Friends

Thursday, June 18, 2009
Off-162.5#

As far as friends go, I'm not a very good one to have. I am not very dependable. Reaching me by phone is nigh unto impossible. I am dedicated to a fault to my husband, and as a result, find little time to spend with my friends. I know this though I am not proud of it, and it is not likely something that will change.

Regardless of my own faults, I am blessed beyond measure to be surrounded--in the tangible world, in the cyber-world, and in a few instances where those worlds cross over,--with amazing and wonderful friends. I do not deserve them or their love but they give it regardless, and for that I am infinitely grateful. In May I spent some time with some of those friends in Tennessee and snapped pictures while I was there. I came away with some of my best images ever as far as I'm concerned.

This image was completely impromptu. We were spending the morning just hanging out in the back yard playing, them with one another, me with my camera. Jamie lay down with the baby on his stomach, and big sister grabbed her baby and did the same. It was too cute.

Here's an example of the difference it makes for me to do a little tweaking before a print is finished. The top is the rough edit while the second image is the final work. This image is complete in a way that few outsiders can understand. It contains the whole family with their home in the left of the background and their pavilion to the right background. They spend hours upon hours under than pavilion and in that yard.

WORKOUT:
5 rounds of...
20kg Clean & Push Press x 2, 16kg C&P x 3: Right then Left
5 perfect pushups--elevated in the first two rounds, from the knees in the last three.
20kg walking lunges x 10
Double 20kg Deads
Plank x 30
...I hit a strict C&P of the 20 on the left in 3 of the rounds, though not the first three as you would think. I also got a strict C&P of the 20 on the right for the first time in round 3. Why round three do you think and why didn't I hit the press on the left in the first 3 rounds? In a word, TENSION. I wasn't holding it as I should have been on the other rounds on the left, and I finally got it correct on the right. On that third round on the right, I set myself up, went through the motions without weight, holding perfect tension, feeling that weight go up. Then I immediately did it with the weight. It wasn't easy, but it went up--with tension.

I always wish I had some kettlebell buddies around. I miss the intellectual collaboration, the drive that we can instill in one another, the competition. You all are invaluable over the internet, but I wish I could teleport you to me on occasion. Today was one of those occasions. Undoubtedly, the tension would be a bit more consistent. :)

Rest 4 min
20kg Tabata swings
Rest 2 min
20kg Tabata swings
Rest 2 min
30 Challenge burpees in 3'45"

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT: 30 minutes easy walking with Abbie. I actually started to do the above workout and got about 3 minutes into it before calling it quits. Hormone fluctuations got the best of me. I was weak and loose. I felt absolutely horrible. Rather than risk injury, I just moved on to a lighter workout. Seems like maybe it paid off.