School resumes tomorrow, bringing to a close one of the most enjoyable Spring Breaks of recent memory.  This year I made a concerted effort to arrange plans with as many folks as possible.  I was lucky that so many folks were able to find the time, and the result was an invigorating time of strengthening and deepening friendships.

I kicked things ( Read more... )

Fred (1997-2010)

Our cat Fred lost his battle with cancer today.  Late last fall he was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer, which later spread to his liver.  Chemotherapy had kept the cancer at bay, but a number of other complications had arisen in his weakened condition, including anemia and persistent viral repiratory infections.  We treated him ( Read more... )

I promised you last week, dear reader, that I'd have for you a review of Stephen King's Under the Dome.  Well, I've got most of one, and a confession.  I'm about 800 pages in to an 1100 page tome, and I'm not going any further.  I know how it's going to end.  Some of the details are unclear, and I'm not entirely sure what's going to become of all ( Read more... )

No book review this week dear reader.  I left myself an out last week by protesting the dauntng heft of Stephen King's latest tome.  To be honest, it's rather tough sledding, although I'm planning on having a review for you this weekend.  In the meanwhile, though, life has been eventful, in a good way.

I'm approaching the end of the "Fat-burner" ( Read more... )

Bulgarian split squats with dumbbell overhead press reared their ugly head in my workout schedule again . I dutifully upped the weight from last week and ground out the reps.  And when I was done, I was glad I'd done it - and not in a "hitting your head against a wall because stopping feels so good" way, either.  Mostly...

I reference my recent ( Read more... )

So today I started in on the next phase of my year-long weight training regiment - Fat Burner Program II (the regimen I'm on skips Fat Burner I because it'ssimilarto the "Break-in" program I finished up last week).  As expected, Burns Supper, coupled with some other weekend indulgences, have put me back up over 255.  That seems to be the fulcum ( Read more... )

First, dear reader, a fitness update.  I'm one workout away from completing the "Break-in" segment of my year-long "New Rules of Weightlifting" regimen.  The premise is simple - two workouts per week (saving designated weeks off), no excuses.  Even if I have to to them on back-to-back days.  Even if I have to stay until late here at school.  When I ( Read more... )

So, Fred the cancer-striken tuxedo cat came home from the vet yesterday.  The tally ( Read more... )

Our cat Fred is dying.   He was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, and despite a range of medicines, he's reaching the end of the line.  I knew this was coming, of course,  The oncologist promised nothing more than slowing the process down.  Still, it's been hard.  Fred is the first cat I've had since kittenhood, and those of you who have met ( Read more... )

Shortly after my last posting, dear reader, I jetted off to snowy New Hampshire with bewcastle  to spend some holiday time with my family.  We had snow, lots of good food, and the opportunity to visit and catch up with friends.  I also got to undertake some serious workouts, two with my cousin recently discharged from the Marine Corps, now attending college ( Read more... )