A puppy is born

So, yesterday was Mia’s birthday.  Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do much with her.  She had school; however, Jennifer and I met her there and had lunch with her (Subway).  After school she had gymnastics till 7:45 and Jennifer had to stay and sell pizza for the booster club till 8:15.  Tonight we will be taking her out to dinner for her birthday.  She wants to go to Red Robin.

I haven’t mentioned this yet, but we are getting a new puppy.  Our house is really quiet and seems empty without that big personality that was Kodi.  So, we decided a month or so ago that we would add another dog to the mix.

Jada & Yogi (mom & dad)

We found a place, somewhat local, that breed Saints and they actually had a litter that was expecting late Feb.  Perfect, I placed the call and we were placed 8^th on the list.  About a week ago I sent a follow-up e-mail to find out if we moved up (we were worried she might not have 8 puppies) and to ask how Jada (the Saint mommy) was doing.  We found out we jumped one spot to number 7.

Jada and her puppies

Well, yesterday Jada had her puppies!  She had 7 of them on Mia’s birthday.  So, we took that as a sign that it was meant to be.  She had 4 males and 3 females, so we are almost assured a female as there are 5 ahead of us that have preference on males.  That was our preference as well.  But, it really doesn’t matter either way.

Since we decided to get a puppy…we have been thinking about male dog names and suddenly we have to switch that.  So, I went to Game of Thrones and came up with the following names:

• Daenerys
• Rhaella
• Arya
• Shae

Is one of these little Daenerys Targaryen?

Hopefully I can convince Jennifer to go with one of them.  She did say she liked Rhaella.  Although I prefer Daenerys and Arya.  But, that is probably more to do with how much I like those characters on G of T.  Anyway, that’s what’s going on in our world.  We will be getting our puppy in late April and that is going to change our world as we know it.

Happy 8th Birthday Mia!

8 years ago today, Mia was born in China. Since Mia has gymnastics tomorrow and that doesn’t get over till 7:45, we will be waiting to go out to eat until Thursday. Mia picked Red Robin for her birthday dinner and she’s excited to get her free ice cream dessert from there. We will also be meeting her at school to have lunch with her today….that is if I can free myself from work.

Happy birthday Mia, we love you.

Neverending birthday – Part 1

Mia and some Lego’s

So, the weekend snow storm amounted to zero inches of snow.  You have to love those that predict the weather.  That was a welcome outcome; however, as we were able to get Jennifer’s mom in for the weekend and my family made it for Mia’s birthday party on Saturday.

Mia’s Ipad birthday cake

Mia’s Presents

I left early to head to Edina to grab the birthday cake, which was supposed to look like an Ipad.  We decided to play it simple for lunch and grabbed some pizza’s from Papa Murphy.  Mia scored a BUNCH of lego sets, clothes and three gymnastic leotards.

The cake was ok.  We ordered double raspberry mouse filling because a cake we got there a couple years ago had such a thin layer.  Well, this was more like triple or quadrupled.  The first cake we got from them was perfect…and they have failed since to recapture that perfect balance of cake and mouse filling.  We are actually considering a new place for our next cake.

My burnt Cowboy

We cooked a pepperoni and a cowboy pizza, from Papa Murphy’s, at the same time and apparently we shouldn’t cook their pizza on the bottom rake.  The bottom crust of the pizza was burnt.  There are no stories to tell with a well cooked pizza, so I am ok with that.

That night, after my family headed home, Jennifer’s mom took us out to Outback Steakhouse which is always good.  After that, Mia and I went home while Jennifer and her mom went to Target for some shopping.  Which resulted in season 2 of Game of Thrones for me!  SCORE!  Mia and I watched the Gopher’s gymnastics meet I recorded from earlier in the day.

Last night (Monday), actually this morning around 12:15 or so, Mia did something she has never done in 8 years (she will be 8 tomorrow).  She got sick to her stomach.  The poor girl probably was really confused on what happened since she has never vomited before in her life.  She doesn’t have a temp, so we are thinking food poisoning from something she ate at school.  Needless to say, she is staying home today and I will be ditching work at 2:30 to relieve Jennifer.

Winter is Coming!

Game of Thrones

“Winter Is Coming” is the first episode of the HBO medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones.  Which happens to be my favorite show on T.V. right now.  It is also the reality of what is going on right now outside.  Winter is here and we are feeling its wrath today.

The snow storm we are getting right now is scheduled to go thru the weekend.  Iowa is expected to get it worse; therefore, we have already had one cancellation for Mia’s birthday party this weekend.  There is a chance none of our family will make it.

Hopefully things calm down a bit and we can get some visitors for Mia this weekend.  But, we spoke to her about it and she understands if nobody can make it.  I would rather people stay home than risk a drive to the cities.

Argo

So, our weekend plans are up in the air right now.  We aren’t sure if anyone will make it.  So, my backup plan for this weekend is to buy the movie Argo.  I have wanted to watch this movie for some time now and it is finally out on DVD this week.  I have heard good things about it.

In addition to that, we ordered Mia a birthday cake from Queen of Cakes in Edina…big enough for the whole family.  So, I might be overeating on cake again this weekend.  Especially if nobody shows up.

The reason for the concern about winter in Game of Thrones, seasons in that world are not the same as the seasons in our world.  They can last years…up to 10 years.  Which is exactly how long this winter has felt.

R U Kidding me!?!

Locally owned Fortune 500 company Target is being taken on by two organizations for “unfair hiring processes” because Target does criminal background checks.  R U Kidding me?  The two organizations; NAACP and Take Action Minnesota recently met at the Hennepin County Government center for a joint press conference.

Jeff Martin, President of the NAACP’s St. Paul chapter said he was “proud to stand in solidarity with TakeAction Minnesota as we work to call attention to a very serious problem. We believe it is unacceptable for a corporate citizen such as Target to practice blanket exclusionary hiring tactics that contribute to our worst-in-the-nation racial jobs gap. We expect more of Target and are calling on Target to partner with us to move our state forward.” Martin said the NAACP will provide assistance and resources to individuals who believe they have been discriminated against based on their criminal background

First off…how is this a racial issue?  And second…maybe these organizations should do a better job of ensuring the people they represent don’t commit crimes.  Is it wrong that Target wants its employees and customers to be safe and not have to worry about being a victim while shopping or working?

Criminal background checks is not a new concept and it’s not an employers job to provide second and third chances to people.  America has a problem and it’s this “everyone is a victim” mindset.  I am so tired of it.  America is the land of opportunity.  Or, it was.  It is now the land of handouts.  You see examples of this everyday now.  Headlines that make me sick to my stomach.  I almost hate reading the news anymore.  This stuff is driving me nuts.  Everyone has their hands out looking for something for nothing.  Take some accountability…”you reap what you sow”.  That means that your actions have consequences.

Ok sorry for the rant.

200!

Yesterday I officially hit 200 days straight logging my calories on My Fitness Pal.  The tool basically tells you how many calories you can have each day and you try to stay below are at that number.  It forces you to work out in order to earn more calories.  I have to be honest with myself here and admit I don’t always stay under my goal.  In fact, there are days I get so out of whack I don’t track everything (see Sweet Caroline).  But I try my best.

400 Pounds

On May 17^th of last year (my birthday)…I took a picture of the weight I was benching at the time and made a bold two year goal.  I was going to bench 500 pounds within two years on my 40^th birthday.  My bench, at the time, was probably around 410 or 415.  It’s hard to know for sure because I lift alone and without a spotter.  But 405 was always real easy for me to handle.

My weight, at that time, was in the 240’s.  I remember earlier that year how I gained 20 pounds overnight.  We had a scale that always weighed me around 220-225.  We brought a new scale and I jumped on it and BANG!  242, or something like that.  That was a bit frustrating.

My mindset changed last summer.  There were always brief moments of time where I would set out to lose weight.  However, the thing that always won out was that I would get weaker.  I hated losing my strength.  I worked so hard for it and I hated diets and avoiding certain foods.  So, I would fall off the wagon pretty easy and get my lifts back where they belong.  That all changed when I found My Fitness Pal.

My Fitness Pal was so easy to use and I could literally eat whatever I wanted to…as long as I was prepared to pay for it later thru hard workouts.  But, to be honest, I like to workout hard.  So, I started a profile and weighed in.  I was 233 pounds when I started.

200 days later and my most recent weigh-in thru MFP and I am at 205.  So, I have lost 28 pounds while on MFP.  This type of success story won’t inspire many, I get that.  However, I am at a comfortable weight that I have maintained since December.  I look better and I feel better.  My bench has taken a HUGE hit…but, I am actually ok with that.  I have actually made several gains in some other lifts.  My deadlift’s are better and my squats are getting stronger.

Track your calories, lift heavy weight and add in HIIT or Tabata cardio.  There is no such thing as a miracle drug.  The only true way is thru hard work and not eating more calories than you burn.  It’s no secret and you don’t need to spend $50 on a book.  Maybe when I hit 300 days…I will look like another famous 300!

Buehrle BANNED!

As an uber fan of all things Minnesota Twins…I know everything about them.  From Joe Mauer to Joe Testa (A fringe prospect that was traded, along with Wilson Ramos for the rights to Matt Capps in what I consider one of the worst trades the Twins have ever made…I have, since that fateful day referred to Matt Capps as Fatt Crapps.  Sorry for the rambling…but I really miss Ramos!)

Mark Buehrle as a White Sux

Back to the reason for this post.  As a fan of the Minnesota Twins it was always hard to enjoy the brilliance of former Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle.   He is a soft tossing lefty that doesn’t really posses anything of note in his pitches.  However, he works faster than any other pitcher and throws strikes.  Hardly ever strikes anyone out, but has a knack for getting guys to get themselves out.  He is a “true pitcher” in every sense…he uses his brain to get guys out, rather than his pure stuff.

Mark Buehrle as a Blue Jay

So, why am I writing about Mark Buehrle?  Buehrle was traded to Toronto after one year in Miami.  Because of Toronto’s strict dog ban, his dog Slater is not allowed in the country.  Buehrle has four dogs, but it is Slater, a mix of bulldog and American Staffordshire Terrier, which is of pit bull lineage that has the family facing a decision.  For many, the decision would be easy.  Give the dog away and move himself and his family (two kids ages 5 and 3) to Toronto.  However, Buehrle would have none of that.  He has refused to move his family to Toronto and lose a part of his family.  This season, Mark will be playing baseball, for a team in a foreign land, away from his family while they maintain their residence in Florida and St. Louis.

This must have been a hard decision for Mark and his family.  Although, knowing now how difficult it is to say goodbye to a family dog…it probably wasn’t as hard as many think.  I applaud you Mark Buehrle and I apologize to you for all the bad things I said about you when you were a White Sux!

Mark Buehrle with his wife and 4 dogs, including Slater

Weekend Recap

Denzel
Washington

We spent most of our weekend home doing
nothing.  Not exactly a horrible weekend if you ask me. 
We did watch the movie
Flight,  which I thought was very
good.  You can’t go wrong with Denzel.  He did a great
job in this movie.  It certainly doesn’t make two people that
aren’t fans of flying want to fly anytime sooner, that must is
sure.

Hoist half-cage
ensemble

In addition, my “Man
Cold” has officially made it past one week. 
However, I decided I needed to work out anyway.  So, Sunday
morning I hit the gym (which is in my basement).  I have a
Hoist half-cage ensemble.  In
addition, we have an elliptical, treadmill, VKR and
dumbbells.  So, I can do pretty much anything you can do at a
Gold’s Gym for example. Anyway, I did back and bi’s yesterday and
it was pure H.E. double hockey sticks.  Having a “Man Cold”
and working a large muscle group, such as a back, with heavy
compound movements really spiked my heart rate and caused some
chest pain…because of the “Man Cold”. I started with deadlifts,
then went to power bent-rows, a couple sets of pull-ups and
chin-ups each, seated rows and finally some barbell curls.  42
minutes in all and according to my heart-rate monitor I burned 582
calories.  I thought that was too much so I took 100 off and
put that into my calorie counter.  I use My Fitness Pal to
track and have now for a little over 200 days straight.  It’s
a great tool. This week will probably be a lot of prep work for
Mia’s birthday party this weekend.  Mia will turn 8 on
2/27.  However, we are having our family in town this weekend
to celebrate and the following weekend we are having a party at a
hotel pool for her and her friends.

Sweet Caroline!

Another Anniversary/Valentine’s Day has come and gone and I am only left with sweet memories…OF THAT CAKE!  I have to give a shout out to Oprah.  Now, I am not a fan of hers…cuz I am a dude.  But, apparently Oprah has a list of things she likes and recommends…or something like that.  Anyway, my wife seen that Oprah had this cake place she recommends…so, in our ever pursuit for the World’s greatest cake, we had to order one up.

Half caramel and half red velvet

    How would I rate this cake…If really good cake is like converting a 3^rd down in football, this cake was like scoring a touchdown.  If really good cake was like hitting a run scoring double to tie the game in baseball, this cake was like hitting a walk-off homer to win the game.  Needless to say, I really enjoyed this cake.

We got a half and half cake.  So, we were able to try two cakes.  My favorite cake is red velvet because I like cream cheese icing and Jennifer picked their famous caramel cake.  The red velvet was, by far, the best I have ever had in my life.  In fact, I am thinking about skipping all my meals today to save calories so that I can eat the rest of it tonight for dinner.  The caramel cake was very good as well, although very rich.

If wasn’t cheap.  In fact, I got Outback Steakhouse to go for the three of us and the cake was still almost $30 more.  But, for special occasions…why not, right?

The name of the place we got the cake was Caroline’s Cakes, out of South Carolina.  Their website is http://www.carolinescakes.com

“Here Comes the Boom” with Kevin James

I thought it would be nice for the fam to enjoy a movie night as well.  So, I stopped at Red Box and picked up Here Comes the Boom starring Kevin James.  Mia lasted about 20 minutes and then went into her room to watch her own videos.  The movie was better than I thought it would be.  The ending was predictable, but it has a solid message.  And for a buck at Red Box, how can you go wrong?

P.S. Here is what is waiting for me when I get home tonight

What’s for Dinner!

Happy Anniversary Valentine’s Day

Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV

Nine years ago today, on Valentine’s Day, Jennifer and I became husband and wife.  We were married in Paris….I know, romantic right!?!  Ok, it was the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, NV.

But, it was romantic just the same.  It wasn’t one of those Drive-In weddings you hear about in Vegas.

That previous July, on Jennifer’s birthday…I gave her the greatest gift of all.  I asked her to marry me and she said “YES”!  From there we had planned on getting married on the beach somewhere.  However, Jennifer’s family had a family reunion scheduled in Las Vegas Valentine’s Day weekend, and since we were already going to be there…why not get married as well.  I wouldn’t change a thing.

Happy Anniversary Valentine’s Day Jennifer.  I LOVE YOU!

Actual wedding chapel at Paris Hotel