Self-Promoting Shallowness

After reading an article at T-Nation that compares various lifts with each other (i.e. if you bench X amount, you generally should be able to squat X) I came to the conclusion that I am pretty much balanced except for my deadlift. That is to say, my other lifts all compare pretty well with each other, but my deadlift is weak. In a dead you are basically pulling a weight up from the ground in the lift with your legs fashion. Now I only started doing deads about 8 months ago, and I started with 85 pounds which about killed me. So this morning I decided to test myself a little. I increased my PR to 250 pounds (from 235), and I probably could have done more (say 260-270). Compared to my other lifts I should be around 280, so I am not as far off as I thought. I have a few more weeks on my rest phase of 10 different movements at 1 set for 8-12 reps, and then I go back to my increase the weight phase. That will be fewer movements per work-out with multiple sets for about 5 reps apiece. My current goals are to get to a bodyweight bench of 250, which would correspond to a dead of about 450; and a squat of 320.

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do;jsessionid=B98E11907CC5EB3EAC03521C8B92BA41.hydra?id=1823834

You Make the Call

Gunnar made the freshman basketball team and he brings home his randomly assigned jersey. Basically he said Gunnar had to have the large one. He is very excited because he figured out what NBA player had his number 41 (Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks). I am sure many of you that I went to high school with already remember that I was also number 41 when I played basketball. So I dug out my year book and we all enjoyed the twilight zone moment.

Cenneidigh grows up too fast

Cenny: Yeah, uh Mom, can you not buy me clothes anymore unless I am there with you to approve them first.

Sister Beck Lets Me Down

As most of you may know Sister Beck’s recent conference address really stirred a lot of people up. This household was no exception. We have four boys, so every Sunday morning after ironing my shirt I iron all of theirs. In 17 years of marriage, Lisa has never once ironed a shirt for me. Well I listen to the talk and tell her Sister Beck has just said ironing your kid’s shirts is part of her responsibilities. She refused to believe it and after review she showed me Sister Beck actually stated, “They bring daughters in clean and ironed dresses with hair brushed to perfection; their sons wear white shirts and ties and have missionary haircuts.” Lisa went with the literal interpretation that it did not say iron her son’s shirts. As I see it, Sister Beck did not go far enough.

You make the call

Was it coincidence or something more? Lisa is working (substitute teaching) so she arranges for her parents to pick JT up from his bus stop. I came home for lunch and started to not feel so well. After a long lunch time I decided to go back into the office and tough it out, but while there I change my mind and just go home (I am only 2 miles from work). I get home around 2pm. About 2:30 I hear a knock at the door and I find JT all by himself. It turns out his grandparents totally spaced picking him up and the bus driver also let him off the bus with no one there to get him. JT walks the 5 blocks home by himself (he is only 5). Because of events I happen to be home sick for the first time in eons, so I am there to let him in. This could have turned out really bad, but it didn’t.

Conversations with JT

Lisa and JT are at our local Hospital for the Flu Shot.
JT: What does that sign say?
Lisa: That this is one of the top 50 non-teaching hospitals in the US.
JT: What is a teaching hospital?
Lisa: That is where they teach doctors to become doctors.
JT (after thinking a bit): No, that is wrong. That is where they would teach people to become doctors.

Blind Love and Devotion

I was home teaching a young couple in the Ward last night (5 months married), and I asked if it was coincidental that they dressed exactly alike. They both had on brown shoes, tan khakis, and a white t-shirt under identically brown knit shirts. They both looked down at themselves and were amazed at what I said. She had dressed and left for work prior to her husband even waking up. She then hugged him and said we must just subconsciously be that cute couple still. Ahh :-)

New Euphemism for the Canon

From my son’s freshman science homework I came up with “Do you want to WORK my JOULES?”

Lisa was not amused.

Sampson the Sequel

It has been approximately 3 months since I shaved my head and it looks like I need a haircut. This is the longest I have had the hair on the side of my head for years, and the back is looking like a baby mullet. I figure I have two more years until it will be ready to cut, unless I go crazy first.

My new plan is to grow it out for those two years, but the last six months I need to quit shaving as well. That way when the moment arrives I will look bad enough to get on one of those cable TV make-over shows. I can get a free vacation and some new clothes to go with the haircut.

Why Are you So Damn Negative?

That of course is one of Gunnar's big lines in the school musical. They are performing How to Succeed in Business without really trying; and he is playing the role of JB Biggley the CEO. I was very impressed of the production value of the show, especially since I have only been exposed to the middle school plays until now. It was well worth the price of admission.

And I guess it was a little drama, because only two freshman were cast and the other one got a chorus part. By getting a second lead he bypassed a lot of upperclassmen. Gunnar's greatest talent by far is he is absolutely fearless performing on a stage. Couple that with he can carry a tune and is able to memorize extremely well, you got a great actor in the works.

FWIW, the young women playing the Heddy Larue part stole the show. And I swear the way she was flipping her hair it was as if she was channeling Miss Piggy.

Undecided

I am not sure if it was a good thing or not. A friend in the Ward had their parents visiting and they attended my Gospel Doctrine class. I spent the whole class opening up the book of Philemon, because it is too often neglected. FWIW I went with the more sympathetic Philemon sent Onesimus to Paul to be his servant interpretation.

Later that afternoon:
Friend’s parents: That GD teacher really knew his scriptures; is he a LAWYER.

I am not sure what to make of that?

Why I love Small Wards

In theory the lesson was about SWK's thoughts on Joseph Smith. Somehow we were talking about how well organized the church was, how a lot of charities are just fronts to rip you off, and if any of us were members of the Rotary. Let's see them correlate that.

Way to Go Idaho

Lisa passed her Tax final with a 96%. Only has to do the 2007 update class and she is well on her way to living the exciting life of a tax preparer. Of course I get to say things about the size of my deductions now, it is win-win.

Deep Thoughts with JT part 2

JT (to me): We only fart if we drink pop. If you never drank pop you would never fart.

Sunday School Insights

As I was ironing Zeke’s Sunday shirt before church and contemplating my upcoming lesson on Ephesians, I was thinking about the concept of foreordination. Even though Zeke’s shirt said it was wrinkle free, it was definitely covered in wrinkles. This is because Zeke does not take care of it and hang it up; rather he leaves it on the floor and ignores it all week. We are all foreordained to receive all the Father has, but only if we take care of the life we have here. And even though we take care of it, the Atonement will take care of all the wrinkles that still come up. So the shirt is not predestined to be wrinkle free, just foreordained and only predicated on our actions. Something to think about.

Deep Thoughts with JT part 1

JT (to Lisa): I have a penis and it is very powerful. Do girls have a penis?
Lisa: No they have a vagina.
JT: But is it as powerful as a penis?
Lisa: Yes.
JT: Mine is as powerful as the Red Power Ranger.
Lisa: Well it is as powerful as the Pink Power Ranger.

In hindsight I think this is a good analogy. Too often we see Red PR’s easily subdued and controlled by the power of the Pink PR. Of course there are a few Power Rangers immune to the power of the Pink PR, the well dressed rainbow PR.