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!