Three things I'm "supposed to like"...

I was thinking the other day about how there are things in our culture that if you're cool, smart, sane, blah, blah, blah, everyone just assumes you like / appreciate those things.  Yet I know we all have things that fit that category that we just don't care for.  Perhaps we've tried to like it because everyone else said how wonderful it is, but it just isn't working out for us.

I found this out a while back when U2 was touring through this area and then had one of their concerts broadcast live.  Understand that I missed out on the whole U2 phenomenon back in the 80's due to circumstances I may explain at some other time.  Anyway, everyone was raving about the concert tour, about how awesome it was, how cool Bono and The Edge are, how insightful their albums are, yada, yada, yada.  I've heard a few of their songs on the radio over the years and liked those, so surely I like U2 just like everyone else.

So I stayed up late on the night of the live broadcast of their recent tour to watch this band that, generationally, I should really enjoy.  And then I fell asleep.  I attributed my fit of sleep to being old tired since I can usually stay up late and watch King of Queens nearly every night.  So to prove that I like U2, I created a Pandora station that played U2 and similar bands (which I'm listening to right now, though I'm really not sure why).  After listening for a few days I made the startling discovery alluded to above ... I don't like U2.

There ... it's out.  I know that's tantamount to blasphemy in my generation, but they just don't do anything for me.  I'm not opposed to them.  I won't be signing up for any U2 boycotts.  I won't try to persuade other to my side.  But I probably won't be spending any iTunes bucks on them either.

All of this got me to thinking, "What else am I supposed to like, but don't?"

So here's my list of three things I am supposed to like:
1. U2
2. Watermelon
3. Lost

What are your three things?  I'd love to hear your response below.


I do like working out, though, so here's my report ...

Two swims, two bikes, and a run ... not bad.  But did I lose any weight?

Half a pound!  It actually sat at 209.5 for a moment, but it landed on 210 and that's where I took the pic.










Take some time to exercise this week ... it's good for you.

And don't forget to let me know your "three things".

bb

Random Thoughts

#1:  We were watching King of Queens last night and I turned to my good wife and said, "I need Lou Ferrigno to live next door."  If you're not familiar with Lou, he was the Incredible Hulk back in the 70's and played himself as Doug and Carrie's next door neighbor in the aforementioned comedy.  In this episode he was "training" Doug and Carrie on the exercise equipment ... pushing them to their limits to get the best out of them.  Well, not Doug ... Lou played video games while Doug drank beer and slept ... but I digress.  ANYway, I just thought it would be cool to have someone who has demonstrated so much discipline in their lives to accomplish what he has, live next door so maybe some of that discipline might rub off.  Plus it would be cool to say, "The Incredible Hulk lives next door to me."

#2:  So I decided to have the oil changed in my good wife's car yesterday and it takes me three trips to get it accomplished!  Each time there was always someone already in the bay, which is no big deal, but it seemed like everyone of them were out of their vehicles doing their own maintenance while the oil was being changed.  Just struck me as odd.  The guy in the pic was checking stuff on the side, got up on top, walked around, etc.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good pic of the sign that says, "For insurance and safety reasons, please stay in your vehicle" ... or something like that.  Signs and warning are always for "everyone else" aren't they?

#3:  Nice day yesterday, so I donned these and went for a run. I'm a slooooowww runner but it was good to get out and put another 1.3 miles on my legs and my shoes.  When I bought my running shoes last January the girl told me they'd be good for about 500 miles.  I said, "Great, that will give me about 10 years before I need another pair!"  So far I'm on track.

Time for the training update:
Last week wasn't very good, but I knew that was going to be the case (see previous post).  Dailymile.com makes it sound like I'm incredible, though.  Once again, with only two workouts last week, they say I had an "awesome week!" ... I think they exaggerate.

But did I lose weight?
Uh, no ... but I didn't gain any either ... not what I wanted, but it's better than the alternative.

It's apparently the last nice day, before another week of indoor training.  I'm headed out on this ...

 
Later

...bb...

What the what?!

Have you ever come to Friday and thought, "How did I get here ... I don't remember the rest of the week."?  I'm having one of those days/weeks.  The week has been a blur and here I sit on Friday at noon writing my blog instead of my sermon ... which is "due" on Sunday.  I'll get it done ... always do, but I wonder where my week went.  Weeks like this remind me of the booklet Tyranny of the Urgent ... if you haven't read you ought to ... it's a quick read.  I think I may need to re-read it. 

Of course I usually bring it on myself.  "Sure!  I can do that."  "No problem, when would you like me to stop by?"  And I genuinely mean it when I say it ... I just have no self-control.  The urgent things can be good things ... often are ... like responding to fires, helping people with things, going to meetings, etc.  And somewhere out there there's a balance ... I just have trouble finding it.  And like this week, I've allowed the urgent things to push the important things aside. 

Anyway, on to the training report ...

5 days last week!  Woohoo!  (Though I can already tell you this week isn't going to come close ... see above)  I am ready for more temperate weather so I can move most of this training outside, though.  If you are running, cycling, swimming, jumping rope, P90X-ing, Insanity-ing (huh?) join me at Dailymile.com and we can encourage one another.

And now ... drum-roll please ...

Last week (bleccchhh!)

 

This week

Two pounds back in the right direction!  So let me see if I've got this straight ... work out two day a week, eat mass quantities of hot-rolls and biscuits, and gain 2 pounds ... work out five days a week, eat sensibly, and lose 2 pounds ... hmmm.  I may be on to something here.

Do what's important!

bb

Oh Spring -- how I await thee ...

What a crazy week!

This past Thursday the Anti-Global Warming arrived ... also known as Icepocalypse 2010. It was crazy. We made 45 runs at the fire department in one day ... mostly downed and sparking power lines, but there was one house fire for good measure.

The storm made it look like I live somewhere down the road from the White Witch in Narnia ... "always winter but never Christmas." Never saw a wardrobe or lamp-post, though.


We lost power at the house around 3:00 pm on Thursday and it didn't come back on until sometime Sunday morning. We weren't there ... it was about 45 degrees in the house and my good wife wasn't interested in staying. We took over the spare room at her parent's house. Lights, heat, tv, and internet. Oh, the things we miss when we don't have electricity. I spent a lot of time on OG&E's website waiting for the number of "Customers Affected" to drop to zero.





Of course the storm affected my training. The pool was shut down, the treadmill doesn't work without electricity, and since I wasn't at home I didn't have my bike and trainer. What I did have was plenty of hot rolls, biscuits, Cheez-its, etc ... you can probably tell where this is going. Of course, dailymile.com sent me a glowing report, but I just think they're trying to butter me up.


So, here's the damage report ...

Last week ...















This week ...















Yep ... 2 more pounds in the wrong direction! And to top it all off ... the treadmill stopped working this morning.

I'm ready for Spring.