Back at it!! Week 1 in Review.

March 6, 2007. That HUGE date in history is when I decided I was a big fat guy who needed to start working out. And I did. Within a year I had lost 100 pounds and was in fantastic shape. Then, 11 years of neglect later, I am a fat guy again.

This time I'm 11 years older. My bones are brittle and my joints hurt. I had no choice but to start to swim for my exercise choice because I risk injury doing anything else.

So we joined the Y in our area and swam I did. I swam everyday. They have two very nice pools. Although I was quite the swimmer 33 years ago when I hung up the speedo... now I pretty much just try not to drown. Survival is key! Swim fat man... SWIM!

Swimming (aka survival) really came natural to me. I love it. After a week I feel strong. And I have lost 8 pounds!

So one week is gone and I have 11 more weeks to go in phase 1.

Peace out...

J

Sushi Dai

After careful consideration and going two days in a row - I would like to declare once more that Sushi Dai is the best sushi in the world.

Yes - that's all for this post!

Northwest 1 to Tokyo

Well, finally I was able to cash in my Delta miles to get to Tokyo non-stop! I took advantage of the original joint operating agreement between Northwest and Delta back in June and booked a round trip Business Elite reward ticket on Northwest. I reserved window seats in row 77 - which is the exit row in the upper deck. Very roomy and Seat Guru's # 1 option.

The time came for me to fly today - and I have to say that Northwest does a pretty good job. I was on an upgraded 747-400 with new "near" flat seats. Like British Airways, I found the seat to have two problems: 1. I'm too tall and the footrest is painful; 2. I found the seat a little too hard. Those two things aside, I had a lovely trip. Row 77 is very nice and roomy.

The food was much better than United - even United International First Class. I had the steak and everything was wonderfully prepared and presented. I did find the flight attendants to be English speaking only - with one Japanese speaker who seemed to be translating for the entire plane from what I could tell. Not a problem for me, but some of the Japanese passengers struggled.

The entertainment options seemed quite dated - with Hell Boy 2 being what seemed to be the feature film. Additionally, the game options were not good at all. I brought my Mac on board and was ready to plug into the never failing air power - but they had AC in the seat. Getting plugged in was clumsy - as you have to insert and twist at the same time. My power adapter is just not made for that! The power died a few times - and my battery became drained - leaving me no entertainment options to speak of about 5 hours into the flight.

After passing the time napping a bit and reading, we arrived in Tokyo about 4:25 PM. I sprang to action, managing to get down the stairs from the upper deck and quickly made my way to immigration by using stairs instead of escalators. I arrived first and was quickly welcomed into the country. Baggage always arrives fast in Tokyo so I was quickly through customs.

I rented a mobile phone this year in Japan - as opposed to renting it in the US before I departed. The ABC mobile place provides a service with FREE incoming calls - which is really nice! I then made my way down to the JR station and caught the 5:14 PM Narita Express to Tokyo Station. 

At 6:45 PM I arrived at the Courtyard Tokyo Ginza Hotel! (Must be some kind of record!)

The Joy of the Equinox

The Equinox Fitness finally opened in the South Bay - and this is very exciting news. The one thing missing in my life was the club experience at the Lifetime Fitness I used to work out at in Phoenix. Once my project ended, so did my visits to the Lifetime and the sought after club experience.

Now, I have it all back!

FOUND in Tokyo

Well, I arrived yesterday at Tokyo station on the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka. I was so happy to be back! Tokyo feels like home now. Like a familiar old sweater you pull out of your drawer to bring you some form of comfort. Funny part is just a few days ago I was just as lost in Tokyo as I was in Osaka. 

Last night I did what any tired vacationer should do -- I rested. I actually didn't even go out for dinner, as I have a pretty good supply of Pure Protein bars and shakes - enough to keep me fed for 3 weeks away from civilization in fact.  So, I settled into the new re-designed room here at the posh Courtyard Ginza Hotel and watched V for Vendetta on DVD. May seem boring to some but not to me!

Today I got up early once again and hit Sushi Dai. I met a very nice dude from New York in queue who said he was in town writing a piece for GQ on Tokyo dining. I didn't get his name - I'll just chalk him up to another single serving Sushi Dai queue friend and leave it at that. The sushi was delicious of course!

I stopped at Starbucks on my way home and acquired a Grande Christmas blend. It was 7 AM and I was already pretty satisfied with the level of my activity for the day. I worked on a short film I'm doing on this vacation - and another one that is a surprise for Princess. She arrives tomorrow and I want everything to be perfect of course. (Even though her film won't be done until I can get home to LA)

Tonight I just got back from eating at one of my favorites - Tofuro. I found it with no trouble at all, quite confidently venturing pretty far from the hotel on foot to do so. 

Tofuro is an Izakaya place - quite simply, one of the places that serves tiny dishes with big beers to salary folks on their way home. I ordered many dishes and they were all delicious - but none was more delicious than the Creamy Tofu. Delivered in a presentation that looks like a perfectly formed round scoop of pure white vanilla ice cream, it is an absolute delight! Some fresh ground Wasabi and special sauce makes it go down pretty easy. I found that it is best to use your chopsticks to cut it in half and then flip both sides over on their flat side.  Much more stable this way than trying to work with a slippery ball of hard tofu when you are not gifted at chopstick use. 

Three beers later I got my check and hit the road back to the hotel. The remainder of my waking hours tonight will be spent watching Fight Club - hence my single serving friend reference above. :)

Peace out from Ginza...

JH 

Osaka 2007 - Night Two

Tonight I decided to search out the perfect Osaka dinner. I left the hotel and with map in hand, began to navigate my way to Negiyaki Yamamoto. The Sought Item? An Osaka delicacy called Okonomiyaki - which is basically best described as a cross between a pancake and an omelet. 

So, according to the map, I should have been able to walk there within 10 - 15 minutes. Two hours later, I was tired, very hungry, and terribly lost! To put things in proper context - being on vacation in a foreign land is all about hitting the streets and getting lost. Japan is great for that! There are very few street signs and no addresses. And, most likely, the name of the place you are looking for will have a sign that is completely written in Japanese.  Lastly, even though I know how to ask for directions, I'm not fluent enough in the language to be able to understand the directions - which turns out to be an exercise in patience. 

Quite by chance, blind luck, and/or both, I finally came across a place that could be it - and a quick match of the phone number confirmed it! I ordered my okonomiyaki with pork - and the normal batter includes some squid. It is topped off with some delicious sauce. They then serve it to the heated surface in front of you - keeping it perfectly warm while you eat it. I also ordered a medium draft beer as the perfect accompaniment. 

Nara 2007 - The Sake Pilgrimage and the Deer

A short train ride (about 45 minutes) from Osaka is a very lovely country city called Nara.  Today I decided to journey there for two purposes - 1. The perfect Sake; 2. The Deer;

Allow me to expand on those two: 

Purpose 1 - Last year we had a lovely Sushi dinner in Ginza at a place called Kyubei. They served us Harushika Sake and it was the best Sake we ever had. We researched and found out the Sake is from Nara. So, planning for this pilgrimage was a year in the making! I would goto Nara and acquire the Sake, and then move on to purpose 2.

Purpose 2 - Nara is an area heavily vested in tradition. They have a lovely temple area that is completely surrounded by Deer. The Deer are tame (although a little persistent) and people buy feed for them and the Deer swarm like bees trying to get some. Most interesting is the Deer have been living in this park for over 1,300 years and are thought to be sacred messengers of Shinto deity Takenomikazuchi-no-mikoto.  Until 1637, killing one of these divine Deer was a capital offense and carried the death penalty. 

I have to say Nara is one of the unique places in the world and it is a pleasure to visit.

Tokyo 2007 - Night One

Tonight I adventured out to Shinjuku. I started by taking a taxi to the Park Hyatt Hotel. I found my way up to the 41st floor lobby.  I found it quite dark but imagine that is so you can see the view better - which is remarkable. I followed the signs to my desired destination - The New York Bar.

Located on the 52nd floor, the bar was once very dark like the lobby. Many well dressed couples sat looking out at the unbelievable views and listening to the jazz band. The band had a lady vocalist who sang mostly jazzed up christmas carols. She used a lot of scat singing and was very talented.   Although she was different than the singer from Lost in Translation, the setting was the same. I scanned for Bill, Scarlett, and Sophia but they were not there! lol

I finally got seated. (I seemed to be ignored for a while by the fast moving hostess who ran to and fro.) I ordered Kirin Beer (my usual choice) and then another. I then looked on in envy of the individuals who were eating delicious looking foods and asked for a menu. They have a very complete menu of high brow bar food. I found an interesting item titled 'Soft Shell Crab Tortilla' and I ordered it. It came with a delicious Lemon Aioli for dipping. The tortilla was served in four small tubes. It was the perfect size dish and very flavorful. 

I paid my bill and moved back to the ground floor (2nd Floor actually) and found a very helpful Hyatt staffer to give me walking directions to Shinjuku station. She told me it was a 10 - 15 minute walk and it was.

I walked around the side streets around the station and was propositioned by ladies representing hookers. It was kind of funny! One lady said something to me and I stopped to ask her to repeat it. She said, "Massage?" I replied, "No, thank you." The two ladies with her laughed and said I was very polite.  Well, at least I have that going for me! 

I boarded a train and arrived at Ginza station. A short walk later I was back in my hotel room.

Tomorrow I am going to meet up with my cousin in law who speaks perfect english. A conversation with another human who isn't a hotel staffer? Brilliant! lol

Tokyo 2007 - Day One

I woke up today at 3:30 AM. Why? Because all people visiting from the USA are supposed to do that.  It is kind of like the law. We are then all supposed to pull ourselves up out of bed and walk to the Tsukiji Fish Market.  

I arrived at 4 AM and got in queue (yes, a queue at 4 AM) for Sushi Dai. I must place my next statement in the proper context by stating -  1. It may be something about just arriving to Japan, 2. being the first day of vacation, 3. the long wait in queue at 4 AM, 4. the feeling of the warm sushi bar after you've been out in the cold, and/or 5. drinking beer at 5 AM - Sushi Dai is the best damn Sushi - period. Everything served was masterfully prepared and perfect. And, I can't wait to go back next Thursday!! (And next Saturday)

After Sushi Dai I came back the hotel. It was 6 AM. Although I felt I should crawl back into bed for some more sleep, after a video call with Princess over Skype I felt like getting back out to the streets. I decided I would take a river cruise on my favorite river - Sumida-gawa. 

So, I found my way to the Tokyo subway and took the Ginza line to Asakusa. I went at a slow pace because the river cruise place doesn't open until 9:30 AM with the first boat leaving at 10 AM.  So, I went to the Asakusa Starbucks to attempt to order a Grande Coffee - which was very easy! (Grande Cohi Kudasai)

The boat left with the same punctuality as the trains and I was off floating on the river. The windows were too dirty to take good pictures so I just sat back and relaxed. After my round trip journey was complete I had a lovely pork cutlet for lunch and, you guessed it - I found my way back to the Ginza line and got off at Ginza station. A few rough wrong turns aside, I got back to my hotel room and got Princess back on Skype.

Please stay tuned for the next entry "Night Two"...

Tokyo 2007 - The Trip and Night One

I arrived to the airport about 60 minutes before boarding time. Just enough time jump through security and to stop by the duty free and do some serious browsing. I purchased my old Gucci scent.

I boarded the plane and got situated into my bulkhead  United business seat. I was immediately offered some orange juice and my sport coat was whisked away. I took off my shoes and stored them with my luggage in the overhead. And, I sat down waiting for take off. 

After takeoff I got my usual refill on my juice and some nuts. True United fashion. I selected the beef for my entree and it arrived well heated and it was delicious. Even though I just watched in Tuesday night, I watched Bourne Ultimatum on the in flight during dinner, which I found to be surprisingly simplistic for today's standards (the entertainment system - not Bourne). 

I had a very restful 11+ hour flight - except for the young boy who was seated right behind me. It seemed that he had a hard time finding his "inside" voice. But, no worries.

When I arrived at Narita I was shocked at how close the gate was to the immigration. I remembered from last year a very long walk on many moving sidewalks. But, I really breezed through in no more than 10 minutes. A quick stop for my bags (they came out right away) and I was off for customs - which took about 15 seconds. 

I struggled with my rented mobile phone for a little while - as I thought my SIM card would allow me to use my number in Japan. But, I could not get it to work.  So, I'm just using the number that was provided with the phone. Once I got through struggling with how to put a "+" in front of my desired number, calling Princess was a breeze. I woke her up to tell her goodnight. 

Off to the JR station to catch my Narita Express train. I stopped at the kiosk in true veteran traveler fashion and quickly acquired my ticket.  I got to the platform and my train was waiting for me - ready to board. I stored my bags and found my seat. I arrived at Tokyo station a little more than one hour later.

I grabbed a cab and headed to the Ginza Tobu Hotel - a hotel which has had many names. It is currently a Courtyard by Marriott. I checked in and got up to my room.  I waited five or ten minutes for my Platinum arrival gift to come. I ordered Beer, Nuts, and Fruit. (When I travel for business I typically take the points instead of the arrival gift.)

After some Japanese TV, I got in the shower with the intent of getting cleaned up and then walking to Andy's Shin Hinomoto - a lovely Japanese pub run by a dude from the UK. (Yes, that would be Andy.) I finally found it but Andy, although happy to see me again, was unable to seat me because they were far to busy.  So, I walked back to the hotel - stopped at AM/PM for a sandwich and some water - and went back to my room.

Uneventful? I think not!

Six Months in Review

This blog entry is an e-mail I sent to a collegue. I think it works as a blog entry, as I am asked to send information about my transformation. So, at this stage, a summary entry about my program may be appropriate. So, here we go!

I got a lot of inspiration from the Body for Life Program. Although I modified it slightly, it is very easy to follow and explained very well on the site.

I eat 6 'meals' a day. The reason I eat 6 times is it increases my metabolism. It also ensures my nutrition matches my needs for that day (depending on exercise schedule). It also I am not ever horribly hungry when I sit down to eat -- being hungry is bad when you sit down to eat and they drop that damn bread basket in front of you!!!

Now, the only fat I purposefully take in now is cream in my coffee (venti americano). I used to consume an 800+ calorie Venti Mocha. Now my coffee has only 40 calories and it is a real treat that I look forward to. :) I say "NO" to butter, creamy sauces, sour cream -- basically the 'extras' that your body does not need. But, I eat delicious food! (fajitas, steak, sushi, lots of fish, etc.)

I also take supplements that help me a ton.

First, I take a 'thermo'. These supplements usually contain some form of chili pepper and actually slightly increase body temps -- burning more calories for doing the things you do throughout the day. They also contain a natural caffeine based stimulant but not so much it makes me shaky. The best one is Hydroxycut Hardcore. I've also used the EAS ThermoDynamax but it fails to compare to Hydroxycut Hardcore.

Second, I take Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA is a naturally occurring 'good' fat and by taking it, your body does not hold on to 'bad' fat. This increases the burn of the unwanted fats. I take the EAS version. (Sponsors of Body for Life program)

Lastly, I take Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB). This is a naturally occurring metabolite (found in grapefruit, alfalfa, and catfish). This helps muscles combat protein breakdown, assists in muscle repair and supports increased endurance. My workouts are much better when I take HMB and it allows me to recover much faster. In a nutshell - The better your body uses protein, more fat will be burned. I also use the EAS version of this.

For exercise, I alternate days between cardio (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) and strength training (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). For strength training, I alternative upper body with lower body - and focus on core training on each of the strength training days. So, this way, my body has three days to recover before I train the same part again. Strength training burns the fat around the muscles -- and continues to burn fat for a lot of time after the workout is over.

Working in Philly now and am trying out a new gym tonight.

Peace -- :D
JH

Phase 3, Week 3, Day 3 -- Recovery

Well, the past few weeks have been a little rough! I did something to my right knee that I can't quite trace down. For the past two plus weeks it has been very sore, especially when I walk stairs. Then, a little over a week ago I slipped and almost fell down some stairs while attending the Primetime Emmy Awards. I caught myself on a metal railing, which drilled right into my rib cage and this has caused me some real pain. Additionally, I twisted my left knee and hit my Achilles tendon. Needless to say, and going back to the first sentence of this paragraph, the past few weeks have been a little rough!

After a week of trying to work through the pain in both legs and my ribs, I decided to take the day off from cardio this past Saturday and rested Sunday as well.

We were really busy this past weekend. On Friday night we went to see Muse at the Verizon Amp in Irvine. On Saturday night we went to Oktoberfest at Alpine Village in Torrance. And, Sunday night we went to see Wicked at the Pantages in Hollywood. PHEW! Busy, busy, busy.

Peace out... :)

JH

America is a Gum Chucking Nation (AKA The Saga of the Gum)

It is true I love to chew gum. Something about that wonderful explosion of flavor -- and the fact I've been trying to beat my addiction to nicotine gum for years. But, my issue is not with those who enjoy chewing gum -- it is what happens to the wads when people are done with them.

Fact is: America is a Gum Chucking Nation. People throw their gum, spit their gum, and most disgustingly, put their gum under tables or chairs. I mean, there is nothing more disgusting to me than going to pull your chair in only to place your hands on someones freshly pressed, still soft chewed gum. Parking lots and roads are spotted with smashed pieces of spit out gum - now black little discs made up of someones saliva. Gross.

One big joke in America is how strict Singapore is. We tend to make fun of their silly little laws and excessive fines. But one law I love is NO GUM! There, you can be fined or worse for just chewing gum because this activity, and product, is banned in Singapore under the "Regulation of Imports and Exports (Chewing Gum) Regulations." Except for chewing gum of therapeutic value, the "importing" of chewing gum into Singapore was absolutely banned.

In 2003, there were closed door meetings between George W. and the leaders of Singapore. The issues on the table were the War in Iraq and, you guessed it, chewing gum. Of course, Wrigleys sent their lobbyists to the then-chairman of the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, to get chewing gum on the agenda of the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (because of course the gum consumption of some extremely tiny Asian island nation is so important to them). Ridiculous.

But, back to America and my personal gum rules. Many years ago when someone asked for a piece of my gum I usually have a brief moment of apprehension. This wasn't because I was being sellfish --well, allow me to explain.

The gum I chew is either Eclipse or Dentyne Ice. The reason I choose to chew these brands of gum is because they are packaged in blister packs and it is very easy to put my already been chewed (ABC) gum pack into the pack. Although I keep the streets cleaner, I'm viewed as strange for disposing of my gum in this nature. And, even more strange when I refuse to just hand over my pack of gum to someone. I simply don't want the individual to begin to dig into one of my ABC blister pack sections -- because that would be awful -- and I don't want to have to explain my gum disposal methods.

My solution? I just carry a lot of gum. An example: While still seated at lunch, I tend to slam a 'clean' pack down on the table and while people reach for it I steal a piece from MY pack. Quite sneaky I know -- but no worries about people touching my pack. And, the streets remain just a little cleaner and my mind remains a little clearer.

And, I think this whole blister pack gum disposal method should be law in America -- but that won't happen because America is a Gum Chucking Nation.

Phase 3, Week 1, Day 2!!! New Phase, Old Ways!

Well, phase 2 was a learning experience for me. I've undergone my transformation at blocks of 12 weeks at a time... each one representing a phase. In phase 2, I changed my habits a bit and my results were not as good as Phase 1. So, guess what? For Phase 3 I am going back to the Phase 1 routine. Makes perfect sense!!

To date I have lost 21% of my Phase 1, Day 2 body weight. Moreover, I have dramatically increased my strength, endurance, and overall health. Although I expected to be further along by now, I'm extremely pleased with the results thus far.

Here are the top 5 highlights to date:

1. My waist size is down over 6 inches and I was able to buy very sexy jeans and look awesome in them. (Now, these even fall down on me unless I'm wearing a belt)

2. I've been through 2 belts thus far. And, I'm on the last hole of my current belt so that number will grow to 3 soon!

3. I have yet to cheat on my diet. Granted I drink my coffee with cream now, but I don't eat any sweets, fast food, or anything that can be categorized as 'bad for me'. (However, the 1/4 teaspoon of half and half does bring me more pleasure than I care to admit!)

4. I stopped my Starbucks Venti Mocha addiction in its tracks. I now drink a zero calorie Americano from time to time. (Remember, I was so obsessed with the Venti Mocha I named my company after it -- lol)

5. I can run now. I like to run and I'm getting better at it every time.

People now come to me for fitness advice, which kind of makes me laugh. All I tell them is what should be obvious to everyone: eat less, exercise more. Not pioneering anything here. But, I'm also not discounting what I've either because I've worked my butt off for the past 6 months!

Esby and I look at pictures of me from the UK -- I was kind of skinny when I got there but I just kept expanding. I remember how we ate over there and it makes me sick today. Junk food, excessive beer/booze drinking, and 2 AM trips to the Kebab stand. Add this to nearly no exercise and you have the perfect recipe for life changing body degradation!!

So, as I move along in this journey, I'm going to try to remember to blog every week like I used to. Even though almost nobody reads this, I credit a lot of my success to this blog and I really need to ease off on the Facebooking -- at least long enough to scribe some mindless rantings on a regular basis.

Sunday we go to the Primetime Emmy Awards -- and I'm going to look a lot better than last year!! Well, at least thinner anyway!

Peace out! :D

JH

The Saga of the Dust Bowl

Yes. The venue for Rock the Bells was changed to one of my least favorite places in the world. The Hyundai Pavillion at Glen Helen. The name sounds friendly enough. I mean, I have nothing against Hyundais or Pavillions.

We call the Hyundai Pavillion the Dust Bowl. We vowed a few years back, after spending the day in the Dust Bowl... without shade or easy access to viable food or water... that we would never go again. Well, we went again. Now, not even Rage Against the Machine will draw us back!

Upon our arrival, I remained optimistic about our excursion. We had VIP tickets. We were going to have a glorious air conditioned, shaded tent that we could hang out in. We would be showered with VIP ammenities, like a cool Rock the Bells back pack. Once we checked in, all those things came true. We were chilling out in the tent on leather sofas, drinking pretty decent 'concert' Margaritas, listening to the artists talking to the fans. We went out to the 'upgraded' food stands and got a couple burritos. They were delicious. After a little while, we decided we'd go walk around the performance area with our 'ALL ACCESS PASS'. This is where the night took the first turn for the worse.

We went to the Orchestra Pit access. At the Dust Bowl, this is the closest you can get. Only VIPs are supposed to be in there but the area had been closed by the fire marshal because there were too many people in there. A quick look down into the area revealed that the people there were not VIP ticket holders, as they had no wrist bands on. We were told we can access the area through another entrance and were told to go there. We found space to cram ourselves into a small walkway that provided us a view that was completely obstructed by a huge pillar speaker / monitor stand. We waited in the area for Wu-Tang Clan to finish up, and then the crowd loosened up a bit and we got closer... but we were still restricted from accessing the lower loge area, and more importantly, were not permitted access to the Orchestra Pit section. In other words, the promoters of this concert basically committed FRAUD! We were simply not permitted to enter areas we had every right to be.

Then, the night took an even worse turn!! (Yes, this is a saga series blog entry!!)

When Rage Against the Machine was about to take the stage, we encountered exceptionally rude assholes. First, a guy was digging his nails into my arm trying to move me to squeeze his way past. (For those of you who have been in a mosh pit, you can understand how hard it is to move forward). I told the guy, quite forcibly, to stop grabbing me. He of course acted really tough. Seconds later, someone tried to push pass Princess. Quite forcibly. The man kept saying, "My Father is right there!" There was no room for him to move through, his Father reached past Princess and started to try to pull him through. (The 'son' was about a 300 pounder!) This was followed by Princess' # 1 self defense mechanism... her BLOOD CURDLING SCREAM! The man then proceeded to verbally assault her and squared off like he wanted to physically assault her!! (Princess is a tiny 100 pounder)

Here we go... it takes another WORSE turn!

When the lights went down, and everyone behind us yelling the traditional 'pit' chant "RUSH THE STAGE, RUSH THE STAGE" -- Then, the expected crown surge came, where the people in the back begin to push everyone, with hopes of loosening up the crowd and forcible moving any security barricades that are up. Then, the event staff sprayed MACE on the entire area we were in. The people in the front were basically maced right in the face. This loosened up the crowd even more and just made the surge more successful.

Now, let's go over that again. The event staff, at a concert, making most likely close to minimum wage, are now empowered to spray MACE on people? Although we weren't close, we definitely felt it, and we were not doing anything but trying to survive in the crowd surge.

The event staff, provided by a company called Contemporary Services Corporation, have absolutely no right to use any type of weapons against people who paid to be at an event. The fact they feel empowered to do so is an example of the type of bullshit that our society has learned to put up with.

I wonder what Damon Zumwalt, the President and CEO of Contemporary Services Corporation, would have to say about it? Give him a call at 818-885-5150 and ask him how he would like to pay $160 to be maced in the face.

(No, neither Princess or I wasn't maced in the face, but other people with wrist bands were.)

To be continued...

Phase 2, Week 7, Day 4

My transformation is still going strong. Esby and I are still in Arizona and I'm working out 6 days per week. Last weekend I was in Michigan visiting family. It was kind of stressful to see so many people but I survived!

This week we had bad storms in Arizona. We have gotten into Monsoon season here. I didn't know Arizona had monsoons but we witnessed one first hand. It is like a bad thunderstorm with huge downpours and lots of loud thunder and bright lightening. The one added benefit is the dust storms that go along with it. We walked into Lifetime through a dust storm and it is really uncomfortable!! Lots of sand in the eyes and such. I'll have to remember my dust storm goggles next time.

Because of the storm, San Carlos Bay (our fave Mexican seafood eatery) lost power. We avoided going there this week, as Esby managed to point out: "What do you think happened to all that fish that was in the freezer?" Good point. But, we still managed to get sick this week, both of us suffered from flu like symptoms most of the week. But, I still managed to work out every day.

Tonight I have cardio which I'll do after my return home... it has been two long weeks! I've been doing a lot of abs lately and my stomach hurts because of that. Add flu like symptoms to that and you get one unhappy camper!

Tomorrow I have 1-800-GOT-JUNK people coming over to clear out the trash in our garage. I've decided it is far overdue. Once that chore is done, I'm going for a short bike ride to try out my new speed play pedals I bought. It's been far too long since I've cycled on a regular basis and now that I am down over 50 pounds, it is time to RIDE!

Peace out... :)

JH

Phase 2, Week 3, Day 4

Next week my diet is changing slightly. Although I've been sticking to the diet for a while now, I am going to be adding more protein. Also, Sushi Tuesdays are OFF!

Eating Sushi alone is one thing. I used to go to Sushi 101, eat a brown rice, a few pieces of nigiri, and some seaweed salad. That was good for me. Sushi is the kind of food you share... meaning a big combined order is made for the whole table and we all dig in. But, since my Sushi Tuesday has become a more "group" affair, the temptation of fusion rolls made with fatty contents and sauces has become too much for me to handle. This week, I ate until I made myself sick. So, until further notice, my Tuesday dinner plans will become a private matter!!

I'm also adding Whey Protein to the mix next week. My lifting has become pretty intense and my muscles are screaming for more food. Without enough protein, muscles begin to cannibalize eat other for fuel. So, a heavy arms day becomes good for the arms, but bad for the core and legs. Then, when I work my legs, they eat my arms. Its really that simple. So, next week I'm going to be increasing my protein calories, my cardio intensity, and my lifting weight to achieve greater results.

Esby and I started to shoot hoops after the workout. We both pretty much suck at basketball, but it was fun to work up a sweat chasing after the ball and just shooting it around a little. It sure beats going back to the hotel to sit around!!

Next week I may try to go for morning hike or two. An easy 45 minute hike may be able to replace boring gym cardio all together. But, I'm worried about twisting my ankle or jamming my knee so I will tread safely.

My next public swim suit event is on July 14th (Day 6, Week 6). I'm expecting to be down another 7-9 pounds by then and I MUST hit that goal!

Running to the airport now!

Peace out... :D

JH

Ferrari's New Raincoat!

Ferrari got a new raincoat today!

Phase 2, Week 2, Day 6...

I have successfully completed Phase 1 of my transformation. In total, I lost over 35 pounds in my first phase which ran for 12 weeks, ending the week of May 21st. I planned to do this in phases so that I can properly measure results and make any changes that are required.

My concentration for this phase is still my lower back and my stomach, but I have added some additional exercises that allow me to increase my fat burn. For the next 8 weeks, I will adding a circuit training complexes regiment. I did it on Tuesday for the first time and I thought it was kind of easy. But, when the pain came on Wednesday I knew it is not messing around.

Complexes are basically quick burst exercises that really make your body work hard for brief periods of time. The objective: Move between exercise series as quickly as possible, only resting as you move from one series to the next.

First, I started off with Squats. I lifted 330 pounds in 1 set of 6 reps.

I then quickly moved on to Chin Ups, also running 1 set of 6 reps.

Then, I moved on to using a set of 12.5 dumbbells, doing Lunges with a Overhead Press (basically: 1. Stand with weights over your head; 2. step forward with one leg; 3. Bend the leg you stepped forward with until the other leg is parallel with the ground; 4. Return to start position, quickly, pushing the weights back up over your head.) I repeated these in 2 sets, 1 for each legs, with 6 reps.

The exercise I was most interested in seeing if I could do was next. Push ups, on barbells, with a row in between. A normal push up but you are holding onto the barbells. Once you have completed a push up, you lift the weight up with one hand, then change hands on the next push up. I quickly knocked out 12 push ups (with the rows), of course almost falling over a few times!

Lastly, I did Cable Wood Chops, 6 per side. (Pulling the cable as if you were, well, chopping wood!)

All in all, this whole thing took me less than 10 minutes to run through. I felt a little guilty, like I wasn't working out hard enough, so I did a complete abs package. But, as I wrote above, the complexes really work, because on Wednesday and Thursday I was incredibly sore in places I haven't been sore yet.

Bring on week 3!

Peace out... :)

JH

Week Eleven, Day One

Wow. Just two more weeks left in Phase I. Sitting at LAX waiting for my flight. I found the shortcut through the security maze today and I'm pretty happy about that!

Tonight I'm going to work arms and core. I've only got two weeks left until Hawaii and I can't wait! I've certainly hit my target to be "swimsuit ready" by the time I jump in the Pacific Ocean for a week of snorkeling.

Battery is dying!

Peace out... :D

JH

The Saga of the Sweater

My Father gave me many gifts. In addition to those many tangible things, he also left me with some good genes. My Father was pretty smart and so am I. My Father enjoyed movies a lot, and so do I. But, some gifts I never would have asked for.

It was no secret in our family that my Father was a hairy beast and when I was young I knew that I too would grow into a hairy beast just like him. And, it was true. (Hairy beast is an understatement)

Yes. I've got a lot of body hair. In the old single days, some women freaked out when they saw how hairy I was. To them I used to say: "Come on Baby! Once you go Furry you'll be back in a Hurry!" Sure, I got a lot of laughs with that line but it never did change the fact that I was a hairy beast.

Most of the hair I can deal with. Certain areas I take care of myself, doing man-scaping every month or so to take care of any out of control growth. But, I enjoy having a hairy chest, and Princess appreciates it. It makes me feel manly when she runs her fingers through my chest hair. But, the hair on my back makes me look more like a buffalo than a manly man. So, today, in true Beverly Hills style, I did something about it.

It is the service that everyone is talking about. Appropriately named "Sweater Removal" on the menu at The Shave Beverly Hills, the service addresses the need for men to purge unwanted body hair. And, purging is an understatement.

One proprietor of The Shave (Adam Dishell) and I have been exchanging e-mails for a couple weeks until my courage level, and the prodding by Esby, was ample enough to finally pull the trigger and schedule the appointment for today at 11 AM.

When Princess and I arrived, we were greeted by Adam. Princess, who was wearing her "I'm Blogging This" T-shirt and anxious to blog the event, was offered a glass of wine and was told to have a seat in the lobby. The service area and services at The Shave, for what I can tell, are for "Gentlemen Only".

I was asked to have a seat inside the services area and I was offered a drink. I turned down the drink offer and about 10 seconds into my browsing of a Robb Report, I was greeted by my esthetician. She took me into the Icon Room, hung a do not disturb sign on the outside, closed the door, and told me to take off my shirt. Answering with a prompt "Yes, Mam", I complied.

I got down on my stomach and she proceeded to use the clippers to shear me down like a sheep. After a brief paper change and some major hair cleanup, I got back down and she began to spread wax on my lower back. I felt warm from the wax and it was pretty pleasant. I then felt a brief rubbing, and then, RIP! Just like separating some Velcro, my first section of hair was pulled off. This was followed by another 10 - 15 RIPS! Then, area one was completed. OK... one down, three to go! It was about this time that I blacked out from the pain. (Just kidding!)

Now, I'm a really tough guy and I've been through some terrible pain in my life (For one that comes to mind, see my blog entry "Ouch! Damn Door Jams!"). I found the hair being ripped out of my back to be extremely painful, for about a half of a second. So, all in all, it was really no big deal. After a quick lunch at Hugo's, we came home and Princess pulled out a few (OK 40 -50) hairs that were missed with tweezers.

Just so everyone understands, Princess never forced or pressured me to get my back waxed. I'm pretty sure this is because she wouldn't want me to force her to get any sensitive parts of her body waxed. But, now that it is done, I'm pretty certain she is happy with the end result.

I was told to keep up my smooth, hairless back, the service would need to be repeated every six weeks. I've only got three of my commonly used words for that: Bring it on!

Peace out... :D
JH

The Shave of Beverly Hills

230 S. Beverly Dr.

Beverly Hills CA 90212

(310) 888-2898

Week Ten, Day Four - 508

I know I wrote the other day I was going to burn 500 calories tonight. Well, I burned 508 instead.

Too tired to blog more! lol

Peace out... :D

Jim

Happy Birthday Esby!!

Tonight we celebrated Esby's birthday. We went to RA Sushi in Tempe and ate, well, Sushi (it is, after all, a Tuesday). Then, we went over to the Library because he wanted to study up on some anatomy.

Of course, we went to work out before all this and I hit an epic 482 calories burned in just 25 minutes on the elliptical. Thursday I'm going for 500!

Peace out... :D

JH

Week Ten, Day One - United States of ?

I used to live in the United States of Fat. A Fast Food Nation. What would happen if I'd see a McDonald's on the way to work? Wheel in the drive-thru, grab a few thousand calories. Two sausage McMuffins was my thing. I usually got them without egg, but if they gave me egg by mistake, no worries. I live in the United States of Fat. Bring it on. Add the large Hi-C orange drink (basically sugar, water, and orange color), and why not a hash brown too? Sure. Pile it on. I live in the United States of Fat.

What people don't realize is once you live in the United States of Fat, you have a hard time living anywhere else. Fat, grease, sugar... all these things add to the euphoric haze of living there. Euphoria is addictive. Quite simply, eating bad feels good. If it didn't, people would eat healthy food and all maintain blogs about looking better, and feeling better.

I realized when I began this transformation that I had an addiction. I had to admit it to myself to be successful. I just had to admit that all the pull of the sugar and the compulsive eating had simply taken over. I became powerless to control my urge to power eat through 3 candy bars in one 9 minute session before bed, or consume an entire 6,000 calorie pizza as a snack.

In the United States of Fat, we are bombarded day and night with the power of advertisements perfectly geared at making fatty get up off the chair in the hotel and dial up a toll free number to get food delivered instantly. Tonight, after my extensive workout, I watched my Law and Order CI on USA and every commercial break was filled with ads for nothing other than junk food and weight loss companies.

What's wrong with that picture? One ad: Try KFC. Next ad: Go on NutriSystem like Dan Marino and look better. In other words: Eat up Fatty and LOSE WEIGHT YOU FAT PIG! No wonder the residents of the United States of Fat are so confused.

Life on the road is hard. When I get to my hotel room I've got cookies and sometimes candy waiting for me. These items are basically saying: "Thanks for staying with us. Eat up Fatty and enjoy your sugar high. You're valuable to us. You deserve diabetes and a few extra pounds."

So, Esby and I went to the front desk one night a few weeks back. We said: "No More Junk Food! We want fresh fruit, or veggies." They listened and when we got here last week there was fresh fruit in our rooms, instead of the junk food. But, this week we are back to the junk food. The hotel desk guy is really cool, and he offered us some bruised, old bananas after he realized they forgot the fruit this week. I just said, "No worries Dude. That junk food shit goes right in the trash the second I walk in the door."

Why? Because now I live in the United States of Fit. I've become self aware. I'm no longer a drone or a member of the herd of cattle that mindlessly grazes on junk food. I no longer stop at Starbucks three times a day for my Triple Shot Venti Mochas, or twice a day, or once a day, or even once a month, or once a year. Finding a Starbucks used to be one of the most important things in my life. I used to book a hotel based on how close a Starbucks was. Not anymore.

Now, one of the most most important things in my life (other than my wife, family, friends, job, etc., of course) is to some day soon be able to bust out six 60 lb hammer curls (and all the benefits that go along with being able to do that). Then, I'll want 70, then 80, and so on.

Now that I live in the United States of Fit, I'm no longer bothered by things like this Hotel sponsored TV channel line up that would have been a guaranteed Dominos a sale just 11 short weeks ago:
I choose to live in the United States of Fit. And I'm here to stay.

Peace out... :D

JH

Bring on Week 10!!

Well, it is day five of week nine. This week I've really been concentrating on my diet, eliminating some of the items that I've been eating that are "questionable". Those items included the mashed pots at Keegans (because of their use of cheese, cream, and bacon), the beans at Chevy's (have no idea what's in them), and the "unknown contents" of Esby's sushi rolls.

We made a major food change from Sushi 101 to RA Sushi this week. RA Sushi was MUCH better. I still got to eat my Fish Market on Tuesday afternoon and Esby even joined me. I ate a new skewer dish there made up of Scallop, Fish, and Shrimp.

I've also been concentrating on working my abs a lot harder. On Wednesday night I did 25 minutes of abs in addition to my lower body strength training. I did Russian twists with a medicine ball, and the two types of love handle crunches. I also did all kinds of leg lift tortures. At one point, I was powerless to stop my medicine ball from slowly rolling across the floor to the either side of the area.

I am going to repeat this abs workout tonight (even though my abs are killing me!). All but the uncontrolled rolling medicine ball thing I mean.

Peace... :D

JH

Google Maps Hack... Learn to Swim

Goto Google Maps and type in "New York, NY to Paris, France". Click "Search Maps" or "Get Directions". Scroll on down to line 24 (or so) of the directions. Good luck! lol

(Note: This post references a funny result of a search engine and may not work for that long!)

Peace out...

JH

Coachella Day Three -- Rage Against the Machine

It finally came. I sat at the window this morning waiting for the sun to come up. A new dawn. A new day. And the day that Rage Against the Machine finally performs again!

Knowing Rage is one of my all time favorite bands, many of you will be shocked to learn I never got to see Rage perform live. The really crazy part is I was at Lollapalooza in 1992 and Rage played but I did not check them out. Sure I have the DVDs and such, but I've never been to a Rage concert before. For the Princess, she was introduced to Rage a little over five years ago by some guy she hooked up with. (OK, it was me!)

Anyway, because Rage broke up seven years ago, she really never had the chance to see them. I know the Princess pretty well and I bet if you would have asked her six months ago to tell you her top three wishes, a Rage Against the Machine Reunion would have been in that list (maybe even # 1). So, with that written, tonight is pretty damn important!

We arrived and got really great parking. Within 10 minutes, we were inside the Empire Polo Fields. I was sporting my brand new Mr. Bill t-shirt. (The kids didn't get it). After some photo opps, we waited a bit for Shawn, but we never found each other. So, we went to position ourselves for Rage.

We found a nice spot dead center, pretty far back but we wanted to enjoy the show and not have to worry about idiot skin heads ruining the show for us by involving us in unwanted moshing. (I hate those idiots). I mean, we are true fans after all but want to leave the show without being bruised up if at all possible. After finding the perfect position, we sat down on the ground and chatted a bit about how exciting it was going to be. I kept looking at my watch... time passing slowly... 20 minutes to go... 15 minutes to go... 10... 5... BAM!

Rage immediately jumped to life with Testify, rocking Indio like it has never been rocked before. I'm sure even the Polo horses that were left behind were jamming out! Princess' look on her face was that of pure satisfaction. She screamed and banged her head like the hard core rocker that she is. They went through one hit after another, each song getting better than the last. They fixed some sound issues and then things really started to take off.

I promised this blog will stay politically neutral so I can't get into how I feel about it, but Rage is a very political charged band. Zack did go into one verbal assault on the current US administration that was brutal enough to get some folks to push their way out and leave. All I have to say is: Screw those people. This is Rage Against the Machine. Let's ROCK!

After a brief break, Rage finished up their set with Killing in the Name Of.

Ahhhh... now we feel complete! 10 minute walk back to the car, followed by sitting there in traffic for over two hours until we actually moved! Bring on Rock the Bells!

Peace out... :)

JH

Photograph from M-TV.com

Coachella Night Two ... Red Hot Chili Peppers

Tonight Coachella has that whole "Coachella" spirit. Sunburned chicks running around with hardly anything on... people dancing to the sounds of a mixture of music that they can hardly hear... and the 45 minute walk from the parking. (Some things I can do without!)

We managed to arrive before the Chili Peppers took the stage. I've seen them many times before and think they always do an awesome job. At 44, Anthony Kiedis was much more restrained than he used to be, with wild braids in his hair and jumping around half naked on stage being things of the past. Flea (the same age as Kiedis) was as silly as usual and performed like the best damn bassist ever (in my humble opinion) should! However, he did tell a really stupid joke:

"What do you call a lamb with no legs? A cloud." I didn't laugh.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been doing their thing for about 24 years now. I hope they continue to do it for much longer!

The Aftermath... Coachella Weekend Continues

Well, we found some time to chill out by the pool. Tonight we've got the Chili Peppers to look forward to. Princess takes her official Coachella rock-nap!

Coachella Weekend! Interpol

Tonight we arrived to Coachella and completely rocked out to Interpol. Princess and I try to pace ourselves during a three day event like this so as not to get burned out by the time the bands we really want to see come on stage. Interpol was one of those bands.

We caught the first song from a distance, as we were still hiking in from the parking. We were drawn into the crowd by the steady hum of Paul Banks' vocals and that steady sound that has everyone talking. (Although many people don't make the connection, I always remember Echo and the Bunnymen when I listen to Interpol).

For me, Interpol represents one of the few bands that I can just listen to an Album from start to finish and be perfectly content. My iPod has played Turn on the Bright Lights more times than I can count! I absolutely love it. Also, when Antics came out I was pleased to learn it fits in the same category.

Nothing but quality from these guys!

Peace out... JH

Week Eight, Day Two! Loving Life!

Well, my transformation is well under way and I've reached the half way point of Phase 1. For the second time I broke in my new Nike Impact 360 II shoes by running on the treadmill. I found that my impact injury / pain issue that I had with my old shoes is pretty much become a non issue. Definitely worth the money!

I can't help but to chuckle as people are walking by. I imagine them laughing to themselves saying "look at the big guy run"! I've now improved my physical coordination quite a bit and am pretty damn steady on the treadmill. (I rarely hold on now)I'm now able to run for nearly half of my original Cardio time of 20 minutes.

Tonight I did 35 minutes of Cardio - 25 minutes on the treadmill (running for a total of 10 minutes) and then did 10 minutes on the Elliptical. Then, I worked abs (love handle concentration). I have not cheated on my diet and don't plan to. Still eating six meals with an average of 1,850 calories per day and taking in a lot of protein.

Next week I'm going to have to shake up the food choice a bit to give Esby some variety. He's announced that he is off the Fish Market (which is now Monday and Tuesday lunch). So, I'll either have to eat alone or try to work on a new routine.

However, I do fear change more than loneliness. :)

Peace... JH

The Saga of the Hutch

Well, for about three years now Princess has been looking for the perfect place to store her china. Like so many of the young girls keeping hope chests in anticipation of finally finding the right man to marry, Princess has had her collection of china for quite some time. So, the hunt for a Hutch ensued.

About two weeks ago, in one of our countless trips to different furniture stores, we finally found a Hutch and a Server that match (both each other, and the demands of the Princess!). Once I knew she liked the pair, we pulled the trigger on the purchase.

The store charged us $65 for a 2nd floor delivery and scheduled the delivery for Friday the 13th. When the delivery guys got to the house, they immediately started saying how the Hutch would not fit up the stairs. Now, we've had this problem before because our staircase is very narrow and not that tall. So, after a only a few minutes of trying, they left the Hutch downstairs.

That night we went back to the furniture store and complained. Because we paid for special delivery for the 2nd floor, we thought that meant they would actually do what other delivery guys have done... bring the Hutch in through our upstairs balcony. So, the snippity chick at the furniture store told us that that would require another charge of $145 for "special handling". I just paid the money and re-scheduled the delivery for today.

I got two delivery confirmation calls this time. First, the store called with the typical "guys are coming to your house between 1 PM and 5 PM" thing. Second, the actual driver called me and asked me how I think the Hutch should be brought in the house. I explained the 250+ pound monster must be lifted about 14 feet and go through an upstairs doorwall that is over the garage. He said he was looking forward to hoisting it up there. (Hey, furniture delivery is his thing!)

When the delivery guys arrived, they immediately went to work. First they completely blocked traffic off to our street with their truck pulled up to the house, right under the balcony. They tied up the hutch and with two guys on the balcony, one guy working the lift gate on the truck, and one (very brave) guy lifting the Hutch up above his head (found out later this is the guy from the phone call). Although I really wanted to capture the whole event with my camera, it was about here in the process when I was urgently asked to assist:
So, I sprinted up the stairs and took control of the Hutch, helping them pull it up onto the rail of the balcony. PHEW! OK, back to shooting. The hutch is safe:


With the Saga of the Hutch finally over and it safely placed in the dining room, we'll have to move on to the next adventure with wide-eyed child-like enthusiasm! :)

Peace... JH

Week Six, Day Seven! Bring on Week 7!

Well, my progress is quite noticeable thus far. When I started this process six weeks ago, I made a promise to myself I wouldn't live tied to a scale or constantly pulling out a measuring tape to measure progress. Instead, I just wanted to be able to see real differences in my body. I also wanted to use the Princess test - If she says I'm looking better, then I'm just that much closer to my ultimate goal.

At this point, my stomach is getting pretty flat. I've lost most of my love handles. My current area of concentration has been my lower back to get rid of the "back fat". So, I've really been killing the lower back extensions and lower back crunches. I also do my core (abs & lower back) every strength training day (alternating legs and arms). I have a few exercises that have really helped me re-shape my core.

#1 - I hold a medicine ball over my head with my arms fully extended. Contracting my abs, I lean to one side and the use my abs to straighten. I do 30 of those on both sides every day.

# 2 - I put one arm straight in the air and hold a 30 pound dumbbell in the other at my side. I then contract my abs, lean over to one side, and straighten my body using my abs. This one is a real killer on my love handles! I do 15 of those on each side every day.

#3 - I use the crunch machine regularly.

Today, Princess and I did Cardio because I took Friday as my day off instead of today. The Cardio is really working, as it takes me longer each time to get my heart rate up and I have to work harder to do it. The purpose of Cardio is just that... working your body to make it capable of longer and more strenuous exercise. When I first started, I was lucky to burn 180 calories in a 20 minute Cardio session. Now, burning 350 is normal for me. Although I do extend my Cardio on the day after arms to 30 minutes, I become too fatigued to do that after working legs (which I did yesterday).

As far as other updates: Yes. She arrived. Those of you who know me, you know exactly who I'm talking about! She's beautiful and has met all my expectations. Princess and I spent quality time with her this weekend. Definitely worth the wait!

The other delivery was the furniture for the dining room. (See future blog entry coming soon entitled "The Saga of the Hutch").

I also got wood. No, this is not that type of blog. I picked up our 54" x 18" solid mahogany that we will use as our bar table. We also finally got delivery of the table legs, which are chrome and match my bar stools perfectly. So, last night after dusk, our neighbor laughed at us while we were outside sanding the wood and installing the leg bases. I told him, "Hey, we're on a schedule over here!"

Here's the new bar table the next afternoon (day two!):


Peace. :D

JH

Flower Dead at 7

Flower the Meerkat, the main character of the television show Meerkat Manor, was bitten by a snake during filming of season 3 and did not survive. She was 7 years old.

Flower was the leader and dominant female of the Meerkat tribe known as the Whiskers. Flower was survived by over 20 of her pups. She was fitted with a radio collar that allowed scientist and film crews to track the group's every move. Despite her toughness, Flower was nurturing to her pups and the other gang members, but was equally capable of ruthlessness, in all of the name of "survival of the fittest".

Now, its not wrong for me to mourn the loss of Flower. She has provided hours of very captivating television drama. I hope the show continues.

Goodbye Flower. :(

Muse Rocks but People are Idiots!

I have to say I've been looking forward to seeing Muse for quite a while. Tonight we finally got to! As the title of this blog entry indicates, I loved Muse but can do without the seemingly idiotic behavior of the people around me. At this concert, Princess and I had the best seats in the house. I enjoy going to a venue I know because it is easy to point our ticket broker in the right direction to acquire the very best seats. Unfortunately, we can't control the people we get seated around that really take away from the experience.

I had every example of people around me tonight. I had the pole dancing diva who is missing a pole but thinks its cute to shake her ass all around, and of course smashing into me countless times. My rule is simple: You've paid to do whatever you want as long as it is in the confines of your pre-determined / ticketed seating area. Not in my face, or on my knee, or especially breaching the sacred hula hoop of my area.

Next, I had the "American Idol Wannabe". She thinks she knows the words, and even thinks she can sing as good as Matt Bellamy. Well, hate to sound Cowell-like but, "You Suck". You wanna sing? Do it at home in the shower, not in my ear at a concert. I did not pay what I paid to hear you sing. I also didn't pay to have you smack my head with your ridiculous dance moves.

Lastly, the row crammers. We had good seats. The security at the Forum was not very tight and we had three people trying to occupy the area of one seat next to my wife. She was bumped into, stepped on, sweat on, spit on, and she had a man's ass in her face that smelled like he shit himself. Not a pleasant experience.

Back to the real subject: Muse at the Forum. They are awesome. They sound even better live than on the studio tracks. They rocked out a cover of the Nina Simone classic "Feeling Good" (made famous by Simone but originally from the Broadway Musical "The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd"), where Matt even pulled a little Keenan move and belted out a few verses through a mega phone. Very nice! The original Muse version of Feeling Good appears on their 2001 'Origin of Symmetry'. For me, the highlight of the night was Stockholm Syndrome, my very favorite Muse track.

Back to Phoenix tomorrow morning!

Egg White Pancakes?

By popular demand I've decided to finally post my rave review and recipe for Egg White Pancakes. I thought not eating yolks would be depressing. I mean, who doesn't love a good yolk? But, once I got into eating nothing but egg whites, I now realize these little buddies can be quite tasty! I'm not very good at separating and scrambling them, so I started to have Princess get the egg whites that come in the carton fully pasteurized so that I could mix them with my shakes in the morning. Also, when I'm on the road, I also pick up a carton.

I've been experimenting with making different egg white dishes and finally think I've got the whole egg white pancake thing down! I start with 1 1/2 cups of egg white, add three heaping tablespoons of dry Quaker oats, one heaping tablespoon of instant pancake mix, and then whip it all in the blender for about 30 seconds. What I get out is a very thin batter like substance. Grab the Butter Buds and get started!

I coat a non-stick skillet with Pam and pour the batter in on medium-high heat. Once the bottom becomes golden brown and the top to starts to get a little dry, I shake Butter Buds on it and then carefully flip it (these have more of a crepe thickness than a pancake). Once golden brown on both sides, it is time to throw it on the plate and make the next one. The recipe above should easily make three medium-large pancakes.


Once completed, I use another shake of Butter Buds and some Carey's sugar free maple flavored syrup. Yummy! I reserve this high protein, low fat, low calorie, and delicious treat for my Sunday 10 AM snack (Sunday is my free day) even though it could be part of my normal weekly diet.


Enjoy!

Super Cardio

So, today I tried a very organized method of escalation cardio on the treadmill. It is really easy: I start by walking at a nice pace of 3.5, with an incline of 3.5 and then I run for one minute every three minutes. In a 20 minute test session this morning, I was able to burn over 450 calories with this method.

Cardio is extremely important and has many benefits. It increases metabolic rate, increases growth hormone secretion, reduces stress levels, increases blood flow to the brain increasing alertness, improves cholesterol levels, improves digestion, and boosts immune-system function. Those are all very good things!

I jam out to a Tool playlist when I'm doing my cardio, as it is also very important to be as entertained as possible so that I don't get bored!!

Week Five, Day Five... She thinks I'm cute!

Last night when I arrived home the Princess said my face is much thinner and that I look cute and younger. Getting closer to my goal every day! I was rewarded for my new found cuteness with a delicious and healthy Princess made dinner of french beans, red snapper, and saffron rice. The snapper was wrapped in foil with mushrooms and a little white wine and then put in the convection oven. So, our new fancy fish cooker got a rest last night! The beans were off the hook and even more delicious than Outback's beans. She used chicken broth, Hawaiian salt, butter buds, and fresh roasted almonds sliced very thin. Of course, the saffron rice is always a real winner and a delicious side.






Yesterday Esby and I went for an early morning Cardio workout. Being travel day and all, this left me a little drowsy all day long. Plus, I had just worked legs the night before and they revolted against the treadmill in the morning. So, any AM workouts in the future will be reserved for swimming only... a wonderfully low impact activity that burns more calories than anything else I can do. The fact that I am an accomplished swimmer only works in my favor. :)

Bring on WEEK 6!!

Week Four, Day Five -- Still Alive!

Well, today is nearly the end of the fourth week. Princess says I look better but I still have to achieve my goal so there's more work to be done! Tonight I worked legs after the most amazing Kaiseki-type Bento Box that Princess expertly prepared and presented. She made Swordfish, Tofu, Brown Rice, and lots of veggies and everything was very delicious. When I was at the gym (Bally Manhattan Beach) I found that my legs are growing extremely strong. I hope that my arms come along soon!

Tomorrow Princess and I will work Cardio together. Beginning Tuesday I'm officially upping my Cardio to 30 minutes. I do high impact Cardio, increasing my speed at least 4 times during the allotted time until I can't go any faster. I find that the bursts actually help me extend the time (I experimented with 40 minutes of Cardio on Tuesday).

I've been adding egg yolks to my shakes in the morning, as our new hotel does not offer a viable breakfast option (but at least I have a fridge in my room!) The guys are getting a little sick of my food schedule but, hey, they can just go where they want for lunch if they don't want to eat the same food every other day.

I only need to keep this up for 8 more weeks! Now, it is getting exciting. :)

The New Me... Week Three, Day Four!!

Well, I've almost made it through week three on the road. My diet is still going strong and yesterday we actually went and worked out twice (swimming in the AM, Legs in the PM). We went out to a nice dinner at Keegans (it was Pork Tenderloin night). Funny thing is everyone on the project, if they want to eat with me, has to go where I am planning on going. Everyone is like "why do we have to go all the way over there"!

Eating well on the road has not presented me as much of a challenge as I thought it would. Moved over to a Marriott now, so no more fridge sagas. I was able to buy the makings for my 10 PM snack with one trip to the store and actually store the food right there in my room. What a posh thought... being able to store my fridge food in the room!

Esby finally got back from the Uk and I sucked him into this project. He and I are working out together. He is much more fit than I, so I get to look at him and better visualize my after picture! Quite motivating.

Tonight I'm on Cardio... only after a delish feast of Fusion Orange Roughy with Miso marinade. Yummy!

Peace out.

The Saga of the Fridge

As many of you know, I'm a loyal Marriott person. I belong to their rewards program, earning Platinum status (75+ nights per year) for a while now. Even though my loyalty with Marriott is still there, I decided to take advantage of a deal with Starwood (a competing program) and stay at the Sheraton Phoenix Airport.

Now, I need a fridge due to my special diet, and I requested one upon my "week one" check in. I was promised the fridge and never got it. No big deal. On "week two" I called ahead and requested a fridge, and was told one would be in my room when I arrived. There was no fridge, so I called the front desk. I was told my fridge would be brought up. It never arrived. I called again, and was told they had no more fridges. So, I complained to the Sheraton site, sending an e-mail.

I heard from the front desk manager the last night of my week two stay. I was told that a fridge would be reserved for me and that I would definitely have one for my upcoming stays. He also left a voice mail asking if everything was OK with the fridge in my room. (There was no fridge in my room)

"Week three" I was certain I'd get my fridge. I walked into my room. No fridge. I called the front desk, and delivery was promised. Never heard anything else. I e-mailed the Front Desk manager again, cc'ing the General Manager (who was cc'd on an e-mail that was sent to me). I then got a voice mail from a front desk person telling me that there were no fridges available. So, I e-mailed again and then canceled my upcoming 14 weeks of reservations with the Sheraton. Then, I went to eat and work out.

When I arrived back to my room, there was a fridge there. Also, my voice mail light was blinking and a voice mail from the front desk manager explained how, even though he told his staff to provide the reserved fridge to me, they were somehow confused.

My only question is: What's wrong with these people? If they had never promised the fridge in the first place there would never had been an issue.

No Bread & Butter Please!

Well, I've been doing my new program for one week now. I feel great. Over the weekend I did have some bouts with exhaustion. I attributed this to my intense upper body workout on Friday night. Saturday I felt sick, like I was getting a cold. I figure this was just toxins from my muscles spilling into my system, as I felt like I do after a really intense massage. I'm drinking plenty of water and keeping myself hydrated. Sunday I was really sore, finding it hard to lift my arms. At least I know it is all working and I feel better today.

The Sheraton has once again failed to give me a fridge. This will become a problem when I get busier on this project and have to buy and store food ahead of time. For now, I'll keep complaining and see if I can get them to understand. Last week I was given 1,000 star points, a free pay per view movie, and, quite oddly, two free beers from room service. Shame that even if I was drinking beer at this phase of my diet I wouldn't have a fridge to keep them cool in!

Being on the road presents a whole new challenge when you're trying to eat right. The glare of fast food signs is overwhelming. I combat this with a strict approach of keeping my daily menu pretty much the same and mapping out restaurants that I know can serve it. It really isn't that hard. For instance, last night I got to eat beef, and I did so at Outback. Along with it I had a dry sweet potato and green beans. I also get to eat a lot of fish (The Fish Market) and even Pork Tenderloin on Wednesdays (Keegans Grill, Phoenix). It was fun finding the food I need, such as Sushi with brown rice (Sushi 101, Tempe) and even better when I can find a more than one required dish at the same place (Thursdays - Tofu Stir Fry, Sushi 101, Tempe). For breakfast I eat at the hotel, ordering an Egg White Omelet with Mushrooms, no butter for preparation and dry whole wheat toast. Or, I'll get some oatmeal. Most of the time they get it right and understand I'm avoiding fat.

The best part is when the restaurant staff brings over the bread and butter and I send them away, along with the five or six others who bring it back, thinking the wait staff has made a mistake. Funny thing is at Outback the waitress knew I was on a diet, just from how I ordered. No bread was offered.

When I refuse bread, people assume that I am on a low carb diet. This is not true. I'm on a protein + carb diet. My six day a week workout routine requires me to eat a ton of protein. The carbs counter along with the protein to give me the energy I need to put that protein to good use. It is a back to basics approach for me and pretty simple for me to follow.

What I do avoid like the plague is fat. I don't want the bread and butter because I don't want to sit there and pass the time between order and delivery by munching on fatty butter and extra bread. Other thing is: Nothing but water. I drink Water with lemon now. Not sugar filled sodas, or even diet soda for that matter. Everyone's body is different but I find that soda of any type bloats me up the size of a Thanksgiving Day parade float.

So tonight's exercise is Cardio, right after some Sushi, Seaweed Salad, and brown rice of course.

My Chemical Romance at The Forum

Well, I'm a big fan of My Chemical Romance. We went to the concert tonight, first listening to "The Black Parade" (My Chemical Romance alter ego?) for about 90 minutes until they finally came out and played "The Ghost of You", "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)", and "Helena". I realize now that I am a bigger fan of the "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge" album, as I love all three of those songs! I'm not going to discount "The Black Parade" album just yet, as I owe it a good listen.

All in all it was an excellent show, except for the girl next to me who was bouncing around so much I think she missed her medication. :)

The New Me... Day Two...

Well, I began my new diet and exercise plan yesterday. Everything is going great. I already feel better, have more energy, and have better mental focus. Last night I went over and got a membership at Lifetime Fitness in Tempe. Funny thing is the sales rep was thrown back in his chair on how much of a hurry I was in to sign up. Even in today's world of free flowing information, sales people still don't realize folks actually do reasearch prior to arrival. I wasn't interested in his song and dance because I already read it all online. I just wanted my membership! Sorry if I moved to fast for you Michael (it was only his second day). :)

Now that's sorted so while I'm over here in Phoenix on this project, I'll be able to enjoy excellent work outs without having to cram myself into a tiny hotel gym.

I think the routine ritualistic nature of my new plan is quite refreshing to my unusual Asperger Syndrome cognitive processes. My brain feels like it is on vacation because every meal is pre-planned out exactly (time, place, entree). So, I'm sure I'll follow it quite religiously. I've detailed out my meal plan, exercise plan, and have signed up for a few online "track your results" type sites. Plus, I plan to blog my progress here to ensure that all of you (you know who you are) keep me focused on my goals.

Genes for Jeans!

Well, I don't consider myself a fancy boy by any means. When a sale comes along, Princess is usually the excited one. But for some reason, I was really excited about the Jeans sale we went to today. It was down in Orange county and we waited in line for about an hour to get in. Inside, a huge quantity of jeans and other lay about clothing. I found myself trying on a pair of 575s in the community changing room (they had one big changing room for men and one for women) and realized they are the most comfortable jeans I've ever worn! I got two pairs of those and one pair of Antik Denim. These things are never something I would pay retail for, and even the sale price was three times more than we typically pay for my jeans, but they were so comfortable I had to try them out. Princess also got a few pairs!

Mixology for Fixology

Tonight I invented a new drink. I came up with the idea the other night but tonight I finally put it together. I took Absolut Vanilla Vodka (1 oz), Godiva Chocolate Liquor (1 oz), Bailey's Irish Cream (1 oz) , and Kahlua (1/2 oz) and shook them all up martini shaker with ice. I then poured the mixture into two champagne glasses and dropped a Teuscher Champagne Truffle into each glass.

The kicker is: when you drink it about half way down, the truffle begins to float up and it looks like poop in your glass. That is why I named the drink "Dog Poo".

As Princess and I ready the house for visitors (we've never really entertained here) we wanted to have something like this that was a little silly and fun.

By the way, the drink is delicious!!

Super Sunday Feast

Well, as our Super Bowl Sunday tradition continues, the Princess once again delivered a delicious feast. We ate deep fried ginger chicken, wonderful sushi rolls, broccoli cole slaw, cheese assortment, black tea flavored pork with a sweet sake soy sauce, caviar fish cake canapes, and oden (a stew of assorted fish cakes). For desert we ate coconut pie, even though I don't like the texture of coconut it was still delicious.

As the Pats were eliminated, the outcome of the game was incidental! But, congrats to the Colts for a job well done. Maybe next year Bears.

Rainy Tuesday in Tokyo

It is the day after Christmas and we went to Shibuya to take pictures of folks running through the rain. Other than eating delicious pork cutlet at Maisen, we spent the rest of the time huddled in the hotel room. Princess does not like the rain!

X-Mas Eve in Ginza

Have to snap pictures quick in Ginza as the background changes as fast as the fashion. The X-Mas decorations are down by 8 PM Christmas day! Here's a nice shot we took tonight.

Too Tall for Tokyo

It's not everyday I hit my head while minding my own business walking through a subway station. I feel like a giant here. People stare at me because I'm much larger than the average Tokyo Metro user!! No serious head injuries yet!