and is zinging off all over the place...
,,, happy days
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Les Cars
Subaru is a lesbian car company. Well actually it's not - but it makes cars that lesbians love, advertises them to lesbians and courts the lesbian community. Not many playstation WRX fans seem to know this. Which always makes me smile. But it also started me thinking... I wonder what the most lesbian cars in the world are.
And here - thanks to the miracle of about.com - is the answer
Top 10 Top Lesbian Cars
1. Subaru Forester
I was going to pick the Subaru Outback for my top car. That is until I test drove the Subaru Forester. I was so impressed, I drove it all the way home! The Subaru Forester is great for lesbians with kids or dogs. It's as roomy as a SUV, but drives like a car. With 4WD, anti-lock brakes and side air bags, it's one of the safest cars on the market. It handles well on road and off. This is the perfect car for outdoorsy types. Take it camping or snow boarding with no worries!
2. Volkswagen Beetle Convertible
Cute as a bug. You'll be sure to turn the girlie's heads as you cruise by in the new Volkswagen Beetle convertible with the top down rocking out to Gwen Stefani. This is the perfect car if you're a California gal or just California dreamin'.
3. Honda Civic
Aaron, the About Car Guide says, "The new Honda Civic is totally practical and a big hit with women." It handles nicely and comes equiped with all the greatest safety equipment. There's a reason this is one of the most popular cars on the market. It's reliable, has great resale value and comes in a hybrid or gas powered version.
4. Toyota Prius
If you're a tree hugger like me, (And most lesbians are, aren't they?) then you want a car that not only gets you where you're going, but does it in a way that's easy on the environment. The new Toyota Prius is a great car, that just happens to be a hybrid.
5. Mercedes Benz R Class
This is the fantastic car that Dana won on season 3 of The L Word. When Dana won this car, did sales of Mercedes Benz R Class series cars go up? A loyal advertiser in gay and lesbian media, you'll be putting your money where your values are if you buy this car. That is if you can afford the price tag.
6. Mini Cooper
L Word fans, Dana won a Mercedes Benz, but isn't Alice adorable in that Mini Cooper? How much fun would you have zipping around town in this cutey? About car reviewer Colin Hefferon has this to say about the new Mini Cooper, "Reviewers and buyers alike agree the 2500 lb MINI is a hoot to drive." If you want to smile every day on your commute to work, a Mini Cooper may be just what you need.
7. Ford F-150 Pickup Truck
Lesbian love trucks. And it's not just to save money on U-haul. The Ford F-150 pickup is perfect for those frequent trips to Home Depot or weekend soccer tournaments. Despite their little slip this year, Ford has consistently supported the gay and lesbian community and its GLBT employees. It was one of the few companies to earn 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equity Index. This is a truck you can buy with pride.
8. Dodge Magnum
For the butch with a family, or one who just isn't a truck person, Dodge has come out with a great muscle car for the lesbian body builder. What you give up in fuel economy, you make up for in power. The Dodge Magnum RT delivers 340 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque from its 5.7 Liter Hemi V8 engine. If you know what that means, then this is the car for you.
9. Honda Element
Whatever your sport, the Honda Element is the car for the jock on the go. Throw your surfboards in back and head to the beach in this roomy SUV alternative. My friend with a Great Dane loves his Honda Element, because not only does his 160 lb dog fit in the back, with it's rubber mat interior, he just has to hose the back down at the end of a muddy romp. Plus, with it's unique styling, you're sure to attract attention as you cruise down the street.
10. Jeep Wrangler
If you spend time on the road and off, you can't do better than the Jeep Wrangler. Jeep started the whole SUV craze and continues to deliver a great car for both rugged forest roads and quiet city streets. Built as a utility vechile, it's not the most comfortable ride in town, but pull up to the lesbian bar with the top down and the girls will know right away you're a good-time gal.
Les-tastic!
And here - thanks to the miracle of about.com - is the answer
Top 10 Top Lesbian Cars
1. Subaru Forester
I was going to pick the Subaru Outback for my top car. That is until I test drove the Subaru Forester. I was so impressed, I drove it all the way home! The Subaru Forester is great for lesbians with kids or dogs. It's as roomy as a SUV, but drives like a car. With 4WD, anti-lock brakes and side air bags, it's one of the safest cars on the market. It handles well on road and off. This is the perfect car for outdoorsy types. Take it camping or snow boarding with no worries!
2. Volkswagen Beetle Convertible
Cute as a bug. You'll be sure to turn the girlie's heads as you cruise by in the new Volkswagen Beetle convertible with the top down rocking out to Gwen Stefani. This is the perfect car if you're a California gal or just California dreamin'.
3. Honda Civic
Aaron, the About Car Guide says, "The new Honda Civic is totally practical and a big hit with women." It handles nicely and comes equiped with all the greatest safety equipment. There's a reason this is one of the most popular cars on the market. It's reliable, has great resale value and comes in a hybrid or gas powered version.
4. Toyota Prius
If you're a tree hugger like me, (And most lesbians are, aren't they?) then you want a car that not only gets you where you're going, but does it in a way that's easy on the environment. The new Toyota Prius is a great car, that just happens to be a hybrid.
5. Mercedes Benz R Class
This is the fantastic car that Dana won on season 3 of The L Word. When Dana won this car, did sales of Mercedes Benz R Class series cars go up? A loyal advertiser in gay and lesbian media, you'll be putting your money where your values are if you buy this car. That is if you can afford the price tag.
6. Mini Cooper
L Word fans, Dana won a Mercedes Benz, but isn't Alice adorable in that Mini Cooper? How much fun would you have zipping around town in this cutey? About car reviewer Colin Hefferon has this to say about the new Mini Cooper, "Reviewers and buyers alike agree the 2500 lb MINI is a hoot to drive." If you want to smile every day on your commute to work, a Mini Cooper may be just what you need.
7. Ford F-150 Pickup Truck
Lesbian love trucks. And it's not just to save money on U-haul. The Ford F-150 pickup is perfect for those frequent trips to Home Depot or weekend soccer tournaments. Despite their little slip this year, Ford has consistently supported the gay and lesbian community and its GLBT employees. It was one of the few companies to earn 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equity Index. This is a truck you can buy with pride.
8. Dodge Magnum
For the butch with a family, or one who just isn't a truck person, Dodge has come out with a great muscle car for the lesbian body builder. What you give up in fuel economy, you make up for in power. The Dodge Magnum RT delivers 340 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque from its 5.7 Liter Hemi V8 engine. If you know what that means, then this is the car for you.
9. Honda Element
Whatever your sport, the Honda Element is the car for the jock on the go. Throw your surfboards in back and head to the beach in this roomy SUV alternative. My friend with a Great Dane loves his Honda Element, because not only does his 160 lb dog fit in the back, with it's rubber mat interior, he just has to hose the back down at the end of a muddy romp. Plus, with it's unique styling, you're sure to attract attention as you cruise down the street.
10. Jeep Wrangler
If you spend time on the road and off, you can't do better than the Jeep Wrangler. Jeep started the whole SUV craze and continues to deliver a great car for both rugged forest roads and quiet city streets. Built as a utility vechile, it's not the most comfortable ride in town, but pull up to the lesbian bar with the top down and the girls will know right away you're a good-time gal.
Les-tastic!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Yes, but will he live?
On Monday I'll have been clear of cancer and cancer treatment for two years. That's rather a big deal - as two years was the threshold that they gave me to be confident that I'm not in imminent danger or relapse and near certain death (the treatment for relapse ain't all that successful)
I'd actually forgotten about this 'milestone' until the other day when I was talking to my wife about the possibility of changing countries (again)
"Most places will ask that I'm 2 years clear before letting me in"
"You are two years clear"
"Two years clear of any treatment"
"That's next week then"
Bonkers.
The "Two Year Mark" has cast a shadow over a lot of what I've done since cancer. Scans every 3 months raise four question marks a year over my longevity. Asking that I question what feels like good health.
I found myself putting life off a little too. The weight went up. I cruised in my job. I was happy to stay at home and enjoy the comforts of family and TV rather than head out and make a dent in the world.
But that's changed recently. A new job. A new town. A new outlook on what's important. I'm out working for the body I want - rather than at home wishing for it (today is a rest day - I work out 5 days a week - and I'm just itching to go in). I have the greencard application in.
I'm getting past the little things that, like tumors, have been festering. Stupid things that I know the answer to - like "Why didn't I get a call or even an e-mail from my brother during the whole cancer thing?" or the even more base "Why me?"
So yeah - two years on Monday. I may just live to fight another day. The big thing now is that I LIVE.
I'd actually forgotten about this 'milestone' until the other day when I was talking to my wife about the possibility of changing countries (again)
"Most places will ask that I'm 2 years clear before letting me in"
"You are two years clear"
"Two years clear of any treatment"
"That's next week then"
Bonkers.
The "Two Year Mark" has cast a shadow over a lot of what I've done since cancer. Scans every 3 months raise four question marks a year over my longevity. Asking that I question what feels like good health.
I found myself putting life off a little too. The weight went up. I cruised in my job. I was happy to stay at home and enjoy the comforts of family and TV rather than head out and make a dent in the world.
But that's changed recently. A new job. A new town. A new outlook on what's important. I'm out working for the body I want - rather than at home wishing for it (today is a rest day - I work out 5 days a week - and I'm just itching to go in). I have the greencard application in.
I'm getting past the little things that, like tumors, have been festering. Stupid things that I know the answer to - like "Why didn't I get a call or even an e-mail from my brother during the whole cancer thing?" or the even more base "Why me?"
So yeah - two years on Monday. I may just live to fight another day. The big thing now is that I LIVE.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Snow Shoes
Those of you who know me well will know that there's nothing I like more than a bit of in depth research. Especially when it comes to cars. I can spend hours locked in data. And then more hours making more data out of that data. And more hours still coming up with weighting ratios that would add a layer of personal requirement to the numbers on the page. So when Jude said she was thinking about a car - to help her get to physio appointments, airports and off to the vet with the dog on occasion I was elated. She had a few criteria though. The car needed to be a hatchback. Easier to get the dog into and out of. Convenient for the kind of weirdly shaped objects that we sometimes tote and just more European. That immediately ruled out any Ford but an SUV, the letters SUV ruled out that option anyway.
So the list was narrowed. Maybe a VW Rabbit (think 2.5L Golf with all of the extras for about 8k British money), Or an Audi A3 (though it looks like a hearse here). A Mazda 3 is in the Ford family and has the zoom-zoominess that Jude loves in a car. And of course there's the Volvo C30 - again a Ford product and eligible for a discount.
Then she kicked into the Mix - "I'd like it to be AWD. We have terrible winters here. You live 35 miles from the office. You drive in during ridiculous snow storms. In a rear wheel drive sportscar. I'd like to think that you had the option of AWD"
That changed things. Toyota make a Matrix Wagon that's AWD and just updated. But driving a Toyota is like driving an appliance. There's no fun there. The new Subaru Imprezza has a 2.5 litre engine, AWD and a neat (if bland) hatchback shape. But it drives like a brick and the interior seems to be made of melted lego. Which leaves the oddly named Suzuki SX4 Crossover. Small, fun to drive, AWD, 148bhp, a key that works from your pocket and great reviews all around. Full of big boy toys and with 64 cubic feet of storage it's not at all bad. So we're off to drive one. Feeling guilty about an import - but hey the numbers don't lie... (except I'm hoping for the fuel numbers - because they suck)
We'll see what happens - meanwhile I have some number crunching to do
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
I've got this thing
I've got this thing at the moment for Ultra Lounges. Those swish, minimalist yet comfortable bars where the drinks cost a fortune, the music is chilled, the air carries the scent of expensive but discrete flowers and you feel slimmer and sexier.
Vegas is full of them - though they tend to be filled with silicone breasted blondes giddy on champagne bubble and resolute in their search of a loft for the night.
But they're cool. I loved them years ago in Thailand. I loved them when we were in Oz too (though they're more a Melbourne thing) and I've been bemoaning the lack of them in A2 since we got here.
Am I a design snob? Do I now need the soft disguise afforded by gauze glow of cassis candles? Or am I just another sad slob falling for the marketing and willing to pay a premium to be wrapped in perfection and beauty?
Vegas is full of them - though they tend to be filled with silicone breasted blondes giddy on champagne bubble and resolute in their search of a loft for the night.
But they're cool. I loved them years ago in Thailand. I loved them when we were in Oz too (though they're more a Melbourne thing) and I've been bemoaning the lack of them in A2 since we got here.
Am I a design snob? Do I now need the soft disguise afforded by gauze glow of cassis candles? Or am I just another sad slob falling for the marketing and willing to pay a premium to be wrapped in perfection and beauty?
Monday, June 23, 2008
From USP to KBB
OMO, Blue Washing Powder adds brightness to Whiteness!
Originally uploaded by Lady Wulfrun (Taking a break)
Products have been improving since the 1950s. Washing White, shining brighter. But there comes a point at which the improvement needs to be radical and revolutionary rather than incremental in order to have any impact.
As a result of this brands are looking not at improving their product but at improving their bonding. Brands aren't about what the product physically does anymore - they're about the products as evidence of a higher belief.
So where as OMO used to 'add brightness to whiteness' is now believes that 'Dirt is good' and that it's an aid to child development. Same product, different angle. And it's working for them.
Nothing revolutionary here - but the thought that it's the brands that start from a belief and make products to help them achieve goals (social goals) that will rule the world is one that's still new enough to some companies to bear repeating. So I'm gonna repeat it.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
And the Dutch crash and burn
We went to a local "Irish" bar yesterday in order to watch the Netherlands - Russia game.
I'm not sure where they make the "Oirish" people who seem to always be on hand to staff these themed bars - yet the people there had the accents, the freckles and the oh so friendly attitude that we all believe Irish people to have.
Anyway the place was packed with Holland supporters in Orange and a handful of face painted Russian people who made a lot of noise, drank a lot o beer and clapped with a certainty that bordered on the scary.
As the game came to a close and the Dutch saw that they were going to lose the cameras cut to a young girl in tears. It was interesting as I suddenly realized that the Americans don't have any major sports that they play internationally. American Football, Basketball, Baseball - all played at the national level. Sure they have World Series --- but they're not Intetrnational in any meaninbgful way.
So American kids don't learn that their country can lose when it comes to anything that they're passionate about. Could that be the reason for the whiny Tiffany and Dwaynes hanging at the mall with clouds of entitlement hanging over them like poison gas?
I'm not sure where they make the "Oirish" people who seem to always be on hand to staff these themed bars - yet the people there had the accents, the freckles and the oh so friendly attitude that we all believe Irish people to have.
Anyway the place was packed with Holland supporters in Orange and a handful of face painted Russian people who made a lot of noise, drank a lot o beer and clapped with a certainty that bordered on the scary.
As the game came to a close and the Dutch saw that they were going to lose the cameras cut to a young girl in tears. It was interesting as I suddenly realized that the Americans don't have any major sports that they play internationally. American Football, Basketball, Baseball - all played at the national level. Sure they have World Series --- but they're not Intetrnational in any meaninbgful way.
So American kids don't learn that their country can lose when it comes to anything that they're passionate about. Could that be the reason for the whiny Tiffany and Dwaynes hanging at the mall with clouds of entitlement hanging over them like poison gas?
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Really Gone
It's the Mermaid Parade today. I LOVE the Mermaid Parade. Lots of freshly painted, uninhibited, joyful flesh twirling its way through the OTT streets of Coney Island. A photo op' at every turn and an atmosphere of pure joy. When we were in NYC I wouldn't miss it for the world and last year we had such fun we decided to take part ourselves - using my friend Kaiser's 60s Cadillac as the base of our float.
Fast forward a year and I'm canoing along the Huron. Kaiser is in Europe learning to make hats ahead of a move to Brazil. Our friends A&C are recovering from a trip up Everest with travel to somewhere else, J.Lum is in the throes of a job change and only our friend Mike is in a position to actually attend should he want to.
If I;d not been a moron I'd have been there right now. But I forgot. I'm terrible with dates - having learned to follow the reminders set by my B'Berry to the exclusion of everything else. But it's just another sign that things have changed. A 'must see' becomes a 'wish I had' becomes a memory of a different life in a different place.
Right gym, pilates, canoing, swimming, Netherlands in the soccer now I think
Friday, June 20, 2008
Jude got famous
I was looking through some images on Flickr this morning and I noticed a real spike in the number of people visiting this picture.
A little detective work showed that they were all coming from the same place.
This place
Weirdly (and without permission) Fox seem to have decided to use Jude as the poster girl for Vanity Sizing... weird
Cool though
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Juiced
So last night we went to see "Bigger Faster Stronger*" at the Michigan theatre. A documentary in the early Michael Moore (it's very personal and involves mom, dad and three brothers) style it was really entertaining and threw up several questions that I thought could support a story on their own
- What happens when kids who have been promised that they are special grow up and start living lives that aren't?
- Why are drugs in sport cheating - but drugs in orchestral music (beta blockers), drugs to help kids concentrate at school and surgery to keep people looking good aren't?
- What does 'being the fat kid on the school bus' do to a child in later years?
- How did Arnie go from juiced teenager to Governator when others have been brought down by Pot?
Enjoyed the whole thing - but would really like to see a documentary on people who are dissatisfied with their lives purely because they were told to expect the extraordinary.
- What happens when kids who have been promised that they are special grow up and start living lives that aren't?
- Why are drugs in sport cheating - but drugs in orchestral music (beta blockers), drugs to help kids concentrate at school and surgery to keep people looking good aren't?
- What does 'being the fat kid on the school bus' do to a child in later years?
- How did Arnie go from juiced teenager to Governator when others have been brought down by Pot?
Enjoyed the whole thing - but would really like to see a documentary on people who are dissatisfied with their lives purely because they were told to expect the extraordinary.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Minimalism and creativity
My friends Kirstie and Will are writing a book on creative spaces... which I think is genius.
Mainly because there only seem to be two schools of thought on what makes a creative space at the moment.
It's either crazy, paint it orange and fill the room with crayons. Or it's paint it white, hide everything and create a canvas.
Neither of which are bad solutions to the 'how do we signal creativity?' but they're not the only way to do it. And I think that Kirstie and Will are going to make a huge impact and a ton of money on the idea.
I hope so anyway
Mainly because there only seem to be two schools of thought on what makes a creative space at the moment.
It's either crazy, paint it orange and fill the room with crayons. Or it's paint it white, hide everything and create a canvas.
Neither of which are bad solutions to the 'how do we signal creativity?' but they're not the only way to do it. And I think that Kirstie and Will are going to make a huge impact and a ton of money on the idea.
I hope so anyway
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Summer continues
So the summer continues... last night we walked down to watch some Brooklyn gymnasts cavorting in a paddling pool for the entertainment of a soon to be drenched audience.
Most amazing though was the way that the kids danced to what seemed to me to be pretty undancable music on the main stage. They were open and innocent and free. Just the way that they tell you kids are. And they stood in contrast to the Burrito laden, leaden bodies of their parents. I swear that if I had a kid I'd try to keep in good enough shape to keep up with their energy, their curiosity and their enthusiasm.
We saw a lot of 'tired parenting' in Cyprus - where the kids were wild with interest and the parents (usually dad) whined to call it a day and try again tomorrow, maybe. It was shocking and not just a little shameful.
Of course this mania of mine for physical fitness is being fed by my mania for the gym. I'm up to four times a week on weights, an extra night on cardio and two days of pilates. And while I'm starting to see a difference in the way that I look and feel I'm still reeling at the fact that the weight continues to get higher and higher.
Guess it's time to stop measuring health in pounds lost and instead look at inches lost, muscle gained and general strength.
Does Fabulously Fit sound too gay for a blog?
Most amazing though was the way that the kids danced to what seemed to me to be pretty undancable music on the main stage. They were open and innocent and free. Just the way that they tell you kids are. And they stood in contrast to the Burrito laden, leaden bodies of their parents. I swear that if I had a kid I'd try to keep in good enough shape to keep up with their energy, their curiosity and their enthusiasm.
We saw a lot of 'tired parenting' in Cyprus - where the kids were wild with interest and the parents (usually dad) whined to call it a day and try again tomorrow, maybe. It was shocking and not just a little shameful.
Of course this mania of mine for physical fitness is being fed by my mania for the gym. I'm up to four times a week on weights, an extra night on cardio and two days of pilates. And while I'm starting to see a difference in the way that I look and feel I'm still reeling at the fact that the weight continues to get higher and higher.
Guess it's time to stop measuring health in pounds lost and instead look at inches lost, muscle gained and general strength.
Does Fabulously Fit sound too gay for a blog?
Monday, June 16, 2008
Tony Awards
It was the Tony Awards last night. A night where musical theatre gets to flaunt its peacock plumage on national television. An award ceremony where they wheel out Liza, rap their acceptance speeches (ok Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't rap, but he got as close as you're going to see on a Tony stage) and generally get to flaunt their 'same sex significant others' to the horror of gun owin' 'Mericans across the square states.
Camp as Christmas at Dollywood it was quite the show - but you have to ask... just who goes to Broadway these days. Sure the tourists whose pounds and Euros make $120 ticket prices seem reasonable; and young girls looking for a fix of glam' and something familiar (Legally Blonde anyone?) sent to Broadway by parents keen to keep them out of Bungalow 8 and off Page Six (parents don't know that Bungalow 8 is about as hip as LiLo these days)
I'm all for good theater - but what we have in New York is neither good nor affordable. It's expensive mediocrity peppered with celebrity names and / or pre-production recognition (revivals and movies) that seem to substitute energy for talent.
I sound like a dipped in vinegar theatre queen I know... but is it too much to ask for a Broadway show that's new, thoughtful, well acted and affordably priced? Or am I going to have to risk the freakshow tombola that is off-off-Broadway forever?
Camp as Christmas at Dollywood it was quite the show - but you have to ask... just who goes to Broadway these days. Sure the tourists whose pounds and Euros make $120 ticket prices seem reasonable; and young girls looking for a fix of glam' and something familiar (Legally Blonde anyone?) sent to Broadway by parents keen to keep them out of Bungalow 8 and off Page Six (parents don't know that Bungalow 8 is about as hip as LiLo these days)
I'm all for good theater - but what we have in New York is neither good nor affordable. It's expensive mediocrity peppered with celebrity names and / or pre-production recognition (revivals and movies) that seem to substitute energy for talent.
I sound like a dipped in vinegar theatre queen I know... but is it too much to ask for a Broadway show that's new, thoughtful, well acted and affordably priced? Or am I going to have to risk the freakshow tombola that is off-off-Broadway forever?
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Body Image
The weirdest thing about doing this whole body transformation is the need to lose my addiction to the bathroom scales. I've always know what I weighed to the nearest half pound - have celebrated my losses and mourned my gains.
But now I'm hoping to pile on muscle - which will mean weight gain. I'm already up a little while being able to crawl into clothes that wouldn't have fit me even last weekend and I'm finding it freaky.
How do I stop myself going on mad, drunken vacuuming of the refrigerator (don't suggest giving up booze) when weight gain is going to be the norm anyway?
Anyway just cardio today (as I watch Jude teach a friend how to swim) so I shouldn't wake up at a record high that will freak me.
The things we do for vanity, huh?
But now I'm hoping to pile on muscle - which will mean weight gain. I'm already up a little while being able to crawl into clothes that wouldn't have fit me even last weekend and I'm finding it freaky.
How do I stop myself going on mad, drunken vacuuming of the refrigerator (don't suggest giving up booze) when weight gain is going to be the norm anyway?
Anyway just cardio today (as I watch Jude teach a friend how to swim) so I shouldn't wake up at a record high that will freak me.
The things we do for vanity, huh?
Friday, June 13, 2008
The Ann Arbor Summer Festival starts tonight
It's a full month of free (and some paid for) entertainment played out under the warm skies of summer. which had me wondering why it was that students here huddle through bone chilling winters for school before flying home to miss the only thing that can erase the memory?
This town is cool when the weather isn't... weird then that it's only beardy professors and young Google execs that get to see that
This town is cool when the weather isn't... weird then that it's only beardy professors and young Google execs that get to see that
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Big Meeting today
So today we have a "big meeting"... that means lots of people crammed into a small room concentrating hard on the face of one man in a bid to gauge his reactions before pressing a point hard.
Personally I'd be torn about being the "Big Guy" in the "Big Meeting". The spotlight would be good. Nothing wrong with having people write down your reactions... but the need for trust might be too much for me. You have to trust that the people that you're talking to actually know what they're doing, that the facts that they're showing you are the relevant facts and that they've genuinely done all of the things that they claim to have done. You have no time to dive into the data. You have no time to get a feel for things - it's all about "do I trust these people" and "does this make sense to me"?
And I'm just not sure I could do that. Instead I'd become the tricky, tough question, get 'em to admit to something that they don't know guy. Which would put people on edge. And mean that I get even less information.
Personally I'd be torn about being the "Big Guy" in the "Big Meeting". The spotlight would be good. Nothing wrong with having people write down your reactions... but the need for trust might be too much for me. You have to trust that the people that you're talking to actually know what they're doing, that the facts that they're showing you are the relevant facts and that they've genuinely done all of the things that they claim to have done. You have no time to dive into the data. You have no time to get a feel for things - it's all about "do I trust these people" and "does this make sense to me"?
And I'm just not sure I could do that. Instead I'd become the tricky, tough question, get 'em to admit to something that they don't know guy. Which would put people on edge. And mean that I get even less information.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Feeling good
I like the people at my new gym. They talk to you. They tell you things. They ask you things. And they play great music while they're doing it. Workout two has me buzzing with endorphins and possibilities. I'm picking bodies out of magazines the way that people pick hairstyles from books - and while a whole new me is going to take longer to sculpt than a razor finished bob it's going to last longer.
Having finished my session today I was given some fresh chicken-feta burgers, an invitation to an evening dinner, a promise that I get 10% off everything in the Sparrow market and was asked if I was around for lunch "It gets a little quiet in here in the afternoons, so we tend to fire up the grill and cook up some stuff for people in the neighborhood."
As I said, I like them. A lot.
Compounding the good feeling is the return from pasport purgatory of my lovely wife. She's looking good, she's not in pain and it's good to have her company again. Fun.
Wow - endorphins are good. I've even promised to do cardio on the days that I'm not doing weights. "Shape" here I come.
Having finished my session today I was given some fresh chicken-feta burgers, an invitation to an evening dinner, a promise that I get 10% off everything in the Sparrow market and was asked if I was around for lunch "It gets a little quiet in here in the afternoons, so we tend to fire up the grill and cook up some stuff for people in the neighborhood."
As I said, I like them. A lot.
Compounding the good feeling is the return from pasport purgatory of my lovely wife. She's looking good, she's not in pain and it's good to have her company again. Fun.
Wow - endorphins are good. I've even promised to do cardio on the days that I'm not doing weights. "Shape" here I come.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Then came the rain
After days and days of oppressive heat here suddenly all things have turned to rain. Moisture is falling from the sky faster than geriatric nonsense from the mouth of John McCain or 'senior moment' apologies from his aides.
I'm looking out at the lake that has formed on the flat roof that covers what I estimate to be my kitchen and wondering just how and where so much water will drain.
The dog is refusing to step outside, even to pee and I don't blame her - and the cats? Well they're looking to do what they always do - find food, escape, hunt down black clothing upon which they can shed. I swear people at work think that I have a thing for cat hair clothing.
Still Jude is on her way - as are some late night moments of weakness internet purchases (am I shopping myself happy or horny? I'm not sure)
Gonna try to get in a trip to NYC first - I miss the people and as Mike said "Kung Fu Panda!"
I'm looking out at the lake that has formed on the flat roof that covers what I estimate to be my kitchen and wondering just how and where so much water will drain.
The dog is refusing to step outside, even to pee and I don't blame her - and the cats? Well they're looking to do what they always do - find food, escape, hunt down black clothing upon which they can shed. I swear people at work think that I have a thing for cat hair clothing.
Still Jude is on her way - as are some late night moments of weakness internet purchases (am I shopping myself happy or horny? I'm not sure)
Gonna try to get in a trip to NYC first - I miss the people and as Mike said "Kung Fu Panda!"
Monday, June 09, 2008
A realization
I realized today - well just a couple of minutes ago while filling in the "Please don't sue us" gym forms - that this morning I didn't mention cancer at all.
This is unusual. Cancer has been my excuse and a defining part of my history for a while now. The 'getting back into exercise post cancer' story has been so often repeated that I've started to believe that it was true. The truth is that I gave up on meaningful exercise after I left Australia, replacing it with bile and indifference. But 'Hi, I'm here to get back into shape post chemo' (always post chemo never post cancer) is an easier intro than 'hi, I'm a middle aged guy who's decided that he doesn't want to look like a middle aged guy' and yet without thought I took the second option.
It's weird not playing the role of 'recovering cancer patient (victim)' and for the first time in a long time it feels as though I'm doing something for myself and the future, rather than something to help mitigate the consequences of the past.
This whole kick is about being fitter, okay looking better, in the months to come. And nothing at all to do with the fact that at some point my body filled with tumors and my lungs with liquid.
A turning point after two years of treading water?
This is unusual. Cancer has been my excuse and a defining part of my history for a while now. The 'getting back into exercise post cancer' story has been so often repeated that I've started to believe that it was true. The truth is that I gave up on meaningful exercise after I left Australia, replacing it with bile and indifference. But 'Hi, I'm here to get back into shape post chemo' (always post chemo never post cancer) is an easier intro than 'hi, I'm a middle aged guy who's decided that he doesn't want to look like a middle aged guy' and yet without thought I took the second option.
It's weird not playing the role of 'recovering cancer patient (victim)' and for the first time in a long time it feels as though I'm doing something for myself and the future, rather than something to help mitigate the consequences of the past.
This whole kick is about being fitter, okay looking better, in the months to come. And nothing at all to do with the fact that at some point my body filled with tumors and my lungs with liquid.
A turning point after two years of treading water?
Back in a new routine
Ann-Marie and Angel accpeting new clients for Spring/Summer season!
Originally uploaded by Boxing Angel
Better still was the fact that my basic levels of fitness aren't bad at all. I've been promised that the NUP is certainly realistic and that knocking me back into shape isn't going to take very long. Three sessions a week, 2 pilates sessions a week, a little swimming at the Y and a 'free' workout and I'm toned by Xmas.
So not the disaster that I thought I was going to be. Here's to saying hello to my abs again.
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