Merry Christmas!!
I gotta say that it has been awesome to have not traveled for this holiday season. Although it would be great to see my family, the amount of time I've spent flying to and from the East coast boggles the mind.
That being said, this Christmas has been great. I got some stuff that I was looking forward to like some video games and clothes, but really I'm glad to have survived all the craziness that went down over the last year and kick back on 10 days of vacation.
I'm planning on doing a New Year's/2009 Recap over the next few days, so until then...Merry Christmas and be safe with whatever it is you're doing!!!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Oh Caption, My Caption!
Hobie says: "Oh WTF is all this?!"I really need to update this more...
Hey folks. Since I didn't do a post for November, here's what went on.
I bought an Xbox 360, plus a few games and I have to say that I'm really kicking myself for not getting one about a year earlier. I forgot the joy of console gaming and the online content, compared to the original Xbox I had, is amazing. I also took advantage of the Netflix deal and I'll probably be signing up for Gamefly as well. I also picked up the Star Trek DVD the day it came out and I've watched it 10+ times since then, no joke. I have no regrets AND Rachel is all about sci-fi/star trek/stargate now. I'd better lock that shit down asap (Sign ze papers, Fraulein!).
As far as work goes, I went on a run and placed about 8 people and it could not have happened at a better time since our year end review is this week. Hopefully a raise is in the cards.
December is going to provide a few opportunities for awesomeness in forms such as Christmas and lots of vacation/time away from work. I'll be taking a few days of vacation to admittedly do absolutely nothing. Xbox, movies, sleeping in, being accused of "conspiracy to cook delicious foods", etc. Also, Rachel will be taking me to the San Jose Star Trek Exhibition. I will be geeking out and I'm not going to even attempt to contain my Childlike Glee/Almost-Gay-Love for this exhibit (Xhibit?) either. I'll be getting a picture in the Captain's chair even if I get through out for it (apparently you're not allowed to take pictures in this place).
Anyway, enjoy the post, I'll come up with more interesting info later this month.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Rocktober/Shiny Toy Guns/The Sounds
I went to see Shiny Toy Guns and The Sounds (the above pic) play at The Warfield(http://thewarfieldtheatre.com/) and the show was hands-down the best I've been to. I bought the tickets that morning and ended up with front-row, center balcony seats. Normally balcony would really toast my cookies, however since I have liked The Sounds for about 9 years and Shiny Toy Guns for 2 years without having the chance to see either them until now, I did not want to be down in the pit.
STG played all their "well known" stuff like Riccochet, Major Tom, and The One. The Sounds cut an album back in June, which I had no idea about, called Crossing the Rubicon and its damn good. I have to say that given the chance to see two of my favorite bands at the same time combine with a ticketed seat away from chowderheads, this my new preference for seeing live music. Maja Ivarsson is also probably the only girl I would want to kick my ass, but I'd still want Jenny Lewis to break up with me so I can finally launch my music career.
In Other News:
*I missed the chance to go Abalone diving this weekend and I wish the timing would have worked out better since the season is over next month and with the fees to get a license its not worth it at this point. So, I plan to do my homework for next year so I can get my permits in April and I'd like to be able to go one day per month.
*I've renewed my commitment to become a much better surfer than I am now (which is not good at all) since I've been so busy with life. Surfing should be getting at least more consistent so I should have some decent weekends to get out there for a while.
*I have no idea what I'm doing for a halloween costume. I'm not really keen on the idea of spending money on an outfit just to get drunk in it...that's what my regular clothes are for...ya know, the ones I've already paid for and plan to wear again after Nov. 1st.
*The job search continues. I've been applying for mostly for positions in operations, but at this point I'm getting so fed up I've been considering more career unfriendly moves...like being a supervisor at a Barnes & Noble (I've actually looked into this and the only reason I'm not doing that is the lack of $$).
That's all folks.
Enjoy.
STG played all their "well known" stuff like Riccochet, Major Tom, and The One. The Sounds cut an album back in June, which I had no idea about, called Crossing the Rubicon and its damn good. I have to say that given the chance to see two of my favorite bands at the same time combine with a ticketed seat away from chowderheads, this my new preference for seeing live music. Maja Ivarsson is also probably the only girl I would want to kick my ass, but I'd still want Jenny Lewis to break up with me so I can finally launch my music career.
In Other News:
*I missed the chance to go Abalone diving this weekend and I wish the timing would have worked out better since the season is over next month and with the fees to get a license its not worth it at this point. So, I plan to do my homework for next year so I can get my permits in April and I'd like to be able to go one day per month.
*I've renewed my commitment to become a much better surfer than I am now (which is not good at all) since I've been so busy with life. Surfing should be getting at least more consistent so I should have some decent weekends to get out there for a while.
*I have no idea what I'm doing for a halloween costume. I'm not really keen on the idea of spending money on an outfit just to get drunk in it...that's what my regular clothes are for...ya know, the ones I've already paid for and plan to wear again after Nov. 1st.
*The job search continues. I've been applying for mostly for positions in operations, but at this point I'm getting so fed up I've been considering more career unfriendly moves...like being a supervisor at a Barnes & Noble (I've actually looked into this and the only reason I'm not doing that is the lack of $$).
That's all folks.
Enjoy.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Blogosphere, reloaded.
Well, its been over a month since my last post so it's definitely time for another.
September has brought a return to normalcy, or reasonably close to it. I'm honestly relieved that I won't be flying anywhere for any holidays this winter. Given the past 12 months of travel intensity I'm really looking forward to just staying put and relaxing. Although it would be nice to see friends/family, I will be enjoying time spent with my parents and Rachel/etc.
I 'think' I'll be having the opportunity to go abalone diving Oct. 24-25, preferably sooner than later if I can get my act together and organize some crap I need to for a trip to happen. The season will be over shortly and the water/weather will be turning to its winter disgustingness, so aside from the potental illegality of actually diving it will also be unpleasant to be anywhere near the coast.
In terms of my 12 goals updates, nothing new there because I've been too damn busy with nothingness to actually make any sort of progress on any of it. A return to this is necessary.
Recent developments at work have lead me to abandon ship for the next thing that comes my way where I will make enough to avoid being evicted. Essentially, over the last month, our comission structure has been halved, the hours I've been "asked" to work is up by about another 10 per week, and frustration/disgust is at an all time high. The beauty, at least from a coporate perspective, is that no raises and bonuses can be attributed to "numbers being down/economic downturn", thus providing for the ultimate in screw-overs.
Enjoy.
September has brought a return to normalcy, or reasonably close to it. I'm honestly relieved that I won't be flying anywhere for any holidays this winter. Given the past 12 months of travel intensity I'm really looking forward to just staying put and relaxing. Although it would be nice to see friends/family, I will be enjoying time spent with my parents and Rachel/etc.
I 'think' I'll be having the opportunity to go abalone diving Oct. 24-25, preferably sooner than later if I can get my act together and organize some crap I need to for a trip to happen. The season will be over shortly and the water/weather will be turning to its winter disgustingness, so aside from the potental illegality of actually diving it will also be unpleasant to be anywhere near the coast.
In terms of my 12 goals updates, nothing new there because I've been too damn busy with nothingness to actually make any sort of progress on any of it. A return to this is necessary.
Recent developments at work have lead me to abandon ship for the next thing that comes my way where I will make enough to avoid being evicted. Essentially, over the last month, our comission structure has been halved, the hours I've been "asked" to work is up by about another 10 per week, and frustration/disgust is at an all time high. The beauty, at least from a coporate perspective, is that no raises and bonuses can be attributed to "numbers being down/economic downturn", thus providing for the ultimate in screw-overs.
Enjoy.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Breathe, Stretch,...Shake?
Well its been a busy weekend. I spent 5 days in the NYC area over Labour Day (that's right, we're going English today) with Rachel's family for a wedding and it was a great weekend. Her Aunt Linda/Chip got married to a mensch of a dry-cleaner, Frank (who's father and son are also named Frank). It was a really great reception with some interesting characters indeed. Also, if I can easily go a year without eating Lox and bagels again.
Other highlights included a classic car race with "the Don" and Diana. $45/ticket is not the sexiest of prices, but considering there was a race and about $10 million worth of my favorite cars there it was totally worth the price. Pictures are below.
AC Shelby Cobra...worth more than you are...and yes, I'm talking about you.
Lotus Europa...not worth a ton, but a car that is cooler than you are...and yes, I'm still talking about you.
Other highlights included a classic car race with "the Don" and Diana. $45/ticket is not the sexiest of prices, but considering there was a race and about $10 million worth of my favorite cars there it was totally worth the price. Pictures are below.
AC Shelby Cobra...worth more than you are...and yes, I'm talking about you.
Lotus Europa...not worth a ton, but a car that is cooler than you are...and yes, I'm still talking about you.12 Goals Update:
Fitness:
I've upped the intensity of the training schedule I'm working on because I'd like to be able to reach some short term goals a little more quickly. I'm still making progress on the weights/gym side, but as for surfing, running, etc. I need to make up some ground in endurance and some atrophy-ridden muscle groups.
Restaurants:
I'm going to try a new sushi place in the Richmond District tonight called "Okina Sushi" (http://www.yelp.com/biz/okina-sushi-san-francisco). Judging by the artless palettes of Yelp reviewers, this place should be good, but I am a creature of habit and still love the place I go to now "House of Sushi" (http://www.yelp.com/biz/house-of-sushi-san-francisco). I tried some good Pho from the Nam at Minh's Garden (http://www.yelp.com/biz/minhs-garden-vietnamese-cuisine-san-francisco), spicy as all get out but still delicious.
So (if you recall goals #4, 6, 9, and 11), I still have yet to learn 8 new dishes and try 8 new restaurants. I've been keeping up the diet and training, so that's going to lead to knocking out the other health/fitness ones quickly. Also, I need to get that abalone diving trip locked down, so that would be another great one to scratch off the list.
On a final note, Thank God the Steelers are 1/1 (suck it Tennessee! Your state is worthless.)
Enjoy.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Winning the same Lifetime Achievement Award...Twice
First, let me take a moment to thank everyone for the birthday wishes...thanks.
Rachel made a fantastic dinner for me at her place that was delicious and very kickass of her, but I have to say that my birthday this year passed largely uncelebrated (by me, that is) since I'm so busy with work and various et ceteras that I honestly forgot about it until I got a bunch of cards in the mail. Turning 26 isn't a landmark for me in any way, other than I've managed to foil another full year's worth of assassination attempts and coups.
One thing that I did have an opportunity to do was check out the Samurai exhibit at the Asian Art Museum this weekend (http://www.asianart.org/Samurai.htm). Personally, I think the exhibit was set up somewhat backwards because all the information you're given references the current head of a Noble family in Japan, and then gives you no point of reference about who this person or family is until you are walking out the door. Literally, it is the last sign you see.
In addition to the this-and-that nature of running around town recently, I've discovered the truth to the "I need more hours in the day" thing that we all seem to experience. This year, my office has gone from six recruiters to two and I've been promoted to lead recruiter. While this is a step up, its more work and responsibility with no update in title or pay.
Other than all that, I'm still going to the gym regularly and maintaining the healthy diet. So I'm pretty pleased that I'm still on the "goals" plan, although some things have had to be shifted around to work with being insanely busy. I'm starting to make a dent in the books goal by reading "Shutter Island", which promises to be interesting at least. Anyone read it? I'd love to hear an opinion.
Enjoy.
Rachel made a fantastic dinner for me at her place that was delicious and very kickass of her, but I have to say that my birthday this year passed largely uncelebrated (by me, that is) since I'm so busy with work and various et ceteras that I honestly forgot about it until I got a bunch of cards in the mail. Turning 26 isn't a landmark for me in any way, other than I've managed to foil another full year's worth of assassination attempts and coups.
One thing that I did have an opportunity to do was check out the Samurai exhibit at the Asian Art Museum this weekend (http://www.asianart.org/Samurai.htm). Personally, I think the exhibit was set up somewhat backwards because all the information you're given references the current head of a Noble family in Japan, and then gives you no point of reference about who this person or family is until you are walking out the door. Literally, it is the last sign you see.
In addition to the this-and-that nature of running around town recently, I've discovered the truth to the "I need more hours in the day" thing that we all seem to experience. This year, my office has gone from six recruiters to two and I've been promoted to lead recruiter. While this is a step up, its more work and responsibility with no update in title or pay.
Other than all that, I'm still going to the gym regularly and maintaining the healthy diet. So I'm pretty pleased that I'm still on the "goals" plan, although some things have had to be shifted around to work with being insanely busy. I'm starting to make a dent in the books goal by reading "Shutter Island", which promises to be interesting at least. Anyone read it? I'd love to hear an opinion.
Enjoy.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Was geben ab in diesem Beast?
August. Sweet.
Aside from the annual celebration of my birth taking place this month, August is one of my favorite months of the year. The weather is consistently nice in the city from about the middle of this month and on until around Thanksgiving; there's a lot of festivals/concerts that are a lot of fun; and finally there's the nostalgic feeling of going back to college for fall semester.
The beginning of this month has been getting off to a pretty crazy start. Rachel finally has a place in the city, and I will be helping her move into her apartment on Saturday/Sunday. It's right next to Golden Gate Park which will be sweet since I really haven't spent any time up in that piece. Also, instead of the usual drunken buffoonery tied to birthday celebrations, I think we'll be keeping it low key this year since my official descent to the grave begins in a few weeks. Although, I will openly admit that I am looking forward to torturing my sister by constantly reminding her that she'll be 30 this year, as any good younger brother should.
Big changes around the office over the past/next few weeks. A friend of mine who started here at the same time, Brett, is spending 10 months getting a Master's degree in Sweden. I've decided I hate him for this, but only because I'm green with envy. A few of our friends here are planning to make a trip over there early in the year, so assuming I can afford it I'm planning to go. Also, another friend, Bruce, who was already working here when I started will be leaving at the end of next week. This reduces the size of my company's west coast presence to 5 people. Swamped would be a good way to describe the new work load that has been dumped on me, which only adds to the malice I have for this place. I'm still working on applying for new stuff, but I'm sitting tight for a few more weeks since the beginning of September will mark 2 years here.
Goals update:
I'm still going to the gym regularly, but my timeline is definitely not realistic at all. I'll be in a lot better shape than I was when I was going regularly in Pittsburgh, but I think it will be sometime around Halloween before I get to where I want to be.
I've really been slacking on the new restaurants and museums bit, so I'm going to be checking a few of them out around my birthday. Plus, there's a sweet King Tut exhibit here right now and I'd love to see that, so that's a double-whammy right there.
As for the books, I'm Guilty as Charged of buying books with the best intention of reading them and then shelving it for the customary 3 year aging process. Thomas Pynchon came out with a new book recently that looks really good, and I'm also happy to hear that its being shopped to the Cohen brothers since it's a Big Lebowski/Detective-esque story. I have a ton of Star Wars books (F* off if you think I'm a dork) that I want to read and I can blow through them quickly, so I think I may put down 3 or 4 of those to make some headway on that goal.
Anyway, I hope everyone has good plans for the weekend.
Enjoy.
Aside from the annual celebration of my birth taking place this month, August is one of my favorite months of the year. The weather is consistently nice in the city from about the middle of this month and on until around Thanksgiving; there's a lot of festivals/concerts that are a lot of fun; and finally there's the nostalgic feeling of going back to college for fall semester.
The beginning of this month has been getting off to a pretty crazy start. Rachel finally has a place in the city, and I will be helping her move into her apartment on Saturday/Sunday. It's right next to Golden Gate Park which will be sweet since I really haven't spent any time up in that piece. Also, instead of the usual drunken buffoonery tied to birthday celebrations, I think we'll be keeping it low key this year since my official descent to the grave begins in a few weeks. Although, I will openly admit that I am looking forward to torturing my sister by constantly reminding her that she'll be 30 this year, as any good younger brother should.
Big changes around the office over the past/next few weeks. A friend of mine who started here at the same time, Brett, is spending 10 months getting a Master's degree in Sweden. I've decided I hate him for this, but only because I'm green with envy. A few of our friends here are planning to make a trip over there early in the year, so assuming I can afford it I'm planning to go. Also, another friend, Bruce, who was already working here when I started will be leaving at the end of next week. This reduces the size of my company's west coast presence to 5 people. Swamped would be a good way to describe the new work load that has been dumped on me, which only adds to the malice I have for this place. I'm still working on applying for new stuff, but I'm sitting tight for a few more weeks since the beginning of September will mark 2 years here.
Goals update:
I'm still going to the gym regularly, but my timeline is definitely not realistic at all. I'll be in a lot better shape than I was when I was going regularly in Pittsburgh, but I think it will be sometime around Halloween before I get to where I want to be.
I've really been slacking on the new restaurants and museums bit, so I'm going to be checking a few of them out around my birthday. Plus, there's a sweet King Tut exhibit here right now and I'd love to see that, so that's a double-whammy right there.
As for the books, I'm Guilty as Charged of buying books with the best intention of reading them and then shelving it for the customary 3 year aging process. Thomas Pynchon came out with a new book recently that looks really good, and I'm also happy to hear that its being shopped to the Cohen brothers since it's a Big Lebowski/Detective-esque story. I have a ton of Star Wars books (F* off if you think I'm a dork) that I want to read and I can blow through them quickly, so I think I may put down 3 or 4 of those to make some headway on that goal.
Anyway, I hope everyone has good plans for the weekend.
Enjoy.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Xtreme!!!
July has been a heavy month to be sure. The weekend of the 4th was a much needed deviation from the madness of Corporate America, I spent the weekend with Rachel and her family in Walnut Creek and then spent the rest of the weekend here in the city. I took on the project of painting my room, and as nice as 12' vaulted ceilings look they are an absolute beeyatch to paint and the whole project took me 3 days. Fortunately the result is much better.
This weekend is the SF AIDS Walk, and since Rachel works for them I've been conscripted to help out. Get this, because I demanded a job that didn't suck in return for my coerced participation, I get to be in charge of a fleet of golf carts and get a walkie-talkie. Obviously, this pleases me and anyone else who had walkie-talkies growing up. Its going to be an intense couple days for sure though. Saturday is a two-hour orientation so the incompetent people who volunteer can be told what to do (only to screw it up later), and the rest of us can have our time wasted. On Sunday, I'll be there from something like 6am to 6pm. As much as I bitch about this though, I know it will be fun and I'm paired up with Rachel's dad (who is a cool guy) so it should be fun (in contrast to the excruciating amount of bullshit I'm sure to incur).
Next week, on Monday night and during the day Tuesday, I'll get to hang out with my sister and I am super stoked. Kim and I haven't really spent a lot of time together since I moved to CA and I'm really looking forward to doing a lot of the fun stuff in the city she hasn't seen yet. Things we're going to see include SF Ferry Building Farmers Market, Land's End (not the store), the Marina, and possibly Pac Heights and the Wharf. We're meeting up Monday at about 6p, so hopefully I'll get to show her around Russian Hill before everything closes for the evening.
12 Goals Update:
The gym is brutalizing me. That fitness goal being hit by mid-september is going to be a Herculean challenge as I had no idea how freakin' outta shape I am. I've been going regularly, and I've noticed some minor improvements, but it has only been two weeks. Hopefully the gains will get somewhat more exponential, but I really enjoy the workout plan I'm on and look forward to going to the gym.
Abalone diving looks like its going to happen in September and I'm really looking forward to it. All the permits, etc. is going to cost somewhere around $80, but I'm going with my roommate Nick and a co-worker of his, so I think I may actually get to go twice since we all feel the need to get our money's worth.
The healthy diet thing is going well. Cooking at home allows me to knock out some of those new dishes I want to cook (see goal #6). Its been a high protein, low fat/carb diet while I work on losing the last of the weight I want to lose and get past the initial gains from working out. As soon as I get to the "regular workout", then it'll change slightly and I'll have a little more freedom (see: addiction to powdered doughnuts, Ben & Jerry's Mission to Marzipan).
Relearning Arabic is going to be tough and is probably going to be reduced to buying the Rosetta Stone set. I'll probably look more into that around Christmas (ironically enough).
That's all for now, folks.
Enjoy.
This weekend is the SF AIDS Walk, and since Rachel works for them I've been conscripted to help out. Get this, because I demanded a job that didn't suck in return for my coerced participation, I get to be in charge of a fleet of golf carts and get a walkie-talkie. Obviously, this pleases me and anyone else who had walkie-talkies growing up. Its going to be an intense couple days for sure though. Saturday is a two-hour orientation so the incompetent people who volunteer can be told what to do (only to screw it up later), and the rest of us can have our time wasted. On Sunday, I'll be there from something like 6am to 6pm. As much as I bitch about this though, I know it will be fun and I'm paired up with Rachel's dad (who is a cool guy) so it should be fun (in contrast to the excruciating amount of bullshit I'm sure to incur).
Next week, on Monday night and during the day Tuesday, I'll get to hang out with my sister and I am super stoked. Kim and I haven't really spent a lot of time together since I moved to CA and I'm really looking forward to doing a lot of the fun stuff in the city she hasn't seen yet. Things we're going to see include SF Ferry Building Farmers Market, Land's End (not the store), the Marina, and possibly Pac Heights and the Wharf. We're meeting up Monday at about 6p, so hopefully I'll get to show her around Russian Hill before everything closes for the evening.
12 Goals Update:
The gym is brutalizing me. That fitness goal being hit by mid-september is going to be a Herculean challenge as I had no idea how freakin' outta shape I am. I've been going regularly, and I've noticed some minor improvements, but it has only been two weeks. Hopefully the gains will get somewhat more exponential, but I really enjoy the workout plan I'm on and look forward to going to the gym.
Abalone diving looks like its going to happen in September and I'm really looking forward to it. All the permits, etc. is going to cost somewhere around $80, but I'm going with my roommate Nick and a co-worker of his, so I think I may actually get to go twice since we all feel the need to get our money's worth.
The healthy diet thing is going well. Cooking at home allows me to knock out some of those new dishes I want to cook (see goal #6). Its been a high protein, low fat/carb diet while I work on losing the last of the weight I want to lose and get past the initial gains from working out. As soon as I get to the "regular workout", then it'll change slightly and I'll have a little more freedom (see: addiction to powdered doughnuts, Ben & Jerry's Mission to Marzipan).
Relearning Arabic is going to be tough and is probably going to be reduced to buying the Rosetta Stone set. I'll probably look more into that around Christmas (ironically enough).
That's all for now, folks.
Enjoy.
Monday, July 6, 2009
12 Goals (update)
This weekend was intense in that I had a ton to do and got all of it accomplished. I think it was the first weekend that has happened in 3 years or so.
An update to the 12 goals I posted last week are that I learned to make Guacamole and Salsa Verde and I established my fitness goal after having a free physical trainer session at the 24hour fitness I just joined that totally destroyed me.
My goal is to do all the workouts below using either my body weight or weights equal to the same amount.
Bench (150lbs): 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Squat (150lbs): 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Dead lift (150lbs): 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Seated Row (75 lbs): 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Biceps (25lbs): 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Dips: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Bike: 30 min @ 75+ rpm
Given where I am right now, my goal is to be at this level by September 18th. It's going to be pretty tough, but I'm confident that once I get past the initial gains and actually get into the routine it will be easier to progress more quickly.
Here are the recipes for the two things I learned to make this weekend.
Rachel’s Guacamole
4-5 avocados
½ (ish) red or white onion – chopped
1 lime – juiced
1 bunch cilantro – finely chopped
1 jalapeno – take out seeds, finely chopped
Garlic salt
Cayenne pepper
Mix in large bowl.
Salsa Verde
1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt to taste
Cut tomatillos in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.
Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, chili peppers, sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
Season to taste with salt.
Cool in refrigerator.
Hope everyone had a great 4th!
Enjoy.
An update to the 12 goals I posted last week are that I learned to make Guacamole and Salsa Verde and I established my fitness goal after having a free physical trainer session at the 24hour fitness I just joined that totally destroyed me.
My goal is to do all the workouts below using either my body weight or weights equal to the same amount.
Bench (150lbs): 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Squat (150lbs): 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Dead lift (150lbs): 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Seated Row (75 lbs): 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Biceps (25lbs): 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Dips: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Bike: 30 min @ 75+ rpm
Given where I am right now, my goal is to be at this level by September 18th. It's going to be pretty tough, but I'm confident that once I get past the initial gains and actually get into the routine it will be easier to progress more quickly.
Here are the recipes for the two things I learned to make this weekend.
Rachel’s Guacamole
4-5 avocados
½ (ish) red or white onion – chopped
1 lime – juiced
1 bunch cilantro – finely chopped
1 jalapeno – take out seeds, finely chopped
Garlic salt
Cayenne pepper
Mix in large bowl.
Salsa Verde
1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt to taste
Cut tomatillos in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.
Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, chili peppers, sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
Season to taste with salt.
Cool in refrigerator.
Hope everyone had a great 4th!
Enjoy.
Monday, June 29, 2009
An End of June Two 'fer...
Last weekend (6/20) I went to Santa Barbara and I have to say that it was one of the best places I've been in California by far. Although the drive (5ish hours) is not the best, you do get to see what the Central Coast looks like and some towns like Pismo Beach. If I was going to move anywhere else, I'd have to say it would be there though.
These are the massive nachos from Freebirds in Santa Barbara. I understand why they are famous. Rachel and I stayed with her friends, Peter and Pieter, who were the first same-sex couple to be married in Santa Barbara (and luckily their marriage is still legit under CA law). Their house is amazing, total price tag with land has got to be something like +$6 million, and they are two of the nicest people I've met.
This is the view from Peter and Pieter's house. Its foggy here, but there is a view of the ocean.In the mean time, I've been trying to keep busy with work and a lot of things at home, but in the wake of some friend's careers taking turns for the better and mine still not going anywhere, I've decided to take on 12 personal goals and complete them all in 12 months. Ever see 'The 10 Tasks of Asterix"? It's going to be like that...except 12. I'm going to be completing these in no particular order.
1.) Run a marathon
2.) Abalone dive
3.) Go surfing 25 times
4.) Maintain fitness goal (TBD)
5.) Read 12 books
6.) Learn to cook 10 new dishes (you'll get the recipes)
7.) Travel to 2 new countries
8.) Relearn Arabic
9.) Maintain healthy diet
10.) Visit LA and San Diego
11.) Try 12 new restaurants (you'll get the review too!)
12.) Go to the all the major museums in San Francisco.
The great part about these goals is that some of them feed into others. Like hitting the fitness goal will help with, and also be helped, the training for the marathon (which I'm shooting to run Dec. 6th in Santa Barbara). Also, it will help me get better at surfing, and I'm also going to be taking a few lessons to work out some bad habits I've acquired which affect form, etc. I'm really excited about taking these things on because they're going to be fun and/or personally rewarding.
That's all I have for now. I hope everyone has great plans for the 4th!
Enjoy.
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