Sunday, October 24, 2010
More of our Moscow visit.....
We had an opportunity to meet all of the team here in Moscow on Sunday morning. There was a great time of singing, study, fellowship and food. It was great to meet the group that J&M will be working with during their time here in Moscow. They all made Sue and I feel very welcomed! Luke had a BLAST playing with his friends.
Here is an Noah unwrapped (he liked being bundled).
Jonas and Luke took us on the Metro for a visit on Saturday to Red Square.
Look at these two studs with a stroller!
Look at these two studs with a stroller!
Sue and I took a tour of the historic St. Basil's Cathedral (background). This is probably the most recognizable building in Moscow.
Luke is an excellent traveler and enjoyed his ride on the subway system.
Friday, October 22, 2010
More Pictures - less words.
What can I say?
Jonas and I outside a Metro station in north Moscow.
Sue and Jonas frozen together at Red Square. 
Sue and Jonas pretending not to know each other on the Metro!
Sue and NoahThis could have two captions:
"A heavenly Grandmother"
or
"A Grandmother in heaven"
The Williams in Moscow?
That's right! We came over to visit with Jonas, Melissa & Luke AND to see our newest grandson, Noah. This kid is priceless and will melt your heart. Just look at that face!
The trip: Fortunately Delta flies direct from Atlanta to Moscow. It's about a 9 hour flight that would turn into an entire day of travel if you added layovers. Jonas & Luke picked us up on arrival and they looked great. It had been 10 months since my last visit with Luke and he sure has grown. He is a smart, funny & playful boy just full of energy and is a joy to hang with. He will be 2 in November. We brought lots of toys for him, clothes for Noah and quite a few items for J&M.
Where we are: J&M live in a 16 story apartment building in southern Moscow. We are staying with them for the week. Thank goodness they live on the second floor. Their apartment is quite nice and very comfortable for a family of 4 (adding the two of us does crowd the place a little). Melissa (if you know her, this is what you'd expect) has done a GREAT job decorating and organizing the household and had made it quite a beautiful home for her boys. In addition to taking care of her newborn, she's made sure we have a place to sleep and plenty to eat. We just adore her and feel so blessed to have her part of our family. She and Jonas make quite a team.
Time: I really didn't think jet lag would affect Sue and I so much. At midnight here, I'm wide awake because it's only 4pm at home. So we've been taking turn with naps. We are trying to help with Luke so J&M can get some rest after being up a good part of the night with a newborn. Luke wakes up early and is ready to play. Sue and I tag-teamed this morning and we both had a great time playing with blocks, trains, balls, watching videos & reading books.
Language: Visiting Russia is definitely a challenge for any American much less a naive non-linguist like me. I learned enough Russian (I thought) to get me out of trouble. I was wrong. The Russian language uses an entirely different alphabet so the written word sounds nothing like you think it would. So reading signs, labels, instructions & directions is almost impossible for me. Most of the time we've been outside the apartment, we've been with Jonas. He's learned enough Russian to get him (and us) by. He ordered for us at Subway (yes, they have Subway here) which was amazing to me. He seemed to have no problem communicating at all. I went to the store (on my own) to buy Coke Light (Diet Coke) and, after paying 94 rubles, I grabbed a bag for my purchase. The cashier went off on me about something and all I could tell him was that I didn't understand Russian. After a minute or so, he waved me on shaking his head. After I got back and told Jonas what had happened. It seems I stole the bag. They charge for bags here. Go figure, but lesson learned. Oh yes, tonight at dinner I told the waitress that "I want you" when she asked if we were ready to order. She was very confused and I slowly pulled both feet out of my mouth.
Sights: Moscow is a very contemporary city of over 10 million. It is very much like visiting New York. Most people are nice but they basically ignore you. Doesn't matter. Sue and I can't speak to them anyway. Most people don't know much, if any, English. We've been using the Metro (subway) to get around. Even with the language problems, it is very easy to navigate the system. There is not a lot of "touristy" places to visit here with one exception: Red Square. We had to go nearby to finalize our visa issues so we stopped off for a quick visit (we are taking Jonas & Luke for a real visit tomorrow). There are lots of street vendors and a place called GUM (a mall) right at Red Square. Capitalism at it's finest! For a fee, you can have your picture taken with Stalin and Lenin (look-alikes).
People & Weather: From my perspective, younger Russians seem to be trendy while older Russians look pretty much like you'd expect (a lot of hats here). A large majority of Russians smoke and it seems we get behind a smoker everywhere we walk. As I said earlier, there's so many people moving here and there, they are pretty much indifferent toward each other. There is a lot of pushing and shoving on the crowded Metro trains and most everyone is listening to their iPod or reading. Nobody talks.
It's October and it's been pretty cold here. We've yet to have any snow, but plenty of cold temperatures, wind and rain. As a result, we've had to stay in more than we thought. Melissa's mom is coming for a visit in November. We are hoping that she will have some great weather for her visit.
Jonas & Melissa: We have been rejuvenated. I told Jonas tonight that I felt good about being able to see and experience where they live. When they are this far away, it makes it easier to see that your children are happy and makes us proud of their choices and the direction of their Calling.
The trip: Fortunately Delta flies direct from Atlanta to Moscow. It's about a 9 hour flight that would turn into an entire day of travel if you added layovers. Jonas & Luke picked us up on arrival and they looked great. It had been 10 months since my last visit with Luke and he sure has grown. He is a smart, funny & playful boy just full of energy and is a joy to hang with. He will be 2 in November. We brought lots of toys for him, clothes for Noah and quite a few items for J&M.
Where we are: J&M live in a 16 story apartment building in southern Moscow. We are staying with them for the week. Thank goodness they live on the second floor. Their apartment is quite nice and very comfortable for a family of 4 (adding the two of us does crowd the place a little). Melissa (if you know her, this is what you'd expect) has done a GREAT job decorating and organizing the household and had made it quite a beautiful home for her boys. In addition to taking care of her newborn, she's made sure we have a place to sleep and plenty to eat. We just adore her and feel so blessed to have her part of our family. She and Jonas make quite a team. Time: I really didn't think jet lag would affect Sue and I so much. At midnight here, I'm wide awake because it's only 4pm at home. So we've been taking turn with naps. We are trying to help with Luke so J&M can get some rest after being up a good part of the night with a newborn. Luke wakes up early and is ready to play. Sue and I tag-teamed this morning and we both had a great time playing with blocks, trains, balls, watching videos & reading books.
Language: Visiting Russia is definitely a challenge for any American much less a naive non-linguist like me. I learned enough Russian (I thought) to get me out of trouble. I was wrong. The Russian language uses an entirely different alphabet so the written word sounds nothing like you think it would. So reading signs, labels, instructions & directions is almost impossible for me. Most of the time we've been outside the apartment, we've been with Jonas. He's learned enough Russian to get him (and us) by. He ordered for us at Subway (yes, they have Subway here) which was amazing to me. He seemed to have no problem communicating at all. I went to the store (on my own) to buy Coke Light (Diet Coke) and, after paying 94 rubles, I grabbed a bag for my purchase. The cashier went off on me about something and all I could tell him was that I didn't understand Russian. After a minute or so, he waved me on shaking his head. After I got back and told Jonas what had happened. It seems I stole the bag. They charge for bags here. Go figure, but lesson learned. Oh yes, tonight at dinner I told the waitress that "I want you" when she asked if we were ready to order. She was very confused and I slowly pulled both feet out of my mouth.
Sights: Moscow is a very contemporary city of over 10 million. It is very much like visiting New York. Most people are nice but they basically ignore you. Doesn't matter. Sue and I can't speak to them anyway. Most people don't know much, if any, English. We've been using the Metro (subway) to get around. Even with the language problems, it is very easy to navigate the system. There is not a lot of "touristy" places to visit here with one exception: Red Square. We had to go nearby to finalize our visa issues so we stopped off for a quick visit (we are taking Jonas & Luke for a real visit tomorrow). There are lots of street vendors and a place called GUM (a mall) right at Red Square. Capitalism at it's finest! For a fee, you can have your picture taken with Stalin and Lenin (look-alikes).
People & Weather: From my perspective, younger Russians seem to be trendy while older Russians look pretty much like you'd expect (a lot of hats here). A large majority of Russians smoke and it seems we get behind a smoker everywhere we walk. As I said earlier, there's so many people moving here and there, they are pretty much indifferent toward each other. There is a lot of pushing and shoving on the crowded Metro trains and most everyone is listening to their iPod or reading. Nobody talks.
It's October and it's been pretty cold here. We've yet to have any snow, but plenty of cold temperatures, wind and rain. As a result, we've had to stay in more than we thought. Melissa's mom is coming for a visit in November. We are hoping that she will have some great weather for her visit.
Jonas & Melissa: We have been rejuvenated. I told Jonas tonight that I felt good about being able to see and experience where they live. When they are this far away, it makes it easier to see that your children are happy and makes us proud of their choices and the direction of their Calling.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
RS Annual Meeting - Day Three!
Day three they finally opened up the exibit hall with the vendors. This is why we are here. We had the entire day to get to see the new products and displays for the upcoming year. This expo focused mostly on wireless phones and the accessories that go with them.
Okay, I'm not sure what AT&T was trying to accomplish here.
Ed "too tall" Jones was here signing autographs with his big 'ole Super Bowl ring.
You can see how big the expo is with all the different vendors.
Okay, I'm not sure what AT&T was trying to accomplish here. 
Ed "too tall" Jones was here signing autographs with his big 'ole Super Bowl ring.
You can see how big the expo is with all the different vendors.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
RS Annual Meeting - Day Two
Day two was very tiring. We started the day around 8:30 this morning with presentations from the CEO, CFO, CMO, etcetera, etcetera. As the day went on more jibber jabber, oops, presentations from AT&T, T-Mobile, Apple, Sandisk, HTC, Cisco and others about how great their products are. They showed us slides of endless numbers and marketing research that made the whole day very confusing and mundane. Our CEO painted a pretty good picture of the "state of the economy" of RadioShack and I feel more confident.
I had dinner tonight with some very good friends from North Carolina. They are Boyd and Lynda Sosserman from Sylva and Tony and Monica Curtis from Franklin. These are some seriously good people and they were good company for the evening. We had a really nice dinner but, of course, we talked RS all night. I'm the guy with hair.
Lance Armstrong was our guest speaker. I took this picture of the screen since we were pretty far back. He explained the details of the Livestrong foundation for cancer research. It was very interesting and all the women swooned. (Some of you may have to Google "swooned").They are having a silent auction for merchandise to benefit the Livestrong foundation. One of the items up for auction, believe it or not, is two tickets to the Final Four in Houston in 2011. I just told Sue last week that I wanted to go. I am high bidder at the moment. I'll remain silent about how much I am willing to spend. That would be awesome to win and is the highest priced item on the tables. They are also auctioning a brick from the old Yankee stadium, a jersey signed by Lance, tickets to a Dallas Cowboys home game, two iPads, high end cell phones & a Tony Stewart autographed NASCAR drivers helmet. But, I'm after the Final Four tickets.
Monday, August 30, 2010
RS Annual Meeting - Day One!
I just finished up day one of the meeting. Today began with a council meeting at 8:30 and finished up with a general session than ended at 6:30pm. It is very tiring to sit around all day.
I had the opportunity to sit across the table from all the RS executives and we all had an opportunity to put our 2 cents worth in. Will it make a difference? I don't know but it seems they are trying to make RS a first class operation.
The hotel is sponsoring an Alice in Wonderland theme for the month. I went around and took some pictures of the grounds during an afternoon break. I thought you'd like to see the place. It is similar (but smaller) to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Luke and Nicklas would have a good time here! Look at the model train.
Go Jackets!
BTW.....they have a nice spa and gym here. I made it to the gym this morning for a 45min workout before my first meeting.
I had the opportunity to sit across the table from all the RS executives and we all had an opportunity to put our 2 cents worth in. Will it make a difference? I don't know but it seems they are trying to make RS a first class operation.
The hotel is sponsoring an Alice in Wonderland theme for the month. I went around and took some pictures of the grounds during an afternoon break. I thought you'd like to see the place. It is similar (but smaller) to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Luke and Nicklas would have a good time here! Look at the model train.
Go Jackets!
BTW.....they have a nice spa and gym here. I made it to the gym this morning for a 45min workout before my first meeting. Also, I really wish Sue had come with me. This is a great place but not much fun by yourself. I have a lot to do to keep me busy, though.
Sue...Boyd and Lynda said they miss you!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
RS Annual Meeting - Arrival
I just arrive at the Gaylord Texan hotel for a 4 day meeting with RS staff and vendors. Looks like a rough place to hang out. Right?
The flight only took 2 hours and getting out of the airport just about as long. I forget just how confusing the DFW airport and roads can me. Jennifer knows what I'm talking about.
I got to the Atlanta airport around dinner time (6pm). Every resturaunt was packed so I resorted to eating at Burger King. Mistake! I will be hitting the gym shortly to try and work off that crummy meal. 
Here is a view from my balcony! You can see the place is huge. This picture is of the inside of the hotel area. I have an advisory council meeting starting at 8:30am and I'll finish day one about 7pm. I really don't like sitting around all day but hopefully we can all be productive and iron out some issues. There's lots of vendors here for the week and lots of prize drawings.
Here is a view of my room. Darn it. No mints on the pillow!
Monday, August 23, 2010
P90 Day 45
Well there are a couple of things I am surprised at:
1) I've done this for 45 days.
2) I've done this for 45 days and now I enjoy and have to do it.
Actually, I am 4 days behind in my daily exercises (I should be at dat 49) but I did finish the 45th day today. Can I tell a difference? Sure can! I could barely do 3 pushups when I started and I did 30 in a row tonight. I was so winded when doing the cardio the first night I had to pause the DVD. Now I run straight thru (level 2). I would say that I am a solid level 2 (out of 4). I put in the level 3 sculpting DVD last night and completed most of the exercises but I think I'll wait another week before moving up to level 3. The 100 crunches every other night are a breeze now. It was hard for me to even lay on the floor to begin with. Level 3 moves to 200 crunches and I'm actually looking forward to that. I can no longer wear my size 40 pants. These are my newest pants, too. If this keeps up I'll be in a size 36 by the 90th day. My 38s are actually too big for me right now. Wohooooo!
I mentioned earlier that I have to do these excercises. I used to poo poo other people saying they were addicted to exercise. I am a long way from addicted but I get restless at night if I don't exercise. Also, I find myself stretching and doing table pushups while at work. I keep getting restless and the exercise is a way to release all that tension.
In other news...............
Robert and Jennifer threw a birthday party last Saturday for Nicklas. He had a big blast. Look on my FB page for a link to the video or go to Youtube and search for "Jungle Jumpers Nicklas" and you'll see it. It was so funny that he started crying when we all sang "Happy Birthday". Jennifer used to do the same thing. The only thing that would have made it better was if Luke was there to jump on all the "blow-ups". He would have had so much fun. Maybe we can find some place in Moscow to take him on our visit. We plan on spoiling him in a big way!
Jonas, Melissa & Luke made it to Moscow this weekend. Last message from Jonas was that the apartment was GREAT and they were excited about moving in. It will be good for them to have their own place for a while.
Thanks for reading.
-Randy
1) I've done this for 45 days.
2) I've done this for 45 days and now I enjoy and have to do it.
Actually, I am 4 days behind in my daily exercises (I should be at dat 49) but I did finish the 45th day today. Can I tell a difference? Sure can! I could barely do 3 pushups when I started and I did 30 in a row tonight. I was so winded when doing the cardio the first night I had to pause the DVD. Now I run straight thru (level 2). I would say that I am a solid level 2 (out of 4). I put in the level 3 sculpting DVD last night and completed most of the exercises but I think I'll wait another week before moving up to level 3. The 100 crunches every other night are a breeze now. It was hard for me to even lay on the floor to begin with. Level 3 moves to 200 crunches and I'm actually looking forward to that. I can no longer wear my size 40 pants. These are my newest pants, too. If this keeps up I'll be in a size 36 by the 90th day. My 38s are actually too big for me right now. Wohooooo!
I mentioned earlier that I have to do these excercises. I used to poo poo other people saying they were addicted to exercise. I am a long way from addicted but I get restless at night if I don't exercise. Also, I find myself stretching and doing table pushups while at work. I keep getting restless and the exercise is a way to release all that tension.
In other news...............
Robert and Jennifer threw a birthday party last Saturday for Nicklas. He had a big blast. Look on my FB page for a link to the video or go to Youtube and search for "Jungle Jumpers Nicklas" and you'll see it. It was so funny that he started crying when we all sang "Happy Birthday". Jennifer used to do the same thing. The only thing that would have made it better was if Luke was there to jump on all the "blow-ups". He would have had so much fun. Maybe we can find some place in Moscow to take him on our visit. We plan on spoiling him in a big way!
Jonas, Melissa & Luke made it to Moscow this weekend. Last message from Jonas was that the apartment was GREAT and they were excited about moving in. It will be good for them to have their own place for a while.
Thanks for reading.
-Randy
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Day 30 P90
Okay....just finished another sculpting workout with the P90 and I have to say it is getting better. If you can count you can see I'm a couple of days behind in the program. There are some days that work and commitments take up more time than I can afford. I checked in the forums online and this seems to be a common problem. I feel fortunate to only being down a couple days.
I use the iPod and turn down the volume on the TV so I don't hear the same thing over and over.....much better now. On their scale of 1-4 I would say I'm a 1 1/2 right now. The exercises are much much easier for me now but I really don't think I'm at level 2 and certainly not ready to tackle level 3. Anyway, I've been substituting two things: 1) 2 hours of volleyball on Wednesday nights for the cardio. I am making up the crunches on Thursday nights. 2) I substitute the Fat Burning CD for one night of cardio. It has a lot of the same routines but it is a bit higher level of workout.
I am down to 218lbs as of this morning (remember, I started at 234.5). I can actually see my ribs now....LOL. BTW, the Yoga is still very very hard for me but I'm getting there.
One thing I've learned. DO THE STRETCHES! I didn't put much stock into the stretches but it really does make a difference in the quality of the workout. It's like "how low can you go". Lower with the stretches...definitely!
This is new territory for me. I joined a gym three and they enjoyed my money while I went home and sat around and ate the wrong foods. This has been fun and I am even amazing myself. I actually sprinted about 200 yards on a power walk this week. I mean sprinted. That's probably not a big thing for you? But for me? That is huge and it felt great.
On another note:
I miss my son. I miss my daughter-in-law. I miss Luke! There's no two ways about it. Being a dad and grandfather is both rewarding AND difficult at times. They are on my mind constantly and I'm so looking forward to seeing them (and Noah) in October.
I use the iPod and turn down the volume on the TV so I don't hear the same thing over and over.....much better now. On their scale of 1-4 I would say I'm a 1 1/2 right now. The exercises are much much easier for me now but I really don't think I'm at level 2 and certainly not ready to tackle level 3. Anyway, I've been substituting two things: 1) 2 hours of volleyball on Wednesday nights for the cardio. I am making up the crunches on Thursday nights. 2) I substitute the Fat Burning CD for one night of cardio. It has a lot of the same routines but it is a bit higher level of workout.
I am down to 218lbs as of this morning (remember, I started at 234.5). I can actually see my ribs now....LOL. BTW, the Yoga is still very very hard for me but I'm getting there.
One thing I've learned. DO THE STRETCHES! I didn't put much stock into the stretches but it really does make a difference in the quality of the workout. It's like "how low can you go". Lower with the stretches...definitely!
This is new territory for me. I joined a gym three and they enjoyed my money while I went home and sat around and ate the wrong foods. This has been fun and I am even amazing myself. I actually sprinted about 200 yards on a power walk this week. I mean sprinted. That's probably not a big thing for you? But for me? That is huge and it felt great.
On another note:
I miss my son. I miss my daughter-in-law. I miss Luke! There's no two ways about it. Being a dad and grandfather is both rewarding AND difficult at times. They are on my mind constantly and I'm so looking forward to seeing them (and Noah) in October.
Monday, July 26, 2010
I miss my wife......
While Sue has been out of the country for the last week, I've been holding down the homefront. I've had a little bit of extra time on my hands so I made a little video to show her how much I've been missing her. Actually, as you can see, I've had too much time on my hands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B64QzLPUvic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B64QzLPUvic
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
P90 Day 15
I have never been one to commit to any kind of daily excercise routine. So this is new territory for me. After moving up a size in my waist, I decided it was time.
I am still working with the P90 program although I have to say that Tony is getting pretty boring. I still listen to him (with music off) because he does bring "form" to my attention. I think that's the most important part of the routines. I think it's funny when he talks about his "superior" balance then falls over on the next routine.
I've added another dimension to the cardio workout. I do a 2 mile power walk around our neighborhood. We have a couple of really steep hills and I get more heartpounding cardio doing that than the P90. The circuit workout kicks my butt so I am staying with it as-is for now.
I am struggling with two parts of the cardio. First, I simply can't do the yoga excercises. I really have tried and I know its important but I simply don't bend the way he does (or come even close). Second, the jumping jacks and hopping hurt my knees and insides. I do the alternate moves....step, step....but that doesn't seem to do much. I'll keep at it, though as best I can.
Anyway, no more weight loss but still at it and I am feeling a ton better.
(I miss my wife. She is out of the country for 10 days)
I am still working with the P90 program although I have to say that Tony is getting pretty boring. I still listen to him (with music off) because he does bring "form" to my attention. I think that's the most important part of the routines. I think it's funny when he talks about his "superior" balance then falls over on the next routine.
I've added another dimension to the cardio workout. I do a 2 mile power walk around our neighborhood. We have a couple of really steep hills and I get more heartpounding cardio doing that than the P90. The circuit workout kicks my butt so I am staying with it as-is for now.
I am struggling with two parts of the cardio. First, I simply can't do the yoga excercises. I really have tried and I know its important but I simply don't bend the way he does (or come even close). Second, the jumping jacks and hopping hurt my knees and insides. I do the alternate moves....step, step....but that doesn't seem to do much. I'll keep at it, though as best I can.
Anyway, no more weight loss but still at it and I am feeling a ton better.
(I miss my wife. She is out of the country for 10 days)
Thursday, July 15, 2010
P90 - Day 10
Okay, I am making my first attempt at using a workout program and having fun. Since I haven't been updating the blog, this seemed a perfect place to post my progress.
I purchased the BeachBody (Tony Horton) P90 90-day workout program. Interestingly, I purchased the P90X but after further investigation found out I physically can't do the program as a beginner. I will have to work my way into it. "What?", you say! Yeah, yeah....I can be somewhat of a couch potato. My work days are pretty intense and there is little "sitting" time. I am on my feet about 8-10 hours a day so when I'm home I do sit a lot.
I started a low carb diet the middle of May 2010 with a beginning weight of 234.5lbs. What a fat boy! I was physically feeling bad, tired, back hurting & knees aching. Since starting I've been mostly eating under 40 grams of carbs a day. It really does make a difference. I'm not as hungry and I don't eat as much volume. But I do miss the bread and sweets. Do I cheat? Of course, every once in a while (but I did turn down brownies at J&M's).
Sue and I setup a home gym in the basement complete with TV, DVD, yoga mat, weights, chair, punching bag (not for P90) and dehumidifier. This is the perfect environment for me to only be an embarrasment to myself while I work out.
Back to the P90! I am on Day 10. The program consists of two sections; Cardio and Sculpting. Since there are 4 phases you'd think there are 4 videos? NO! There are two. Phase 1-2 is one video and 3-4 is the second. So it seems the workouts are going to get monotonous. I am to switch to the 3-4 video once I feel comfortable that I'm a level 2 guru. That'll probably be 45-50 days into this program.
Level 1-2 seems harmless enough. However, when I'm done........wow......what a workout. I lag far behind the "gym rats" on the video so I am definately a Level ONE. There are a lot of stretches and actual Yoga moves that I can't do...yet. However, after 10 days I can actually stand with my feet wide of sholder and bend over and put my fingertips on the floor. That is a milestone for me.
Status: After 10 days of excercise and dieting (low carb) I am now at 220.5 lbs.
I'll keep the updates coming. The goal is 205 which is certainly obtainable with the program. At 205 I should be a running weight so I can begin the next phase.
-Randy
Oh yes.....no before and after pictures. Don't worry!
I purchased the BeachBody (Tony Horton) P90 90-day workout program. Interestingly, I purchased the P90X but after further investigation found out I physically can't do the program as a beginner. I will have to work my way into it. "What?", you say! Yeah, yeah....I can be somewhat of a couch potato. My work days are pretty intense and there is little "sitting" time. I am on my feet about 8-10 hours a day so when I'm home I do sit a lot.
I started a low carb diet the middle of May 2010 with a beginning weight of 234.5lbs. What a fat boy! I was physically feeling bad, tired, back hurting & knees aching. Since starting I've been mostly eating under 40 grams of carbs a day. It really does make a difference. I'm not as hungry and I don't eat as much volume. But I do miss the bread and sweets. Do I cheat? Of course, every once in a while (but I did turn down brownies at J&M's).
Sue and I setup a home gym in the basement complete with TV, DVD, yoga mat, weights, chair, punching bag (not for P90) and dehumidifier. This is the perfect environment for me to only be an embarrasment to myself while I work out.
Back to the P90! I am on Day 10. The program consists of two sections; Cardio and Sculpting. Since there are 4 phases you'd think there are 4 videos? NO! There are two. Phase 1-2 is one video and 3-4 is the second. So it seems the workouts are going to get monotonous. I am to switch to the 3-4 video once I feel comfortable that I'm a level 2 guru. That'll probably be 45-50 days into this program.
Level 1-2 seems harmless enough. However, when I'm done........wow......what a workout. I lag far behind the "gym rats" on the video so I am definately a Level ONE. There are a lot of stretches and actual Yoga moves that I can't do...yet. However, after 10 days I can actually stand with my feet wide of sholder and bend over and put my fingertips on the floor. That is a milestone for me.
Status: After 10 days of excercise and dieting (low carb) I am now at 220.5 lbs.
I'll keep the updates coming. The goal is 205 which is certainly obtainable with the program. At 205 I should be a running weight so I can begin the next phase.
-Randy
Oh yes.....no before and after pictures. Don't worry!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Growing up.....
I've been thinking a lot lately about how much time has gone by and at lightning speed. Sometimes I want it all back 'cause it seems I missed so much. Just yesterday both our children were little like the grandboys are now. It won't be long before Robert & Jen and Jonas & Melissa find this out. It's hard to believe how big N & L are now.
It's funny, but today I ran across a video/song by Ben Folds that expresses these thoughts. "Everybody knows it hurts to grow up". Especially for parents.
"Still Fighting it"
Click to watch the video.
It's funny, but today I ran across a video/song by Ben Folds that expresses these thoughts. "Everybody knows it hurts to grow up". Especially for parents.
"Still Fighting it"
Click to watch the video.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Out of commission for two days!
Sue and I have pretty much been out of commission for two whole days. Early Sunday morning I came down with the flu (with all the usual nastiness). What made it so bad was I was just getting over a case of strep and sinus infection. Anyway, Sue had to take me to the emergency room Sunday morning because of dehydration. There I received fluids, anti-nausea & pain medication. While sitting with me at the hospital, Sue started showing the same symptoms so we shared the medication prescribed for me. We stayed in bed most all day Monday and watched a lot of really bad boring TV.
As usual, she went out of her way to take care of me since I am a big baby when it comes to "problems of the gut". We should join the world on Tuesday.
As usual, she went out of her way to take care of me since I am a big baby when it comes to "problems of the gut". We should join the world on Tuesday.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The new year is here....
2010! Wow. How did this happen? Time is flying by so fast. It seems we just celebrated the new century and here we are 10 years later.
Nicklas and Luke just celebrated their second Christmas and we had a great time with them. The holidays were busy for all of us. Jen & Robert & Nicklas were sick with colds and flu for much of the time. Jonas & Melissa & Luke spent a lot of time traveling to be with family and were absorbed in preparing for their overseas trip. We were all together on Christmas day and that meant the world to Sue and me. We cherish the time we get with our children and our grandsons and know that God has blessed us beyond measure.
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