That's My Soul Up There

On The Path

2012-01-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm back on the training.

I've been keeping up with my base fitness throughout 2011, but now it's time to get serious.

I'm on a very regimented 20 week build up plan to the Ironman which started last week.

It's starting out pretty easy-only 8 hours for the week. The point is consistency.

"If you can handle this first week of training everyday, you're fitness level is adequate to begin The Plan."

This week will step up to 9 hours. The workouts usually consist of two disciplines. Tomorrow will be a 2600m swim followed by a 45 minute (5 mile) run.

I've also gotten all my fitness supplements totgether: Whey Protein shake, Complex Carb shake, Soy shake, glutomine, glucosamine chondroitin, vitamin C, fish oil, and flax seed.

haha!

All of this, plus NOT OVERDOING IT should keep me on the path of Injury-free-quick-recovery.

I will NOT be playing any basketball this year, nothing extra that can risk an injury... except for horseback riding. Jeez... That's probably the most dangerous thing of all... oh well.

KoP

The List 2012

2011-12-30T15:21:00.000-08:00

So. Here we are. The end of 2011. In a nutshell, this year has sucked.

While it's not the worst year on record (that would be 2006), it's been a pretty rough ride, a close second.

But, I hate to complain, and this really isn't about all that...

To be honest, I'm just trying out a new bluetooth keyboard I got for the new iPad I got for Christmas.

It's tiny and will definitely take some getting used to.

I was hoping to do more writing with it, maybe even write everyday, but let's face it- I'm not exacly "consistent' with that little New Years resolution. I'm not going to say that I'll do it this year, maybe just write as much as I can.

So far, typing with this little keyboard is a pain. It IS faster than a thumb keyboard on a phone, but I look like I'm trying to play the world's tiniest piano. My fingers are just to big.

Anyway, unlike last year, I'm going to write out a List for 2012. Maybe that will help this year flow a little better.

Ok. I'm going to do this right now, otherwise, I'll put it off because I am the KingOfPain aka KingOfProcrastination...

The List

1. Train hard.

2. Complete the Texas Ironman on May 19th.

3. Keep my family first. They are already first, but maintaining this is a constant struggle with outside forces always jockying for my time.

4. Stay on course with our financial goals.

5. Sell the house before the end of Summer.

6. Move to a ranch. We're thinking between 10-20 acres, hopefully an equestrian setup with a nice, single story ranch house already in place, but we're willing to build. I'm really keen on becoming more self-sufficient. I want to have some livestock, gardens, alternative power, food stores, and a well. Basically everything that a working ranch would need, plus be ready for the coming alien-zombie apocalypse.

7. Actually, number 6 should be for 2013, especially if we build. 2012 will be spent getting everything we need prepared and in place to have the number 6 of our dreams.

8. I think it's a good year for a Guy's Trip to the mountains. I smell a 14er in my future...

9. And of course, I think it's a good year for anoither roadtrip for Amy and I.

10. I'm going to write more, but no promises on an everyday thing. You know? I've BEEN posting almost everyday of 2011, just not here. I usually post photos on Instagram. Great. Now I feel less guilty. See? Things are looking up aready.

11. I may add to this later, but this is what I've got so far.

KoP

Not Off, Off To Work

2011-06-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday and I'm at work.
It's ok though. I need the overtime. I'm used to making tons of overtime, but my four and a half months on disability left me with only base pay. That's still not bad, especially when it was full pay, but I'm used to the extra, the cream.
Today I'm making cream.

It's been hot around here: 95-98 with a heat index of 105+. Stifling.
Amy and Tristan are at her mother's, playing with the horses and having a ::sniff:: great Summer without me. Haha. It's lonely when I get home and the house is dark, but I know they're having a good time and I don't want to impede that. I think Amy is staying there until Monday, but I know "something" will come up and she'll want to stay longer, "something" like horseback riding. Haha.

I'm more awake than usual. Privacy because I got more sleep than usual, PLUS, I'm drinking coffee this morning, something which I have stopped doing. I must be getting tired in my old age. Things like playing music all night when I get home from work just aren't sounding so fun to me lately. MAYBE if I had some coffee before hand. I always have rush of inspiration after a cup.
Actually, I wonder if there is some Multivitamin or other supplement I should be taking at this age, almost 40.

I should go to a sports doc and get a blood workup so they can tell me where I am, how healthy, or not, I am, and if there is anything I my body needs.

Ok enough rambling. Off to work I go.

KoP

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R A I N!!!

2011-06-22T07:00:00.001-07:00

RAIN!!!
rainrainrainrainrainrainrain!!!

We have FINALLY gotten some rain today.
I think we've had maybe 2 days of slight rainfall in the past 6 months.

I was on a bike ride this morning, I was going for an intense 20 miler, but the wind and, yes, rain! slowed me down on the way back. It both sucked and was awesome at the same time.
I think it's supposed to rain most of the day and some tomorrow.

I think these weird weather patterns and drought are due to El Ninõ, the baby, or something like that. I'm ready for it to leave.

When we were on our road trip through Carlsbad, New Mexico, hey told us they hadn't had rain in over a year.
How's the weather where you are?

KoP

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Where'd I Go?

2011-06-21T12:46:00.001-07:00

Well, APPARENTLY I took a vacation from my writing commitment as well.

The rest of our trip went well. I'll go back and (catch up) post some pics later.
When we got home, the AC was still broken. Ha! I guess it didn't fix itself while we were away.
The day we got back, I went to the supply store and bought a new fan motor for it, but because of some compatibility issues, it didn't start. It took me several days of working and troubleshooting to finally get it working. I may have saved a few hundred dollars, but I very easily could have caused thousands of dollars in damage.
I was lucky. Lesson learned.

I'm also finally back at work. My foot is almost completely healed now. I wasn't exactly "released" from my doc, but nobody's asking so I'm not telling.
This company sucks. Wow. I had forgotten how much they treat us like naughty children.
Somethings gotta change. Seriously considering going back to school and changing fields.
Any suggestions?

I ALSO started running again. Wow. Painful, but good. I'm on a slow slow build up now.

KoP

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Adventure Trip 2011 Day 4

2011-06-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

6-1-11
Last night, I got a few night shots of the city of Sedona. Beautiful.
We woke up around 8ish, and started packing up to head towards the Grand Canyon.
We stopped at an RV camp and paid $7 for showers. The owner of the place showed us several spots that we HAD to check out in the canyon.
One place was called Desert View, aka Seven Sunsets, aka Lookout Tower. It was a spectacular sunset, and it really was as if the sun were setting in different directions one after another.

We met a couple from Boston and talked photography for a while. You meet all sorts of people on these roadtrips...

Before the Seven Sunsets, we had to get a campsite. We really lucked out and found a site for two nights. I think it was one of the last ones available too because an hour later, there was a long line of unhappy campers at the registration office. I was telling Amy we could probably sell our slot for $300.
She said no...

I'm all out of order on how we got here anyways, so let me just tell you now how AWESOME the Grand Canyon is:
It's pretty awesome!
It's hard to judge just how big it is. Your senses are too overwhelmed with the shear immensity of it.
Amy and I were awestruck. I'm sure this is the general consensus.

Since we hung around at the Seven Sunsets until after dark, we got back to camp for an after dark dinner. Amy grilled up some fine turkey and cheese sandwiches on whole wheat. A FEAST in the outdoors.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to do some mountain biking, and maybe hike down into the canyon.

KoP

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Adventure Trip 2011 Day 3

2011-05-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

5-31-11

Today has been such a great day!

Right now, I'm laying down, writing in our tent. I might add, I'm laying down on a very comfortable air mattress which we exchanged today. Ahhhh.
It's supposed to be 12:10am, but it's actually only 10:10pm. Pacific time I think...

We started out the day from Socorro, New Mexico at around 9am after breakfast and a quick camp breakdown.
We were looking for the VLA and found it! Actually you can't miss it driving on highway 60. Those dishes are HUGE!!
We got out at different points around the compound and took a load of pics. I also went inside the visitor's center and got some pamphlets before we hit the road again, bound for Arizona.

It was weird , as SOON as we crossed the border, everything got sort of foggy, hazy.

Turns out, brush fires were running amuck everywhere. We never actually saw the fires, but the smoke and stench went on for 30 or 40 miles. This area, as well as a LOT of the southwest is under a really bad drought. In fact, we were told that Carlsbad, NM hasn't had any rain in over a year! Really bad fire conditions...
After a while, the air finally cleared and things were looking up. We stopped of at the Petrified forest and Painted Desert national parks and took some pics. Good stuff.

Eventually we made it to Sedona. WOW.
Absolutely stunning! Beautiful red rock cliffs everywhere. The sunset was amazing...

We learned a little something here:
The best place to find out about campsites and places to go is from the local tour guide.
That guy really filled us in. We ended up driving into the mountains and have witnessed some AMAZING scenery! Right out of a western...
Gotta have a 4x4! Woohoo!!

We have a beautiful campsite overlooking Sedona. I plan on getting some night shots of the city later tonight.

Ok... Gotta crash.

Night

KoP

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Adventure Trip 2011 Day 2

2011-05-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

5-30-11

So, we ended up getting to Carlsbad at around 4:30am.
I was pretty tired so we just slept in the car for a bit until morning when we would decide what to do.
The caverns were never really high up on the priority list and we wanted to get a little further down the road.
Carlsbad just doesn't have a whole lot going on. We stopped off at the camp grounds where we WERE going to stay the night. After a shower it was back on the road again.

We headed north to Roswell. We didn't see any spaceships, but we DID get a few pics of an alien.

On to White Sands.
Wow. What a cool place! It's basically a National Park desert area where the sand is made of basalt. It's very white and, even though the sun is blazing down, it's cool to the touch, and feels really good on bare feet. The military even does some sort of missile testing at another part of the desert.
The wind, oh man, the wind was blowing so hard, there was a white dust cloud over the entire area that you could see from miles away. The ranger said it was always like that this time of year so no worries. Actually, the wind has been CRAZY for this entire trip. I don't think I've ever seen it like this...

From White Sands, we proceeded northwest to Socorro. A small town that ALSO didn't have very much going on. We finally found some information on a place called "Box Canyon". That's where we would stay the night.
We had a lot of fun getting to it. You have to have a four wheel drive and rock crawl for several miles. Well, maybe you don't HAVE to do it, but that's what we did and it was a highlight! Fun!! That Lexus really handles well in four wheel drive and I suddenly don't see it as a girl's SUV anymore. Haha good times to come!
We set up camp on a rocky hilltop and discovered that the new air mattress we JUST bought was missing the end cap. Luckily, we brought our smaller backpacking air mattresses too so we set those up and had a so-so sleep.

I want to break my mountain bike out and hit some of these hills... Soon enough. Maybe when we get to the Grand Canyon.

From White Sands, we proceeded northwest to Socorro. A small town that ALSO didn't have very much going on. We finally found some information on a place called "Box Canyon". That's where we would stay the night.
We had a lot of fun getting to it. You have to have a four wheel drive and rock crawl for several miles. Well, maybe you don't HAVE to do it, but that's what we did and it was a highlight! Fun!! That Lexus really handles well in four wheel drive and I suddenly don't see it as a girl's SUV anymore. Haha good times to come!
We set up camp on a rocky hilltop and discovered that they new air mattress we had JUST bought was missing the cap. Luckily, we brought our smaller backpacking air mattresses too so we set those up and had a so-so sleep.

I want to break my mountain bike out and hit some of these hills... Soon enough.
Maybe when we get to the Grand Canyon.

KoP

Adventure Trip 2011 Day 1

2011-05-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

5-29-11
Well, Amy and I are officially on our 2011 Adventure Trip. We left from Houston around 12:30, almost a full hour later than anticipated.
It sort of set the standard really, this first day hasn't exactly gone according to plan. That's the thing though, there really is no plan. We were going to stay the night in Fredericksburg, but then decided that it's a little hot there for camping out, AND the faster we get to New Mexico, the sooner our trip REALLY starts.
Somewhere along the way, we learned that the GPS is not completely reliable. Actually, I think the first time we got lost, it was our fault. We were talking or singing nursery rhymes or something and passed a turn. Instead of going West, we were headed due north for about 60 miles before we realized we were going the wrong direction. Never a dull moment. Once we corrected our course and got down the road a bit, Amy started talking about visiting an uncle of her's that she hadn't seen in twenty years or so. He's a really good horse trainer, and I've always heard about him, but had never met him so I was down. Also, this was the zig to our previous zag. We were NOT making a lot of headway... We called her uncle and he gave us his address which we punched into the GPS. The GPS didn't find the EXACT address, but something that looked good enough to me. They live in the country outside of San Saba. The GPS sent us about 30 miles in the opposite direction of their home before we realized we had been duped. I'm in a love/hate relationship with the GPS at this point. Anyway, we finally made it to their house where he showed us around to the horses and stables, which were beautiful by the way. He's a real "horse whisperer" sort of trainer. Very gentle. He walked us into the pen with the horses and told us about how he trains. He explained that it's a trust relationship, and that these horses didn't bite, or kick, or act crazy. It was pretty cool when four of the horses came to check us out. They sniffed and nuzzled at us, and acted like they wanted us to pet and love on them. Very cool, like a bunch of Boxers really (best dog on the planet). We stayed there for about two hours, before we said goodbye. It's already dark and we still have over 400 miles to drive. We've decided to push all the way to Carlsbad, New Mexico before stopping tonight. Tomorrow, we'll see the caverns there, then move on to Roswell, White Sands, and Sorocco. It'll be a fun day, just gotta get this big drive out of the way.

KoP

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Snakebite Fever

2011-05-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

Last night as I lay in bed, our boxer Layla climbed up and was nuzzling me, trying to get me to let her under the covers.
This is typical of her, and I usually let her in depending on whether it's too hot or not.
I didn't let her under, so she lay down and put her head right next to mine, breathing right in my ear.
It struck me as a little weird, but it wasn't until Amy climbed into bed about an hour later that I knew something was wrong.
Amy shook me awake and in a worried voice told me to get up and turn on the light.
Layla's face was swollen badly. Her eyes were swollen almost completely shut.
We examined her muzzle and finally found the tell-tale signs of a snake bite.
This is Copperhead country. This is the THIRD time she's been snake bit!
We called the vet, and he said as long as her breathing isn't labored or cut off, she should be ok with some Benadryl.
This morning, she's still pretty swollen, but seems to be better. She's country strong. ha!

Planning for our roadtrip is still underway. We've made some pretty big changes today, but that's the beauty of it: No Firm Agenda.
Plans will probably change even more along the way. It's going to be fun!

KoP

Our Hero Does AC Repair

2011-05-27T21:07:00.001-07:00

So we got up this morning with the AC still not working. HOWEVER, luckily, I had bought a very small window unit to cool a small part of the house last year. It's tiny, but it managed to keep that room cool, so that's where we slept.

After Amy did some research on the Internet, we figured that the problem was either the outside fan motor, or the capacitor.
I bought a capacitor for $40, and installed it. It worked... better, but the motor was still having trouble. I can get a motor for $200, and install it as well. I probably saved myself a couple of hundred bucks by doing it myself, and I feel like a hero. ::ahem::

We're off in the country for my Father in Law's birthday so I'm going to go check out the starry sky now. Cya.

KoP

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AC Woe

2011-05-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

Our AC is broke. Yay!
It's 10:30 and 82 degrees in the house...

KoP

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Herman Memorial Ironman Woodlands Texas 2011

2011-05-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

OK. I'm here to write for a minute.

Volunteering for The Ironman

Wow.
It was one of those most profound experiences in life. Helping others achieve their goals and dreams...
The night before, I could hardly go to sleep even though I knew the next day's schedule would be grueling. I must have woken up every 15 minutes between 11pm and 2:45am, but I was full of energy and sprang right out of bed.
When we got to the area where we would be doing our body marking, it was 4am and other volunteers were starting to show up. The team captain was kind of a goof ball lady that looked exactly like I thought she would.
I'm all about having a good time while I work and everything, but through emails, she had expressed how she wanted everyone to dress up in 70's attire, disco clothes and all that. She was dressed in a head to toe, tight, but you wished it wasn't, tie-dyed, body suit. She looked kind of like a clown. Of the 25 or so body marking volunteers, only about 4 dressed to the hilt. Everyone else was there in "normal" clothing ready to work. My friends and I knew we were going to be there all day since we had volunteered for so many other departments, no way were we going to costume out.
It was HIGHLY unorganized. there was no rhyme or reason to how the athletes should come to us, but all 2,200 of them HAD to. Somehow, we got the job done.
Bodymarking

Off to the race start!
AS soon as we were finished, I made my way to the bridge which crossed the lake directly above the start line. I climbed up on the rail of the bridge and wobbled there for 20 minutes so I could video the start. The energy was AMAZING! The music was jamming and the athletes were making their way into the water.
2,200 swimmers treading water, waiting, pumped, psyched, scared, ready to get the show on the road. We knew the time was near when the droning guitar riff for Black Sabbath's "Ironman" came on. The crowd and athletes went nuts. At the end of the song, the gun went off and the racers took off.
Crazy!

We made our way to the next part of our day: Wetsuit stripping. When the athletes complete the 2.4 mile swim, they come out of the water, lay on the ground, and we rip the wetsuits off.
EXCEPT, the captain saw me and my friends and decided to put us on the rail. The rail was a group of stairs the athletes climb to exit the water. They were steep, and the athletes were exhausted so we would give them a hand and help them out.
I gotta tell ya, it was incredible, like being a midwife or something helping someone give birth.
It was almost spiritual. Probably my favorite part of the day.

There is a time cutoff for each part of the race. For the swim it is 2 hours and 20 minutes. That's a lifetime in the water, but some people unfortunately don't make it in time. One of the most energetic moments during the swim was when that clock was ticking down and the LAST person to make it was coming around the corner. Everyone was going nuts! Some Journey song was blaring, "Don't stop believing". He made it by about 15 seconds.
Unfortunately, the guy behind him MISSED the cutoff by about 20 seconds.
At that point, they take your timechip and you are done. You don't get to compete in any of the rest of the race. Bummer.
Very sad...
I found a Youtube video of the action. I'm in the middle somewhere...

After this, we had a little downtime, so we got something to eat and decided what to do next.
This is transition before the athletes get in from the swim:

And after:

We were on our way to our assigned run course water station, when an Ironman official asked us to man an uncontrolled intersection just before the bike finish. It was cool for a while because we got to see Chris Lieto, the number one cyclist in triathlon finish a full 8 minutes ahead of ALL the other pro athletes. Later, during the run, he had to drop from the race with an Achilles injury.
We manned that intersection for about two scorching hours before we finally moved on to an ice cream store for a break. haha

We decided to head to the finish line early to sign in and get our volunteer tee shirts. In restricted areas like that, the tee shirts were color coded and you had to have them on to get in. Kinda cool, I got two shirts out of the deal. IRON TEAM haha

After registering, we hung out with some friends who were the family of a racer. I know this racer from a race we did together a couple of years earlier.
Before, this guy was a runner. I remember back then he has so nervous about that 300 yard swim. haha
He KILLED the Ironman in under 12 hours. Awesome for a first timer.

When we finally saw him pass on the run course, we took a break for dinner. Mexican food.

With nothing better to do, we decided to go early to our post at the Finish Line.
Let me tell you: another AMAZING, spiritual experience.
Almost every athlete that came through was staggering and in a state of total exhaustion. We had a routine for escoting the athletes as they came through the line, give them a water bottle, guide them to the a person that would put the Ironman Finisher medal around their neck, guid them to get their picture taken, guide them to the Time Chip retriever, then escort them out of the area while explaining where the massage area was, medical, and athlete refreshments were.
It was a little bit assembly line... I would rather have been able to spend more time with each athlete, but there were more that 2,200 of them finishing throughout the night. We had to keep it moving.
For those that needed medical attention, and let me tell you, there were a LOT, wheelchairs were waiting to take them to the medical area pronto.
There were also medical personnel at the line to asses each athlete. It was quick paced, but they took care of everyone.
Here are some pics:

Medals

FINAL finisher before the cutoff.

We escorted this guy to medical.

At one point towards the end of the race, my friend and I escorted a very dehydrated athlete to medical. It was the first time I had been.
WOW. It was something of a triage with hospital beds spread throughout a warehouse area, maybe over 3000 or 4000 square feet. There was not a single empty bed. It looked like something out of a movie...

Back at the finish line, it was a HUGE party until midnight, the official cutoff time. 17 yours some of these racers had taken. 17 hours! That's a long time to exert yourself...
This guy made it with less thn 5 minutes to spare:

http://youtu.be/anc1P-A9s2A

There were a few racers that didn't make the cutoff, but they still made there way through the finish line.
The officials that were calling the names of each athlete as they crossed the line were saying that this Ironman Texas was the biggest crowd they had seen since Kona, Hawii '99.
Apparently, and this makes me proud, Texans like their triathletes!
It makes me happy, because I just KNOW that with this sort of exposure, and acceptance, Ironman will pronbably be here much longer than the slated 5 year contract.

One can hope!

Sunday, my friends and I went back to the Woodlands with our volunteer tee shirts and signed up for Ironman Texas 2012.
It sucked to drop $656, but it's on!
One year from now, I will be an Ironman.

KoP

Arrrgh!

2011-05-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

I AM going to write about the Ironman experience.
Right now. I'm going to write it right now.
Don't get up from this computer until you have written, Philip.

KoP

It's A Montage!

2011-05-24T08:06:00.001-07:00

Dang. So busy planning this road trip, I forgot to write.
Here's a little montage of iPhone pics. I WILL write about it today.
That's me at the bottom left actin' a fool. Haha

KoP

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Later

2011-05-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

Tired today. I'll post about the Ironman tomorrow.
Peace.

KoP

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IRONMAN

2011-05-21T06:24:00.000-07:00

Today is the Ironman.
INCREDIBLE.
I don't have time to say more right now. Very busy.
Fill you in later.

KoP

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The Day Before

2011-05-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, rather, very early tomorrow morning, 2:30am, I'll be getting up to head out to the first ever Ironman Texas 2011!
It's going to be a LOOOOONG day:

2:30am wakeup
3:15am meet up with the guys and head to The Woodlands.
4:15am volunteer meeting.
5:00am to 6:30am opens athlete entrance and begins body marking.
7:00am race begins.
8:00am first Elite racers should be coming out of the water, wetsuit strippers in place. I think we work that station until 10:00am.

After that, I dunno, lunch, nap, nap, hang out, nap.

5pm until? Work the finish line. There are different departments of that. The earliest Elite athletes will start crossing the finish line around 3pm. I just hope to see the two friends I know that are racing cross the finish line. That will probably be no earlier than 7pm.

Long day, but it's going to be incredible.

KoP

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Lights And Carrots And Sticks

2011-05-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

Today, Amy and I are going to meet up with a fellow photographer, her cousin actually.

She is taking a hiatus from the business of photography and so has offered to sell us a lot of her studio equipment very cheap.

Non-Strobed lights, backdrops, and props.
Awesome. I love getting new toys.

I went for a ride yesterday afternoon. It. Was. Hard.
Note to self, no more afternoon rides. The wind is up at that time. 17 mph head winds are just no fun. I rode 25 miles, but it felt like 50.
That being said, if I want to get a grueling workout in, afternoon is the PERFECT time of day.
The great news is that my knee didn't bother me at all. I think I can say: my IT band is finally healed.
Now, take it easy and build back up slow. No 100 mile rides for a while.

This Saturday is the Texas Ironman Race which I am volunteering for. As a volunteer, I'll have the opportunity to early register for the 2012 IM.
Cost: $625
Ouch.

If I look at it as a once in a lifetime, bucketlist sort of thing, I can swallow it, but man, that's a lot of dough to throw down for a single day of pain, and suffering, and fun... one YEAR from now.
Oh well. This is how these things are done.
It's the carrot on the stick that will keep me going hard for another year.

KoP

Fresh Start

2011-05-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

So I did next to nothing yesterday, and I slept a LOT, but today I feel GREAT!
I wasn't sleepy this morning when I got Tristan up for school, and I'm about to go on a bikeride.

I guess I needed a day of doing nothing, not that I've been all that busy lately, but I think my body has been overly tired, like it's not recovering.
My one very little workout since the race seemed to take it all out of me. Actually, I didn't even finish the workout.
Ok, body, I'm listening.
Let's see how we do today.

KoP

Lazy?

2011-05-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

I did almost NOTHING today.
Amy was at her parent's so I just hung out all day watching Ancient Aliens, playing on Instagram, and NOT writing.
I also helped Tristan with his homework.
Lazy much?

KoP

EVERY Day

2011-05-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

Philip, get back on the wagon and write every day. Sheesh.

KoP

Survivor

2011-05-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

I love Survivor.

KoP

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Shoppin'

2011-05-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

We checked out this girl today:

Horse shopping. Woohoo!

KoP

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Horses And In Laws

2011-05-13T22:24:00.001-07:00

I'm at my In Law's right now.
We came here to see a new horse that my Father in Law just bought.
His name is "Sticks", and he's a paint. A cool thing about him is that his birthday is the same as my son's, Feb 5th.

Its after midnight right now and I just came in from doing some more night photography. I hooked the camera unto my computer so I could do remote shooting which makes for a steadier shot.
The problem tonight is that the moon is pretty bright. Exposures over 5 minutes start getting washed out. Oh well. I'll try again during a new moon.
Tired. Night.

KoP

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Night Shots

2011-05-12T23:26:00.000-07:00

After rehearsal tonight, I took my camera and a tripod out to the lake to get some night shots.
It was all just experimental really.
I've been meaning to do that for a long time.
The limited light gives a very surreal look to the photos when you set up for a 30 second exposure.

They looked good on the display anyway.
I'll upload them to the computer for a better look tomorrow.
I'm beat. Night.

KoP

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Rain!!!

2011-05-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

It's RAINING!!!

We haven't had rain in almost 60 days.
My yard is thankful. So is the lake, which is drying up.

I think we'll be getting more rain tomorrow too. All of this while the rest of the country drowns in the deluge.
It's ironic.

KoP

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Straightened Out

2011-05-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

I had a little hiccup with my "short term disability" a few weeks ago that has FINALLY been ironed out.
My doc's visit from several weeks ago had the doc telling me I was not ready to be released for another 6 weeks. This didn't jibe well with the Disability office because the doc's clinical notes were not included in their update.
THIS caused them to stop my pay for about 3 weeks.
Not good. Not fun.

Ultimately, I had to go back in for another doc's visit just so I could explain to the doc that he needed to send detailed clinical notes and x-rays to the Disability office or I wouldn't be getting paid.
He was very understanding and got everything handled. I am now approved until June 15th.
I have to admit, I'm shocked that it's taking this long for this injury to heal. I realize I COULD be causing that myself... which is why I'm taking it easy from now until then. The doc says it's not me, it's just the nature of this type of break:Low blood flow means slow healing.
Gotta get this thing right.
At least now I won't be in the poor house while that happens.

KoP

Brainless

2011-05-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

True to my word, I did almost nothing today... except watch old season episodes of Survivor.
Gotta love the internet for all the retro tv shows. Endless hours of brainless fun.
Tomorrow I'm going back to the gym.

KoP

Today: Ow

2011-05-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

Today I'm a little sore from the race. Even the front of my neck is sore like I've been singing at the top of my lungs for hours.
I know I drank about three gallons of dirty pond water yesterday, so I'm a little bit afraid that I may have ingested something nasty. I've been watching too much House. Haha

My foot, rather, my ankle is sore too.
Big surprise.
Now that the race is over, I'm going to take every step to let it rest and heal. More swimming, moderate bike, moderate elliptical, just to stay in shape. I may lift a little more too.

It's all good in the hood.

KoP

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All Done

2011-05-07T20:25:00.001-07:00

Overall, the race went ok. I really was in it just for fun because of my foot. I knew there was no way I was going to break any personal records or anything.
It WAS fun.
The swim was absolutely terrible. The second worst swim race I've ever done.
My pre-race nutrition was just all wrong. I ate way too much, I drank coffee, and I had 800mg (4 tablets) of ibuprofen to block any foot or knee pain. This concoction, along with the cold water, and lack of ANY warm up exercises caused me to cramp up right away, I got kind of panicked and basically slogged through the entire swim course.
In used to waking up early, eat a banana and my pre-workout drink and then swim 2.4 miles. I can do this non-stop.
This morning, it was all about the timing mistakes, I guess. I was up at 4:30am, but the race didn't start until 7:05. I wanted to eat, but not be hungry by the time the race started. Coffee- big no no. Ugh.
Very irritating.
I should have just waited until 30 minutes before the race to do my normal thing. Note taken.

By the time I got out of the water, I was home free and really didn't care about transition times, I jus wanted to do well on the bike, and finish the run on two feet.
I averaged 21mph on the bike, which is good, and 10:20 min miles on the run just to get through it.
About halfway through the run, I kept telling myself:
"just take it easy, Phil. Nice and slow. You've got an injured foot and ankle. Easy."

That's when the guy with only one leg passed me.

I'm such a wuss. Hahaha!
It'll all come back.

It was a good race and I'm ready to volunteer for the Ironman on May 21st.

Transition area at about 6am this morning.

KoP

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The Night Before

2011-05-06T21:28:00.001-07:00

Pre-race jitters?
Not really.
I was just talking to Amy, reminiscing about my first triathlon in Athens, Tx a few years ago. Man, I couldn't sleep, and I must have gone over my gear a hundred times. I even practiced tying my shoes and strapping on my helmet.
Funny.
I've got all my gear together right now, packed away and sitting in the Jeep. I know what time I need to get up, and what I need to do when I get there.
I'm ready.
My wave goes into the water at 7:05am.
I'll be waking up at 4:30.

Amy will be there taking pictures as always. It's going to be a good day.

Here's the Swim start. Wish me luck!

KoP

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Closer...

2011-05-05T22:39:00.001-07:00

Two days until the race.
I'm getting excited. I think the water is going to be a little cold. I'm kind of a pansy with cold water. Messes up the breathing. It's been in the 50s in the mornings this week.
I have two different weather apps on my phone. One says it'll be 64 degrees at 7am on Saturday morning, the other says 72.
I dunno.
I'm going to bring my wetsuit, but it is a hinderance that could easily add 5 minutes to my overall time. If at ALL possible, I'm going in without it.

I finally got my bib number: 103
Cool.

KoP

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Race Timing

2011-05-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

Man.
I may have made a wee little mistake. I went to the gym yesterday afternoon and worked out arms. Those darn skull-crushers have my triceps really sore. I think it affected my swim... at least the way I FELT.
The swim itself went very well. I'm trying to figure out the best warm up before the race.
Go hard and fast for 300 meters or so, then get the heart rate back down before the 500 meter all-out swim,
Or
Go nice and easy for 400-500meters before going all out on the swim?
I think the latter is the way to go.
I've done the fast warm up, and my 500meter race tine was 8:28, which is AWESOME... except for one thing: I miscounted my laps. I only swam 450 meters...
That HAS to be the case because today I did the slow warm up and made SURE I got the full 500 meters in for a time of 8:52.
Now, that may seem slower than my other time, but it is, in fact, faster. It means I added 50 meters, but only added 34 seconds. That is VERY good.
I compared my time to race times from last year and it looks like 8:52 would fall somewhere around the top 10%.
I'd be happy with that. Heck, I might improve if this soreness goes away.
Fingers crossed...

KoP

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Hmm.

2011-05-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Where I spent a good portion of today... Rearranging then playing.

KoP

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All Things Work, But Not All Things Work

2011-05-02T22:59:00.000-07:00

I have a car that I haven't driven in a while.
A long while.

It's still a nice car, an Infiniti I30t, but it has a lot of miles so we drive the Jeep and our SUV.

I decided to run it for a bit today since it had been almost a month since I last started it.
No joy. The battery was completely dead. So I got the jumper cables and used the SUV to jump it. Worked like a charm, so I drove it to the gas station near the Walmart to fuel it up.
My plan was to leave it running while I pumped, but for some reason, it stalled and absolutely would not crank again.
Soooo I call Amy to bring the SUV and cables so I can jump it again. She can't find her keys... because I have her keys... AND my keys. So I tell her to get the spare Jeep key out of my backpack. No problem, except the SUV is blocking the Jeep in the garage. There are no spare SUV keys.
So, I walk to the Walmart an buy some jumper cables, walk back to the gas station and start asking people for a jump.
No luck until a wrecker pulls up and helps me out.
STILL no luck, it still doesn't have enough power to crank. After looking at the battery, I see that it has a three year warranty and that doesn't run out until August. Great!!
I borrow a crescent wrench, take out the battery, put it in a shopping cart, and make my way back to the Walmart.
They exchange the battery without a receipt, almost without question. That's pretty cool because it's a $100 battery.
I wheel the new battery back to the car, drop it in, hand tighten the cables and I was off.

It seemed like everything was working against me, but in the end, everything worked out fine, AND I got a free battery out of it.

I'm tired.
The End

KoP
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OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD!

2011-05-01T20:05:00.001-07:00

OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD!

Anything else I had to say today can wait.

KoP

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Promises, Promises

2011-04-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday for training I did a 2.4 mile swim.
I took it KIND of easy and added a minute to my time for it, 1 hour 25 minutes. All done, then got some sun. I don't want to be looking like a pale ghost for next Saturday's race.

I did a little time trial swim earlier in the week and got a PR out of it (personal Record), 500 meters in 8 minutes 28 seconds. I KILLED it to get that time, so hopefully I can make that a little easier this following week where I will be just recovering and swimming. No heavy leg stuff.
That being said, I dunno... my foot and leg... I've been told by a friend who is an RN that I should have my ankle looked at. It's still the size of a large orange when it should be down to normal size by now. It's been almost 3 months...
APPARENTLY, the Orthopedic surgeon who's been treating me is ONLY interested in the broken bone... which still hasn't healed yet. The ankle, I just found out, is not a concern to him at all. I have to go to a foot specialist to look at that.
Wow.
You would think the doc would have mentioned that.
Anytime I would ask him about it, he would give a dismissive answer and say the broken bone is a bigger concern. I guess next week I'll go to a specialist and get it checked.
I'm probably doing to much... It's so hard to go easy, or just give up and do nothing at all, even IF it's for the best.
Some would call this addictive behavior. ha!

After the race next weekend, I promise to take it easy, IF that's what I must do.
AND, I won't go hard on the race... except for the swim. I want to be number one at that... especially since I'll be in last place for the "run" hobble.

KoP

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

2011-04-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

Wow. I spend far too much time on Instagram.
Not.
I love it, and if I love it, and no harm is being done, I should spend as much time on it as my little heart desires... as long as I keep my writing up... which I haven't.
oops.

KoP

Rascal

2011-04-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

This one is a rascal...

KoP

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A Call

2011-04-27T21:39:00.001-07:00

I got a call from my grandmother today. I haven't heard from her in a few years. I know: pathetic.

She was wondering if I had heard from my parents lately. I said no, and asked if she had spoken to them recently. She said she had talked to my mom (her daughter) about two weeks earlier and mom had mentioned that they were going to Branson, Mo on vacation.
She said she's been trying to get in touch with them, but no one answers. She called my brothers and sister and THEY didn't answer either.
Anyway, she's worried about them because of the storms that have been going on in Missouri?
I dunno...
I haven't spoken to my mom in almost a year, or my dad in over a year and a half. This is what happens when you disown your parents. Grandmaw seemed to know about the things that have transpired, but didn't offer to talk about it.
I understand.
It's a nasty, awful thing, and frankly, Dad could drive off into a raging river for all I care. It's no less than he deserves... except maybe he should have a millstone tied around his neck.

I should give Grandmaw a call sometime and just talk. I'm wrong for never doing that...

KoP

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5 or 6?

2011-04-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

Instagram excuse #5 or 6 or 7.

KoP

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#3

2011-04-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

Instagram excuse #3 ...I have to stop this madness!

KoP

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#2

2011-04-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Instagram excuse #2

KoP

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Shooting Up Galveston

2011-04-23T22:23:00.001-07:00

The fam and I spent time in Galveston today.
We ride out around noon and got back home just before 7.
We ha a pretty good time. MIL wanted to treat us to her favorite seafood restaurant down there, Bennos Was the name I think.
It was delicious. Soft shell crabs, shrimp, more shrimp, and lots and lots of crawfish was on the menu.

After gorging myself, we went for a walk on the Strand and did the photobug routine. I enjoying walking down some of the alleys and shooting the sort of underbelly of the city. Made for some nice shots. I'll post some later.

Ok. I gotta hit the sack.

Happy Easter!

KoP

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2011-04-22T20:08:00.001-07:00

Today we went to Brenham, Tx, home of Bluebell Ice Creameries.
Unfortunately, there were no tours of the factory since it's Good Friday. Oh well. We still checked out what we could and ate a little ice cream while we were there. I'm no big fan of ice cream... But it was still fun.

Later, we drove around Old town Brenham and checked out some antique shops. That was a lot of fun and we took a lot of photos.

Good family fun.

KoP

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Instagram Calling

2011-04-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

So I discovered this app for he iPhone called "Instagram".
Wow. I love it. I can waste gobs of time with it. Haha
Basically it's another social network for photos, particularly photos taken with an iPhone. They HAVE to be making a version for other phone and OS platforms. It's just too cool not to.

I haven't even gotten on FaceBook today, and actually this is being written the day AFTER it was supposed to because yesterday I was on Instagram all day.

Anyway. This was an excuse post.

KoP

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Zoo Pics!

2011-04-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

Right now, I'm sitting at my kitchen table watching a carpenter install a new backdoor.
It's a nice door.
I installed one myself several years ago, and I don't think I did it right. I didn't like that door anyways. It was cheap.

I FINALLY figured out what was going on with my Facebook photo gallery. I usually source pics out of there, but the new photo viewer wasn't allowing me to access the location.
And so, without further ado, here are the pics from the zoo. I like 'em.

KoP

??

2011-04-19T21:51:00.001-07:00

Eating yogurt.
Watching MacGruber. What is WRONG with me??

KoP

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The Zoo And Photobuggin'

2011-04-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

Amy and I went to the Houston Zoo today and shot some photos.

It's been a little while since we just went out with our cameras for fun. It's thing I worry about most with having a photography business:
Letting the job get in the way of the love of it.

Music can be and has been that for me in the past so I made the necessary changes to reverse that. I'll do the same with the photo biz if it came to it. You gotta love what you do, and not let anything take that away from you. I guess you can apply that to a lot of things in life. Money and financial success are important, but they are NOT everything.

I'll post the photos tomorrow.

KoP

Life Lessons And Dates

2011-04-17T09:07:00.001-07:00

I think I may go for an early workout tomorrow to get it out of the way.
Amy and I are wanting to spend the day at the Zoo. I dunno. It's just something in the air that says:
Get outside and photograph the animals!!
...and maybe eat some ice cream and do other stuff too. A Date!
It will be fun and relaxing. Tristan will be at school so we will have no worries for a few hours.

Today we need to finish mowing the yard. Tristan and I started on it yesterday, but we got a late start (it was planned that way). The weed eater trouble kept us from finishing, but I know we can knock it out in an hour.
This is Tristan's first time to mow the yard. He's definitely in training, and I will be paying him to do it. I canceled our yard service a week ago, because he needs the work experience, plus he's getting older and he's wanting to earn his way. You gotta respect that. I just hope I've shown him how to properly save and manage what he earns. This is another life lesson.
I think he's going to do just fine.

KoP

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Mechanically Declined

2011-04-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

I could have written last night, but I just could not think of anything to say.

I spent way more time than I intended repairing the weed eater which hasn't been used in three years. I basically had to take the carburetor off and clean it up. A lot of dry rot on these tiny little hoses connection it to the gas tank. Anyway I rigged it here and there, finally managed to get it all put back together, and was completely surprised when it started right up. Point!

By that time it was getting late and the grill was fired up. Amy and I had a nice little dinner outside with the smell of fresh cut grass in the air.

KoP

SourceCode Swim

2011-04-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

Today, I did another swim. I'm making a habit of this. I did the Ironman distance again. It looks like Fridays shall henceforth be called: Long Swim Friday.

I was beat when I got home. I truly don't see, at least at this point, how I could immediately get on a bike for 112 miles. I'm pretty sure my nutrition was off too. The past couple of Fridays, I've started out later in the day, and the breakfast was not heavy carb like it should be. Soon, I need to start doing swim/bike bricks, when the knee gets better anyways. All said, I DID manage to shave 10 minutes off my swim time. Last Friday was 1:34 minutes, today was 1:24ish.
I'm ready for some open water!

I also managed to get the rest of the blinds hung around the house. I only have TWO more to do, but they had to be custom cut and are on special order. I'll knock that out in 30 minutes.
I think me and Tristan are going to mow the grass tomorrow. It doesn't need it, but he can use the practice.

Oh yeah, after the swim, amy and I went to the movies and watched Source Code.

COOL movie! I definitely recommend it. I mean, it wasn't as good as say: Inception, but it held it's own and kept you guessing throughout, lots of action.

Have a good weekend!

KoP

All In A Day

2011-04-14T22:25:00.001-07:00

I had a good swim this morning, 2000 meters of intervals.

I spent the rest of the day doing a layout for another wedding album. I've got one more to go then I'll be caught up. Ready for that... to be caught up.

I've been listening to some Les Claypool for the last couple of days. He's a bass player and frontman for the band Primus and several other band projects. His music is ker-AZY! I've been a fan for almost 20 years, but it's been a few years since I checked in on him.
I'm going to get more aggressive with my playing, in the studio if not in the band setting. Time to add a little spice to the music.

I'm watching Swamp People right now.
The guys are crazy.

KoP

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Six More

2011-04-13T12:18:00.001-07:00

I went to the doc's today for another follow-up and x-rays on my foot.

6 more weeks!!

I can't believe it. I'm old.
The broken bone is healing, but very slowly.
6 more weeks of no high impact activity, and I'm not complaining about this part, or heavy work, including climbing poles or ladders. The short-term disability continues...

I would MUCH MUCH rather that this had never happened. I mean, I am blessed to have a job that provides full short-term disability benefits, but it sucks not being able to train the way I want to. I won't be able to be "competitive" in my upcoming race.
I will be walking through the Run portion of the triathlon. That being the case, I will KILL the swim and the bike. I'll focus all of my training and energy on those two.
Whatareyagonnado?

In other news: I had my body fat measured this morning by a Trainer before my workout.
10% Body fat!!
I guess that's alright for a guy my age. haha I don't really think I'm that old or anything, but I think it IS pretty good for my age.

Anyway. I have some photo work to do today. Bing Bang Bong I'm on it.

KoP

Looking Forward

2011-04-12T12:17:00.001-07:00

Doctor's appointment tomorrow for my foot. Wonder how it will go?

KoP

Fitting Blind Cuts Backdoor

2011-04-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

The fitting on my bike went well this morning. He seemed to know what he was doing, and ultimately the bike felt much better, not to mention it just looks cooler in the aero position. I can wait until my knee starts feeling better so I can try it out.
While I was there, I bought a couple of new tires and had the techs put them on for me.
The customer service at this bike shop is impeccable. They've made a happy customer out of me.
The old tires had well over 3000 miles on them which is way over what they're rated for. I was getting flats on almost every other ride. The new ones are sort of "armored" tire. Diggin the red pen stripe on them too.

Later, I Wen to Lowes and had new blinds cut for the rest of the house. They cut at least one incorrectly so I'm sitting here now waiting for the blind cutter lady to help me out. Ugh.
I also bought a new back door with install. They should be coming out tomorrow to come up with an estimate.
I'm looking forward to having that squared away. I installed a new backdoor myself several years ago and it's NEVER been right.
Oh, how I hate carpentry work.
Cool. The blind cutting lady just showed up.
Adios!

KoP

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Birthdaze

2011-04-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated a friend's 39th birthday.
It's hard to believe he's younger than me.

He is a successful producer/song writer/musician who just won his 4th Grammy this year. The guy is doing well.
I'm not a name dropper or anything, but it is kind of cool to know someone who has "made it" in the music biz, ESPECIALLY when they are as cool and down to earth as this guy is.

We've been doing their family portraits for over a year now.
At the party he gave our biz a huge plug and invited everyone to check out the latest session that was already framed and on the wall.
It's good to feel appreciated.

Tomorrow morning is my bike fit. I'm pumped!

KoP

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Reunion

2011-04-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

Family reunions.
I spent the day at one today for the Cannons, the family on my Mother-in-law's side.
It was interesting, to some extent, meeting people whom I've never met during the 17 years I've known Amy. Definitely some nice folks. The event was homey and relaxed.
I'd like to get to know them better.
Also, there was a cat:

KoP

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Blue Moon, Super Pump, And Surprises

2011-04-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

Welp.
Sitting here having a Blue Moon and going over the day's useless album building endeavor.

I worked, tried to work on a wedding album for some time, before finally putting it away. The software I use to build the book is provided by the print company.
I don't love it.

Oh well. I haven't been incredibly focused or anything. I just know that when my butt starts hurting from sitting for so long, it's time to assess the work done, and move on.
Assessment: Not so much.

I tried to go on a bike ride this morning with some of the guys, but my knee said "no".
I don't remember if I mentioned it the other day or not, but my knee was feeling a little squirrely after the long ride... actually, it was hurting before the ride.
What can I say? I'm hard-headed.
Anyway, the type of pain is on the side, inflammation of the tendon band or something. I will be ok if I stay off of it for a bit.
So I did the smart (haha) thing, turned and clocked in 7 little miles. Since I had already taken my SuperPump, Pre-workout, turn everything up to 11, magic muscle serum, I went back to the gym and did a swim.
2.4 miles!
That's the Ironman swim distance. I've done it before, but it's been awhile. I definitely need to build my speed, it took 1 hour and 34 minutes, but I'll get there. I literally have a full year to do that.

In other good, and surprising news:
My income tax return was deposited today... a week early, and just shy of this ridiculous government shutdown.

That is all.

Have a great weekend!

KoP

Deadwood And Bikes

2011-04-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

I finally watched the last two episodes of Deadwood.
Man. What a disappointment. The series as a whole was great. The ending? Anticlimactic.

Oh well.
I made an appointment for a bike setup at the local bike shop around the corner.
They're only charging $25 which is a real bargain if the guy can set it up faster, more aero, and within my physiological specs so I don't injure myself.
You can really mess up your knees and back on a bike that is not properly setup. I did a lot of work on it myself the other night, but it needs more time and a pro's eye to dial it in all the way.
I've got a ride tomorrow as it is, but I dont think it'll kill me.
We'll see.

KoP

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Extra Special

2011-04-06T23:27:00.001-07:00

We torture our pets on a regular basis, but holidays are always extra special.

KoP

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No Words

2011-04-05T00:11:00.000-07:00

KoP

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Reacquire, Reacquaint

2011-04-04T22:24:00.001-07:00

Today's senior class photo session went without a hitch. Easy money! It took no more than an hour and we could have been done even faster if the seniors would have shown up on time.
It's true. Senioritis is still well and alive. Ha!

I forgot to mention something awesome that happened last week:
I got my upright bass back!
It only took three years. I loaned it to a friend who needed it for a studio session. He was supposed to bring it back tithe next week, but something came to a head with his marriage or something. I'm not really sure because I never heard from him again.

I don't know how a mutual acquaintance got the bass, but a drummer friend of mine was at the house of the acquaintance and recognized my bass. My friend told me about it, I called the guy up, and he said "yeah man. I don't even know who this belongs to. It's been decorating my living room for the past three years!"

I've been getting reacquainted with it ever since.
Good to be back with an old friend.

KoP

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Sessions

2011-04-03T21:14:00.001-07:00

Today we had a photo session and I didn't even know about it until Amy mentioned it.
I played it off and all went well. It was a pretty cool session in that we are THEIR photographers. We did their maternity session, their newborn session, baby at home session, and now the first birthday session.
It really is about relationship, and I can see us becoming friends with this couple. I talked to him today about riding. He seemed interested.

Tomorrow we have a big session for a charter school. We're shooting the senior class photo. I think there are 100 seniors which will be the biggest group shot we've ever done. I'm pumped!

KoP

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Yard Work

2011-04-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

We had a work filled day at the Mother-in-law's today.
Tristan used a lawn mower for the first time today... I am slightly ashamed to say. He's 14 and I should have taught him that a long time ago. At any rate, he did absolutely great! No complaining, no whining, and he did a very good job. He made me proud. He's also excited about making a little extra money this Summer mowing yards.

I'm a little sunburned from our ride yesterday. I wasn't expecting to be exposed for as long as we were. I had rolled my sleeves up over my shoulder to avoid getting the farmer's tan and opted for the wife-beater sun burn. Haha I think I might get out to the pool tomorrow to even it out.

I should have started writing earlier. Tired. More later.

KoP

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Whoo!

2011-04-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

To tired to write.
The ride was difficult, but excellent. We rode 117 miles!
Talk more later.

KoP

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Breaking The Ironman

2011-03-31T20:47:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in rehearsal right now.
I just do not want to be here at the moment. I e got things to do at home, and this "sit-in" drummer, isn't up to speed with our material. It feels mushy.

My bike is calling.
This afternoon I bought a few things I will need for tomorrow's ridiculously long ride... 113 miles. It's our Break The Ironman Ride.
Ok. I think rehearsal is over now. Be right back to finish this up...

...ok. I'm back.
I stopped by the store to get a couple more items, and got to the task of outfitting my bike.
Mounted on the bike, I've got:
80oz of water and Gatorade
2 Cliff bars
2 oatmeal bars
3 gels
Pepper spray
2 tubes
2 air canisters
Multi-tool
patch kit
and I rigged a velcro mount for my iPhone and extended battery on the aerobars. That's for my GPS and cyclometer. I like to track my rides.
Plus I'll have the phone for emergencies.

Alright. All set. Check me on the flip and I'll tell you all about it.

KoP
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Getting It Done

2011-03-30T20:42:00.001-07:00

We finally got our taxes done today. I think this is the longest we've ever waited to file.

The guys want to do a 113 mile bike ride Friday.
WHAT?!?
Ok. I'm a follower. Haha I'm going to give it a shot, but definitely not push it to injury.

I'm so tired right now. Gotta get to bed...

KoP

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Biggest, Strongest, Fastest Loser

2011-03-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

Why am I sitting here watching biggest loser?
I mean, I respect the fact that these people are trying to improve their lives, and in fact DO lose tons of weight, but, I dunno, I'd rather watch Bear Grylls or something. I like survival oriented reality shows.
Anyways... The girls somehow got control of the remote tonight so Biggest Loser it is.

We had another good ride this morning. I'm getting STRONGER!! I am finally feeling like I did before the foot accident. I'm back to being the fastest rider in our group (brag brag). Hehe!

The friend I rode with yesterday, whom I am NOT faster than, says my bike is set up for comfort, not speed. This is GREAT news. I'd rayed be fast than comfortable. We're going to try and hook up on a trainer to get the best fit. It will require taking the bike apart and rebuilding it. I'm all for it.

Tomorrow is a swim/elliptical day. I'm ready to extend that workout. Hopefully I can hang.

KoP

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2011-03-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

Did a killer, KILLER 40 mile ride today.
A friend and I road this morning in the Woodlands area north of Houston.
The route we took is actually part of the Official Ironman Texas route. Pretty cool... and hilly.
A VERY good workout. I was completely bonked by the end of the ride. By that I mean, drained of all energy. I got home and had a protein rich lunch, and basically tried to eat anything within arms reach for the rest of the day.
By the time I got to the gig, I was feeling somewhat better. It was the bi-monthly Women's conference.

Anyway, good day, and I am BEAT!

Oh, and here is my beautiful wife. Best photo I've ever taken.

KoP

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Totally Cool

2011-03-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

-Jammed some good music today with a good band.

-Ate at an incredible little pizza joint in old Houston called Pink's Pizza. Goooood stuff!

-Slew my wife with some well timed, poetic words and got all emotional.

-Took Tristan to the indoor gun range where we prepared ourselves for the HipHop Zombie Apocalypse of 2012.

-Had a pretty cool rehearsal with another band for a little gig tomorrow night.

-Set up a cool, long bike ride with an old friend in the Woodlands tomorrow. It'll be on the Texas Ironman Course. Gonna be fun.

-Finally got to watch an edited for TV version of "Children Of Men" with Tristan. He loved it.

It's been a great day leading into a good tomorrow.

KoP

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It Was Good

2011-03-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

I had a great day today.
Started off the morning with a 40 mile bike ride that, even though wasn't my fastest speed, felt responding to get back under my belt.
While I'm off work, there really is no excuse for not riding at least 40 miles from now on... at least while I'm off work. I've got nothing but time.

Later in the day, Tristan and I did some yard work that has been needing to get done. Surprisingly, he did it without any fuss at all. We just worked and talked about movies. Good bonding time.

After that, some family came over and we grilled ribs, chicken, hot links, burgers, and all the trimmings. I was STARVING! I still don't think I am anywhere close to recovering the calories from the bike ride, 2.5 hours was probably around 1800-2200 calories burned. Ugh. I feel like I've been bonking (exhaustion) all day.

Like I said, it's been a great day.

KoP

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A Whole Lot

2011-03-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well I did a whole lot of nothing today.
The thing about doing nothing is that there is nothing to write about.
I DID do a 25 mile ride this morning, but I've already talked about that so much.
To prove it, I will now tell you about the 40 mile bike ride I'm going on tomorrow.
It's a group ride at 7:30am. I'm feeling pretty good about it even though I haven't been on one in several months. Should be fun.

I had fish for dinner.

KoP

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Is It Right?

2011-03-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

Trouble on the home front. What's new?

Tristan's grades are suffering. Badly.
He was out of school for more than a week with the flu, and then right after that, Spring Break. He's having a lo of trouble catching up. I don't know if it's all him, or if it's the teachers as well. I'm sure somewhere in there, Amy and I are at fault.
At any rate, changes are a'comin'!

I'm about to email his math teach to see just what the heck is going on, and how we can rectify the situation.

After a rather unpleasant discussion with Tristan, with punishment distributed freely, he broke down and said "I don't know what's wrong! I'm just stupid!"
Of course I don't believe that at all, and it's not true, but it still broke my heart.
Amy seems to think it's just a ploy to mess with our emotions. He IS clever... I don't know.

Anyway, I've put some things in place that will hopefully help him out.
All of his "grounding" can be relieved simply by bringing his grade up.
Score comes up, time will be added to TV and Game time.
Simple.

I hope we're doing the right thing...

KoP

Yada Yada

2011-03-23T20:05:00.001-07:00

Rode early with a group this morning.
We were holding 20-23mph For almost an hour and a half so I'm feeling good about that.
The same group of guys want to do a crazy long 3-4 hour workout tomorrow.
I don't know if I can handle all of the activities. I'll have to do elliptical instead of the 6 mile run... still don't know about the strength training class, but I know I can do the 40 mile bike.

Blah blah blah
I'm tired.

KoP

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The Spin

2011-03-22T20:18:00.001-07:00

I had a great day at the gym today, a 1 mile swim followed by 1 hour on the elliptical machine.

Oh yeah, one "oops": before I get into the lap pool, I splash water on my face, neck, and chest to get used to the cold. They keep it a few degrees colder than what is "comfortable" so people don't overheat while they're working out.
Anyway, I usually dive in without my goggles, get used to the shock then kick back to the side, except THIS time I slipped on my bum foot as I was diving in. It sort of re-twisted my ankle and hurt like hell! I screamed a long, loud "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU***!!!" underwater. Haha! luckily no one was in the pool because I know they would have heard me.
I thought my workout was over before it even started, but after some time, gentle massaging, and maybe a little sobbing, the mobility came back a bit and I worked it out.
Gotta be more careful.

Oh yeah! One other cool thing happened today: I visited a music store in downtown Houston. It was almost closing time, but I just wanted to check out that cool Jazz bass. When I went into the bass room, there were a couple of guys playing around on a couple of basses, and it looked like they were in the middle of a lesson. I asked if it was cool for me to be there and the yeah said no prob.
After the lesson, I talked to him a bit.
Turns out he's the bass player for the band The Spin Doctors!
The guy on the left:

He said he heard me playing and that I sounded good (I never plugged it in, but I guess he could still hear it).
Anyway, he charges $50 an hour for lessons and I might just do one. I got his number. It would be cool to hang out with the guy if nothing else.

KoP

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Just Riding

2011-03-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

I got up this morning feeling good and ready for a ride.
I met some friends at 8 and we did a 25 miler. Blasted out a few sprints. It felt good.
It's coming back.
When I got home, I had my customary protein shake and a light breakfast. Later, I asked Amy if she wanted to go for a ride. She did, which was a little surprising. We went out and did 10 miles into a brutal head wind. It was her first ride of the year and I know she's anxious to get back out there as well.
Something about the open road...

On the way home we talked about doing another road trip. She wants to take the Jeep and "rough-it" rather than ride in luxury with the Lexus. She's a girl after my own heart.
Having done a road trip in both, we realize that there is something special about being out there together without the amenities and luxuries of home, just nature, the wilderness, and each other.
No schedule, no agenda. I miss it...

KoP

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What To Do?

2011-03-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

What to do today?
I know Amy and I have some work to do on wedding albums... I also know that she will not want to work on them until Monday.
That's not a problem for me. I think I'll be able to finish them in one day.
We've also got a huge order to finalize with the client. Should be around a $1000 order. Yes! Smells like success.

I'm so ready to get this ball rolling again, the biz, I mean.

Amy's mom is doing a lot better now. She is staying with us while she recovers. Her strength is definitely coming back, proof: she can now walk up the stairs without help.
The other day, she wanted to take a bath so Amy was there to help her out.
The problem was, her mother, being so weak, couldn't get out of the tub... and Amy couldn't lift her.
Lucky for them, I was home, and after a few moments of frantic whisper arguing (channeling Seinfeld) I agreed to go upstairs and help my Mother-in-law get out of the tub. Haha! I know it was embarrassing for her, but we all laughed about it later. It wasn't so bad. Amy had wrapped a robe around her, I simply got in the tub behind her, hooked her under the arms, and lifted her up and out, easy as that. I'm just not used to having to assist people like that. I guess that's what we're all in for sooner or later.

Have a great Sunday!

KoP

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Blazing!

2011-03-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh...
What a great ride this morning!
I got up at 6:30am and met a group of friends for an easy ride. Of course, as per the usual, it turned into an intensely competitive speedfest on the last 6 miles or so. Good times!
Even though I felt out of shape, I acclimated pretty quickly, and estimate my loss of cardio capacity to about 10-15%. That's not terribly bad at this point. If I keep up what I'm doing, I'll be back in racing shape in a few weeks.
Except for my foot, of course...
I'm not sure how it's going to feel as far as running on it goes.
Fingers crossed.

KoP

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Friday Like A Saturday

2011-03-18T19:00:00.001-07:00

Today felt like a Saturday.

Tristan and I did a little work around the flower beds, VERY light work mind you.
It was our second day of clearing out weeds and small brush. I must say it's looking pretty nice, like we gave the house and yard a haircut.

After that, we went out in Jeep for Tristan's second manual shift driving lesson. We drove out to a developing neighborhood that had no houses and found a small loop to practice on. Right off the bat, he drove over the curb and crashed through the barrier into the empty dirt lot. Haha! He just couldn't put together the clutch, the gas, and steering all at the same time.
After a refresher, he got his Mojo back and we cruised around the block eight or nine times without incident. He likes the stick shift, he is his father's son.
When we got back home, Amy was already there and starting on the grill: Steak, shrimp, a tuna steak (for the seared sashimi sushi), and veggies.
One word:
OUTSTANDING!!!
Love me some grillin' and chillin'.

Now I have to get to the gym a some point tonight. It's already nine, but the gym is open 24 hours.
We'll see...

KoP

Conquer Or Be Conquered

2011-03-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

There is always something else to conquer.

That's something I just told Tristan.
He was wondering how people with money, a family, and everything they want could be depressed.
We're watching an episode of House and somehow that question came up.
He's random like that.
Anyway, I told him I didn't really know the answer, but that there is always something else to conquer.

I guess it's true...

KoP

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Upward And Onward!

2011-03-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

Today, Tristan and I put together a new gas grill.
I've been wanting to get a new one for more that a year now. The one we had was a cheaper model that had finally rusted out. It lasted more than 5 years so we definitely got our use out of it. The new one is made of stainless so I expect it to last a lot longer.
I LOVE grilling. Grilled chicken breast beats baked chicken breast any day of the week.
We broke it in by grilling shish kabobs. Shrimp, chicken, steak, and veggies. Delish!
Tomorrow, more chicken and maybe pineapples or something.

We also watched a good movie together:
Of mice And Men
Great movie! I even felt a little bit cultured afterwards.
It was definitely a father and son kind of day.

In other news: My mother in law was finally released from the hospital. Mil, Fil, and Amy stopped by their house to pick up some things first then drove here. She'll be staying with for a little while until she gets her strength back.
Things are finally looking up!

KoP

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Another One

2011-03-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

Got another good workout in tonight, upper body lift with 30 more minutes on the elliptical.

So tired. That is all.

KoP

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Back In The Mix

2011-03-14T21:50:00.001-07:00

I got that workout in today.
It went well, but I'm seriously out of shape. Well, compared to where I was, anyways. It's been 5 weeks since my last cardio workout... Yikes.

My ankle is still pretty swollen and stiff so I started out on a stationary bike to see how that would feel. Apparently it's flexible enough to ride because it didn't hurt too bad at all. I may get on my road bike before the end of the week. Then I did some therapeutic stretching and lifting for my legs. Weak.
I finished it all out with 30 minutes on the elliptical.
My heart rate was in the 160s the entire time, but my work output was only around 170 watts for half an hour. In contrast, my heart rate is usually around 156bpm @225 watts for one hour, and that's after an hour long Spin or Strength class.
That means I've got some catching up to do...

The solution is just to get back at it everyday.
Hit the therapy, don't overdo it, but kick up the intensity at every opportunity. I'm pretty sure I'm going to two workouts per day as well.
I've got less than 7 weeks to get tip top before my race.
I won't be able to start running for at least 4 more weeks, but if I'm on point with everything else, that will come fairly easily.
The race is only a Sprint Tri after all, so if the run turns into a hobble, no biggy.
I'm not planning for any long races until Fall possibly. Maybe a 70.3 Ironman, then the full Ironman next April.
Ahhhh, I love my training.

KoP

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Daylight Savings Emergency

2011-03-13T12:20:00.001-07:00

So this morning, I hit the snooze from 7:00-7:30. I was supposed to be at rehearsal at 8:30.
As I stood bleary-eyed in front of the bathroom mirror, I thought: something was happening today... What was it?
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!!!!!
You.
Are.
Late.

Don't you just love that feeling? I managed to hurry, and was 45 minutes late rather than a full hour, but that was with no breakfast, or more importantly, coffee.
Luckily, I was already pretty solid on a our setlist. That's what Thursday night rehearsal is all about.

Did I mention that I hate Daylight Savings Time? I really really need... ok, want that extra hour.
Oh well, I'll have plenty of time to acclimate since I'm off work.
That being said, I'm ready to get back in the gym, early morning classes included. I've lost too much gym time already, read: cardio/lung capacity.
I hate, HATE that.
I'm thinking about hitting the gym twice a day, as my ankle permits that is. I've got almost two months to lock it in before my race in May.
The guys I train with are doing 20 mile bike/5mile run brick workouts now. Hopefully I can catch up to them pretty quick...

All in good time...

KoP

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I'll Take That

2011-03-12T17:45:00.001-08:00

I'm at the hospital in Bryan again. My mother-in-law was moved into a regular room today and is recovering.
Whew! Finally. We're so happy she's doing better.

She won't be running a marathon anytime soon, but with some physical therapy, rest, and TLC she'll be back up an at 'em in a few weeks... or six.

I'm ready for Amy to come home. Her mom will be staying with us while she fully recovers. I'll take that over what we've been doing any day.
KoP

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The Sooner The Better

2011-03-11T11:58:00.001-08:00

I am so out of the loop.
I don't even know what's going on in Libya. The only reason I even mention it is because CNN has changed gears from the Japan earthquake.
I only knew about the earthquake and tsunami from Facebook.
I usually follow the news pretty closely. I read my digital newspaper pretty much everyday. However, since I've been off work, I haven't done much reading, and being sick for so long, haven't concerned myself with any news at all.
The freakin' world is falling apart.

That being said, I was taking personal stock of this year so far:
1. I've been sick THREE times this year.
2. I broke my foot and sprained my ankle.
3. My brother-in-law shattered his hand in a yet to be told drama story of his newlywed life.
4. My dog of almost 10 years died.
5. My mother-in-law almost died, and is STILL in ICU right now.
6. Out highly anticipated trip to Vegas mostly sucked.
7. The entire family had the flu at the same time.
8. It's only March.

I'll stop here.
I'm not a negative person, and some positive things HAVE happened this year. We got a new puppy, and I have a job that continues to pay me when I can't come to work.
I'm grateful for the good things, but this has been a messy year so far.
I'm hoping it gets better sooner rather than later.

***EDIT***
My Lord. During my pity party I forgot to finish my thoughts:
In light of the truly devastating things going on around the world right now, my problems are minuscule. Just wanted to let you know that I've got a teensy bit of perspective left. Ha!
KoP

Catching Up Some More

2011-03-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

With everything going on, I haven't been writing consistently... I'll get back on that.
Here's a puppy pic to keep you occupied. The statement is something that I say to this little devil, spoken in the voice if Elmo. Makes Tristan and Amy laugh.

KoP

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Catching Up

2011-03-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

With everything going on, I haven't been writing consistently... I'll get back on that.

KoP

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About That...

2011-03-08T17:06:00.000-08:00

So, what I was writing yesterday, I'll continue along that path because it's important…

I'm in the ICU waiting room at St. Joseph's Hospital right now.
My mother-in-law had contracted the Flu, which turned into Pneumonia, which has almost killed her.
I'm not sure of the details, but basically her lungs were not processing oxygen, or something like that.
She's been in ICU now for 3 days.
Her condition is not worsening, but it hasn't gotten better yet either. She's not out of the woods, as it were. They have her intubated, and hooked up to all this monitoring equipment right now, seems like a hundred different tubes and hoses…She is sedated and her hands are constrained all of the time because of the intubation.
It's troubling to see.
Anyway, we're hoping things get better… obviously. If everything goes well, she may be off the ventilator in a few days, and then they'll observe her in ICU for another day or two. After that, I think she may go to another part of the hospital for another day or so, then we'll take her home with us until she gets her strength back.
This is how we hope it plays out anyways.
Keep your fingers crossed for us.

KoP

Grrrr

2011-03-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

My long post got erased.
When will I ever learn?

KoP

Where's My Amy?

2011-03-06T10:17:00.001-08:00

It looks like Amy may be away until Wed or Thurs.
Bummer...
I'm off work and she's gone.
Oh well. Her mom is getting better, and that's great news. When she's released from the hospital, she'll probably come to stay with us for a while until she gets her strength back.

Yesterday, I got the main photo album done, and placed the order.
Score one for me.
Two more to go... I'll probably just wait for Amy to get back to work on the other ones. It really wasn't all that difficult once I got used to the tools in the application.
I think I'm going to try Craigslist to advertise for weddings. It's free and I bet it will bring at least a little traffic... I just REALLY REALLY need to get Google Ads up and running. I hear that it's a good way to go. Last year I used Yahoo Ads and really didn't see much business from it. I'm sure it would have performed better if I would have managed it a little more closely. Oh well. Google it is.

Have a nice Sunday.

KoP

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Weddings And Competition

2011-03-05T09:17:00.001-08:00

I'm at a wedding right now.
A friend, actually a student of mine, asked me to play for it, so here I am. I don't particularly enjoy weddings, even if I'm getting paid... which I'm not today, but that's ok. Shooting a wedding is a lot more fun and it pays WAY better... unless you're doing it for a friend.
I'm glad he didn't ask us to do that. We're already a little behind on our work.

The woman that IS shooting the wedding is new here, new to this church, and new to this town.

When we were starting out, and she was still working in Nashville, a mutual friend meaning well, connected us and we tried to have a pow-wow over the phone to discuss how/where to set some price points for our new business. She was NOT very forthcoming with information and actually seemed a bit offended that we and our friend were asking.
I suppose I get it, but at the time, she lived a thousand miles from us. We were not competition for her.
I think the slight animosity I detected came from her feelings on the way people are breaking into the business. Saturating it maybe?
Apparently, she has a degree in photography, and has been in the business for 18 years or so. She seemed to not like the idea of people taking a more direct route into the business. I get it.
In spite of that, I wish we had a better relationship... ANY kind of relationship really. Maybe if we hired her to take our pictures. Haha
Amy would never do that now...

Life goes on.

KoP

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Round And Round

2011-03-04T07:14:00.000-08:00

Today, I've been working on this album again. I basically had to start over on the project because the application crashed yesterday and we lost all of our work... even the saved work. I don't get it, but never fear, I'm over halfway done now. Again...

Amy had to leave to be with her mother who was admitted to the hospital yesterday.
Turns out she has pneumonia. Not fun... She apparently got the flu from Tristan when she was watching him while we were suffering with the flu in Vegas.
...and the wheels on the bus go round and round...

KoP

In It To Win It

2011-03-03T22:40:00.001-08:00

Amy and I worked on a wedding album today, and almost completed it... before the software client locked up and erased the entire thing.
I even saved our progress before that happened, but it's a new version and I think it's just buggy.
Ugh!
Now I know what we'll be doing tomorrow. We've got three wedding that need to be ordered, and looks like we'll be starting from scratch again.

You know, Amy and I used to get worried when people would ask us about our business, like where we do our printing, equipment and software we use, and general questions that we mostly had to learn on our own. We were afraid that every upstart with a new Canon Rebel would try to start a photography business and take away clients.
Well... Let them come! Haha! The one thing we have learned over the last year and a half is: Having a photography business is HARD, STRESSFUL WORK.
There are obstacles and frustrations at every turn, people are ALWAYS wanting something for nothing. The learning curve is huge... at least to become profitable it is.
It's no wonder that the great majority, I think it's something like 90% of photography businesses go under within 5 years.
Now that being said, through all of the difficulty, we still love it. We want our "baby" to grow into something great and substantial. We STILL love photography, but if you're not in it to win it, forgetaboutit!

Through these weeks of being off, I'm focusing on getting things organized and making our workflow more efficient. THEN we can focus on branching out, and get into some creative advertising campaigns.

Life is good, and we are blessed.

KoP

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Vocabulary

2011-03-02T21:31:00.001-08:00

I've been playing around in the studio a lot lately.
There are several songs that I've sketched out over the last year or so. I'm really interested in fleshing them out now. One is almost done.
The problem is, the solos all tend to sound the same.
I've got to come up with some fresh melody ideas. A friend suggested listening to a particular jazz artist. I can't remember the name, but one of his songs contains what is considered the quintessential jazz solo. Instructors at music colleges have their students learn and transcribe this piece. He suggested I do the same.
It makes sense really. Thoroughly learn solos from different sources and then reconstruct the ideas into a new coherent... statement.
That's i: Expand my vocabulary so I can express myself more completely, so that through my music I may compel the listener.

KoP

Splice

2011-03-01T09:44:00.000-08:00

Watched a weird and disturbing movie tonight: Splice

I would like that 2 hours of my life back. What a strange movie...

KoP

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Sensitivity Training

2011-02-28T12:29:00.001-08:00

I'm not one to let my emotions show.
At least I don't THINK I am, especially not the crying sort of emotions.
It has something to do with my childhood I'm sure...
It's not something that I think is shameful or anything, I just tend to hide "involuntary" signs of emotion. I just KNOW that there is some sort of deep-seated psychological issue here...

Anyway, ever since I walked into the vet's office a sobbing mess when Ally passed, it seems my emotions have been on a hair-trigger. If I watch a sad movie, hear a sad song, or read any sad or otherwise heart-string jerking material, I lose it.
Maybe I'm still grieving.

The Vet's office sent us a condolences card when we got back from our trip and I couldn't make it through the first paragraph before I got up and went to the bathroom for a while so no one would see me crying.

Maybe this is some natural form of sensitivity training.

Whoops. Gotta go. Dr. House was just rude to a dying cancer patient on this show. I feel the water works coming on again.

KoP

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The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth

2011-02-27T21:49:00.001-08:00

This is a common sight around here lately. Abby has already set herself up as Alpha female.
Hilarious!

KoP

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