Tony

Solid guitar and amp. My coworker has a very similar setup and it sounds great.

Going well. Brought my jump rope, played with it once. Mowed with a 20 lb pack yesterday. My wife didn't bat an eye; so, I guess she has gotten use to all my shenanigans. Logged every class I've been in.

Just got back from a 3 day budo intensive (aikido, judo, hapkido, daito ryu, and jodo). Lots of fun, learned a lot, but got very little sleep. The writer had a bad experience with a karate style and it scarred him. I don't remember the style but the myth sounds like a kung fu training movie montage. If I remember correctly, the creator camped in the mountains for a year to meditate, practice kata, and punch trees. When he returned he had a punch strong enough to knock out a bull, which he did in a bull fight. I'll go look it up when I get some sleep. So, yes he did cherry pick a cult for an example. Over the years I've learned that when I have a very negative and defensive reaction to an opinion, then I need to investigate. Most of the time it was the correct reaction; however, sometime the opinion hits on a insecurity. I think this one fits into the first category; however, it has exposed what I believe is a weakness in my training.

It's been an odd couple weeks. I don't know if I ever watched myself go through life. But that's what I did, just monitored where I am in this journey and trying to find where I want to end up. Well, all that planning got up-ended the other day. I've been reading "The Professor and the Cage" lately. It's an interesting book studying violence and dueling strung together with a narrative about the author signing up at a MMA gym with the goal of fighting in a sanctioned amateur bout. I just read through a section of the book where he criticizes all martial arts for turning into religions complete with creation myths, etc. My gut reaction was ... Let's just say it was very negative. I would like to believe my gut, but I have no first hand proof. All I've got is stories, I want person evidence. So, to that end, I've convinced my equal to spar with me, to find techniques that work or don't work, to get use to someone trying to hurt you. We haven't hashed out all the details yet but this challenge is going to center around that experiment. Conditioning: My strength training is now a habit, again. Now it's time to focus on a cardio habit. Fighters need deep wells do draw from. So, I need to deepen my well. This is going to be done in two parts: 1) bring my jump rope to aiki (if I have it, I will play with it before class starts), 2) ruck while mowing/weed eating my yard. Logging: I want to start a martial arts log, especially to record the results of the sparring experiment. Also, I'm attending a 3 day seminar this weekend. It has aikido, judo, jodo, and, this year, hapkido. It's always a blast, but I've learned that 8 hrs a day for 3 days is enough to bet all that I learn out of me if I don't write it down. The goal: write a log of every class I take part in for the entirety of this challenge.

... possibly scheming

"So often, men trip by being in a rush. If one were properly to perform a difficult and subtle act, he should first inspect the end to be achieved and then, once he had accepted the end as desirable, he should forget it completely and concentrate solely on the means. By this method he would not be moved by false action by anxiety or hurry or fear. Very few people learn this." -- Steinbeck in East of Eden I've fallen in this trap more than once. Either not having an end in mind or readjusting to an end too often, both of these things must stop. So, I'm taking the 2 weeks before the challenge to find where I want to go and plan as much as possible.

Last week was a bust for all goals. I help my neighbor build a deck and did some home improvement late last week and it wiped me out. I missed the gym on Friday, mostly because I was worn out from carrying lumber. I've noticed the shower goal and the gym are linked. If I miss the gym, I also don't take a cold shower. I haven't figured out if one causes the other or if it's a symptom of some hidden variable. I also ate out three days (dad's birthday, neighbor taking my family out as a thank you, and home improvement work had the kitchen to cluttered to cook in). Learning the scales has fallen to the way side at the moment. I've learned one new scale, but every time I pick up the guitar I want to play it, let my daughters dance and sing to the music I make, not pick scales for any length of time. I think I was overly ambitious with this goal. The hardest part of this challenge has been updating and keeping up with this forum. I've had a hard time getting back into the habit of using the forum again.

Sorry for the delay, life got in the way last week. I had a paper due, so I was staying up late trying to finish it, and one of my daughters decided 4am was a great time to be awake several days last week. I don't remember exact numbers on the cooking and the guitar goal, but I know I failed them. However, I haven't missed a day of cold showers or the gym. On a fitness related note, I need to start doing army crawls. I had to go into my crawl space this weekend which is only big enough to army crawl through. After 30 minutes and two trips back and forth under the house, my whole body was wiped.

PJs are for bed. They should never see the light of day. Just my opinion. Last week went well except for Sunday. Better update when I get to a computer.

It wasn't that bad, one day of misery. The big issue is I don't have a day to be sick lately. But I'm back this week. On a positive note, I think the challenge is working. The showers are getting easier. I still start warm, but the warm is getting colder. I'm making less excuses and just doing what needs done. Also, I forgot to put my workout clothes in the dryer last night. I've skipped working out for this reason before, but today I went in my pajama pants. It felt awkward and I was praying that the button on the fly would hold; but I was there and finished the workout. Week 3 : Gym [2/3] Shower [3/7] Cook [2/7] Guitar [2/7]

I got hit with a big dose of cosmic justice last week. I ate out Tuesday and got food poisoning. So, the rest of the week was a wash. I was either sick or trying to catch up on all the stuff that I needed to do. This week will be better. I have one really good chefs knife that I clean while I'm cooking. Why I haven't thought of doing this with everything is beyond me. Thank, I'm going to give it a try. What kind of lab work? I have 2 very active daughters (the oldest will be 4 in a couple of weeks). After all this time I probably should get use to it, but it still amazes me how dirty the house gets while I'm at work. For brief seconds, I sometimes wish I worked in a restaurant through high school to learn how to run a kitchen/cook effectively, but then I remember some of the horror stories from my friends about working in food service. Week 3 : Gym [1/3] Shower [1/7] Cook [0/7] Guitar [1/7]

It's great to be back. Week 1 update: I've slipped up once on every goal, but overall a good start. Shower: 10 minutes is too long for a shower (cold or otherwise). I've averaged about 5 minutes this week, also got out of my routine on Saturday morning and forgot the shower all together. [6/7] Cook: Father-in-law order pizza Friday night. Other than that, we've cooked every night. I need to get better at cleaning after cooking though. [6/7] Gym: Went twice this week. Dead lift and bear complex on Wednesday and Squats on Friday. I remember why I stopped going to the gym at 4:30pm. There was a line for almost every piece of equipment. People were even doing curls on the row machine. (not sure if that's a thing, I hope it was out of necessity). [2/3] Guitar: I'm practicing 3 at the moment (natural minor, pentatonic, and blues). Didn't practice Friday, was too wrapped up in the Last Samurai an forgot. [6/7]

Damn, I've gotten rusty at making a challenge. I hurt my back at the end of November and fell out of fitness during my recovery. I've been going to aikido and iaido, but I've been lazy otherwise. This challenge is going to start my journey back. Overall Goal: Increase Grit/Perseverance Goal 1: Cold Shower - Every morning, as cold as possible, for at least 10 minutes. Goal 2: Cook every night - Lately my family has eaten out too much because of laziness; that ends now. If my wife hasn't started on dinner by the time I get home, I will start cooking. There will be special nights that this doesn't happen; however, it will be planned well in advance (like this weekend my wife and I have a date). Goal 3: Get back to the gym - I need to etch out some time to go to the gym. I've let work overload me and it hasn't been good for my health. Since I'm so limited for time at the moment, my plan is to alternate the major lifts and then do a full body complex. I'm thinking a modified bear complex (overhead squat instead of back squat) since I'm afraid that I would drop the bar on my head trying to get it on my back. Goal 4: Learn/practice 6 most common guitar scales. - The goal is to learn one a week and drill the ones I know for 15 min a day. http://www.guitarorb.com/guitar-scales/

Diagnosis: muscle tear and slight scoliosis. I been told not to lift until after a check up in 3 weeks, go see a PT, and strengthen my core to help prevent other back injuries due to the scoliosis. All in all, it's good new and a load off my mind. Now I have to think of goals that don't involve lifting.

Yes, and I now have an appointment with them for Nov. 5th.

So, I'm calling this challenge a wash. Not really failed, just put on the back burner. In bad news, I may have messed my back up something serious. I have what I think is a cyst in the center of my back and my lower back has been stiff and a little sore for several days. I know I have to make an appointment with the doctor, but haven't because I'm afraid of what they are going to say.

Your not alone. My older daughter (3 yr) started to cry and freak out when we started to cut down our tomatoes. She was very unhappy with me.

The most important advise: plan big but start small. Don't try to go from a few plants to all the food you will need in a year. I'll have to go home and get a list of books I use as references, but the main two I use are 'the backyard homestead' and 'square foot gardening'. Those two should give you a good start. There are a few techniques to spread out the harvest, extend the growing season, and for succession planting; however, it really depends on what zone you live in and what you want to eat.

Short update, work is still interfering with life. I do have a few interviews lined up to get some help though. No knee pain after squatting I've skipped around on the yoga classes. I just don't have 82 minutes to devote to it at a single time.

Yes, it was Kim Wilson. No, the kids don't sleep through the night yet. The older one is almost there, the younger still needs to be feed during the night. I got to the gym monday, then succumb to the illness my daughter brought home. So week 4 was a wash. I've giving up on yoga and lifting until next week. Just focusing on getting well as fast as possible.

I know the shavasana is important, but now I can't stop looking back at the tv to make sure the video is still running. The last few classes have said "namaste", so I know when it's over. -- Week 2 -- 1. Strength training [ 6 / 18 ] Didn't miss a day. Still not squatting. 2. doyogawithme.com beginner yoga. [ 4 / 12 ] I started the 3rd class but didn't finish it. I just couldn't get into the fundamentals of pilates. Maybe I'll go back and redo this class if the beginner pilates class is fun. The 4th class was fun and challenging. I keeping that one bookmarked. 3. Get back to a routine Week 2: Get to the gym at 05:30 MWF I was awake, I just couldn't force myself to leave my house. I repeated this on week 3 -- Week 3 -- 1. Strength training [ 9 / 18 ] Didn't miss a day. Still not squatting. I was thinking about squatting next week until the yoga for leg strength class. The knee is healing (no longer need ice every night), but I think it needs more time. And really, what's another week in the grand scheme of things. 2. doyogawithme.com beginner yoga. [ 5 / 12 ] I skipped Tuesday (Beginner Pilates Class), I'll do it Saturday or Sunday. The 6th class (leg strength) was challenging. My leg flexibility has come a long way since I started stretching regularly, but I still have a long way to go. 3. Get back to a routine Week 2 redux: Get to the gym at 05:30 MWF Friday I was so busy that it forced me to go at 5:30. Hopefully that initial shove was all I need.

Not bad, just very very busy. I have been keeping up with the gym and yoga, but not the routine. I tried to update earlier this week but the internet ate it and I haven't had time to rewrite it.

Just wow, there are no words. I'm both delighted and horrified by that video.

I have no clue what it's actual name is, but we call it the Chris drill after the guy who suggested it to our sensei. I'm glad to see we're not the only ones doing this awful exercise. Have you tried it with the gi top on? It gets a lot harder.

Another martial artist/scientist/musician, awesome. Have you ever played in front of people? Also, congrats on the date going well. I was always awful at first dates.