looking ahead

This year. Whacked out beyond belief. I've about wrapped up the preliminary version of 'business plan 2009'... which is really pretty darn great, if I do say so myself. On the advice of a good friend and mentor, I am also revisiting the events, the catastrophes, the successes, and the soon-to-be-gone "me" of 2008. One idea permeates the feeling of this year, and that is the fact that I could never have done it alone.
George Burton Adams said, "There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success."
Well said. For quite some time I romanticized the idea of independence, and the self-made woman that I thought I was. Now I realize that it just ain't true. I've a list of folks, at least a mile long, that have made just about every aspect of who I am possible. I'm pretty sure there are just as many more who I've forgotten. So to every single person out there who has given me an introduction, an opportunity, a direction, an idea, a word of encouragement, a smile, or a reason not to jump out the 31st floor window (and even to those that have frustrated me enough to want to jump, or perhaps push you... you've inspired me in your own way). Thank you is never enough. I only hope that I have played a positive role for some of you. I've got a great little ever-expanding network, and I am so grateful.
Here's to a fabulous 2009, and to connections new and old.

And to the workout:
Swing combo, 12kg x1 /8kg x1:
10 front right
10 lat right
10 front left
10 lat left
10 halos

sandbag(40#): 8 squats+ 50ft carry x13 in 10 minutes (ok, slightly more than 10 minutes, but I had to finish the last one, right?)

dead solider

ahh. Johnnie Walker. Blue, of course. We killed the bottle over the holidays. It was quite a treat, and now its back to clean living. hmmm.... or at least some less extravagant decadence. ha!

to make up for it:
Pushup rows/single leg dead 15#dbs: 6/6 x4
Band twist/Turkish get up 12kg: 10/5 x3

Merry Christmas!

All the warmest, happiest holiday wishes to all!

Today was just a short little one - but the movement was my gift to myself. :)
Didn't have time for the bodyweight part, and my stopwatch was inaccessible, so its un-timed.

Pullups/Bent Rows 20# 8/8/8
KB Clean, Press, Windmill (both sides) 12kg/Burpees 5/4/3/2/1

preparing for the holiday

The house is full of Christmas guests, and the holiday is almost here. This year we are having the big dinner catered by Gelsons, which is both a relief and makes me feel a teeny bit guilty... but not THAT much. Since fresh fish from Echo Park Lake is not an option (ha!), it will be nice not to have to shop and cook, and just hang with the family instead. A nice way to ease out of what has been a very, very insane year.

I had to sneak in the workout this morning while everyone was sleeping. I must say, it is hard to be 'stealth' when you're throwing a sandbag around...
Today's workout:
Swing combo, 8kg x2:
10 front right
10 lat right
10 front left
10 lat left
10 halos

sandbag(40#): 8 squats+ 50ft carry x12 in 10 minutes
less weight this time, much better. still challenging.

Tiffany blue

There is something about that little blue box. This one doesn't actually belong to me. I am neither the lucky recipient, nor the generous giver of whatever magic is inside. I'm just holding it in safekeeping until it goes to its rightful owner. (It does look pretty good on my red couch, though.)

In Capote's 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', Holly Golightly describes the store as a place to help with the 'mean reds':
"You know those days when you've got the mean reds.... the blues are because you're getting fat or maybe it's been raining too long. You're sad, that's all. But the mean reds are horrible. You're afraid and you sweat like hell, but you don't know what you're afraid of. Except something bad is going to happen, only you don't know what it is.
What I've found does the most good is just to get into a taxi and go to Tiffany's. It calms me down right away..."

Well, I don't happen to have any colorful emotional issues at the moment, but having a bit of Tiffany here certainly adds cheer to the house. Breakfast to go???

Anyway, for today:
Pushup rows/single leg dead 15#dbs: 6/6 x4
Band twist/Turkish get up 12kg: 10/5 x3

head in the clouds

So many things to do.... but somehow I seem to keep daydreaming.
So nice, but there will be consequences...

Meanwhile, a very grounding workout:
Pullups/Bent Rows 20# 8/8/8
KB Clean, Press, Windmill (both sides) 12kg/Burpees 5/4/3/2/1 in 6:15
Bodyweight drill x 3
10 squat
5 burpee
5 hip stretch pushup
3 cobra/dog/scorpion
3 switching knee hug
5 roller jump

rainy days

I'm loving all this rain, and the beautiful skies. With actual "weather", it really almost feels like the holidays. I can even say that I see snow from my window... a rare event, both in the fact that usually smogged-over San Gabriel are even visible, but that they are snowy to boot. Yay.

Today's workout:
Swing combo, 8kg x2:
10 front right
10 lat right
10 front left
10 lat left
10 halos

sandbag (fully loaded... maybe not the best idea) 8 squats+ 50ft carry x10 in 10 minutes
holy crap! this was more difficult than expected. i thought it would be a piece of cake. wrong!

me gusta...

What started out as Christmas hell turned out to be a fun adventure. I think my health has fully recovered, and I started out yesterday with a mile-long list of errands and catch up stuff to do. I had a significant list, given normal crap that I've ignored while feeling under the weather, plus holiday shopping, decorating, etc., AND an exciting but time consuming new personal project.
I was on a roll, and ticking off items right and left. I even managed to get the tree, put it up and decorate it in record time. Yeah. Well. Maybe the tree was just wishing it was back in the wild, uncut and growing free. Or maybe I wasn't paying enough attention when I set it up (nah.... couldn't be that, could it?)... but in the wee hours of the night, I was knee deep in another project from "the list", when I was shocked back to reality by a thundering "BOOM".
Tree, meet floor.
It was a total disaster. Water everywhere, lights, tree, broken ornaments, angel wings, arms, santa hats.... ugh. I muttered a few obscenities (ok, maybe it was louder and clearer than a mutter), and started picking up the pieces. I was really heartbroken at first, since all the decorations are meaningful keepsakes acquired over my entire life. Each one representing a year, an adventure, a place, activity, or inside joke, I didn't want to lose any of it. Thankfully, the broken bits were from some of the more generic items, and those that were really meaningful survived.
The cause of the crash appeared to be the branches on the bottom, which weighted the tree unevenly, and prevented a secure stance in the stand. I really should have noticed it earlier, but what the hey? It seemed to work.
So what I needed to do to fix things is chop off the lower branches, and I do not possess a saw. My good kitchen knife (now ruined), didn't quite do the trick.
Cut to: me at (almost) midnight in the Hollywood Home Depot. Who knew? That place is a regular party in the middle of the night. I had THE BEST time. I met Esteban from Guatamala, and he and I had a delightful, slightly hilarious multi lingual conversation about pipe fittings. (yep... my intention was to get the ingredients for a 2nd leverage club, but H.D. was non-cooperative and didn't stock all the sizes I needed to make a match). The whole interaction reminded me one of my favorite Manu Chao songs, "Me gustas tu"... que voy a hacer, je suis perdu... O.K. then, time to make a list of the good stuff! :)

What fun!
And now, the tree is up and all sparkly and happy, although I'm sure it would rather be on a snowy hillside. Come to think of it, so would I.

Today's workout:
Swing combo, 12kg x2:
8 front right
8 lat right
8 front left
8 lat left
8 halos

then 30 sec. each pushup/ninja/burpee/mills/15sec rest x3

back to normal - kind of

This sure felt good, though:

Snatch/windmills 30sec each side x3 (30 sec rest)
Rumi:
7 ea side deads
7 ea alt shoulder squat
7 ea get ups
7 burpee clean press

feeling the love

I'm in a strangely excellent mood, in spite of the craziness of this past week. I'm still feeling pretty crappy physically. I've had the "cold" from hell (the word cold doesn't do it justice, but I'm not feeling at all clever enough to come up with an alternate name for it). It has traveled extensively over the week - from my throat to my nose to my sinuses to my chest, and back around again. My voice is nasal and ravaged, leaving me sounding a bit like Elmer Fudd, had the Exorcist demon left Linda Blair and possessed him. Sexy. ("Its a beautifuw day for an exowcism").

Add to that a car with a dead battery, the resulting $50 cab ride to make a very important meeting, some after hours necessary schmoozing with very important colleagues from New York, and the continued market madness, and its been a doozy. Love the public sentiment for Wall Street in the photo above. I can't help but laugh... who screws up the word 'fuckers'?

On the plus side, feeling crappy also provided me with a little more downtime, and I'm starting to solidify some new goals. Its an exciting time. I also got the desired effect from the workout today, and feel very close to human again. ( I repeated the same one as last time, since it was pretty pathetic)

Assisted pullups: 6, 6, 5, 3
Russell combo, 15#dbs, x4
6 bent rows
6 swings
6 squat press
6 burpee

mistletoe, martinis and a mean sore throat

Thanksgiving and an early start to the holiday party circuit had me running all over southern Cal and burning the candle at both ends for the past several days. Now I'm feeling pretty peaked and planning on spending the day on the couch. I did the workout, because sometimes a good sweat sets things right. No so much this time...

Assisted pullups: 6, 5, 4, 4, 1
Russell combo, 15#dbs, x4
6 bent rows
6 swings
6 squat press
6 burpee

WHO's calling???

There is, I believe, such a thing as being TOO connected. Recently, a merger related change in firm policy disallowed the association of my firm based email and personal phone on the same device. I was initially requested to turn over my number to the firm, but being a bit possessive, I refused and was given a new firm issued blackberry. What at first seemed like an interesting idea, turned quickly into connectivity hell. Blackberry for work, Blackberry for home and a personal cell phone to boot. I couldn't adjust to the two different Blackberry models, with different key patterns and shortcuts. Most of all, I despise the idea of being that connected 24/7 and long for the good old days when you could just take the old land line phone off the hook and get away from it all.

So, I gave away the personal blackberry and am learning how to operate the phone (who knew it was so challenging?) At the end of the day, there will be 2 big positives to come out of this whole exercise.

First - I can turn off the work device evenings and weekends and have a relatively undisturbed personal life again.

Second - My new phone is protected by a nifty flip-top. This will prevent my ass from making random phone calls while carrying the thing in my back pocket, and save me from conversations such as this one, which recently occurred between me and my old friend Andrew:

Andrew: Hey, are you seeing someone?

KK (a little confused by the question from my married former colleague): Um... no, not really. Why?
Andrew: I got a call from you this morning...
KK: I didn't call you.
Andrew: Well, your phone did.
KK: And from that you get that I'm seeing someone?
Andrew: Yep. Sure sounded like it.
KK (remembering nothing, desperately going over the events of the morning):WHAT DID YOU HEAR?!!
Andrew (starting to chuckle): I heard some muffled conversation, and then what sounded like you getting on the back of a motorcycle. Assumed it was a new boyfriend and wanted to hear the details.

Oy vey. I surmised that it must have been the radio and the sound of the blender making my morning smoothie that he heard. I actually prefer his version of my morning. But seriously... that could have gone a lot worse. And its not the first time friends and family have reported receiving mysterious calls from my number. The device switcheroo operation should prevent further such mishaps. I hope.

Today's workout:

Snatch/windmills 30sec each side x3 (30 sec rest)
Rumi:
7 ea side deads
7 ea alt shoulder squat
7 ea get ups
7 burpee clean press

hiking in hollywood

Yesterday I hiked up Runyon Canyon for the first time in years. I hadn't been since the craziness of living in Hollywood drove me to the slightly more laid back downtown Los Angeles area.
I use the term "hiked" loosely... for me, a real hike consists of a couple required ingredients that are missing from the Runyon jaunt. Runyon, which is in West Hollywood, does have some decent elevation gain, and will get the heart pumping a bit for an hour or so. However, never once will you be totally alone. And heck, you can see Sunset Boulevard practically the whole time. You can't beat it for convenience, but remote it is not. Hollywood types pepper the trails, many of which are paved. Overheard cell phone conversations to agents, talk of script revisions and high fashion workout suits are the norm. You won't find much, if any, wildlife, but a celebrity sighting or two will help hone your observational skills. "Who is that guy? He looks so familiar! Oh. Yeah. He was that dude. In that movie. C'mon, you remember!..."
The signage scattered throughout is also laughable. There is a steepish bit of trail that is unpaved, and signs warn the unfit, shoeless person to beware. Those signs are new since I've been here. I have a vision of some starlet in designer flip flops stranded halfway up, her "people" subsequently forced to bombard the city with phone calls to erect the sign. I dare someone to prove me wrong.
As for the snakes, the warnings were probably appropriate at one time. Now, I can't imagine there is a rattlesnake with its instincts intact that would come anywhere near these crowded paths.
No, Runyon Canyon is not a hike, but it is preferable to slogging away on a treadmill in some stinky gym. It also makes for some damn good people watching.

Today' workout:
Swing combo, 12kg x2:
8 front right
8 lat right
8 front left
8 lat left
8 halos

then 30 sec. each pushup/ninja/burpee/mills/15sec rest x3

bearing fruit

I pulled my first homegrown tomatoes off the vine this morning. They are just BEAUTIFUL. Its the first time I've successfully grown anything from a seed, and it was touch and go for a while. I had to share some of the fruit (and most of the leaves) with this hookworm, but I managed to relocate him and the plants recovered. Yummy.

Pleasantly surprised this morning to discover the Bertrand Russel bit. Sweet.
Pullups (assisted, natch): 6, 5, 5, 4
Russell combo, 15#dbs, x4
6 bent rows
6 swings
6 squat press
6 burpee
was I supposed to time this? I didn't... wouldn't have set any records, though. nice steady pace, and stopped between sets to catch my breath for a few seconds each time.

nighttime visitors

Normally, I feed the critters as much as they can finish at a sitting and no more. Yesterday, Antonio came to clean the house, and he always spoils the animals a bit. I failed to notice the huge, overflowing bowl of kibble outside. Until, that is, I heard a late night noise that sounded like an Oldsmobile crashing through my front porch. I peeked out and saw a few rolly polly raccoons, who were feasting on the leftovers, leaving chaos in their wake. When they spotted me, they skedaddled immediately. One younger, hungrier looking fellow stayed around and posed for the camera.
What a ham.

did 3 sets of this. it was almost over before i started. just a tease, but perfect for a friday.
30 sec. pushups
30 sec. ninjas
30 sec. burpees
30 sec. mills
15 sec. rest

part deux

So I'm back to the blog after almost a 2 month hiatus (yowzers! time flies, don't it?).
I'm dealing with some serious lung issues - the smoke clogged southern California atmosphere is difficult following my recent sojourn in the Canadian Rockies. It is a harsh reality after the clean, clear mountain air. Ahhhh. Los Angeles.
Cough cough.
Here we go:

Sandbag combo x3 (I couldn't face 6 sets, like in the vid., but 1 wasn't enough...)
6 ea. side deads
6 ea Alt. shoulder squats
6 ea. get ups
6 cleans
*no burpees for me?

just the facts

sandbag get ups/shoulders (40): 6ea side x3
burpee pullups: 20 in 2:40
squat hop/roller burpee: 5/5 x5

whole thing was brutal. the fact that i am mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted likely doesn't help much.
the workout is helping keep my sanity from slipping completely away, though

feeling a bit dizzy

Still obsessed by the turmoil in the marketplace this week. The screen was mostly green at the close on Friday, but it was a week of severe downs. And ups.
Unpredictable, unprecedented events. Money market funds "breaking the buck". It was a week where you could step away for a moment, take a trip to the ladies room, take a moment to chat with the new guy on the way back, grab an apple and then look again and see unbelievable changes.
I'm still dizzy.

Sandbag squats (60#): 60sec x3
minutes seem veeeeerrrrry long.
Pushup row/burpee/push press (15/10):5 x5
time did not improve, and still went to my knees on some of the pushup rows, but kept 15# throughout...
Cobra Dog Scorpion: 5

good lord dot com

The brutality in the market continues, and chaos reigns on Wall Street. I'm basically living at the office, and feel like all I've got is a bandaid for a broken leg. Unbelievable.

Pullups: 2/2/1/1/1
finally managed 2 a couple times!
Sandbag rows/cleans(40) 5/5 x5
5 good reps on the cleans each time. yay! the lower weight is much better... but it still took effort.
Snatch/Swing/Windmill (25#): 6 ea side x2

thought for the day

My professional life could not be more insane. Yesterday was one for the record books, and the whole week (and more?) looks to be brutal. I'm making a concerted effort to keep one eye on happier things (like pretty sunsets over palm trees).

And these words of wisdom found on an assistant's candy wrapper:
"Out of chaos comes opportunity."
Here's to that!


Sandbag getup/shoulder(40): 6 ea side x3
that one should be a workout all by itself. now i have to burpees?????
Burpee/ Pullups: 20 in 2:51
I was seriously worried about these - ended up being quite a challenge, but not nearly as bad as expected. the jump sure helps the pullup. :)
Squat hop/ roller jump: 5/5 x5
that, too, was insane. this is the toughest day yet...

morning with colver

Yesterday morning I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to spend some time with Ed Colver, artist and photographer of iconic punk rock scene images, and his lovely wife Lani at their home in Highland Park. I could spend days in that house... artwork, collectibles, sculptures, signs, photographs, EVERYWHERE. Each thing that caught my eye was more interesting than the last. From the rich red satin drapes (originally a funeral backdrop) and the original Warhol (purchased for $5, price tag still intact), both found at flea markets, to the albums, and the endless signs and quotes found everywhere, my mind was abuzz. Mix that with the intoxicating smell of Ed's clove cigarettes, his low-key charm, the pet ducks and the ladder to nowhere in the backyard, it turned out to be a delightful visit.
Ed was also featured in this recent LA Times article
And now I must rush off to meet with family in sandy eggo.

Sandbag squats (60ish#): 1 min x3
not bad. the squats felt pretty intense. cleaning the bag was no prob, because, hey.... I cleaned this sucker 4 good reps (and one crappy one) x3 on Friday. Perhaps I was just supposed to use the 40 on day 1? I thought heavier meant heaviEST, i guess.
Pushup row/burpee/pushpress (15#/10#): 5 x5 in 7:54
ugh. kill me now. how appropriate. I had to modify the hell out of this one. went down to 10# on the last 2 sets and was on the knees for the pushup row occasionally throughout.
5 cobra/dog/scorpions
me likey. good way to end it.

i got jokes

So this guy comes home and there is a penguin sitting on his porch.
A few minutes later, the postman is walking by and asks, "What are you doing with that penguin?"
The guy says, "I don't know, he just showed up."
The postman says, "Maybe you should take him to the zoo."

The next day, the postman walks by and again sees the man and penguin on the porch.
"Hey, I thought you were taking that penguin to the zoo."
The guy replies, "I did. We had such a good time! Tomorrow we're going to a baseball game."

Pullups: 1 x5
Sandbag Rows/Cleans(60ish #): 5/5 x3
this was tough. the rows were difficult but do-able. the cleans... the 5th rep on each set was kinda pathetic.
the squirmier bag is good, tho
Snatch/Swing/Windmill (25#db): 6 (ea side) x2
yikes. really worked hard on this one... thinking maybe i should have grabbed the 20#er. got it all done though. breathing pretty durn hard.

listening to the oldies

Yesterday I heard this more recent version of this 10cc hit, a childhood favorite song, and couldn't stop singing it to myself. I don't think I've even heard the song in decades, and I knew almost all the lyrics. Still. I also realized that as a kid, I didn't even begin to understand the meaning, but I liked it. Suddenly, it was 1975 and I recaptured the essence of those easy carefree days.
My mind suddenly strained to remember other old, forgotten favorites. First to appear were many of the tracks from 'Nuff Said by Ike and Tina Tuner, my very first album. My Dad understood that a 7 year old could have deeper tastes than Sesame Street. Or maybe he just realized that those tiny hands could do some serious damage to his albums, and bought me my own copies of a few that I favored. I also remember LOVING Elton John's "Bitch is Back", in no small part due to the naughty word. Again, I had no concept of the meaning... but, oh boy! it was deliciously rebellious.
Fun fun time!


Pushups from the ground: 8 8 8
Burpee/Push press (15#dbs): 10/10 x5 6:42

decisions

OR


I had planned on making 2009 the year to stay local, in an effort to conserve funds for the 2010 North Pole adventure. Looks like I might be able to have it both ways. My good friend A.J. and I have been talking about doing Kilimanjaro pretty much since we met all those years ago, and the pressure has been on to try for January.
I had the brilliant flash of insight to try for a free flight. I have quite a stockpile of miles on American Airlines due to my fairly frequent travel schedule. That, and the little tantrum I threw last year when I thought I would miss my connection to Bs.As., which was not my proudest moment, but a profitable one. I came home to a very nice letter from the airline stating that the flight staff at LAX informed them of my 'difficult time', and awarded me thousands of miles to compensate. It made me feel like an ass, especially I made all my connections. But I'm still gonna use the miles.
Unfortunately I can't use the miles for Africa, but I've got a free trip to almost anywhere in South America or Europe. We've narrowed it down to Peru or Sweden. Inca Trail or Ice Hotel . I've justified the on-the-ground expenses by calling it 'North Pole training'. The Inca Trail is apparently a moderate to strenuous trek for 3 or 4 days. Sweden will afford the opportunity for some quality time on the skis. The magic 8 ball has given me the thumbs up for both, so I'm leaving the final decision up to my traveling companion. AJ (one of the most traveled people I know) has never been to South America, but lived for a time in Sweden. I guess we'll see if it is a sense of adventure or familiarity that prevails.
Either way..... yippee.

Pullup (1 band): 1, 1, 1, 1
Pullup (2 bands): 8/7/6/4 in 1:52
Snatches (30#db): 30s ea side/15 sec rest x2
Bent row/high pull/swing/push press (15#dbs): 6ea x 4 in 4:18

happy saturday!

Its a lovely Saturday morning, with a nice cool breeze flowing through the house.
I'm off to study some art.
I spaced the blog for my last workout, so here are two:

Thursday a.m.:
Pushups from ground 8 6 6 4
Burpee/Push press (15#dbs) 10/10 x 5 in 6:46

Today:
Squat walk (50#sb) 4, 4
KB swing combo (12kg) 8 8 8 8 8 x3
straight leg deadlift/roller burpee: 5/5 x5

i sink into bliss

I went to the movies yesterday. I hadn't been in ages, due to a self-imposed ban in place after a few viewing choices that were horribly wrong. The most recent being 'Sex and the City' (or is it 'Sex in the City'?), which was decidedly not my cup of tea.
Anyway - after a scheduling snafu left me with a free afternoon, I found 'Encounters at the End of the World' playing a few minutes from home. A Herzog film about Antarctica? Sign me up!
I rounded up a buddy and we spent a couple hours in the appropriately chilly theater.

Werner's narration over breathtaking film of many different aspects of the frozen continent had me spellbound. We saw the pristine landscapes, the mining town-like atmosphere of McMurdo Station, the active volcano on Mt. Erebus, the surreal underwater scenes, a hint at some of the amazing science going on, and the myriad of characters working and living at the bottom of the world.
Everyone seemed to have a dual title: the philosopher/forklift operator was one of my favorites. And of course the linguist/computer guy shown above, who rambled on until eventually Werner's voice over cut in with, "to make a long story short...", and summarized some frighteningly fascinating information about the death of languages.
As promised, a different view of the penguins was also shown. Who can forget the penguin prostitutes? Overall, it was a beautiful glimpse of a spectacular place.
It did inspire a longing glance toward the back of my closet, and a wish for a more immediate reason to dig out my cold weather gear... sigh.
But even more inspiring is the full text of the words on the rail:
Strangers turn to friends
The bonds we make strong and fast
I sink into bliss

Pullup (one band): 1 x5
Pullup (two bands): 8/6/6/5 in 1:58
Snatches (30#): 30 seconds each side x 2 (15 sec rest)
Bent row/high pull/swing/push press (15#dbs): 6ea x4 in 4:20
(much better time.... even though my pants kept falling down. which is really a damn good thing, but a tad distracting.)

back

a little bit cautiously (like our penguin here), but after a week's enforced holiday, i'm back at it. feels pretty good, and no immediate adverse effects.

squat walk (50#sandbag): 4/4
KB swing combo (12kg) 8/8/8/8/8 x3
straight leg deadlift (20#dbs)/roller burpee: 5/5 x 5

i heart kwan loong

Lots of (really very positive) changes going on right now in my world. For some reason, I am struggling a little bit to adjust to everything. I tend to carry stress and tension in my neck and shoulders, and headaches are often the result. I really don't want to go there, SO... I'm getting a jump on it this time - back to daily meditation, and regular neck rubs with kwan loong oil. Best. Stuff. Ever.
ok. maybe after champagne...
I smell like someone's grandma... but who cares, right?

Last night's workout:
Pullup (one band): 1.5, 1, 1, 1
Pullup (two bands): 10/6/5/4 in 2:25
Snatches (30#db): 2x 30sec (15sec rest) each side. (hard but fun!)
bent row/high pull/swing/push press (15#db): 6ea x4 in 5:03

greener pastures

All hell kinda seemed to be breaking loose, and had me daydreaming today (when I could find a moment) of said greener pastures. Somehow, I think I inadvertently took a stupid pill or something... I was not on my game at all. Even had one guy ask me (over the phone) to take my hand and slap myself on the forehead. Not entirely a bad idea....
I came home wanting to crawl in bed and pull the covers over my head. Strangely, listening to this song with the "I don't feel like it" title and sentiment got me in the mood for my workout. YAY! Now things seem much more green. And the stupid pill is wearing off (hopefully...)

happiness is...

...a new sandbag!
yeah- get a life, right? maybe its because i had to wait so long... anticipation (an-ti-ci-pay-ay-tion, like the old ketchup ad).
anyhoo - yippee!
a side note: my mom saw this photo and told me that she thinks i might even look better than the bag.
thinks.
mom got jokes!


from the ground pushups: 6 6 6 6 (a couple of clap attempts thrown in, but i'm not quite there yet...)
push press/burpee (w 20#sandbag):10/10 x 5 in 7:12
ok - initially thought i could've gone heavier with the presses, but i wanted to use the new toy. in hindsight, def. didn't need any more...)

still dreaming

I had an intense night of dreams last night. So vivid, clear and sensual that waking up in my life felt more other-worldly than dreamland. Hard to shake off the feeling.
I tell you one thing, some pull ups will zap ya back to this reality. And back in place.
I saw a chiropractor yesterday, 'cause I had a tweaky pain in my back. (No. I did not go to a doctor's office. This guy uses the empty office next to mine twice a week to 'adjust' several of the good people who work with me.) I figured, what the hell? Maybe he can help. I trace the origin of my issue to hauling a (somewhat) heavy backpack, mostly on one shoulder, and doing a somewhat unnatural maneuver with it. Apparently one of my ribs was out of place (?). He snapped things back, and I felt some relief. But the pull ups miraculously made me feel completely normal. Relatively speaking, of course.

Pull up (one band): 1,1,1 (ugh!) <-those pretty numbers make it look nicer than it was.
Pull up (two bands): 8/6/6/5 in about 3 minutes.
DB Snatch (25#db): 2x 30sec (15rest) each side
DB Bent Row/high pull/swing/push press (15#db): 6ea x4 in 5:05
(whoa!)

Manga me

The cartoon me? Sorta. faceyourmanga.com is an entertaining time waster. I love the scooby-doo spooky eyes in background. Don't turn around! Ruh Roh!

squat walk (15#dbs) - 6x approx15ft
KB swing combo (8kg) - 8/8/8/8/8 x5
(despite the warning, I did get one tasty knock on the knee. owie! that'll learn me.)
KB straight leg DL (12kg) / Roller burpee - 5/5 x5

back to the grind

Today it was back to the office and the stacks of paper, emails and phone calls to return. Ugh. At least I have my magic 8 ball - the key to making all major decisions.

It was nice to get away. I missed the outlet of this little blog - so I'm leaving a short entry just to get back to it. And to point out the funniest thing I've seen in a while. Man Babies. Yup. Freaking brilliant.

As far as the workouts, I did the portable combo (x5 each time. brutal!) 4 out of the last 5 days.
Looking forward to using heavy stuff again.

tragedy on K2

On August 1 there was a huge avalanche on K2, making it the deadliest day ever on the mountain. 22 climbers were attempting the summit. Many were swept to their deaths, and others trapped in the death zone. Two Nepalese climbers were killed attempting to rescue others. 11 are presumed dead. When climbing K2, a mountain considered more challenging than Everest, as one local bluntly put it, "You're missing, you're dead."

new life!

My tomato project is going well... they survived the sprouting stage, and I've chosen 3 hearty candidates for re-potting.
Pretty soon, homegrown tomatoes. Yummy! And kinda exciting.
I've never really grown anything on purpose before. A couple unintended science experiments in the back of the fridge, but that doesn't really count.
I've got some basil started, too. Someday.... Dinner! :)
We'll see how they hold up while I'm away. Could be that's a good thing... the cat-sitter may be better with the plant-thing than me.

Reverse Pushups: 8,8,8
TGB (8kg)/Pushup rows (15#dbs): 6/6, 6/6
Clean/press/windmill (12kg): 5x1 min (30 sec rest)

this one time, in Paris...

Yesterday, I had one of those rare moments in traffic, where everyone was in sync. Those of us going faster were able to weave and flow amongst each other and the slower moving vehicles without hesitation, slowdowns, or inadvertent rude behavior. Perfect.

So you might be wondering about the bicycles. There's a connection, there. The traffic experience reminded me of a night over a year ago. I found myself alone in Paris with an evening free, so I decided to join a nighttime bike tour. Great way to see the city and socialize, meet some folks.

The group seemed good - a variety of nationalities represented. I think I was the only American amongst quite a few Spaniards, a few Brits and several Australians. We took off and toured many of the sights - including Notre Dame (behind me as I took the photo of the bikes above, at the very beginning of the evening), and the most fun was riding around the courtyard of the Louvre, circling around and around the Pyramide at breakneck speeds. Ahem. A couple of us were, anyway.

Perhaps that is a good segway to my "issues" that evening. Most of the group was more interested in a leisurely ride. Perhaps that is most appropriate for the event... But I'm an Angeleno. Efficiency. Speed, Ease of progress. I can't help it. I would weave and duck between the other riders, and it totally freaked them out. Now I'm not the fastest in the bunch, and definitely not trying to race. Just trying to get and stay in a "flow". A method of movement through traffic that's considered survival (and somewhat exhilarating) in my native habitat came off as rude and obnoxious in this environment. I could tell I was pissing off a few folks, and felt horrible about it. They just didn't understand. I was never without courtesy, and I tried to slow down and comply, but... ce n'est pas à un vieux singe qu'on apprend à faire des grimaces. Or maybe blame it on Paris, the night, the bike. I had spent the better part of the last 24 hours either on a plane, getting to one, from one, or waiting for one. Sometimes, a girl has got to RIDE!!

So I'd feel the daggers in my back, and I understand enough Spanish slang to get that I was not anybody's favorite. I was enjoying the sheer pleasure of the ride, but somehow was not skilled enough to do it without being annoying.

It bothered me on a couple of levels. First, I fancy myself on a mission to improve international relations when I travel. On a small scale, of course. But I feel I must somehow personally counteract the negative expectations and impressions that many non-Americans have of our country and its people. Clearly I wasn't doing too good a job of that. And on a more personal level, I like it when people like me. It feels weird when they don't. Dammit. I felt I was not properly representing myself, or my country. Oy vey.

As luck would have it, things changed about mid-ride. It was the day of the second round of voting in the French presidential election. That evening, during our ride, Sarkozy was announced the winner, and rioters took to the streets. It was mayhem at its craziest. Believe me, the French riot control forces are every bit as scary as the LAPD in riot gear.

Suddenly, our group was all in survival mode. Our guide was amazing at getting everyone through, and many of my dodging and weaving techniques came in handy. The group gelled, we looked out for one another, and morphed into that rare, well-oiled traffic machine. It was a wild ride. The guide (can't remember his name for the life of me) was an experienced white water rafter. He compared our adventure to Class V rapids. Who knew there was such adventure to be had in Paris? What a night!!!!!

We all popped open a couple bottles of wine afterwards (on a boat on the Seine, no less), and hung out for a while as we debriefed and bonded. And I like to think in the end we all ended up as friends, and that I managed to put a little dent in the negative American stereotype. Or at least I hope I didn't reinforce it...

Pistol Squats (band): 6/6, 6/6, 6/6
Pullups(bands)/Swings (12kg): 8/8, 7/7, 5/5
Jump squat/burpee: 5/5 x5

beautiful day

But sometimes I miss the rain. I'm craving a good thunderstorm.
Oh well...

Bent Row/High Pull (30#dbs): 8/8, 7/7, 7/7
Burpee/clean/press (15#dbs): 25 in 3:52

monsters are invading the city!

Craziness today!
I was on the 31st floor of our Century City office building, when the whole world started rocking and rolling. It felt a bit like the Drake passage - and me without my Scopase! Whoever thought of putting these high rise buildings on wheels must be a crazy genius!
I remembered the earthquake safety guidelines and moved over to the doorway (don't want all those heavy books falling on my head!), and stood there and watched the Hollywood sign swing back and forth outside my window.
After at least 30 seconds, the building alarm system came on. "We are experiencing an earthquake (no shit! I thought maybe Godzilla was walking around outside...) of unknown magnitude and origin. Please stand by." Makes one think, "WTF is going on in the world outside this rolling safe haven?"
So, I turned on the TV in my office (the one that only gets switched on during crazy markets, disasters and the Nebraska football game when I have to work the Friday after Thanksgiving). A bunch of us watched for a while, and soon, thankfully, we found out there was relatively little harm done.
I came home to a freaked out and hiding cat, who has been cuddled and fed and is fine now. All my belongings have shifted a bit, but are intact, and there are no new cracks in the old house. All is well.
The whole thing made me realize I have to start carrying cash and low heeled shoes, and that it is time to get my insurance up to speed.

Reverse pushups: 8,8,8
TGU (8kg)/ Pushup rows (15#dbs):6/6, 6/6
clean/press/windmill (12kg): 5x 1min (30sec rest)

happy feet

I logged quite a few miles on the feet this weekend, and I thought of this little guy who had climbed so high to my little outpost. The penguins in the wild are very sociable, and they seem endlessly fascinated by the humans they encounter.. They have no known predators on land (the adults, anyway... Skuas will prey on the babies, when they can, as evidenced by the remains seen here). Even penguins and seals are relatively chummy on solid ground, although all bets are off in the water.
When we landed on Cuverville Island, I climbed up to an isolated rock to get some photographs of the amazing ice in the area. I thought I was alone, but when I looked over to my left, this Gentoo was marching over to check me out. We had been given instructions to stay at least 10 meters away from all wildlife, but I think they forgot to tell the penguins. This guy was the first of many who all but jumped in my lap.

Pistol squats (band): 6/6, 6/6, 6/6
Pullups(bands)/Swings (12kg): 8/8, 6/6, 6/6
Jump squats/burpees: 5/5 x5
somewhat disturbingly - I had a dream the other night that I could do an unassisted pistol squat. I was at a formal party, standing in a small group of people. I said, "look what I can do," dropped down and shot one leg out, high heels, cocktail dress and all. My subconscious has been infiltrated...

grand performances

This is Los de Abajo, playing at the California Plaza Grand Performances a couple years ago. That was the night Cartman and I brought a picnic, and the fixins for some funky fig thing that needed rosemary. We forgot the rosemary, of course (the special secret necessary ingredient). As luck would have it, the landscaping at the Plaza included rosemary bushes that we happily raided and added to our snack, reveling in the fact that we could forage for our own food in the wild of downtown Los Angeles. Didn't consider until much later that it was probably covered in pesticide. Oh well - we survived.
We're heading down there again tonight to see a Mexican contemporary dance company.
Should be interesting - but I can't imagine it will beat the Abajo boys.

Bent Row/High Pull (30#dbs): 8/8, 7/7, 8/8
Burpee/clean/press (15#dbs): 25 reps in 4:07

ama dablam

Heading out for the evening, so today's is a hit and run. No brilliant commentary, but a photo of my all-time favorite mountain: The very beautiful Ama Dablam. I took this photo from base camp, tragically, about a week after 6 climbers lost their lives under a serac collapse on camp 3. Sobering.

who wants the cat?

I know. He's cute, isn't he? The little s.o.b.
This morning he ran out the door in hot pursuit of another cat, with me behind barefoot in my skivvies. After I finally grabbed the bad boy (thanks to a jogger coming up the road, who pointed out that "Hey, Lady. Your cat is over there..."), I found that I had locked myself out of the house. Fantastic.
We sat there for a while on the front porch, Lucky and I. Neither of us very happy. He was in my arms letting out low growly moans, and I was muttering "sonuvabitch", among other, more colorful outbursts.

Eventually I realized I could remove a screen and squish the cat back in the house through a window that was open just wide enough. Then I went about trying to dismantle the air conditioner so I could crawl in another window myself. As luck would have it, about that time Robert was walking The Dude. I caught up with him and asked him to let me in. He disappeared into his house for a while, and came out with a big envelope full of stray keys. Not one belonged to any of my doors. F@(#!!!

Robert thought Ron might still have one, so I called him from Robert's house. He did. "Do you need me to bring it to you NOW?" was his brilliant question.
Uh, YEAH! (duh?) Or maybe I should walk over in my underwear?
Fun morning.
And now, 'cause I'm a sucker, I'm the one trying to make up with the cat.
Jeez.

Pistol squats (band): 6/6, 6/6, 6/6

Pullup (bands)/kettlebell swings(12kg): 6/6, 6/6, 4/4, 4/4

Squat hops/burpees: 5/5 x5
felt incredibly weak today... between the excitement this morning and catching up all day for the missed hours at work, and having a killer migraine yesterday with no appetite, I didn't eat much of anything over the last 48 hours. makes a difference, I see.

lazy sunday

Had a rare lovely, leisurely day catching up on some reading, some list making/revising, and some phone calls that were long overdue.
Then I felt a little stagnant, so:

Bent row/high pull (30#dbs): 8/8, 7/7, 7/7
Burpee/clean/press (15#dbs): 25 reps in 4:21 (I really felt the additional 5)
Yep. Still no sandbag. Latest email from the company sets the ETA at 1st week of August (which should coincide with me leaving town for a week). They promise extra special discounts and free ebooks for my patience.
I don't know who said I was patient...

love letters

Ha! I LOVE this idea. Maybe I'm naive, but I think the world would be a much nicer place, if only there were more love letters. If more people thought more about, wrote about, talked about the people and things they love, appreciate, enjoy. And if there were fewer bills, advertisements, flyers, messages of doom and gloom, and less attention to the things unwanted and disliked.
Now on the list: red paint. We'll see if the postman will comply...

Reverse pushups: 6, 6, 6
TGU/Pushup Row(15#dbs):6/6, 6/6 (super tough - this time the right side was easier. huh)
KB clean/press/windmill(12kg): 4x 1min (30 sec rest)
(i did 4 because its easier to keep the sides even, though i was kind of regretting that decision toward the end...)

pullup set up

OK - this is the set up.
I did re-read the instx, and saw the "(s)" on "band(s)", and tried using 2. Totally do-able. And fun in a bouncy sort-of way.

Some news on the North Pole front: After multiple conversations with Eric of Icetrek (an all around cool guy), I've been given the green light to join the Extreme Ski team. So its a go, definitely for 2010, but I've been encouraged to try for 2009. Biggest hurdle is the financing.
(sponsorship?... anyone?...)

Pistol squats (with band):6(ea. side) x3
Pullup(with bandS)/Swings (12kg): 8/8, 6/6, 6/6
Squat Hop/Burpee: 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, 5/5

time, regrets and leaping

Too much stuff whirling around in my head, and strangely I don't have much to say today. So here's my favorite penguin. I love what he represents... taking the leap and trusting the landing will work out.
And a thought for the day (taken from a horoscope): Regrets? You don't have time for them. Nor are you sufficiently qualified to entitle yourself to any.

Huh.


Bent Row/High Pull (30#dbs): 8/8, 6/6, 6/6
Burpee/clean/press (15#dbs): 20 reps in 3:27

getting there is 1/2 the fun

Photo of Lukla Airport runway by F. Wainwright (one of my Nepal traveling companions.)

I've been on more airplanes than I care to mention. From the uncountable commercial flights (at worst, flying for over 18 hours at a time), to the random small planes flown by my brother (including a v-tail banana!), to that time I decided it would be a kick to jump out of one (fun fun fun!)... nothing compares to the Twin Otter trips between Kathmandu and the Everest region trail head at Lukla.
Starting at Kathmandu, we waited while the flight was rescheduled over and over and over, due to weather. Pilots must rely on vision over instruments to land there, so bad weather = no flights.
Once we were cleared to head to the plane, things got even hairier. We stood on the runway (literally - feet on the pavement, eventually butts on pavement, or butts on backpacks for the clever ones) for over an hour, while questionable maintenance was performed on the plane. The worst of which was a woman, dressed in traditional Nepali attire, who climbed into the cockpit and wiped down the windows with a Kleenex tissue. There was a prayer flag wrapped securely around the yoke, and I was hopeful that it might be for spiritual purposes, but tended to think it was holding something together. Yeti Airlines (our carrier) NOW boasts that it is the only airlines that flies domestically in Nepal with full glass cockpit. They made no such claims back when we flew with them.
After about an hour, we were hustled back onto a bus to wait some more, and were finally cleared to board. Handed a mint and cotton balls (to protect ears from the noise of the engines) on entering the plane, we embarked on the most beautiful flight ever, through the sparkling snow white peaks of the Himalaya. After about 1/2 hour, we were ready to land. Lukla runway sits at an altitude of over 9000 ft, cut into a mountain side, on about a 20 degreee angle. There is a 2000 ft (some say 3000) drop off at the end. It was a white knuckle landing, for sure. My Lonely Planet guide referenced the aircraft wreckages that are visible down on the ledge below, and they are sobering to see.
The trip home was even more insane. Add in the fact that our whole crew, about 14 of us, were crammed in there, worn out and unshowered for god-knows-how-long. We were one of the only 3 flights to make it out that day (imagine cheers of joy and hope inside the airport every time a plane takes off). It was an adrenaline rush to fly down that ramp, and feel the plane dip for a moment as it "falls" off the end, before climbing back up again (this time screams and "whoooaaaaas" filled the eardrums, as my stomach rested momentarily in my throat!).
All that said, I'm filled with excitement and trepidation when considering the possibilities of the flight from Lonyearbyen to Ice Station Borneo on the Antonov 74 (or Чебурашка/Cheburashka) - landing on frozen moving ocean, and the helicopter trip back from the pole. More white knuckles ahead!
Enough of my ramblings....

Today's workout:
Pushups from floor: these were tougher than anticipated. and felt sort-of awkward. I played around with them for a while until I got the feel of it. then I did 3 sets of 5.
TGU/Pushup row (15#dbs): 6/6, 6/6 (ugh!)
KB clean/press/windmill (12kg): 3x 1min, 30sec rest

where have all the flowers gone?

This weekend is the annual Lotus Festival in my neighborhood. Sadly, this year there are no Lotus. I took this photograph last year - every summer I take my evening walks down by Echo Park Lake, used to enjoy watching them bloom. Now they are no more. I don't really understand why, but its disturbing.
The Lotus-less Festival kicks off with jazz night tonight, but... sort of bittersweet.

So today's workout:
whoa. hardest one yet, by far.
Pistol squats (with band):once I managed to get one done, I did a bunch of sets of 3 on each leg. ended up with one last set of 5 each.
the doorframe for the squats wasn't working for me, so I set up a bar about chin level and used the blue band - holding it pretty high up
sadly, also, the pullups are a no-go even with the band. I put a chair nearby and used it for some additional support. ugh!
modified Pull-ups/swings (12kg): 5/5, 5/5, 3/3, 3/3, 2/2, 2/2
Squat hops/burpees: 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, 5/5 ( brick don't hit back? who's the brick? me? I couldn't hit anything at this point)

because I can't stop poking at the wound...

An interesting article on the death of the Bear in Vanity Fair:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/08/bear_stearns200808

I especially like this description:
"At Phi Kappa Wall Street, most of the frat boys are instantly recognizable. There’s the big, backslapping Irishman, Merrill Lynch, the humorless grind, Goldman Sachs, and the straitlaced rich kid, Morgan Stanley. And then, off in the corner, wearing its beat-up leather jacket and nursing a cigarette, was the tough-guy loner, scrawny Bear Stearns, who disdained secret handshakes and towel snapping in favor of an extended middle finger toward pretty much everyone. Bear was bridge-and-tunnel and proud of it. Since the days when the Goldmans and Morgans cared mostly about hiring young men from the best families and schools, “the Bear,” as old-timers still call it, cared about one thing and one thing only: making money. Brooklyn, Queens, or Poughkeepsie; City College, Hofstra, or Ohio State; Jew or Gentile—it didn’t matter where you came from; if you could make money on the trading floor, Bear Stearns was the place for you. Its longtime chairman Alan “Ace” Greenberg even coined a name for his motley hires: P.S.D.’s, for poor, smart, and a deep desire to get rich."

But its over now {sob}. Wait a sec... I seem to have something in my eye. OK, I'll get over it enough to look up "Mametesque", from later in the article... (?)

And after 10 minutes of TGU/Squat press/Rear Posture Lunge:
2 sets of 6 completed, +4 TGUS, 15#dbs.

traffic

Starting this week I'm working Mondays and Thursdays in downtown LA, instead of Century City. Its a sweet deal, 'cause my round trip commute time is about 10 minutes, as opposed to the hour+ it takes me to get across town to the main office. I'm loving it, but somehow the long commute days seem even longer.... Funny how much aggression can build up when confined to a slow moving car for so long.
Today:
Bent Row/Swing (20#dbs): 10/10, 9/9, 8/8
Alt Windmills (15# dbs): 5,5,5 (or 6... lost count on the last set, so I did an extra one. or not.)
Tabata: 4 rounds plank/burpee

much better.

queen of procrastination

Ha! I'm having people over for a little shindig tonight, and I have tons of crap to do to get ready. So first thing this morning - a hike. Then I decided doing this combo was a good idea. (Can you say "avoidance"?)
front squats 30#dbs: 6,6,6,5
3 sets of 5reps: pushup row/burpee/push press, 15#dbs. 5:38.49
With PLENTY of joint mobility work before. And after.
Now I really want to just kick back, but duty calls. Not sure if I can push this off much longer.....
Those dirty sneaks will be a blue blur of movement momentarily. Really.
Maybe after a power nap?

prostye dvizheniya (simple moves)

By the way - the guy who cleans my house hates that these babies are out of the closet and all over the place now. On cleaning day, I come home and find them in the strangest configurations.
Bent Row/Swing (20#dbs): 8/8, 10/10, 8/8
Alt. windmills (15#): 5, 5, 5
(hey Chip - if I say I kinda love these windmills, you won't take 'em away, will you? Fun!)
Tabata- 4(!) rounds each plank/burpees

And since I got used to that darn music playing every time I'm on this page, here's a new song for the next little while. I can work on both my German and my Russian language skills. echt geil!