Success Warrior: The Blog That Embraces ADHD

Saturday Video: ParCool

The Foster Dog

 
So,

The foster dog went in for surgery today.  She had a couple of lumps that were getting to be rather large and while the vet wasn't concerned about cancer, she said that they would continue to grow until they caused discomfort and pain. 

The lumps are gone and the foster dog is kickin' it on her bed.  She is going to be sad for a couple of days because she has to stay in the kitchen.  She has drainage tubes hanging out of her and bloody stuff is going to drain from the wounds for a few days.  It's going to be hard on her because she's co-dependant.

Hopefully the drugs help her stay relaxed for the next couple of days.

Or you could take the drugs so you're relaxed about her whining.

How low do you have to go to steal pain meds from a dog?

The vet said the stuff that she took out of the dog looked like fatty tissue with no signs of tumors.  Good news and now she just needs to get patched up enough to take the tubes out of her body.

I didn't do the exercise video this morning because my wife is usually my camera person and she doesn't do mornings.  The push-ups were good though, so when I heal up, I'll have to make that video.

Heal up?  Don't be a pussy.

Why I otta . . .

Speaking of videos, yes, I know, I haven't made any martial arts videos in a while.  I'm aware of it and with any luck, I will fix that tomorrow.

Need to heal up first? <smirk>

Shut it!

Okay, one news quote for today and then I'm on to other projects.

Obama said in January that he is still wrestling with whether gay couples should have the right to marry.

The more appropriate question is: Should arrogant and violent people be allowed to have a position in society where they can refuse to let people marry each other? 

Rat bastards!

You're too kind.

At some point, people are going to get tired of letting these psychopaths decide what the rest of the world can and cannot do.

The sooner the better.

Amen.

"He said his feelings on the issue continue to evolve but he still believes in allowing strong civil unions."

How 'bout this plan?  Let gay people marry each and let Barry and Michelle have a strong civil union. 

Seems fair.

Doesn't it though?

Now to be fair, The Great and Powerful Oz has taken some steps forward despite his homophobia  attempt not to alienate Christian voters  clear disdain for equality  inability to keep his mouth shut while taking small positive actions.

Or any other time really.

Yeah, that's true.

Baby steps are better than nothing but it would sure be nice if everyone had the same rights.

If that were true, there would be no government.

Cool, huh?

Today's Lope (With Lots of Pictures)

First off, in my defense, I would like to point out that puking is an excellent ab exercise.

Now, on to today's post: 

 
"3 Mile"

The goal for today was to run up the road to the base of the rocky part and then climb to the top.  Simple enough plan.

 
Whoever gave me this definitely knows me

I was probably going to need water and I was going to take quite a bit because I had no idea how long I was going to play around.  I don't have a daypack yet (what the hell is up with that?) so I brought out my trustworthy bag that CV gave to me in 1986.  It's sturdy, that's for sure.  I've used it mainly as a carry-on over the last couple of decades but now . . .

 
A Vibram Ridge peeking out.

It stores disks.  Sometimes it holds all my spare disks but right now it's holding all the disks I took on a recent practice trip to the park.  I emptied them out, put in a big jug of water, and my camera in the pocket, then grabbed my iPod.  It was loping time.

"Shhhh.  Be wary, wary quiet.  We hunting wabbits."

Now, Bailey has shunned running with me.  Ever since her last injury, she will not go running with me.  When I used to get ready for running, she would run to the door and whine.  The last time I got ready, she had no reaction and when I grabbed her leash, she went over to the fireplace and laid down.  *Yawn*

Today, her dog senses picked up that something was different and she was all kinds of excited as I packed things up.  So, Bailey went on a lope with me, which seemed highly appropriate and she even got to chase a rabbit.

 
Vibram Five Fingers Bikila

Here's the running loping footwear of the day.  Giving the VFF Bikilas a try on some tougher terrain, including jumping around on big rocks.

When I started out, my left ankle was a bit resistant to the whole idea.  I would alternate between running 50 feet and walking 50 feet until my ankle was sufficiently "warmed up" to the idea of running the entire time.  It was a really sharp pain on the outside of my ankle but it went away so I'm not sure what was up with that.  It's not like it wasn't already warm.  I had exercised this morning in my class so I didn't just hop out of bed and run up a mountain.

 
Slayer was here?

This was at the end of the road.  From here, it was time to go up steeper.

  
Hmmmm

The top is over that way somewhere.  We didn't actually go straight over these rocks.  In most places, there were antelope trails that weaved their way up between these big rocks.

 
"What do I look like?  A frikkin' mountain goat?

This is Bailey at the top of the road, looking in the opposite direction of the big rocks like she's got the whole, "Not tryin' to see dat," going on. 

Oh, we're goin' girlfrien', we're goin'.

 
"What do I look like?  A frikkin' VFF Trek"

These "running shoes" were definitely up in antelope land now.  We didn't see any though.  We found a place where they probably sleep but there weren't any around at the moment.  Maybe they saw us coming.

"Antelope 8 to Antelope 1, come in." *Crackle*

"Go ahead Antelope 8."

"Yeah, we got us a human with the coolest shoes I have ever seen in my life and a Rottweiler heading this way."

"Roger that 8.  Get a picture of the shoes then come back up here and help us with the camoflage netting."

 
Elko is that way.

Yep, about a hundred miles away or so.

 
Ely is that way.

Yep, about a hundred miles away or so.

 
Salt Lake City is that way.

Yep, about a hundred miles away or so.

"Well, ain't this a geographical oddity, a hundred miles from everywhere."

 
West Wendover NV and Wendover UT

There they are.  That's the Salt Flats in the background where the horizon just cuts off because of the curvature of the earth.  The call it flat but it's not really.  It's circular.  You can't follow the curve of the earth and be "flat".

 
The Hummingbird?

My car is down there parked in front of the last house in the city limits.  "Hi Brent.  That was me and Bailey making your dogs bark this morning."

That's part of the golf course in the foreground.  Isn't the green color striking in this environment?

 
"Couldja smile?"

Here's me on top of the rock and yes, next time I'll try to remember to smile.  There was a lot of glare from the sun so I was really trying hard to see what was in the camera shot.  I never did really see it but it turned out okay - except for the lack of a smile.

 
VFF Air Max?

Here's my Bikilas hanging off the top of the rock as Bailey and I took a short break before heading back down.  She looked over this ledge, said "Hell no!" and went off in another direction.  She was doing some scouting while I took this picture but I would end up messing with her plans of taking the easy way down.

The Bikilas performed very nicely for the trip up and they were marvelous on the rocks, especially going down.  They had wonderful grip as all the different pads and toes dug in to nooks and crannies to hold me in place on some pretty steep surfaces.  They just formed themselves to the rocks and the rubber gripped so well.

I didn't notice a marked difference between Bikilas and boots as I slid down some gravel toward a ledge.  Perhaps boot heels would have dug in better.  I dunno.  Truth be told, I was distracted.  I was able to get my heels in enough to keep my wife from saying "What the hell were you thinking?" as she looked down at me lying on a hospital bed.

"Testing Bikilas," as an answer probably wouldn't have gotten me out of a smack to the head.  In fact, it might have earned me an extra one. 

Anyway, the Bikilas worked good enough that I brought myself to a halt and chose a different path.  Bailey had chosen a very different path that didn't involved a mountain slide of loose gravel.  I've always said she's a smart dog (but still not my dog).

 
A shortcut down?

"Hey Bailey!  How 'bout we take a shortcut back down?"

"Hey SW!  How 'bout you kiss my tan Rotty ass?"

Such language.

 
The long way

Bailey, the stubborn dog, took the long way down where she was able to walk on rock.

Me?

 
Sinking into gravel on the "shortcut"

Did I tell you that she's a smart dog?

 
Kickin' it.

While I was sliding down the gravel gully, Bailey took the opportunity to have a break.  You can see how steep the hill is that we're heading down.  She's sitting down and her back just about looks like she's standing.  Made for an easy seat for her though as she waited for me to ski to the bottom.  VFF Downhills?

 
Gravel-much?

At the bottom of the shortcut, I decided that I should empty my shoes.  I had planned on taking a similar picture when I got back to the car showing how little gravel got in my shoes on this entire adventure.  My plans changed when I went for my first slide toward the ledge where I emptied my shoes (and shorts?) and then again at the bottom of the shortcut.  As you can see this was going to make for a not-fun run back to the car.  There was so much gravel in my shoes that my heels were unseated and it felt like my feet were coming out of the shoes. 

 
Max Capacity?

So, in case you were wondering how much gravel you can fit into two Bikilas and still have your feet in them, here's the answer.  This isn't the kind of information you'll get in an Amazon review, no sirree.  I've tested the Bikila in ways few have and recorded it with pictures just for you.  I want you to have a full understanding of these shoes.  Who else does that for you?  There are some pretty big damn rocks in that pile.  Yikes!

 
Not VFF Friendly - Do Not Step Here

With my shoes cleaned out, it was back to easy running back to the car.  One thing that I have noticed with this little outing is that I take smaller steps when I run.  Since I don't have a cushion on my heel to absorb the shock, I take smaller steps so that I can land mid or forefoot.  I don't know what that means for my speed and quite frankly, at this point I don't care.

As much as I love my carry-on bag, it's not made for this type of fun-ness so I'm going to be looking into getting a new backpack.  I've got my eye on the Osprey Stratos 24 Daypack and I may have to make a visit to REI when I go in for physical therapy session next week.  I get free shipping from REI so if I go with trusting the reviews, I may just order it so that it's on its way.  I have a much bigger climb in the works, soon.

This was a great little adventure and I can see that I'm going to have to head into areas farther from home.

Tomorrow is disk golf with my brother.  This time, I am going to be sure to take my camera.  I'm putting a post-it on my disks so I don't forget and leave the camera in the charger again.

Stay tuned.

***

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Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Sympathy Pains?

Some time ago, the chief and his wife asked us if we would take care of an abandoned dog until a suitable owner could be found.  I have mentioned the foster dog many times in this blog.  Her name is Bailey but I call her Bay-bay and she's some kind of Rotty mix.  It was obvious early on that she had been abused before she took sanctuary in the chief's house.  He couldn't keep her because he had a dog that refused to share the territory with the newcomer and she refused in a very violent manner.  So, as a "temporary" solution, we took Bailey in.

I'm terrible at keeping track of dates and time but our temporary visitor has probably been with us for a year now.  Nearly daily, I remind her that she's not staying.  She just looks at me in a way that says, "Whatever."  I think she knows she's staying.

I also remind her and the rest of my family that the dog is NOT mine.  Sure, I agreed that we could do the foster care thing but that doesn't make the dog mine.  Tia and Trey like to tease me that the dog is mine based on the fact that the dog pretty much won't leave my side.  Here's the thing.  I feed the dog the most.  I pet the dog the most.  Lately, I've been giving her drugs.  Of course she follows me around.  Duh!  If you were a dog, who would hang out with.  I may be her human but there's no automatic reciprocity in that.  She's not my dog.

Okay, sure, I downloaded a song for her on iTunes but being kind doesn't necessarily mean ownership.

Just listen to the first 10 or 15 seconds or so.

"Hey Bab-bay, hey Bay-bay, hey."

My wife thinks it's funny that I sing to the dog.  Funny, yes.  Mark of ownership, no.

Two words.

Foster.  Dog.

You get the picture, I'm sure.

Anyway, as you may know unless you have completely ignored my Facebook updates for the last two months and the last three posts on this blog, my back, neck, and shoulder are seriously effed up at this point.  Just being alive hurts.  The only thing that really seems to help is to lay down and I just don't do that very much.  I'm kind of a busy person.

But this post isn't about me.  I'm tired of talking about it and don't want this to be the SW Pity Party Blog.

This, however, is something that deserves your sympathy.

 
This is my Bay-baythe foster dog.  Her bed is about 3 feet from my chair.  When I'm in the office, she's in her bed.  That's just how it goes.  When I'm in bed, whether for the night or for a pre-work sleep, she's in bed with me.  If I'm in the living room and Tia's not home, she's on the couch (shhhhh, don't tell Tia).  When I'm in the living room and Tia is home, Bailey sleeps in front of the fireplace.

For the last couple of weeks, she has been in pain.  There's something wrong with her front shoulders.  It hurts to walk and hurts if I scratch her too hard.  She given a shot a couple of weeks ago and placed on medicine and told that the problem would go away (Hey! That sounds familiar!).  Her run of medicine was done a day ago and this morning when I gave her a scratch, she yelped out in pain.  The problem didn't *just* go away (familiar, yet again).

When I get up to leave the room, she looks up at me trying to decide if I'm going to be gone long enough to make it worth it for her to get up and walk somewhere else.  You can tell it's a tough decision for her.  So far she has been following me most of the day, at least part way.  I move all around the house in the day time so what she's been doing is going to the end of the hallway and laying down there.  From there, she can see me in most places and can hear if I actually stop someplace, making it worth the effort to finish her trip from the hallway to wherever I am.

I've been giving her baby aspirin to help with the pain and Tia is working on the vet thing.  We live in BFE and that makes just about everything in life a bit harder.  So far, the soonest we can get Bailey in is on Monday, which means that one of us is going to have to take some time off from work.  The vet is about 120 miles away.  We're working on it. 

Until then, I'm going to work on sitting still more so that Bailey doesn't have to move around so much.

***

I am an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HEREto learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.