Gil

"All the dreams you show up in are not your own."
Gil Scott-Heron

Don't day dream looking forward to the next hit endorphin junkie. Be present and worthy of 425/hour. Go.
Thursday
To EH. She was gentle with us, easiest class I've taken with her. She said after she could feel everyone tired; Thursday energy.
Friday
Scramble. Do get to Pradeep for 5:30 - 7 class. Bring it; simply dripping sweat. Lengthy lengthy side series, double dose of ab work and then other side; by the time we hit lizard/then into pidgeon I am rocked. Looks and feels like I went swimming.

Home alone which is weird. See that Gil Scott-Heron has died at 62. Saw him in '77, he was incredible.  Could have seen him last year but elected not to. YouTube recent videos show a guy who burned up decades and phenomenal talent on crack. Folks said he played his old hits at his recent shows which disappointed. Where was Gil's commentary on Rodney King, Michael Jackson, New Orleans post-Katrina, or Obama ?
As far as I know nowhere, lost his voice and words to a small pipe, world shrunk down to a tiny little opening.  RIP.  Glad to remember him sounding like this:


Listen to more Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson at Wolfgang's Vault.

Saturday
Long work calls, pick up Yoshis run,
Duck into Equinox for VO2 max snatch work. 15/15 16kg 7 rep pace, x60.  Guy comes up, telling me I will fuck up my back with that exercise. No, I have rehabbed my back with this exercise and others like it.  He walks off muttering going back to his cable machine circuit. Look douchebag, I see people doing shit I know they should not do all the time, i.e. going into flexion on a dead lift. I say nothing, its none of my business. Maintain a neutral spine keep your core engaged and load posterior chain and you will get better. It's your ass going back and forth, not bending over going up and down. Whatever. Pouring rain, Rose gets ball play.
Sunday
Long walk with good dog ecstatic to be out in it.
Get call from Brigid, wants to be picked up.  Had enough gaming.  Its fine by me, need the company.  Pick-up Nicholas Payton, drop him at airport, should have caught his set Saturday.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIrE7tdac5I&feature=related.
Pick up Brigid.
We stop for CT. Good class, descending swing ladder and then 15/15 circuits with push-presses.  I don't train push presses.  Have always been a way to get a heavy weight overhead and do negatives until I can strict mp.  Struggle with mechanics first few circuits but think I get it and body feels like a fucking piston last set with 24kg; crank out 10 reps in 15 seconds.  Will do more of this.
Stop for dinner with Amy Anne and B, up to watch 127 hours with Brigid.
Monday.  Read New Yorker article re Gil.  http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/09/100809fa_fact_wilkinson.  Sad sad sad.  All that talent and his world became a crappy apartment and a crack pipe.

Don't be a junkie.  Mat and iron should expand the world, not shrink it.  Pour your soul into the iron ball, the mat; everything you do.  But it ain't all that you do.
 Rest day.  Bridesmaids with Brigid and Barry.  LMFAO, big time.  One of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Orange Cats

"How hard would it have been to say some kinder words instead . . ."
Patty Griffin, Long Black Limousine

Patty:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6hpwl9rTL0

Samantha Stollenwerck:  http://www.archive.org/details/SamanthaStollenwerck2006-08-23.sbd 

I love Patty.  But Samantha owns this tune.  Brigid still sleeps in the Tshirt Sam autographed for her six years ago at the Fillmore.  How hard would it have been indeed.

There are two large orange cats in the house and one elderly moth eaten chihuahua. Part of the revolving door of foster animals whose food dishes Rose grazes on frequently. She has gotten so damn fat . . . walked in relatively early Monday to Brigid with red-rimmed eyes cause c and i were teasing her about something and i had been left in charge of the now fragrant pork roast. I do not understand the reflexive cutting remark or the incredible burden of it all. Redirect the response; walk with Brigid and the recently well-fatted Labrador through Pioneer park. In and around the old graveyard, headstones from the 1800's in the middle of the suburbs. Emails come in for mediator work while standing amidst graves of settlers.  They hire me to settle the case, marketing company suing publishers of gay porn for multiple six figures of unpaid invoices.  That will be a really fun day.  Really.
Saturday
Walk with dog and off with Ian to REI to buy backpack for Kenya trip. Memorial Day sale feels like hand to hand combat. Spend three hours of retail warfare with Marin County white people over high tech gear.  Then go buy on-line.  Smirk at all the green gear being loaded into Land Rover 4x4's after an hour wait in the cashier's line.
Sunday
In for EH 90 minute mass; try not bawl at the end. Then office for snarky letter and depo prep; up to ct for hour class where it's Brett Jones' swing and descending squat circuit. Then a bunch of mobility work including some very good shoulder /rotator cuff figure eights with bent elbow and light weight. Beats the hell out of the stock up down up down lying on the side rehab exercise I have done and see people doing all the time, little sheets of white paper in hand. That alone worth price of admission.
Monday
San Jose for waste of time depositions. Leave and do earlier Molly Fox class rather than EH. Molly is closer to my age than the usual, except MH. She really teaches rather than just calling out poses and practice improves for it. I can hang out in plank all day but prayer twist from high lunge can be a bitch for me and the way she sets up the twist is really good.   "Build the pose from the ground up."  Words to live/breathe by.

Tuesday
Complete total grind and pissed at wayward client.   Stick with the program.  Get in or get out.  Yes I will talk to your shrink; don't expect me to validate your actions.  Look her up.  Harvard Med, fit, betting she is a yogi.
But I am fucking stressed by the time I hit the gym.  Cortisol levels elevated and l/4-5 making presence known loudly.  Start it up and hoping it gets better:
10+10x5 16kg swings
20 alternating 28kg chest press from floor, flip to 10 pushups
5+5 single leg deads, twin 16
20 renegade rows, 24kg
10 deck squats, 4kg counterweight.
3x
Feel no better after that.  Do a couple of swings set and shut it down.  Was the deck squats that killed it.  Resolve to finish in am.
Wednesday
Good call the day before.  MUCH better.  In by 7:30, go:
20 swings to TGU x 10.  First 5, 24 kg TGU, last 5 28.
Stand on head.  Handstand prep crow.  Stick double 24 bu cleans and hold for ten count.
Good all the way around.
Nutso day.  By 5:00 on unnecessarily long conference call with client 1.  Thinking about upcoming call with client 2.  Revising letter for client 3.  Ignoring drunk dialing calls from client 4.  C texting me about insurance problems for B.
FML.
Leave at 6:00; hoping to catch 6:20.  Client 3 emails, letter has math errors.  Can I kill fed ex ?  No problem, on it.  Back to office, scramble for numbers.  Race to catch 7:20.  Thank god for morning workout.
Great sky on way up.  Look and breathe.  Treasure the transition.

 It will be more of the same tomorrow.  Enjoy all of it.  Consider your good fortune.  Take nothing for granted.  Go to EH class tomorrow, do not fail in that, or anything else.
Orange cats are great.

Running Blues

"Left my billfold at the airport, suitcase on the train, now I can't find my umbrella, and it sure looks like rain."
Boz Scaggs Running Blues

Wednesday am started out like crap. 9:00 am sf appearance should have been easy but boat running on three engines is ten late an slow and I am fucked by 7:45. All dressed up but will deal with osc for late appearance.
Scroll through Vault Radio and they have the Sons at Winterland NYE 1974.  Was at that show and remember it well. They were behind the opener Frank Biner & the Night Shift. Followed by Tower of Power. Booker T. closed it out. 15 years old and third concert ever.  But not even a 35 year old version of Lookout could reduce stress of a blown court date, no matter how inconsequential. 

First show was 18 months earlier, March 1973, Berkeley Community Theater. Boz Scaggs and The Sons. Boz with Les Dudek playing lead. Running Blues which had no appreciation for until way later.  A year later Boz would do a run at the Paramount where he went from Texas blues guy to slick Silk Degrees string section schlock.  We were so disappointed at the time.  Runnin' Blues still sounds great though.

Sunday

Into sf with Brigid, Anne and Barry. Barry is going to get to see Cats which will make him very very happy. Brigid is going to get to shop for herself which will make her very very happy, and I am going to get to have an extended, un-rushed blow-out which will make me very very happy. Drop them at Cats, Brigid to Union Square, me into gym:


10+10 16kg single arm swings x 5

15 feet on box hands on 3lb medicine balls pushups, 1 foot up. These rockin strong, had been a long time

20 tactical lunges, 20kg bell

20 24kg renegade rows

10 front squats, twin 20's

3x

5-1 single arm swing ladder 24kg to tgu/20 28kg two handed swings to 28kg tgu

x5.

Boatload of work, took a bit that.

Brigid comes down, feed her. Pick up others.


Monday

Ass and hamstrings sore but not unpleasantly so. EH class late. Good class as usual; very strong notwithstanding, Walk out drenched and humming.


Tuesday

Grinding all day. Ct at 6:45:

Arm extension to step back to high lunge to one arm down dog to pump stretch/up dog x 3 and switch. Good little series, will use this again only up it to 5.

15+15 single arm swings, 20kg
10+10 spider planks
8+8 snap it up rows, slow on the down.

x6. Crisp little workout.
Stops on the way up leave getting home at 9:00.

Wednesday
Busier and busier and busier. Late yoga, possibly best Warrior Three ever.
Thursday
Good depo prep meeting and grinding all day. Hit gym at 6:45 after mandatory appearance at BASF function. Goes like
10+10x5 16kg warm-up
Alternating press ladders 3+3 20, 24, 28, 1+1x2 32
sls 5+5 12kg Vipr overhead to 5+5 16kg bu
8 neutral grip pull-ups, 16lbs assist
10 28kg goblet squats
x3
30/30 swings, 20 each alternating 24/28
About 28,000 pounds; quite a bit considering no dead lifts. 

Friday
Good day setting up next week.  Fucking busy.
 Bail for late Pradeep.  First in some time, very very good.
Down Market in jeans and vff.  Enjoy Sons and Boz on way up.
Runnin' Blues done for a little bit.

Listen to more Boz Scaggs at Wolfgang's Vault.

Love This Town

"You look back and see how hard you worked and how poor you were, and how desperately anxious you were to succeed, and all you can remember is how happy you were."

Jack London, on living in San Francisco

Sunday.  Hallmark holiday, no workout, just four hours of cleaning before mixed grill of Tri tip; sausages, lamb. Uh huh.
Brigid sore from parkour still.

Monday, feeling thick. Head in late evening and go as follows:
10+10 16kg x 5 single are swing warm up
5 double 20 kg c&p
4 double 24
3 double 28
1+1 32 x 2
Very good on the 32
5 burpees to suitcase deeds twin 32
10+10 28 kg rows
10 deck squats, 8 then 4kg counter balance
X3

30/30 20 swings x 6 alternate 28/24

Shut it down after 6, grip going and back talking, bad combo.

Tuesday.
Shitstorm 18 months in making hits with ex parte noticed for following morning. Client freaking and drinking by noon; by 6 cops are at the house and their already strained marriage is in shambles. Alternating between them until 6:30, parked at Gough and Grove.
Finally back out entirely. This is not my job.  You, chill.  You, into rehab.  Me, into ct for 45 like this bitchin' little circuit
20 16kg hot potato
8+8 around world slings
10+10 spider planks
5 24kg jerks to 10 single arm swings then other side.
x5.


Wednesday
Prevailed at ex parte now real fun begins. Grind of a day; get in late for mh, first class in a week goes crazy strong.

Thursday
I have so much work to do it's nuts. Beautiful morning. Open house cocktail party at 5 to trumpet arrival of jmb 3. What ev. Bail at noon to throw iron for a little.
Press circuits
1-3 ladders 20, 24, 28, 1+1 32x2
2 jesus get ups, 16kg vipr overhead
5x2 slow crush curls, 24kg
10 double 20kg squats
x3.
That's it. Gotta go be social.

Very good open house.  Build construct to hate this shit; outside comfort zone after all.
Wrong. Much much synergy between clients and good showing from my group "oh we had to come to support dbt."
Gratifying; why the surprise ?  Been there for them for years-through bet the business deals and through crushing conflict. So they show up and support, why does this mean more ?
Because it shows the thank you at the end meant something. For all of the turmoil and ineptitude in your personal life, you deliver the service in a way that hits people deep; that they will pay hourly rates you could not afford yourself, and still feel desire to support.
Loyalty. I salute the spirit within you.
Spend much time talking to CG about SF, her current favorite buildings.
Friday
Calls are not going to start until 9:30.  In by 8:00 to work on standing on head.  Spend 25 on headstands, slowly getting better.  Then downstairs to grease the groove on BU.
Fuck around working on 16's and single 24's.  Can't get the 24 doubles, left always slipping down.
Pick up 28, boom, no problem right.  Expected that.  Boom, no problem left.  Surprise PR.  Do that a few more times cleanly.  Pick up the double 24's again.  Careful not to over-accelerate on hip snap.  Stick it cleanly, and hold for 10.  Again, and again.  Goody.
In by 9:30, do not put down the phone until 12:55.  Escape for brief walk and check out lobby of 560 Mission about which CG raving the night before.  It is beautiful:

Busy day but in jeans and bailing for 5:30 class and then to meet Brigid for blues guitar extraordinaire Roy Rogers at Yoshi's.  Pradeep was advertised this morning, and been looking forward to all day.Instead its a very young, precious, fey sub who is completely full of himself.  No music, just him talking.  Hate this class; whole practice is supposed  be about absence of ego but this guy's is huge.  There are many in class who are not in shape, but he is calling up backbends and sequences that only one person in class other than he can pull off.  What a douche.  Never again.
But he does provide fodder for fun with Brigid and she is giggling loudly as I mimic him headed west on Pine.

We watch Roy and Carlos Reyes tear it up.  Slide guitar and harp ?  Oh yes, I think so . . .
Saturday
 Business calls in am.  Walk patient dog for 75 min in marsh, feeling it get colder.  Wash dishes.  Wash and shave Barry.  Drop off Barry.  Feed Ian.  Shop for groceries.  Shop for wireless adapter.  Shop for hand tools.  Nap.  Nada mas.

Bits and Pieces

"Please no more therapy
Mother take care of me
Piece me together, with a needle and thread."
Polaroids, Shawn Colvin

Labrador keeps feet warm through the vff.

I want to hate Twitter more than I do. These folks tweeting 140 character bits of themselves into the ether. Egotistical and at the same time mundane.  But I kind of like it, piecing together a picture from these bits.  I think I need to start watching more reality tv. I may really be missing something.

Saturday
Pretty much laid out after Pradeep Friday. Walk Rose with Ian, feed him. Shop. Spend all day cleaning up the carnage in the kitchen. Mundane.
Sunday. Boatload of work to do and want to blow it out physically. Dog ecstatic but gimpy so 25 minute leash walk. Into sf for 11:00 EH class. Read an article someplace the other day about people turning to yoga instead of religion and there is something to it. 90 minutes very very hard JB in back of me mixing incredible competence with being completely gassed and I so know how she feels. EH calls us into side plank series four times in 90 minutes and last I am dripping but raise up top foot rock solid and get arm flat overhead she comes by and just says "go for it, David." Last set best set.
Office two hours then up to CT from Friday fest.  Pretty smoked from EH but it gets better as it goes on and ends up just fine.
Monday
Late EH class.  Another drencher goes really well.
Tuesday
Rest day, just gotta.
Wednesday
In early, they now have twin 28kg sport bells so double mp must be on the agenda.  Happy to see those bright orange 62lb ornaments and looking froward to upping the reps.  Goes like: 
10+10 16kg single arm swings x 5
Long cycle clean and press, 5 double 20kg, 5 double 24kg, clean and press doubles 28kg x 3, 1+1 32kg x2
10 24kg front squats
5+3 neutral grip pull-ups, 16lb assist
2+2 jesus get ups with 10kg vipr overhead
x3
 That's it.

Thursday, third EH class this week.  Strongest yet.
Friday
Busy busy day gonna be late boat back so go blow it out
20 alternating floor press, 28kg, flip to ten push-ups
10 kbell front squats, twin 20's
20 renegade rows, 24 kg
10 16kg bootstrap squats
3x
5+5-1+1 one arm swing ladder, 24kg to 24kg TGU x 4
20 28kg swings to 28kg TGU x 4

Good way to end the week.  Roll down Market to boat feeling really good.
Bartender buddy on boat pours me VERY stiff scotch.  Whoa.  Checkpoint; hand cop who looks old enough to be a junior ranger the license.  "Had any alcohol tonight sir ?"  "Nope."  "Have a good night."  Phew . . . 
Saturday.
Throw ball for dog into Corte Madera creek while Brigid does Parkour.  All afternoon cleaning up the backyard with her, to the dump and shopping.  She is gassed and quiet and I get worried about the fog descending.  Bits of precious, bunch of bits of precious.  Nothing for me, feeling the work the day before, that's two rest days this week but won't make a habit of it.