Science Experiment

Lisa learned that when you throw your Chipotle burrito in its paper bag in the microwave, you will actually start a fire. Big one with flames.

I am just glad it wasn't me, or I would have never heard the end of it.

Tuesday Workout or Bulgarian Split Squats are of Satan

Very similar to Monday but with a different 6 exercise.
Deadlifts and Incline dumbbell press
Bulgarian Split Squat and Mixed grip lat pull-downs
Romanian Deadlift and Swiss-ball Lateral Rolls

I had to quit during the second set of the last exercises, but it was the Bulgarians that killed me. Trying to do 15 reps with each leg for each set was almost impossible, and that was without any weights. The last set was more like 6 x 5. My thighs hurt (in a good way) for the rest of the day.

After Dark

After Dark by Haruki Murakami (Alfred A. Knopf), 2004, 191p

I realized a long time ago that most of my reading centered on American or UK writers. The most foreign I ever got was the occasional Australian. I figure a lot of these writers were translated into foreign languages, so conversely foreign writers must be translated into English. Not that it was a secret, I had just not thought about it before. So I actively searched out such writers to broaden my horizons and Japan was one of the first countries I went to. This was mainly due to having family there and figuring one would need to be conversant with their modern literature in polite society (yes, I am being sarky). I am so glad that I did because I found two of my favourite current authors through this process, one being Haruki Murakami (and the other Henning Mankell from Sweden).
The strangest thing with this book and his others is I cannot really tell you why I liked them; just that I did. I get engrossed by the characters and just cannot put the books down and at the end I really cannot tell you what is going on or the big questions being asked. Yet I have loved every one of the 12 I have read.
So I recommend you try one of his shorter ones and see how it goes. Maybe it will strike a chord with you as well. If any of you have a favourite foreign writer (as in their native language is not English) please let me know.

Speaking of Charmed

Lisa and I have seen the first seven seasons on DVD, so over the course of those viewings our kids have picked up a thing or two. Every time, and I mean every time, JT sees a graveyard he yells out “That’s where evil gets married.” On our recent trip to the capitol we visited Arlington National Cemetery. We had a very long talk about what not to say while there.
At one time in the past I may have inadvertently blamed JT for passing gas when in fact it may have been me. Ha Ha, very funny and very fatherly. Except JT’s mind is pretty sharp and he has taken this to mean that whenever or wherever he passes gas he can blame me very loudly. Good times. It proves the admonition of Paul to the Galatians, you reap what you sow.

Entering the Seminary

Back in my mission days we used to have a practice of scrying the BOM at the end of a member visit as a means of a spiritual thought. I am using the word scrying in the Charmed (TV show) sense, as when they would twirl the crystal over a map to locate what they were looking for. BTW, I only watched Charmed for the articles. Anyways, we would flip through the BOM and then jab our finger into them when the person would say when. We then would try to interpret the scripture we landed on as having some import to their life. Harmless fun I am sure, but it does smack a little superstitious to me now.
Well today was Gunnar’s first day of Seminary. I was giving him and another 14 year old a ride to the church when I decided to scry my IPod for a revelatory song. I hit the shuffle and blindly skipped ahead. For the other kid I got You Oughta Know by Alanis Morisette which has the refrain “You live, You learn.” For Gunnar though, I got The Clash’s Should I Stay or Should I Go. Interpret that!

Daily Workout Monday

So I switched up my workout today and like to have killed myself. Each pair of exercises was a superset with 3 sets of 15 and 75 seconds of rest in-between. I kept the weight low intentionally.
Squats (155) and Seated Cable Row (I forget)
Supine hip extension on Swiss ball and Walking lunges with a twist
Dumbbell push press (35) and Swiss ball crunch.
Since I have been doing Squats and Deadlifts all along (other leg/lower body exercise), I avoided Lunges because I do not like them. I started the lunges with weights but had to give them up (the weights) during the first set as I was about to collapse. I ended up with a bruise on my knee due to the strain. I have been humbled, and will never overlook lunges again

Good Father

Lisa has not been feeling well so I offered to take all the kids, minus Gunnar, to the big city with me for my errands. It is a 40 minute drive each way, so quite the commitment. Any way I am going to buy all the wood trim for the finish carpentry for Cenny's room remodel. So I am dressed in my dirty hat, t-shirt, and painter's pants (very stained). Since you are going Lisa says, go by the mall and exchange my stuff at Anne Taylor. Have you guys been to Anne Taylor? The sales lady was very nice, but you could see wanted the scruffy guy with the four little kids out of there pronto. It ended well and I went on to the home improvement store. The big one here is called Menards; well the kids have a slang term called Nards (like 2 veg - as in fruit and two veg). So Me-Nards was very amusing to the lot of them.

Start the Speculating

It is never a good thing when someone from the Stake Presidency says he needs to meet with you. Either you have really screwed up or he wants to give you more to do.

Of course there is an opening in the 12...

MIdlife Crisis Part 2

Lisa has now decided that she needs to bungee jump prior to turning 40. I said I would watch; maybe even take a picture.

The MTV Effect

I am driving the kids on some errands and Cenny says "You need to pimp your ride Dad. We could use an X-Box back here."

It was bound to happen one day.

As you can see from the following link, Tales From the Crib: NUT FREE, a topic came up that I actually know something about. It is one of those rare moments that make the education worth it, and I have something worthwhile to say.

Enjoying the moment, see you in 5 years when it happens again.

Daily Workout Thursday

Last day of the weight lifting to gain muscle. I started semi-seriously 6 months ago to get stronger and all that goes with it, and for the most part I think it went well. Increased my bench by 60 pounds, my squat by 75, and my deadlift by 140. So I am pleased, but I still need to drop some fat and will focus on that starting Monday. Basically I am following the program of Alwyn Cosgrove as laid out in his book. It will still involve weights, just not trying to increase my loads all the time and at a faster pace.

Anyway I was feeling quite tired this morning so I took it easy. Kinda like being trunky the last day of the mission. I did try pushing the squats thinking I would wake up, but then backed off again for everything else. I also went with 4x5 for most things.
4x5 145 Bench
4x5 225 Squat
4x5 185 Deads
4x5 95 Cleans with press
4x5 Dips with 52# assist
2x10 210 with chin grip cable pull down
2x5, 1x10 120 Row Machine

Lisa was done with the spin class and was standing next to me on the last exercise saying “Let’s Go!!!” I mainly do the last two exercises because I cannot do pull-ups YET. Also I did my usual 50 push-ups while watching TV last night (5x10 with feet elevated on the couch)

http://alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com/

Daily Workout

I did sprints on the treadmill this morning. Warm up followed by 20 seconds at 6 minute miles with 10 seconds off. Repeated for 6 rounds followed by a two minute rest pace and then 4 more rounds. Cool down and out.

Apples at the Chapel

The name. Once while arguing with Lisa she wanted to use the expression that I was preaching to the choir; instead she said I was selling Apples at the Chapel. It is now part of our family lore and I recommend that everyone start to use it in their daily speech.

I am Out of the Closet

I planned to build this blog up a bit before letting everyone know I was writing it, but I accidentally outed it by commenting on another blog and using the blogger login function.

Anyways, let’s hope for the best.

My Wife the Freak

Put all the kids in school. In our town we have one school just for kindergarten, so it is a very crowded place on the first day. You see the buses come up to the school and all the parents who put their kids on the bus 20 minutes before are standing there at the school to take pictures of their sweeties getting off the bus again. So our 5th and last child began school today and he was very excited. He has the same teacher who had his 3 brothers, so she knows what to expect.

This event has caused a large amount of stress for Lisa as part of her identity for the past 14 years is she is a SAHM. Without any kids that just makes her a maid. So here is the freak part. To redefine herself she has sign up for one to fulfill her true desires. Starting next week and running for 3 nights a week for the next 11 weeks she will be taking the H&R Block tax preparer’s course. That’s right, Lisa loves doing taxes.

Long Haired Freaky People

Cenneidigh got her hair cut for locks for love this week. And Lisa is about three months away from having long enough hair to cut for the same purpose. This, coupled with a friend who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, has motivated me to grow my hair out as well. The requirement is 10 inches and I just shaved my head last month, so I figure it will be at least a year until I get there. This is a post that could use a picture of a very cute Cenny with her new hair.

Two-Timer

We had the annual best ball 9-hole golf tournament at work last Friday. The team I was on last year got the special last place trophy, and this year with a new team made up of family members I repeated. We managed a 48 putting us 16 strokes behind the winners. With me, if I manage to get a ball in the air AND make it go straight at the same time, I have been successful. That rarely happens.

Patience

I am new at this and still need to learn how to add pictures, a side-bar, and embedded links. I will get there thanks to the handy dandy Publishing a Blog with Blogger book I got from the library.