4:15AM

I’ve learned a very important thing about sunsets. It’s all about perspective and where you are in the moment. Sunset cannot exist without sunrise, endings cannot exist without beginnings. Usually my perspective when these simultaneous events occur determines whether the moment is happy or sad. I walk away from this moment a much smarter man; 9/8/2006 4:15am is not an ending to be mourned but a new beginning.

My Ego Needs Me Tonight

The road construction outside my subdivision has put a damper on my biking, running and motorcycling. I will probably drive up to the Horse Park this weekend and get a ride in but whole point of moving to Conyers was to be able to go cycling from the front door.

The motorcycle practice is going really well. I am just drilling the basics since I only have about 2 miles of road to work with in the neighborhood. After my MSF class I will venture out for short trips using the same low traffic roads I use for cycling. The new flush mount front turn signals arrived today. I’ll post some pictures when I get them installed

diamond in the rough

I have started running on Tuesday and Thursday and walking three days a week. Biking is still reserved for weekends due to weekday traffic. I did get a chance to do some exploring this weekend and found some nice bicycle friendly roads. The same routes will be useful as I get acclimated to the new motorcycle. I am replacing the front turn signals with flush mounts to avoid possible damage to the front fairing. Who would think that being middle aged could be so much fun. The only way to top this would be getting a new hip and maybe a little liposuction to get rid of all this baby fat.

Remember to wave if you see an adorable old man on a red Ninja having the time of his life.

Strechin' Out

Well, I didn't make it to the race last Sunday. The weather was gloomy and my head just wasn't in the right place. At least I reached my 3 mile running goal. A slow 5 miles is my next goal which I could before my winter slow down.

The new motorcycle arrived last Saturday. I am the proud owner of a 2006 Ninja 500R and can't wait to hit the road. I have a private class scheduled next weekend and the official MSF class set for June 15. Luckily, by taking part of the MSF class earlier I know that I need to wait until my private class to avoid any unnecessary damage to my new bike and also my middle aged body.

daylight

I'm finally starting to get back into some sort of a routine. I get about 2.5 miles inside the subdivision which will come in handy when I am forced to run after dark. Unfortunately, my GPS battery died mid run so I don't have accurate data for my evening run. Oh well, I'm off to enjoy a quiet evening putting away laundry and maybe a glass or two of cheap wine.

Walking This Highway

The last few weeks have been really busy. Between moving and traveling I haven't had any time or energy for running or biking. My race is at the end of April so I should be able to run 5K in that time. I did manage to get a very quick 10 mile bike ride Sunday on Highway 212. Moving further away from the city was a great decision. I can actually ride my bike and have to carry a pistol and extra ammo for those road rage crazy butt holes in the city. Most Atlanta drivers are from the other parts of the country and come to Georgia because they are wanted by the police or the local STD clinic in their home town. I know that immigration is the current hot issue but we should consider banning whoring Yanks from the south or at least not let them drive.

We have a new addition to the family and I am officially no longer the family pet. The new cat is named Stubs because most of his tail is missing. I suspect he didn’t get out of the way of a door fast enough and lost a piece of tail. Call me country, but I am not accustomed to having animals around that I have no intention of eating.

Don't Look Down

Things are going well with the new house. The yard went in this weekend with minimal excitement. The landscapers tried to screw us out of a couple of pallets of sod but fortunately we were hanging around the house all weekend and saw them take a few pallets away that would have been more than enough to complete our yard. After a few phone calls they mysterously came up with enough material to finish the job.

Closing is Friday and I can't wait to get out of this God forsaken mold infested hell hole. I wasted some perfectly good sick days that I could have used for some nice spring time bike rides nursing a raging sinus infection.

My motorcycle safety class is scheduled for next week. I am a little nervous but it should be fun. I guess I'll have to make a final decision on which motorcycle I am going to purchase. The FZ6 is the most comfy but I'll know more after I finish the class.

Anticipation

The .5 walk 1 mile run rotation worked out great for my first complete five mile outing. Hopefully this nice weather will hold up until Spring officically arrives.

We are planning to close on the 10th and I can't wait to get out of this #$%& apartment. The wood floors were almost finished this afternoon and the carpet should be in later this week. The landscapers still haven't arrived but are expected to be finished by Friday.

I will survive

My first five mile walk/run didn’t go as planned. I didn’t account for the hilly terrain and my body staged a minor revolt at the 1.88 mile point.

Left Leg: What the hell are you doing?
Brain: Shut the F&*^$ up and do what I tell you
Left Leg: Why don’t you come down here and push 180 pounds of flabby ass up this hill
Ass: I got your flabby right here you hairy B*&^
Left Leg: Let’s see you f%$&ers pull this hill without me

This about the time I found myself trying to pull my body over the curb and out of the way of oncoming traffic. The thought of being run over like a damn possum in the middle of the road was just too embarrassing. This is also about the time I realized that I forgot my cell phone. Anyway, once my leg stopped twitching I walked to the 2.12 mile mark and then headed back towards home. Obviously my plan to run 3 continuous miles and then Walk 2 will change to a run 1 walk .5 rotation until I can run the entire five mile route.

On the bright side I still managed to burn about 573 calories according to my GPS unit but that doesn't include the seizure which is good for another 150 calories.

its only life

The weather has sucked lately and my workouts have become an endangered species. I will start my five mile routine (run 3/walk2) until I can run the whole 5 miles. I found a couple of safe bike routes near the new house. I'll start some 30 mile bike rides next month as the weather permits.

I broke down and went to Steak and Shake for lunch today. An occasional treat won't ruin my overall health plan and keeps me from falling completely off the wagon. The Circle K changed their Honey Bun stock and I can honestly say that the thrill is gone.

This suck ass weather is holding up my driveway. Hopefully the cement truck will show up Friday. After the driveway is done the landscaper can do the yard Monday. Most of the electrical and the lighting fixtures are installed. The appliances should be installed Friday morning. I'll post more pictures this weekend

Reves De Star

That darn sinus infection ruined my mood for bloging. The counter tops are in along with the closet shelves and shower door. The plumbers were just getting started this afternoon so I should have a toilet by this evening. The tile looks nice but the pictures just don’t do them justice because of all the dust. I’m hoping they pour the driveway and do the lawn and sprinkler system before the rain starts this weekend.

Valentine’s Day was a hoot. We went out to a local club and had a nice time. The band was good and the food delicious. I occasionally prefer a smaller more intimate setting over the usual mosh pit chaos I’m known to enjoy.

Time to get my lazy bottom back on the road and put in some running miles. I was hoping to do some bike riding on President’s day but the forecast is predicting rain. Back to gym I guess for another boring treadmill run.

Jig of life

I’m back to the world of the healthy and ready to get in the groove of everyday life. The house is coming along just fine. The painters are almost finished and the driveway and sod should show up this week. I’m going to start packing after Valentine’s Day.

Oh well, I'm off to the candy store for some Valentine loot and maybe a few strips of leather to make the evening more interesting.

Last Temptation

Oh foul and wretched pastry from hell. Why dost thou tempt me? Thou are surely a creation designed purely for my destruction but yet so sweet upon my lips. Your consumption provides joy deep inside my soul as precious and intense as a young man experiencing a woman for the very first time.

I'm still on the wagon but temptation is always lurking at the Circle K on the way home. Fifty one cents can put 300 calories on my hips in a matter of minutes. I am holding strong and will get this honey bun monkey off my back once and for all.

The house is coming along and the paint should start today. The drywal work is finished, it is starting to look like a home. More pictures to come this weekend.

Happy Feelings

I shaved another 52 seconds of my 2.5 mile run. I'll go back to 3 mile runs next week. My short term goal is 5 miles before my charity run in April.

We closed on the old house today and now its time to go through all the crap we never unpacked and throw away or sell anything we just don't use anymore.

If I could just get rid of this infernal honey bun addiction my world would be perfect.

Lights, cameras, still waiting for some action

We picked out the lights Saturday morning. A necessary but slightly boring task. The choices we made are very nice and I'm sure we will be pleased with our selections for many years to come. Not much going on in terms of construction this weekend. The crew is waiting for the spackling to dry before the paint party begins.

At least Monica got a chance to take a picture with Sponge Bob at the Mall.

The workouts are coming along but I still can't wait for some spring weather. I plan on doing the Effective Cycling class in March and then try a few easy group rides. I really miss riding my bike. Maybe I'll get my lazy bottom out in the cold and do a few miles just for fun.

Never stop

I ran a 10 minute mile today. This may seem like a minor feat to most but is a big deal in my world. My winter break from running set me back to square one. I feel like I'm starting over. Next winter I will have to dress in layers and keep my routine.

The bricking will be complete by Friday afternoon. Next week the painters get to work. We pick the lighting Saturday and the cabinets should arrive late next week.

Home Sick

This wet weather is slowing down the outdoors work for the house. If we can get two dry days the brick layers will be able to finish. The drywall is still in stage 1 but looking very nice so far.

Stop F@#k%&* With My Head

The Sevendust concert this weekend totally kicked ass. The set list was filled with all the hardcore favorites. The tabernacle is a great concert hall and the opening acts were very good. My mosh-pit days are long behind me so we enjoyed the show from the balcony. You could feel the balcony sway as we all jumped up and down but no one seemed to care.

Wicked Wisdom had a great set. Jada Pinkett can afford the best musicians money can buy and she spared no expense. I was pleasantly surprised and will buy her CD when it is released next month.

Nonpoint has some very nice material. How did I let such a cool band get past my underground radar?

run for life

I am officially entered into the Atlantic Station 5k this April. Winter training is a problem; I tend to run for cover when the temp gets below 40. I purchased some cold weather running gear and intend to run 3 days a week and get my biking in on weekends when the temp is 50 or better. My group bicycling skills need some work before I can enter any bike races so I’ve planned a several group rides for this season. Hopefully I’ll be ready for some CAT5 racing in 2007. My goal for the Duathlon this year is to make the top 10 in my age division.



The bricking started Friday but bad weather cut construction activity short. They should get back to business Monday morning.




I attended my first basketball game a couple weeks ago. The blur you see is little Breanna running up and down the court. I’m not sure about all the rules and scoring but she seems to be having a lot of fun.

Homeward Bound

Master Bedroom Sitting Area
Insert Bed and Night stands here

The house is going well. The bricks were delivered along with the mortar Wednesday. I plan on getting a few throwing size bricks from the construction debris next week. You never know when a good brick might come in handy in this road rage crazy town.
view from foyer
Insert 42` LCD TV here

My PDA died yesterday. Fortunately, I purchased one of those rip-off extended warranties that I usually don’t bother buying. The store had to give me an upgraded model because the one I had was discontinued. I am now Bluetooth compatible and ready for some wireless action. One upgrade leads to another, now I have to get a Bluetooth access point.

Those three little pigs have nothing on me

brand new day

The new mirrors are installed and things are looking good. I'll never forget all the stories my old mirrors hold because they are a part of who I am today. Life experience is a wonderful thing. Whether its good or bad we still grow in a positive direction in the end.

My winter workout routine is taking shape and should hold me until better weather comes my way. Next week should bring a couple of spring like days which will allow me get in some biking or running.

The house progress has slowed but still going at a fairly brisk pace. I've decided to put the server and router in the master bedroom closet. I will eventually convince Monica to replace the Dinning room table we never use with a pool table but that battle will have to wait until after the home theatre is installed in the Master bedroom.

I'm probably going to take my motorcycle safety class in March. Then I'll have to choose between a cruiser or sport bike. My heart is with the sport bike but cruisers have more of a renegade Hells Angel look.

Oh well, I'm off to the local pub for a night of jazz, poetry and maybe a small sip of Whiskey.

a very good day

Today was a very good day. Work was a ton of fun and my afternoon workout went very well.

Looking in a mirror can be a serious matter. There’s a lot to be seen, years of stories and not so tall tales. Who is this middle age man staring back at me and what the hell has he been eating?(repeat: salad good - buffet bad)

My mortality is still a distant vision but somehow not so unfamiliar. No time to worry about that now, I still have a life to live and the fun is just beginning.

I’m going to buy some new mirrors; the old ones have served me well but its time to move on.



Insert new motorcycle here


Note to all you wish granters out there: when I said I wanted to be well rounded I was NOT referring to my ass

So Excited

The house is coming along with minimal problems. The changes we made in the master bedroom are looking good. We absorbed the 5th bedroom into the master to make a nice office/music room for my personal pleasure and delight. I’m as giddy as a virgin on Prom Night.

Progress is a constant factor in life and usually works for the best in the long run.


I've decided to run a couple of 5k races this spring and summer. One or two bike races would be nice but I haven't made any decisions in the Atlanta area yet.

The new year has come and all is right with the world.

The new house is well on the way to being finished by April. If the weather can remain fairly decent for a couple of months we may be able to move in a few weeks early.