James Pearl Thinks Blogging is Dead

[stb222]

Breaking Bad is a slow build but once it gets there it's pretty solid. Megan and I love the spin off Better Call Saul.

Back in 2000 I inadvertently walked in on a film shoot of Unbreakable. If I recall, I think it was Pine Street in Philly. I was just walking to class then saw all the equipment and crew...I looked across the street and was like "Holy shit that's Bruce Fuckin Willis!"

I bailed on Better Call Saul for 4 episodes, a back story I didnt need to know

@mattybfat remember, peoples personal algorithm on these streaming services literally doesn't suggest things it doesn't think you will like. Hence, Ratchet has never shown up for me.

 

[Norm]

Correction: @UtahJoe Glass is the 3rd of the trilogy. Split is the 2nd.

Topic: Still Life with Norm, Thursday​

I used to do these blogs as a daily SoC* but with this latest iteration, I've decided not to do that. Until today, sort of. As I'm not training for any of the bike-able goals right now, other than maybe climbing virtual hills faster, the daily pedal turning or planning or CTL or normalized power is somewhat moo** at this juncture. But it did strike me yesterday that life is generally a routine right now. I had this conversation with Simon yesterday, in fact.

He asked me what I do when they're not there. As much as I wanted to say, "Bong hits and lines of blow," the joke would have bounced off him like a good idea bounces off the current POTUS***. But when I explained it, it was a pretty boring reply because life is somewhat limited right now. I said that I more or less work, ride eventually, work on the porch, do this-and-that around the house, and at night we watch TV for maybe 2 hours."

"And eat. And poop," he replied****.

Yes, those as well. I've mentioned the porch a few times but have not said much about it. We pretty much let it go since we bought the house and this year we power washed it and a lot of it started to come away, specifically the porch decking had rotted out. So I've taken a segment of the porch, about the left 50% of it, and sanded all the columns and the bannister and the wall. Actually, I sanded the whole wall and D painted it. So that's done. I replaced the edges of the porch decking that had rotted. I cut off the edge, about 18" worth, and patched in new pieces. This was a major f*ing block of work. At some point, it became art as much as work.

I'm not really done, as 2 of the pieces that I locked in place have bowed up through the recent rains. So I'll need to take them out and sand down the edges a bit to get them to fit better. It's a major learning experience, to say the least.

Today I finished up sanding everything in that left 50% in anticipation of the next 4 days of warmer weather. In addition to this, I have spent a little time each day this week doing yard work, as the grass was long and the leaves are coming down. As you know, long grass and leaves makes the leaf blower much more of a chore than it needs to be. We still have lots of leaves to go, so I'm blowing, then mowing, and so on.

Anyway, this is what my day is now and to Simon's point, it's pretty boring when you think about it. I've Enjoyed having this porch project in a way, as it gives me something to on the side when I have a little time. But I also pointed out to Simon that my work life is usually mixed with trips to various places, which tends to make you want to just stay home and get shit done when you have the time. Right now, without the travel, there's plenty of time.

Still, I didn't get the porch done this year. I'm pretty confident we'll get the railing & columns painted this weekend. Then after I fix the decking, I'll need to paint that then put some molding up. Then we'll have a refurb porch. Or rather, half of one. The right half is considerably more rotten than the one I'm working on now. And by spring, I'll have forgotten everything I learned this time around. Maybe I'll just keep going through the winter. With the exception of the paint & the temperature, there's probably not much stopping me.

I also work on the bike runs, which I rode a few laps of yesterday. We have the main run and a smaller side run. I rode them both yesterday a few times and I have confirmed I need to widen the ramp from the space shuttle, as you really need to angle to the left when you come off it to hit the small line properly. I imagine we'll do some work on this in the next 4 days. But I have to make sure I get the porch done, because this may be the end of the warm.

And that's about the long and short of it right now.

*Stream of Consciousness

**See: Joey, from Friends

**Sorry, but not sorry? I'll stop, eventually.

****He says some funny things some days. Just tonight, at the dinner table, he said, "Wait, aren't you half Chinese?" Kids...

 

[Norm]

NICA Returns​

Today was the somewhat return to normalcy as the NICA pre-season started. At this stage, people are well-versed in the mask thing, so when people are standing around, they sort of mostly know to put them on. It's a good motivator to ride away and not linger in the general area too long. The point being, masks are a thing, like weather or the length of the grass. It's not so much an item of stoppage any longer. At least not right now.

It was a low point in the past few days, but I did see 205 on the scale recently. While 200 as a regular number is still a ways off, I'm making progress. I still think this will be a full effort to hit 199 or 200 by the end of the year, but I feel good about the direction right now. As it pertains to this ride, I definitely felt better on the bike today. While every pound is lost day by day, ounce by ounce, there are certain days when you feel the effort is making a difference. Today was one of those days.

It was nice to be out. We held the try-it-out ride at 6 Mile and I did 5 loops with different groups of kids, before finally taking Zac and 2 other kids out for a longer, harder ride. On the way out there, we picked up one of the kids riding solo who was totally lost. We then got back to the lot only to realize that Zac had dropped his phone out there, so we needed to use the Find My app and go on a wild goose chase to find it. Long story short, eventually we did.

In all I rode 2:20 which is a lot for one of these rides. I often hem & haw about going on these rides. But today was a very good day.

So it's slow, real slow. But this is a sort of small step of a return to normalcy. Next weekend I take the OTB101 course which will push me up to level 2 and put me in position to be a level 3, which I should be able to get done before next season really gets rolling.

 

[Norm]

Food Log aka Flog​

@MissJR posted (and others chimed in):

"@Norm do you or have you ever kept a food log? Sometimes we eat way more then we realize but when you have to start writing every little morsel down, you start to rethink some of the food you eat. (Not that I have to lose weight, but I started writing down what I eat to try to narrow down some of the food issues I seem to have lately.)"

For many years I tracked everything I ate with the Lose* It app. I probably did this for years and while I'm sure I wrote about it at times, that is like 4339 blog posts ago so I don't expect anyone to remember it. At some point, I bottomed out at 170 and simply could go no further. I gave up tracking every day because it wasn't a long-term strategy that I could keep up for the rest of my life. Even now, it's hard to believe that I managed to do that for so long. At the end it got to be dreary, and I just estimated everything I ate in terms of a custom food I made, dumplings. Each dumpling was 50 calories so I would just add dumplings to cover the number of calories I ate.

I then started to slide and said I would be stop at 190. I didn't stop. A long time ago an old college roommate (actually Cliffy, the 3rd member of our Cheers crew) said 200 would be good for me long term. So ok, 200 is fine. Slowly kept going past that. Really, the point there was that without some checks & balances, I cannot self-regulate to keep myself under 200 pounds.

Anyway, I have not gone back to it, and I don't really plan to**. At least not yet. I have my routine which I have mentioned twice now so I will talk about it eventually. But the big difference since 10/1 is twofold - first I do not eat after 9:00 pm. Secondly, I have stopped eating ice cream every night. I am sure I mentioned it.

I also found that the food log was warping my overall nutrition. Back in those days I was pretty much starving myself during the day. I would make my lunch to take with me. These were the old NYC days. And when I would get there I would absolutely hate my past self for sending me with a tiny lunch and a bag of carrots as a snack. But I ate it, for better or worse. When i would get home I would eat a moderate dinner. Then I would totally pop and eat like half a half-gallon of ice cream in a blaze of glory.

And you know what? I lost weight. But at some point I asked myself...is this really healthy? Like 35% of my total daily calories coming from an ice cream gorge? Probably not. And so I tried to eat a more balanced diet.

Anyway, yeah I have. The reality is that in order for me to lose weight I have to have some level of hunger with me every day, almost all the time. Right now, my body wants more food. As it is past 9:00 it will just have to suffer through it and wait for the morning to come. In the grand scheme of things, it's not so bad. Could be worse. Could be stabbed.

* Why the F does Chrome think that the word "lose" is spelled wrong?

** Also incorrectly spelled, apparently

 

[Norm]

I took a break.

• October started at 220, ended at 210
• November started where October left off and we ended at 205
• Start of December and I have seen 203 on 3 of the last 4 days

Going in the right direction. I would like to see that even 200 by the end of the month but it's hard to say what will shake out. Either way I'm happy with the last 3 months of the year regardless of what happens.

Last month I did a lot of climbing on the bike, the virtual bike that is. Did some solid work there:

• Got my 3rd then 2nd fastest time up the Alpe
• Did that crazy Ventoux climb twice (5000 feet a pop) - the first 2 times
• Did the Innsbruck climb both ways and got 2nd & 3rd best
• Best time up the Watopia Epic KOM reverse which is probably the most impressive of the lot

The weather hasn't been terrible or anything but the daylight is short and with the kids here all the time, it's not realistic to get out much these days. I have done a few NICA rides (2 at Six Mile and 1 at CR) and it was nice to get out. On that note, I am now a level 3 coach in NICA. So I think I can command the kids to mow my lawn now.

But, in a sense we're in a rinse & repeat pattern with things. I ask this, as far as Rinse & Repeat goes. What is the difference between being in a groove and being in a rut? I have long wondered where the nuance is.

Just to shake things up, we got a dog to make sure we're not in a rut. It's a puppy. So yeah, we wake up in the middle of the night to walk him. And we take him out every 90 minutes. So the above with the indoor riding is the way of life for the next few months. It's ok, as I want to avoid the unwashed COVID masses anyway.

His name is Bear.

 

[Mitch]

So when I hit the Click Bait to your latest post it directed me to the OP. I then read the 1st page of post. I think you should too. Very interesting.
Keep up the weight loss. Is that an oxymoron? Good luck,
Stan, a fan

Edit. I love dogs, good luck there too

 

[taylor185]

Congrats, super impressive on the weight front. I'm currently trending in the opposite direction thanks to too much booze and sweets. But, just because you're killing it in the weight department, don't think I'm giving up on my effort to one-up you in the cute puppy department.

 

[pooriggy]

ask this, as far as Rinse & Repeat goes. What is the difference between being in a groove and being in a rut? I have long wondered where the nuance is

I think being in a groove suggests positive things are happening, like getting a promotion, nailing a tech section on mtb you always mess up or getting $200 in Monopoly from the community chest. To the opposite I think of a rut as less then great things are happening, you wake up for work every morning and spill your coffee, the dog runs away and you take a sit down and notice that there is no more tp in the holder.
There are those who say we make our own happiness but I must say it's hard to be up when you're in a rut. The one solace I feel is that nothing lasts forever, groove or rut. New adventures always lay ahead.

 

[The Kalmyk]

In a rut we have the inborn ability to talk ourselves out of good ideas

in a groove we talk less to ourselves

 

[Norm]

Old Men Post​

1. @Mitch

If you are referring to my continued battle to lose weight, yes this is the theme of my life. As a kid my nickname was Pugsley - you know the fat kid from the Addams Family? Then I went to college and it became Norm - you know the fat guy from Cheers? So yeah, there's a theme. I love to eat, and drink, then eat some more I guess. What can I say?

I started this latest iteration on 10/1 after the KT trip and I decided not to post about it. I know that some people think that stating something openly is a way to get yourself to stick to it. But I once read that people who openly announce these things actually fail more often. I believe this is because the statement itself is all they really wanted to do. By making it, you're done.

2. @jmanic

I admit that I did tell @jmanic because I wanted to be on the record.

3. @pooriggy

I think those are the spectrum answers and I agree with those. You're in the groove when you are just dropping 3 pointers 2 steps across the mid court line, You are in a rut when you keep drawing fouls but you go 3-20 from the FT line. But neither of those extremes last. I am asking from a philosophical perspective, especially as it pertains to life right now at the end of 2020. I neither feel like I am in a groove nor a rut. But there is a rinse & repeat nature of life for many of us. Most of us. All of us I guess. When does that rinse & repeat go from a routine to a chore? How do you keep people's heads in the game?

I think a lot of people look forward to things to keep the rinse & repeat from consuming them. For us winter is ski season and theater season. In reality, we almost surely won't go to the theater and skiing is a super unknown right now. But the dog licks my face every morning when I take him out of the cage. So there's that.

4. @ChrisG

I mean to reply to your post about fitness & aging but you know how time is.

 

[shrpshtr325]

Dogs are the best. They can certainly help keep you motivated and sane (more sane right now I do think)

 

[rottin']

Old Men Post​

. But there is a rinse & repeat nature of life for many of us. Most of us. All of us I guess. When does that rinse & repeat go from a routine to a chore? How do you keep people's heads in the game?

@Norm This resonates with me to some degree recently...i was reading an old article from Harvard Business Review, not written recently, but still applicable to how I feel as I approach each day/situation lately. The case study was based on writings from a gentleman (Sidney Rittenberg) who was imprisoned in China during the late '40's and '50's, and his outlook was partially formed by how his compatriots caved and succumbed to the pressure, and came to the conclusion that "...happiness...is not a function of your circumstances; it's a function of your outlook on life." I am generally a glass "half full" person, and try to approach much of my professional and personal life this way, although sometimes this year it has been a humbling experience. But I think I am constantly throwing theoretical "carrots" out there to keep me in the game mentally and emotionally.

 

[jmanic]

2. @jmanic

I admit that I did tell @jmanic because I wanted to be on the record.

 

[mattybfat]

Ha been the story of my life since I turned 40. Weight was a non issue until it was and is. I got to a nice 215 this past summer from 275 in March. Since mom passed its been bumping up again sadly.
I plan to nip this in the bud immediately since my doc mention I sit on the edge of diabetes which coincidentally is what took my mother out. Sugar is my nemesis and every where you read its stated that its just as hard to kick as your favorite drug of choice. So here I stand with a list of foods to avoid which happen to be everything I absolutely love, life can be cruel but I also have so much to be greatful for and so much reason to stay here as long as I can. My Body tells me exactly what can and should be doing its just the 18year old brain of thought that constantly gets me into trouble

 

[stb222]

I took a break.

• October started at 220, ended at 210
• November started where October left off and we ended at 205
• Start of December and I have seen 203 on 3 of the last 4 days

Going in the right direction. I would like to see that even 200 by the end of the month but it's hard to say what will shake out. Either way I'm happy with the last 3 months of the year regardless of what happens.

Last month I did a lot of climbing on the bike, the virtual bike that is. Did some solid work there:

• Got my 3rd then 2nd fastest time up the Alpe
• Did that crazy Ventoux climb twice (5000 feet a pop) - the first 2 times
• Did the Innsbruck climb both ways and got 2nd & 3rd best
• Best time up the Watopia Epic KOM reverse which is probably the most impressive of the lot

The weather hasn't been terrible or anything but the daylight is short and with the kids here all the time, it's not realistic to get out much these days. I have done a few NICA rides (2 at Six Mile and 1 at CR) and it was nice to get out. On that note, I am now a level 3 coach in NICA. So I think I can command the kids to mow my lawn now.

But, in a sense we're in a rinse & repeat pattern with things. I ask this, as far as Rinse & Repeat goes. What is the difference between being in a groove and being in a rut? I have long wondered where the nuance is.

Just to shake things up, we got a dog to make sure we're not in a rut. It's a puppy. So yeah, we wake up in the middle of the night to walk him. And we take him out every 90 minutes. So the above with the indoor riding is the way of life for the next few months. It's ok, as I want to avoid the unwashed COVID masses anyway.

His name is Bear.

This is not hatin' on indoor riding, whatever, fitness motivates you.

But...at some point you were motivated climbing IRL and now you are motivated by virtual climbing. This likely plays into outdoor riding became a chore, hence why you don't do it as much. However, I am curious, does getting a PR on a virtual climb have the same feeling as getting on outside? And to that, does it have the same fitness benefit?

 

[Norm]

Fargo, season 4​

Here is what I think. Chris Rock is a great comedian. He is not a great drama actor.

1. @stb222

I think some of what you say is like saying "well what if gravity wasn't what it is." I can say yes or no, or it's better or worse. But this is the hand I've been dealt for the moment. To specifically answer your question, I actually don't know. IRL I tend to not try to take out any segments anymore. In the virtual world, it's a carrot to keep things more interesting. As far as fitness gains yes it can be as productive as being outside but you need to be motivated. I am not quite that motivated.

To be more clear - I took October to put in a ton of miles/time. I took November to try these Zwift segments. Now I'm going back to more steady efforts. The real aim is to lose weight. Alternating months like this is a way to keep things more interesting. And in theory, the less I weight the faster I should go up, no?

But in the long view, am I concerned about fitness, per se? Not at all...until I am again.

2. @mattybfat

Three of my uncles died from diabetes so I know that song. In a sense this whole weight loss thing is really simple. But it's not easy. Let me draw a parallel.

Problem: How do we give humans a longer lifespan?
Solution: Cure cancer

The answer is simply but it's not easy.

For me this round has been extraordinarily easy. It is 2 simple things:

* Stop eating ice cream at night
* Do not eat after 9:00

Simple, but not easy.

3. @rottin'

I don't know if you read much, but I think the book, You are Not So Smart might appeal to you. It's a great book, and peeks at the factors that go on inside your mind in a variety of areas.

I don't really have a lot of carrots these days. In reality, I have nothing as I sit here today. But I'm referring to carrots like ski trips, going to shows, weekends in Vermont, and the like. There are always daily carrots but they've become somewhat manufactured in a sense. IDK. That said, things like the first cup of coffee in the morning is something I greatly look forward to every day when I get up. There's nothing like that first cup, every single day.

 

[pooriggy]

The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup.

 

[Mahnken]

Ha been the story of my life since I turned 40. Weight was a non issue until it was and is. I got to a nice 215 this past summer from 275 in March. Since mom passed its been bumping up again sadly.
I plan to nip this in the bud immediately since my doc mention I sit on the edge of diabetes which coincidentally is what took my mother out. Sugar is my nemesis and every where you read its stated that its just as hard to kick as your favorite drug of choice. So here I stand with a list of foods to avoid which happen to be everything I absolutely love, life can be cruel but I also have so much to be greatful for and so much reason to stay here as long as I can. My Body tells me exactly what can and should be doing its just the 18year old brain of thought that constantly gets me into trouble

My father in law died from diabetes a month before my wife and I got married. Just about everyone in her family has diabetes except for her. However, her Mom and Aunt have started to lower their A1c numbers and take less insulin just from cooking for our kids, lol. We don't eat meat or dairy, so they have basically stopped cooking with it for themselves and for the kids. They still eat it when they order out, which is a lot, but just to see the improvements with small modifications in their diet has been pretty cool. Even caught my mother in law reading this:

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

Hopefully some of it sticks.

 

[Norm]

I don't have much to say today. Just a few things.

First - 202 this morning, which is a new low in 2020.

Second - you ever see a horror movie where the main character is running from some entity, and the entity does not move, but it just keeps getting closer? It's like an electron jumping from 1 state to the other? It just goes from point A to B, no movement at all?

We have one of those entities in our house now. I will look across the room, and he'll be 20 feet away. I'll turn around and it's 10 feet - no movement. Then i turn around and he will be 6 inches away. And this is what I see when I turn around:

 

[serviceguy]

I don't have much to say today. Just a few things.

First - 202 this morning, which is a new low in 2020.

Second - you ever see a horror movie where the main character is running from some entity, and the entity does not move, but it just keeps getting closer? It's like an electron jumping from 1 state to the other? It just goes from point A to B, no movement at all?

We have one of those entities in our house now. I will look across the room, and he'll be 20 feet away. I'll turn around and it's 10 feet - no movement. Then i turn around and he will be 6 inches away. And this is what I see when I turn around:

Is he related to @jmanic 's Wonderpup ? I think I found a picture of his secret identity...