Who needs the Facebook anyways?

Facebook sucks.

I have been growing more and more disenchanted with the online media mogul over the past several years. It feels like we've become a commodity to the company, buying and selling our data thru posts and advertisements. I just want to share pics of our family outings so that my 93-yr old grandma can keep tags on us (hi Grandma!  Hope you are well!)

During the Covid Quarantine, one of the movies we watched was the "Social Dilemma".  The documentary focused on more than just FB, covering all of the social media platforms.  But since FB and Instagram are my two primary SM platforms, I was really only zeroed in on the way that FB treats it's members -- the need and desire to get likes and random rabbit trails thrown at the users to keep them captive in the software.

After watching the documentary, I removed FB from my phone.  IT FELT GREAT! I actually felt free of the pressure to go and post and check on my likes.  Occasionally I would check in on my account via my iPad...but only occasionally.  I'd still post pictures and updates for my grandma (hello again...I heard you got your vaccine shot -- yay!)

Everything changed on Friday, January 15th, 2021.

Earlier in the week I had received an email from Norton's that my info was being sold on the dark web.  TBH, I didn't give it much credence.  The email account was my "junk" account, and all of my old passwords had been updated.  My email/password being sold on the dark web is a result of either the Target or US Fed. Govt data breach several years ago. So I wasn't too concerned.  Then, on Friday morning, I woke up to find 3 messages from FB that: 1.) my account was being accessed by someone in Hollywood, CA; 2.) here is the 6-digit security code that I requested; 3.) everything has been changed and updated and I was now protected with 2-step verification.

Problem: I didn't do any of this.  And it all happened at 4:30am my time, when I was asleep.

And here's why FB sucks: they do not have any HUMAN BEING available to help with compromised accounts.  It's all on-line bots.  You enter info, and they send you an automated response.  You try a different way, and they send you a different automated response.  Sure, if your account has been compromised, they reassure you that they can help you restore your account.  But here's the rub: you have to enter your valid email associated with the account.  Guess what?  This toolbag in CA changed the email account, so the online FB support kept telling me that "my email was not the correct email address associated with the account." I tried and tried to fix this, and they kept sending the bot-generated email stating, "we've sent you a code to verify your account."  And they kept sending it to Mr. Toolbag in CA.  Not the email that had been associated with the account for the past 15 years??

BTW - there is not one single phone # to call.  I found a few support emails, but 2 of them bounced back because of full email boxes, and the other 2 were delivered into cyberspace, presumably ignored, lost, or deleted.

So now what?  There is an imposter out there with my FB account, and I can do nothing?

I had one more hail mary.  FB lets you report an account being used by an imposter. So I did so.  Had to send them my drivers ID and passport photo.  Seems safe, right?  Anyways, after a few days of dealing with this, my wife let me know that my account had been removed.  Yay! Progress, right?  Wrong.  FB's way of dealing with the fraudulent activity was to completely remove my account.  Problem solved...for them.  

I signed up for FB in 2005.  I had been a long time poster.   In fact, the whole reason that this turd-bucket hacker in CA was able to hack into my account is because I was using the original email, original password that I had used to sign up back on day 1. 

So there it is. Rather than contacting the REAL Aaron Zimmer to reconcile the fraud, FB simply deleted 15 years of my online use and wiped the problem clean.

Facebook sucks.  They obviously do NOT care about the individual users past their ability to be bought and sold as a commodity.  And so I'm done.

So why the rant?  Well, I do miss posting stuff online for my family and friends to enjoy (hi grandma, hi mom, hi Peggy, hi Marilyn!)  Also, I use the messenger app a TON to communicate with friends in foreign countries. Since that's tied to FB, I've lost that ability too.

What's next?  

I've been giving this a lot of thought.  I don't want to be a commodity item for FB anymore.  But I miss having the online connection with my friends and family members.  So I've decided the following course of action.

1. I will get a new FB account.  If you are reading this blog, it's because it will be my primary posting on FB.  I will post pictures here, and updates about our lives.  And direct my FB traffic to this neutral blogspot that I will work on updating regularly.  Ad-free!

2. I will get a new messenger account.  Feel free to write me there, or to reach out for my cell #.  The phone is always within reach, and that's a WAY better way to reach me.

3. While I may post occasionally on FB, I am done with them.  No mas, amigos.

4. You can always catch me lounging in the hammock or fiddling with the Airstream -- and now I've got more time to do both!

Feel free to post any comments you like on this blog.  This is a safe environment, and I will be reading any comments you share.

The best week of Gwen's life! (prev. title: Good-bye, my friend. You will be MISSED!)

Monday.

Today was a tough day. My wife has been having some medical problems, so she went in to have her gall bladder checked. Good news: it appears okay.

Bad news: we discovered a growth on our dog's gums this weekend. She was bleeding from it, so we took her into the vet this morning. The prognosis was quick and concise: she has cancer, and this is a really bad tumor. "Give it to me straight: How bad, doc?"  The tumor has already engulfed (removed) one of her tooths, and is spreading across the roof of her mouth.  The "bad breath" that we are smelling: that's dead flesh in the path of the tumor. This is the beginning of her end.  She will die soon.

That was a tough meeting.  But not as tough as our family meeting this morning when I delivered the bad news. Gwen is dying.  Her body is strong, but the cancer is stronger. It is going to take her quickly.

We rescued Gwen nearly 8 years ago.  We were still grieving over the loss of our beloved Labrador with a purple tongue: Max. We had to put him to sleep after he twisted his stomach one night after dinner.

Gwen was 1-1/2 yrs old, and a run-away stray dog. Very lean. Very demure. We fell in love with her immediately.

She has always been a wonderful dog around people, and children. And a wonderful dog off leash.  I really enjoy taking her to the park and kicking pine cones for her to retrieve. She is so loyal, and so loving, which makes it so hard to part with her.

We are leaving for Yellowstone on Saturday for a family camping trip.  Unfortunately, where we are camping, dogs are not allowed. We had arranged for our friends to care for her while away. But now, with the aggressive cancer, we have re-thought things.

My brain is telling me this is the right decision. But my heart is struggling with this.  We have decided, as a family, that it will be best to give our dog the best week ever: hamburgers, hot dogs, table scraps and cake. And then, on Friday evening, the night before we leave, we will have her euthanized in our backyard, by our vet. This  has been a very difficult decision, but one that we all agree is best for our friend. Our brains know this is right...and our hearts are heavy with this choice.

Tonight, the kids are sleeping with her.  She acts no different.  She is in great health, and great spirits. You would never know she is sick.

But this damned tumor: it's eating her alive. It's not fair.  But it's life. We are going to do all that we can to make the next four days the best of her life!  She knows that we love her. And she has been a wonderful addition to our family for the past 8 years. Which is why it's so difficult to let go of her.  I'm not sure how we are going to make it through Friday...but I know that we will weather this storm together, as a family.

FOUR DAYS LEFT.

Tuesday.

One of my favorite routines with this wonderful dog is walking the kids to school and back, twice a day.  In fact, one of the most cherished things I will miss is her wagging tail at 2:30, then 2:45, and 3:00.  She KNOWS when it's almost time to go get her kiddos. "Not yet, girl".  And then, at 3:05, "You wanna go get the kids?"  She bolts out of my office like a puppy dog, excited to go and get her kids!

Or maybe it's being at the park that she enjoys most: leaving p-mail at her tree; chasing an occasional squirrel or bunny rabbit; running freely off-leash; or chasing the pine cones that her master so lovingly kicks across the park for her.

But it's summertime.  And the kiddos are not going to school right now.  With Friday quickly approaching, I have decided that school will be in session this week, and we will enjoy our bi-daily walks.

Today was very revealing for me.  She did all that she normally does: poop by the trash can, pee on a tree, chase a bunny, sniff the grass, wander and explore her park.  Then, after we made the turn, I found a wonderful pine cone for her to chase.  I know that she has a menacing ulcer in her mouth that can easily erupt into a bloody mess, but right now I don't care. And neither does she! She may have this stupid growth attached to her gums, but let's not let it ruin our fun.  So I throw the pine cone...and she excitedly chases it down.  I throw it again, and she runs to get it.  I throw it for a third time, and she chases it down...but stops halfway. Then she turns to me, and walks back.  When I catch up to her, she lays in the grass to let me stroke her while the tears flow.  I now realize that she is sick.  She can no longer run like she used to, or walk as far as she used to, or chase the pine cones like she used to, or eat her dog food like she used to.  She is sick.  I realize that the signs have been there for a few months now...but I didn't see the whole picture.  But now I do.  She has been slowly dying, but keeping this a secret from her family. She is very maternal, protecting us from months of mental anguish. She is a wonderful dog, a valuable family member -- but now I can see how fast this disease has been taking over her. I thank her, there in the grass with my tears flowing, for showing me that is indeed sick.  This helps my heart come to grips with what we must soon do for her.  For us. For our family: all 6 of us.

Tonight was a bit more light-hearted for us.  Kaleb wanted to recreate some old photos, so we had fun creating the different shots.  For the pics with Jade and Kaleb -- those were taken within just a day after adopting Gwen.  So, I guess the shots are bookmarks of our life and time with her.

One thing I wanted to do with Gwen, before she left us, is go camping one more time with her.  Since this is all but impossible right now, Kaleb and I pitched our camp in the trailer last night, and let her snuggle between the two of us.

We openly shared about her, about what we are going thru right now, and how tough this storm is for us.  She fell asleep next to us, to the caring words of her boys talking about how much they love her.  Kaleb asked me if she knows that she is going to die.  I answered, "Not that she is going to die...but she knows that she is sick, that she is not going to get better."  I have seen this.  I believe this.  I felt so powerless, petting her while she slept.  I am going to miss her.  But I am grateful for the time we had with her.

We slept with her cuddled between us.  One last time.

THREE DAYS LEFT.

Wednesday.

Just like any other hump day, we were busy.  We had places to go, errands to run, meetings to attend.  All of life's busyness.  We all feel a bit sad that life is getting in the way, when our time with Gwen is very limited now. We feel guilty that we're not spending every waking second hugging her, and walking her, and playing with her.  But the truth is: she's sick. And she's tired.  She can't walk, and play, and love on us like she used to.  Instead of walking her twice a day, she can only get out once.  But we make the most of that one trip to the park.  And when she's awake and playful, we make the most of it.

So even tho today was a bit routine for us, I think she was okay with it.  She rested under my desk, like she always does.  And when I left for my errands, she stayed there to rest some more.

For dinner, tho, we decided to grill steaks, and hamburgers, and hot dogs.  Normally, Gwen would maybe get a few table scraps.  But tonight, these were ALL FOR HER!  I made her an extra burger, and two dogs, and we shared some of our steak with her.

She is living like a QUEEN!  Not to mention, we are feeding her canned dog food now, since the tumor in her mouth has taken over the right side of her upper jaw, so chewing is a bit tricky, a bit painful.  But she's not complaining: the canned food is YUMMY!

I served her dinner on a plate, and she ate with us.  She's probably put on 10lbs already...but we don't care, and neither does she!

We spent the evening in the trailer as a family.  The kids laughed and told stories in their bed.  I cuddled with Kathy until she fell asleep.  Then I slipped over to the bed that Gwen and I would take naps together on, and I called her up.  She fell asleep between my legs, like she used to do when we would go camping.  And I let her stay there for as long as she wanted to.  I wish we were camping for real...at William's Fork, or the Sand Dunes.  But for tonight, this will do.  We are all together, and that's all that matters.

TWO DAYS LEFT.

Thursday.

Today is a dreaded day.  It means that TOMORROW is our last day.  It may sound silly, but I have not been looking forward to this day.  I've been wanting to draw this week out as long as I can.  But the pain pills are becoming less.  And there's only 5 cans of dog food left (3 per day).  We are in countdown mode, and it sucks.

But then I heard a sound this morning that I haven't heard in a while now, and it warmed my heart.  As you will recall, Gwen and I have been on a walking hiatus since school has been out.  But this morning, as she heard my coming down the stairs, I heard the sound of her excited tail at the bottom, in our doorway (for those of you who do not know, Gwen is not allowed upstairs.  So she waits for us in the morning, wagging her tail against the door frame: thump, thump, thump.)  It's a sound I haven't forgotten...but will soon miss.  She is excited, she knows we are going for a walk to the park!

We stroll to the park, with no hurries, no worries.  Once we arrive, I remove her leash and let her run. She lets her sniffer take her from tree to tree, and follows some unseen trail along the grass.  Right now, in the park, she is a free and healthy dog. I love watching her roam.  We walk to the end of the park, and turn around.  And now she goes into a familiar and enjoyable routine: pine cone hunting.  You see, she knows that the first leg of the park is about sniffing and peeing and pooping.  But the return leg is what she's been bred for: retrieving!  I tell her, "go find one!" She searches for a cone or a stick, anything for me to throw and have her retrieve.  But it must be a different season for the pine cones, as the ground is void of any.  I search the trees, and there's none to found there either.  But I encourage her to keep searching as we walk.  So she does.  Her tail wagging happily as she races from tree to tree.  "Did I find one?" she asks.  Nope.  That's a leaf.  She keeps searching.

At the last stretch of trees, I see it.  A simple stick on the ground.  She doesn't see it, so I go and get it.  Before I have the stick in my hand, ready to throw, she knows.  She is sitting proud and at attention.  Ready to go.  She knows that she must sit first before I throw (a skill I worked on early with her).  She has done her part -- so I do mine.  I throw the stick...and she races to retrieve it.

As she returns with the stick, I can see the joy in her face.  She is smiling.  She's not sick.  Not right now.  She drops the stick for me (another skill I taught her), and I throw it again.  She races for the prize, once again.  I do it again.  #3.  And again. #4. And again. #5.  But now I see it.  Now I see the sickness.  There is blood on the stick.  But she doesn't care -- so neither do I.  Yes, there is blood.  But our time together is limited. So I throw it again. She brings it back. #6.  I have reached the sidewalk, where we would normally end our day at the park and go home.  But today, neither one of us cares.  So I throw it again. #7. She brings it back.  And I throw it again. #8.  But that's it for her.  She can go no more.  I don't know if it's the pain in her mouth, or in her bones, or in her lungs -- but she is sick once again.  She comes back to me, without the stick, and I reward her with a hearty pat on her belly, "Good job, girl!"

I tether her once again to the leash, and she and I head home together.  Both knowing that our time together is limited. But both enjoying one more day together.  She is my dog.  And I am her boy.  **sob**

Tomorrow will be even more fun than today: this I promise!  But tomorrow is all we have.  Truly.

ONE DAY LEFT.

Friday...you are here.  One final day together.

I have spent this week listening to the sounds of life continuing on. The radio still plays. The lawn mowers still whirl. The rain still falls.  We have been very private about this experience, as we wanted to grieve alone, as a family. I wave at the neighbors. They do not know.  I talk to my clients. They do not know.  I watch the world unfold on Facebook -- they do not know. We have laughed together as a family this past week.  And we have shared tears. This week we have been closer than most weeks before.  We are enduring this storm together, each grieving in their own way. Each saying goodbye to our beloved friend.  She is in pain. And she held on as long as she could. Maybe she could have lived another week.  Or maybe another month. Who knows?  On Monday we found out she was dying.  And we spent this week coming to grips with this awful truth.  But at least we were given a week to share with her. For this, as a family, we are eternally grateful.

This week we have spoiled her, and played with her, and slept with her, and cuddled with her.

We have done our best to make this the best of this week for her.  I now understand the pain of watching a loved one die.  Knowing that they will never get better. When we cannot save them, all we can do is make their remaining time here with us one of comfort. We help them die in piece, blanket them in our love, so that they may go to sleep, eternally, closing their eyes one last time with the final thought being that of love. That they have been loved, and that they will be missed.

I realized yesterday that I incorrectly titled this blog, "The best week of Gwen's life."  I now know this is not true.  There are numerous weeks that I think she would argue were better.  How about the week of Oct. 12th, 2006. The week we adopted her. This makes me **smile** as I remember that time.  We had such a huge hole left in our hearts from the passing of our beloved Max earlier that year. We didn't realize it, but we were still grieving, 5 months later.  But from the moment she entered our lives, she filled that hole.  And the memory of Max could move on, as it needed to.  Or how about the trip to California?  Bet she LOVED that trip!  Or the numerous trips to visit Grandma and Grandpa's house in Arizona.  Yes, there were a few times she didn't want to load back up into the truck to leave. "Sorry Gwen...even tho Grandma says you can stay with her, you belong back home with us!"  Or the times spent running free in the Sand Dunes, and swimming with us at Williams Fork, or Cherry Creek.  How about that camping trip in November, when it was just Kaleb and I, and it snowed, and we ate homemade chili by the campfire.

Yes, I understand. Even tho we did our best to make this week wonderful, it wasn't her favorite week.  But a bookend to a wonderful life with us.  There was a beginning -- 8 years ago.  And now, today, this is the end.

FRIDAY

It's like a party.  "Is it my birthday?" she asks.  No, but we are celebrating you today, our beautiful Gwendlyn, our Gwennie!  No tears today.

No tears.  **sob**

This morning we walked to the park.  

We found a pine cone. (thank you, Lord)

She chased it.  It was good.

We made a special breakfast for her.  

She got to eat it on the special "family" plate.

She got a grooming today...she LOVES being pampered and brushed!

We went to the lake.  One of her favorite spots.  

She swam, and swam, and swam!

And strolled too...

We did our best to give her the perfect day.  

The perfect week. The perfect life.  

In return, she loved us unconditionally.  

We treated you EXTRA special today.  You deserve it!

Words cannot describe how greatly
your family will miss you:

**Kathy**

**Jade**

**Kaleb**

**Kim**

                              

And me. Your master.

You were my dog...and I was your boy.  

We were your family, and you were ours.

Goodbye sweet Gwen.

You will forever be missed.

How to turn a Pepper Mill into a Jet Engine

Is anybody else cursed with the inability to sit still? Seriously, I'm working like a dog right now (that is, a TON of work). But I can't get these little side projects out of my head? I think it must be the creative side of me...the artist, driving me to create and create and create.

Sometimes it's a blessing, but other times it's a curse. Either way, I end up creating some pretty cool stuff! It's a good thing I don't have a welder (a conscious decision, btw). Because I would have a whole garage + house full of metallic artwork.

So, it's Pinewood Derby time. And as the boys are using my garage to create their masterpiece, I am working on turning a wooden pepper mill into a jet-propelled (illegal) pinewood derby car. No joke!



Transforming:
This ------------------------> to THIS!










I will post an image (shortly) of my shopping list of items that I've been gathering. A $2 wooden pepper mill from the Goodwill. A used coffee mug ($1 from Goodwill). 8 LED 12v lights. 2 computer fans (high speed): one for thrust (front); and one for turbo acceleration (rear). And an entire pack of Copper Top 9-volts.

It's a fun project. I hate that it's commanding most of my brain space. This just means that I've got to get my work done quickly, so I can go out to the garage and get working on my latest wild hair.

As always, I'll keep you posted with pics.

WARNING: Semi-naked man photos below

(....nothing you wouldn't see at a public swimming pool)

(......well, not one of those 'shady' kinda suburban pools on TV)

(.........okay, it's going to be pictures of me without my shirt on. Got it? If this is going to cause you to have nightmares and regrets, then click away from this site. NOW! Otherwise...this man below is about to remove his shirt for your enjoyment.)















(....when I say 'enjoyment', that's just me being funny. There's nothing sick or twisted on this website. It's a 'blog' about my exercise routine. Got it? Can we continue now??)

Great! Now here come the half-naked pics!

P90X - Day 265

Yes, it's hard to believe, but I have been P90X-ing for 265 days now. I started my 90 day journey on April 4th. A lot has changed since then. It's been a difficult journey. I mean, seriously: I do not like exercising! That's my wife's department.

I began this journey because I had reached the 190lb plateau, and found myself unable to drop back down into the 180's again. I realized I needed to do something serious to make a difference. I had heard great things about the P90X routines, and so I began my 6-day-a-week 90 day journey. You can see my results in the earlier recorded blogs (check out July's).

Looking back, 90 days made a GREAT change. I reduced my belly-fat content from 1" to 7/16". I was hanging around 182-184lbs on a consistent basis. I noticed a great deal of leaning up and toning of my muscles, specifically my shoulders and arms and back. PLUS -- as you can see by the photos from summer, I felt good about how my body looked, especially with some sun coloring ;-)

And then the 90-day journey was over. But I didn't want to give up all of my hard work and let my body revert back to the old self. But I knew I couldn't continue with the grueling 6-day workout routine. So I modified my workouts, taking from my favorite routines (and leaving out my least favorites!) I modified my weeklyroutine to 4 days a week on a 5 week rotation. Weeks 1 and 3 I worked on strength and cardio; weeks 2 and 4 I worked on applications, i.e. pushups and pullups. Then week 5 I just did cario, plyo, and yoga. During the first 4 weeks of rotation, I did AB-CRUNCHER-X twice a week. But skipped this routine during week 5. Along the journey, I missed a few workouts. I even missed a few weeks. But I felt ok, as long as I stayed faithful to the regimine (sp?).

It's been good. I've been able to keep my muscle tone. And I can still slam out 122 pullups on my application days. I'm not putting on much bulk (that was NEVER my goal), and my muscles still feel/appear to be toned. I lost my summer coloring...bummer. But it will be back next summer, I'm sure. My belly fat is resting at 9/16". But let's be real, here. I still enjoy: beer, whiskey, fried food, and sweets. So I haven't given up the things I like, and I'm able to gorge myself on Thanksgiving Day, knowing that it will not be stored long-term down below.

I still hate working out. But now that I'm self-employed, I budget my workouts for 8-9:30. So after showering, I can make it to work by 10am. In the words of Adam Sandler, "Not too shabby!"

About 2 months ago, I started noticing a lower back pain. Still haven't figured out what it is. I'm blaming my new chair situation at work. I'm going to resolve it this January, so hopefully this will ease, or eliminate my pain. Until then, my yoga and stretching is a bit limited. I still do it, because it helps work thru the pain. But it hurts...

I'd like to believe that I can keep this P90X thing going. I feel healthier, and I think I look better. I just hate the workout. I'd rather be surfing, or playing dominoes with the kids, or chilling on the couch with my bride. But they all would rather have me upstairs working out so that I can enjoy the rest of my life with them being as active as I have always been.

Speaking of being active, today is our last day in Denver for the year. Tomorrow we head up to Breckenridge for a week-long skiing and snowboarding fest. It is our semi-annual Christmas in Breck trip. I plan on coming back completely exhausted and in no shape to resume my P90X routine nor take on my 2012 work load. But hopefully by Monday, January 2nd, I will be back on the wagon and ready to resume a life of "normality".

Hah! As if the life of Aaron Zimmer has EVER been normal. :-)


















May you and your family have a blessed and wonderful CHRISTmas!

Greetings -

When I began this journey, I thought to myself, "What could I accomplish if I ran the P90X program for 90 days?" I've never really been much of a fitness junkie. Sure, I'm in shape from skiing, and ice-skating, and biking, and hiking, and swimming, and all that. But ever since my hockey-ending injury 2 years ago, I've been noticing my overall fitness and physique has been in decline. Actually, I guess that's not totally true. My PHYSIQUE has been increasing, just in areas that I'd rather not see it grow.

I began P90X on April 4th, 2011. At that time I was gainfully employed, busy as ever with kids activities, and scouts, and church, and blah, blah, blah. Fastforward 90 days, and I find myself no longer employed, enjoying the summer activities with the kiddos, and having a great time in the sun (hence the darker colored skin tone in these images).

It has been a tough journey, that's for sure. I have missed a few days, and even postponed my workouts for an entire week. I did not do the meal/diet plan. Rather, I chose to cut back on my calories while still enjoying the food (i.e., beer) and other things that I live for. On Sunday morning, we'll still bike into Lowry for a bagel. Yum, yum! This weekend was a tough one, with some great food options to enjoy. BUT - I eat in moderation, and have worked very, very hard to reduce my stomach size, and consequently my appetite. When I snack, I try to eat healthy. But if I'm eating crap food, I try to limit the amount of bad stuff that I eat.

Also, I gave up pop cold-turkey. 90 days is twice as long as any Lent experiment that I've ever done. It was tough (I'm a huge Diet Dr. Pepper fan), but in then end, I think it's all been worth it. I've turned to lots of ice water, iced tea, and coffee. The only thing that suffers from this is the brightness of my teeth. :-)

So here are the stats: when I began, I weighed 191lbs. Now, I'm hoveeing just below 190, usually around 188lbs. I can get down to 186lbs, but it's not a healthy weight. When I started, I was squeezing into my size 34 waist pants and shorts. Now, I have to wear a belt with all of my pants and shorts. 90 days ago, I had 1" inch exactly of belly fat. Now, I have 1/2". That's a 50% reduction (I like this number!) There's a bunch of other unmeasurable changes. I feel more solid. It's obvious that I have greater muscle mass. My shoulders look amazing -- unfortunately the pictures don't really pic up the smaller muscle tone improvements.

Working out is still tough. However, I've discovered the P90x+ routines, which are only 40 minutes a piece. I think I'll start doing these a bit more. My plan is to work out at least 4 days a week, instead of 6. I'll still do the strength stuff, mixed in with some of the cardio workouts.

it's been a fun experiment, one that I will reap the benefits from for the rest of summer. Now it's back to reality, and keeping the workouts going will be a challenge. Still, I find myself committed to this program.

Thanks for checking in from time to time. It's been fun having an audience!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. When I started, I could only do 30 pullups (5 sets of 6 each. There are 8 total sets to do, and I could only complete 5). But now I'm up to 15 pullups each set. So that's 120 pullups. Woo-hoo!!

Greetings!

30-days, and I can already see and feel the difference. I'm excited about the program, the routines, and the results. Funny story. I'm moving into a different phase of the P90X, i.e. different routines, different muscles, different exercises. I lamented previously about the pushups. Yuk! But I was actually disappointed to be abandoning the pullups for 4-weeks. Good news. I was wrong. Tonight is the pullup session, so I'm excited to build off of my previous achievements. Hopefully I can do my 80 pullups tonight. Maybe even crank out a few extra ;-)

First things first. Last night my son took 1st place in the Speed category for the Pinewood Derby race. While I did have some influence with the design and wheel modifications, I can tell you he did a good majority of the work. Out of the top 4 cars, he took the top prize: fastest car of the night. Congrats to my little man!

Kaleb - First Place for Speed (and overall fastest car of the night cup)















Kaleb came in 4th place for design. No trophy for that!















And then there's Jade. She had the fastest car several years ago (1st grade, I think). And while she had the 5th fastest car in her division last night (3rd thru 6th grade, boys and girls), she managed to scoop up the first place trophy for design. The coolest part of this story is that she owns this award. She came up with the design and spent several nights in the garage working on her car -- on her own. Good job, Jade! I feel like I've taught you to fish...now you can go out and teach others.

Jade 2011 - First Place Design















Jade 2007 - First Place Speed















Jade 2006 - Second Place Design
















And now for the P90X - Day 30 Update Pics
The last pic is my favorite. Enjoy!