I started working out 10 days ago, every weekday at 5 am. There are 2-5 of us that do the Insanity workout. They did it long before I got invited, but I guess one could say I bought into it after the first week. Literally, I found an unopened copy on craigslist for half the price they sell it for at Beachbody.com, plus no shipping cost, and went halvsies on it. This allowed me to do a workout on my own Saturday and the program dedicates Sunday as a day to rest; however, I had a pretty physically intense day at work on Sunday. It rained on Saturday, basically getting all five jumpers that were delivered that day wet or damp. They cannot be stored wet or they will become moldy, mildewy and smelly. I also had to deliver two combo jumpers, these are big jumpers that have other activities besides jumping, like slides, stairs, obstacles, and basketball hoops. I set up all five wet jumpers in the yard and took them all down later and rolled each one up. Plus I delivered and picked up both combo units and this was all done alone, without anyone's help.
All this, combined with the fact that my brother was in Vegas on a work sponsored convention trip, led to me not getting up at 5 am Monday morning. Nevertheless, I did a solo work out in the late afternoon and called it even. Although yesterday, I have no excuse, I was too lazy to get out of bed at 5 am; my feet were hurting and they still do some, but like I said that is no excuse. I do not feel too bad about it though since that is basically the first time I took a day to rest since I started.
Something about actually trying to get in shape makes conscious the knowledge that McDonald's and Jack In The Box just do not cut it for every meal or at least every other. Actually I have basically cut out fast food burgers in the last 10 days. I have been to Subway a few times, Del Taco once, Panda Express (Chinese) once, and had two sausage biscuits from Burger King one morning. Only four restaurants in ten days is Insanity for me. In some days past, I have eaten three meals a day at restaurants.
I attribute this meal consciousness to the workout. The Insanity DVDs came with a nutrition guide. It is not a diet plan so much as a healthy suggestion of what to eat to give a body the fuel it needs for those workouts. I read through it, most of the way. Just taking mental notes, not really getting a plan together. A few days ago I decided I better go to the store. I got only a few things (on a budget here) that I thought I remembered from my reading: bagels, eggs, orange juice, skim milk, english muffins, and pineapple cottage cheese. To be honest, I am not sure why I got the cottage cheese. I have never liked cottage cheese of any kind. It is not a flavor thing, I cannot even get to the point of experiencing flavor. Just looking at it makes me want to gag. Actually having it in my mouth pushes me to my limits and I must concentrate on not gagging in order to prevent it from happening.
Like I said, it has been a few days since I went to the store. I had not yet gotten up enough courage to try the cottage cheese. I have never had pineapple cottage cheese and there is always the idea in the back of your mind: what if I suddenly like cottage cheese now, what if I have been avoiding it for so long now and I really did not need to. This morning I opened it up and one look at my former nemesis and those hopeful ideas quickly dissipated. I stirred the slop with the knife I was going to use to spread it. It did not help. I started cutting pieces from the inside of the bagel to be filled with this cottage cheese that I was going to eat. The transfer from the knife to the bagel pieces that were consumed actually tasted good. I took that opportunity to try to convince myself, "See, you do like cottage cheese!" I thought. As I started "spreading" the cottage cheese into the bagel, my expression soured and I could hear myself saying, "Ewww, please don't eat that." I was very reassuring, "It will be quick and after all it is GOOD." I was very skeptical, but reluctantly I proceeded. As the first bite entered my mouth and came to rest on my tongue, I could hear someone in the back of my mind screaming with their best Will Ferrell impression, "He actually did it!"
Even now as I recall the horror, my eyes are welling up. Somehow I managed to chew and swallow. Remembering that this was supposed to be quick, I forced two more bites down in the same manner as the first. After which I briefly analyzed the situation; I was not going to make it, there was still half a slice of bagel left. Quickly allowing for my conflict resolution to take over, I folded the remaining bagel slice into half. Being that now only a fourth of a bagel remained, I felt my confidence coming back. I put the whole thing in my mouth and tried as best I could to chew only the bagel leaving the cottage cheese filling mostly undisturbed. It worked, I was able to put the rest down. As I stood there, head down; arms on either side of the sink; a small bead of sweat running down my forehead; and my stomach not quite okay with what was on it's way, I began to wonder, "is this what it means to eat healthier, to torture yourself with things you can hardly swallow? Does it become easier, will I look back one day and remember how hard it used to be?"
I really do not know those answers. As I put away the cottage cheese container, glancing at the contents within one last time, I questioned my purchasing decision; I also wondered if I would finish it before it goes bad. There was something else though, as I walked away from the kitchen filled with disbelief at what I had just put myself through, I felt strange. Strange in a way that, a double cheeseburger or three could never make one feel, I felt victorious. Be it a small victory, it was a victory nonetheless and here I am thinking about doing it again, maybe not tomorrow, but again someday (before this one goes bad anyway). That is of course after I double check the nutrition guide to make sure it does in fact have cottage cheese in some of the recipes and I did not misremember when I was at the store. After all cream cheese gets along a lot better with both bagels and me.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Hotwheels Playroom
First off, I must confess I may have been misleading with one of my previous posts at least concerning my knowledge of Hotwheels tracks; it is not very extensive. I have always gravitated toward track building, whether it is for a car or a train. And although I feel as if I have explained this before here it is again:
For Christmas, my nephew got a Hotwheels wall track from his parents or maybe it was Santa; not sure whom I am supposed to give the credit to. I also got him a Hotwheels garage and several cars; oddly enough, I did not know what they were getting him and they did not know what I got him (I bought it at about the very last minute). I had also got him a wall track, but I did not wrap it right away and so when me and my brother talked about it, he told me my nephew was getting too many presents, when compared to what his older sisters were getting, and that I could take it back if I wanted.
Anyway, the wall track he got from his parents I assisted in putting that together. Although, I should probably say my brother assisted and I put it together. The issue my nephew had with the tracks is that he does not completely understand how to operate them, he is not quite 4 and the package states for children 4 and up. A loop that was rubber-band wound to push a car through it had to be removed from the track because he could not use it. Therefore, I was left to improvise or deviate from the set instructions. I probably would have done this anyway, but this has allowed me to imagine other ways of utilizing the same track pieces and not just sticking with what the box says to do. However, I just bought another track, mostly because it had a loop and since it was not rubber-band wound, was wondering if my nephew could use it. Unfortunately, the packaging does little to explain what happens when the track is set up. I have not put it on the wall, but I was snapping all the pieces together and this track eliminates the ability to deviate altogether. It almost snaps and slides together as one single entity. Therefore, lacking the standardization, I thought was implied in the other track that I did put together and also some of the tracks I had looked at pictures/videos of online at the Mattel shop. This only disappoints me more than I initially had been. All this attention I have dedicated to potential track deviations has led me to realize there are definite improvements that could be made that could allow children to apply their own imaginations.
Thoughts: there are a lot of 1 into 2 track pieces that use diverters or trapdoors; however, I have not seen a 2 into 1 piece. An inverted diverter or trapdoor would actually make more sense to me because the car will automatically interact with them in a 2 into 1 system as opposed to requiring a kid to push a lever or open the door to send the cars down a different path. Tracks are also confined. It is hard to explain what I mean by this, but I just feel like though the tracks connect, when you connect two sets you have two systems not one combined system. I think that could be changed, but it would require some redesigned pieces.
I should probably get to the point of this post, it is just a big idea that goes along with all the Hotwheels I have been thinking about lately. Although this is a big stretch from the track design I have been critiquing:
It is an idea to create a playhouse and track system. My thought was the playhouse would look like a car on the outside maybe even have functional wheels and be a mobile/transportable system. The inside would be covered with wall tracks, playsets, and artwork. I mentioned this idea to my brother and he did not say much about it. I am assuming he did not give the idea much thought. Not sure how he managed to do that, I cannot seem to stop thinking about this.
For Christmas, my nephew got a Hotwheels wall track from his parents or maybe it was Santa; not sure whom I am supposed to give the credit to. I also got him a Hotwheels garage and several cars; oddly enough, I did not know what they were getting him and they did not know what I got him (I bought it at about the very last minute). I had also got him a wall track, but I did not wrap it right away and so when me and my brother talked about it, he told me my nephew was getting too many presents, when compared to what his older sisters were getting, and that I could take it back if I wanted.
Anyway, the wall track he got from his parents I assisted in putting that together. Although, I should probably say my brother assisted and I put it together. The issue my nephew had with the tracks is that he does not completely understand how to operate them, he is not quite 4 and the package states for children 4 and up. A loop that was rubber-band wound to push a car through it had to be removed from the track because he could not use it. Therefore, I was left to improvise or deviate from the set instructions. I probably would have done this anyway, but this has allowed me to imagine other ways of utilizing the same track pieces and not just sticking with what the box says to do. However, I just bought another track, mostly because it had a loop and since it was not rubber-band wound, was wondering if my nephew could use it. Unfortunately, the packaging does little to explain what happens when the track is set up. I have not put it on the wall, but I was snapping all the pieces together and this track eliminates the ability to deviate altogether. It almost snaps and slides together as one single entity. Therefore, lacking the standardization, I thought was implied in the other track that I did put together and also some of the tracks I had looked at pictures/videos of online at the Mattel shop. This only disappoints me more than I initially had been. All this attention I have dedicated to potential track deviations has led me to realize there are definite improvements that could be made that could allow children to apply their own imaginations.
Thoughts: there are a lot of 1 into 2 track pieces that use diverters or trapdoors; however, I have not seen a 2 into 1 piece. An inverted diverter or trapdoor would actually make more sense to me because the car will automatically interact with them in a 2 into 1 system as opposed to requiring a kid to push a lever or open the door to send the cars down a different path. Tracks are also confined. It is hard to explain what I mean by this, but I just feel like though the tracks connect, when you connect two sets you have two systems not one combined system. I think that could be changed, but it would require some redesigned pieces.
I should probably get to the point of this post, it is just a big idea that goes along with all the Hotwheels I have been thinking about lately. Although this is a big stretch from the track design I have been critiquing:
It is an idea to create a playhouse and track system. My thought was the playhouse would look like a car on the outside maybe even have functional wheels and be a mobile/transportable system. The inside would be covered with wall tracks, playsets, and artwork. I mentioned this idea to my brother and he did not say much about it. I am assuming he did not give the idea much thought. Not sure how he managed to do that, I cannot seem to stop thinking about this.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
More toys
Just went to Goodwill with my brother and he picked up a Hotwheels electronic Powershift Garage Playset, which I get to keep until my nephews birthday. I am definitely going to have to get this puppy assembled and put on the decals. Unfortunately the only electronic part to this thing is sounds, I believe. It is outfitted with a joystick and it would be awesome if you could actually control something with that. The box also makes it look like it came with track pieces that lead away from the garage, but if it did those are gone now.
Speaking of my nephew, he has started to figure out the diverter switch and trap door on his wall track. Which is great, but he likes to line up about 10 cars and let them all go at the same time. I am more of a "let it go and do not touch it until it reaches the bottom or flips off the track" player. Therefore we get into these scuffles. Which is mostly him just yelling at me for not doing it exactly how he wants it, then I pick him up, lift him as high in the air as I can, and pretend I drop him. He then asks if we can do that again like it was the best thing ever; to which I reply, "No, can you focus on watching me play cars. Mkay thanks." Okay, that is not really true, I mostly just pick him up a few more times and then set a car on the track in the hopes that he will be too distracted to catch it He catches it every time and then he tells me to help him line more up behind that one. The funnest part is that after I have helped him line the cars up, I sometimes have to pretend to snooze with my body at the bottom of the track. Therefore I can jump after the cars crash into me and say surprised, "Hey what just happened!" The command to do execute this is "sleep".
It is rough not getting your way. It is even worse that I cannot bring my own toys to play with because they will get claimed. That is not all that has got me down though. After a little thought, I have started to realize the Hotwheels wall tracks are not as interchangeable/connectable as they first seemed. They use a common wall mount/connector piece that pretty much every piece of track will lock into, whether it slides over it like a vintage track piece or hooks in with a matching + connector. From the tracks I have seen they also all seem to be designed to be laid at the same angle. Therefore if you have two wall mounts on the wall to hold a piece of track any piece that does the same basic thing from another track will snap into it. The four basic pieces are left to right straight pieces, right to left straight pieces, left to right corners, and right to left corners. Left to right describes the direction the car travels down the track and straight or corner is the shape of the piece. A straight piece could easily be replaced by a flat piece of track while corner pieces are a little more complex. They basically drop the wall track down a level and invert the direction of the straight pieces. For example, if the track starts out left to right straight piece and runs into a left to right corner, the next logical piece would be a right to left straight piece This would basically create a sideways V on the wall with the open end facing the left. Although after having said all that one could theoretically create a track that goes left to right straight, left to right corner, right to left corner: in which case the track would look something like a 7 except the top would be more slanted and the stem would be more zig zag or wavy. I will probably have to explain that better, but it would require pictures.
My point is, the track designs are sometimes too tight. And despite quite a bit of interchangeability some corners might need to be redesigned to maintain functionality in an elongated system.
Speaking of my nephew, he has started to figure out the diverter switch and trap door on his wall track. Which is great, but he likes to line up about 10 cars and let them all go at the same time. I am more of a "let it go and do not touch it until it reaches the bottom or flips off the track" player. Therefore we get into these scuffles. Which is mostly him just yelling at me for not doing it exactly how he wants it, then I pick him up, lift him as high in the air as I can, and pretend I drop him. He then asks if we can do that again like it was the best thing ever; to which I reply, "No, can you focus on watching me play cars. Mkay thanks." Okay, that is not really true, I mostly just pick him up a few more times and then set a car on the track in the hopes that he will be too distracted to catch it He catches it every time and then he tells me to help him line more up behind that one. The funnest part is that after I have helped him line the cars up, I sometimes have to pretend to snooze with my body at the bottom of the track. Therefore I can jump after the cars crash into me and say surprised, "Hey what just happened!" The command to do execute this is "sleep".
It is rough not getting your way. It is even worse that I cannot bring my own toys to play with because they will get claimed. That is not all that has got me down though. After a little thought, I have started to realize the Hotwheels wall tracks are not as interchangeable/connectable as they first seemed. They use a common wall mount/connector piece that pretty much every piece of track will lock into, whether it slides over it like a vintage track piece or hooks in with a matching + connector. From the tracks I have seen they also all seem to be designed to be laid at the same angle. Therefore if you have two wall mounts on the wall to hold a piece of track any piece that does the same basic thing from another track will snap into it. The four basic pieces are left to right straight pieces, right to left straight pieces, left to right corners, and right to left corners. Left to right describes the direction the car travels down the track and straight or corner is the shape of the piece. A straight piece could easily be replaced by a flat piece of track while corner pieces are a little more complex. They basically drop the wall track down a level and invert the direction of the straight pieces. For example, if the track starts out left to right straight piece and runs into a left to right corner, the next logical piece would be a right to left straight piece This would basically create a sideways V on the wall with the open end facing the left. Although after having said all that one could theoretically create a track that goes left to right straight, left to right corner, right to left corner: in which case the track would look something like a 7 except the top would be more slanted and the stem would be more zig zag or wavy. I will probably have to explain that better, but it would require pictures.
My point is, the track designs are sometimes too tight. And despite quite a bit of interchangeability some corners might need to be redesigned to maintain functionality in an elongated system.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Twinked
For Christmas I received an unopened box of Hostess Twinkies. I know what you are thinking, great gift for the fat guy, and you would be right. Except obviously the reason they were a gift at all is because what is going on with Hostess; therefore no more Twinkies. To be honest, I am skeptical. I am sure Twinkies will be back, maybe someone will buy the brand or maybe Hostess will sell to itself in some way that is legal, but questionably ethical. I am not a lawyer, so I do not know how it could be done; however, I am fairly certain it could happen.
My point is, I believe Twinkies will more than likely be back. The dilemma then was, do I profit of some poor imbecile that believes the extinction of the Twinkies has increased their value? I mean really has the price of substitutes increased or especially of knock-offs? Nope. I do not think they are worth more than what you could buy them for at Wal-mart if they still have stock. Nevertheless, if there is a willing buyer out there that will pay more than they are worth, then why not take advantage of that person? My brother suggested I put them on craigslist.
After hearing his advice, I planned on doing just that. I looked over the box to check out the condition and I needed to find one pertinent bit of information: expiration date. Much to my dismay, the Twinkies are best used by December 16. Well that is a bummer. I cannot in good conscience sell a food product that has exceeded it's date of expiration.
Well there was only one thing left to do: A little stale, but still delicious. Hopefully, they are still this good when they comeback.
Update (12/1/2014: Just read this, got to say: And how long were twinkies gone for? like two months or what maybe three? Ha! People are crazy.
My point is, I believe Twinkies will more than likely be back. The dilemma then was, do I profit of some poor imbecile that believes the extinction of the Twinkies has increased their value? I mean really has the price of substitutes increased or especially of knock-offs? Nope. I do not think they are worth more than what you could buy them for at Wal-mart if they still have stock. Nevertheless, if there is a willing buyer out there that will pay more than they are worth, then why not take advantage of that person? My brother suggested I put them on craigslist.
After hearing his advice, I planned on doing just that. I looked over the box to check out the condition and I needed to find one pertinent bit of information: expiration date. Much to my dismay, the Twinkies are best used by December 16. Well that is a bummer. I cannot in good conscience sell a food product that has exceeded it's date of expiration.
Well there was only one thing left to do: A little stale, but still delicious. Hopefully, they are still this good when they comeback.
Update (12/1/2014: Just read this, got to say: And how long were twinkies gone for? like two months or what maybe three? Ha! People are crazy.
Stuffed.
My stomach may explode while I try typing this, at least that will give me a sense of urgency and maybe this won't end up as a draft (never to be completed). I had dinner at my brother's over an hour ago and I am still completely bloated. I did not think I ate that much food. It was enchiladas and rice though so it may have been the rice. I only had 3 enchiladas. Never would I have thought three would have made me so full.
Here it is though: I finished my first plate, two enchiladas with a side of rice, and I was feeling done. However, as I was sitting there, having finished my plate and feeling satisfied, my brother's wife told me there was more. To which my retort was pretty standard, a basic statement of acknowledgement; but neither affirming nor denying that I would be having more. My brother laughed as if I had responded with a strong, possibly enthusiastic affirmation.
The wheels had already been spinning, before he laughed. Would not having a second plate send an unintended message? Would it be rude or inconsiderate? Would it not just be better to just eat more, just in case?
If I wasn't so ready for bed, I could probably sit here and complain about it for another hour. I'll feel better in the morning.
Here it is though: I finished my first plate, two enchiladas with a side of rice, and I was feeling done. However, as I was sitting there, having finished my plate and feeling satisfied, my brother's wife told me there was more. To which my retort was pretty standard, a basic statement of acknowledgement; but neither affirming nor denying that I would be having more. My brother laughed as if I had responded with a strong, possibly enthusiastic affirmation.
The wheels had already been spinning, before he laughed. Would not having a second plate send an unintended message? Would it be rude or inconsiderate? Would it not just be better to just eat more, just in case?
If I wasn't so ready for bed, I could probably sit here and complain about it for another hour. I'll feel better in the morning.
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