April 2007 Archives

I have been working hard on the weight loss, though last week was kind of a wash. I pushed myself Sunday and Monday night and when I woke up Tuesday, I was sore, which is generally a good thing for me, but I didn't sleep well because my son likes to climb into bed with my wife and I and apparently, when he sleeps, he grows to 6 foot tall, and takes up the entire bed in all directions, so...I ran to Philadelphia for a doctor's appointment, and when I say ran, I mean it. The train was late heading to Philadelphia so I dashed to SEPTA, dashed off SEPTA, running around the UPenn campus to the hospital, all while carrying my laptop and a nice big heavy hardback novel.

By the end of the day my back hurt and I wasn't able to sit comfortably or exercise.

So much for thinking that strengthening my core was going to help me in situations like that.

Three days later I wasn't really able to walk without limping and wincing, and I was sure I'd done something permanent to my back, my wife worked all the kinks out with a massager and suddenly, the next morning, everything was perfect again. Huzzah for spouses! She saved my life. It felt that way.

Now I'm back to exercising and I feel wonderful.

Alright, off to a client meeting for me, but when I return, I'll share my wonderful weekend adventures at DirectBuy with everyone.

"We can discover the wonders of nature rolling in the rushed down by the riverside..."
Sugar Magnolia - The Grateful Dead

When I woke up the sheer beauty of the morning made my breath catch in my throat. It was like I'd never seen shafts of light streaming through a window before.

On the drive to work I was a half-way through my first cup of coffee and I'd already had a soda when my horoscope showed up on my cellphone. "STAY AWAY FROM CAFFEINE TODAY!" read the first line. "Oh shit, am I going to die? I'm going to die! The caffeine will make my swelling heart burst in my chest!" I read the next line."You'll have a hard enough time sitting still as it is". Oh...WELL DUH!

"Oh what a beautiful morning. Oh what a beautiful day. I've got a wonderful feelin' everything's going my way"
Beautiful Day - OKLAHOMA! Original Cast Recording

I parked and walked down the long hill from the parking lot to my office singing "Beautiful Day" from Oklahoma! I have a passable baritone singing voice, but I rarely choose to employ it, mainly because I haven't had much formal training, and I get embarrassed. I keep promising myself I'll get some real training one of these days. Maybe this is the year. Then I can indulge in my love of show tunes and the Rat Pack in public more often.

"Just follow the seasons and find the time. Reach for the bright side!"
Light & Day / Reach for the Sun - The Polyphonic Spree

I took a stroll around the office this afternoon at lunch. I felt deliciously baked by the sun. It was lovingly licking everything around me. The ravine behind the office was painted in yellow flowers.

Whew, it's been such a wonderful day already...I can't wait to see what the afternoon delivers.

I've been focusing on working out at night (prime blogging hours) and losing weight. I'm enjoying the hell out of exercising. I've got soreness across my shoulders and arms and down my back from weight-lifting and core strengthening.

It's a pleasure to feel the ripple of the muscles under my skin and the tightness in my body. It's the sense of my body changing into what I want it to be.

I love it. I'm happy.

I also have my free time back now because I'm only working on one project at work, which means I have time for my family again, and that inflates my heart like nothing else. There is no greater tonic for me than time with my family.

My heart does ache for the tragedy in Virginia Tech. It is terrible for the loss of life, terrible for the loss of innocence, and I am saddened by the endless questioning this will cause, and the almost puerile voyeuristic media blitz. I don't begrudge the media for focusing on this horrific act, but I almost get more sick watching the media fetishizing the story than I do from the actual loss.

But maybe that's how we grieve in America, but endlessly gazing at the source of our grief...

Anyway...hell, I didn't mean to end on a down-note, given how good things are for me personally, but this is what's been on my mind.

I picked up a story at SALDEF via Sepia Mutiny about a brutal police assault in Joliet, Illinois.

A police officer noted a van with an expired tag sitting in someone's driveway, so went and knocked on the door to speak with the owner. When Kuldip Singh Nag, an American Sikh veteran, receiver of the bronze star in the first Gulf War, rebuffed the police officer's order that he park the vehicle in the garage because it was inoperable, and on his driveway, which is Mr. Nag's private property, the police pepper sprayed him and started assaulting him while shouting "YOU ******* ARAB! YOU ******* GO BACK TO YOUR ******* COUNTRY BEFORE I ******* KILL YOU!"

Did I mention that Mr. Nag was beaten and assaulted this way in front of his wife and 6-year-old daughter? That he had to spend 5 days in the hospital for injuries?

This man fought for our country. He's an American citizen, a decorated veteran, and did not deserve to be treated like this. NO ONE DESERVES TO BE TREATED LIKE THIS. I've spoken many times about the police and they're bullying attitude. Police believe that because they have the weapons and armor they are somehow better than the rest of us. I believe they view us as the serfs who live on their land, mere vassals who live only to obey their orders.

Worse, this officer let some prevailing notions of xenophobia, fed by shows like "24" that anyone in a turban, or anyone with a brown skin, must be an Arab, must be a terrorist, must be repressed, abused, and put down.

It angers me that actions like this continue, and that as of yet, the officer has not faced any disciplinary action. I'm asking my readers to join SALDEF in speaking out against this horrible act of brutality. Demand action. Demand justice. Mr. Nag deserves it, and if we let this kind of thing go unchecked, it won't just be Sikhs who are targeted. It could be us next.

Remember, the founding fathers didn't establish this nation on the basis of white rights, or American rights, but HUMAN RIGHTS. And these actions are violation of Mr. Nag's essential human rights.

Ever since I let it be known at work that I have been studying Hindi and that I like Indian food I've been given the resume of every single desi candidate that passes through to "review".

"Give it to Mo, he speaks Indian!"

Oy...

I've been working hard at the weight loss, paying more attention to the foods I'm eating, exercising, saying no to deserts, doing all the things right.

This morning I stepped on the scale, I'm down 5 pounds in 19 days, which doesn't seem great, but I'm also down an inch and some off my waist which is...AWESOME!.

Yesterday I walked out during lunch and hiked around the parking lot. It's built into the side of a hill, so it really is a hike up the one side. Then I went home and ran around the neighborhood with the kids. Then when they went into the house I jumped rope for a few minutes, which was about all I could do, but it was enough to kick my metabolism a little higher.

I feel great. I feel wonderful. I put on Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" this morning and it just keeps looping on the iPod.

"It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me....AND I'M FEELING GOOD!"

A huge hat tip to my buddy Ranzino for giving me the kick in the butt I needed.

You can track my progress at both Traineo and The Daily Plate.