the_vulture

Yeah, the damn thing doesn't want to budge from 280 lbs. This is in spite of all the Kung Fu and Tai Chi I've been doing the last few weeks. I console myself with the fact that when I was last this weight, I was tight fitting into a size 46. A couple of days ago, I purchased a couple of size 44 jean shorts that fit very comfy and will do me until my size 42s are not so snug.

The big pain in the arse though (about six inches away from being literal), is that I hurt my lower back during today's workout. I was good jogging in spot, I was fine running with knees high in one spot, I was also fine lightly bouncing one leg a number of times and then the other, as if skipping. But the once I try putting an extra high bounce on every fifth 'skip'? BANG! I get seizing in the muscles just off the spine and right above the hip bone.

Dammit.

I finished off the rest of the class just fine, but opted against a walk to the grocery store later on. Currently, I'm dosed up on ibuprofen and reeking of Tiger Balm. It's not a bad injury, as far as my history of putting out my back goes, but I've definately added yet another activity to the list of 'Things that will make my back hate me if I do them.'

On a positive note, I did a lot of work on scissor blocks, rolling up from prone, and how to utilize a couple key pressure points in the neck to do some really, really nasty take downs. :D

Current Mood: ow

I adore Spiral Dance's Woman of the Earth. It is a beautiful and powerful accounting of every woman's spiritual connection to the Mother Goddess. But, sadly, to really feel the fullness of its magic, one would have to be a member of the gender it is written for, specifically, a woman. (Not that this has stopped me from regarding this as the most spiritually song to have ever Drawn Down the Moon to, but I digress...)

Since first hearing that song, I have always kept an ear out for a similar sort of song that would suitably connect men to the pagan heart. Sadly, for the longest time, the closest I've ever found is Creature of the Wood by Heather Alexander (as performed by Phoenyx), which depicts a Pan-like (and very masculine) figure from the first person perspective. However, while it embraces some elements of a masculine and pagan God-figure, it just doesn't suit the purpose, nor does it resonate strongly enough, especially as it is performed by a female vocalist.

However, I think I've finally found a song that works. Ironically, instead of discovering a new source of pagan folk music, I've rediscovered pagan meaning in a song that probably was not intended for such purposes, especially given the quite mainstream performing artists. I've actually had this song in my collection for quite some time, but never really listened to the meaning behind the lyrics until recently. It might not be so obvious, but this song speaks of all that men are about, good and bad, and their eternal connection to each other and the universe as whole. Indeed, the song clearly describes the concept of the Wheel of Life, though not naming it directly.

To sing about a man's connection to the spiritual realm, I present Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Johhny Cash, The Highwaymen, singing a cover of Jimmy Webb's The Highwayman:

The Highwayman
Jimmy Webb

I was a highwayman. Along the coach roads I did ride
With sword and pistol by my side
Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade
The bastards hung me in the spring of twenty-five
But I am still alive.

I was a sailor. I was born upon the tide
And with the sea I did abide.
I sailed a schooner round the Horn to Mexico
I went aloft and furled the mainsail in a blow
And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed
But I am living still.

I was a dam builder across the river deep and wide
Where steel and water did collide
A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
But I am still around..I'll always be around..and around and around and
around and around

I fly a starship across the Universe divide
And when I reach the other side
I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
But I will remain
And I'll be back again, and again and again and again and again..

For the purposes of comparison, Spiral Dance's Woman of the Earth:

Current Mood: all spiritual-like

It's Wednesday and I is tired. Not so much in the spiritual, emotional, or mental sense, but pretty much in the physical. And that, even seems to be focussed primarily in my legs. Yep, instead of getting easier after a two day break, it seems that biking to and from work is getting harder. That's a bit troubling as I figure I won't be moving out till the end of August, leaving well over two weeks of biking left to suffer through (*whimper*). Over the last two evenings, I've actually had to walk my bike over hills that I used to be able to ride. And not only are my legs wearing down, all this riding is taking its toll on the bike, which is in dire need of some maintenance (including adjusting the chain tension, readjusting the derailers, readjusting the seat height, reseating the front tire bead, and replacing the rear brake pads, as well as a good lube job). The new apartment cannot come soon enough!

Sadly, though, finding a new roost is proving a lot more involved than first anticipated. That mostly has to do with me being picky. With an 'okay' from the Universe (provided by haikujaguar in her latest One Card Draw found here: http://haikujaguar.livejournal.com/548295.html?thread=8846023#t8846023 ), I've decided that I'm going to be a bit less miserly about how much I'm going to be spending on my apartment this time 'round. I want a living space, not just a space to live in. That means something larger than my last flat, and definately not a shared accomodation. Still, I figure I should be able to get something decent for only $650 a month. What's an extra $100 for a bit of luxury?

Finding the dream home may prove a challenge, if my first attempts at viewing are to be any indication. The first place I went to see was in a small, four apartment block building. The interior was rather nice and had ample space. It even had features such as built in humidity control and in-wall heating. The outside was, well, unfinished. That, in itself was not such a bad thing, as the building had just been recently erected. However, I couldn't help but frown on the support posts for the external stairway and balcony resting half-way off their concrete feet. Even more alarming was noticing that the floor on the inside of the apartment was already sagging over a beam (the place had been finished just last November!). Add in that the neighbourhood looked kinda skeezy and that makes it an 'uh unh' from me.

I was supposed to attend a viewing at another place today. Yesterday, however, I decided to scout out the neighbourhood for the place, as I had a bit of extra time and the apartment was very close to work. Sadly, the apartment, a basement suite, was also very close to a number of downtown's nightspots, conjuring the uncomfortable image of my living room window being peed on by some drunken reveler at three in the morning. If THAT wasn't deterrent enough, as I was looking around, I was startled by the thunderously loud 'BING BING BING' of a railway crossing signal. Yes, the apartment was right next to the only rail line running through town, a rail line, I might add, which is exceedingly active.

Can you say "cancel the viewing"? I knew you could!

I think I may actually look into one of the professionally managed apartment complexes. They're pricier, but may prove much more worth the expense. And, hey, my job will be paying me enough to afford a slightly more affluent lifestyle any how.

Speaking of the job, the training is going well. I've had a second test in which I've scored very high. And the crew I'm with continuous to be a fun lot to be around. This is aside from all the nifty stuff I'm learning about cellular communications, like how wireless telephone networks work and how to send an e-mail using the text feature of my phone (didja know you could do that?). I think I may come to really enjoy my employment with this company.

Current Mood: mildly exhausted

... I counted my last truck. Yay!

'Tis the long weekend after which I begin my job as a technical support rep. Yep. I'z soon to begin my call centre monkey training. I probably would be looking forward to it more if it wasn't going to be from 4:30 PM to 1:00 AM, but I knew I'd have to get used to those hours eventually, anyhow. I'm not entirely thrilled with the idea of biking home at 1 in the morning, but I'll manage.

At some point within the next few months, I'll have to do one of two things, either purchase a car or move into an apartment that's within walking distance of my workplace. Said simply, bikes don't ride so well in the midst of a full on Canadian winter. (This ain't the south of England anymore, me buckies!)

Meanwhile, it has been a very active week, all truck counting aside. The household has undergone successive waves of invasion by assorted relatives from both sides of the family. Being the introvert that I am, this has strained my social muscles some, and it ain't over yet! Still, we've been enjoying the company, especially my mother. I had a blast whilst my favourite aunt with her two teens showed up; it was a riot! All three have a wicked sense of humour that I appreciate immensely. The presence of my two younger cousins also provided sufficient excuse to do activities such as: visit tourist attractions, wandered through a zoo, watched 'Wanted' (NOT recommended for the faint of heart, btw), did a bit of go-carting (though that was a bit disappointing as I found the farm's utility jeep to have much more speed), indulged in some video games, and even engaged in a bit of shopping. Lots of fun all around!

Last night was especially hedonistic as we had BBQd steak for dinner. Not just any steak, mind you, but a ginormous Angus beef steak from BC, cooked to just the right level of rare. It was perfect. *bliss* Said steak, of course, was accompanied by a lovely red and many other tasty food items, including baked potatoes and my mother's baby carrots sweetened with maple syrup (very yummm!).

Aside from picking up another aunt from the airport tomorrow (and sorting out a new bank account into which to deposit my pay), I'm not yet sure what this weekend holds. At least another movie, I suspect... *grin*

Life is good!

Current Mood: content

Power Washer WINS!!!

(Serves the little bastards right for stinging Mom on the nose!)

Current Mood: Rarrr...!

Yep, now that we have good weather again, I'm back to watching Blue and Red haul off loads of dirt. Oh yay. As the excavator is carefully digging the ditches, it's taking them a long time to load the trucks. This is the second day of it. I'm so really, really glad I have access to a computer during all this.

Granted, being forced to stay in one place has given me LOTS of time to do sit down things. With it, I have:

Done a lot of work transferring my favourite journals from PDC to here
Tagged a number of postings from my memories
Tweaked my resumes some more
Applied to a few more jobs online
Started getting involved in an e-mail RPG
Gotten more deeply involved in Scarybirds - a dark fantasy fiction collaboration site
Started a short story at said site
Engaged in a lot of correspondence
Finished off Knife of Dreams, by Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time series rocks!)
Played far too much Zuma for my own good
Recorded a little work on my didge and a try out for a bit of voice acting

Yep, lots done! (Oh, there goes Blue.)

Current Mood: accomplished

Betcha thought I was going to talk about vampires again, right? *silly grin*

I'm supposed to be out cutting a bunch more surveying stakes, but only got about an hour into it before giving up on account of having to force the wood through the saw too hard. The blade has gotten way too dull. It doesn't help, of course, that I'm having to rip lengths of 1.5" by 5.5" planks in order to do this. It's wood we are salvaging from the stalls of the barn. It seems a shame to cut down planks of such good wood for stakes, but pre-made stakes are costing a bundle and the planks are free. Hopefully we won't have to do this for long; it bugs the hell out of me to use good wood this way.

Current Mood: blah

For the last few days, my life has revolved around the activities of the contractors I've been assigned to keep track off. They are currently grading the roads, as specified by the engineer, into my uncle's future subdivision. I've been noting start and stop times for various pieces of equipment, in particular the bulldozer (henceforth, the Cat) and two dump trucks (nicknamed Red and Blue (though blue is really red, white, and blue, but I digress...)). I've been pretty much fixed to staying in visual contact of Red and Blue so I can keep track of how many loads of dirt they take and where they take them. The task has it's inconveniences, but, at the same time, it gives me a lot of opportunity to catch up on various stationary activities, like blogging, for example.

Of course, having to continually focus at least part of my attention on the trucks may have slightly deleterious effects upon my sanity, as demonstrated by my rather one sided conversations with the trucks ("Red, where are you? Ah, there you are. What the hell took you so long? Blue, did you just head out the other way when I wasn't looking?!?")

My dad gets to play with a loader and an excavator whilst I sit around all day; that's not fair.

Meanwhile, the exercise regime has been shot to crap over the last week and a bit. I'd been doing well establishing a routine of running, cycling and yoga over the last several weeks, but that ended early last week when I came down with a rather nasty chest cold. At the same time, my right knee started acting up again. I think I may have moved oddly in my sleep, as I woke up in the middle of the night with it being a bit sore. I attempted to end the lack of cardio yesterday with a bike ride out on the property. That lasted all of ten minutes. Granted, I hit the road hard and fast, but I didn't expect to soon be coughing hard enough to see spots. Nope, cardio, at least hard cardio, will have to wait for a while still.

The job hunt isn't going as well as I would like. A call centre job I had an over the phone screening interview for has declined to offer. I strongly suspect that I'm 'overqualified'; few people will hire someone they think will be moving on very soon, as I suspect they think I would. I wonder how many people have been stuck unemployed simply because they were 'overqualified' for all the work that was actually available. *sigh* Still, I'm fairly hopeful I'll pick up something fairly soon; I'm just trying to keep from settling for minimum wage work.

With lots of time available for things like blogging, I've started the transfer of entries from person.com to here. I've been posting them using the Date Out of Order function, so they'll be in the appropriate chronological order. I've also begun putting tags into my past entries. I've become quite fond of tag clouds in my other blog and was pleased to discover that I could use them here, as I was selecting a new theme for my LJ blog (Do you like?). It's going to take a long time to get things sufficiently tagged, methinks.

(What is Red doing now?)

Other odds and ends:

I've purchased and arranged for the delivery of 1grl_revolution's birthday pressie.
I've recorded a chapter of the novel I've been reading to my girlfriend. I'll have to get that burnt to disk and sent out sometime soon, as well as the really cute pressie I picked up for her.
I've been seeing coloured balls rolling around in spirals and such whenever I close my eyes, courtesy of playing way too much Zuma.
I've discovered that Chucky really, really doesn't like the utility jeep. He'll let you walk up pretty close before ducking into his hole, but he bolts for it on hearing the jeep.

And that's about it for now.

Current Mood: relaxed

Hints from a soon-to-be-leaving science teacher have proven to be well grounded. Attempts by the school to find a replacement for him have proven fruitless and today the head teacher called me in to find out what my science skills were like. Given that my science background is sufficiently strong to fudge it for a while, it is very likely that I'll be playing the role of full time science teacher for a significant portion of the next school year. My teaching portfolio is going to be so odd by the end of all this...

( More behind the cut... )

Current Mood: calm

I'm having a holiday without any major worries either during it or awaiting me at the end of it. Cool! There are a few minor irritations, such as waiting for my paycheque to clear and my other damned apartment to get rented out (oh, and my back is giving me a bit of grief (

imapunkin's bed is way too soft for me)), but, all-in-all, I'm actually genuinely relaxing this time 'round.

The last week of school prior to the break was interesting; I spent most of it helping the exam officers administer and invigilate GCSE examinations. Along the way, they were teaching me the ropes of their job. Watching pupils writing frantically for hours on end was more than a bit boring, but it did give me the opportunity to do lots of isometric exercises (had to keep awake somehow).

Speaking of exercise, I started jogging again. Did a half hour jog last Monday and did another one yesterday. The first time killed my legs for quite a few days, but I've already recovered from yesterday's and will be headed out again today. While my cardio levels are not what they were when I left Victoria, they haven't plummeted abysmally; I credit that to the periodic mad dashes through the London underground, trying to make connections whilst dragging along one or more pieces of luggage.

As for upper arm strength, that hasn't degraded much at all. In fact, it may have increased. This is likely due to frequent press-ups, isometric exercises and carrying heavy briefcases. I was using a bathroom scale to check out how much effort it takes to do the latest style of press-up I've been doing (body bent in half at the waist) and discovered that I'm capable of military pressing over 185 lbs!

Exercise wise, the goal for this week is to try and bring my waist back to at least a comfy 44 inches prior to the weekend when I will engage in a shopping spree to revitalize my work wardrobe.

My chief goal for this week? Simply to enjoy!

Current Mood: content

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the_vulture

July 2014

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Stupid scale! Must be broken...
I'll be back again and again and again and again and again...
Plodding on...
At 4:56 PM...
Yellow-jacket Colony versus Power Washer filled with soapy water
Trucks go back and forth...
Blade and stakes
Red Truck, Blue Truck
Swiss Army Teacher
This is new

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Page generated Oct. 18th, 2025 08:18 am

Entries tagged with man_stuff

Stupid scale! Must be broken...

I'll be back again and again and again and again and again...

Plodding on...

At 4:56 PM...

Yellow-jacket Colony versus Power Washer filled with soapy water

Trucks go back and forth...

Blade and stakes

Red Truck, Blue Truck

Swiss Army Teacher

This is new