Brogo something something...

[Stronkey Kong]

I need to meditate, exercise, eat better, and make more art. 

 

Why? Because doing all those things makes life more awesome.

 

Goal 1, Meditate.

 

Well, since I such at doing it in the morning on my early as hell work days, i guess I'll just do it in the car. Also, 10 min or more of zazen on weekends, plus attempt at least one hour long session each week.

 

Goal 2, Determine training maxes.

 

I need to get back to lifting, and to me that means following a damn program so i don't fuck around... too much. But, to run a program i need training maxes. Figuring those out will require a few sessions on each lift to ease back in and find accurate numbers. Then hopefully next challenge i can run my program.

 

the lifts will be the usual:

 

Squat, bench, deadlift, and press.

 

I'll be trying to get calculated maxes from amrap sets in the 3-8 rep range.

 

Goal 3, eat better

 

Rules:

Meat once a day

Cereal is for breakfast only

Waffles too

6 drinks per week max

 

Luyl, make art

 

At least one painting each week.

 

I did two today:

 

 

 

I was really surprised at how good these turned out. I've been talking about trying to find a way to make a living by painting. The first step is just practicing more and get a portfolio going. Hopefully I'll do enough that I have one or two works to put up for sale. We'll see.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Those are both good. I really like the first one, those leafless trees still manage to look alive, and the green on the other trees is an excellent shade of green.

[Jord]

[Jord]

Found this website looking for tofu recipes today and these are amazing: 

http://veganmiam.com/ 

[Stronkey Kong]

I just got back from grocery shopping.

 

I was looking at vegan/vegetarian meat substitutes. And being the diligent, attentive, health conscious shopper I am, I read the nutrition labels. I picked up some chipotle vegan sausage.And the macros for a 3.5 oz sausage are:

 

230 Cal

28g protein

11g carbs

8g fat

 

Whereas a typical meat sausage is probably:

 

230 cal

14g protein

6g carbs

14g fat

 

That makes veggie options worth consideration when you're trying to bulk clean.

[CourtnieMarie]

hey hey! back to be a nuisance and see your art!

 

i also liked the first two you posted. the first one has some great mardi gras colors

[Laghail]

What court said. She's basically my spokesperson. 

[Stronkey Kong]

Fyi... The sausages were damn good. I pan fried them with a chopped potato.

 

And thanks for the art love. 

 

The first one was an attempt at an impressionist piece from a photo i took at a park near my parents' house. Just a big old field of golden rod. One thing i like is from far away it looks almost like the photo, then when you get close you see that the blob of purple in the middle is just a blob of purple. It is really unfinished. I just got bored with it and decided to move on.

 

The second one was just a still life of a glass of wine i happened to be drinking at the time. This one was more fun for me. It was a challenge getting the colors right and trying to figure out exactly what i was looking at. Transparent and reflective surfaces do interesting things with light and the colors around them. I was actually getting frustrated with it when i stopped. I walked away for a bit and when i came back I realized I liked it and it was finished.

 

I've started another one today. I'll aim to finish it next weekend.

[Stronkey Kong]

Morning meditation done.

 

I managed to get up early so i just did a formal session at home. If need be, i can do it in the car so as long as i do one or the other I'm fine.

 

Breakfast was some special k nourish with blueberries and soy milk, three Brazil nuts, a clif builder's bar and coffee. Pretty much the usual.

 

For lunch I batched and portioned more penne and meat sauce. I used some chicken breasts I had in the freezer leftover from last weeks golabki party.

[Jord]

I checked out and saw those vegan chorizos at my grocery store. I might try them sometime in the near future. I'm always looking for alternative protein because I get bored easily. 

 

3 brazil nuts, you rebel! j/k I know people eat them for nutrient purposes, but it is still funny to me when I read a food list that is like "1 brazil nut, 2 crackers, and 3 grapes" kind of a deal.  Are you eating them for the selenium? 

[raptron]

PAINTINGS. SICK MACROS ON VEG SAUSAGES. ZAZEN.

 

YA OK, I GUESS THIS CHALLENGE IS LIKE PRETTY COOL. 

[CourtnieMarie]

3 hours ago, raptron said:

PAINTINGS. SICK MACROS ON VEG SAUSAGES. ZAZEN.

 

YA OK, I GUESS THIS CHALLENGE IS LIKE PRETTY COOL. 

 

[Stronkey Kong]

Yes. Brazil nuts = Se

 

A couple years ago i was in the habit of buying them for the Se. Unfortunately, I ate them too fast and I'm pretty sure i gave myself some mild Se poisoning... nausea and shortness of breath. After looking up the Se content i figured a few a day was enough. Hence only three this morning.

 

I also figured out the secret to getting up before 5am... Keep a glass of mio energy water next to the bed. When the alarm goes off, pound it, then hit snooze. I was fairly wired by the second or third snooze cycle. This may affect my zazen slightly as I nearly wrote a damn novel in my head... About humanity desperately scrambling to initiate panspermia before the asteroid hits... Though it had some decent zen themes about impermanence and letting go of self and all we hold dear, one should still maintain focus on the breath.

[Stronkey Kong]

 

I got another ten minutes of zazen in this morning. I was pretty much maintaining focus, but was noticing how stiff my legs have become and how shitty my core is... Zazen is actually really good for the core when you keep up the practice.

 

Eating was pretty much the same breakfast and lunch. Dinner was Mac and cheese and broccoli. I ate the while damn box snagging me 52g protein... also it was cracker barrel so it had really good cheese.

 

One opportunity here is that i have been grabbing a twix on my second work break. Next week I'm swapping that for a protein bar. I enjoy having the treat of roughly 200 cals of sweetness, i might as well get 10-20 more grams of protein.

 

I also had a great couple of ideas for a painting. This one's gonna be big. Its an idea that I've had coming and going for about two years now. I've decided these new ideas might have tipped it over the edge from the "maybe I'll do this one day" pile to the"I wanna do this right fucking now" pile.

 

I need to buy canvas and lumber now.Tomorrow is pay day.

[Jord]

11 hours ago, Curl Brogo said:

 

 

I also had a great couple of ideas for a painting. This one's gonna be big. Its an idea that I've had coming and going for about two years now. I've decided these new ideas might have tipped it over the edge from the "maybe I'll do this one day" pile to the"I wanna do this right fucking now" pile.

 

I need to buy canvas and lumber now.Tomorrow is pay day.

 

PAINT ALL THE THINGS.

[Stronkey Kong]

I slept in today and forgot to meditate in the car.

 

I drinked beers.and ate a delicious grilled cheese.

 

Between beers I explained my idea for painting music to a couple of folks from the neighborhood... Everyone I've told of this is very intrigued... Except my Mom... She gets very worried.

 

I need to lift heavy things this weekend.

 

I had two too many beers. But I'm two beers happier.

[Jord]

It's a mom's job to be worried and it's your neighbors' job to encourage badass shit. So, carry on with your bad self. 

 

I mean um, paint us some music!  

[Stronkey Kong]

Today's breakfast:

 

 

Four poached eggs with salt and pepper, two slices of lightly buttered toast, a handful of tomatoes, and a kiwi.

 

Poached eggs are hard work. I needed two pots(a starter and a finisher). That one in back came out perfect. But i wish they all were a little more well done.

[Stronkey Kong]

Lotsa food pr0n today:

 

 

Baked cod with spicy pineapple mustard, bread & butter, and spicy vegetable soup (today's slow cooker recipe, made with some of that veggie sausage). Washed it down with a Moscow mule.

 

Speaking of Moscow mules, i started another painting today of one of my hammered copper mug s:

 

 

It's nowhere near finished, but it's been fun. The polished hammered copper is a tough one. Lots of interesting colors come out from the many angles of reflection picking up light from nearby objects and mixing with all the red orange and pink hues of the copper itself. Every time shift in my seat it's a different mug. I had to stop tho because my light source was the window and the sun was going down. As frustrated as i was with not "getting it right" as i was finishing, looking back again it does give a good impression of what the mug looks like.

[CourtnieMarie]

dude. i want all your meals and drinks mmm kay?

[Stronkey Kong]

15 minutes ago, CourtnieMarie said:

dude. i want all your meals and drinks mmm kay?

 

C'mon over. I'll share.

 

Confession: while shopping yesterday I bought girl scout cookies; Samoas, the best girl scout cookie (commence WWIII). I thought I'd use them as part of my reward system... Bullshit! They did not last 24 hours. I ate half the damn box last night, then finished it off for breakfast.  :/ 

 

Redemption: instead of making a regular breakfast... which was what i was trying to do between cookies... I just had a scoop of whey and called it breakfast there.

[CourtnieMarie]

9 minutes ago, Curl Brogo said:

 

C'mon over. I'll share.

 

Confession: while shopping yesterday I bought girl scout cookies; Samoas, the best girl scout cookie (commence WWIII). I thought I'd use them as part of my reward system... Bullshit! They did not last 24 hours. I ate half the damn box last night, then finished it off for breakfast.  :/ 

 

Redemption: instead of making a regular breakfast... which was what i was trying to do between cookies... I just had a scoop of whey and called it breakfast there.

 

you are correct, samoas ARE the best. and i can eat the whole damn box in one sitting. they taste so freaking good but feel like tiny wafers substance-wise.

 

try not to regret too much. today is a new day and get those good good cals in. leave the other half of the box for tuesday.

[Stronkey Kong]

7 hours ago, CourtnieMarie said:

 

you are correct, samoas ARE the best. and i can eat the whole damn box in one sitting. they taste so freaking good but feel like tiny wafers substance-wise.

 

try not to regret too much. today is a new day and get those good good cals in. leave the other half of the box for tuesday.

 

Umm...

 

Well, the box is actually gone now. So i had my fun. No more cookies.

[CourtnieMarie]

15 hours ago, Curl Brogo said:

 

Umm...

 

Well, the box is actually gone now. So i had my fun. No more cookies.

yeah, we probably came from the same womb or something.

 

good food planned for today?!

[Jord]

agree, tell yourself #NORAGRETS and move along. just not to the next box of samoas. 

 

1 hour ago, CourtnieMarie said:

yeah, we probably came from the same womb or something.

 

that made lol, for real