Big 45

As some of you know, I turned 45 yesterday. I had a pretty normal day and didn't feel any different from the day before. Got a lot of birthday wishes on Facebook (thanks everyone!), one on Plaxo (thanks Charlie!). Haven't logged into Linkedin to see what's up there.

The best birthday wish of the day was from my cousin Seth.

Happy birthday! I wish you a full year of triumphing over the whippersnappers....

He is referring to my ongoing racquetball battle with my son Ken. We work out a couple times a week and then play a set of 5 or 7 games of racquetball. The series is tied 7-7. But it is increasingly difficult to beat this 16 year old. I've taken the step of handicapping by making him run on the treadmill when I catch my breath between games. ;-)

Unfortunately, the games are on indefinite hold. While working the weight machine a week ago, I forced a lift and pulled something on my right arm/shoulder. I didn't think much of it at the time, and then went on to beat the whippersnapper 4 games to 2. Afterward though it became apparent that something was wrong. And it seems to be getting worse. I don't normally complain about things like this, but it is beginning to interfere with my beloved sleep. I may have to break down and get a doctor to look at it.

Related to health, earlier this year they had a health challenge a part of which was to see how much weight people could lose in 6 weeks. They had weigh-ins and everything. I participated in this, and was 167 at the first weigh-in and 171 and the second weigh-in. That may not seem bad to some of you, but if you remember I am vertically challenged so both those weights indicate I'm "obese". Not a good thing, so it's lucky that I joined the challenge and have continued the exercise and the racquetball battle with the whippersnapper even thought the challenge at work is over.

I am pleased to report that I hover around the 156 to 160 range which puts me in the overweight rank. My goal is to get down to the 145 to 150 range which I don't think is impossible. A challenge maybe, but not impossible.

To help that effort, one of my birthday presents was an electronic scale which not only calculates weight but also body fat and provides a BMI. As of this morning I was 156.2 pounds, with a 29% 24% body fat content and a bmi of 25.1. Ah, back to the workout room today.

Another present, from Mom, was a gift card to Home Depot. The gift card will be used to purchase "things" for my new effort at creating a vegetable garden. While the house we're in is pretty small, we do have a big yard perfect for starting a fairly large garden. In addition, we have some seeds for vegetables from Japan, vegetables that we can't get here or cost an arm and a leg. We'll also have some "regular" vegetables like onions, tomatoes, green beans, etc. Going shopping today. I'll add pictures of progress on the garden similar to my Sakura Watch posts (first two here and here) I'll need to call those posts something like neohawk urban farming...but then again we're in the 'burbs so perhaps suburban farming....whatever.

Of course, the best present of all was the Cavs clinching home court advantage through out the Eastern Conference playoffs. A bigger present will be a Championship. Of course, being a Cleveland sports fan, as much as I believe that this year's Cavs can finally bring this town a championship, there is a part of me that holds back on fully and truly believing it'll happen. Just too many heartbreaks over the years. But I'm trying to keep the faith.