Thankful and Fitness-Related Ramblings

Still no unemployment compensation in sight, so I've been helping a friend out with his landscaping business to earn a little cash. To be honest, what I'm earning wouldn't impact the UC at all, as it is below the weekly limit, but it is a HUGE help, and gives me a great feeling of accomplishment. It also makes me happy to know that I am contributing to the family income...not just happy, actually; ecstatic, humbled, and exhausted all at the same time. Big work with big rewards.

I have to find a way to figure out how to thank these guys for giving me the job...hmmmm.

In the meantime, I've become really focused on my fitness. Contrary to what I expected, I have MORE energy now that I've started the manual labor thing. I hit the gym every morning, and keep meticulous track of my calories and macronutrients. I feel like I'm in the greasest shape of my life. My weight dips and spikes wildly day to day somewhere between 167 and 173 for some reason, but I just average them and say I'm 170. My workout happens shortly after breakfast, and includes a quick warmup, a "complex" or "giant set" of 4 bodyweight exercises, 4 heavy sets of an olympic-type lift, and then a more traditional weight lifting workout, alternating between "push" movements and "pull" movements from workout to workout. I do this 3 days per week, and run 10 minute miles for increasing distances (I'm at 2.5 mi now) 2 days per week.

I'm eating around 2000 calories per day, and, even though there was an initial drop in weight, I seem to have leveled of around the 170 mark. The vast majority of my calories come from Yougurt, eggs, seafood, fruit, nuts, and veggies. I have a sweet tooth, so I slip a "fun sized" Twix or Peanut M&M pack in there sometimes. I also have a serious ice cream problem, so I have little snack sized containers or Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. I also drink a little, but that's a story from a different time.

The attention I pay to my diet has reignited the joy of cooking within me. I am trying different cooking methods, and trying to use fresh herbs (grown in my garden) and a variety of healthy and fresh ingredients.

The4th of July and my birthday (5th) will be a bit of a challenge to the diet, but I'm up for it.

Well, the Senate has officially crippled me for a little bit. The UC bennies have been nixed for a while, but...oh well.

On the bright side, I think I will have a great time hanging with Wifey today in Center City. We are going to get her rings worked on, and have some lunch. Maybe we'll get to go to the pool later!

All of my background checks for school are due in two weeks, and I have most of them done. I still need to get a medical exam, and get info on my immunizations from, like, 30 years ago from my parents.

Helping my friends out with the landscaping is some tough shit!

I am surviving, but just enough to go to the gym, work with my PT clients, jump behind the mower, eat, and collapse into bed. It's crazy how manual labor can beat the hell out of you, but, at the same time, clear your head.

I had this experience before when I first got canned. A friend has a house in MD, and he had me come down to help with some stuff on his land. It was really hard...everything hurt. But I would lay down after a hard day and feel awesome. It was quite the Zen experience, and I now get this almost every day.

Seeing all of these yards and gardens has inspired me to work on my own. I planted a few herbs to see how green my thumb is. If it goes well, I'll plant some more. I love fresh herbs.

We also made a call to a contractor to get an estimate on screening in our porch and creating a sun room of sorts. The bugs out here are crazy because we live in a forest.

Manual Labor

Is it weird that I actually like manual labor? I mean, I guess the fact that I'm up and doing anything during the day besides scratching and clawing to keep busy makes me happy, but I really enjoy the heavy stuff.

My wife had a birthday this week, and we had a wild couple of days. We've been to our favorite bar several times, spent a late night in Atlantic City (lost about 200), and went out for a celebration last night as well. This week may (hopefully) be a little more low key, as we have a wedding on Saturday, a 12-15 hour event on Sunday, and are leaving for a 5 day trip to Las Vegas on Monday.

I've been practicing my blackjack strategies, which include "Wizard" strategies, and doubling my bet each time I lose a hand...I'm gonna get killed.

GO FLYERS!!! One win to go, and we're in the finals. I can't believe it.

Orientation

Orientation for the nursing program was yesterday. I got to meet some of the other students, and they all seem pretty cool. There are 145 of us in the class, but I imagine several will drop out before classes even begin. There were a lot of questions and hemming and hawing from the class about money and time, both of which are a HUGE part of this program.

I have a few friends and former classmates in the program, and we all signed up for the same lecture, lab, and seminar classes. The clinical assignments are random. Uniforms are frigging ugly, but I'll deal.

I also found out that I was exempt from the final exam for the Spanish class I took this semester. The teacher is going through some serious personal shit, and he was unavailable. The problem here is that I was on the cusp of an A, and the final would have pushed me above the threshold. I don't exactly know how this will be handled, but you can bet my OCD ass will fight for the A. I need a 4.0, if not for a competitive edge in the externship market, for my own obsessive piece of mind.

On another topic, there is a GIGANTIC Flyers game on tonight. I plan to scream my damn head off at the bar.

Back in the Saddle

Its been a looooooooooooong time since I posted anything, and it has nothing to do with anything other than laziness...that's right, laziness.

So here's an update: I got accepted into the nursing program, and orientation is tomorrow. I will be spending the summer working for a friend who was kind enough to offer me a great job, doing personal training appointments, and practicing Spanish...I would love to be fluent when I get out of school two years from now.

I will also be applying for all kinds of CPR certifications, background checks, and scholarships. I expect there will be uniforms and equipment I'm required to buy as well.

I will no doubt find all of this out tomorrow at orientation.

The goal here is now a post once per week. We'll see how it goes.