Last Years Halloween Costume

I think I like this one better than the Superman one!

This Is How It Is

Bouncing from blog to blog the last few days I have, of course, come across many posts about Halloween and eating candy and much lamenting about what can and cannot be eaten by different folks for different reasons.  Now I realize that this time of year can be quite difficult, not only because of the types of food that are all around but because of the weather (this week especially) and it gets dark early and just about everything else.

It was hard to go to the gym last night.  Hard to go.  Not hard to be there.  Yeah even I feel like just collapsing on the couch once in a while in the evening and after the day we had at work, yesterday was one of those days.  I threw my stuff in the car and drove to the gym.  I did a bit of a mash up of exercises just to change it up, and because all the freakin' college kids are there breathing my oxygen.  So I did some weights and then went head to head with the treadmill for an 8k run.  The treadmill is pretty boring to run on, I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate it, but I do wish I could have a great big fan in front of me while I do it.  I was overheating in a big way, I banged it out in 38 minutes though, so not too shabby (for running after work at least).

Now, what's that got to do with Halloween candy?  Will.  But let me step back a bit.  At karate in order to go for Black Belt we look for a lot of things, one of them is personal growth and change.  I found mine at the gym.  Hours and hours spent on the elliptical machine taught me something more than exercise = weight loss.  It taught me about who and what is in control of my own body.  The lesson was simple.  The body is weak, the mind is strong.  My body wanted to stop after about 5k last night, I used my mind to trick my dumb legs into keeping on going - I had to trick them again after 7k, ha stupid legs!  It's my tongue that wants to taste candy, my brain can keep my arm from feeding my face.

Yeah candy is there, treats are yummy, but really treats are ALWAYS available.  If you are reading this you are likely an adult with some amount of disposable income, nothing really is ever standing in your way of going and buying a chocolate bar, a full size one - a king size one!  It just happens to be a bit more convenient to blame a holiday for having candy in the house.  Who's in control?  You or a candy bar?  You or a treadmill?

Object Permanence

You might not be completely aware of this but sometime around the age of 1 or 2 you realized that objects out of your view still do actually exist.  Like if you are sitting at a table and I put a glass of water on the table you know it’s there because you can see it.  When I put a box over it, you know it’s still there, in the box, you just can’t see it anymore.

Apparently I no longer have this ability.  Each of the last two days I have been shielded from items that do still exist simply by pieces of paper.

For instance, I was looking for on of my graphic novels last night (and the day before).  I looked on the book case, on the ‘this is your stuff’ shelf, in the bed room on the shelf under the coffee table (that I have yet to drink coffee at).  I asked Amber if she had seen the book and she deftly lifted one (1) piece of paper near the printer and found it.

For instance, I was in the car and thinking about how I had gift certificates to Smitty’s (a local restaurant) on the front seat.  I thought it was quite odd that they were no longer there.  I reached over the far side of the passenger seat and discovered that the slips of paper were not there, along with the CD I won from the radio station – I did find my long lost magnet on sunglasses though!  I thought some more about where these items could have gone, did I take them out of the car?  Did I put them in the back seat?  There is a book here, it’s small though.  I wonder if these items are on the floor of the car amidst all the G2 bottles?  Pondering.

Maybe if I was to life this book?  Bingo, just because a book is there now does not mean the other things are not.

Maybe it’s because I am old.  A friend of mine has said that I am senile!  Or maybe it’s because our preschool room is filling up with newly graduated toddlers and their hilarious ridiculousness is rubbing off on me?

My Halloween Costume Explained

Friday night at work and Saturday evening at karate were Halloween parties for me, probably the only ones I will go to.  Both of these events required a costume and since they were one day after the other there was no way I was putting together different costumes for them.

The costume I chose got me asked quite a few questions and even a couple remarks about how lazy it was, but it’s totally not, and I’m going to explain that here.

So my costume was this:

It’s not the most elaborate costume, but it doesn’t have to be, because here is the cover of action comics #1 from the reboot of DC comics.

Even Superman just wears a t-shirt with the cape tucked in and jeans.

My costume is pretty much a perfect match as far as clothes goes, and it wasn’t lazy because it took me a couple years to be as muscley as I am now.  Evidence?  Here is me as Superman when I was just thin as opposed to fit.

These were in 2010, and it could be argued that it is a more traditional Superman costume, but I don’t fill it out very well.  It could be worse for sure, but I like the ‘Superman’ from this year’s Halloween better.

Now on to the questions.  Really the only question besides “How come you just have a t-shirt on?” was “How come you are not Batman?”  The answer to that actually is very simple, I don’t have a good cowl.  And most store bought cowls look like crap or they are just masks.

If I had a good cowl I would definitely put in the effort to completing the costume.  I also had the plan on making a face mask for robin with liquid latex.  For months I have had a video on youtube bookmarked on how to do it but I jut never actually got around to it, mainly because I need a cast of my face first. (If anyone wants to give/make me an awesome Batman cowl get in touch we’ll work something out!)

The reason I gave Friday and yesterday though was that if I had been in a Batman costume, then I wouldn’t really have been in costume at all.  Because I am Batman, or at least a few of the kids at day care think so at least.

I did think about going as myself from a few years ago, but at daycare only Carley would have got the joke, and there would have only been a few folks at the karate party as well, and then I really would have heard it about effort as that would have just been a old sweater and a pillow.

What are you being for Halloween?  Or even better yet, if you actually had the means to make any costume possible what would you be?

Achievement Unlocked–The Extra Mile

(Add at least an extra 300k to the original distance goal set for the year)

Today was a B-E-A-U-tiful day! And so I came home from work and got on my bike.  Thankfully Amber was on her way home from town and called me and I got her to pick up some of the things I needed from in town for work’s open house which allowed me this time during such a nice afternoon.

I headed out, up the trail and through the edge of town On Cumberland drive I actually averaged about 37 Km/h (23 mph) over that 2K span.  It was a 19k ride overall and with that amount I have ridden my bike over 890k and ran over 615k.

Originally I had set out this year to run and/or bike 1200k.  I met that goal on the labour day weekend at the start of September.  Over the last two months I have added 300k to reach the new year long goal of 1500k (932 miles).

That distance would have got me from home, to the East coast (Sacksville, NB)

Or from here to Dentsville SC

It felt really good to get this wrapped up before the end of October and with a bike ride since I had not been on my bike in almost an entire month.  Next year I think I’ll try for 2000k but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

Time To Change It Up

So I was at the gym today and came across Jodi mid workout. And it occurred to me that I have been doing my current workout for ages and changed it up on my own the last few times.  It also occurred to me that my weight is going up a bit and I’d like to have another base for my body fat percentage and measurements and stuff.

See Amber bought a scale a few weeks ago and we tried it out and it turned out to be a total piece of crap, my measurements were way off from the last time I did stuff with Jodi, and it wouldn’t even do some of the things for Amber.  I mentioned that to Jodi and she was like ‘Yeah our scale costs $1200’.

So there in lies the difference. $1150 more on the scale for home and it would be comparing apples to apples.  I’m BIG on that type of thing if you haven’t noticed.  So we may pick up another scale, we may not, if we do so it would be good to get it around the same time as an assessment so we can see if the numbers are anywhere near matching.

Sometimes I Don’t Understand My Weight

When i lost all the weight I did I knew I was going to gain some back.  No question.  I did weigh a mere 150 pounds at one point after all.  I knew it was up to me to control how I gained back the weight that came and I feel like I have done a great job at that.  The scale at the gym telling me I have single digit body fat percentage confirms that I am right on this matter.

I have weighed about 165 pounds for almost a year now.  Some days it’s 163, some it’s 166, but on average.  Until yesterday.  I stepped on the Wii Fit scale and it came up with 167.5.  Now I know, what you might be thinking “What’s the big deal?” and you are right. My concern is not really with that number itself.  It’s just that I don’t understand where it came from.

Saturday I ran and did karate in the morning and then played two games of hockey in the evening.  I ate and drank lots and when I weighed myself Sunday morning I was at 164.6 pounds.

Sunday I went to the gym at mid day, and did the work out that I posted here.  Lots of strength things and a 5k run.  I didn’t eat that much either.  But when I weighed myself Monday morning I was up 2.4 pounds.

Sure some of that might be that I was still a bit dehydrated on the previous day, but I find it hard to believe I gained a pound of muscle on top of my usual fluxuation in one day, I assume muscle due to the work out and my eating that day.

I’m not necessarily upset by it.  As long as my current size in pants still fits and my shirts hang the same way on me then I know I’m not putting on weight in the wrong areas.  If my sleeves get a little tighter I’m alright with that!  It’s simply confusing sometimes to do a workout that a couple of years ago would have had me drop three pounds in one day now has an effect that I can’t comprehend.

Friend Making Monday–The lottery

 

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here and over at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

 

 

Winning the Lottery

What’s the first thing you would do for yourself if you won 100 million dollars?  Note: this question is specifically for you…what would you do for fun after the family and the bills and the obvious stuff was taken care of?

Canadian Lotteries don’t usually go up as high as 100 million, but what we win we get to keep, so it evens out.

The First thing I would get for myself is “The Batmobile”. There is no actual definitive version of the Batmobile, but if you are a long time reader you know that I would build mine based off of a Camero.

I’d get that car, and take it to a customizing shop and ask them to show me their ideas until we came across something I liked.  Or with that much scratch I’d get in touch with Greg Capullo (the current drawer of the Batman comic) and ask him to do that.  It would be a sweet car.

Next would be a empty lot out near Millbrook and a custom built house. Growing up I lived in houses that my Dad built himself and so I think it’s great to live in a place that is designed particularly for you.  Really it’s the only way to get exactly what you want in a house.

Lots of travelling! The Caribbean, Europe, China, Japan and Australia, not all at once I don’t think, but Amber and i would go all over and see and do many, many things!

New sweaters for all the teams in our hockey league.  We have been wearing the same ones for seven years now, and we have two team with white as the dominant colour.  I’d change that lickity split.

All new outdoor toys and some structures and mature trees and new cars for everyone at Shamrock!  I think, even if I was that rich, I’d spend some time at work, probably as a volunteer.  But if I’m going to be there I’m going to make it even more awesome.

That is what I would do with lottery winnings.  It does kind of trail off after the car, house and travel.  But that’s what came to mind.

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s question!  Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments!  Happy Monday, friends…

The Gym

It seems like it had been ages since I had been to the gym.  It had been about two weeks I think.  Yeah I think it was two Sundays ago that I was last at the gym.  I ran in between of course, and played hockey, but it had been a while.

Today, after missing the gym last week because of going to the conference, and missing on Sunday because Amber’s mom was over, and again this Wednesday because we were away in Ottawa, I was finally back.  It felt good.

I decided that since I have been doing so much running lately and because I had played two games of hockey last night I would focus on upper body stuff and core things.  Today’s workout consisted of (done in sets of 3 – except all the crunchies):

• Bench Press, Push Ups
• Lat Pull Downs, Burpees
• Shoulder Press, Floor Wipers
• Seated Row, Pull Ups
• Bicep curls, Push Ups
• Tricep Extentions, Back and side Extentions
• Crunchies, Reverse Crunchies, Leg Drops, Scissor Legs, Oblique Crunches, Bicycle Crunchies, Plank
• A 5K run

It felt good to be back!

Kids and Games–A Follow Up

I've had a few comments on the facebook link for this post and I just want to make something a bit more clear, now that rant mode is off. 

My kids will play video games, it's silly to think that they would not because I will have the latest Nintendo in my house.  However, I will be the one that controls the amount of time they play and the type of content they are playing.

It won't be a distraction machine, and they will not be playing games that I think are inappropriate.  I'll know all about their games because I will be playing them *with* my children, or at least before they do.

More than that I’ll be controlling the content that they see and hear even if it is not a game that they are actually playing.

I’ll provide you with examples.

For those that do not know my entire history, I used to have a step daughter.  When she was 8 we got her a GameBoy Advance, I think it was for Christmas.  It was the original version even though the SP was out, because it was cheaper.  For that system she had a really annoying, but totally non-offensive Hillary Duff game where she drove a little car around a map to pick up friends and go to the mall and stuff.  She had one of the new Frogger adventure games and that was so that she had something she had to read to play.  That might have been it. (because I had Mario games that she played as well, but I wasn’t buying two copies) The situation is a bit different since she was a girl and not too many little girls want to play games where people shoot each other.  Being an original GBA, to play she had to have the right light and so she did not play it that often, and it was reserved mainly for rainy days.  I think it’s fair to say that being 24 or so at the time my views on the whole situation were not as strong as they are now, but I did check out reviews of her games first.

If we skip ahead a couple of years we get to a situation where she is about 10 I think and we have a Wii.  My pal Damion has the game Scarface for Wii and tells me how awesome it is. It’s cheap at futureshop and so I pick it up.  You can just imagine the swearing and violence involved in a M rated Scarface game.  So how did that all work out?  Simple, I didn’t play it when she was home and awake.  At All.  If she was in bed I would play it with the sound off, like right off.  I censored when *I* would play a game or how I would play it for the benefit of my child.

I’m not seeing the whole thing as a black and white issue, but I know that there are certain games that are right for a certain age.  And in controlled, supervised amounts I would let my four year old play a Mario game, or Lego Batman or the like.  However, if there was no game system in my house (like that will ever happen) I wouldn’t buy one for them at that point.  There is also no way that I would personally buy my kid a $200 portable system, even a $100 one for that matter before they are even old enough to ask for one!  I’ll have that system for myself, and to spend some Dad time on a day where we can’t go outside and we’ve already played with cars on a mat, and built a fort on the couch and pretended to be pirates or something maybe then I’ll let that system be played.

I love games, I’ve had a Nintendo from when I was 10 years old, my friends had Nintendos and computers growing up.  They were never our first choice of something to do when visiting, and they were not allowed to be even if that is what we wanted.  Our parents made us go outside, run, play hide and seek, use our imaginations, play with rocks, ride bikes and explore in the woods.  Games have their place, I totally agree, but it’s at the end of that list.

Kids And Video Games

I am totally a supporter of video games and I have even made the case earlier that they are not bad for anyone really.  Today I saw a two-and-a-half year old kid with a 3DS XL and my first reaction was that is a bit crazy.  It’s a $200 piece of equipment, and one that there is no way that child asked “Can I have a 3DS?”.  It’s unreasonable on so many levels.

This instance along with a few others both at day care and in other situations have lead me to think about where I put the value I do on games and what would be reasonable for my own children when they are that young.  I see their place as a social tool in some instances and as any other toy in others, but I think that it needs to be grounded in reality.

Video Games and my future kids.

Super Mario Bros.  I have said many times over that I plan to have my children play this game.  I am completely serious. I have had this particular game in many forms even now, twenty-four years after I originally played it.  It is the basic building block of everything that followed and it is a game that is challenging and fun.  I spent many, many hours just trying to beat this game for the first time and I have no problem with having my child believe that this is the current state of games for the first while when they are playing.

As I write this I think that something needs to be made clear.  There is no way I will have my two, three or even four year old child playing video games as a stand alone ‘go do something else while I do this’ experience.  At home we didn’t even have an Atari until I was in grade three I think, two at the very earliest and that would have been when I was eight years old.  Maybe I was seven, I always have such a hard time figuring all that out!  It’s not that I think it is a bad thing, I just think that it is unnecessary.  When a child still thinks that rocks are amazing, let them play with rocks.

Maybe it’s just that I have an issue with someone that is not even three carrying around a device that costs more on it’s own than nearly all of my childhood birthdays combined.

Anyways back to the plan.   Mario Bros, yes.  For the simple reason of skill building I’d love if my kid played them in order, but I’d be fine with any of them really.  And puzzle games like Dr. Mario or Tetris, also fine.  Games that need to be played with others like Mario Party, or Mario Kart that really are no different than sitting and playing a board game I’m fine with those.  I think it’s fair to say that I will be a parent that reads the boxes, checks the ratings and approves games based on appropriateness and not simply because my kid wants a certain game.  I’m always shocked and appalled when a five or six year old tells me that they played Call of Duty the previous night.  It makes me wonder who is responsible for that kind of thing.  I know the answer, the parent, but why? Who could possibly think it’s ok for a five year old to play a game where they are shooting other people?

(After a six hour break, we continue the writing of this post)

Where was I? oh yes, games.  I think some things need to be considered here that a lot of people don’t take into consideration.  My generation grew up with games.  Not that we all grew up playing them, but we grew up along side them.  Super Mario Bros was as advanced as it got when I first played it.  Then Star Fox on the SNES was the height of technology, then games like Wolfenstien and Doom, then 3D games like Ocarina of Time, then Halo and Grand Theft Auto (A series of games I am glad to say I have not spent more than three of four hours total playing).  Guys and girls around my age were a part of that progression.  It was censoring simply based on what was available.  Children today are not growing up along side the industry but thrust into it’s wheel house.  There is no suspension of belief required, things look as real as game developers want them to look and while I don’t believe that war games make killers out of people, they certainly are not appropriate.

I think what I am trying to get at, by this whole thing, is that when I have kids the word ‘No’ will come up a lot when it comes to games.  When my five year old asks if he can have his own 3DS (or whatever the current system is) ‘No’ will be the answer, he can use mine during car trips (because I will totally have that!) When my seven year old asks if he can have Battleduty: Call of Honour, ‘No’ will be the answer, and when he says that Timmy has it, the answer will still be ‘No’ and when he screams and complains, the answer will still be ‘No’.  Because no amount of whining from a child will make me cave in on something as fundamental as that.  Mario is a game appropriate for a seven year old, war games are not.

I’ll close with a story, because otherwise I feel like I’m coming off as a cranky old man talking out of nowhere.  When I was in high school the N64 came out.  3D Mario!  Shadows of The Empire! Zelda! It was revolutionary for it’s time.  Probably one of the biggest leaps from one console’s technology to the next generation.  I wanted it.  No that’s an understatement, I craved this new Nintendo.  I begged and bargained and tried to barter for it.  I had the teenage version of stopping my feet and making faces.  Always, always the answer was ‘No’.  I had a SNES, and that was good enough my Dad thought.  I lived way out in the sticks and didn’t drive or else I would have gotten a job and bought it myself, I couldn’t, so I didn’t, and no amount of offering to split wood or do extra chores gained me any headway, Dad argued that he did all that stuff for free, and so by me doing it he wasn’t saving any money.  I never got that N64 from my parents and didn’t get one until years later, 2001 I believe when I bought it with my own income tax refund money.  I actually got over being refused the N64 in a relatively short time, even with the grudge holding teenagers do.  Being denied did not have me love my parents less, or anything.  Looking back I can see all the lessons I learned from that one stick to his guns ‘No’ my dad gave me.  More people need to do that.

Finally, Pictures From Run For Your Lives

We got back from our trip to Ottawa – more on that later –and Amber discovered my CD from Capstone Photography in the mail. Finally their package from the mid-nineties had arrived and my CD full of digital photos had come in the mail!

Some of the shots are really good, and Amber’s first question was “Was it worth $50”  The only response that I could have was that a single digital photo was $15, and there were no packages like the company that did the warrior dash photos.  So since there was more than three good photos, yes, it was worth the money, if only the wait had not been so ridiculous!

So, lets get to the pictures.

The Starting gate

Zombies!

Leaving the starting gate

I think this is probably the best picture,
leaping over the timer line wires

Coming out from under the barbed wire

Dodging zombies.

Protecting my flags against the zombie horde.

It was a bit hard to fight the instinct to start punching.

I broke free, the bride looks disappointed.

Those I think are some of the best ones. If you want to see all the photos, head over to the facebook page and check out the album!

Friend Making Monday–Quick and Random

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here and over at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

 

Quick and Random

 

1. Choose three songs that would be on the soundtrack of your life. 

“Harder, Better, Faster Stronger” – Daft Punk
”Going the Distance” – Cake
The Mario Bros theme – Koji Kondo

2. Share the details of one project that you’re currently working on. 

I’m not currently working on any specific project, except I did just attend a conference for work and it has so many ideas and thoughts buzzing around in my head.

3. If you could learn to do one thing overnight what would it be?

Be a wicked guitar player

4. If you could be a fictional character which one would you be? 

I already live my life half like and action hero and half like a cartoon character, but if I had to choose anyway, it would be Batman.  I would totally be Batman.

5. What’s your favorite thing about the month of October? 

Cooler weather and fall colours!  I can’t stand the heat and so finally in October I know that I’ll have nice comfy temperatures!

6. Share one TV show that you’re embarrassed to admit you watch. 

I don’t think I have any of those now, I did watch Sailor Moon when I was in high school.  I did watch The Power Puff Girls when it was on, but that was a fantastic show.

7. Name one friend that you’re thankful to have in your life today. 

One?  That seems a little unfair.  I’m thankful for Pete, hilarious, entertaining and educational, plus we are brothers, he knows what I’m talking about!

8. What was the most relaxing part of your weekend? 

Most relaxing was yesterday pretty much doing nothing but playing Batman: Arkham City all day.

9. Do you like to dance? 

No, and yes.  I like it I suppose, but I feel that I look ridiculous doing it, so shhhh, don’t tell anyone.

10.  Share one thing that you’re looking forward to before the end of the year. 

The obvious one would be Wii U next month, but I am also looking forward to my birthday and getting together with friends and our trip to Ottawa tomorrow for our anniversary.

 

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions!  Take a moment to answer the questions on your own blog, and don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments!

Play To Win

In a discussion with Amber last night my notion of “If I’m going to do _____, I’m going to win!”  As an example when I headed out to do my very first race last summer I went with the mindset that I was going to win.  Was it realistic to think that I would actually win my first race ever?  Even when it was 10K and I had only run that distance maybe two times before the race?

Of course not.

But my thinking at that point was, why enter a race and then go without the intent to make the attempt to win?!  Fast forward a year to the Warrior Dash or Run For Your Lives, I went to each of those with the intent to win, and placed really well in the Dash and was second in the zombie run. I went with the intent to win, and I nearly did.  I mena no one goes to the Olympics and dreams about placing 7th.  That might be their best result ever and they are ecstatic about it when it’s all said and done, but you dream about being 1st!

However, during that whole discussion came the awareness of my beginning mentality which was the ‘first switch’.  “I’ll just do a little more.”  This was a common thing on the elliptical.  I’d go to the gym with the intent of doing X amount of time on the machine, I’d reach that goal, but the calories burned would be close to another round 100 number, so I’d just do a little more and reach that number.  Another day I’d get to that round number and the just do a little more to be at a new higher amount of time.  It built like that for quite a while.

I’ve seen this change in Amber, with her swimming in particular.  It makes me excited about the future of her fitness.  Mindset is changing and that more than anything else is what is important.  If you approach fitness with a “I’ll just do like a 75% effort” or “I can’t give 100% but I’ll see what I can do” it’s not going to work out for you.  There is a reason that there is a phrase “Push yourself!”  And that is because even when you don’t feel like it sometimes, you’ve got to put in what you’ve got to push forward!

If you’re in it, you’re in it to win it!

Friend Making Monday–In Your Home

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments here and over at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

 

Inside Your Home

1. Do you live in an apartment/condo, townhouse or house? 

I live in a house!  My second house actually, yay home ownership.

2. What is your home’s coolest feature?

Literally, central air.  Really though, central air.  Man’s greatest invention!

3.  Do you enjoy DIY projects? 

Hmmm  not really.  I like accomplishing things, but I don’t like starting them.

4. When using the dishwasher do you use powder detergent or liquid? 

Liquid all the way!

5. Do you have a TV in your bedroom? 

Yes, but we have not used it since we moved I don’t think.  Maybe once we have Netflix in the bedroom

6.  Is your range gas or electric? 

Electric, but it’s a cool glass top one

7.  How often do you sweep/mop/vacuum? 

I vacuum once a week, and sweep when I notice it needs to be done.

8.  What is your favorite place to shop for home furniture and accents? 

Do I look like a woman?  I shop for electronics (Futureshop) and get dragged to buy furniture and accents, but usually The Brick

9.  Do you decorate for holidays? 

Hmmm  for Christmas yes, for anything else, no.

10.  If you could have HGTV come in and redo one room in your home which room would you choose? 

Kitchen hands down.  I like my kitchen, but the cupboards look dated and the dishwasher needs an upgrade.

 

Your Turn!

Someone Call The Cops!

I was robbed!

So there I was, just to the left side of the slot, Mark fed the puck across to me, I one-timed it.  Somehow the opposing goalie slide across stretched out and saved it.  The rebound came back, I corralled it.  I had the whole top half of the net, and all week to shoot the puck.  I fired it, it was headed to the top corner, and snared!  Somehow, the goalie reached up and snagged it right out of the air while he was flopping on the ice like a fish out of water. That unbelievable sequence was only a pair out of five or six mind blowing saves he made against me last night.

I did end up with an assist in our game, and then I played for Ferndale and scored a goal and two assists.

In our game both teams were a little short handed and so we played 4 on 4, it made for a lot of hard skating.  I loved it!

Something that does suck is going to the gym the day after and doing things like leg raises and scissor legs.  Man that hurt.  But that is the reward for skating for two hours less then 12 hours earlier.

Life As A Computer G uy

As you may or may not be aware I used to be a computer guy.  And by that I mean it was my job for the better part of seven and a half years to know computers inside and out.  To be able to troubleshoot issues over the phone with little old library ladies, go to a business and pull apart the computer that held all their accounting data and stick it back to together again, to find solutions to problems on the fly.

It was fantastic work I thought.  Especially my time at Computer Installations Plus.  I got to work with Damion, now the proprietor of H.I.T.S. (check him out!) and we were a great team.  Not only was work fun, but it was engaging and entertaining.  We watched cartoons at lunch, be joked about stuff while building computers in the office, we got to do day road trips hours away from the office and work on stuff.

It seems like so long ago now, and I guess, 2009 is quite a while ago.  In February it will be four years since I was a paid computer guy.  It seems though that once you have done that kind of thing for a living it never seems to leave you alone very much.  I have fixed friends computers and the computer at Shamrock and usually get called upon to do my thing whenever there is an issue with the computer, or sending files or whatever both here and for the KCCS site in Apsley.  I kind of like it, it keeps those skills from getting too dull.

Sometimes it's a bit daunting to have the reputation as the computer guy though.  People expect that you can do anything and fix any issue.  Even with devices and hardware not meant to work together.  We have ipads at work, and I hate them.  They are not as functional as they need to be for what we use them for and we are constantly having to find work arounds or substitutions.  For example I took some pictures with my phone the other day, a Galaxy SIII, and we wanted those pictures on the ipad to do some documentation with.  No problem right?  Just put the pictures on an SD card with pictures from one of our other cameras and stick the card in the adaptor and load them on, right?  Nope, the ipad won't read my pictures!  What's up with that?  On one hand I have no control over the fact that apple makes a product that accepts some pictures and not others, on the other I feel bad that I can't make it work when it's something so ridiculously simple!

So instead I used a handy little program called dropbox and sent the pictures from my phone to the computer in the office the documentation got done that way, and then yesterday morning I converted that Publisher document to a PDF and shared it via dropbox to our Supervisor at home so it could get printed in colour.  Workarounds and thinking laterally are all par for the course as a computer guy.

I think these skills have transferred well to my life as a Early Childhood Educator, thinking laterally and all that.  And really how many daycares can say they have on site tech-support?  It works out pretty well.  I wish I got a little bit more input on some of the things we buy, but maybe in a few years that might happen (laser printer over inkjet anyone?).

Like A Sieve

Now that was a disaster.  I played goalie last night, in the pickup game that is my usual place for playing net.  I was the only goalie there and when that is the case it makes things difficult.  Players are not as motivated at the other end of the rink because it’s just a cone in net, your own team is not as motivated to defend because their reward is shooting at a cone, I’m not as motivated because I don’t really have someone to beat.  I can’t ‘be better’ than an inanimate object.  That and the water was so deep on the ice I couldn’t go down to make stops in the warm up lest my pads get soaked because the flooding had not frozen yet.

I think in the hour I let in 8 or 9 goals, which for a game of pickup is really not *that* bad.  My issue was that I was letting in shots that I should have been stopping.  Just over my shoulder even after hitting me, off my pad and then in the net.  My angles were off.  Horribly!

It does not make for a fun night.

I’m glad that tomorrow I finally get to play my usual winger spot with my usual CFL team.  Last Saturday in net was actually very good.  I played both games, one for my own team and one for Calvery.  For Calvery it was a 5-4 victory, for my own team a 4-3 Loss.  But in the two games I made probably 75-80 stops even though I let in those goals, but only one of them was soft I thought.

That really is the excitement of being goalie though, either you are the hero, or the scapegoat.  You can be the wall that stops everything, or like a sieve, letting pucks go right past you.

It’s Fall And I’m Going To School

I love fall.

 Me Playing with the new phone and the camera within

It’s cool, I can wear sweaters, and pants (opposed to shorts).  I like spending time outside in the fall because I’m not roasting in the heat of the sun.  I have gone for a run each of the last two evenings after work, mainly because I’ve had PD to go to shortly thereafter.

I actually had my second fastest time running the trail behind the house today. It’s such an easy way to squeeze in some exercise. 20-30 minutes and that’s all I need for the day, but the time I am home have burned like 400-500 calories.

Now for the going to school part.  Turns out that the principal at one of the schools that amber teaches at read the article about me and connected the dots that I was Amber’s husband.  With that realization she came to Amber and asked her if maybe I’d be interested in coming into the school and talking to their 5/6 and their 7/8 classes about fitness and races and going from being a big guy to being the guy on the front of the sports page in the local paper! 

If you had asked me a few years ago if I ever thought I’d be like a motivational speaker that comes in to public school to talk about the awesome things I do, I would have said that there was no need for me to go in and talk about how great I am at Mario Kart to school children.

How awesome is that?!

I’m In The Paper

The title is pretty self explanatory.  The interview I did the other day made it into the local paper today!  pretty sweet!  Check it out!

http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2012/10/02/peterboroughs-chris-barnes-outruns-the-zombies-to-finish-second-at-run-for-your-lives

Your Body Deserves It

This one has been rolling around in my head for a little while now, but not really sure about how to get it out, and that challenge was in my way too.  So what does your body deserve? Therapy.  My mind could probably use it too, but I don’t have that kind of money or time.

I mentioned in one of the blog challenge posts that sometimes I just declare ‘Therapy Day’ and do nothing exercisey but maybe go to the chiropractor or to get a massage.  I think it’s an important thing and if I had the money I would got to both every week.

Some people scoff at going to the chiropractor, some have just never considered it.  You should go.  I go to Peterborough Chiropractic (right by George and McDonnell for those that live nearby) and see Dr. Jenn.  It’s fantastic.  She pokes at me a bit when I get there ‘Oh is this the spot that hurts?  How does it feel when I do this?  Yeah you have a rib out of alignment here!’  Generally it’s kind of a ‘what do you have for me *this* time?’  or ‘How have you abused your body these last two weeks?’ kind of thing.

I’m a bit rough on myself what with the running and gymming and hockeying that I do.  To lay there and get adjusted, which is actually a pretty interactive process, is awesome, I get that satisfying snapping crunching sound out of my back and neck all the time there, so great.

The other thing you should do is get a massage once in a while.  The more often the better in fact.  I go and see Sarah Reurekas (also at the Chiropractors office) (@rmtsarah on twitter).  Fantastic!  Some therapists go too light on me.  She does not.  I feel it.  I think there is a place for relaxing massages and all that, but they aren’t with me.Sarah digs in and works out knots, it’s like doing a workout really for me, it hurts when I’m on the table, but once she’s done that spot on my shoulder or back or neck it feels awesome!

If you have been working out, losing weight, building fitness, sitting at an office all day, super stressed etc… instead of rewarding/relieving yourself with something like food, or a shirt or something, go book an hour on a massage table, or visit the bone cracker…  I mean chiropractor.  Great self-gift, trust me.

Friend Making Monday–Uniquely You

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here and over at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

 

Uniquely You

1) Do you prefer to talk or text?

Usually I prefer to text, unless it’s urgent.  I generally don’t like being on the phone so I avoid it when possible.

2) How often do you make your bed?

We make the be when company is coming over that might see it.  Like my parents for example.  It’s just not a priority around here I guess.

3) What sounds do you hear right now?

Grayson purring while laying on a sleeping Amber.  And is he ever loud when the rest of the house is quiet.

4) List three things that you always carry with you. 

My phone (now a Galaxy SIII) and that’s about it for something I always have on me, mostly have with me would be my wallet, and my keys I suppose.

5) What are your favorite TV shows?

Mythbusters, The Big Bang Theory, Corner Gas, How I Met Your Mother, Dragon’s Den, Storage Wars.  I’m hoping to ass Arrow to that list, but I am prepared to be disappointed.

6) Is there a hobby that you’d like to devote more time to? If so, what is it? 

More time to a hobby? Um paintball!  Nothing better than shooting people on a Sunday morning.

7) What is your favourite drink?

Coke Zero and Hot Chocolate, not together!

8) Share a couple of cool facts about your family.

Growing up I lived in houses that my dad built himself from when I was nine years old and up.  My mom made all the kitchen cupboards and counters herself.  my Brother is a Captain (I think) in the Reserve Canadian Forces

9) List one thing that you will do for yourself today.

I’m going to the bone cracker…  Chiropractor, makes me feel much better!

10) Share something that you’re thankful for today.

I’m thankful that I have a job I love!

 

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions!  Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments.  And try to say something to someone new this week. There are some pretty cool people connected here.  Happy Monday, friends!