Okay, this is a weird post, but I was so intrigued by an experience I had the other day with a mosquito. First off, let me say that I hate mosquitoes. I see absolutely no redeeming qualities in mosquitoes. They are just pests and pains in the butt. But I couldn't help be impressed with their unique abilities of duck and evade.
I was in our shower at home getting ready to take a shower when out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of a mosquito flying by. Our shower room is all white so I thought it would be easy to hunt and destroy. I got a beat on it and just as I was about to smash it into the wall, it literally vanished right in front of my eyes. I was so focused on it I didn't think it would be possible for it to escape, but it did. I quickly closed the shower door to try and contain it. Luckily I did. I caught sight of it again and tried to be even more careful, but again it disappeared. This time I stepped back and widened my view and I saw it in a totally different part of the room. I was like, "How in the world did it get there in a split second, right in front of my eyes." This happened three or four times. So I took a wet hand towel and just started to swing around until it appeared again. Finally it landed on the white wall where I smacked it with the towel and that was the end of Mr. Mosquito.
The mosquito is an amazing creature. I wonder what purpose they would serve in a perfect world. Because they certainly wouldn't be sucking blood.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
SLACKER!!!
Okay, I'm a slacker. I wrote earlier that I would try to write every week. That was almost 3 months ago... I think. I could give a bunch of excuses as to why I haven't written, but I won't because that wouldn't change the fact that I haven't written. So, I will again say that I will try to write more. And yes, I am not going to give a timeline, I'm just going to write.
Although I have not been active as a blogger, I have been very active on facebook. I have also joined two other Internet communities that I have been more active in: Instagram, and Pinterest. I regularly post photos to Instagram and regularly post interesting photos on Pinterest. Definitely not as time consuming as writing, but it gets my tastes and ideas out there. My Instagram and Pinterest accounts are connected to my facebook account so what I post is public notice.
If you are interested in any of these communities, you can check them out on the net. I saw that Instagram was being bought by facebook for $1 billion. Wow, that is a big chunk of change for an app. But there are millions of members so I guess you could justify it. I just hope that facebook doesn't change the interface all the time like it does with its own interface. That would be a pain!
I have also been somewhat active on Twitter. I post comments a few times a week. Not like everyday, or every hour like some people, but a few times a week. Not really sure why, just to stay connected I guess. There are people following me there so I guess I like to let them know that I'm still around. But blogging takes a lot more dedication that I once thought. My fitness blog on Beachbody.com has also come to a standstill. I don't really have anything to write with respect to fitness. I have been exercising for several years now and everything would just seem redundant. Nothing new, so I don't write. My most recent post was about the pain in my hands when lifting heavy weights. I thought it was new, but when I went back and read previous posts, I had posted the same idea just the previous month. OOPS!
When something comes up, I'll write again!
Although I have not been active as a blogger, I have been very active on facebook. I have also joined two other Internet communities that I have been more active in: Instagram, and Pinterest. I regularly post photos to Instagram and regularly post interesting photos on Pinterest. Definitely not as time consuming as writing, but it gets my tastes and ideas out there. My Instagram and Pinterest accounts are connected to my facebook account so what I post is public notice.
If you are interested in any of these communities, you can check them out on the net. I saw that Instagram was being bought by facebook for $1 billion. Wow, that is a big chunk of change for an app. But there are millions of members so I guess you could justify it. I just hope that facebook doesn't change the interface all the time like it does with its own interface. That would be a pain!
I have also been somewhat active on Twitter. I post comments a few times a week. Not like everyday, or every hour like some people, but a few times a week. Not really sure why, just to stay connected I guess. There are people following me there so I guess I like to let them know that I'm still around. But blogging takes a lot more dedication that I once thought. My fitness blog on Beachbody.com has also come to a standstill. I don't really have anything to write with respect to fitness. I have been exercising for several years now and everything would just seem redundant. Nothing new, so I don't write. My most recent post was about the pain in my hands when lifting heavy weights. I thought it was new, but when I went back and read previous posts, I had posted the same idea just the previous month. OOPS!
When something comes up, I'll write again!
Monday, March 5, 2012
What a "WASTE"!
Okay, this entree is not what I totally intended, but it seems as this blog is turning into a gripe session about my life in Japan. Each day, I learn new things about life here that I am more surprised about, and often times disappointed. This is one of those days.
I collect DVD/BluRay media. I usually buy USA produced material which, if I am buying a TV series, for an hour long program, has at least 4 episodes on one disc. Recently, I have been getting Japan produced DVDs for school and use in my classes. I is upsetting that each disc has only two episodes. The number of discs goes up unnecessarily as does the amount of plastic for cases.
One thing I totally HATE about all production companies is this "Vol. 1, Vol.2" deal with program seasons. This gives the broadcast companies the ability to charge double for a single season. They make money when the show airs on TV through ad revenue, but then they have to bilk the consumer by releasing half seasons at a time. Aren't they rich enough?
But back to Japan. One redeeming thing is that they are starting to release slim-box sets, but you have to wait a lot longer for those to come out.
That's it for this rant!
I collect DVD/BluRay media. I usually buy USA produced material which, if I am buying a TV series, for an hour long program, has at least 4 episodes on one disc. Recently, I have been getting Japan produced DVDs for school and use in my classes. I is upsetting that each disc has only two episodes. The number of discs goes up unnecessarily as does the amount of plastic for cases.
One thing I totally HATE about all production companies is this "Vol. 1, Vol.2" deal with program seasons. This gives the broadcast companies the ability to charge double for a single season. They make money when the show airs on TV through ad revenue, but then they have to bilk the consumer by releasing half seasons at a time. Aren't they rich enough?
But back to Japan. One redeeming thing is that they are starting to release slim-box sets, but you have to wait a lot longer for those to come out.
That's it for this rant!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
I'm a bad blogger:-(
This is one resolution that I haven't kept... Obviously. I really wanted to keep up my writing but things have been really busy since new years.
There have been times that I had time to write but just didn't have anything relevant to say. Or, I didn't want to bash the same old drum over and over again. When something comes to mind, I will write about it.
There have been times that I had time to write but just didn't have anything relevant to say. Or, I didn't want to bash the same old drum over and over again. When something comes to mind, I will write about it.
Friday, January 13, 2012
New Years Resolutions
Okay, I think it is about time for me to start writing this year. I said in my last entry that I would write every week and that is already out the window, but fortunately I wrote that before the new years deadline so it doesn't count. LOL! But that is just a technicality. I will do my best to write something every week.
Today, I have decided to write out my new years resolutions. One reason why I think it is a good idea to write out resolutions is because it makes me accountable. If it is on "paper" it will motivate me to keep it up. If I just say it, it is too easy to forget and throw out. I really don't want that to happen. So here goes...
Resolution #1- To Journal. Sine junior high, I have always wanted to keep a journal every day so I could look back at the end of the year and remember some of that years highlights. Several times I went out and bought a book to write in. I was very good for about a week and sometimes two, but if you look at those journals today, only the first few pages have writing on them and the rest is blank. Last year, I bought an iTouch. (I'll go into details of that purchase later.) and I found an app that would allow me to keep a journal. It is awesome and easy. I am perfect so far and because of my iTouch, I foresee that it will be easy enough to keep everyday. Another great thing about the app is that I can attach pictures to my entries. So I can take and attach photos to what I write. So great!
Resolution #2- I was debating on whether or not to do this one but I have decided. I want to be able to do 15 full extension unassisted pull-ups in a row without stopping by August. It may seem like an easy goal to reach, but it actually isn't. In order to do 15 pull-ups, I need to lose weight and gain strength. When I hit my goal of 10 last year, the next time I tried, I could only do 8. It took me about a week to get back to 10. I just tried some pull ups on Wednesday and I did 12 with a big struggle on number 12. I want to do 15 easy and struggle on 16 and maybe 17. But I want 15 to be my base by August. By extension, I want to lose inches around my gut. I have lost fat around most of my body, but my gut is still undefined. I want to see definition in my gut this year.
Resolution #3- Get back into the arts. I want to play more trumpet, go back to JSB, and take more photos. I need to start carrying around my camera more, not just my iTouch, but my 35mm SLR. I'm going to start making photos again! How exciting!
Well, that is it, actually not. I have one more that deserves more of a personal touch that is connected with my religious beliefs but that also will be a topic of another entry.
Happy New Year!
Today, I have decided to write out my new years resolutions. One reason why I think it is a good idea to write out resolutions is because it makes me accountable. If it is on "paper" it will motivate me to keep it up. If I just say it, it is too easy to forget and throw out. I really don't want that to happen. So here goes...
Resolution #1- To Journal. Sine junior high, I have always wanted to keep a journal every day so I could look back at the end of the year and remember some of that years highlights. Several times I went out and bought a book to write in. I was very good for about a week and sometimes two, but if you look at those journals today, only the first few pages have writing on them and the rest is blank. Last year, I bought an iTouch. (I'll go into details of that purchase later.) and I found an app that would allow me to keep a journal. It is awesome and easy. I am perfect so far and because of my iTouch, I foresee that it will be easy enough to keep everyday. Another great thing about the app is that I can attach pictures to my entries. So I can take and attach photos to what I write. So great!
Resolution #2- I was debating on whether or not to do this one but I have decided. I want to be able to do 15 full extension unassisted pull-ups in a row without stopping by August. It may seem like an easy goal to reach, but it actually isn't. In order to do 15 pull-ups, I need to lose weight and gain strength. When I hit my goal of 10 last year, the next time I tried, I could only do 8. It took me about a week to get back to 10. I just tried some pull ups on Wednesday and I did 12 with a big struggle on number 12. I want to do 15 easy and struggle on 16 and maybe 17. But I want 15 to be my base by August. By extension, I want to lose inches around my gut. I have lost fat around most of my body, but my gut is still undefined. I want to see definition in my gut this year.
Resolution #3- Get back into the arts. I want to play more trumpet, go back to JSB, and take more photos. I need to start carrying around my camera more, not just my iTouch, but my 35mm SLR. I'm going to start making photos again! How exciting!
Well, that is it, actually not. I have one more that deserves more of a personal touch that is connected with my religious beliefs but that also will be a topic of another entry.
Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Happy New Year!!!
It has been over a month since my last blog. I'm very sorry for not blogging more, but things got really busy and I just didn't make the time to write. But, as one of my new years resolutions, I am going to blog more this coming year.
As I look at the clock, it is 6 minutes to midnight. So, I am going to officially end this years series of blogs by saying HAPPY NEW YEAR! As a new years resolution, I will blog at least once a week. Starting tomorrow. Please look forward to my 2011 wrap up!
Time to wake up my daughter! She really wanted to "COUNT DOWN" to the new year.
Cheers Everyone!
As I look at the clock, it is 6 minutes to midnight. So, I am going to officially end this years series of blogs by saying HAPPY NEW YEAR! As a new years resolution, I will blog at least once a week. Starting tomorrow. Please look forward to my 2011 wrap up!
Time to wake up my daughter! She really wanted to "COUNT DOWN" to the new year.
Cheers Everyone!
Friday, November 25, 2011
I reached my Pull Up goal 5 weeks early! Now what?
I don't remember exactly which day I set this goal, but at least a month or two ago I set the goal of doing 10 full unassisted pull ups in a row by Dec. 31, 2011, 11:59pm. On November 23, I cranked out 10 full unassisted pull ups. I also have a witness, my son. I just kept going till I couldn't go anymore and then my son yelled out, "You did 10!". I tried to push for 11 but I couldn't do it. But We shouted and high-fived. It was a very happy moment for me! My wife and daugher, who were down stairs were like, "What's going on?" When they found out, everybody was happy for me. So, I send my thanks out to Tony, Chalene, Shaun-T, and Brett, who are my DVD trainers from Beachbody, and Billy Blanks who sparked my motivation almost 6 years ago, and kept it alive until I found Beachbody.
My history with Pull ups
I never even thought about doing a pull up until I got into high school. There, in gym class, we had to do fitness tests for school and we all also did those Presidential Fitness program tests. Guys had to do a bunch of moves which included pull ups, while girls did their moves. No pull ups, instead they had to do the flexed arm hang, or something like that.
Anyway, over the four years of high school, my max number of pull ups was 4. And those pull ups weren't full. I would bring my chin up to the bar, not over it, and would go down till there was about a 40-45 degree angle at my elbows. If I went all the way down on the first one, I never would have been able to get back up. But my limit was 4. Or should I say 3. The first one was always assisted because I sort of jumped up to the bar and my momentum sort of carried me up to the top.
After graduating from high school, I never even thought of doing another pull up again until I returned to P90X in 2010. I say returned because I had done P90X a few years earlier, but I didn't have a pull up bar then so I used the resistance bands. When I would go to the park with my kids, I would try to do a pull up on the hanging bar there, but I could barely do one after the initial jump up to the bar. But all through college, work a few years, graduate school and post graduate studies, pull ups never even entered my mind except when I saw someone doing them on TV. But never the thought or even desire to do one or even try one.
As I said, the first time I did P90X was around 2007 or 2008. I was full into TAEBO and loving it. I had purchased the newest programs from TAEBO but later realized that the moves were the same, just repackaged in newly titled programs. Then my sister, introduced me to P90X. Her and her husband had just ordered it and suggested I try it our. I tried a few of the programs and thought it was great, but I didn't have any heavy weights or a pull up bar, so I mainly cycled through the cardio workouts like PlyoX, CardioX, Core Syn, Ab ripperX, StretchX, and YogaX. I stayed away from the strength workouts after one time. I guess I was intimidated, because I had never done that type of workout before. Plus, I didn't want to bulk up and look like Arnold. LOL! Yeah, like that would ever happen.
Anyway, that is when my journey with beachbody started. I have the exact dates on record because I kept a workout journal so I know every workout I did, how long it was, and since I got a heartrate monitor, How many Kcals lost, time in the zone, etc. But I don't have those records on hand at the moment. I also dipped into Power90 for a while and I tried Turbo Jam for a short time. But I never liked those aerobics instructors with too much pep so I was kind of turned off my Turbo Jam. That is not to say the Chalene was not good. It just means that that particular program didn't appeal to me. Which is the great thing about beachbody. There are so many options that appeal to everyone! Then I tried Insanity, for Shaun-T's 60 day program. Great program. Then I tried RevAbs. In hind sight, I probably should have done RevAbs first, then Insanity. At the end of a few of the DVDs, there were ads for ChaLEAN Extreme. Again, the lady with too much pep, but the message she was preaching was powerful and really caught my interest: Muscle Burns Fat! I had a lot of fat and wanted to burn it off. The message made sense. I decided to give Chalene another try and I got the program. And LOVED it. Doing weights with Chalene motivated me to go back to P90X and do the strength workouts as well. So, in the summer of 2010, my family and I took a visit back to the US to see my parents, but I had an alterior motive which was to get a pull up bar for the door. I still wasn't 100% sure I would even want to do pull ups, but at least it would give me something high to anchor my resistance bands on. Oh, I forgot to mention that I got the resistance bands when I got the 10 minute trainer after I did the cardio workouts with P90X and before I did Insanity. I bought them from an infomercial in the US when I went back to visit my dad after he had a stroke. Sorry, my timeline is all messed up, but you get the idea.
So, in late September, early October of 2010, I set up my first ever pull up bar and tried a pull up. I couldn't get up. So I did half down, chair assisted pull ups. Around March of 2011, I was able to do full chair-assisted pull ups. In the early summer, I proped my legs up on the second level of my sons bed which is right in front of the door where set up the bar and did it that way for a few months. Then, around September of 2011, I thought, I wonder if I can do an unassited pull up. I did 2. From that point on, when I did a P90X workout that had pull ups in it, I would try it unassisted first, then finish the move assisted. In early October, I realed of 4 full unassisted pull ups. I believe that is when I set the goal of 10 by years end. I started doing pull ups in sets, So the most I did in a row was 5 or 6 at the time, but I did like 4-5 sets. The most pull ups I've done in one day is like 30. The number slowly crept up, 5 in a row, 6, 7, 8. Then, in early November I did 9 in a row at the school gym. I was stoked, I tried to push for 10 right there, but failed. Around the 16th of Nov. I hit a hiccup, I could only do 8. I was really disappointed. But not down. There was a reason I could only do 8. My kids were watching me do my pull ups and apparently, I have a funny face when I am working out. My daughter started laughing when I was at about 5 and her infectious laughter caught me and I couldn't continue past 8.
On November 23, 2011. I was doing P90X's Back and Biceps workout and the first move is Wide Front pull ups. BANG, with my son as witness, and with specific instructions NOT TO LAUGH, I reeled off 10 full unassisted pull ups in a row.
Now that I have reached my goal early, I'll have to set a new goal. I'm thinking 13 by new years. What do you think? Should I set it at 15?
My history with Pull ups
I never even thought about doing a pull up until I got into high school. There, in gym class, we had to do fitness tests for school and we all also did those Presidential Fitness program tests. Guys had to do a bunch of moves which included pull ups, while girls did their moves. No pull ups, instead they had to do the flexed arm hang, or something like that.
Anyway, over the four years of high school, my max number of pull ups was 4. And those pull ups weren't full. I would bring my chin up to the bar, not over it, and would go down till there was about a 40-45 degree angle at my elbows. If I went all the way down on the first one, I never would have been able to get back up. But my limit was 4. Or should I say 3. The first one was always assisted because I sort of jumped up to the bar and my momentum sort of carried me up to the top.
After graduating from high school, I never even thought of doing another pull up again until I returned to P90X in 2010. I say returned because I had done P90X a few years earlier, but I didn't have a pull up bar then so I used the resistance bands. When I would go to the park with my kids, I would try to do a pull up on the hanging bar there, but I could barely do one after the initial jump up to the bar. But all through college, work a few years, graduate school and post graduate studies, pull ups never even entered my mind except when I saw someone doing them on TV. But never the thought or even desire to do one or even try one.
As I said, the first time I did P90X was around 2007 or 2008. I was full into TAEBO and loving it. I had purchased the newest programs from TAEBO but later realized that the moves were the same, just repackaged in newly titled programs. Then my sister, introduced me to P90X. Her and her husband had just ordered it and suggested I try it our. I tried a few of the programs and thought it was great, but I didn't have any heavy weights or a pull up bar, so I mainly cycled through the cardio workouts like PlyoX, CardioX, Core Syn, Ab ripperX, StretchX, and YogaX. I stayed away from the strength workouts after one time. I guess I was intimidated, because I had never done that type of workout before. Plus, I didn't want to bulk up and look like Arnold. LOL! Yeah, like that would ever happen.
Anyway, that is when my journey with beachbody started. I have the exact dates on record because I kept a workout journal so I know every workout I did, how long it was, and since I got a heartrate monitor, How many Kcals lost, time in the zone, etc. But I don't have those records on hand at the moment. I also dipped into Power90 for a while and I tried Turbo Jam for a short time. But I never liked those aerobics instructors with too much pep so I was kind of turned off my Turbo Jam. That is not to say the Chalene was not good. It just means that that particular program didn't appeal to me. Which is the great thing about beachbody. There are so many options that appeal to everyone! Then I tried Insanity, for Shaun-T's 60 day program. Great program. Then I tried RevAbs. In hind sight, I probably should have done RevAbs first, then Insanity. At the end of a few of the DVDs, there were ads for ChaLEAN Extreme. Again, the lady with too much pep, but the message she was preaching was powerful and really caught my interest: Muscle Burns Fat! I had a lot of fat and wanted to burn it off. The message made sense. I decided to give Chalene another try and I got the program. And LOVED it. Doing weights with Chalene motivated me to go back to P90X and do the strength workouts as well. So, in the summer of 2010, my family and I took a visit back to the US to see my parents, but I had an alterior motive which was to get a pull up bar for the door. I still wasn't 100% sure I would even want to do pull ups, but at least it would give me something high to anchor my resistance bands on. Oh, I forgot to mention that I got the resistance bands when I got the 10 minute trainer after I did the cardio workouts with P90X and before I did Insanity. I bought them from an infomercial in the US when I went back to visit my dad after he had a stroke. Sorry, my timeline is all messed up, but you get the idea.
So, in late September, early October of 2010, I set up my first ever pull up bar and tried a pull up. I couldn't get up. So I did half down, chair assisted pull ups. Around March of 2011, I was able to do full chair-assisted pull ups. In the early summer, I proped my legs up on the second level of my sons bed which is right in front of the door where set up the bar and did it that way for a few months. Then, around September of 2011, I thought, I wonder if I can do an unassited pull up. I did 2. From that point on, when I did a P90X workout that had pull ups in it, I would try it unassisted first, then finish the move assisted. In early October, I realed of 4 full unassisted pull ups. I believe that is when I set the goal of 10 by years end. I started doing pull ups in sets, So the most I did in a row was 5 or 6 at the time, but I did like 4-5 sets. The most pull ups I've done in one day is like 30. The number slowly crept up, 5 in a row, 6, 7, 8. Then, in early November I did 9 in a row at the school gym. I was stoked, I tried to push for 10 right there, but failed. Around the 16th of Nov. I hit a hiccup, I could only do 8. I was really disappointed. But not down. There was a reason I could only do 8. My kids were watching me do my pull ups and apparently, I have a funny face when I am working out. My daughter started laughing when I was at about 5 and her infectious laughter caught me and I couldn't continue past 8.
On November 23, 2011. I was doing P90X's Back and Biceps workout and the first move is Wide Front pull ups. BANG, with my son as witness, and with specific instructions NOT TO LAUGH, I reeled off 10 full unassisted pull ups in a row.
Now that I have reached my goal early, I'll have to set a new goal. I'm thinking 13 by new years. What do you think? Should I set it at 15?
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