What I've Learned in Five Weeks

Ah, that point in time when habits are forming and results are actually starting to show. My word count has now reached the 30,000 mark on my novel although I must admit there have been a couple days I missed due to any reasonable excuse I can come up with. But one thing I have found is that I am able to sit down a write when I may be tired or just not feeling it. And that's only because I have learned that by the time I'm fifteen or twenty minutes into it, I'm enjoying it! So I sit and I write. I also know that there are times when what I'm writing is junk and probably wont up up being part of the finished product. But that's OK! That's what the writing process is about and most of all, what the editing process is about.

And the exercise program is going great! Those first four weeks are tough mentally. Probably the hardest part is putting in so much work and effort and expecting to see dramatic results that just aren't there. It's the paper towel theory! And I've said it before, I believe we are programmed to get things instantly and easily and that's just not always the case. Why else would people be making money off things like Thirty Second Abs or Fat Burner pills? Or how about Ninety Days to the Perfect Body? Think that would sell if it was Perfect Body In One Quarter of a Year, which is exactly what it is? But I digress. This past week I was able to look in the mirror and see changes and that is a huge motivator. But I have learned that in any long term program you're in, you have to have faith in the process and listen to people who have been there and know what the end result is. And based on what I've read, I'm not expecting to see the huge results until about the eight week mark. I also try to set up motivators to keep me going. In my writing that may be reading about someone from a critique site that actually has a novel completed or perhaps someone who was just published. And when it comes to exercise, believe it or not, those silly Saturday morning commercials with every gimmicky exercise device or program out there is motivational. Seeing people transform themselves helps keep me going and allows me a glimpse at what the end result of discipline and hard work will get you.

Finally, this week I learned to set small benchmarks and enjoy the ride. You never know where the little things will take you. I had no idea when I started this blog, what the goal was or what my focus would be. In fact, I still really don't! But I know it has kept me going and pushed me to write my six hundred words a day. And it really is rewarding seeing people begin to follow you and actually take time to write comments. And when I decided to really put an effort into studying nutrition and exercise, I had no clue about the world record spin class attempt I was part of this weekend. It was only because of what I started over a month ago and it led to such an amazing experience and I'm sure will lead to more. In fact, I met some people down there who are talking about participating in a sprint triathlon and it looks like I'll be trying it myself! There's a quote by Joseph Campbell that sums this up nicer than I ever could. “When you follow your bliss... doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors; and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else.”

Guinness, Will You Count Again?

The day started with a four hour drive and a chance to make history. With an opportunity to mark something off my bucket list, I was heading to Houston City Center to participate in the worlds largest spin cycling class put on by Lifetime Fitness. The drive was a little too early for me but pleasant once I found decent radio stations. And on a side note, I never realized how many fishing talk shows are on Texas radio at five in the morning.

With the Houston skyline in my view I finally arrived and, after a couple wrong turns, found the event thanks to the nearly one thousand people walking around in the same blue and white cycling shirts and a sea of spin bikes parked on the outdoor plaza as well as the upstairs plaza of one of the hotels. I signed in and received my shirt and quickly headed inside to slip into it, eager to lay claim to my bike as I watched the plaza filling up. When I found a bike I started a few conversation with some of the people around me who were just as excited as I was to be part of this event. The weather was perfect and the people watching was fun. Costumes, such as the guys wearing seventies afro wigs or the man clad as a viking, were seen here and there and some parents brought there younger kids and made it a family event.

Finally, with bikes filled and a buzz filling the air, the DJ brought the place to life with, Lets Get it Started by The Black Eyed Peas and the place erupted. And for the next two hours we pedaled and sweat like we had jumped into a pool. Fortunately there were staffers passing out bottles of water and bananas for anyone in need. On prompts from the ten instructors spread around the event, we were up, then down, then tightening our wheels to make it harder to pedal, then back up again before sitting back down. This routine went on the entire time but the music and instructors were nothing but great and made the time go by quickly.

And so, after two painstaking hours, the news was out. News I wasn't anticipating and that was difficult to imagine looking out at the swarm of participants. We fell short of the record by a little over a hundred people. But what's interesting is that it really didn't make much of a difference to those who participated. We were all part of something special that brought so many people together. Shoppers at the outdoor mall stopped and watched with smiles, walking back and forth taking pictures or dancing to the music. People who had never met before were hugging and shaking hands, taking pictures together as news cameras and photographers captured the moments. And as much as I wanted to get that record, the experience was once in a lifetime and I was thrilled to be a part of it. And so, while I still have that item on my bucket list, I will search for another opportunity but treasure the experiences that I find as I search.

Writers on Writing - Getting Past Writer Block

Great video from various authors on writing. Biggest takeaway in my opinion is one I always try to adhere to. Just write, regardless if you're not feeling it or you feel like what you're writing is no good. You'll be glad you did.

How Hard Would You Work For Greatness

I came across this video clip and thought it was truly inspiring. A must see that we can all apply to any area of our lives and truly a testament that greatness comes from hard work, determination and passion. What's funny is that I have heard similar messages from other people at the top of their game. Coincidence?

Guinness Book of Worlds Records, Here I Come

Ever wanted to get into the Guinness Book of World Records? Well, so have I. Only problem was, I didn't have the talent (or some freakish abnormality) to make it in. As a youngster, my friends and I tried hundreds of acts of daring or skill we thought we just might be able to master. We caught coins off our elbow (world record is 338 coins), pogo sticked as long as we possibly could (world record is over 23 miles), and tried to catch a raw egg as far as we could possibly throw one (world record is 332 feet). Needless to say, we never came close but I thank you Mike, Jeff, Danny and Steve for all giving the effort.

Fast forward a few years and it looks like I will finally get the opportunity to fulfill this lifelong dream. It's rare that something like this comes along but when it did, I had no choice. And so, this weekend I will hopefully make that dream come true. There are factors that play into succeeding but the attempt will be made and hopefully, come Saturday afternoon, history will be made.

I will post the outcome this on Sunday along with a few pictures to document this momentous time of my life and in the mean time, wish me luck.

But I So Wanted to Believe It

In this day and age, with every technological advancement we make comes some a group of super nerds who can manipulate that technology for the good of evil. I now have to be careful of taking pictures with my phone because there's something called a metatag that allows people to see exactly where I was when I took the picture. And don't even try to log on to an un-secured wireless network or you risk having some evil hacker take over your computer, download all your passwords, empty your bank account, steal your identity, steal your wife, get you fired from your job and get your dog to turn on you.

But every now and then something comes along that you watch and say to yourself, how cool is that! Which is what happened to me this weekend as I came across an e-mail a good friend had sent me. The video showed a man hacking into the video billboards in Time Square and putting himself on the screens, using only his cell phone, a "transmitter," and a red balloon. I was amazed and applauded the genius of this man and immediately sent the video to other friends of mine to enjoy.

Well, turns out the whole thing was a hoax. You see, there's this thing called viral advertising that has taken off in the past few years. Ad agencies create something so unbelievable and stick it on the internet in hopes of it going viral and making news. Which is exactly what happened here. The video was all set up for the movie Limitless with Bradley Cooper. There is no hacking into Times Squares video boards but rather the company behind all this paid to show the videos at specific times giving the impression they were being hacked. Twice in the clip, the mans broadcast interrupts an ad for the movie, something I caught the first time I saw it but didn't put two and two together.

And so, while I am somewhat dissapointed that there was know super technology allowing people with cell phones to hack into giant computer screens, I must applaud the genius of the advertising agency. And so to them I say, well played my friends.

Dear Blank, Please Blank

I've often wondered how my kids can spend so much time on the internet, surfing page to page like a longboard rider off the coast of Hawaii. The number of times my daughter has stopped me in my tracks to show me the latest youtube sensation or a new game is too much to remember. And while I do admit I did sign on to play Words with Friends (isn't that really just Scrabble?) after being told about it by my son, for the most part I try and stay away from the mind numbing nothingness that is so prevalent on the internet.

But then yesterday I stumbled upon a site they had left up on my Ipad. It was a site called dear blank please blank and instantly I was hooked. I couldn't stop reading and trying to come up with my own clever messages. Basically it's nothing more than a site that allows users to write a simple note to a selected celebrity, politician, etc., followed by a brief, funny quip and then signed by the appropriate sender. An example I came across:

Dear Nickleback,

That's enough.

Signed, The World

And so for the next two hours I read note after note, running into the bedroom to make my wife listen to every funny message I came across. And each time she gave me the same look I give my children when they do the same...but that's different. And then I came up with a couple myself to submit with a little help from my children. If I make it on, I'll definatley post them. In the mean time, maybe I'll pay a little more attention to what my kids want to show me on the internet.