Never let anyone tell you that owning your home is a good idea. its not. I was working at westport making good money for 4 years before thinking about buying. we went into a sweat equity program it took about a year and a half for us to get through the approval process just as we were breaking ground on our new home westport started doin g layoffs. we were at the point that if we were to back out of the program we would have to cough up 25k, i didnt have that money so we stuck it through. The program assured us that the USDA will work the payments around your income. 3 months after moving in I got laid off and 3 months after that started working at walmart for 10k less a year. I asked the USDA if they could lower the payments since we could no longer afford the payments, they basically told me they cant and tough luck. fast forward a year later and I am once again un-employeed, now I am working at OlyPen making about 3k less than i was at walmart. We are 10k behind on on that now…I have no idea what is going to happen. I dont care about losing the house. I just fear being 30 with 4 kids and a wife and living with my parents, just as much as my parents fear having a family of 6 moving in with them. thinking about getting a night job so that we can catch up and fucking my body over on energy drinks for a year. at first it was to make ends meet and since I have been hold up all this stress and fear its more because I just dont want to be around my family. I just unloaded on alisha because I was on wows website trying to get my old phone off the account (code locked) and she made a joking remark. now i am ignoring her killing my earbuds with dubstep and taking out my feeling on my poor keyboard. happy fucking mothers day. now I am off to the store to pick up the pics alisha ordered.
Ok so I am done with week 1 and we are into week 2. And I really am seeing feeling the results. The first few sessions I could not make it through the warm ups. Now the warm up feels like a warm up and less of a work out. Lets just say thing are starting to happen. Last night we worked on more core and upper. It was a good workout. I am starting to struggle less during the work outs too and for somethings I’ll even add some extra weight to the work out. I was down 10 lbs but after the weekend I am up 4 from that. It’s so hard to eat right on the weekends.
Other news, Arden has to have surgery to correct a hernia. He is such a medical mess lol. First he gets two infections then reflux…now surgery. Oh well. We have to make an appt in Seattle to see a surgeon at Childrens. Which should be a quick trip.
In other, other news. COMICON IS NEAR!!!!!OMG!!!!!!! So last year I volunteered at Emerald City ComiCon. This year I am doing the same, but wait for it….I am apart of a core team. No more having to run to opposite ends of the con to do my assignments. I am designated a spot and that is my spot. I will be on the A/V team so I think that will be mostly working with the panels. I have my first meeting tonight in Lynnwood to meet the rest of the team. This reminds me…. I have a very awesome wife who is super supportive of all my extracurricular activities even though she is by her self at home with the kids. Straight after work I hit the gym and don’t get home until after the kids go to bed. So yes I love my wife alot and am thankful she supports my geek.
Stay tuned for future updates.
So last night was my first official workout of my 8 week challenge. And I can already tell results are being made. My first workout I couldn’t make it through the warm up, and although it still beats me up I got through it fine. And I am able to do almost full lunges. I am also gaining flexibility.
We are working on cleaning up our diet as well. Which so far is going pretty well. I have been eating mostly salads for lunch, or have limited my portion sizes. I think portion control is a great first step as it is the easiest. I have never been a breakfast eater and now I am either making a breakfast at home or I at least have a backup of some hard boiled eggs, yogurt and oatmeal at work.
I am excited to see what these 8 weeks do to me. I still haven’t set any weight or size goals because I know if I do then I will get discouraged if I don’t make them. So I will start with simple goals. I want to be able to do 1 chin up! There I have a goal.
Yesterday I had my weigh in and measurements for SportsFit 8 Week Challenge. Here are my numbers
Arm 16in
Chest 48.5in
Waist 58in
Hip 52.5in
Thigh 23in
Calf 17in
Weight 300
Also take a look at that awesome posture!
Well as the title implies, I am off to my first work out…like ever (besides PE in school) Wish me luck.
Jumping into my first quarter back to school and starting a new job really set my weight loss goals back. Last night I thought it would be interesting to see what my weight is. At the end of summer I was down to 265 from a starting weight of 288. Last night I was at 299….sigh.
So this morning I woke up with a new attitude. I have a very sedentary job. I am sitting at my desk mostly for 8 hours, I work next to a bar with AHmazing food and there is a decent Chinese place with great lunch specials. See where this is going? And I dove back into soda with vengeance. No more. More water, I am planning on bringing cut up veggies for snacking at my desk.
As for workouts that was something that I did very little of the first time around. my “workout” was walking a couple miles a day with the dog, and although that’s better than nothing, it meant that my weight loss flat lined and I could not go past the 265 that I held for months. Baby stepping into it is to just get moving. 10-15 minutes on the elliptical or doing some sit ups and squats. I have plenty of body weight to use as my resistance.
So here is the deal…I am looking for someone that is interested in becoming a accountability partner. Someone that is looking to shed some weight as well and get healthier. I know with out someone knocking on my door and dragging my ass to a gym or atleast making me go for a run.
Follow my progress here, on Facebook, and this other social network Fitocarcy.
I meant to share this after I got it back during summer quarter. I got a 100/100 on this paper and the teacher was “on the edge of my seat” as one of her red pen comments in the margin read. I hope you enjoy. I also wrote this the night before and was up till about 6am two hours before class writing this. This is one draft. And my HS teachers said I couldn’t write.
Today started like any other day I guess. The alarm clock woke me up a bit too early as normal. I rolled out of my beds embrace to begin my day. I stumbled my way to the bathroom as is normal of any other day. I grabbed some clothes out of the closet and pulled them on my body as is normal of any other day. I rubbed the crusties out of the corners of my eyes just before reaching the threshold of my door just as any other day. As I open the door the kids come running
“Daddy! “Daddy!”
Just like any other normal day, but today is not a normal day. I start to pack a bag, just incase.
I finished getting ready to head out the door. Laced up my shoes and made sure I have my wallet. Gave my wife a kiss on the lips. Reached for the door when my son asked.
“Daddy where are you going?”
“Daddy is going to breakfast at the church.” I replied plainly.
“Can I come?” Asked Kai with longing.
“I’m sorry buddy, maybe when you’re older.”
“When I’m five?”
“We’ll see”
I finally get away from the twenty questions of a toddler and embark on my day. The air is already thick and it’s barely half past Eight. As I close the door and turn towards the car my eye is caught by the bright green peas in the garden. Their fat pods are just bursting. This heat we have been having is great for peas. I grab a few pods off the bush. Depositing the peas in my mouth as I crack open the pod. This is what summer tastes like.
Fifteen minutes later I have made it to the church. The windows down the whole way there, what a hot day, what a nice day to do this. I am one of the first to get there. Just a few of the guys whose turn it was to make the breakfast this month are here. The Hall smells amazing. As I walk in I can tell what we are having. I can smell the eggs cooking and the spicy smell of taco meat. Must be making breakfast burritos. As the hall fills with the others the atmosphere is buzzing about various topics. I hear talk about lawn mowers and of course the weather. All I want to know is where we’re going today.
A sharp whistle breaks the air.
“Let’s bless this food so we can eat, I’m starved.” Announces Bruce, one of the older gentlemen in the church. A gruff woodsmen, he has long white straw hair and a long white beard to match.
The Pastor, Hans, gets up and says a prayer.
“Dear Heavenly Father….” Hans is a fit man in his late 40’s. His hair is on its way out but at least has its color. The way he acts though you wouldn’t put him later than his 30’s, not in a immature way but in a trying to be hip way.
“…Amen”
With that we all line up to dish our plates, making sure we let our elders go before us. This is an interesting group of people, we have folks from every walk of life in here. Boomers and Gen Y, skaters and loggers, yet here we are here together to share a meal, fellowship and study God’s word.
“Are you gunna do it?”
I turn around to see Hans standing behind me.
“I don’t know, I think so. I have a bag packed if I do” I sheepishly reply.
“I think you should” comes Hans again.
I dish up my plate. A mountain of scrambled egg, ground beef, cheese and salsa over a shrinking tortilla. I find a seat next to George. George is in his early late 30’s and is former Army Ranger. He has faint muscles under his skin and shaggy blond hair. And he always has a smile on his face.
“How’s it going Karl?”
“I’m fine, (I really hate this response, yet it’s the one I always give) it’s a great day today huh?” I state mater-of-factly.
“Are you going today?” Inquires George.
“I think so. I already told my wife that I was gunna do it.”
We all continue to talk amongst ourselves on various topics. And as it becomes obvious that we are done eating Damien gets up to give his message. Damien is a tall round Englishman with a thick English accent. His message is about counting our blessings and not taking for granted what we have been provided with, something that sits close with me. He closes his message with a prayer and we all shuffle off to our various projects and what-nots for the day.
A small group walk down the hallway and out the building towards a shed on the edge of the property. There are already a few guys there handing out the items.
“Don’t worry Karl I already got your stuff in the back of my truck” says George.
“Thanks man! I am going to go change before we head out.”
I walk back into the church and down the hallway towards the restroom. I am kinda nervous and anxious since I have never done something like this. The twisty knots in my gut of doubt. What if I chicken out once we get there? After I am done changing into my shorts, I walk back to the shed. Everyone is just about ready and we all load the vehicles and secure the equipment. I chose to ride with George in his truck along with a few other guys.
The journey was long, but it was a great time of fellowship. Mathais was riding with us, he is young in his faith and in his marriage. Myself and George have been married for a while and have kids so we were able to give him advice that I can only wish someone would of told me. The fellowship in that truck helped take my mind off the fact that the coffee that I had with breakfast has ran its course and wants out. The road was also bendy and twisty. It is a beautiful drive, just not when you’re five foot and eleven crammed in the backseat of a Ford Ranger.
We finally reach our destination after a two hour drive. There is a wispy fog over the beach and we can’t see the water. The air is moist with the salty smell. A mixture of the water and seaweed in the sun hits my nose and it reminds me of my younger years of camping on the beach. As the truck is being unloaded, I grab my suit and start to examine it. How on earth do you fit into these things. One of the guys explains it as trying to wrestle your skin. And that’s what it felt like. I stripped down to my trunks and put my legs into the wetsuit. I had to pull with all my strength to get the tight neoprene skin over my natural skin and the further up it went the harder it got. After wrestling with my new skin I was able to get the suit on.
We all grabbed our boards and headed towards the surf. I start to edge into a panic as it becomes more apparent that I am going into the water. I am walking with George and he is pointing out waves and explaining sets with me. He points out how to see the rip currents, which have a nasty habit of pulling swimmers and surfers alike further out to sea. Thanks, that’s one way to help someone with a open water fear.
Stepping out into the water and feeling the pressure of the crashing waves, I am calmed of all my anxiety and worry. We wade further into the surf and George demonstrates how to get onto the board.
“Since you are just starting out lets just ride them on your belly.” Instructs George.
“Sounds like a plan. My balance is horrible”
“Try and get your chest to rest here.” As he points to a spot on the board.
I push off the sandy floor and land on the board with all my weight. I wiggle and wobble and manage to flip off the side of the board.
“You’re doing great man just hang with it.” Encourages George.
After several minutes of this I am able to balance my weight on the board mostly. We moved on to paddling.
“It’s just like swimming just only with your arms, and you’re on a surfboard.” He makes it sound so easy.
“Ok you see this wave?”
“Ya I see it”
“I want you to start paddling.”
“Dig Karl, Dig!”
I feel the wave come upon me and the board and myself surges forward. I have caught my first wave, or more it has caught me. As I am gliding with the wave, time seems to slow down. there is a euphoric rush. And as soon as I got up I came crashing down into the foamy sea.
I was hooked to this new drug. To catch waves. It is a feeling that can hardly be described and the only way I can come close is by comparing it to that feeling just before you fall asleep where you are completely relaxed. Today was not a normal day.
1 Corinthians 10:31 “…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”
So I have been trying off and on for several years to pick up and learn Linux. Every attempt was to replace Windows and my Desktop OS. Well I would run into useability issues and give up. Recently a friend of mine gave me a server rack and working at a computer shop/ISP I have no lack of spare computers and computer parts to work with. So enter Project: Learn Linux
Phase One: Build It
Server specs:
- CPU 2.6Ghz single core P4
- 512 Mb installed RAM
- 160Gb IDE HDD
I know it is not much to look at but it is what I have to work with at the moment. The OS I will be running is Ubuntu 12.04 Server.
I will post updates as they come.
This was an attempt to do a time lapse using my A550 with CHDK. I have not attempted something like this since since it was several hours of editing and video rendering. This 5 minute video is over 8000 stills. which I could only render about 2000 stills at a time into the avi file. which took awhile. Final editing was done in Windows Movie Maker on XP.
This has been one of the hardest parts of this class is coming up with a personal brand. I dont know if it is because I am over thinking it or what. I guess I just have to redefine brand in my head. To me when I hear brand I think of a business. I really don’t plan to go into business for myself so branding that way is hard. Then I thought about it a bit more…personal brand could be more like..well You. Your personal brand is who you are. I am KrAzyKarL. My interest and hobbies are as random as they can be. From Dungeons and Dragons nerd to Surfing. I chose a image dice because dice are random.
thisplaceisrandom 