Adrenaline shots and Ironman competitions

Epinephrine—also called adrenaline—is a synthetic human hormone available as an orally inhaled, nonprescription drug to relieve temporary shortness of breath, chest tightness, and wheezing due to bronchial asthma. Epinephrine is also available as a prescription drug used by injection in emergencies, including acute asthma attacks and severe allergic reactions.

I had an adrenaline shot today due to some allergic reaction I had at the doctor’s office. I was jittery for about fifteen minutes, my heart raced and eventually I felt tired. It’s funny to see the nurse panic. I asked her if she was going to stick me in the leg. Images of Pulp Fiction and Uma Thurman getting stuck in the chest flashed in my head. Instead, the doctor told me to look away and take a breath and then he injected me in my arm.

I’m allergic to everything. I just had to live with it all my life. Hopefully I can get it under control now.

I’m on new medication which has helped me breath better. And I’ve noticed a difference in just five days. My workouts aren’t as much as a struggle, I’m not gasping for air as quickly as before, and it feels like I can go longer on my swims, rides and runs! It’s awesome. What a difference. It’s great news as far as my future as a Triathlete is concerned.

This weekend I was more convinced than ever that an Ironman competition is in my future. I will complete one someday. My hope is that I’ll get a spot in the Road to Kona Ironman Competition one year. That’s the one I want to do but it’s a lottery pick. So chances are slim. I need to qualify in other events prior to it. My goal is the Road to Kona 2008. Two years. Which means 2007 I’ll have to do some other Ironman competitions.



And so it goes- adrenaline shots and Ironman competitions. The life of Glenn.

Another great weekend come and gone

Don’t you hate that?

We tried to see "Nanny McPhee" yesterday but 777film.com screwed us on the movie time(also called MoviePhone and as the url on the webpage shows movies.aol.com). I’ve been screwed up three times now using the Internet for movie times. Two times using Yahoo and yesterday using that stupid website - 777film.com. AMC theater customer service told us to use their website next time which is what we’ll do.

So no movie for us. But we ate a great Japanese Restaurant in Burbank called, Kabuki. Jake likes Yellow Tail Sushi! YUM. That’s my boy!

On Saturday Night we ate at BCD Tofu House in Korea Town. It was awesome! So this weekend was filled with good food. Which meant I needed to work out harder. Which I did starting on Friday night.

It was a great food weekend with three days of solid workouts as well!

Which leads me to Triathlon nervousness.

Just think… I came off the couch less two months ago and decided to train for a Triathlon. I ran 3 miles for the first time in SIX years. Six years ago I did a three mile ‘cheat’ around the rose bowl when Donna was pregnant with Jake. We were trying to ‘walk him out’ of her belly! We cut the parking lot a little more than half way through so I didn’t actually run it. I walked it. And it wasn't three miles. I bought a road bike and got on it a couple of times so far. The last time I got on a bike was NINE years ago when I raced my BMX bike on BMX tracks around SoCal. And the last time I had a recreational swim was in my dad’s small pool back in 2004. Little did I know I had to relearn the way I knew how to swim in order to actually have endurance to do more than ONE lap in a 25 meter pool!

And now…

It’s thirteen days before my first Triathlon. I’m cutting it real close! I managed to do 10 miles on the bike for the first time on Saturday in forty minutes. How am I going to find time to put more miles on the bike in thirteen days? It’s going to be tough! I’ll have to ride on my trainer while the kids are asleep. Swimming is okay. Not great. But okay. On Friday I did 500 meters and on Sunday I did 300 meters in fourteen minutes with no fins. I think I could do 100 yards in four minutes or less but I’m still struggling with technique and it affects my stamina. When my technique feels good I’m gliding, when I find myself trying too hard to find the right stroke, I’m tiring and have to swim on my side or back for a few meters in order to relax and get back into it. I can run 3 miles in under 30 minutes if I need to but I can’t tire my legs out too much before I get on the bike.

So… my goal is to finish this Triathlon (5K RUN/10MI BIKE/100YD SWIM) in less than an hour and fifteen minutes. 30 min run + 40 min bike + 4 min swim = 114 minutes or an hour and fourteen minutes!

But that doesn’t take into account I’ll be doing three sports all in a row. Yikes!

That also doesn’t take into account my transition times - getting my bike gear, bike shoes and running the bike out of T1, then tossing my helmet, gloves, shoes and socks off while putting my swim goggles on the way to the pool after T2.

I’m so nervous. I’ve had nightmares about not packing my gear the night before and scrambling to figure out what to bring the morning of the Triathlon. I need to learn how to change a flat tire before the 12th. And on the 12th I need to leave the house by 5:00 AM to get there for registration. I’ve had dreams of not finding my bike during the transition. I’ve had nightmares of reaching for my water bottle while on the bike and finding an empty bottle cage.

I'm sure the nightmares will continue even as I get more experience in Triathlons. But till then... I need to focus on the 13 days as I approach the start of the race!

New Helmet, New Glasses, a Tri Seat and Aerobars!

I finally got a new helmet. I don’t know why I waited so long. I was squeezing my head into an XS, which wasn’t too bad, but my size is S. Yes, I should have been thinking about my safety first. XS was tight around the temples but it would have protected me if I fell. My hat size is not that big and I’m probably in between the XS and S. The S is obviously more comfortable and I’m glad I bought it. It looks cool too! It’s a Pneumo by Giro. ($128 on Sale! Reg: $159)


I also had to purchase sunglasses that don’t slide down my face when I bike or run. I was using my driving glasses and that just didn’t cut it. So I got some Oakley Half Jacket’s for $105. I already have a pair of Oakely M-Frames with a clear lens but it’s an older model (1997) and the new lenses don’t fit on it for some reason. So I can wear those on the non-bright days. But the Half Jackets are nice. ($105)


Also, I was able to install my Tri Seat and test it out. The seat added more ‘room’ to move and also a tip that was more comfortable – especially when hammering down on the cranks while in an ‘aero’ position. I tend to scoot up to the very front of the seat or tip as I do this and it is uncomfortable to say the least. The Tri Seat added comfort as I got into this position and it is made to dry the pad of your TriSuit after a swim. ($60 on sale! Reg: $80)



And finally I dared to install the Aerobars which I’ve had for a while. Getting to and from the Aerobars was a little scary. I literally have to inch my way into them and out of them as I bike for fear of losing control as I let go of the bars. And if I’m pedaling at the same time, I go ‘squirly’ so I stop pedaling. Then I resume and tuck in to see how fast I can get without getting too scared. I managed to hit a top speed of 27 mph on Saturday on a very slight decent at the Rose Bowl. ($60 on sale! Reg: $98)


Now all I need are legs and I’m set. (I'll pay full price + for those!)

It’s all my fault…

It’s hard to see your child in pain. It’s hard to see the trepidation and fear in his face and hear it in his voice when he asks, "is that it? Is there anymore?" after a shot in his arm. And you have to say, "yes… four more..." - which is only a disguise because there’s actually THIRTY TWO needles on four trays. One shot is bad enough. 4 x 8 shots is torture for a five year old boy with skinny little arms. In the case of allergy testing, it’s a set of FOUR trays with eight needles on each tray. A total of 32 shots per se.

And that's where we were for two hours yesterday afternoon. The allergist.

It started with a test on his arm - the normal area for a shot. It was one poke of two little needles. He cried in pain. I too had the same test yesterday. It felt like the sting of a bee. When the doctor saw that his skin reacted "correctly" to the shot they took a pen and drew four areas (or panels) on his forearms and labeled them ABC&D. Each area would be ‘poked’ with a panel of eight needles and the reaction would show different types of things he was allergic to.

They pressed the first two panels on his biceps and he cried in pain – Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow… Eight tiny needles poked into his left bicep and eight tiny needles into his right. All at the same time! It wasn’t a horrific cry of pain but it was horrific for me – a parent seeing his child in pain and unable to do anything to ease it.

Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow...

And then two more panels were pressed simultaneously onto his left and right forearms. Poor guy.

Bella watched with concern. Thankful she didn't have to. But she probably will when she's five.

And its ALL MY FAULT. I have the allergies. I have asthma. And those traits have been passed down to him and Bella.

All my life I’ve suffered.

And now we have to decide whether or not for Jake to have a weekly allergy shot. SIXTY THREE in one year. Then one a month for the next three to five years.

We have to weigh the pros – his ability to live a normal life without reaction to things he’s allergic to, and the cons – the risk of something happening during his treatment. They keep the kids in their office for thirty minutes after being given a shot to make sure they don’t have a bad reaction. It could result in something bad – but we were told only 5% chance. Why risk even that chance on your most prized and beloved possession???

These treatments will NOT cure the allergies – but they will control them. The shots actually are an injection of what you are allergic to. Low doses that your body gets use to. And eventually high doses – the ones you are around like dust, grass, pollen, food – will not do you harm.

I’ll be getting the same test done next Tuesday. I’m a bit nervous about getting poked like Jacob did… but he did it. And I’m so proud of him. Now its my turn.

He’s allergic to peanuts – as we found out in a very frightful night. Also he’s allergic to all the dusts and grass and even oranges! And he loves oranges!!!

In the end he asked – and this is enough to make his UNCLE JAMES CRY LIKE THE GIRL THAT HE IS… “Can I play with Maddie now?” (Uncle James and Jenny’s dog)

How sad, huh?

Hopefully… yes he can.

Here are a few pics of the very traumatic event.






If you are an Allergist you better be nice and cool, because what kids have to go through, you don’t want them to hate you even more because of your bedside manners.

And our doctor is totally cool. The nurses are great and the office is extremely kid-friendly. Even I like going there!

I'm committed...

It’s official. I’m signed up for my first Triathlon event. The 7th Annual Redlands Triathlon/Duathlon & 5K Run/Walk. So no turning back now. I’m committed. Every day I’m more nervous than the last. But I’m so looking forward to it.

And after that, it’s serious training for another Sprint Triathlon in May in beautiful San Diego with an open water swim! I’m really looking forward to that one! It’s the Xterra Wetsuits Spring Sprint Triathlon! (Jenny and James may need to put us up for a couple of days!)

In June I’m looking forward to the Redondo Beach Sprint Triathlon.

And in July I want to do a relay Sprint Triathlon with my cousin and his son in Sacramento. The July TRI for FUN Sprint Triathlon.

So my calendar is filled!

Rewrite motivation

Again I’m awake. But this time it’s 4:30 AM. Three and a half hours of sleep.

Why did I get to bed so late?

Well, last night I went through some script notes by a trusted online friend that ripped one of my scripts apart. It’s been about four years since I last read them – maybe more. But boy, was it harsh (in a constructive way) and totally on the money. He picked through all the holes and focused on everything he didn’t like in the script. First prefacing the critique with his opinion and respect for me as a writer and then going for my throat. It’s what I asked him to do. I told him to tear it apart. It was THE BEST analysis of the script I’ve ever received. It wasn’t sugar coated, it wasn’t just an overall view, it was a detailed dissection of the script and everything that DID NOT work. He did point out the things he liked but really didn’t focus on them. Everything else worked… it was what he pointed out that didn’t - and he pointed out a lot.

I think that’s one reason I put the script aside. It was just too much work

I recently read the script. It’s okay. It’s doable. It’s simple and if someone wanted to shoot it, it’s probably ready to go. But its not as good as it should be.

Two different parties have shown interest in it this year. Yet I have yet to get motivated to start on the rewrite passing the script off as ‘good enough.’ Well… it isn’t. So after reading the critique once again it made me feel like Charlie Kaufman in “Adaptation” where he utters his mantra, “I am fat, I am old, I am bald, I am repulsive, I can’t write.”

Except I’m not bald.

Last night I sat through and rewrote for two and a half hours making it to page 36 of the 100+ page feature. It felt good. It felt right. It felt different to be eight years removed from the original 1998 Chesterfield Fellowship Semi-Finalist script - which I wrote at age thirty - to be thirty eight years old and really seeing the characters in a completely different light. Instead of writing the characters to meet my age, social status, career and view of the future, I’m able to push them back to College years where finishing college is a very important goal, the future is not career but passing a class, and true love is still a concept. Along the way you find love, you suffer from heartbreak and you see your best friends start their future. It makes the characters more identifiable to more people. They are less set in their ways and more spontaneous, love sick, romantic and desperate. It felt good. It made me want to stay home and write – which I haven’t been inclined to do lately.

So the writing will continue.

I feel like a writer once again.

Prior to my rewriting I had a great workout!!!

So on to…

TRI-TRAINING NEWS…

My legs were still fatigued from Monday night’s hard run so I did a very easy 30 minute 2.5 miles. I’m talking easy, easy, easy. I built up a good sweat, my heart rate was around Zone 3 as a guess, but it didn’t matter. I was going for time versus miles. And all the way to the gym I kept trying to come up with an excuse to head back home.

I headed upstairs to do weight training and decided to push my sets to three instead of two. Last week I added ten more pounds to my weights on most of my sets. So I’m doing an extra set with more weight now. It’s awesome. It felt so damn good to walk out of the gym exhausted. It was a very leg-intensive workout as well. They were sore. I’m also trying to do a short core workout every time I go to the gym even if it’s not my core training day.

I haven’t logged any swim time in a while mostly because I’ve been too lazy to do the whole, change into swim clothes, get wet, get dry, change to workout clothes, run and do weights. But I’m motivated to do that tomorrow, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I’m aiming for four straight days of swim time!

IN X-BOX ADDICTION NEWS…

I love FIFA 06.


Jake is okay with it. He’d like it better if it was easier to score. He’s pretty good on the defensive end so that’s a plus for me. I let him score from time to time and one goal per game is enough to keep him interested. Sometimes he’s able to get a goal on his own which is good. Giving him a one goal lead presses me to try and find a way to score one on my. If I can get at least a tie we go into the penalty shot mode as a tie breaker - which is fun. This game is absolutely fun. It’s one of my favorite games. The only problem is that it is incredibly hard to score. I can get several shots off, I’ve figured out all the passing and ball handling techniques, but I just can’t figure out how to place my shots with accuracy.

This is a serious challenge and one of X-Box’s best games to ever come out!

Why do people have weather vains?

-It just wakes people up at night.

"Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right." -The Beatles

I’m sitting in bed at 4:45 in the morning because I can’t sleep. I’m not a sound sleeper. With medication that problem could be fixed. There’s probably a technical or scientific name for it. Let’s just call it paranoia.

Every noise in the night is something to investigate. Every noise, even the smallest bit of one, wakes me. I can hear Jake move in his room because his ‘doggie’ rattles quietly. Bella talks in her sleep and when she does I lay there frozen, waiting to hear her call for me. And when she doesn’t call I go check on her anyway. If Jake sneezes it immediately puts me into nosebleed readiness. If Bella coughs I’m ready to get her water. I sleep a little more sound when Donna is home. But three nights a week I’m ‘on call’. There’s nobody to nudge and ask, “Can you check on them?”

Last night Bella was talking in her sleep. It was 12:45 AM. I went to check on her and she was at the foot of her bed sound asleep. I moved her up to her pillow and tucked her in. 2:00 AM Jake heard something – I heard it first. It’s our neighbor’s WEATHER VANE that spins and whistles when the wind blows. “Papa?” He didn’t even need to ask. I told him it was the wind. At 4:30 he needed to pee. Thus ended my night.

In nearly six years I can’t remember the last time I slept sound through the night.

IN TRI-TRAINING NEWS...

The New Year's Report about gym memberships is right. January is the month for new memberships due to the whole New Year’s Resolution thing. And yes, the gym has been packed!!! By March nobody will be there. But man, there are a ton of people at the gym in January.

Despite the crowd I managed to find ONE treadmill available at 7:45 PM. I had a great overall workout last night. I ran 2.5 miles at a fast pace to see how long I could last in Zone 5 of my heart rate: 164-182 bpm. Within four minutes I was there. At the twelve minute mark I was above Zone 5 and I stayed past my Maximum bpm for the remainder of the run peaking at 201 bpm finishing the 2.5 miles in 24:15 - a 9:66 mile average. My recovery was quite fast tough which is good. I know I can do the run on Feb 12th and get on the bike without too much fatigue. Then I did some serious core training for an hour using a Swiss Ball and weights then called it a night. It felt good to go all out!

I think my body is getting use to my night workouts. I was reading a magazine in bed and my eyes could not focus after a while. I dozed off with my light on. The sleep felt good. Unfortunately it lasted only a couple of hours before I had to do the nightly checks. I may have gone all night with a sound sleep.


The “SUN” from The Gilded Tarot deck.

The Beatles - "Here Comes the Sun"
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
It's all right

Couch Potato Stuff

I was a little disappointed that I missed the first episode of “Emily’s Reasons Why Not” on ABC. A show based on the best selling book by Carrie Gerlach. I didn’t read the book, nor do I think the book’s premise sounds that interesting. But with Heather Graham in the staring role, I figured it could be a decent series. Possibly a prime time version of “Sex in the City” without all the cuss words and sex edited out as they do in “Sex in the City” syndications.

But I guess I didn’t miss much as the TV show is cancelled. With 6 episodes ‘in the can’, ABC does not want to market the show anymore because they don’t think they can get viewers to watch it. There was a ton of pre marketing that was done. But after seeing the first episode they realized it wasn’t a show worthy of any more time and money. Yet there are still billboards around town advertising the show - an already cancelled show at that. Hollywood is weird. Apparently the studio never saw the first script and only saw the show after it was aired (as reported on the news this morning). Yeah right. How is that at all possible? Too bad. Too sad.

“Scrubs” better get Heather Graham back on board because she was great on that show.

“Battlestar Galactica” wasn’t that great this past episode. I was looking forward to more action and drama. It was more drama. After last week’s episode, you’d expect more. But they pulled back a little and went with a theme all too common in our daily lives lately – terrorism. It definitely was a glimpse to tons of complications to come. I thought we were going to lose Mary McDonnell’s character this week. I’m glad we didn’t.

Did I miss the season premiere of “24”? I watched the two hour episode from this past week. Hours 9:00 thru 11:00. Apparently I missed the first two hours. I need to set the SAVE UNTIL I DELETE option for this show on TiVo. I guess I know what’s going on based on the recap portion, but still, some things are a little unclear. It was a very high intense episode though. Just like all of them are. What a fun show to watch!

If only I didn’t have to sit through the crap that is “Desperate Housewives” before “Grey’s Anatomy” comes on, Sunday nights would be great TV. I only sit through it because Donna watches it and then “Grey’s Anatomy” comes on and we watch that together. This is one of the best shows on TV. The writing is great! It’s the one show Donna and I tend to watch together. The characters, story, medical drama stuff – its not ER intense but intense enough. It’s definitely driven by character romance. A perfect place for it too. A hospital where Seattle is the backdrop.

And I knew this would happen after episode one of this season – That 70s Show is being cancelled after its finale in May. Yeah, the show, one I considered the best comedy on TV at one time, really really sucked this season. It’s so bad it’s hard to watch. Yet I still force myself to sit through the mess since I’m a dedicated fan. Unfortunately, they need to get rid of it. There wasn’t even a ‘jump the shark’ episode. But maybe there will be one just to go through the process of a show dying. I think maybe the crew should take a road trip to Los Angeles and have Fez really jump the shark in the Pacific Ocean. A Tribute show to Happy Days and the historic show that eventually coined the phrase of ‘jump the shark’ as the show where a series eventually starts to die.

Other shows of note that I’m still watching…
American Idol
How I met Your Mother
Two And a Half Men
Scrubs
My Name is Earl (where production just stopped because Jason Lee has chicken pox which is very dangerous for an adult)

Show’s I’m waiting for to start up again…
Over There
The Sopranos
Curb your Enthusiasm
Survivor
Big Brother

I hate Sunday nights!

Mensa Quiz of the Day answer below…

Sunday nights… I’ve learned to hate em. Sometimes it comes and goes and you don’t realize it, but when you have a great weekend and then Sunday night comes and you realize it’s almost over, it’s hard to let go of the past two days. You don’t want the day or the night to end. At least I don’t. Because after a great weekend, going to work on Monday morning is not the way to cap it all off. To solve this problem, Monday should be a day of rest and relaxations. I bet everyone agrees.

I hung out at work Friday just to get some confirmation on charges for AICD’s we perform at the hospital. The boss wasn’t in all afternoon so I did some preliminary calculations on charges and costs and reran a full years worth of data. I discovered different issues in this analysis versus the one I did in August. Which means more work for someone else who needs to correct the problem(s). But who wants to hear about that?

I got home on Friday night and was completely worn out. Two hours of sleep the night before, a long day at work, and Friday night traffic. We had a quick easy “Griller” hamburger dinner and I got the kids to bed at 7:00. I was in bed at 7:30 and was out like a light.

1:00 AM… Jacob peed in his bed. I swear he went to the bathroom before bed but maybe not. So I got him changed and he crawled into bed with me. 4:00 AM… Jacob peed in my bed. WHAT THE HELL?!?! I got him clothes, put a towel on the small wet spot and told him to get changed and get back to sleep. I was a complete zombie during all this.

And Saturday morning I think the kids hit a record on sleeping in. Jake woke up at 7:15 and Bella woke up at 7:45. Donna got back from work at 8:45 and Jake and I raced to his baseball tryouts.

It was packed. And he was the smallest one out there. I was a little nervous until I saw him out there on his own doing what he does best – making the coaches think ‘who’s that little kid out performing the big kids’. Yeah, his bat isn’t as strong as the others, but he was hitting every ball that came his way and never flinched, never blinked and ALWAYS kept his eye on the ball. He charged the ball and stepped and threw. There was a lot of praise from the coaches who were evaluating the kids.

Two hours of baseball and we went to the Galleria for pretzels and sunglass shopping.

We played video games when we got home and then we took a nap. My dad took Bella to church so it was Donna sleeping and Jake and I joining her at around 1:00.

Later that night we went to my sister’s house for a baby shower and stayed up late. It was fun.

Sunday we all went to the Rose Bowl. Jake biked while I ran the 3.1 miles. After many stops because he was tired, we finally finished in 34 minutes. Not bad. Especially after a pace of walking as he biked up the incline.

We visited the bike store to get him some hand brakes, went to the Montrose Farmer’s Market and came for naps. I watched most of the Pittsburgh/Denver game before falling asleep. Then we went to the Galleria, got a humidifier at Sharper Image, picked up food at CPK and Donna and I had a nice full glass of Pinot Grigio with the dinner. Finally, all of us cuddled up in bed to watch “The Incredibles”.


The Incredibles (2004)
My Rating: 10/10
My Review: An incredible movie. Watch it. Own it. Know it.

Can a weekend get any better than that?

And here I am dreading morning.

And those interested in the answer to the Mensa Quiz of the day for Friday, here is the answer…


QUESTION FOR JAN 20:
You have decided to take your morning run in preparation for the local marathon at an average speed of 6 miles per hour. Unfortunately, you are not in as good shape as you thought, and you are running uphill. You find that you complete a half of the run, all uphill, at an average speed of only 3 miles per hour. How fast must you run to make the return trip-all downhill-at an average speed for the entire round trip of 6 miles per hour?

ANSWER:
You can’t do it at all. For example, if your run is 6 miles, you would have to do it in one hour to average 6 miles per hour. However, you’ve already taken an hour to do the first half of the run, thereby using all the available time.

I'm not a genius. I just fake it.

Someone at work gave me a book called, “The Mensa Genius: Quiz-A-Day Book”

For some reason they think I’m a genius at work. Little do they know that I’m just a good actor.

So before I signoff, here’s the “Quiz for the day”. I like this one because it deals with marathons, running and time so I can relate.

You have decided to take your morning run in preparation for the local marathon at an average speed of 6 miles per hour. Unfortunately, you are not in as good shape as you thought, and you are running uphill. You find that you complete a half of the run, all uphill, at an average speed of only 3 miles per hour. How fast must you run to make the return trip-all downhill-at an average speed for the entire round trip of 6 miles per hour?

Note: It’s a bit tricky!!!

"10" gets a "7".

And that's because of Dudley Moore and not a nude Bo Derek.

Two hours. That’s the time I spent sleeping.

I couldn’t sleep so I watched last week’s episode of “How I met your Mother”, an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” at 10:30, then watched the “American Idol” episode from Wednesday and finally I finished watching “10” staring Dudley Moore and Bo Derek. I went to the bathroom about seven times last night from 11:00 PM till 4:30 AM. I also was so thirsty during the night I had a water bottle by my bed.


“Grey’s Anatomy” is one of the best shows on Television next to “Battlestar Galactica” by the way. Oh and American Idol is THE BEST show on TV today. I’m a sucker for this stupid show. At least I can acknowledge its stupid and a waste of time okay?

Back to sleep deprivation…

I fell asleep around 2:45 AM. At 4:30 I woke up and went to the bathroom and was wide awake.

I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the day today. I was so ready to fall asleep but just couldn’t do it.

So here’s a quick review of “10”.


“10” (1979)
My rating: 7/10

First off, Dudley Moore is hella funny. I’ve always loved the guy. This was always seen as a “Bo Derek” movie. But she’s really not on screen that long and when she wasn’t talking, she had this blank look on her face. I guess she played the part perfect because her character was pretty blah anyway. Dudley Moore couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. His idea of the perfect “10”. But how your mind changes when you finally get to know the person. And when he had the opportunity to fulfill his fantasy with her, he got to know her which gave him some sort of epiphany about love and marriage and he realized she wasn’t the perfect “10”.

Brian Dennehy, in one of his first roles, played the part of the bartender. Many years and tons of screen credits later he played Chris Farely’s dad in “Tommy Boy.” The woman he was going to marry in “Tommy Boy” was… Bo Derek! “10” was done real early in Dennehy’s career and he has a long list of movies since then. Bo Derek did “10”, that Tarzan movie and “Tommy Boy”. She did some non significant movies here and there but that’s about it. I don’t know what I’m trying to say. I’m not even trying to compare the two careers. One’s an actor and the other a model of sorts. I guess my point is that Dennehy and Derek were in “10” and then showed up sixteen years later in “Tommy Boy” together. Full circle maybe? It was cooler when I first thought of that. I guess you had to be there – in my brain.

Back to Dudley Moore. What ever happened to him? I think I remember he had a drinking problem - like his character “Arthur”. I believe he died a few years ago. I liked him in the “Arthur” movies and especially liked him in “Like Father Like Son” with Kirk Cameron. Speaking of Kirk Cameron, what ever happened with him? I loved him as Mike Seaver on “Growing Pains” and couldn’t resist watching bits and pieces of the “Growing Pains” television movie reunions that have come out through the years.

Anyway, here’s a quick wrap up of “10”. You don’t need to watch it unless you want to watch a Dudley Moore movie. It’s funny. But not that funny. I’d rather you watch “Like Father Like Son” instead. If you want to watch Bo Derek, rent that Tarzan movie because, although she’s nude in “10”, it’s not enough for anyone to drool over.

24 days left and counting.

Feb 12th is coming up fast. Am I ready for this Triathlon thingy? We’ll know in a few weeks!

On Sunday the family and I drove to a bike shop that specializes in Triathlon bikes and clothing. Unfortunately the selection of clothing was very limited due to the off-season of Triathlons. But they did have some Tri-specific bikes I was drooling over. Maybe someday I’ll be able to afford one of those.

I picked out a Trisuit, a Tri-tank and Tri-shorts. Jake and I went into the dressing room and I tried on the tank and shorts first.

I liked the tri-shorts. They have padding that dries quick. That way you’re not biking 10 or more miles with a wet seat which could lead to some serious chaffing!

As I adjusted the tri-tank Jake started cracking up. I asked him why he was laughing. He told me that he was laughing because my belly was sticking out. Yeah, it kinda was. You see, these tank tops are made extremely tight. They are also made so that you can pull up the bottom part to cool off your body while you run. It ends up looking like a bra of some sort. A kind of ‘Manzier’ as Kramer and Frank Costanza call it. Although my tummy is flatter than it has been in twenty or so years, I wasn’t comfortable wearing a manzier as I run down the street. So that was out of the question.

So I tried on the Tri-suit.

No laugher. Just, “that’s cool.” The suit actually makes me look pretty slender, so that was what I bought. I also purchased a bike shirt to wear over the suit when I bike.

Thank goodness they had my size in everything. I didn’t want to chance ordering the clothing online, and having it be too small or too big and having nothing by February 12th. I mean, sure, I can change into bike shorts and swim trunks during the transition stages, but that just takes time and energy. I really don’t want to worry about that stuff. I just want to go-go-go!

I also purchased a tri-seat by Profile Design.

At least I’ll have some comfort on the bike. I hope it’s a flat course.

The Sprint Triathlon I’m doing is a backwards event. Run/Bike/Swim. I’m not sure I like that idea now. At first I thought it was great that running came first. But with how I struggled through a 250 meter swim tonight, I’m not so confident I can do the swim with fatigued legs. Especially after a 5 mile run and 10 mile ride. I swam using mostly arms tonight and I was really struggling with my breathing techniques. It was very disappointing!


Well, there you have it. I’m ready to go and I can’t wait. I’m nervous, but I still can’t wait. I just hope I can get this lingering feeling of being sick out of my system!

Life can change while buying milk, apples and creamer.

How often does this happen in your life...

You get in line to pay for groceries when a masked man in a ski mask with cut-out holes for his eyes and gloves his hands puts a gun to the back of the cashier and says, “Give me the money.”

Well, last night it happened to me. Well, not to me directly but directly in front of me.

I went to the quick check out line - the 10 items or less line. I thought I was lucky because I expected to be in a long line but there was only one guy in front of me. Our cashier was acting odd and with good reason. There was a guy about five foot six standing behind him with a gun to his back. The cashier was fumbling with the register when the robber walked away saying, "I'll be back".

The cashier (as well as everyone else who could see) watched him walk over to another cashier. I didn’t see what happened but this is what went down based on what our cashier and another cashier told us after the event.

The robber went to another cashier and held him up. The young cashier behind the register said he looked at him like it was a joke and waited for a laugh. But the robber said, “I’m serious, man!” So he managed to open the register and hand him a stack of bills. The robber then went to two other registers and did the same.

During this time I stood there waiting. Wondering what was going on. Obviously this was a joke right. I mean the guy in front of me looked all patient and relaxed and he admitted he thought it was a joke. The people at the Panda Inn line weren't really freaking out from what I witnessed. The Starbucks customers and workers weren't freaking out. Everyone seemed to be observing without fear. It really felt like a non-event and it ended in less than a minute.

The robber came back with the manager who opened up the register in my line and the cashier handed him a stack of bills. The robber then ran out the door.

My cashier then said, “FUCK”.

And the guy in front of me asked, “Was that real?”

“Yes. Didn’t you see the gun?”

The cashier was flushed, red, shaky. He was a young guy maybe 21 or 22. He handled himself well. He really made us feel calm because he was calm. He even said to me, "It'll be a moment sir" as he watched the robber hold up the other registers.

I kept asking him if he was okay. He said he was.

One of the girls who worked there came in from collecting the shopping carts and told us she saw the robber run out of the store fast. He didn’t have a car.

Suddenly, there was a buzz all around the store. People were gathered in little groups talking about what they saw. Prior to that, the store was completely silent. Everyone was at a pause. It was weird.

The cops showed up and had to talk to the cashiers that the robber held up.

I had to take my groceries to another check out stand.

Now there was the problem of purchasing groceries. Nobody had cash in the registers so if you wanted to buy stuff you had to use a credit card.

I got in my car thirty minutes after a supposed quick run to the grocery store. I called Donna and she said she was wondering what took so long and I told her the story as I drove home.

I was nervous when I got home. I wasn’t nervous in the store. My heart beat didn’t even raise at all. But when I got home I was paranoid. I was looking around as I got out of my car and took my groceries out. And Donna had the door open for me as I got to the door.

So there you have it. Rack it up as once in my life and hopefully no more than that.

Shaq and Kobe – making up is hard to do.

It’s one of those days or two.

Hold on to your seats. It’s one of those days where my biorhythm is in whack or something. There’s got to be something. There has to be some explanation to how I’m feeling… So I checked on my biorhythm’s here: Free Biorhythm!

The results?

According to my Primary Rhythms…

Emotional: -90% Which means my stability and positive energy of my psyche and outlook on life, as well as my capacity to empathize with and build rapport with other people is EXTREMELY low!

Intellectual: +10% Which indicates my verbal, mathematical, symbolic, and creative abilities, as well as my capacity to apply reason and analysis to the world around me is not at a great level today.

Physical: +80% This shows that my strength, health, and raw physical vitality is quite high – which is probably why I’d rather be killing myself at the gym instead of killing myself at work.

And my Secondary Rhythms…

Mastery: +50% This is the composite of the Intellectual and Physical cycles. It encompasses my ability to succeed at tasks and to obtain what I desire. This cycle also tracks athletic ability and the focus required to learn physical skills. I’m definitely not motivated to workout, but I’d rather do that mindlessly than do my job like a zombie!

Passion: -2% This is the composite of the Physical and Emotional cycles. Passion encompasses my motivation to act, and the drive that allows me to continue a difficult pursuit. This cycle also tracks sexuality in its purest form. Uh… difficult pursuit? What about just surviving through the day? Lack of motivation is the theme for me. I have no motivation today. I don’t even have motivation to be lazy. I just want to do something different!

Wisdom: -45% This is the composite of the Emotional and Intellectual cycles. Wisdom encompasses my understanding of the world, my role in it, and the things that are truly important to my life. This cycle also tracks the presence of mind that you need to make crucial decisions.

Wisdom – understanding my role in the world. Funny… how appropriate as I questioned my station in life at about 3:00 AM last night as I watched ESPN News.

Maybe my biorhythms had a lot to do with how I felt about Kobe and Shaq last night. The whole Kobe/Shaq situation made me think about things emotionally if you can believe that.

I watched the recap of Kobe and Shaq about five times last night. I watched most of the game but fell asleep not knowing the score. I woke up in the living room and caught the Laker score on ESPN News and of course they kept showing the hug. That was more important to me than the score actually. The whole issue hasn’t run my life, it’s basically nothing really. A conflict only media driven. It’s pretty stupid in my honest opionion… but for a moment, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Sometimes you see people hug, shake hands, say hi and smile, but unless you really know what’s going on in their head, the hug, the hand shake, the smile could all be an act. Nothing real. Just for show. Fake.

I watched Kobe and Shaq shake hands and hug before the game. It hit me emotionally. I made it more than it could be. I got in their heads all of a sudden. Could either one be thinking, a year and a half removed from the ‘breakup’ - we may have made a mistake. There has to be some sort of deep seeded emotion in an individual despite their fame, fortune, bigger than life reality and media presence they need to portray.

Could Shaq be feeling sorry for Kobe and his Laker situation? Maybe. It’s always hard to leave a job with people you’ve worked with even if you didn’t like them all that much. It’s a big part of you despite how much you say it isn’t. Could Kobe look at Shaq and think back on the times they hugged and raised their arms to victory. Those times when their backs were against the walls yet they fought together, back to back, through the hardships and got the job done? I mean, those are times that eventually supercede the negative things that happen. You look back and see the moments of your life and see how wonderful things were and how an ego got in the way to pure brilliance!

Well, I watched them shake hands and hug. And I’m convinced it hit them right in the gut. Maybe not for long. Maybe for a brief moment. Maybe for a flash. It hit them. Everything they went through - all the good times and bad. And the regret. Nothing may be solved. The hatchet may not be buried. Love may not be regained… but for a moment I believe there was some sort of resolution, regret, love, sorrow, sadness and relief. And now you move on once again.

I wonder twenty years from now if they become friends. If they say - look at us, so young and so great and so big headed we didn’t accomplish what could have been. Will they eventually kick back thirty years from now and say to each other - we could have been the best for a long time. I wonder if forty years from now they admit and say – those were the best times of our lives - the championships, the fame, the fortune. Without each other, they wouldn’t have what they have today.

There are sports moments where the emotion overwhelms you and you shed a tear. When the US Olympic Hockey team won the gold in ‘80. When Gibby hit the home run in Game One in ‘88. When Fish hit the shot with .04 seconds left two years ago. And when the Indians won the Pennant in Major League. No, I didn’t shed a tear when Kobe and Shaq hugged… but it could have been one of those moments. I kinda wish it was.

I wonder if they will ever think about that. I hope they are just like us - human.

How I wish I can turn on the television and see this once again…

You like a quickies?

I fought traffic to rush home from work last friday to bike around the bowl. It was dark. I did it anyway. I did it in 31:78 for an average pace of 13 MPH. Too slow. It was way too dark to do it again.

I'm working on a new BLOG. Blogger.com doesn't have much of a choice of templates and I want something new. So I'm looking into WordPress. Here's how my new one is looking. (The Hungry Writer). I'll keep you updated.

I bought some Tri-gear on Sunday. More about that later. Jake helped me make the final decision.

Battlestar Galactica is probably my most look forward to show of the week. You should watch it.

Season One is on DVD which includes the mini-series from 2003.

Season Two is also out - the first half that is. I want both! The second half of Season Two is now on Friday Nights on The SciFi Network.

It's one of the best shows on TV. Trust me!

There's nothing up my butt!

I woke up today to Donna saying, “Just give her an enema and send her to the hospital.” She was asleep. Thank goodness she doesn’t sleep walk or do one of those hands on things while dreaming or else I may have woken up with something up my butt!

I had a pretty restful night. But I heard noises in the corner before I went to bed. It could have been outside of the house, but I swear it was inside. So I got my Kendo Shinai and poked around (which is by my bed for protection).

I found nothing. But during my sleep I kept thinking that there might be a mouse running around. I heard the noise on two different occasions before going over to check it out. And then in my sleep I began to think it could be a snake. So we have a snake or a mouse in the house. Or maybe nothing at all.

Other that, I slept pretty well. Although my restful sleep was filled with dreams of swim stroke technique and my bike pedal RPMs. I have to figure out how to know my pedal RPMs. And it might not rain today, which means I can figure it out sometime today.

You know, all week I’ve been thinking, I got to get some laps in at the pool. So I figure Saturday would be perfect. As Saturday approaches I start making excuses of how it's too cold, I’ll get sick, I was shivering last time in the pool despite the it being heated. But I set a time – 3:00PM. Well, the kids didn’t wake up from their nap on Saturday till around 3:00 so I was thinking its getting too late I’ll just do it tomorrow (Sunday/today). Finally I get out of the house to drop them off with my mom at my sisters house but it was a struggle and anything I could think of to keep me from going kept popping in my head. It’s too cold. It’s raining. I need a rest. The football game is on. I need goggles that don’t make me look like I should be snorkeling. I’m hungry. It was easy to come up with one. I stopped at Big 5 and got some cheap goggles and an energy bar. I ate while I drove to the gym and finally got into the pool.

But before that I walked in a really old man laying on the floor of the men’s swim locker room. He said he got dizzy and fell so I ran upstairs to get help. After about 20 minutes of commotion and him taking forever to dial his wife on his cell phone because his glasses were fogging up, he laid on the floor - with Speedos on - and told his wife what had happened. Several of us helped him get back on his feet and he sat down on the bench and got dressed. He said he was okay and one of the staff said he’d check up on him – yeah right. The 24 hr fitness guy disappeared and I never saw him come back down. After the locker room cleared he told me his wife was a retired nurse and would come pick him up. I asked him if his chest hurt, if he blacked out or had any numbness. He said no but he had a pace maker. He just felt dizzy and fell back. For the second or third time in my life I wished I was a doctor. I had no advice for him. So I gave him well wishes and went to the pool.

His wife showed up about fifteen minutes later and I saw her lay him back down on a bench and take his vitals. I kept thinking about life and the future and old age and love. That was true love. Unconditional love. I mean, you stay together and in the end here you are a wife taking care of your husband. I look at that couple and thought of my relationship with Donna right now is probably going to last longer than theirs. One of them isn’t going to make it much longer in life. It could have been him. Dying on the floor of the mens locker room. Just like that. Over. His wife could have been called for a different reason. Instead, she was there to help him sit on the bench, take his blood pressure, and get him home.

I finished the rest of my fifteen laps (750 meters – which is the most I’ve done), got dressed and went up for weight training. I wanted to say something to the couple. To tell them how I marveled at their relationship longevity. To wish them many more years together. The old man was nice to me. Hopefully his wife was the same. She didn’t look like a hard-ass. She looked very calm and caring. Like a nurse should be.

If I see him at the gym again, I’ll make sure to say hi.

So 750 meters. That’s 50 meters short of a half a mile. I used short fins but really didn’t focus too many laps on my kick. I focused on my arms. I tried to remember more technique that I read online – pressing my chest and face into the water, keeping my butt up, turning my head and body instead of lifting my head out of the water. For the most part, I think I have the stroke down. I need to really focus on it doing it slower and really gliding through the water. Last night was the first time I felt like I actually did glide through the water! It was a good swim. 15 laps in 30 minutes. But I take tons of breaks in between. Once to run to the bathroom and pee.

The kids are awake. It’s 6:45.

My weight training was pretty good as well. I increased the weight by ten pounds to some of my sets. So hopefully it shows I’m getting a little stronger. I also lost 9 pounds since November. Being sick helped. LOL.

Okay, time to start the day. Its cold out there.

This makes me sick!

SF Cyclist Killed In Hit And Run

POSTED: 4:28 pm PST January 12, 2006

(From the bayinsider.com)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Police were looking for witnesses in a hit-and-run crash that took the life of a San Francisco bicyclist Thursday.

Sarah Tucker, 26, of San Francisco, was heading down Polk Street at about 2 a.m., according to Inspector Pat Tobin with the department's hit-and-run detail, when she came to a green light at the intersection of Geary Street.

A motorist driving a black Honda CR-V sport utility vehicle west on Geary apparently ran the red light, entering the intersection just before Tucker, who crashed into his passenger door.

"She sees him coming, she yells 'Hey,' that's what made some of the witnesses look up," Tobin said today. Tucker apparently did not have enough time to stop before slamming into the door of the Honda.

Tucker was catapulted off her bicycle, according to the Police Department, and landed in the street. She was taken to San Francisco General Hospital where she died at 9:46 a.m.

The driver of the Honda is described as a black male, according to police. He apparently did not have any passengers with him. Damage to the door will be obvious, Tobin said.

"All the witnesses said the passenger door had marked damage -- very noticeable," Tobin said. "All the witnesses got good looks at his face."

Any witnesses to the event itself or those who have spotted a black Honda CR-V with damage to the front passenger door are encouraged to call Tobin in the hit-and-run division at (415) 553-1641, or call the department's confidential tip line at (415) 575-4444.

Please don't rain!

I WANT TO RIDE THIS WEEKEND!

I took a day off from my workout on Wednesday. My body was telling me to rest... So I did. I pushed myself a little too hard on Tuesday after going 18 days without a solid workout. So Wednesday I was really worn out.

I didn't have any motivation to go to the gym last night but I did. I skipped the swimming and went with an easy 30 minute run. I don't understand why my heart rate is so high at a pace I could have done all day. It was in Zone 5 for 27 of those 30 minutes. I wasn't labored, my breathing was easy, and after my run I was absolutely fine. My ave HR was 168 bpm at a 13.82 mile pace.

Should I be worried?

If it rains - I'll have to go swimming and run at the gym. Which is fine. But I want to bike! Three weeks to go till my first TRI!!! I NEED MILES ON THE BIKE!

If it does rain I"ll have to be forced to play alot of Call of Duty 2: The Big Red One!


But then rain is a DAMN GOOD EXCUSE to stay home all weekend and watch the playoff football games!

My predictions:
Skins over Hawks
Bears over Panthers
Pats over Denver
Indy over Pittsburgh


The Redskins will win the Super Bowl against -

- the Pats

Confused isn’t what Confucius says. It’s what Glenn is.

What day is today?

Wednesday morning?

It’s only Wednesday. Or should I say, “Only Wednesday?!?”

Whew. I’m just a little confused today. I thought it was Thursday. I kinda wish it was Thursday. But there’s one reason why I like that it’s still Wednesday - It gives me a few more days this week to workout. Tonight and tomorrow night.

And there’s one reason why I hate that it’s still Wednesday - I still have three full days before hitting the weekend.

Jake has baseball practice on Saturday. And hopefully either Saturday or Sunday I can do some serious biking. I need to log like thirty miles on my bike this weekend. I also need to do my ‘long’ run sometime this weekend. ‘Long’ meaning time – like an hour straight. But it’ll be like ten to fifteen miles on the bike and maybe thirty minutes on my shoes. But you know what Confucius says…

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

So ten to fifteen miles and thirty minutes is just the beginning of my journey.

Oh… do you know who Confucius is? It's easy to be confused about Confucius (Originally ‘Kong Fuzi’ or more specifically, ‘K'ung Fu-Tzu’). He was a was a thinker, political figure, educator and a Chinese Philosopher and NOT a Chinese Comedian!

There’s a lot of play on words that turn out to be ‘Confucius Says’ jokes. They are funny, pithy, but hold a grain of truth. Like…

“Man who stand on street corner with hands in pockets, not feeling crazy, feeling nuts.”

Yeah, that was a joke. Funny, but true. Or…

"Always looking backwards for guidance give a person more than a pain in the neck."

Speaking of ‘pithy’… I like the word ‘pithy’. It’s probably a rarely used word. ‘Pithy’. I mean, when do you really use it in everyday convo? I think the word pithy is probably a word many people think is something other than what the definition really is. It means, “concise and full of meaning.” (from: www.dictionary.com) I bet people would interpret the word ‘pithy’ as the opposite of that definition. It’s the best word to use to describe Confucius sayings.

And back to Confucus … Here’s one saying I should have learned back in the early years of my life…

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

And yes… Confucius said that (supposedly). Of course translated to English. And oh so true.

So much for the brief history lesson on Confucius. As you can see, I had nothing really of value to write about today.

"If speech is not clear, then what is said is not what is meant. If what is said is not what is meant, then what ought to be done remains undone."

It remains that my work is yet to be done.

Confused yet?

If you want to read about what happened to my paint markers on Paintball Sunday: ”Down goes Frazier”. It ain’t good – the marker situation that is. I might have to retire from Paintball for a long while.

I didn’t want to sleep last night…

I began a short script yesterday. I was going to finish it last night. But first I needed to work out. When I got home I talked to Dale about a script I am supposed to send out today (or soon). It got me motivated. I really need to get back on the writing track once again and pump things out like I use to. It used to be easy. Now it’s a struggle.

I was so tired though. I finally made it to the gym last night. Every weight felt heavier than normal. All my sets were a struggle. And it was one of those nights where I just didn’t have any motivation to go. Especially to get in the pool, get out, dry off, change, then run and do weights, etc. It was too much of a hassle. But I did.

I got out of the house at 8:15 and got in the pool around 8:30. I swam an all time high – 14 laps. Twelve of them with training fins and the last two without. That’s 700 Meters. Almost half a mile! It took 22 minutes and 40 seconds. Of course with several rest breaks. I got dressed as fast as I could then did an easy 20 minute run for 1.78 miles. I didn’t push myself too hard because it’s been more than two weeks since I’ve workout. Then I did weights for thirty minutes.

So yeah… I was tired.

But I didn’t want to sleep.

After my shower I managed to play FIFA 06 for about twenty minutes while drinking this god-awful ‘recovery’ drink by APEX. It was like drinking sugar water. I also had Dale on the phone as I tried to score some goals on FIFA. I was multi-tasking! The game is awesome by the way. But damn hard.

I slipped into bed around 11:45 and watched the Battlestar Galactica episode from Friday night. Wow. This show is edgy. They don’t hold back. They don’t do the pretty thing. They get down and dirty and they cross the line I’d say. The characters are heroic yet flawed. It’s definitely not for kids in my opinion. I mean, would you ever hear Lorne Greene (as Adama) of the original series tell Starbuck to put a bullet in Cain’s head? Uh… no! But Edward James Olmos (as Adama) did! Wow. Good stuff.

And like I said, I didn’t want to sleep. But I did.

And I had to get up three times to pee, I had to get Bella out of bed at 3:00 because she was coughing and needed water, and in between that I had restless night. I asked Donna to do it but she didn’t budge. So I got up and got her. Originally was going to just give her water but then she said, “Can I come sleep your bedroom?” At 3 AM I can’t argue. And I love it when she puts her head on my shoulder as I carry her to our room anyway. It was a rough night. So yeah, I didn’t want to sleep, and when I did, it wasn’t restful at all. I should have stayed awake.
What else? What else what else?

Oh yeah. Jessica called me on Sunday and said, “Guess what Papa. I got a PSP!” I asked her if her dad got it for her and she said no. She thought she was getting it for Christmas but didn’t. So she used her money she got from Christmas - $250. I was like, “Awesome! What games did you get?” She was like, “None. I didn’t have enough money!”

NONE? How do you have a PSP without games? How sad. Poor girl. I told her to email me a list of games she wanted. Of course she didn’t hesitate and a few minutes later I went to Target and got her Need for Speed – which was on the top of her list.



And of course I couldn’t resist and bought some games for Jake, Donna and myself.

For Jake:
He picked it out. I wanted him to get Spiderman or Fantastic Four or even The Incredibles. He, of course, chose another Star Wars game.

And for me…


I couldn’t resist.

And that’s about it I guess.

Kaden Rae

My neice... Kaden Rae Larkin: Born 1/5/2006 at 1:27 PM.

Both Liza and Kaden are doing well! Kaden likes to keep Steve and Liza up from 1 AM to 4 AM. So if you want to visit, that’s the best time.

Colby loves his little sister, Hailey. Yes, you read that right. According to Colby, Kaden’s name is Hailey. And apparently, most of the family thinks her name is Hailey.

It’s quite apparent that Bella loves ‘It’ as she calls Kaden. “It’s” crying. I want to kiss “It”. Can I sleep with “It”?

Jacob’s been through four births already so he’s not that into ‘his baby cousin’. He’s just marveled at how ‘soft’ the water is when he washes his hands at the hospital. And he’s right. It is silky soft!

And Kenna… Well… who knows what she’s thinking.

Without further adieu, here’s Kaden Rae.









And if you want to see a few more pictures of Kaden Rae, click [HERE]

Finally... The weekend!!!

Weekend Bliss…

Finally. The week is over.

My sister had a healthy baby girl.

I got on my bike and rode on the trainer.

And I’m feeling bettIer every day.

So this weekend I have a lot planned. I’m going to visit my new niece, I’m getting a much needed haircut, I’m going to bike around the Rose Bowl a couple of times (at least twice to do 10 miles), I’m going to swim, run, go to Jacob’s baseball tryouts, play paintball and just try to have fun!

I just got finished playing Greg Hasting’s Max’d Paintball game on the XBox. Time flew. I played for an hour and a half!

Now I’m going to sit back, relax, and watch some episodes of Battlestar Galactica on TiVo.

Back on the saddle… Literally.

Yes! Finally! Its over! There’s still a lingering cough but for the most part I’m ready to get back on the Tri-training and put my sickness behind me. With a month and 7 days to go before my first sprint triathlon, I need to get on the bike, get my swimming technique in check, and run some serious miles. So I got on the saddle – my bike saddle that is. No, I didn’t bike anywhere except for my garage. Maybe six or seven miles going twenty minutes on the bike trainer, I maintained a target heart rate within zones 4 and 5. It was quite a sweat, my legs were wobbling after I got off the bike, but during the 20 minutes I really wasn’t gasping for air or fatigued. I was going to go for a run – hill training – before I headed into the shower, but wanted to rest a little before heading to the hospital.

It feels good to get my heart rate going, to sweat, and to do something other than lay in bed and watch TV.

I started to feel like there’s no way that I’ll be ready for the July 12th Triathlon. Especially because I haven’t even spun the wheels of my bike. But now, the goal of accomplishing this Tri is as real as the USC loss to Texas. They did lose didn’t they? I have no doubt I can finish this Tri. The question is, will it be an absolute struggle? Torture? Hell on earth? In a way I’m glad it is a backwards Triathlon. Run 5k first. Then the 10 mile bike. And an easy 100 yard swim. Even if I have to hold on to the wall, at least its in a heated pool! I’ll need a tri-suit so I don’t have to worry about changing in the transition areas. I can go straight from my run, onto the bike, then into the pool. If this was a swim in the ocean I’d have second thoughts about ‘triing’ this too early. Get it? TriIng? (It’s funnier when you say it in your head as you type – trust me.)

I’m supposed to go riding on Saturday afternoon. Its finally the time to fine tune my bike fit. I think the seat needs to be moved forward a skosh and I may need tighter shoes and a bigger helmet. Other than that I’m good to go.

Well, I’m off to see the birth of my niece or nephew in a few minutes.
New long term goal: To complete a Triathlon with Jacob someday. And then with Bella.

Someone's birthday is today...

But I don’t know who.

My sister Liza is scheduled for a c-section today which means I’ll be the uncle of a niece or nephew once again. She does not know the sex. All we know is that he or she will be born to us today, January 5, 2006.

Just think… Six years ago there were no kids in my immediately family. My parents weren’t grandparents. Today there will be FIVE. FIVE KIDS?!?

It’s a good excuse not to go to work. But I did get my month end done by yesterday 2PM. There was a revision that needed to be done yesterday but I had left work already. I left at 2. I didn’t see the request till 6:30 this morning. So I did it with both kids hanging on me, sneezing, pooping and crying. It took about forty minutes but it was done and sent. Whew.

Anyway… I’ll be off to the hospital around 10. I hope everything will be fine. I hope the baby is well. I hope my sister will do great.

Everyone send your thoughts her way!

Go Pac-10!

No - I'm not a big USC fan (GO UCLA!). But I am rooting for the Pac-10 to kick ass today. It's all about the conference baby.

My prediction...


USC 42


Texas 28

BET THE OVER!

Horrible News

How in the world do they report 12 miners found and alive? And then they report three hours later that they are dead?

This is miscommunication at its absolute worst.

TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. - In a stunning and heartbreaking reversal, family members were told early Wednesday that 12 of 13 trapped coal miners were dead — three hours after they began celebrating news that they were alive.

I’m saddened at the news. I’m also angered at the miscommunication.

I watched a woman interviewed on the news at the mining site after the report that 12 miners were found alive state, “This proves that God as our creator provides miracles.”

Chaos broke out in the church and a fight started. About a dozen state troopers and a SWAT team were positioned along the road near the church because police were concerned about violence. Witnesses said one man had to be wrestled to the ground when he lunged for mining officials.

These are the same people of faith that were hugging and kissing and rejoicing and praising God for a miracle three hours before.

It’s a complete one hundred eighty degrees from their thanks to God for a miracle. You thank someone for giving you a gift. Do you blame the same person for taking it away?

I don’t blame them for their reaction.

I’m shocked.

I’m upset.

I heard myself say after the good news, “Thank God.”

Now I’m speechless.

Blah blah blah...

One of those nights where I have nothing to say. So here's a bunch of ramblings...

XBOX 360 - Do I really want one?

A blank stare swept across his face. And I’m not talking about George W.

My neck hurts. Bad.

I bought a bike trainer today. It keeps my bike company in the garage.

Is USC really going to win? I thought UCLA would give them a run for their money.

I hated Kobe Bryant. Then I started to like him. Now he’s just a stupid idiot.

I’m thinking about getting a tattoo. Donna suggested we get ducks. Uh. No. Snake maybe. But not a duck.

I didn’t eat very good today. And now I’m craving a Tommy Burger.

They found 12 of 13 miners alive!!!!!!!

I’m going to play paintball on Sunday. That is if I’m not sick.

You can own the 2006 Rose Parade on DVD. Why would you do that?

Bella is coughing.

Good night.

Crashing and burning...

Just the thought of going back to work tomorrow is making me sick. Literally. It’s all psychological. But I’m feeling woozy. I'm depressed. I'm feeling stressed. I really feel sick. Really sick! I can’t stand it. I spent a whole week and then some with the kids which was way better than going to work.

In the past three days they did some water color painting. We made gross drinks with the Dr. Dreadful Demented Drink Lab. Bella drank anything we made. Jake was a little picky. I thought they were all gross but I had to try all the experiments. We watched A Shark’s Tale, Shrek 2, Toy Story 2, Sandlot and the Rose Parade. We played video games and ate tons of cereal. It was awesome. Most of the week I was sick. Thankfully the last three days I had enough energy to keep up so-to-speak.

Today I woke up with a really bad neck ache so I went to the Westfield Mall (known to us as Eagle Rock Plaza) to get a massage from the Chinese Masseuse soliciting their services in front of Target. It was awesome. But it didn’t solve the problem. I was good to go for about three hours before my neck started to ache again. I doubt I’ll get a good night’s sleep as I dread my alarm clock going off in the morning. It’s horrible.

I guess this whole vacation is coming to an end. With no real highs, except for Christmas, and the really big low and my crash and burn come tomorrow morning as I make my way in the rain, on the 101 freeway, to my dreaded job. Oh well.

C'est La Vie -

One more day off!

I called my boss last night and asked if we had to be in today. Apparently nobody is. Which means - I’m not! So one more day off to rest and get well. Actually, yesterday I was feeling better. I still have a cough, a little fatigued, but for some reason I was feeling like I was on the road to recovery.

Last night I tried to watch Amelie. I got through about 45 minutes and couldn’t watch anymore. Everyone I’ve talked to has loved it. I was a little on the ‘when is something going to happen’ side. It just never really clicked. Yes, its cute and all, but it wasn’t such a big deal. People have said this is my kind of movie, something I’d like. I’ll have to give it another shot. It could be my mood last night. It was around 9PM, I watched for 45 minutes then tried to watch some other shows I had stored up on TiVo. From ‘Everyone Loves Raymond’ to old episodes of ‘Wings’ and last week’s episode of ‘Will and Grace’. Nothing seemed to entertain me so I just fell asleep with the TV on.

Maybe tonight Donna and I will watch Amelie.

The kids and I woke up this morning to a huge storm in So Cal. It hasn’t rained on the Rose Parade in like 50 years! Well… today it did. We watched the bands, the Rose Queen, the floats and spectators get soaked in the rain. Donna had to drive quite a distance to get on the freeway in order to get home from work. All the roads were closed but she eventually fought the rain drenched freeway and traffic and got home around 9:00.

Happy New Year everyone!