni in their naively idealistic youth. 

Tauni, you are the love of my life. After ten years of being with you, I love more than ever. I still look at you sometimes and think "How did I get such a wonderful wife?" I'm convinced I tricked you into marrying me and you're just to lazy to leave me now. :-) You are beautiful, kind, loving, and honest. You always put others first, especially the kids and I. You inspire me to be better. Thank you, for loving me (I almost broke into a Bryan Adams song right there, but I resisted).



Anyway. the time at the top of this post will keep counting up. I hope we never have to stop it.

Here's a bunch of random pics from the last 10 years, most of them are from the last 3...but oh well...

Proof that our girls were once much, much cuter. Why'd they have to grow up?

Me, giving in to my zombie tendencies. Yup, that's a human brain.

I used to fly airplanes. Don't ask me about it, it's kind of a touchy subject.

Here we are at the highest point in Oklahoma.

The NaNoWriMo 2011

I've decided to participate in this year's NaNoWriMo. That's the somewhat quirky abbreviation for the National Novel Writing Month. As a participant, I will be attempting to write writing a 50k word novel in 30 days.

I have always been somewhat lazy in my writing, getting out a paragraph here or there. But I sat down a pounded out 1641 words yesterday. For me, it is a lot. And, I really like how my story is evolving so far. I am pretty excited about it. Hopefully the motivation can continue through this extremely busy month.

I could definitely use some more friends to encourage me. So, if you are interested in writing a novel, join me. There are all sorts of social events associated with the month long project. Sadly, I'll be too busy to participate in any of the write-ins or other gatherings. But write, I shall do.

I will throw out some snippets of my writing onto my blog here, on occasion. I'll try not to make excused for how much it sucks, if you'll remember that I am merely working on a very rough draft.

IT!

I just have to say: I love working in IT. Really. I love it. It gives me an out for my geek-ness. I get to socialize in some way with everyone in the company at one time or another. I honestly enjoy working with computers. I have to learn new things, like how to setup an office domain in more than one physical location so that it works like it is one network. And I love it!

I could use a few more $$ an hour though. ;-)

Awesome Stuff I Found on the Internets Today

As I peruse the internet for things that interest me, I gather little tidbits, photos, videos, and such. Here are a few that I've found the last few days that I have yet to associate with a blog post:

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

It made me more aware.

As an 'old geek' I find this comic hilarious:

Remember to always take your picture with the Flash:

Officially the best pumpkin carving EVER:

Sick!

It has finally happened. I am sick. I'm sure I have the beginnings of a flu, or flu-like illness. The in-laws we visited 2 days ago are all sick today, and my body is super achy, I am more tired than ever, and I spent all morning concentrating on not puking.

The nausea got better as the day progressed, so I am hopeful...

I just can't miss work. Either of them. So, even if I'm puking out vital organ bits, I have to be up at 1:30am to go to FedEx. My 14 hour day is not optional, and therefore, I cannot be sick, whether I am or not.

:-(