Decided to try my hand at making sliders today. They were actually pretty damn tasty. Note the mini- White Castle like - onions.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Exhausting
I had a great, but exhausting weekend. Friday started off sadly with a funeral, but we got to see full military honors with the presentation of the flag to the widow and the 21 gun salute. It was the first time I have been at a funeral where I wished I had my camera. I hope that doesn't make me a bad person. Friday evening, we had a small barbecue with some friends before we went miniature golfing. The picture below was a fountain at the course.
Friday night wasn't a late night because I had a HUGE Saturday planned. Saturday morning, I ran my first 5k. Back in high school, I was in shape and could do 7 minute miles. I was also 50+ pounds lighter. To humor myself, I decided to do a 5k and see just how well I could possibly do. Happily, I completed it. I am torn because I didn't do as well as I wanted to do, and yet, am still surprised I did do as well as I did. I know that makes no sense, but it does in my head. My sister, who is training for her first marathon also ran it while my mom did the 5k speed walking.
I was DEAD after, but I had maybe 30 minutes once getting home to get ready and head back out to a birthday party for our friends' daughters. I was so tired, but had fun. After the party, we had about two hours at home, but then went out again to some friends' housewarming party. By this time, I was getting more and more tired and the soreness of my muscles was really kicking in. I was pretty much a zombie there, but still had fun. One would think that with Jess working the following day, I would relax on Sunday.
You would think that is what I would have done, but it didn't happen that way. Sunday morning, muscles aches and all, I went to play basketball with some friends. Surprisingly, my muscles started to relax halfway through the games, but then disaster struck and I twisted my ankle by stepping on my friend's foot. That was pretty much the end of the day for me as I had to go home and keep it elevated and iced the rest of the day.
This ended up being a real nuisance for Jess and I as she had some minor surgery today and the plan was for me to take care of her after. Well, I have been mostly doing it, but nowhere near as well as I would have liked to as it hurts to stand, hurts to walk, and is now a swollen black and blue color. That's life I guess.
And I get to follow it all up tomorrow with a really long day of work as I took off Friday and today. It happens...
Friday night wasn't a late night because I had a HUGE Saturday planned. Saturday morning, I ran my first 5k. Back in high school, I was in shape and could do 7 minute miles. I was also 50+ pounds lighter. To humor myself, I decided to do a 5k and see just how well I could possibly do. Happily, I completed it. I am torn because I didn't do as well as I wanted to do, and yet, am still surprised I did do as well as I did. I know that makes no sense, but it does in my head. My sister, who is training for her first marathon also ran it while my mom did the 5k speed walking.
I was DEAD after, but I had maybe 30 minutes once getting home to get ready and head back out to a birthday party for our friends' daughters. I was so tired, but had fun. After the party, we had about two hours at home, but then went out again to some friends' housewarming party. By this time, I was getting more and more tired and the soreness of my muscles was really kicking in. I was pretty much a zombie there, but still had fun. One would think that with Jess working the following day, I would relax on Sunday.
You would think that is what I would have done, but it didn't happen that way. Sunday morning, muscles aches and all, I went to play basketball with some friends. Surprisingly, my muscles started to relax halfway through the games, but then disaster struck and I twisted my ankle by stepping on my friend's foot. That was pretty much the end of the day for me as I had to go home and keep it elevated and iced the rest of the day.
This ended up being a real nuisance for Jess and I as she had some minor surgery today and the plan was for me to take care of her after. Well, I have been mostly doing it, but nowhere near as well as I would have liked to as it hurts to stand, hurts to walk, and is now a swollen black and blue color. That's life I guess.
And I get to follow it all up tomorrow with a really long day of work as I took off Friday and today. It happens...
July 27, 2009 - Day 60
Wolverine vs Leia: Notice how Leia has her eye on him should he decide to strike!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
July 26, 2009 - Day 59
The mandarin tree in our backyard. We planted in last year and got a few that grew, but nothing edible at all. This year, there must be about 40 budding fruits already including the pictured, so hopefully we get something to eat in the Winter!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
July 25, 2009 - Day 58
Went to a kids' (Yes, two kids) birthday party today and there was an arts and crafts table. Hard to pass that up!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
July 23, 2009 - Day 56
Wookie Camouflage
The colors and crispness of this make for an awesome wallpaper. Maybe it is because I am using the original rather than the copying one that is posted, but it looks amazing on my desktop.
Be sure to check out the movie reviews below; there are a ton of them!
The colors and crispness of this make for an awesome wallpaper. Maybe it is because I am using the original rather than the copying one that is posted, but it looks amazing on my desktop.
Be sure to check out the movie reviews below; there are a ton of them!
Manuel on Movies #13
Valkyrie - Tom Cruise plays a German officer during World War II who heads a conspiracy to overthrow Hitler. Say what you want about Cruise's personal life, but I enjoy the large majority of his movies. Just in the last 5 or so years, I can think of movies like Collateral, Last Samurai, and Mission Impossible 3 as movies I GREATLY enjoyed. This movie was no different. Mostly a drama with decent amounts of action and suspense, this was a very well made movie with a great ensemble cast. Unless you are totally clueless on history, you know how this plan to overthrow Hitler is going to turn out, but it does not keep you from feeling the suspense of the mission. 8 out of 10
Role Models - This is yet another comedy that I decided to see after everyone in the world said it was the "funniest movie in forever!" Usually when I hear this, we watch the movie and WAY more often than not, we end up pretty disappointed. There are a few exceptions, but comedies just don't seem to appeal to us as much as a lot of other people. Thankfully, this WAS one of those few exceptions. While not overly funny, I enjoyed the story of two guys sentenced to be Big Brothers to some odd children. There were a few parts I laughed out, but more than that, I enjoyed it because of the storyline. I thought it was a really cute movie. I may have also been swayed because I thought the whole make believe Battle Royale at the end looked like a ton of nerdy goodness fun and something I would totally do. In the end, it is your typical fish out water adapting and learning a lesson movie, but I really liked it. 8 out of 10
Yes, Man - Jim Carey comedy in which he decides to change his life by simply saying yes to everything. I almost said yes to seeing this in the theater, but I am glad I didn't. It wasn't bad, in fact, it was pretty decent, but I wouldn't say this was one of his best movies, and yes, I LOVE Jim Carey movies. I would have to say though, it was nowhere near as good as my all time favorites of his - Truman Show, Cable Guy, and Bruce Almighty. More of a romantic comedy than anything else, this had some funny parts and was kind of cute, but I just thought with the concept of the movie, it could have been funnier. See it once if you like Carey, but after that, it is fairly forgettable. 6 out of 10
Lakeview Terrace - What do you do if you buy a new house and then right away, find out you have the absolute neighbor from hell, and oh yeah, he is a cop so forget about calling police on him. That is the basic plot of the movie with Samuel L. Jackson playing the asshole neighbor. And yeah, he played a really big prick. This was a very enjoyable movie, a movie that almost anyone can enjoy because it requires very little thinking and just requires you to sit, watch, and enjoy. A drama that never seems slow, this is one of those movies that you'll end up watching whenever it plays on a channel like TNT for the 50th time. In fact, I watched it 2 times in 2 days, once with Jess and once with company and it never seemed boring the second time around. Plus, Sam Jackson is such a badass. 8.5 out of 10
The Orphanage - This is a Spanish horror film (subtitles for those who it bothers)that just blew me away. It was just creepy as hell. Although, I feel like calling it horror is perhaps a bit too harsh as it was more of a supernatural thriller similar to The Others. If you saw that film with Nicole Kidman, you know what I am talking about. In this film, a couple's adopted son goes missing which leads to a mystery of what happened to him. More of a drawn out mystery with creepiness mixed in, it all leads up to a final act which included one scene that had the absolute creepiest scene I have ever seen in a movie. Rather than the typical jump out of nowhere scare, the scene in question was long and drawn out beautifully to the point where the tension was absolutely unbearable. I looked at my arm and for the first time ever in a movie, I saw my hairs standing up. I will take creepy tension like this over a monster jumping from a closet any day as it had much more of a lasting feel than the one second scare. But this movie was more than just one scene and I really enjoyed this film. Excellent and don't dismiss it simply because you aren't a fan of horror as this is so much more. 9 out of 10
Taken - Very simple - Liam Neeson is a a bad ass, his daughter is kidnapped, and he proceeds to go out to find her and kick the ass of those responsible. Really, that is the whole film and yet, it is full of awesomeness. I mean, it worked for Commando in the 80s so why wouldn't it work here. Liam Neeson shows that you don't have to look like a badass in order to play one (works for Matt Damon), and this movie is simply a 90 minute thrill ride of getting from point A to point B with the only thing in between these two points being ass kicking. 8 out of 10
Get Smart - This is the movie version remake of the old tv show. I never saw the show, but rented it because it had Steve Carrell who I think is funny, Dwayne Johnson who I think is awesome in everything he seems to do, and Anne Hathaway who I think is hot. This was a fairly amusing slapstick type comedy. It did the job in that it kept me amused for a couple of hours. Once again, I think Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) steals pretty much every scene he is in and I really feel he is coming into his own as an actor. If you like him, it is worth it enough for his scenes, but Carrell fans should be pretty pleased. 7 out of 10
Let the Right One In - This is a Swedish film that you can watch (at least on BluRay) with English subtitles or a dubbed English track. As we don't mind subtitles and in fact, find dubbed movies distracting, we went with the subtitles. This is a vampire film that really isn't a horror movie. This is a about a boy who is picked on at school by bullies and befriends a new girl in his apartment complex who turns out to be a vampire. The film is mainly about their relationship with the fact that she is a vampire being the backdrop. Sure, their are vampire elements, but there is nothing really scary about this film. It sounds good, but the problem was, the buildup was just SO slow and there were even a few WTF moments, I just don't think I can recommend this film. This was disappointing as I had such high hopes for it. Usually, if I don't like a vampire film, it was because I thought it was just too stupid. This wasn't a stupid movie, just too drawn out. 3.5 out of 10
Vacancy - Couple checks into a hotel, realizes that people are videotaped being killed there and they are next, and they spend the next 86 minutes trying to figure out how to escape the sadistic people outside their hotel room. Normally, a thriller like this would be something that would keep me entertained, but I just didn't think this was very good. I don't know, it just seemed stupid, not the stupid that is unbelievable, but the stupid that is just kind of dumb. I never wanted to turn it off, but it was the kind of movie you could watch while doing laundry, cooking, reading a book, and talking on the phone - all at the same time. 5 out of 10
Taking of Pelham 123 - When I first saw this trailer, I had no idea this was a remake. In this movie, John Travolta hijacks a subway train for money while Denzel Washington plays the metro worker who doubles as hostage negotiator. This was a very simple, but enjoyable movie. I think part of this is because Travolta plays such an excellent crazy bad guy. Denzel was his usual cool, well acted self, but it is Travolta that really makes this an enjoyable movie. A movie that keeps you on your seat, this is another one of those movies that falls into the category of just sit back and be entertained, but with great actors and a great director, it just elevates this movie from mindless fun to mindless and actually good. 8 out of 10
Transformers 2 - Where do I begin? As you know, I LOVED Transformers as a kid and I LOVED the first movie. Save for a few minor things, I think that this first film was pretty flawless for a movie about alien transforming robots. So what about the sequel? Well, it was good, but I just didn't think it captured the magic of the first one. I won't say the novelty of seeing these childhood toys on the big screen had worn off, but it just had issues. First, it had some really dumb, over the top humor I could have done without. I don't know, I thought some of the humor and sex jokes just didn't seem to belong. I like them in other movies, but in this film, they just seemed out of place. Even though almost all of these moments were so brief, they just seemed to take me out of the movie for a bit as I had to recover from rolling my eyes. I think if these parts had been taken out, I might have enjoyed it as much as the first. Maybe upon repeat viewings, once I get over the parts I didn't like, maybe I will grow to appreciate this movie more for what it really is - a movie simply about gigantic alien robots blowing shit up. 8.0 out of 10
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - These films are just getting better and better, just like the books. The penultimate book in the series, this is actually the penultimate to the penultimate movie as they are splitting the final book into 2 movies due to its length. As truthfully, this movie played out like a story that was leading up to something big. Although it didn't feel like it quite as much in the book, the movie adaptation really had the feel of a stepping stone to the end rather than a stand alone movie. Of course, this doesn't take anything away from the movie itself. It got the majority of things from the book that I felt were important, and the acting keeps getting better and better. The three main cast have really come into their own as actors and just step right back in to their roles as if the characters are really their own persona. The supporting cast is super strong too with Draco, Dumbledore, and Snape being at their best. In fact, I think Tom Felton, who plays Draco, really owns this movie as you could really feel the tension and problems he goes through. It is going to be a LONG wait until next year's sequel. 9 out of 10
Role Models - This is yet another comedy that I decided to see after everyone in the world said it was the "funniest movie in forever!" Usually when I hear this, we watch the movie and WAY more often than not, we end up pretty disappointed. There are a few exceptions, but comedies just don't seem to appeal to us as much as a lot of other people. Thankfully, this WAS one of those few exceptions. While not overly funny, I enjoyed the story of two guys sentenced to be Big Brothers to some odd children. There were a few parts I laughed out, but more than that, I enjoyed it because of the storyline. I thought it was a really cute movie. I may have also been swayed because I thought the whole make believe Battle Royale at the end looked like a ton of nerdy goodness fun and something I would totally do. In the end, it is your typical fish out water adapting and learning a lesson movie, but I really liked it. 8 out of 10
Yes, Man - Jim Carey comedy in which he decides to change his life by simply saying yes to everything. I almost said yes to seeing this in the theater, but I am glad I didn't. It wasn't bad, in fact, it was pretty decent, but I wouldn't say this was one of his best movies, and yes, I LOVE Jim Carey movies. I would have to say though, it was nowhere near as good as my all time favorites of his - Truman Show, Cable Guy, and Bruce Almighty. More of a romantic comedy than anything else, this had some funny parts and was kind of cute, but I just thought with the concept of the movie, it could have been funnier. See it once if you like Carey, but after that, it is fairly forgettable. 6 out of 10
Lakeview Terrace - What do you do if you buy a new house and then right away, find out you have the absolute neighbor from hell, and oh yeah, he is a cop so forget about calling police on him. That is the basic plot of the movie with Samuel L. Jackson playing the asshole neighbor. And yeah, he played a really big prick. This was a very enjoyable movie, a movie that almost anyone can enjoy because it requires very little thinking and just requires you to sit, watch, and enjoy. A drama that never seems slow, this is one of those movies that you'll end up watching whenever it plays on a channel like TNT for the 50th time. In fact, I watched it 2 times in 2 days, once with Jess and once with company and it never seemed boring the second time around. Plus, Sam Jackson is such a badass. 8.5 out of 10
The Orphanage - This is a Spanish horror film (subtitles for those who it bothers)that just blew me away. It was just creepy as hell. Although, I feel like calling it horror is perhaps a bit too harsh as it was more of a supernatural thriller similar to The Others. If you saw that film with Nicole Kidman, you know what I am talking about. In this film, a couple's adopted son goes missing which leads to a mystery of what happened to him. More of a drawn out mystery with creepiness mixed in, it all leads up to a final act which included one scene that had the absolute creepiest scene I have ever seen in a movie. Rather than the typical jump out of nowhere scare, the scene in question was long and drawn out beautifully to the point where the tension was absolutely unbearable. I looked at my arm and for the first time ever in a movie, I saw my hairs standing up. I will take creepy tension like this over a monster jumping from a closet any day as it had much more of a lasting feel than the one second scare. But this movie was more than just one scene and I really enjoyed this film. Excellent and don't dismiss it simply because you aren't a fan of horror as this is so much more. 9 out of 10
Taken - Very simple - Liam Neeson is a a bad ass, his daughter is kidnapped, and he proceeds to go out to find her and kick the ass of those responsible. Really, that is the whole film and yet, it is full of awesomeness. I mean, it worked for Commando in the 80s so why wouldn't it work here. Liam Neeson shows that you don't have to look like a badass in order to play one (works for Matt Damon), and this movie is simply a 90 minute thrill ride of getting from point A to point B with the only thing in between these two points being ass kicking. 8 out of 10
Get Smart - This is the movie version remake of the old tv show. I never saw the show, but rented it because it had Steve Carrell who I think is funny, Dwayne Johnson who I think is awesome in everything he seems to do, and Anne Hathaway who I think is hot. This was a fairly amusing slapstick type comedy. It did the job in that it kept me amused for a couple of hours. Once again, I think Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) steals pretty much every scene he is in and I really feel he is coming into his own as an actor. If you like him, it is worth it enough for his scenes, but Carrell fans should be pretty pleased. 7 out of 10
Let the Right One In - This is a Swedish film that you can watch (at least on BluRay) with English subtitles or a dubbed English track. As we don't mind subtitles and in fact, find dubbed movies distracting, we went with the subtitles. This is a vampire film that really isn't a horror movie. This is a about a boy who is picked on at school by bullies and befriends a new girl in his apartment complex who turns out to be a vampire. The film is mainly about their relationship with the fact that she is a vampire being the backdrop. Sure, their are vampire elements, but there is nothing really scary about this film. It sounds good, but the problem was, the buildup was just SO slow and there were even a few WTF moments, I just don't think I can recommend this film. This was disappointing as I had such high hopes for it. Usually, if I don't like a vampire film, it was because I thought it was just too stupid. This wasn't a stupid movie, just too drawn out. 3.5 out of 10
Vacancy - Couple checks into a hotel, realizes that people are videotaped being killed there and they are next, and they spend the next 86 minutes trying to figure out how to escape the sadistic people outside their hotel room. Normally, a thriller like this would be something that would keep me entertained, but I just didn't think this was very good. I don't know, it just seemed stupid, not the stupid that is unbelievable, but the stupid that is just kind of dumb. I never wanted to turn it off, but it was the kind of movie you could watch while doing laundry, cooking, reading a book, and talking on the phone - all at the same time. 5 out of 10
Taking of Pelham 123 - When I first saw this trailer, I had no idea this was a remake. In this movie, John Travolta hijacks a subway train for money while Denzel Washington plays the metro worker who doubles as hostage negotiator. This was a very simple, but enjoyable movie. I think part of this is because Travolta plays such an excellent crazy bad guy. Denzel was his usual cool, well acted self, but it is Travolta that really makes this an enjoyable movie. A movie that keeps you on your seat, this is another one of those movies that falls into the category of just sit back and be entertained, but with great actors and a great director, it just elevates this movie from mindless fun to mindless and actually good. 8 out of 10
Transformers 2 - Where do I begin? As you know, I LOVED Transformers as a kid and I LOVED the first movie. Save for a few minor things, I think that this first film was pretty flawless for a movie about alien transforming robots. So what about the sequel? Well, it was good, but I just didn't think it captured the magic of the first one. I won't say the novelty of seeing these childhood toys on the big screen had worn off, but it just had issues. First, it had some really dumb, over the top humor I could have done without. I don't know, I thought some of the humor and sex jokes just didn't seem to belong. I like them in other movies, but in this film, they just seemed out of place. Even though almost all of these moments were so brief, they just seemed to take me out of the movie for a bit as I had to recover from rolling my eyes. I think if these parts had been taken out, I might have enjoyed it as much as the first. Maybe upon repeat viewings, once I get over the parts I didn't like, maybe I will grow to appreciate this movie more for what it really is - a movie simply about gigantic alien robots blowing shit up. 8.0 out of 10
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - These films are just getting better and better, just like the books. The penultimate book in the series, this is actually the penultimate to the penultimate movie as they are splitting the final book into 2 movies due to its length. As truthfully, this movie played out like a story that was leading up to something big. Although it didn't feel like it quite as much in the book, the movie adaptation really had the feel of a stepping stone to the end rather than a stand alone movie. Of course, this doesn't take anything away from the movie itself. It got the majority of things from the book that I felt were important, and the acting keeps getting better and better. The three main cast have really come into their own as actors and just step right back in to their roles as if the characters are really their own persona. The supporting cast is super strong too with Draco, Dumbledore, and Snape being at their best. In fact, I think Tom Felton, who plays Draco, really owns this movie as you could really feel the tension and problems he goes through. It is going to be a LONG wait until next year's sequel. 9 out of 10
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
July 22, 2009 - Day 55
Structure
Got really busy with work today and am now watching a movie so movie reviews are delayed until tomorrow.
Got really busy with work today and am now watching a movie so movie reviews are delayed until tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
July 21st, 2009 - Day 54
Well, Apollo was the Sun God, but this guy doesn't look too Greek to me. Either way, he looks old and wise, doesn't he?
Movie reviews tomorrow....
Movie reviews tomorrow....
Monday, July 20, 2009
July 20, 2009 - Day 53
There was a time in my life where all I would wear was soccer jerseys. Although I no longer wear them (too tight!), I still have them in case I can one day fit into them comfortably again.
After the shoot, Leia saw a good opportunity to lay down on Daddy's clothes. She loves to do that...
After the shoot, Leia saw a good opportunity to lay down on Daddy's clothes. She loves to do that...
Sunday, July 19, 2009
July 19th, 2009 - Day 52
Jess and I got new phones on Friday! It does everything I wanted: Read my email? Check. Check sports scores? Check. Qwerty keyboard? Check. Yahoo IM? Check. Check my Facebook page? Check. I am a happy guy...
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
July 17, 2009 - Day 50
Well, you can't be happy with all your pictures. I got the concept of what I wanted, but I could not for the life of me get the flames for the burner in focus. I don't know if it was because they are transparent or what, but I could not get this as crisp as I wanted due to the lack of being able to focus.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
July 16, 2009 - Day 49
I wish I could say that all my photos have been simply playing around with my camera just to see what works, but everyone has to learn from somewhere. These books don't leave my coffee table.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
July 15, 2009 - Day 48
Some flowers outside my in-laws. If you can tell me the type of flower, you win the prize. My only regret is it is not as crisp as I would have wanted. I even used a tripod, but I guess it wasn't as in focus as I would have liked. Oh well...
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Challenge Completed
On Saturday, I finished the 30 Day Challenge on the Wii Active. It consisted of 20 days of exercise with a day of rest every third day. Overall, I am very pleased with it. For a home exercise program, I thought it was fairly effective for something that doesn't require thousands of dollars worth of exercise equipment. Now, I know you are wondering one question so I will get it out of the way. I did NOT lose a bunch of weight. I think I lost a few pounds which isn't really that bad for a 30 day period. I actually think I might have even lost even more, but there were some days I feel I could have been a lot smarter with my food, the biggest culprit being an eat-fest between the Thursday and Sunday that surrounded 4th of July. Additionally, this is not really a cardio program. This is more a strength training/muscle workout type program. I probably could have lost more weight by simply going running every day, but that would have just shed weight, and I think, given me an easier chance of gaining the weight back.
It really did kick my butt the first half of the program and at the halfway point, the trainer said they would start stepping up the intensity of the program, but I feel it actually got easier. That could have been my body finally adjusting to the exercises or perhaps they actually were easier, I am not sure. I do know that the exercises that focused on arms were considerably easier than the exercises that focused on the lower half of my body. Arm workouts were mainly done using handles attached tension straps. Not really the same as using a dumbbell, but good for the layman. Leg works focused a lot on lunges, jumps, and squats, and there were many times my legs tried quitting on me. The only thing I felt the program was lacking in was exercises which focused on my stomach. Some crunches or something similar should probably be added in.
In the end though, I was very happy with it and I felt it was a big step up from the Wii Fit. It is nice to have a whole workout routine planned out with only a couple seconds in between each activity rather than the couple of minutes it almost took between activity on the Wii Fit. It was also nice to have a guided workout rather than taking a guess and doing random exercises on my own. A guided workout gives you a start and finish point where the Wii Fit almost seemed like a, "I'll just keep going until I'm bored." Today I started a new 30 day challenge and I stepped up the intensity by switching my exercises to high intensity. I did the first 30 days at medium intensity and I must say, today absolutely kicked my butt. If it was any harder today, the ability to finish the exercise might have come into question. Here is to 30 more days.
It really did kick my butt the first half of the program and at the halfway point, the trainer said they would start stepping up the intensity of the program, but I feel it actually got easier. That could have been my body finally adjusting to the exercises or perhaps they actually were easier, I am not sure. I do know that the exercises that focused on arms were considerably easier than the exercises that focused on the lower half of my body. Arm workouts were mainly done using handles attached tension straps. Not really the same as using a dumbbell, but good for the layman. Leg works focused a lot on lunges, jumps, and squats, and there were many times my legs tried quitting on me. The only thing I felt the program was lacking in was exercises which focused on my stomach. Some crunches or something similar should probably be added in.
In the end though, I was very happy with it and I felt it was a big step up from the Wii Fit. It is nice to have a whole workout routine planned out with only a couple seconds in between each activity rather than the couple of minutes it almost took between activity on the Wii Fit. It was also nice to have a guided workout rather than taking a guess and doing random exercises on my own. A guided workout gives you a start and finish point where the Wii Fit almost seemed like a, "I'll just keep going until I'm bored." Today I started a new 30 day challenge and I stepped up the intensity by switching my exercises to high intensity. I did the first 30 days at medium intensity and I must say, today absolutely kicked my butt. If it was any harder today, the ability to finish the exercise might have come into question. Here is to 30 more days.
July 13, 2009 - Day 46
This is a sign that I have in my poker room. I thought that the shadows hitting it along with the sepia tone really give it that old saloon-style feel.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
July 12, 2009 - Day 45
Pomegranate tree in my dad's backyard. I truthfully had no idea what this was until I asked Jessica. I thought a pear had something explode from its belly Alien style.
Today was my dad's birthday so we spent the day visiting. We had some awesome carnitas soft tacos with fresh rice, beans, salsa and man, was it all so yummy. I am sitting here still feeling it, and yet, it was all worth it. One of the things I did today was have my dad give me a tour of his backyard plants so I could take a photo of everything. I know he is proud of all the stuff he has and I thought it would be nice if all the photos were online that way he could just give people a link if they ever wanted to see all his plants. Or rather, he could have my mom give them the link so they could find them as I am not sure my dad even knows what a link is! So, the link is below if you are interested. For some of you, it just might look like plant after plant. Maybe for others who have gardens like Alien, this could be something of interest. Enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pokermanuel/sets/72157621230204205/detail/
Today was my dad's birthday so we spent the day visiting. We had some awesome carnitas soft tacos with fresh rice, beans, salsa and man, was it all so yummy. I am sitting here still feeling it, and yet, it was all worth it. One of the things I did today was have my dad give me a tour of his backyard plants so I could take a photo of everything. I know he is proud of all the stuff he has and I thought it would be nice if all the photos were online that way he could just give people a link if they ever wanted to see all his plants. Or rather, he could have my mom give them the link so they could find them as I am not sure my dad even knows what a link is! So, the link is below if you are interested. For some of you, it just might look like plant after plant. Maybe for others who have gardens like Alien, this could be something of interest. Enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pokermanuel/sets/72157621230204205/detail/
Saturday, July 11, 2009
July 11th, 2009 - Day 44
The first decent clouds I have seen since I started this photography project. Was starting to hate clear blue skies.
July 10th, 2009 - Day 43
Sorry, I didn't get this up last night. I knew my friends Brandon and Yvette were coming over to play some games so I figured I'd wait on my daily picture until the night so I could get a picture of a game. As they didn't leave until after 1am, I didn't feel like putting it up right away. We played Clue and it ended up being Ms. Peacock with the Bat in the Patio. I think the B&W gives it that old school feel that an old game like this deserves.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
July 8th, 2009 - Day 41
I took Jess to the park and did a shoot of her. Truthfully, photography is easy when your subject is so stunning.
Be sure to check out the link below for the rest of the set. There are some great ones if I may say so myself...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pokermanuel/sets/72157621158314976/
Be sure to check out the link below for the rest of the set. There are some great ones if I may say so myself...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pokermanuel/sets/72157621158314976/
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
July 7th, 2009 - Day 40
My weapon of choice. Some use their fists. Some use a gun. When I go into battle, all I need is my Playstation 3 controller and I am set for war.
Monday, July 06, 2009
July 6, 2009 - Day 39
First, let me get this out of the way, there is NO photoshop here. This is all photography. Now, don't get jealous because I can shoot laser beams out of my eyes and you can't! This was actually really hard and would have been more in focus if I wasn't doing it on my own. But still, for doing this one myself without any help, I am pretty happy with it, that and the fact I have superhuman powers.
By the way, make sure to check out my 4th of July pics a few posts below. Some came out great if I may say so myself..
By the way, make sure to check out my 4th of July pics a few posts below. Some came out great if I may say so myself..
Sunday, July 05, 2009
July 5 2009 - Day 38
After a long night of fun last night (and into early this morning), this is pretty much all Jess and I did today. Feet up - watching tv.
July 4 2009 - Day 37
I let Jess write her name in sparkler, but she had to do it in reverse, so it was harder than it looks.
Here is the link to all the rest of the pictures of the night...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pokermanuel/sets/72157621006434946/
Here is the link to all the rest of the pictures of the night...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pokermanuel/sets/72157621006434946/
Friday, July 03, 2009
July 3 2009 - Day 36
My arm got pricked today, but it was all for a good cause. By the way, it sure is hard to get a clear picture when you are holding the camera at yourself and not able to see what you are shooting. This took much more than one shot.
No picture up tomorrow as I will of course be waiting until the fireworks pictures at night. So, Day 37 will go up sometime on Sunday as well as Day 38. Have a fun and safe 4th everyone...
No picture up tomorrow as I will of course be waiting until the fireworks pictures at night. So, Day 37 will go up sometime on Sunday as well as Day 38. Have a fun and safe 4th everyone...
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Your food update
Can you believe it has been almost two months since the last burger and ice cream update!?!? The numbers are going to seem a little big, but keep in mind, this is over two months. Yeah, that makes it better...
The Carl's Jr. Double Western
Squeeze with Cheese from the Squeeze Inn - THE best burger in town. Yes, that is fried cheese around the burger. God, it's good...
The next two are not of the same burger. Our friends had a barbecue a few weeks ago and I went ahead and had two burgers that day!
Double Quarter Pounder with cheese from McDonalds
Another burger from The Counter. BBQ Sauce, Bleu Cheese, and Bacon. Awesome!
In 'n Out 3x3 Cheeseburger
Fuddrucker's - put on as much sauce as I want!
That takes me to 42 burgers halfway through the year. How are your numbers looking?
Now on to Jessica's ice cream!
Rainbow Sherbet at home
Big Spoon - Pick your flavor of frozen yogurt and then put on whatever toppings you want: sauces, candies, cookies, literally anything you could possibly think to put on and then some!
Oreo Pizookie from BJ's. A warm baked Oreo flavored cookie topped with ice cream. SO AWESOME!
Rainbow Sherbet from Baskin Robbins. It was 108 degrees this day so it was so good
Coffee shake from the Habit - a burger place that I didn't go to!
Oreo Shake from Fuddrucker's
Scoop of ice cream from The Spaghetti Factory
Rainbow sherbet at home
Another yummy treat from Big Spoon
More Rainbow Sherbet - obviously, we like it a lot!
With those, Jessica ties me with 42 ice cream treats. Hope you enjoyed!
The Carl's Jr. Double Western
Squeeze with Cheese from the Squeeze Inn - THE best burger in town. Yes, that is fried cheese around the burger. God, it's good...
The next two are not of the same burger. Our friends had a barbecue a few weeks ago and I went ahead and had two burgers that day!
Double Quarter Pounder with cheese from McDonalds
Another burger from The Counter. BBQ Sauce, Bleu Cheese, and Bacon. Awesome!
In 'n Out 3x3 Cheeseburger
Fuddrucker's - put on as much sauce as I want!
That takes me to 42 burgers halfway through the year. How are your numbers looking?
Now on to Jessica's ice cream!
Rainbow Sherbet at home
Big Spoon - Pick your flavor of frozen yogurt and then put on whatever toppings you want: sauces, candies, cookies, literally anything you could possibly think to put on and then some!
Oreo Pizookie from BJ's. A warm baked Oreo flavored cookie topped with ice cream. SO AWESOME!
Rainbow Sherbet from Baskin Robbins. It was 108 degrees this day so it was so good
Coffee shake from the Habit - a burger place that I didn't go to!
Oreo Shake from Fuddrucker's
Scoop of ice cream from The Spaghetti Factory
Rainbow sherbet at home
Another yummy treat from Big Spoon
More Rainbow Sherbet - obviously, we like it a lot!
With those, Jessica ties me with 42 ice cream treats. Hope you enjoyed!
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