faster.

I saw a good documentary this week about grand prix motorcycle racing called Faster. Here is the trailer...

Faster Movie Trailer - Watch more funny videos here
Definitely worth a watch and Netflix has it. I think it is to motorcycles like the movie King Lines is to climbing in that you don't have to be a fan or know anything about it at all, but you will still find the movie entertaining.
I learned some things. For instance, I always knew that racers touched their knees on the ground, but I thought it was more a function of leaning over so far and the knee protection was there so they wouldn't get scraped up. In actuality, the knee is purposely touched to the ground to provide balance, stability, and maneuverability. And as for the safety of the sport, only three people have ever died in the history of Moto GP. Nascar had four deaths alone in the 2000-2001 season. The bikes have 220+ horsepower, which is a good number for a car. The highest speed ever reached was 217 mph, which is 117 more than my speedometer even goes to!
The weather cooled off dramatically this week, so much so that we have a chance of snow showers over the next few days and some of the resorts are already starting snow making. Things are supposed to get back to normal by the end of this week. This is making my commute to work a little colder, but so far I have been ok. Last night coming home it was in the 40's and I could feel a line of cold on my chest and stomach where the zipper on my jacket is. Other than that my fingers and toes got a little chilly, but I guess that is to be expected.
Today I am making some chili to take the chill out a bit. It has been years since I have made chili and it smells so good right now. I can't wait to have a bowl.
Work is ok. I got employee of the month for August which was nice. I got a $100 gift card.
I am thinking about finding another job though and giving up my room service shifts as they have been very slow and the new manager has been keeping me really late just in case we might get an order. Last Thursday and Friday I was there for 16 hours and walked with 47 for those two days. For two days I made 7.69 an hour with my hourly of 4.75. I could make more at Walmart.
I am working on my resume and having the same troubles - how to make basically the same thing I have done at any job sound different. I had a few suggestions from people over the years so I am working on it.
I just found out that The Oceanaire in Philly closed with no notice in July after the company declared bankruptcy. I hope everyone there is doing well and were able to find new jobs.
We have decided on the dates for our trip to So Ill, and those are October 25- November 2. I am really looking forward to it. We will drive out the 25th and back on the 2nd. Lots of climbing in between! I feel like I have been getting stronger recently. Hopefully the training will pay off.
Tomorrow is our third anniversary. I am happy about that. I got Katie a cute card and a cactus and a nice pot for it. She had a little barrel cactus that Gunner knocked over a few times and eventually it died. I was thinking about getting her some flowers, but I thought about replacing her cactus as well as getting her something that will last for many years hopefully instead of being thrown out in a week. The local garden store (which was very nice!) had a pretty good selection of succulents. This is the one I decided on. It is not a barrel cactus, but I thought it had a pretty unique look.

Training continued.

Well I have been back into training mode at the gym. I am climbing 5 days a week and trying to do systems and or campus training twice a week, after my rest days. Yesterday was one of those training days, unfortunately I felt like I hadn't recovered all that much on my rest day, so I did a nice endurance day, climbing a ton of easier problems and following that up with 45 minutes on the tread wall.
While I feel as though I am getting stronger, at the same time I am so tired from harder climbing so much that I feel like I am getting weaker. Maybe a more accurate way of saying it is that my fingers and forearms are so sore from working so hard that I am physically having a harder time holding on.
I am thinking I will still workout 5 times a week, but maybe make two of those days weights and possibly light climbing. They don't have many machines at The Spot, but I should be able to replicate most of the workout I was doing a year or so ago when I joined a gym near my parents house. I know I will be majorly sore at first, but one of the things I really like about lifting is that once I have a few weeks in me, I never get sore because everything is worked out pretty much to the maximum it can be. I stopped using weights when I moved here because after going to a real gym, I realized I simply don't have enough weights to exercise myself properly.
There is a younger guy who I see at the gym here and there. He is super strong but I have never talked to him because he looks majorly pissed off all the time. I talked to him a bit the other day when he picked up a 12 lb dumbbell while I was using the other one. He was doing one arm lockoff lowers and pullups with 12 lbs in his other hand. He would never win any body building contests, but for just maxiumum strength I am sure he has most of those guys beat hands down.
This Sunday is my birthday. I am 29 this year. I feel so old and it feels like every year goes by faster and faster. I swear it was just spring yesterday and now fall is arriving. I remember being younger and it seeming like it would be forever until I got older and could drive, see r rated movies, drink, etc. I had a pretty great childhood and I can say that all those things aren't quite the great thing you think they will be when you are younger.
And thanks mom and dad for the taffy which arrived today. Delicious as always!

9/08/2004

Today is the best day of my life. Why? Because today is September eighth, and on that day in 2004 I was diagnosed with cancer.

I have been thinking a lot recently about those times and things that happened with them. During treatment I experienced the worst pain I will ever feel in my life by far. Nothing before was even close, and short of going through it again, nothing ever will be.

I saw the best in people. I had a lot of people who I didn't know very well or at all reach out to me and help me in any way they could. The staff at the hospital couldn't have been nicer. I saw people who were all radiation burned still smiling, and I became one of them.

A lot of people helped me get better. All of my friends did so much for me. My girlfriend at the time did her best. My family was always there.

I later found out that my mom called that day the worst day of her life. Worse than even her own skin cancer. But I am still alive, still here and enjoying everyday I have.

My birthday and anniversary are coming up shortly, but I would have neither if not for this day. I am happy to say I am still cancer free and looking forward to the future.

Thank you to anyone who has ever been in my life. I love you all.