Leap year

So, 29 February.  Leap Year.  2012

I never asked anyone to marry me.  Noone asked me to marry them.

Although I did sit on a park bench with

a random stranger at lunchtime.

Didn't get to the gym

Factoid: If you want to go on the road

whether it be for work

or on you bike

You

need

to

prepare.

Can't uncentre myself

right now

at

least

in terms of

formatting :-)





Tuesday

V.good Tuesday RPM workout with the PT.  I remain impressed by the lines on his legs, although he is a bit of cocky confident fella, in his own way.  Still, I guess he can afford to be - he gets results with clients and himself, I've observed. 

Tomorrow is 29 February.  I could ask someone to marry me.  Although it is unlikely that I will.

Just trying to live in the moment, each day at a time, living as the Seal track would say "the right life".

Secret Garden

I think I have posted this track before, but hey I like it.  One of my favourite "gardening" tracks I guess.  Although it's not actually about gardening at all.  And that is why I like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtMhtMc1GW8&ob=av2e

I've been spending a bit of energy moving my compost bins over the last couple of weekends (and let me note I have three bins plus two wheely bins just used for compost) back, back to the back of the section, and turning my plum tree area in front of the garage into a secret garden.

Ok, well while the sole bamboo plant and the baby fig tree are growing in this area, I have to concede it is not that secret.  But I anticipate within 12 months it will be - a beautiful secret garden, or seperate garden "room".  A small secret garden, but within in scale to my section.

I comment on this today, becasue I took receipt of three "new" old seats from a Trade Me purchase and one of these seats is now located in the secret garden area.  It's cool.  Well at least I think so.  And so does Ali (my cat).  Although the seats are pretty "rustic".  And um, they are not actaully that "robust" - well not at my current weight anyway.  As in they creak.  So for now, at least for me in terms of sitting on them, they will need to be ornamental.

Oh yeah, today represents another milestone "missed".  I had indicated I was going to do the Round the Bays.    I didn't.

Also, another road free weekend.

The events calendar  posted a few months ago is bascially in accurate.  Or acccurate, in terms of milestones missed. 


I need to get on my bike, becasue a) I need to, and b) I've been advised there is an amazing field of sunflowers close to where I live I need to ride out and see. Hmm, I hope its there for a few more weekends.

Cycling explained

There are a whole series, and various variations on the clip below.  Overall I like the various clips, becasue basically they have this black humour.  I like this one.    Parts of it remind me of the Godfather at LM.  I hadn't seen him for awhile but saw him on Thursday.  Most hard core cyclists (both male and female) don't have much body fat.  And this statement includes RPM instructors!  Both male and female. But man, the Godfather, he looks like he has absolutely no bodyfat.   This is an observation I have made before, but I make it again, becasue....well just becasue I find it impressive, I guess.  Which is not to say I am hot for the man, becasue I am so not, I just find it incredible you can shred your body like that.  Yeah, its a shredding, but different from that of the hard core body builders, who possibly in a random observation from recollection, are more likely to found at Extreme LM in any case.

It's something I still only dream about, having no bodyfat.  Still at least I've still got the dream, and getting back into the right head zone.

So anyway, based on this clip below, I'm still not a cyclist, but it provides a strange bit true benchmark for me.

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12674956/cycling-explained?mid=5694

Good

Went to RPM today.  It was. It is Friday.  It was good.  Good. Not very good. But a good, quite good, and good to make two days in a row at least this week.

T lady reminded the class there is Taupo 2012 to enrol for.  Good to be reminded of that.

Back

I actually managed to get to the gym today, so that in itself constitutes a 10/10.  There was a big guy that sat nextto me.  Well, actually he was about my size - maybe a little bigger.  It sort of made me feel uncomfortable.  Too ‘close to home’.

Session with the young American from Michigan.  Lots of bang your head rock stuff, and track 6 was Why – always a favourite of mine. Anyway, good session – I’m sure it sweated out a bit of excess alcohol and other carbs from the body - not completely detoxed though.  Nevertheless, good to be back.

Slightly frustrating to know I’ve been “off programme” and come back and see faces/bodies still “on programme”,  I can't beat myself up about it though.  The thing is I got back today, and I know that when I get back it makes a difference.

Belated

Here's a belated tirbute to Whitney - inspired by the Choir programme on UK tv (weds being my favourite UK tv night! Essex and Holby City  - and this programme must have been made way before WH's passing) singing this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH3giaIzONA&ob=av2e

Funny watching this again.  Makes me realise kind of influences on Annie Crummer, Peeking Man in the mid 80s et al.

When I loose my mojo, as I kind of have, this vidoe reminds me of one of the ways I know how I get it back.

No workout today.  An uber rpm weds workout would have been *too much*.  which you know, is not to say that other rpm sessions don't have their elements of uber.

Oh yeah, annvisary of the Christchurch earthquake.  I don't need 2 minutes of silence to remind me I will always carry Christchurch in my heart.  It is absolutely my turangawaewae, even though Carterton is now my home.

And of course Ash Wednesday, following Shrove Tuesday.  Maybe I can see what can happen in 40 days and 40 nights.  Hopefully, magic, or a miracle!

Der weg ist das ziel

Der weg ist das ziel. (the way is the aim - the journey is important, not the destination)
Random connection: it's apparently shrove Tuesday.   Apparently.  So Lent must be approaching.  I'm not a catholic, and so I've never given anything up for Lent periods.  I like Easter, maybe more than Christmas, yeah actually more than Christmas.   I particularly like Fruhling and Easter in Europe - because it always seems what Easter is about - new life and beginnings.  Good to remember that today.

The last few weeks haven't been that great, but I know I can regroup (or whatever the equivalent is when you are a sole operator).

and another favourite:

"Be tough yet gentle, humble but bold, swayed always by beauty and truth"

I love this quote.  Almost as much as my Rocky one!

Didn't make it to the gym today.  A meeting intervened.  I did make it to this blog though.

Days are getting shorter, darker sooner.  It's not though about the darkness, its about the lightness and having and holding onto hope.

A few of my favourite things

Dalhia - Giant Cactus - Pink Jupiter




Hebe - Wiri Vision
 

Hasn't been a particularly good week.  I did though purchase a new souped up new stainless steel spade. Tempo has been a bit down, not assisted by a lack of any exercise.  No exercise.  All week. Other than walking to the railway station and back etc, and a little gardening. Just confirms what I already knew, that exercise really does help with the tempo thing.

PO'd

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."
~William Shakespeare

I pretty much live by this.  However, Valentines Day makes me a bit sad there is no "true love" in my life right now.  I think it would make me more complete.  It's a "regret" I live with.  Not always that well.


Bit pissed at work today.  New project manager organised a mind shattering meeting.  I think its the first time a) I've felt pissed at my current work place b) mildly expressed it.  Sometimes, I'm too fricken polite.  Yeah, its professional to be polite, but today I don't know why I was.  I don't know.  years of working with an angry but great doctor, and I guess its just the way I operate.  But I'm angst about it actually, because even though I can express myself, sometimes I "hold back".  That's both a professional and a personal thing.

But what I was most pissed about today, was the meeting was organised at 11.30 - which effectively killed any chance of getting to either 11. 30 or the 12. 30 Tuesday RPM session - which either or, are always fav session for the week.

I'm not sure "love is everywhere" or that "life is perfect" even though I want to believe that.  Anyway, who said that?!!! .....oh yeah, John Denver.  Anyway, John Denver actually makes me smile!  Haven't done this for ages, but about once a year its kind of cool to hit the vinyl and crank up john denver with all the scratches playing....
so, overall rating today: PO'd  (pissed off ) post  :/  Just the way it is today :-)

Melody, Malady

There's a poem by Bill Manhire that plays on the words: Melody, Malady, My Lady.  I can't find it the web, but you may have seen it in Ralph Hotere paintings.  You have to say the words out loud.  They all sound the same, but of course have different meanings. 

I don't know why, but I remembered this poem on the train tonight.

Anway, then I remembered this poem - also a Manhire poem:

Love poem

There is no question
of choice, but it takes
a long time.

Love's vacancies, the eye
& cavity, track
back to embraces

where the spine bends
& quitens
like smoke in the earth.

Your tongue, touching on song
darkens all songs.  Your touch
is almost a signature.

Just thought I'd post it on the eve of Valentines Day - becasue its an old favourite, and I don't have much else to say.  One day I might post an original poem - unlikely to be a love poem, but it would be nice to be able to package the words in that form and see what results!

Thinking about going to Lady Gaga in Akl in accordance with my concert policy, which currently may be more sucessful than my road riding policy - yeah, why not?!

Random stuff and regrets

Random stuff from today.

Observed a "table of four" having a Tui breakfast at Rolled Oats circa 9.30 am this morning.  Mirabelle is my usual cafe of choice in Carterton, but being closed on Sundays, I default to Rolled Oats (actually, Rolled Oats is really "Wild Oats" but I've always called it that so that's what I call it!) for  coffee and the Sunday bread.  Tui breakfast = full cooked breakfast with - Tui!  I guess its no different from having a champagne breakfast?  Just kind of seemed funny, but also very Carterton, although not very Mirabellle!

I read this article in the Sunday Star Time about the regrets people declare when they are dying:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/6404500/Regrets-of-the-Dying-sparks-online-debate

The article is not too different from what Elisabeth Kubler Ross said about dying back in the 70s or 80s: which reminded me of the titles of one of her books "to live until we say goodbye". 

I don't think the study actually has any great revelations in it.

However, I do think there is a lot in the point t makes, that there is a lot to be said for loving more, regreting less, and dying with a smile.

That's what I strive for currently: love more and regret less. Two essentials for living well.

Eeek, no road ride this weekend  - timing just didn't work out.

Curiosity

I took Ali to to the vet today.  He weighs 4.75 kilos.  Perfect healthy weight if your are a short haired black cat.   I don't have scales at home, becasue it stresses me, so have never known what weight Ali is.

Ali just sat down on the scales - and the vet goes "not many cats do that" . Yep, gifted and black is Ali.  Although not so young anymore.  Also a fighter, hence the visit to the vet, as he had a cut - from fighting, (turns out a few bumps from fighting) and I at first I had thought it was a growth.  But the time in between making the appointment and today, it had begun to heal quite nicely.  Still I've had him vaccinated now, after 6.5 years after his last one!  the only health condition identified by the vet was tarter on his teeth!  Just like me!!  Other than that, perfect health and condition. coat etc - which for the life he leads his probably right.

Ali is probably one of the few cats that arrives at the vet without a cat cage.  I just held him in the car and took him in free range. I think he found it interesting - both the car ride  (thanks to Mrs Strawhouse) seeing a little more of his neigbourhood and being at the vet - he loves other animals including dogs, which maybe makes me think he would cope if I got a dog, except I don't think its fair to leave a dog alone 12 hours a day.....

The chracteristic of curiosity if you are a cat is good.  Also, for humans.  I aim to keep that desire for curiosrity and exploring new stuff alive.

I love the joy, and sense of exploration in this video, as well of course the line: when you get the choice  to sit it out or dance, I hope you'll dance.  There's a few version of this track I like, but today, I'm going with this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbJruWd6bmU

Just stacked the firewood today for exercise.  My legs are a bit sore - and my arms!  That leaves tomorrow to get on the bike.

Friday

v.v.good workout today.  That's not a grading of 'nothing left to give, climbed the highest mountain peak and left the sherpas behind' rating.  However, it is progression on yesterday's workout, and perhaps the best Friday workout this year.

now if can just build in some more exercises, things will be sweet.

good music - I always feel like I know every beat in Beautiful Day and Why.  Probably because I do, and that helps.

Can definitely feel my legs - so that's a good sign.

Goal as the weekend kicks in has to to get on my bike and go somewhere, anywhere, as long as its on the road!  Maybe not a big distance, as timing may not allow that, but just to get the road thing back, especially if I'm going to tick off Haunui wind ride this Summer!

Got called in to the manager's office today.  It gave me flashbacks to this time last year when I had a "chat" with the "smiling assassian".  Although today's chat was more about longer term options of staying where I am working.  Still only options at this stage, but a reminder not to let the experiences of the past frame the present "Never look back" ;-)

Back door

I had an "awkward" moment today on my way to the gym.  The route I generally take while I'm working in Pipitea is via parliament grounds, down this passage way pass the rose gardens, pass the MSD statues and the up the Terrace.  And just for completion, I generally come back the other side of parliament.  Don't ask me why, I guess its a minor variation to the route.  Although sometimes I stop in parliament grounds on the way back and eat my lunch - not that I really have time to do this - I just prefer not to eat my lunch at my desk - which is not to say I don't eat at my desk, becasue I do - fruit and stuff, for completion.

Anyhow, there is this backdoor at the back of parliament - often I see fellow policy wonks or peope I know or have worked with appear out of the door circa lunchtime.  However, today, just as I was passing the "door" there appeared Lockwood in his suit and gym bag.  I'm not sure why it was awkward.  I've seen him in his tennis whites, and he's seen me in my lycra.  I think it was awkward becasue a)we really couldn't avoid acknowledging that we were heading the same place and b) we were fully dressed!  I know, its a strange gym thing, when you you see gym people in a different context.
Anyway, we made brief conversation, so have broken our code of silence which has been in existence several years!!

Very good workout with the young American.  It makes me smile that she plays tracks like "We will rock you" by Queen and "What is love".  I guess its that whole thing songs repeat in different decades - thats what the remix revist thing is all about.

Aiming for excellence tomorrow - a 10/10. Although actually, the first aim will be to get to work early and plow through some work, and then actually get to the gym :/

So, high expectations for tomorrow.  It's all about lifting the bar - moving forward, getting better.
Anything less than nothing left to give at the end of the session tomorrow wont make the excellence grade!

Sushi

Today I spent part of my lunchtime here due to a work teleconference not allowing me to get to the gym:

http://www.yoshi.co.nz


You know the sushi is "hot" when the customer behind you is this lady.
Although my loyality cards give testament to the fact that I knew the sushi is good stuff.

Sometimes, I'm ahead of the game, sometimes I am not!

Just need to aim to be so more so than less so!




















Sushi at Yoshi - reccommend it.  If you like sushi.

That's all for today.

Definition

Good Tuesday workout with the PT.  Although if I say sessions are v.good, it does raise the bar to aspire to excellence.  It was though v.good.  He played a selection of boys music - Painkiller etc.  Included a hard track 7 that required not sitting for the whole track.  Haven't done one of those for awhile.  A very long time.  I did want to slap him when I was about to sit down, and he said something like "if you sit down now your a loser".  Still, it worked.

I love it when the sweat drips off the nose, and off my face - it's sort of a measurement I'm pushing myself.  That happened today hard core, although actually I'm not sure if it was in part to where I was seated getting less of the air conditioning.  Anyhow, its good when it happens whatever the cause.

Seated in seat 24 I could see more clearly the definition of the PTs legs.  When he was stretching I could see this line/vein totally defined down his calve.  Now you don't get the definition he has in his calves and biceps solely by RPM.  That's what I aspire to - not to look like the PT, because hello he is a boy/man!  But have that definition in the arms and legs - not like he has, because hello he is a boy/man, but to have "definition" where the mucles ripple, becasue they are well exercise and pumped.

It's a different look from say the purist "Godfather" true cyclist "look"

I should of course be "modelling" my aspirations on the female instructors...and yes, I do want to be "leaner, meaner, and stronger" and tanned, but I also want that definition.

Not really sure why I'm commenting on this, other than I was quite impressed with the definition in the PTs legs.  Also, I supposed it sort of helps to remind myself I need to "picture" how it would mean to look, or how I would like to physically look at my ideal weight.

Then having done that, if I want "pumped" arms, and I do, I need to get back to working out in the weights are with my old gym buddy Lockwood Smith. (we aren't really gym buddy's - we do though have similar tastes in weight machines.  And I think we have a mutual repsect for each other, from the distance of one weight machine to another.

If I looked like Hilary Swank, yeah then I'd be happy.  Or maybe happy just to look like the real me.

Tiesto

Something about the remixes of Tiesto I quite like;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYwLLyy-hZQ

although if I had to pin my colours to a Tiesto track it would be this one - it will always win out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qlz_Y4R4ok&ob=av3e


Although my absolute favourite RPM is of course, Delerium.

Analysing the remix thing, not that it needs analysis, I think it is actually pretty formulatic.  Still, I reckon this is an example where formula works.

Not sure what its is that works for me.  I think its a combination of remembering "Opera" nights in Courtnay Place some years ago, combined with that feeling that the remix can transport to you some place new.

And going some place new, has to be what the "journey" is all about!

Measurements

I took my measurements this morning:  Chest, waist, thigh, calve.

I'm not posting them here.  Not yet.  I have posted them in my food/exericse/diary, that as of today I will now fill in on a daily basis

The tape measure is an effective way to measure progress.

Maybe what I'll do from today is every Sunday post how many overall inches I have lost for the week.  yeah, I know I measure in inches! - although the tape measure does have cm.

Two reasons for this:  1) I am old school 2) I used this method, combined with the scales,once when I trained with a PT called TC.  TC was from the UK so measuered in inches.

The method can work - well, only of course if the exercise and eating are aligned to make it so.

Rollercoaster

Good session today.  Was it better than Tuesday?  I'm not sure!  But I think so far it was my best Friday session of the year.  And a grade of good is definitely better than last Fridays!  Maybe becasue my "original favourite" was played: Human by the Killers.  This was my favorite before I developed a suite of favourite tracks.  The T lady said she didn't think it was a good session.  But I think it was.  I guess that highlights workouts are always subject to the various biorythms, external, internal dynamics of the individual etc, and sometimes the collective energy in the room.  Teaching on a Friday is a hard slot though I reckon.  Anyway, I thought today was good, and now that I've reassessed that rating, I'm upgrading it to v. good.  This is based on I still feel good now, several hours later, the true marker of a good RPM workout!

I went to the Ronan Keating concert last night.  I like his music - but my music tastes are ecelectic, so on that basis I should go to heaps of concerts.  It was a good concert.  It reminded me that stuff energises me - feeds my soul.  Live music and thertre makes something inside me tick just that little bit better.  So does exercise of course.  Anyway, I need to self prescribe more of the live music.  It works.

It's seven fever in town.  I saw this guy (dressed as a Smurf) completely comotised at the bus stop in Courtnay Place about 5.40pm tonight.  In fact two Police "people" had to prod him several times and quite hard (for a moment I wondered if he was dead!) to move him from the bus shelter seat.  And I thought: why would you do that to yourself man?

Other thing about today - I randomly met Stronglight and Homeperm (former colleagues and awesome ladies in their own right) on the Terrace after the gym today.  It made me realised I have made progress.  I have changed for the better and postively in a number of areas.  I want more change though.  But that confirmation today was kindof good in terms of what I need to keep me on track!

this was the best track last night - never really liked it first time round, but now I do!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsN5MtKtWcg

If tomorrow never comes

 

Although of course it will ;-)

Language

Try saying language and then languish.  Yeah, they are not that similar!  Just playing with words in my head!  But language is key to staying alive. Avoid languish

I’ve been listening to this:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2508259/playing-favourites-with-john-jamieson

– this guy lives around the road from me, catches the same train as me quite often, and drinks coffee at Astoria in the mornings, as I often do as a transition point to the day – and we have a few mutual acquantances in common through the language connection.  But wow, I knew he was a language man and an excellent musican, but listening to this, the man is a fricken genius! I find that interesting, because in “real life” he’s so unassuming and understated.  Anyway, if your got a spare 40 minutes! – this is worth a listen re  how the brain thinks, and how language can frame things, how we use language etc.  And QOD, what about the language of fitness?  Do you need words for that?  Even though I’ve got this blog, I don’t reckon you do!  I reckon you just need to find the language of fitness and living well by just doing it.

Language translation of the day: Lumino  = expensive.  

I've always known that, but becasue the dentist I've posted about before had a beautiful Irish accent I tended to ignore it for most of the time.
Today I paid $325.00 for some gum pamphlets.  Crazy,  I know.  As a “bonus” I got a 30 minute conversation on “dental health” and a 20 minute “clean” by a a ex Defence force Dentist - who has a holiday home at Castlepoint. Crazy.  I hope my Irish Dentist in heaven is smiling about this - gosh, 'm beginning to think it may be a reason life became too much for her - all that financial pressure to turn the dollar, when her real true love was music.  I totally get that.  Extra bonus:discussion on zuchinni and marrows, and Alison Holst recipes.  Heck, if I’d known that, I would have exited the “chair” much sooner.  Crazy.  Apparently it will be cheaper, next time.

Now, if I took the the $ out of the equation, I would have been very happy overall with the consult.  o.m.g. 

Oh well, swings and roundabouts, I have a cheap as PHO GP  - who um, I have been avoiding seeing, simply because it means confrontng the inevitable of what my current weight is. But I’ll go back on Friday, because it’s part of staying on track.  All we do is talk.  But sometimes I still need to talk, as it helps with the focus.  Language, and talking are important :-)

This is a beautiful track: just discovered this remake of Elton John's Sacrifice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHKNp_nbBmw&feature=related

Weil ich ein mench bin  - I'm only human :-)