Corks & Cleavage

Cindy's 49th birthday again. Bottle of wine. Couple of cards. Bag of her favorite chocolates. Could have gone a lot better for her. She should have received better presents. She should have stayed home from work. Gone for a spa day! She should not have needed to deal with my recent issues. But she accepted the situation for what it was and we'll make it up to her... down the road... somehow...

After work, she wanted to go somewhere quiet and try something new. We headed over to Corks & Cleaver, in downtown Gulfport.  We wanted to go on MY birthday, a couple of weeks ago, but that didn't happen. So we picked up some BBQ wings for the kids and went off, on our own.

Sat inside, out of the setting sun. Pleasantly rural/rustic decor . Comfortable seating. Good service. Cindy had an almost-glass of white wine. And some Mystery Romp for Your Humble Narrator. We wanted more but the price and the drink portions did not excite us. Couldn't agree on appetizers but some of them looked awesome. Uncertainty versus the price was the likely villain. Cindy had a smoked salmon BLT which she thoroughly enjoyed. My hamburger was very flavorful and cooked perfectly. Wanted a bit more, though. 1/3 of a pound didn't quite fill me. The fries were just average.  But the dessert (a dark chocolate and cheese cake invention) rocked!

Not sure if we'll go back there, or not. Corks & Cleaver was a nice treat. Maybe my belly is too big and my wallet too small.  But the end result didn't entirely satisfy us. We'll have to play a return trip by ear.

Driven Solo

Liam: Can I drive to the Quick Stop?
Me: Sure. Here are the keys.
Liam: Really?!?!?
Me: Yes. Just don't wreck. And take the back way.
Liam: Whoa...

And that is the first time he has ever driven solo.

Fortunately there were no wrecks. Except the one in my head during the long delay before he returned.

Thus it begins.

Tradition's Triathlon 2016 - Race Rehearsal

Several of my plans have gone somewhat sideways, this year. Adventures in employment a couple of weeks ago. Crippled by a sneeze three days ago. Very unlikely to hit a new personal record, next week, but at this point just being able to walk with a minimum of pain is glorious.

Today was the last official day of The Road to Tradition's 2016 and came in the form of a race rehearsal. Once last chance to check our theories and dial in the numerous variables.

Swim went fairly well. Definitely helped loosen up my back. Then the bike went VERY well. No pain or even soreness. None. The run was cut a bit short because the course has an off-road element and the trail was virtually a mud course after all the recent rain.

All in all, a good, productive rehearsal. Finishing won't be a problem. Just a matter of timing. May have to settle for new records at the NEXT ones...

Interviews & Tamales

Cindy & Liam made the trek to Columbus, MS, last night. MMeg stayed home with me. In case my back didn't get any better. Rained on all of us, even though we were four hours apart. Their trip went smoothly, otherwise.

Liam had to schedule the visit to interview with The MS School of Math & Science. He made it past the application phase and was invited up for the next one. First, they had some essay for him to write, on the spot. He said he KILLED it. Then he had some standardized math and/or science tests to take. He said he KILLED it. Then he had to do an interview with staff and alumni. Cindy was on the phone with me as he walked out, and she said he was all smiles. So we took that to be a good sign. Overall, they had a great trip. And Liam feels he did very well. By my guestimate, he has a 90% chance to get accepted. Good grade, great ACT, lots of extracurricular activities, and a rockstar personality. Oh yeah, they're gonna want him there!

Meanwhile, my back decided to stop having muscle spasms and walking was possible today. Meg & Molly went with me to visit the Farmer's Market in Long Beach for groceries and then pick up some lunch. Molly met some friends. Meg had a quesadilla that somehow ended up across the front of her shirt. And Your Humble Narrator reveled in his freedom from the sofa by scarfing down some of the finest tamales on the Gulf Coast.

Good time for everyone involved. But now we have to wait a week to hear from MSMS... ...and learn of Liam's fate.

Just A Sneeze

This would be funnier if it were a joke. It isn't. And actually, it isn't funny.

The event which completely wrecked my back and has kept me on the sofa (thank God for Netflix!) the past two days was: just a sneeze. Pick up the keys, turn to take Liam to school, and a mundane... ACHOO! But nature didn't take its natural course and the muscles along the left side of my spine immediately locked up like a vice along with my ability to breath for several long seconds.

Oddly enough, things didn't initially seem disastrous. Driving didn't hurt. Even did mobility work on the foam roller and the Voodoo floss without any significant woe. But after getting home, making some calls, and doing some clicking clack, the spasms started. Freshly and brutal. Couldn't moved. Couldn't breathe. Jaw clenched during unstoppable moans. And they kept hitting me. While walking. While sitting. While doing anything other than reclining on the sofa. Watching Netflix.

On a good note, my binginity has been broken because it is apparently impossible to stop watching Daredevil (Season 2.)  And Archer (Season 6) has also kept me company these many pain-filled hours. Never binged before. Only took a pinched nerve to change that.

Fortunately the last spasm hit was at lunch time, today. None since. Plenty of residual aches. And my range of motion is still limited. But there is positive progress. Slow, but positive.

And that's my life for the past two days. Cindy and Liam headed to MSMS, for his interview, on their own. Left me to my wounded fate, with Meg in charge of getting medical attention in the event of a turn for the worst. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Not over just a sneeze...

Fifteen Trillion Little Insects

Structure and plans and goals maintain a semblance of order in the crowded room behind my eyes. Something to work towards. A means to measure my personal progress.

When just one thing goes sideways, there's a profound, subconscious impact. Having to reorganize my thoughts. My life. And the lives of everyone around me. The orderly world erupts in static and chaos. Like kicking an ant pile. Fifteen trillion little insects dashing and buzzing in different directions without any structure. or rhyme or reason. And that's just ONE plan crumbling to pieces. 

This week, three have fallen through. THREE! The first triathlon of the season was cancelled. (Again...) And then two separate CrossFit certification were cancelled, with no ETA. Training wasted. Plans scrapped. The world fills with static. The ant pile kicked. And kicked. And kicked again. Topped off with a bright orange mushroom cloud taking shape in the tight confines of my head. 

But, as always, this too shall pass. It is what it is. There will be other races. Other certs. Just have to put the pieces of the new puzzle together. Wherever those pieces may be...

Reverse Brick

Progress. Slowly. Something of a reverse brick, today. Started with 300 single-under jump ropes. Added banded stretching for The Worst Hamstrings in MS. Ran inside for 2 miles @ 18:24. And hopped on the trainer for 18 miles @ 42:20. Happy with that, despite being inside. Wrapped up with half an hour in the sauna and 15 minutes in the cold dip.

The Knee Recover is on day 32. Feeling better. Less wonky. With the cyst gone, there is an unknown time frame for all the mechanisms in my knee to return to their normal position and function, In the meanwhile, just gotta keep picking up the pace and prep'ing for 2016. Gonna be VERY hard to do better than last year. It can be done. But it won't be easy. Then again, when has EASY ever been a part of Your Humble Narrator's agenda?

Warming Up

The cycles take decades. Sometimes.But everything comes around again. Check the picture. Guy in Green? Your Humble Narrator. Teaching yoga poses to a bunch of avid Crossfitters. 

Creating space. Lengthen. Reach, up. Palms ascending. Stretch. Present your chest. Outward. Breathe in. First from the diaphragm. To the top of the lungs. Get long. Exhale the old stress. Inhale the new intentions. 

Not sure if they're ready for advanced backbends, but we'll see how far these folks want to go down the rabbit hole. Yoga's always trendy!

Racing Thoughts

Woke up tired. Couldn't sleep. Stupid brain. Wouldn't turn off. Filled to the brim with racing thoughts. Would-be plans for upcoming adventures. Incessant concerns about the plausibility of achieving my goals. Uncertainty. Doubt. So much easier to do things the same way for another 20 plus years. Just accept my role and take the safe path into eventual silence.

Have to try, regardless. Failed before. May fail again. But at the end of this mortal journey, there will be no regrets. My life will have been a long series of: tried it. Rather than a disappointing tale of:never dared to take the risk. 

At least that's the plan...

On The Run

Twenty five days after clearing up a few issues with my right knee. Ventured to the gym. First serious attempt at going any significant distance on the knee. Wanted a 30min 5k. Ended up with 31:26. And that was a not so easy effort. Significant sweating and panting involved. But, got it done. And felt some degree of pride in returning real training.

After that, tried a little MetCon. Some push press and chin-up action. But was already gassed Barely finished half of it. Pretty stupid of me to have tried. Far too aggressive. And, lesson learned.

Followed with a half hour of torture in the sauna then a quarter hour in the cold dip. Therapy far easier these days than training. But one step at a time. And I'm on the run again.

First Jam

Monday. Work sinks its teeth into soft soft neckmeat. Temperatures drop. Forecasts say: Nearly freezing by morning. Ran my first mile since The Knee was "fixed." Didn't suck. Quick workout: 100/50, 80/40, 60/30, 40/20 on jumps/situps. Couple of weighted Good Mornings. Helped coach a large class of sweaty Argonauts. The Bride is nearly delusional with fever after her third day of The Crud. And like rude, neo-urban ninjas, Your Humble Narrator & Son are off to Irish Coast Pub for the first jam session of 2016.

Lo and behold, Kidd Maestro leads off the very first song! Diggs joins on the drums. Then Zach tickles his keyboards and crafts some vocals. Just the three of them, with Liam at the helm of the FunkBoat. Few things can exceed the beauty awe of witnessing one of your children unleash their natural talents upon the world.

Despite the long hours and frequent shortages of appreciation for my efforts, in this life, my blessings are numerous. They shall be enjoyed while they last. Until there is silence.

Under Pressure

 A pressure cooker appeared under our tree. Experimental kitchenware. Courtesy of the Jolly Ol Fat Man Himself. The Bride didn't trust it. Thought it would explode. Wanted to send it back. To the North Pole. Your Humble Narrator, however, saw his opportunity to shine!

Grass fed, bone-in shoulder roast from Country Girl's Creamery. Some giant carrots. Purple sweet potatoes (yes, PURPLE!) And an onion from the Biloxi's Farmer's Market. Seared the meat in some coconut oil. Kids pealed cut up the veggies. And away we went! Of course, being the maiden voyage, it didn't go eeeexxxxacctly right the first try. Meaning SOMEBODY only set the timer, and neglected to pressurize Ye Ol Beast. But we got past that without pointing any fingers and it didn't take long before everything was firing on all cylinders.  And THEN away we went...

Normally, when a fine fine McDougal Roast is crafted, it spends eight hours in the crockpot. On this glorious day, the total cooking time was a mere forty minutes. Roughly 10% of the normal endeavor! And it came out every bit as succulent and tasty as the traditional method. Actually, we should have cooked the meat for the first 10 minutes, by itself, and then added the veggies for 30 minutes. The carrots and onions were SUPER tender, but the poor sweet potatoes ended up as mashed potatoes.

The Bride cobbled together some bacon & green beans as well as a batch of rice. Mom brought Dad and a carrot cake. And we all feasted.

Wonderful contraction, this new pressure cooker. New recipes must be discovered! And we're all happy nothing exploded. Except our taste buds. And there're more to come.

Post Polar Bear Plunge

Mobility, warm-up, and strength training in the morning. Followed with some grooming of entirely-too-long nails. Treats for an ailing bride. Took the kids by GameStop for some new hotness. And then the rest of the day was spent working on coaching-related materials. So much to do, but it is slowly coming together, one piece at a time. All new. But all exciting. Hoping 2016 will be a break-out year for Your Humble Narrator. If not, there's always a return to being a pudgy master of ancient geekery.

A Busy 2016

Started off a busy year with a busy day. Despite the weather and a terrible mood. drove by Long Beach to visit my Grandparents. Weird tangle of emotions visiting them "together," for the first time nearly a decade. Today would have marked 96 years for G'Pa. And G'Ma crossed over exactly a year ago. Brought flowers. Couldn't breathe for a while. Finally put them on his grave. Something bothered me about marking her passing with flowers. Next year, one for each of them!

Skipped lunch, picked up Kidd Maestro and headed to our local 3rd Annual Polar Bear Plunge. Couple of dozen folks: Luke, Jack, Onnie, Lisa, Dean, and Rachel, to name a few. Air temperatures in the high 40s. Water temperature in the low 60s. Actually warmer than last year. And good to have a Sherpa with me for a change. Video below as proof of my stupidity.

Afterwards, we grabbed some lunch at The Dock (good sammiches but the water tasted like melted plastic) then went to see a 3D viewing of Star Wars. Better character development than I thought. Less campy. Great special effects but not overwhelming. Couple of loop holes that bothered me, but it was a good start. It pleased more folks than it disappointed, and that has to count as something. 

And here's hoping the rest of the year is as fulfilling!

Mothers Day 2015

Sleeping late these days means 0730. Kids kept to their beds until much later. Card for Cindy. Mani\Pedi Gift Certificate. Hugs and such. Whatever she wants today. Turned out to be a late lunch with her Mom while the rest of us hit the theater to catch a thankfully-uncrowed showing of The Avengers.  (Fairly good flick despite some flimsy plot moments but the effects compensated.) And the  day continues as a long lazy Sunday with Liam playing his new bass and Meg alternating between her ukulele and her violin.

Life. Good.

Enough Adventure

One pint too many last night and paid for it this morning. Most unpleasant swimming 1200 yards without a wetsuit. Then we hopped on the bikes for a HR Zone 2. 17.9MPH but only 124BPM. Then a crazy sweaty ten minute run. All three pieces. Good times with good friends. Approaching 21 weeks until The Main Event. We're probably half way there already. Will build up the rest across the next 4+ months. In the furnace of South Mississippi....

After training and getting lunch, hit the road with Kidd Maestro. Checked out some different jazz bass guitars. First music place had a Fender and a second hand amp at a reasonable price. Second place (actually our favorite) had the same Fender but a bigger selection of guitars and we were able to noticeably hear the difference between some of them. In the end, the owner (a bassist himself) convinced us to pick up an Ibanez  (that Liam absolutely loved) and a new 300W amp. Took it home and it is night and day different than his old bass. Much better sound and far greater range of versatility. So we took it back home and he played for hours, looking forward to the jam session on Monday.

Then an unexpected surprise: Nenna (Kimmer's Wife) had a kidney stone flare up and they decided to head to the ER to get it checked out professionally. They dropped off Ethan and we all hung out for a couple of hours. SUPER sweet little boy. We'd have quick, cute conversations and talk about his favorite cartoons. He decided he wanted to watch Thomas The Tank Enginer, like Liam used to. Then one by one, every except me & Ethan went to sleep. First Meg went to her room. Then Liam went off to his. And finally, Cindy fell asleep on the sofa next to me. Approaching midnight, Kim & Nenna made it out of the ER. Us boys were still awake and able to get everything packed without any drama or concerns.

That's enough adventure for one day, methinks.

Push Pull, Clip Clop

Another day and another round of wrestling with server hardware. Yesterday was bad memory. Today involved adding fiber connections. Push pull, clip clop. All done and hopefully we can migrate some SQL services off of old servers and onto these monsters. Often time easier said than done, when my corporate cohorts in Las Vegas are involved. But we'll see how it goes.

After work, met Kimmer at Rooney's for the usual Friday Night Dance. Couple of pints. BBQ Sammich. Music in the background. Conversation in the foreground. He's a good guy with a heart even bigger than his chest. Fought more battles than I can count and still comes out smiling. A good example for me to follow. And his guidance is always appreciated. Glad to have him down for a couple of weeks. We both need it.

A Rest Day

9 workouts in 6 days and finally, a rest day.! Very happy to NOT be in the gym or on the road anywhere. 

Not that there is any rest for the wicked. Still had a full load at work: Dealing with vendors. Volunteering for a new Citrix adventure well ahead of the rest of the organization. Extinguishing numerous minor wildfires. And, as pictured, swapping out bad memory in an ESX host. Funny bit, there, after powering off the server, changing the hardware, and restoring power, my email starts blowing up. The Virtualization Dudes in Las Vegas start proclaiming, "Everything dropped offline!" Which quickly spiked by heart rate closer to 200BPM. Until they started laughing the second they answer their hotline. Of course, it was a joke. A naughty nerdy joke. Highlight of my day. 

My short-lived, greatly needed, REST day....

Mittwoch

Early morning workout: lots of stretching, then deadlifts and (my favorite) toes-to-bar. Only recently starting doing TTBs. They're tricky. And the taller you are, the more difficult they become. So the workout was a super set of 4 x bodyweight deadlifts and 8 x TTBs.

Evening workout: an hour on the bike trainer. Joined by Mister Kim Hall. First time we've worked out together since Augusta. Went about 18 miles in 45 minutes, then walked around the track to cool down our legs and let Kimmer catch his breath. He's still recovering from his adventures, but we agree any day above ground is a good day.

Afterwards, off to Irish Coast for some trivia. Our team, Bitch Please, came in third of three teams. Not a good night. But good times with good folks. We'll extract our revenge, next time.

Cinco De Tired

Another Two A Day. Did Crossfit after work. Shoulders and back and lots of sweat. Then went back to the house and ran. Sorta ran. Paced with Liam through the neighborhood. Went close to three miles. Jogged about a third of that. Tragically funny: after he started getting warmed up, his chest started getting tight. Where? Exact same spot where my chest used to get tight (for decades:) left upper lobe. How does something like THAT get passed along in the genes? Boggles the mind.

No Mexican celebrations, this year. Big meal at work. But nothing at home. Just me and Liam, Cinco De Tired.