Push ups

It has been a while since my last post. Which is funny, since I sit in front of a computer 8 hours a day. Granted I'm working 95% of that time; but I could take notes, jot a draft, etc. Nope. I sit here and read between calls, or lately I watch stuff on my iPod. Either way, no good excuse for my recent absence here.

Soooo... what to write? I am so far successful in the one New Year's Resolution I made- push ups.

My original thought for a resolution was the generic "get in shape" dealy everyone seems to attempt-- but that attempt is the reason I shied away from the traditional format. I think the biggest cause for broken resolutions is that people try to bite off too much too fast. Fitness is not easy, nor is changing a habit. Put them together, and you have a very steep climb. So here is my theory. it's crazy, it's radical: one step at a time.

Seriously. No one takes it slow anymore, and the tortoise should have freakin' taught us this one.

Rather than making some new workout schedule, or deciding on x days a week of gym time, I set my sights on doing push ups every day, as soon as I wake up. If I forget, it's fine as long as I get them in before I go to sleep(which has happened maybe 4 times). I started in January with 10 every morning. You would not believe how many people ridiculed that as going too slow. THERE IS NO TOO SLOW IF YOU DON'T STOP. I am increasing my set by 5 reps every month. So right now I do 15, and March will be 20. As I said, I haven't missed a day. If I can keep this up, I will be at 65 a day in December, and that cannot happen without an effect on my physique. I am not looking for aesthetics, just strength and health.

Now, that doesn't mean I'm not trying to go the gym as well, but if i don't make it right now it is OK. My plan starts with push ups. I try to get 2-3 cardio workouts in a week, and soon I will start very small weight sessions. When it is warm out, I'm going to start swinging my shinai again also, but slow and steady.

Listen to me folks, slow and deliberate works, if you keep it steady and cumulative. There are no quick fixes. Results only come from hard work and perseverance. Wait, when the hell did this become a lecture?

I'm done for now- back to my book. Incidentally I am now on book 9 of the Wheel of Time series, and I can't wait to read the new book 12- probably will get to it in April...

Books in 2009

I meant for this to come out before the new year, but I was drunk, so yeah. Here it is anyways:

As 2009 comes to a close, we reflect upon our year. I'm not doing that yet. I reserve that thought process for when I'm really drunk like 15 minutes before the ball drops. What I will think about is how many books I have read in 2009. I don't have a full count yet, but it has been a good year for reading, so let's hash it out:

David Farland - The Runelords

The Sum of All Men
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Wizardborn
The Lair of Bones
Sons of the Oak
Worldbinder
The Wyrmling Horde


J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter Series

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows


Raymond E. Feist - The Riftwar Cycle

Magician: Apprentice
Magician: Master
Silverthorn
A Darkness at Sethanon
Prince of the Blood
The King's Buccaneer
Shadow of a Dark Queen
Rise of a Merchant Prince


Stephenie Meyer - Twilight Series

Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn


Brandon Sanderson

Warbreaker


Terry Brooks - Landover Series

A Princess of Landover


Robert Jordan - Wheel of Time

The Eye of the World
The Great Hunt
The Dragon Reborn
The Shadow Rising
The Fires of Heaven

*************************************************************************************

Ok. That's it. 33 books. I'm actually a little surprised; hadn't counted them all until now. I obviously read like a fiend this year. As you can see I like Fantasy. I will say that The Feist, Rowling, and Jordan books were re-reads, and I think the 3rd time through for most of them. I don't only like this genre, it just turned into a fantasy year I guess. The above is order is pretty much how I read them, with a few books thrown into the series. I'm currently on book 6 of the Jordan series. I want to go into detail on the books, but that will take a lot of time, so I'll end with the list for now. More soon.