Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Challenge: Day 5

Cultivate Gratitude.

I, and you too, have always made it a priority to say "please" and "thank you." However, there are people out there who may go long periods of time without getting thanked in the capacity that they deserve. I'm looking at you teachers, cleaning crews and barbers. I'm going to share with you, dear readers, a rough draft of a note that I'm going to send to one of my favorite teachers, Ms. Rogow. She was my 11th and 12th grade English teacher at Mamaroneck High School. She wrote one of my college recommendations. She is (was) awesome. I know she's around because she belongs to the pool that every Brandom boy has lifeguard at since 2000.

Dear Ms. Rogow,
I hope that this letter finds you well. I am writing to you today to express my gratitude for being not only and amazing teacher but an amazing person. During my years with you, you saw past the lazy facade and found a way to coerce me into doing work. Your allowance to let us free-write and then to openly express ourselves gave me a new insight into writing and reading. If you hadn't found a way to lay the ground work for hard work I may not have graduated from college, gotten a job or found my wife. You are a wonderful person and while I'm sure that you get these sorts of notes all the time I felt that you needed to know that I have always admired the way that you held yourself while helping us in your class, even us, the stragglers.

This is just a rough draft. I'll be sure to not be so all over the place in the actual letter.
Here's a list of 5 things that I am grateful for. So what if it's not Thanksgiving.
1. My wife for being so tolerant of me doing a sport that she hates.
2. My boss, not only for the steady paycheck but for being a really good person who allows flexibility in how tasks get accomplished.
3. My dad for the free music lessons. Still come in handy when I pick up the clarinet from time to time. It's therapeutic.
4. Coach Gerry. As much as he may not like me he always went out of his way to help me out. Probably because he likes my wife so much.
5. Steak

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Challenge; Day 4

Increase Your Testosterone

There are lots of ways to increase your testosterone. There are also a lot of reasons why you ought to. "T" has been shown to lower fat, increase muscle, make you smarter and more fertile. Pretty fucking awesome. Here's what I plan on doing. Maybe more, but these are the easy ones to do.
Get 8 hours of sleep - check
Do Compound movement exercises - check, every fucking day.
Eat Meat - check and will continue to check this box

There are also other ways: getting sun, sex (preferably in the morning) and even thinking aggressive thoughts. Boom, I'm angry and I don't like the way that people are driving.

I'm planning on seeing this band in September in Brooklyn. This should be pretty fun. I'm finally putting my ticketmaster gift cards to good use.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Challenge Day #3

Find a Mentor

This seems like it might have been a hard one, but given a little bit of thought with my value system (see day #1), it just makes sense to have my mom as a mentor. She was a CFO at CitiGroup and is now the CFO at Trinity Wall Street. She knows the rewards for hard work but also made time to to be a great mom, daughter, sister and spouse. With that said, I plan on asking her for advice. Financial, educational (she went to Kellogg aka. Northwestern for her MBA) and how to balance it all. She did not grow up with a lot of money and for her to have gotten as far as she has, from a small midwestern town to the top of the financial pyramid is a pretty amazing thing.

There is one other person with whom I'd like to converse. And that would be Mr. Granucci. He is, from what I can tell, a wonderful husband and has a silent strength about him. He is confident without being boastful and has a way of assuring people that everything will turn out alright even in the worst of times. Luckily, I am having dinner with him, his wife and one of his sons and his girlfriend tonight (lasagna, yum). I will use this time to try to get to know him better and learn how to stand up for yourself even when the odds are against you. It's a great, manly trait to have.

I heard this song on the radio coming home from work. I haven't thought about this band in a long time. They used to be more punk-dance. But if this single is any indication for their new stuff it sounds more dance oriented. Still, legit. On a scale of take it or leave it, I'd more take it.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Challenge Day #2

Shine Your Shoes

People notice shoes. They may not stare at them but shoes do get noticed. Nasty, scuffed shoes can break an outfit. Nice suit, pressed shirt, nice tie, scuffed shoes. One of these things does not belong. I believe that this challenge is about the details. Details matter and it's important to take care of them.
Steps:
1. Buy shoes polish - roughly $5 a tin.
2. Brush shoes of any dirt that might be lingering around
3. Cut up old t-shirt to make rags.
4. Polish to a high gloss.
5. Let sit.


I managed to get one in before work. It's my nicest pair of shoes. I don't wear them that often but I've got a wedding to go to coming up in October. Have to look nice for the folks in Kansas City.


PS. Whitney Houston covers this. It's when she was throwing gas.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Better Man Day #1 - Values

This is going to be the start of a 30 Day Challenge inspired by the Are of Manliness blog. The challenge, over the course of 30 days, is to set yourself up to become a better man. Can I do it? Maybe. Will I try. Absolutely. I kind of need to at this point. Also, I'd like to post some music at the end of every post. So, even if you have absolutely no interest in my transformation into the ultimate male, you'll at least get a taste of some cool music. Suppose you don't like it I don't know what to tell you.

Day #1: Set up a system of values to live by. This will make decisions down the road easier and you will know that you are living through life without an absence of focus.

1. To allow the opportunities afforded to me by my parents to my future children. This takes financial security. Quite literally there was nothing that I could not have done as a child. This sounds like I had bad parents but what I mean is that should I have been chosen to do something that requires time, devotion and money I would have been allowed to do it. There are things that have to get done to make this happen for me and my future offspring.
a. Remain Debt Free. This is important. I have no college loans. I'm lucky. I'd like to keep it this way. This means refraining from going crazy on the credit card.
b. Continuing my education. I've started my MBA application process. On a scale of take it or leave it I could mostly leave it. But I'm being forced to take it. It's a good step. A pain in the ass step, but a good step. This also involves going to workshops and seminars at work. I should be getting my name out there so people think of me as a responsible person. Perception, right?

2. Remain (become?) adventurous and fun. I would like to try any and all opportunities that come my way. Hiking, yes please. Art/Music/Theatre, especially when it's free. You betcha. Eating challenges, I'm there. Farm Crawls, fuck yeah. This also includes my wife coming on these adventures and doing adventures that she would like. From my experience (and watching my parents) the couple that journeys together stays together and enjoys their lives completely.

3. Be a Stand-Up-Guy. Have INTEGRITY. When I say something I want it to have weight. There should be a sense that I know what I'm talking about. For a long time I have been a person who muddles through my life (hence, this challenge), allowing people to make decisions for me. Very seldom do I speak my mind and this has caused a bit of angst. However, for people to start taking what I have to say and my opinions seriously there has to be a steely focus to all of my endeavors. I have to be of the sort to stand up for what I believe is right and necessary. Think John Wayne, only real, and without the poo.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Back Again

Well, it happened again. Another back tweak. This one isn't nearly as bad. It came, of course, from being lazy and unfocused in the bottom of a squat. Also, because I over extend at the bottom of my squat. The plan, at least for this week, is to do some pre-hab, some rehab and some really light weight range of motion type stuff. Like Snatches, lots of Snatches and Clean and Jerks. Maybe from the blocks. But light. Nothing forced and nothing with any injury risk. There will be lots of mobility work to help correct what I've been doing wrong this whole time. Not that anybody really cares, but I'll be giving updates on how I've been getting back to healthy.

Squats - worked up to 325#. I was supposed to do sets of 4, instead I got 2, decided that my back did not like this and stopped.
Snatch - triples at 90kg. Again, was supposed to go higher but my back said, "no mas."

Lacrosse ball(s) to lower back, staying in neutral hip alignment and entering my pain cave. "Slide."
Mashed on the psoas with the lacrosse ball and a Kettlebell. Very effective.
Used the GHD to decompress the spine a little bit.

Tomorrow, who knows what I'll do.