Any way you can get it!.. (right?)

So after being knocked out a few days fighting something off, I suddenly find myself much closer to my weight loss goal. Yeah yeah, I know, just because I didn't eat a few days, that doesn't really count. Well consider it motivation...

I've got a few more projects added to my pile at work, so the 6 week honeymoon is over and its time to deliver. With enough of my plate to last a long time, deadlines suggest it all needs to be done by the end of may. Yikes!

Basement framing, hoping to get some more done this weekend.

Lastly I'll close with a quote from a Lenten Calendar that provides daily and weekly reflections. I thought this was pretty cool.

Sometimes I get sad, but then I feel comfort when I ask God for our health and our children's health. That's a gift from God.

- Margarita, Nicaragua

Do me a favor. Smile to a stranger today, and also Have a Great Day!!

Peace

Slow going

A bit slow going in the updates lately. I've been under the weather. Just a quick sync up for those that are anxiously following all that's going on in the household.

- got in my 2nd hour swim on Sunday (prior to getting sick). A good swim, but this facility didn't have any kickboards for personal use, so it was tough to do all the drills.
- got the 2x4 framing started in the basement. I ran out of 2x4s so I needed to get more. Probably have another 1/2 day or so or framing left. So given that I piece together hours to work in it, it still might be a number of days.
- Got E1s "trailer" bike setup. It wouldn't hook up to J's bike, so Papa gets to have E1 bike attached to mine. He had a blast testing it out on Sunday.
- work has suddenly gotten quick busy. we'll see the impact on the rest of life, but there is a lot on my plate right now. Being new to the group and department, I need to deliver to show they can count on me...

more to come as I get healthy and more progress is made..
Peace

Determining Zones and Pace

Getting back into triathlons this year, I've started to dig out old training articles to reacquaint myself with some training tip and principals. And with a couple of new triathletes possibly following this blog, I figured I would repost the info as find it.

Basic training for a marathon is getting in your miles. As you progress, you tweak workouts to include more hills, or speedwork, or intervals. Its relatively easy to monitor progress and improvement during that training.

How do you monitor improvement for triathlon training? Well here's an article that describes how to determine your HR zones, and pace for swimming, biking, and running. The technique is about using time trials. Enjoy the article Determining Zones and Pace

Peace

Splash! and Uuugh!

For the first time since the completion of the 2007 Chicago Accenture Triathlon I went to a pool with the intent to train. After more than 1 year away from competing in triathlons, I registered for a few this years. So I felt it was time to get the feet wet, literally.

I spent 1 hour, with some rest breaks, in the pool. Just going through some basic drills that I remembered from years past. It felt good to be back in the pool, but it didn't take long at all to feel the effect of almost 1.5 years away from swimming.

Arms and shoulders are now sore. The lung capacity isn't there. And to top it all off, towards the end of the hour, I actually began to feel nauseous. No had I been swimming in a lake with waves, I might have expected that, but not in a pool. Its a good thing that I talked myself into going, and taking a break from the basement remodel. Clearly I need to start putting in some training time in the pool.

So how was YOUR Saturday?

Peace!

There's a hole in my wall, Dear Liza

There's a hole in my (foundation) wall, dear Liza
There's a hole in my wall, Dear Liza, a hole
Then fix it dear Henry, dear Henry
Then fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, then fix it!

There's water coming from the hole, dear Liza, dear Liza,
There's water coming from the hole, dear Liza, dear Liza,
Then plug it, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then plug it, dear Henry, dear Henry, then plug it!

With what shall I plug it dear Liza, dear Liza,
With what shall I plug it dear Liza, with what?
With hydraulic cement, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With hydraulic cement, dear Henry, with cement!

There's an electrical panel in the way, dear Liza, dear Liza
There's an electrical panel in the way, dear Liza, dear Lisa
Then move the panel dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then move the panel dear Henry, then move it!

..and on an on...

So.. work on the basement has resumed. As I mentioned in my last post, the combination of unusual amounts of rain, and frozen group, led to flash flooding, and a veritable lake in our back yard. Bad news as it results in some water in the basement, good news, that I found out now before I got any further. It was quite a chore to loosen up and shift our main electrical panel to get at the hole. But I did. I cleared out the joke of a plug that was there, filled it with some good hydraulic cement, and also waterproofed the surrounding area.

The panel is now back in place, we had another TON of rain, and half our back yard is a pond. And the basement is bone dry. I've got the radiant heaters reinstalled, and I've got the first section of framing done. Its been a whirlwind of progress this weekend. With some good fortune, and some time, there's a remote chance I could have the majority of the framing done by the end of then next weekend. We'll see how things go.

Peace!

Water and Water

The Chicago area got a solid rain mid to late last week. Enough to cause some flash flooding. It was a good test for the new basement damp/water proofing. It all worked great, except there was still some water. It turns out, there was another old rebar support whole directly behind the electrical panel. So all the holes I filled, they held just fine. The water from the excess rain must have just moved down the wall until it found a new opening. Drilling out and filling that hole is going to be tricky, since the electrical panel is on top of the hole. I have a plan. We'll see how it works out.

On the 10lbs in 40 days. I had made some decent 1st week progress, but with hosting a family party on Sunday, looks like I consumed one to many walking tacos. I never said this goal would be easy. We'll see what this week brings.

Peace

40 days....

For millions of Catholics around the world, today marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. 40 days of preparation until Easter. As many know, there is a custom or tradition to give up something for Lent. Sweets, Alcohol, Meat, and other vices or bad habits.

Most years, I tend to "start" something, rather than to "stop" something. Like starting being
nicer for 40 days. To smiling more for 40 days. This year, I'm going more traditional. Since the last Chicago marathon, a number of factors have contributed to some weight gain. So this Lent, I'm going to dig deep and try to shed the close to 10 lbs that have seemingly appeared overnight.

I'm not going to blame stress, or job lose, eating to much, or getting adjusted to two kids, or lack of exercise, or even on my belief that I've had a metabolism shift. Rather, I'm just going to attempt to change my thinking and try to get back to where I want to be weight wise. That is close to 10 lbs in 40 days. I'm realistic in knowing that honest weight lose doesn't occur that quickly, so just getting close will be considered a success. To visually show my progress. I've placed a new "Weight Loss Ticker" at the top of the blog.

So what are doing for lent?

More progress...

It has been a number of weeks since any progress was made on the basement. I guess looking for a job can do that to you. That said. Now at the beginning of the 3rd week of my new gig, I started up some work again. To be honest, I was procrastinating since it was sanding, striping, priming, and (not yet started) painting the old rusted baseboard heating units. It was and is an ugly job, but its the next step needed to be done before I can start any framing. With a little persistence, perhaps I'll have them painted an installed within a week. Then it will be "hammer time".

More to come...
Peace

E-Squared - Tales from the Backseat (Baby Sister? Huh)

Maybe its just another fun, make you smile "Tale fro the Backseat"

This past week E1 asked about his Baby Sister. At first I wasn't sure what he was saying so I asked again. Sure enough, in his broken/still learning almost 4yr old English, out came the words "Baby Sister". He know E2 is is "Baby brother".

Oddly enough a number of E1 preschool teachers have approaches us asking about the Baby Sister that E1 keeps talking about. As if we were withholding a secret.

Alas, there is no baby sister. At least not yet. Perhaps one Day the Lord will Bless us with one. Until then, it still puts a smile on my face to know that E1 is interested in and telling people about his "Baby Sister".

Peace

Change is a comin...

A number of small (or maybe no so small) changes are being inacted on the blog. I've removed the Event links section, and replaced that with countdown timers and links to the 2009 Event schedule.

I've shifted the Destination Addis Ababa up to front and Center. I was looking for a bar or line slider type of widget, rather than a mileage ticker, but I've not found anything cool yet. Something similar to the Adoption countdown bar we used once before.

Most importantly, you'll see that the Team World Vision First Giving sponsorship link is up and active. The Sponsorship page still needs a little work, but its functioning. You can check it out at http://www.firstgiving.com/twollnik2009 Its a terrible economy, I certainly recognize that. But if its bad for us, just think of all those that were already in need. How much worse it much be for them.

So my suggestion? Shop at Aldi for a week or two, and put the savings towards a charitable cause. Of course, I'd love to have you sponsor me, but the idea is that there are others in greater need than ourselves.