Simple Randomness

The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk - Good Idea!

There are a lot of strange and sad diseases that one can develop, and I think one of the saddest is Alzheimer’s.  I mean, seriously, how sad would it be to get to the point where you really can’t remember certain things?

I remember when I was a teenager we ran into an older man on the street that honestly had no idea where he was or where he was going.  We talked to him for a few minutes, and luckily right then someone that knew him came up and helped him get home.  It’s a very sad sad thing to see.

Well, to help increase the awareness of and raise funds for Alzheimer’s care, the Alzheimer’s Association has the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk.  This is the largest event of it’s kind and takes place in over 600 communities.

By going on a walk like this, you can help the Alzheimer’s Association to help us move closer to a world without Alzheimer’s!  If there’s one in your area, I would highly recommend that you consider participating.  Each walk is normally 2-3 miles, so it’s not like it’s something you can’t do!

Workout Still Going Well!

So I realized that I haven’t given any sort of update on my workouts for a while, and I needed a topic to write about today that I guess that one will have to do!

So I recently started a new 4 week phase.  This one is based more on increasing strength, and it’s been pretty interesting so far.  The funny thing is that as I look back and what I used to do in the gym when I first started, I was clueless.  I’ve made more progress in the last 2 months or so than I did in the first 2 years that I went to the gym.  It’s amazing how learning the right ways to do things can make that kind of difference!

The one concern that I have is that in a couple weeks I know that my schedule is going to get even more hectic, so I’ll have to find a way to still get to the gym on top of everything else that I’m doing.  I guess it all comes down to time management and priorities!

More on ZenniOptical

A few days ago I mentioned a website ZenniOptical.com for getting great deals on frames. Well, I guess I’m not the only one to mention them since it turns out Zenni was featured on Fox News! Click here to see more info: Zenni on Fox.

Check these guys out if you’re looking to save some money on glasses!

My Little Sister Had a Baby!

My only sister, my little sister, just had a baby yesterday!  And for her size he was a big one.  She’s about 5′3″ and the baby weighed just over 8lbs.  So big she had to have a C-section for it.

It’s exciting!  This makes the 3rd baby in our family this year including my own baby boy.  And all have been healthy and are doing well.  It’s just weird to me that my ‘little sister’ is now a mom, but I’m sure I’ll get over it soon enough .

Well, I’m actually off to the hospital to see the little kid for the first time!

Rollerblading!

I remember as a kid rollerblades were the hot thing to have.  I remember zipping around the neighborhood on them, playing roller hockey and all sorts of fun stuff.  In fact, I remember one year we went trick-or-treating on rollerblades and that was the year we got the most loot!

Has anyone noticed that you don’t see people on rollerblades as much anymore?  Well, now my wife and I are going to be some of those people that do have them!  Last week we decided to each get a pair of rollerblades.  This way instead of just going for a walk with the kids we can make it a little more fun.

In fact, if the weather holds out we’re planning on going rollerblading up the canyon tomorrow morning.  I’m excited to go, since I really haven’t done something like that since I was a teenager.  Hopefully I still remember some of my old ‘moves’ .

By the way, this picture is the actual blades that I got, and my wife got the girly version of them.  Pretty good price on them too!  I guess one good thing is that rollerblades are overall a lot cheaper now than they used to be!

All My Least Favorite Foods Keep Ending Up Being Dangerous!

I have to admit something: I really really don’t like tomatoes.  For anyone that really knows me, this comes as no surprise.  Sure, I love salsa and all that, or in other words some foods that contain tomatoes, but to eat them plain?  You won’t see me do it!  I always take them off my hamburgers, sandwiches, etc.

So when I recently heard that there was a salmonella problem with tomatoes, I figured it was just another sign that tomatoes are of the devil.  I had a similar feeling a few years ago when there was that E. Coli breakout with spinach.  But, I really don’t have it in for spinach like I do for tomatoes, in fact I actually really like cooked spinach.   I digress…

For those of you that like tomatoes - good for you.  I on the other hand will continue to hate them, and now I even have more good reason to because I really don’t want to risk getting salmonella!

Baby Sleeping More Consistently

A week or two ago I wrote that my baby had slept through the night. Well, it turns out that was a fluke. But now he’s sleeping through the night much more consistently!

It’s amazing how much sleep really affects you, and I’ve found that I don’t really appreciate that until I don’t get as much! It’s true what they say that the first 3 months of having a new baby are the hardest. After that you get more sleep so you can better deal with everything else!

He’s a cute little guy though. Very smiley and happy, which also makes things a lot easier.

So anyway, that’s the baby update for today!

Back to the Gym

Ahh…. I finally made it back to the gym yesterday and had a great workout! With the baby being born, wife going through surgury, and all that other crazy stuff I haven’t been inside a gym since January!

So now I remember what it feels like to do squats and then not feel the pain until the next day. I’ve always wondered about that, but this time I knew that I’d be sore. But it was worth it!

Honestly I really enjoy working out. Currently I’ll probably only be able to go twice a week, but I have to admit that I’ve missed it. I’ve been doing my best to still get in a workout by doing pushups or using resistance bands, but it really just isn’t the same. One thing I’ve learned though is that you can at least still keep getting exercise when you don’t have access to a gym, you just have to make it happen!

The Baby Slept All Night Long!!!

Last night was something to be remembered: our newborn (well, technically he’s over 2 months old now) actually slept through the night! Now admittedly he’s done this one other time, but I figured it was just a fluke. Now he’s done it twice, so I’m getting some hope that more normal nights are on the horizon!

For anyone that has never had a baby, I would have to say that the first month and a half to two months are probably the hardest. It gets really tiring when you have to get up every 2-3 hours to help your wife with the baby. Not fun. But after about 2 months things seem to normalize a little bit more.

Who knows, maybe sometime soon I’ll actually get a whole 3 days of normal sleep! Now that would be awesome!

Still Working on Changing Personal Prejudices

Have you ever read something that made you realize that you need to make some changes in your attitude towards certain things? This just happened to me again this morning about something that I’ve already been working on, but it was a good reminder.

I’ve never had a problem with weight. But every now and then I find myself being very aware of all of the overweight people around me, and many times in the past I have passed judgment on those people. I know a few years ago I was really bad about this. In the last 6-12 months though, I’ve stopped being as judgmental as I used to be. In fact, I remember an incident a few months ago where I started to slip back into my old habit and I felt really really bad about it.

I realize that it is not my place to judge people for their weight. I have plenty of my own problems to worry about, so why should I pass judgment?  I also find that its very easy to pass judgment on people I don’t know, but I really don’t pass it once I get to know someone.  That doesn’t make it right, but I’ve noticed that is my trend.

So today I read an article in Newsweek that was very interesting. It was by a lady that for most of her life was overweight. Then she underwent gastric bypass surgery and has now been part of the ‘normal weight class.’ She shares in this article some of the things that she’s heard people say to her that assume she has always been at a ‘normal’ weight. It makes me sick to think that people are really that prejudiced. And yet, if I look back at my own opinion a few years ago it would be very similar. And so my goal to change continues.

I think that all of us have some type of prejudice or another. It could be a racial prejudice. Maybe its prejudice against something like weight. Well, no matter what it is I think we should all work to be less judgmental of the people we meet everyday. Well, there’s my preaching to myself for the day. Thanks for listening!

PS - Here’s the article if you want to read it: My Secret History.