As we speak, I am just about 5/6 the way through season 4 of 24. I started it last night, took an 8 hour sleeping break, and am going strong since 10 A.M this morning. (I did take a brief break last night when I sliced my finger pretty bad cutting bread. Worst cut I've ever had, but no stitches). I don't think I'll be able to do it in 24 hours, but it'll be close! I knew I was playing with fire when I started this season, but I didn't think it'd be this bad....
To my credit, I did have a somewhat productive day today, and I planned on going out this afternoon. I got my taxes pretty much finished. And I was planning on going bowling and having a Mexican dinner with friends from church. I made guacamole (while watching 24), and was getting ready to go, when I noticed that the date on the bowling occasion was next Saturday - not today! So I have quite a bit of guac in my fridge to munch on during the rest of my 24 marathon! If you'll excuse me now, I'm going to refocus my attention on the episode playing in front of me!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Sad, sad, sad...
I want to give you a glimpse into the sad life of this one Tanner Augustin. I've been watching American Idol this season (I haven't missed one yet). Yesterday, they eliminated everyone except the top 25. I'm not sure if any of you have been watching, but I was a fan of Josiah, the 18 year-old who lives in his car. He reminded me of my bud, Aaron. I think it was his aptitude for being able to come up with his own renditions of songs on the spot, and he was seemingly into the same kind of music. Well, he had a horrible final audition in Hollywood and got the ax. I was so down last night after the episode that I had trouble falling asleep. Sad, I know, that a reality show can affect me like that!
Another sad aspect of my life is how ridiculously out of shape I am! I went to a kickboxing class this evening with a friend, and WOW, it about killed me! An hour long class of punching and kicking air, doing jumping jacks, and jumping an air rope, and I seriously just about collapsed. I hadn't felt that light-headed from working out since high school basketball! We did the whole exercise where you're in an athletic stance and chopping your feet in place. Ya, I could definitely feel my obese jiggle on my waste, and I don't think I felt that during basketball camp! And the saddest part is that the instructor was a flaming gay guy, and there were definitely some ladies in there with more cellulite than me having a much easier time. A bit of a humbling experience overall, I must say!
Another sad aspect of my life is how ridiculously out of shape I am! I went to a kickboxing class this evening with a friend, and WOW, it about killed me! An hour long class of punching and kicking air, doing jumping jacks, and jumping an air rope, and I seriously just about collapsed. I hadn't felt that light-headed from working out since high school basketball! We did the whole exercise where you're in an athletic stance and chopping your feet in place. Ya, I could definitely feel my obese jiggle on my waste, and I don't think I felt that during basketball camp! And the saddest part is that the instructor was a flaming gay guy, and there were definitely some ladies in there with more cellulite than me having a much easier time. A bit of a humbling experience overall, I must say!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Fairy Tale Week
This last week has been simply the things dreams are made of! As noted in my previous blog, my week started with skiing in the most amazing ski conditions of my life. Now, the week ended with nothing fancy...just your average day of SUMMER stuff! It was 70 yesterday and today. My goal today was to spend the entire day outside, and I did! I listened to a Piper sermon sitting poolside (had to even out my raccoon face tan my goggles game me skiing earlier this week!), went for a jog, did some chipping with my sand wedge in this big grass space next to my condo, hit the driving range, and played 2-on-2 basketball outside. It feels like May in Nebraska, except that it still gets down to mid-thirties at night. I topped off the night by grilling a 1 lb Sirloin and asparagus on my new grill (or BBQ as they call them out here). Nor Cal is definitely an amazing area....a simple four hour drive separates 5 ft of snow and 70 degree weather!
Well, I don't think I mentioned anything in this blog that will stimulate another comment war, but we'll see...I didn't think I did last time either!
Well, I don't think I mentioned anything in this blog that will stimulate another comment war, but we'll see...I didn't think I did last time either!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Super Tuesday at the Slopes!
Super Tuesday took on a different look than I had anticipated (and I don't mean that I voted for Obama!). Yesterday, I was told that I could take the day off (I work with awesome people!) today and head to Lake Tahoe to enjoy the 5 feet of snow that was just dumped there last week (yes, another 5 feet of snow since the last time I went!). So I left yesterday evening and spent the night in Auburn with Dick and Barb (my sister-in-law's aunt and uncle). It was great seeing them since I hadn't seen them since October.
Today was possibly the best day of skiing I've ever experienced. It was 30 degrees and sunny with no wind, and the powder was amazing! Even though I could shove my poles all the way into the snow past the handles and not even hit the ground (pictured below), my skies didn't sink into it too much (b/c of the wetness) which made skiing easier than Colorado powder. I went to Squaw Valley which is where they had the winter Olympics (not sure which year). It was WAY better than Heavenly which is where I went last time. It was probably the steepest terrain I've skied on...pretty intimidating. You know that tingling sensation you get when you're standing at the edge of a cliff? Ya, that's what I was feeling quite a bit today. And I think it was magnified since I was skiing by myself and somewhat paranoid that I would lose a ski at the top and fall all the way down to the bottom! It didn't have the close-up view of the Lake that Heavenly did, but you could still see it. Once again, by the end of the day, my legs were about ready to give out. And the 4 hr drive home could have been enough to kill me, but I had Michael Savage on the radio keeping me informed on the outcomes of Super Tuesday and why I should vote for Mitt Romney and not Hucksterbee or Moonlighting McCain (as he calls them). Fortunately, I already voted via absentee ballet so I didn't miss my opportunity to make my conservative voice heard in liberal Cali!
This is what 5 feet of snow looks like on the side of the road.
Check out how it's taller than the car!
My poles weren't even hitting the ground yet!
Today was possibly the best day of skiing I've ever experienced. It was 30 degrees and sunny with no wind, and the powder was amazing! Even though I could shove my poles all the way into the snow past the handles and not even hit the ground (pictured below), my skies didn't sink into it too much (b/c of the wetness) which made skiing easier than Colorado powder. I went to Squaw Valley which is where they had the winter Olympics (not sure which year). It was WAY better than Heavenly which is where I went last time. It was probably the steepest terrain I've skied on...pretty intimidating. You know that tingling sensation you get when you're standing at the edge of a cliff? Ya, that's what I was feeling quite a bit today. And I think it was magnified since I was skiing by myself and somewhat paranoid that I would lose a ski at the top and fall all the way down to the bottom! It didn't have the close-up view of the Lake that Heavenly did, but you could still see it. Once again, by the end of the day, my legs were about ready to give out. And the 4 hr drive home could have been enough to kill me, but I had Michael Savage on the radio keeping me informed on the outcomes of Super Tuesday and why I should vote for Mitt Romney and not Hucksterbee or Moonlighting McCain (as he calls them). Fortunately, I already voted via absentee ballet so I didn't miss my opportunity to make my conservative voice heard in liberal Cali!
This is what 5 feet of snow looks like on the side of the road.Check out how it's taller than the car!
My poles weren't even hitting the ground yet!Sunday, January 27, 2008
Rain, Rain, Go Away...
I have definitely come to enjoy the climate that California offers. However, the winters of NorCal do bring with it one unpleasantry -- rain! I haven't seen the sun for about a week now. It hasn't been raining constantly, but there have been a couple of days where the rain never quit. And on the days it's not raining, it's been overcast. No, I'm not comparing it to sub-zero wind chills in the Midwest, but it does take its toll on guy!
I spent yesterday afternoon through this morning in the Oakland area on call. It wasn't bad, I stayed in a nice hotel in a nice area. Even though I was just complaining about the weather, it was still 50 degrees last evening, so I took a dip in the outdoor pool and hot tub. It was glorious! I then ate at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse which is a higher class steakhouse in big cities. I treated myself to a $49 T-bone steak courtesy Medtronic. It was great! However, I was disappointed because they were out of the Kobe. Then I wondered over to a French Bistro for a poached pear topped with homemade ice cream and chocolate sauce...mmmm.
This week I'm planning on buying a grill (or barbecue as they call it here). Wish me luck!
I spent yesterday afternoon through this morning in the Oakland area on call. It wasn't bad, I stayed in a nice hotel in a nice area. Even though I was just complaining about the weather, it was still 50 degrees last evening, so I took a dip in the outdoor pool and hot tub. It was glorious! I then ate at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse which is a higher class steakhouse in big cities. I treated myself to a $49 T-bone steak courtesy Medtronic. It was great! However, I was disappointed because they were out of the Kobe. Then I wondered over to a French Bistro for a poached pear topped with homemade ice cream and chocolate sauce...mmmm.
This week I'm planning on buying a grill (or barbecue as they call it here). Wish me luck!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
I left my heart in...Colorado!
So I experienced skiing in the Sierra Nevadas for the first time today at Heavenly ski resort! I have been waiting months for this and it was great. Me and my friend, Steven, went up there last night after work. It was about a 4 hr drive. On the way up, we ate at In 'n Out Burger (my second time there), a California fast food craze where you only have three choices (hamburger, cheeseburger, double-double). The meat is grown on some ranch in California and the fries are made from real potatoes. Every weekend night, there are usually 20 cars lined up in the drive-through and the place is packed inside. It's good, but who waits in line that long for fast food?!
They got 6 feet of snow at Heavenly last week. Along the highway, in the mountains the snow on the shoulder or the road was taller than the cars! The skiing was pretty good, but the powder was definitely different than the powder in Colorado -- it was freakin' dense! There definitely isn't the fluffy white dust flying in the air when you're skiing through the virgin runs. That was kind of disappointing actually. And the dense snow forces your muscles to work exponentially harder in your turns! By noon, I felt like every muscle in my leg was pulled, and I hadn't skied any blacks yet! By the end of the day, my legs felt like jelly. In all my life, skiing has never killed my legs like that! (I attribute it to the snow as opposed to the fact that I've exercised aerobically about 20 minutes in the last 3 months!) The temperature was surprisingly cold. It was cloudy and 30 most the day with fog which made it hard to see sometimes (although I'll take that over mid teens and windy in January in Colorado). But the last couple hours cleared up and it was 35-40.
So while I will keep my Vail snobbery and say the snow and mountains in Colorado (thus far in my experience) is better than the Sierras, I must admit the view of Lake Tahoe from Heavenly is quite breathtaking! And Heavenly is split between California and Nevada, so you get to ski between the states, which is pretty cool; however, there is a slot machine at the top of every lift on the Nevada side (j/k, but there are casinos at the base of the mountain)! And the drive out of the mountains tonight was one of the most breath-taking scenes I've ever seen. Driving west down out of the mountains into the foothills, the sunset was orange and purple and there was fog in the Sacramento valley, so you saw peaks of mountains and trees poking out of this sea of fog that we were above! Words can't even describe it. I've never seen anything like it. Absolutely breathtaking! Anyways, after round one: Skiing, grandiose, and atmosphere go to Colorado, scenery and temperature goes to Sierras. While there was some excitement in these mountains, my hearts still belongs to Colorado. Next week is round two at a different ski resort, so I'll let you know what the scores are for that one. In the mean time, here are some pics of Heavenly for you to enjoy.
They got 6 feet of snow at Heavenly last week. Along the highway, in the mountains the snow on the shoulder or the road was taller than the cars! The skiing was pretty good, but the powder was definitely different than the powder in Colorado -- it was freakin' dense! There definitely isn't the fluffy white dust flying in the air when you're skiing through the virgin runs. That was kind of disappointing actually. And the dense snow forces your muscles to work exponentially harder in your turns! By noon, I felt like every muscle in my leg was pulled, and I hadn't skied any blacks yet! By the end of the day, my legs felt like jelly. In all my life, skiing has never killed my legs like that! (I attribute it to the snow as opposed to the fact that I've exercised aerobically about 20 minutes in the last 3 months!) The temperature was surprisingly cold. It was cloudy and 30 most the day with fog which made it hard to see sometimes (although I'll take that over mid teens and windy in January in Colorado). But the last couple hours cleared up and it was 35-40.
So while I will keep my Vail snobbery and say the snow and mountains in Colorado (thus far in my experience) is better than the Sierras, I must admit the view of Lake Tahoe from Heavenly is quite breathtaking! And Heavenly is split between California and Nevada, so you get to ski between the states, which is pretty cool; however, there is a slot machine at the top of every lift on the Nevada side (j/k, but there are casinos at the base of the mountain)! And the drive out of the mountains tonight was one of the most breath-taking scenes I've ever seen. Driving west down out of the mountains into the foothills, the sunset was orange and purple and there was fog in the Sacramento valley, so you saw peaks of mountains and trees poking out of this sea of fog that we were above! Words can't even describe it. I've never seen anything like it. Absolutely breathtaking! Anyways, after round one: Skiing, grandiose, and atmosphere go to Colorado, scenery and temperature goes to Sierras. While there was some excitement in these mountains, my hearts still belongs to Colorado. Next week is round two at a different ski resort, so I'll let you know what the scores are for that one. In the mean time, here are some pics of Heavenly for you to enjoy.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Roof Rack...check!
Well, I'm back in Cali and into the work groove again. I had a great time in Nebraska over Christmas, although I didn't get much sleep! Between three nieces running wild at home, and three nights in Lincoln that involved alcohol, dancing, cards, and shared hide-a-beds, my sleep time was significantly less than my aging body needs! But it was all great fun! Stepping on the scale at the YMCA, I was pretty surprised that I had gained 5 lbs in the last two weeks. I haven't gained weight for the last 6 months, and then all of a sudden I exploded! I'm motivated all of a sudden to incorporate jogging (pronounced "yogging"...it's a new fad out here on the west coast) into my workout routine!
Get this, Lake Tahoe has had 6 ft of snow this weekend! That is craziness. I've never heard of such a thing! But that makes me super excited because I'm planning on going skiing up there the next two weekends. I just made a stop by REI and got my ski poles and a roof rack for my Rav-4. I can't tell you how excited I am!
Get this, Lake Tahoe has had 6 ft of snow this weekend! That is craziness. I've never heard of such a thing! But that makes me super excited because I'm planning on going skiing up there the next two weekends. I just made a stop by REI and got my ski poles and a roof rack for my Rav-4. I can't tell you how excited I am!
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