Bruises, Bumps, and Basketball

I played basketball during lunch today, for the 2nd time in 10 days.  I like to play a pretty physical game too - not dirty (throwing elbows or fouling excessively), but I'm just not afraid to battle for the rebound, attempt to block a shot, or stand in the way of a drive.  Unfortunately, my shot still needs a lot of work though.

The last time I played I jammed my left ring finger.  It wasn't disgustingly swollen, but didn't seem to be healing very quickly either.  I think it's because my wedding ring is on the finger, and it's irritating the swelling by constricting it.  I tried to take it off (I normally leave it on 24/7), but no matter what I tried - soap, hand lotion, my swollen knuckle was too big for it to slip over.  So on it stays.

Although my knuckle wasn't fully healed yet, I decided to play again today.  As expected, I smacked my swollen finger numerous times during the games (I played for 2 total).  In addition to that though, I backed into someone who was running and their knee nailed my calf, bruising it pretty good.  I also got smacked or elbowed in the outside lower corner of my right eye, creating a bruise there.  And finally, I stood in the path of a big guy who liked to power his way under the basket and took what I think was one of his elbows to my nose as a consequence, which cut it (slightly visible in the above picture).  It was bleeding a decent amount, which necessitated someone else to substitute in for me on the last play of the game (I was willing to play, but no one wanted my blood all over them or the court).  At least I got a "good defense" comment out of the guy whose drive I blocked though.

As the icing on the cake of injuries, a couple of weeks ago I dropped a weight bench on my right big toe at the gym.  So now I have a blackened toenail too.  But here's the thing - I don't mind any of it.  Not one bit.  As long as the injuries can heal without any permanent damage, I would rather live a life with bumps, bruises, and cuts if that's the necessary consequence for being active and physical, for playing sports with determined aggression, and for feeling fit and manly.

Exercise vs. Entertainment

I recently went to Florida to be with my family for my brother's 30th birthday and also my oldest daughter's 6th birthday. After eating one helping of pizza (3 slices) at my daughter's birthday party, I complained to my brother in-law about wanting to go back for more, but choosing to be sensible/disciplined instead.  We both reminisced about "back in the day" when we could eat as much pizza as we wanted to, without any regret or negative repercussions.

I then commented that maybe if we were as consumed by exercising and body building as a friend of ours is (who is also close to our age), then we wouldn't have to be as concerned with restricting our consumption.  Daniel then said something about us having to sacrifice so many other important aspects of our lives (like family, dedication to God, etc).

A few minutes later he was telling me about several TV shows that he and my sister have been enjoying.  The Walking Dead was one of them (that I am now hooked on too).  But as we were talking about this, I connected our previous conversation to this one, and thought about us feeling like it's impossible to dedicate ourselves to exercise, primarily because it seemed like it would require so much sacrifice.  And now here we were talking about spending what sounded like at least an hour per night watching various TV shows.

I know, I know - we all want to just "relax" after a long day of work, or kids, or school, or whatever.  And we already have to get up too early for all of these things as well.  And it's so hard to wake up and exercise when you're tired, and/or it's cold out, and/or we stayed up too late (watching TV or surfing the web).  But with all of these (sometimes valid) excuses, I keep coming back to the idea that we really just can't resist feeding our addiction to entertainment.  It's a habit that we can't break any more than a long time smoker can stop sucking his own life away through the end of a paper roll.

What it really comes down to for most of us, with the exception of a very small percentage of people, is that the incentive to exercise is just not significant enough to get us up off of the couch or out of our desk chairs.  We just aren't motivated enough to sacrifice our entertainment.

Exercise Viagra Crack

I need exercise like Hugh Heffner needs Viagra.  Especially when life is frustrating, depressing, annoying, and/or difficult, which is pretty much every damned day.  The endorphins that it provides lifts my spirits.  The increased blood flow nourishes my brain.  Even the skin on my face feels awake and alive.  It helps me to think and yes, it also increases my libido (making the metaphor all the better).

I need exercise like a junkie needs a crack pipe.  Without a regular dose of it (2-4 times/week?), I slowly slide toward melancholy at best, depression at worst.  Until I eventually become like a spoiled drama queen with PMS. 

I hate that this is the case though.  And I hate the fact that although I know that this is the case, I still don't make doing it as much of a priority as I should.  And I also hate the fact that I rely too much on Amanda to work out with me.  But if she isn't able to, or if our schedules don't sync up (together, with the kids' nap times, etc), then I partially blame her for my frustration and the encroaching bad mood.  This then only compounds the negative effects though, because now I'm not just in a pissy mood, but I'm emotionally taking it out on her (if even only to a small extent).  This then adds friction to our relationship, which puts both of us in a worse mood.

So what is the solution?  The only one that I can think of is to set a designated time (4:30pm seems to work well while I'm unemployed), make it a priority, and just do it whether Amanda can join me or not.

And I'm not talking about an hour or two of a high intensity, gut busting, sweat pouring workout (although those are especially nice).  I'm just talking about at least 15-30 minutes of getting my heart rate up and my body moving.  Taking this little daily dose will improve my productivity level, my mood, our marriage, and pretty much every aspect of my life.

Father's Day Irony

My Father's Day present this year was a Vasectomy.

What are you trying to say honey?

Oh yeah, and I'm a little sore about it (chuckle).

P.S. Boy am I glad that no one actually reads my blog anymore.

Bummer #2

No, this is not related to my accident (Big Bummer) in any way. I just had a cyst on the back of my head that I finally decided to have lanced on Monday morning. When they removed it, it was about the size of a plum pit.

Since your scalp has many capillaries and is thus prone to bleed a lot, the doctor requested/suggested that continuous pressure be applied to the wound in order to prevent bleeding. Thus the silly bandage.

You should have seen Amanda's face when I came home wearing it though - her eyes were as big as saucers. It figures that she would have already scheduled a few friends to come over that evening too. Welcome to the freak show!

The picture below is of the wound and the stitches. And I must warn you - it's not pretty!

What's With the New Blog Title?

The meaning of my new blog title is the result of a recent realization.

1. I am not exceptional at anything, that I can think of anyway.
2. Almost everything about me however, is above average, by an average amount. In other words, I probably fall right in the middle of just average and excellent.
   

This is applicable to things that I have had no say in whatsoever - what God has chosen to bless me with - such as my height, health, looks, intellect, relationship with God, etc. And things that I have worked at improving upon, such as education, occupational skills, fitness, spiritual growth, etc.

The one thing that I can say about me that is as excellent as I could possibly imagine it is my family - both growing up (parents, siblings, etc), and to an even greater degree presently (my wife and children).

Friendly Phrase to Form a Future Food Philosophy

Most of us have been taught since childhood to clean our plates when eating meals. It's wasteful not to, after all. Well, it's my belief that this philosophy has been a major contributing factor in the American obesity epidemic.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's a bad idea to encourage a child to consume enough calories to support his growing body. But as adults, at some point we need to realize that this philosophy is no longer applicable. And while it certainly is a bad thing to waste resources such as food, we need to understand that we're not using it by eating it, we're storing it - which is both unnecessary and undesirable.

So if your body is comfortable with what you've already eaten, then just throw the rest of your food away. You heard me right - toss it! If you consistently leave a little bit of food on your plate when you conclude your meals, it will slowly but significantly contribute to keeping it from collecting on and around your body.

So here is my new catch phrase to outline my philosophy. And I almost guarantee that it will not only stick in your head, but maybe even become a cultural phenomena. Here it is:

It is better to waste, than to waist.

For even greater emphasis, point to the trash during the first half of the sentence, then point to your midsection during the second half.

It's short, it's relevant, and it's potentially life-changing. Remember it. Use it. Spread it to others. And remember where you heard it first.

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

OK, so 1 out of 3 isn't bad, right?

In May I ran a 7+ mile (12km) race while pushing our two kids in the double jogger. Through the hills of San Francisco even.

When I recently gave blood, my blood pressure reading was measured at 110/62. Apparently this is pretty good since the attendant was impressed.

I also recently had a dental check up and cleaning, and the dental assistant commented on how white my teeth were. Of course, bleaching them in December probably helped.

My basketball game has been improving, albeit slowly. While usually I'm average at best, every once in a while I have a stud game.

A couple of weeks ago, I had my first eye checkup in about 5 years, and was quite pleased to hear that I don't need glasses or contacts since my vision is still very close to 20/20.

So at almost 37 years old, my health is still pretty decent. And while I can credit myself with some of this success (exercising, sensible eating, etc), the older I get, the more the more grateful I am to God for blessing me with good joints, a properly functioning heart and lungs, eyes that can see, etc.

Now I just need to work on the other two goals in the title.

Taming of the Salmon Shrew

Well, my father-in-law has accomplished what I thought was impossible. He convinced Amanda to actually say that she liked the taste of salmon and, get this - would like to cook it more often.

This is a battle I have been fighting for as many years as we've been together. I really enjoy a well-prepared salmon (blackened, lemon pepper, cream sauce, etc), but aside from the occasional fish stick Amanda absolutely refuses to eat anything that swims.

When her parents were visiting though, my father in-law cooked a salmon that she not only tried, but enthusiastically approved of.

The surprisingly simple recipe is below:

• Put it on an olive oil covered grill pan (we bought one at Bed Bath and Beyond).
• Rub olive oil on the whole salmon (front and back).
• Shake lemon pepper and seasoned salt on it.
• Grill with the lid on for 10-15 minutes or until it flakes.

Success at last!

Naturally, I'm a Skeptic

While I was in Florida, my mom tried her best to get me to drink Apple Cider Vinegar, along with a half-dozen other natural cures and preventative herbal remedies.

She has been promoting this cause for a long time now. Usually I just remind her of my skepticism, even if I don't really have a good reason for it. In the end, I usually end up saying "Uh-huh. Ok. Sure." to placate her, although I never actually try any of the numerous cockamamie concoctions that she recommends.

This last time though, after she persuaded me to read a chapter of a book that she was trying to use to convince me, I was finally able to pinpoint why I am so skeptical, and also what it would take to overcome my innate pessimism.

In the book, as in most of what I have read about natural and herbal remedies, there were plenty of explanations given for why oak root should be used to bolster the health of your skin, liver, pancreas, etc. Or how snake oil prevents cancer, cures aids, and gives you a larger erection. But none of the reasons in that book, none of them referenced an actual study or used any conclusive data. They were all vague and unspecific.

Examples of statements are "It has been shown that..." or "Many European countries use this for...". Another popular theme seemed to be the usage of various herbs by American Indians. There were even statements bragging that particular remedies were used decades or even centuries ago, as if that is a good thing. Weren't leeches used as a remedy back then too? Oh, and how we should all long for the days of medicine before antibiotics, penicillin, anesthetics, and all of that newfangled poppycock.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely against seeking alternative medicine, and I don't entirely discount the argument that the pharmaceutical companies are trying to peddle their chemicals and make more profit by convincing people that they need them. But at least prescription drugs have to go through the FDA first, and I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that there are plenty of doctors and scientists who have already either confirmed or criticized their claims of curing.

All I'm saying is this: Everyone is trying to make a buck and sell their products, which includes natural remedies. To convince me that something is worth paying for and risking my health by ingesting it, show me some conclusive proof. A properly performed scientific study (with a control group, a convincing number of subjects, placebos, randomization, etc) would be a good start. If it was performed by a reputable school or organization, then that would be even better.

I don't think that's unreasonable to expect, especially considering it's not only my hard earned dollars that are at risk, but also my health.

One Oreo at a Time

Recently, after helping out with the youth group at my church, I was offered the last three leftover Oreos at the end of the evening. I had eaten a few of them earlier, so I declined and patted my belly saying that I had eaten enough already.

One of the women there said "Pa-lease. If you turned sideways you would disappear." Well, first of all to me this is somewhat of an insult. The first thing that crosses my mind is "I know I could use a few more pounds of muscle, but I thought - I'd hoped that I outgrew being skinny many years ago."

The woman continued to explain that her husband, who is definitely bulkier (more muscle) than me, has been gaining undesired weight since working at a desk job, and that she has also always struggled with her weight. So if she's coming from the perspective of me not being fat, then I guess it's kind of a compliment, especially considering that I think I'm in better shape than most men my age.

But here's why I turned down the Oreos, despite the fact that I'm not overweight. Because "fat" simply begins the moment you consume more calories than you burn. It doesn't happen overnight, so that you wake up, look down at your gut and say "Shit! I got fat!" It happens slowly, ever so slowly, a cookie or a piece of chocolate at a time. It happens after every meal that you feel too full and every night that you go to bed saying "Well, I didn't exercise today, but maybe tomorrow".

Don't get me wrong, I eat (and thoroughly enjoy) sweets, burgers pizza, and the like. But if I already had a helping, then I'll turn it down. If I start feeling full during dinner, then I'll just stop eating and leave what's left on my plate (or at least not go for seconds). If I get a burger for lunch then I usually skip the fries. I have maybe 2-3 sodas a week at most, and I rarely finish the whole can.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn here. I'm just explaining my philosophy on eating, and how I plan to avoid looking like the picture below in my later years.