I owe for a couple days here.
1. Grateful that all my friends and peeps in the Midwest and South seem to be unscathed from all the crazy storms that have blown through the past few days. I was totally scared of tornadoes when I was a kid in Illinois and I'ver definitely carried over some of that into adulthood. I remember looking outside when I was really young and seeing a tree get yanked out of the ground by the wind. That definitely left an impression on me.
2. Grateful that the transmission in my truck seems to have been "fixed" by an oil change and topping off the transmission fluid. Fingers crossed on that one.
3. Very grateful to be taking my mom to the airport today for her trip to Australia. She is long overdue for an adventure and hopefully this gets her mojo working. She's giving a series of talks down there on parallels between Native Americans and the Aborigines. I'm hoping they video some of them and I'll get them posted on the YouTubes.
4. Grateful that Kaladi Bros opens in a little while. The water is out in my building and I need a little pre-gym caffeination. Highly recommend them to anyone in Denver looking for an unbelievable cup of coffee.
5. Grateful that the scale finally started moving in the right direction as I'm down to 209 this morning. Feels weird to say "I'm losing weight for throwing season." but that's the move. No desire to weigh 220-230 any more.
6. Very grateful to see some old teammates and friends at the CU/CSU rugby game today in Glendale. Go Rams!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Gratitudes of the Day
1. Right now I am grateful for the PERFECT french press of coffee that I made this morning. For whatever reason, I woke up at 1:30am wide awake a ready to tear the world a new one. The may be the best cup of coffee that I've ever made in this press. Seriously.
2. Grateful to be getting my mom's mutt for the next month while she's in Australia looking for jobs and hanging out with friends down there. She's doing some work for a Buddhist centre down there as well as Aboriginal Heritage, but she's also looking at places to live and interviewing for some jobs. She's very due for an adventure and I'm excited for her prospects of moving down there. This also compounds the possibility that I make a move to Singapore/Hong Kong/New Zealand/Australia in the near future, so 2012 has a new purpose: chew up everything that the US has to offer.
3. Grateful that my scale moved today, albeit in the WRONG direction. I'd been sitting at 211.6lbs for the past 5 days and this morning I awoke to find myself at 213.4. I think I got a little spoiled. Nice little reminder from the universe that things DO work in the opposite direction as well.
2. Grateful to be getting my mom's mutt for the next month while she's in Australia looking for jobs and hanging out with friends down there. She's doing some work for a Buddhist centre down there as well as Aboriginal Heritage, but she's also looking at places to live and interviewing for some jobs. She's very due for an adventure and I'm excited for her prospects of moving down there. This also compounds the possibility that I make a move to Singapore/Hong Kong/New Zealand/Australia in the near future, so 2012 has a new purpose: chew up everything that the US has to offer.
3. Grateful that my scale moved today, albeit in the WRONG direction. I'd been sitting at 211.6lbs for the past 5 days and this morning I awoke to find myself at 213.4. I think I got a little spoiled. Nice little reminder from the universe that things DO work in the opposite direction as well.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Gratitudes of the Day
1. Grateful there were some tickets left to my friend's improv show tomorrow night. I totally slacked on picking any up until this morning.
2. Grateful that the kids at Judi's House let me hang out with them and make candles last night. I volunteer there a few nights a month and it is easily one of my favorite ways to spend a night. I wonder if the kids realize that the volunteers get as much out of them as they (hopefully) get from us...
3. Not to be superficial, but I'm grateful that tomorrow's payday. Gotta pay some bills!
2. Grateful that the kids at Judi's House let me hang out with them and make candles last night. I volunteer there a few nights a month and it is easily one of my favorite ways to spend a night. I wonder if the kids realize that the volunteers get as much out of them as they (hopefully) get from us...
3. Not to be superficial, but I'm grateful that tomorrow's payday. Gotta pay some bills!
Gratitudes of the Day
1. Immensly grateful for this steaming hot cup of Novo Coffee that I'm currently slurping down as I type this. My sleep patterns got all screwed up over the weekend so I've been waking up between 3-4am the past few days instead of my usual 4:50. Easy to do on off days from the gym, but coming off of workout days makes that a bit more of a challenge. On the plus side, it allowed me to get these written down before I hit the office, so I'm grateful for that!
2. I'm grateful for a couple emails yesterday with Steve Pulcinella. Steve's one of the US's best ever Highland Games athletes and strongman competitors and I reached out to him looking for some training info for the upcoming Highland games season, as well as Olympic lifting. I've always prided myself on programming my own training, but I'm really getting hooked by the idea of being able to get programs written specifically for me by great coaches and then being able to rotate through them.
If you're frustrated by lack of progress in the gym, I encourage you to hire an online coach and have something written for you. Almost everyone out there who writes articles on any of the popular training websites (T-Nation, EliteFTS, etc) does online coaching (nutrition, training or both), and the pricing is very reasonable.
3. I'm very grateful to Shelby Starnes for introducing me to the books Sit Down and Shut Up and Hardcore Zen, both written by Brad Warner. I've always gravitated towards Buddhism but I've found it difficult to really digest many of the writings of Buddhism outside of the Dalai Lama. Brad's writing and breaking down of some of the Zen Buddhism concepts has made for excellent reading and I'm gravitating towards a lot of these ideas and teachings.
2. I'm grateful for a couple emails yesterday with Steve Pulcinella. Steve's one of the US's best ever Highland Games athletes and strongman competitors and I reached out to him looking for some training info for the upcoming Highland games season, as well as Olympic lifting. I've always prided myself on programming my own training, but I'm really getting hooked by the idea of being able to get programs written specifically for me by great coaches and then being able to rotate through them.
If you're frustrated by lack of progress in the gym, I encourage you to hire an online coach and have something written for you. Almost everyone out there who writes articles on any of the popular training websites (T-Nation, EliteFTS, etc) does online coaching (nutrition, training or both), and the pricing is very reasonable.
3. I'm very grateful to Shelby Starnes for introducing me to the books Sit Down and Shut Up and Hardcore Zen, both written by Brad Warner. I've always gravitated towards Buddhism but I've found it difficult to really digest many of the writings of Buddhism outside of the Dalai Lama. Brad's writing and breaking down of some of the Zen Buddhism concepts has made for excellent reading and I'm gravitating towards a lot of these ideas and teachings.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Gratitudes of the Day
1. Very grateful to get out with the Prowler this morning and do some pushes and some sledgehammer swings. We also built a makeshift Bulgarian Bag from an inner tube and 37lbs of sand. We hooked a couple carabiners for handle attachments as well so we have a makeshift hammer or weight for distance as well as a core and conditioning toy. I Like!
2. Grateful for the opportunity to sit down with my mom today and have an awesome conversation about the world and where we (collectively, not just she and I) are at. I always looked forward to flying home to see her when she lived in Utah because we would have these deep, meaningful conversations all the time. We'd talk about my dad, she'd tell stories about going to Alaska, I'd regale her with tales of finance (yawn); really special moments to me.
3. I'm grateful for a text a just received from my mom. Friends in Australia just called, said they have a flight for her covered and they want her to come out for a month starting next weekend. A MONTH!!! She's seriously considering a permanent job and moving to Australia and I could not be happier, because that means I have a place to stay in Australia!
2. Grateful for the opportunity to sit down with my mom today and have an awesome conversation about the world and where we (collectively, not just she and I) are at. I always looked forward to flying home to see her when she lived in Utah because we would have these deep, meaningful conversations all the time. We'd talk about my dad, she'd tell stories about going to Alaska, I'd regale her with tales of finance (yawn); really special moments to me.
3. I'm grateful for a text a just received from my mom. Friends in Australia just called, said they have a flight for her covered and they want her to come out for a month starting next weekend. A MONTH!!! She's seriously considering a permanent job and moving to Australia and I could not be happier, because that means I have a place to stay in Australia!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Gratitudes of the Day(s)
I slacked last night and did not get my gratitudes done, so today I'm making up for it. This is the last week of this exercise, then we return to regularly scheduled programming.
1. Very grateful for the weather in Denver today. It was around 65 and not a cloud in the sky. Any time you can walk around in shorts and a tshirt in February, that's a damn fine day.
2. Grateful for the massage I got yesterday from my friend Lynda. I don't have anything specifially wrong, was just looking for an all around She is very VERY good with all manner of soft tissue work and massage. If you have some soft tissue hurting, it's a fairly safe bet Lynda can help out. LifeSport Chiropractic is my main clinic for adjustments, rehab and spinal health. I recommend them to any and all athletes as Dr. Lisa works with some of the best in the world. In the same office, I have to also say that Marcos Mejias is the best sports massage therapist that I know. His massages will leave you wincing for days but your body feels brand new.
3. Grateful to have been able to see my friend Rachel off to Africa last night. She's off to work in an HIV clinic for a few months and enter what Mark Twain referred to as "The Territory". I wish her all the best.
4. Grateful to get a sprint and a lift in today. Feels good to run outside in the spikes and I'm hoping that I can do it regularly once the weather officially turns for the better.
5. I am also grateful for the opportunity to get involved with my rugby club, the Denver Barbarians, again. Not in a playing capacity, although that might be an option for summer 7's as long as my shoulder would allow me to tackle. Wait, what am I saying; no one tackles in 7's. ;) I'm helping out with some of the administrative work that needs to be done behind the scenes as we get into the Super League season. I am very out of the loop with the rugby crowd so this should be challenging and a good time.
6. Grateful for Epsom Salt right now, because my legs are starting to get REAL stiff.
Bonus: I am grateful that this happened.
1. Very grateful for the weather in Denver today. It was around 65 and not a cloud in the sky. Any time you can walk around in shorts and a tshirt in February, that's a damn fine day.
2. Grateful for the massage I got yesterday from my friend Lynda. I don't have anything specifially wrong, was just looking for an all around She is very VERY good with all manner of soft tissue work and massage. If you have some soft tissue hurting, it's a fairly safe bet Lynda can help out. LifeSport Chiropractic is my main clinic for adjustments, rehab and spinal health. I recommend them to any and all athletes as Dr. Lisa works with some of the best in the world. In the same office, I have to also say that Marcos Mejias is the best sports massage therapist that I know. His massages will leave you wincing for days but your body feels brand new.
3. Grateful to have been able to see my friend Rachel off to Africa last night. She's off to work in an HIV clinic for a few months and enter what Mark Twain referred to as "The Territory". I wish her all the best.
4. Grateful to get a sprint and a lift in today. Feels good to run outside in the spikes and I'm hoping that I can do it regularly once the weather officially turns for the better.
5. I am also grateful for the opportunity to get involved with my rugby club, the Denver Barbarians, again. Not in a playing capacity, although that might be an option for summer 7's as long as my shoulder would allow me to tackle. Wait, what am I saying; no one tackles in 7's. ;) I'm helping out with some of the administrative work that needs to be done behind the scenes as we get into the Super League season. I am very out of the loop with the rugby crowd so this should be challenging and a good time.
6. Grateful for Epsom Salt right now, because my legs are starting to get REAL stiff.
Bonus: I am grateful that this happened.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Gratitudes of the Day
1. Grateful to be spending a chunk of Thursday night listening to this: http://www.npr.org/event/music/147154117/live-thursday-galactic-in-concert-with-the-soul-rebels?ps=mh_frhdl1. They put on an awesome show. Scoring tickets to see them and The Aggrolites on St Patricks Day here in Denver.
2. Grateful for some new reading material that is non-financial in nature. I picked up Let Us Now Praise Famous Men and The Pursuit of Power for some intellectual reading. For some personal and spiritual reading, I picked up Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Buddha, God, Truth, Sex, Death and Dogen's Treasury of the Right Dharma Eye. I don't identify/gravitate/follow with any one religion in particular. I've been to sun dances and sweat lodge with many Native American friends, prayed with Tibetan friends and gone to Mass with Catholic friends. If I had to choose, I believe that my personality and beliefs are very Buddhist leaning. I admittedly don't know how the different aspexts of Buddhism (Zen, Tibetan, etc) are differentiated, but I'm reading a bit in a bid to nourish my spiritual side a bit more.
3. I'm grateful that my friend Rachel's Operation Africa Indie-a-GoGo was successfully funded and she'll be heading off to Africa next month to work in an HIV/AIDS clinic. Such a cool story and a fantastic cause for her to take up.
2. Grateful for some new reading material that is non-financial in nature. I picked up Let Us Now Praise Famous Men and The Pursuit of Power for some intellectual reading. For some personal and spiritual reading, I picked up Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Buddha, God, Truth, Sex, Death and Dogen's Treasury of the Right Dharma Eye. I don't identify/gravitate/follow with any one religion in particular. I've been to sun dances and sweat lodge with many Native American friends, prayed with Tibetan friends and gone to Mass with Catholic friends. If I had to choose, I believe that my personality and beliefs are very Buddhist leaning. I admittedly don't know how the different aspexts of Buddhism (Zen, Tibetan, etc) are differentiated, but I'm reading a bit in a bid to nourish my spiritual side a bit more.
3. I'm grateful that my friend Rachel's Operation Africa Indie-a-GoGo was successfully funded and she'll be heading off to Africa next month to work in an HIV/AIDS clinic. Such a cool story and a fantastic cause for her to take up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)