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DDOORN's Recent Blog Entries
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Thursday, March 06, 2008
Thought I would just update folks...no great flashes of insight here, just day-to-day stuff...lol
Something inevitably comes up to break my stride, but have been doing my best to continue to get on the treadmill daily and strength-training 3 times weekly.
Last month I had some worries with my left quad causing some pain. It wasn't terrible, but I worried that it would get worse. So I gave it a rest for a few days, but then we went out of town for a week where I had a fitness center at my disposal for a week and I really put the pedal to the metal. I was doing an hour each on the elliptical and the treadmill PLUS a half hour with dumb bells on a DAILY basis. The quad continued to bug me a bit, but didn't worsen. Spoke up to my doc and it turns out some degenerating L2-L3 disks in my spine are the likely culprits. But I figure my workouts only serve to strengthen the muscles supporting my back, so I'm just going to keep at it. The majority of back surgeries yield HIGHLY unsatisfactory results and my back isn't bothering me, so I won't bother it.
Now, THIS month I went and got a blister on my foot (probably because I had dress socks handy and didn't use my usual white cotton ones...grrr!) last Sunday and have been grounded this week while it heals. I've been doing some strength-training each day to keep myself busy in the meantime...but I just HATE these breaks in my attempts to STREAK!
Oh well, making the best of it. The weight loss is slowing but continues to go in the right direction...getting increasingly dissatisfied with these baggier and baggier clothes! :-)
Don
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
For anyone interested in sampling or even buying a couple of mp3 on this album, I've included a link to Amazon where you can listen to songs from the album and consider buying a track or two. Sadly, Sometime Ago / La Fiesta isn't one of the tracks you can purchase, but all the songs on this album are notable and the 2 mp3s they offer are only 89 cents apiece without any digital rights restrictions, so you can use the mp3 in any way you wish (walkman, ipod, pc, etc.).
Enjoy!
Don
http://www.amazon.com/Return-Forever-Chick-Corea/dp/B0000262QW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1202826919&sr=1-1
Sunday, February 10, 2008
I've been babying myself on my treadmill all week long and yesterday I just kept bumping up the speed and my mp3 player dished up "Sometime Ago / La Fiesta" by Chick Corea and his original and best Return to Forever band.
This song is an incredible journey lasting twenty-some minutes and morphing from a light, sprite, fairy-tale-like song with Flora Purim's beautiful, brasilian voice and Joe Farrell's flute. Stanley Clarke adds his rock-solid, big, fat, round string bass hammering along holding down the bottom and Flora's husband Airto keeping things ever lively with his brasilian percussion. It morphs into La Fiesta, which is a hard-driving Spanish explosion in which Farrell switches to his soprano sax and blows with such intensity and everyone else just hurtling along with ever-increasing urgency...such a celebration of LIFE!
Needless to say, it was wonderful to be back into my groove again!
One thing I've lost over my too many years smothered by my weight has been my voice. Not my actual vocal chords, but my true and vibrant VOICE in which a listener can sense I am speaking from my very BEING!
I have always had a voice which has been very subdued, calm, level-headed, even monotone at times. Most emotions, anger, excitement, joy and sorrow has been squeezed out before I speak. Like I didn't have the right to be emotional and draw attention to myself.
When I'm on my treadmill and listening to my music, I feel like I am taking steps toward reclaiming my true "voice," filled with all the intensity and vibrancy that life has to offer.
When I listen to Jimmy Santiago Baca reciting his poetry, I hear what sounds like my voice...the one I lost along the way. Which is so exciting! He is an amazing poet who had experienced a conversion of sorts in his past from street thug to poet. He speaks of joy, love, hope and good will with a passion and fierceness which had likely been previously reserved for a switchblade. An amazing person...am so pleased a friend had introduced me to his work. There is such hope an inspiration in his words!
http://www.jimmysantiagobaca.com/
Monday, January 28, 2008
Several weeks or so ago I posted an article about the benefits of jumping rope.
Well I decided it was time for me to walk the talk and bought a jump rope.
Now I knew it would be a challenge, but I had no CLUE as to what a KLUTZ I am...! I couldn't get beyond one swing for several tries, and after 10 minutes or so I was only successful in perhaps up to 10 rotations before tripping up!
And the thunder of my trip-ups had all 4 of my cats galloping into the living room to find out what strange herd of animals had come trooping through the house!
Luckily, no one else was around to witness this embarrassment, other than the cats who were only too willing to give their incredulous looks of "what in the WORLD is he doing NOW?!?!"
Well I'm determined not to allow my jump rope gather too much dust...will keep at it and see how I do....sheesh! :-)
Don
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