Tuesday, November 4th, I attended the Future of Web Design conference at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Registration was from 8am - 9am so naturally I wanted to get there first. I woke up at 5am to catch the 6:24 train into Penn Station. I arrived in the city at 7:22 and strolled down 8th Ave to 52nd Street. It was an awesome 1.3 mile walk. The weather was warmer than usual. Read the rest of this entry »
Last night I saw Chris Botti at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ. It was an unbelievable show. Billy Childs was on the keys, Mark Whitfield was on the guitar and Billy Kilson on the drums. The 2 hour performance was breathtaking, especially when the special guest violinist (I forget her name) joined Chris in playing “Emmanuel”.
I can’t wait to see him at the Blue Note in December.
This past Monday I joined NYSC. I’ve been a member of LA Fitness since January of this year and it’s a great gym, just crowded all the time. The NYSC is just around the corner from my house so in the warmer weather I can do my warm up and cool down to and from the gym.
I thought NYSC was going to be extremely expensive but they just dropped their monthly rates and for a 2-year contract it comes to $48/month. SIGN ME UP! The gym is big enough for me and it’s never crowded so I can always get the machines I need when I need them. That’s a huge plus in my book.
My latest workout routine has been inline with my bulking diet. I’m eating 500 calories over so I can put on some muscle. When I started the bulking diet a week and a half ago I weighed 208. Now I’m at 211. Granted, some of that isn’t muscle, but I plan on turning it into that. I’ve noticed a change in my arm strength as well.
Supplements - The only supplements I’ve used were whey, casein and L-glutamine. My brother talked me into using creatine to help me during my bulk process and let me tell you, it works! I’ve noticed that my muscles are more pumped up and ready to lift bigger weights because of it.
For example, for inclined dumbbell bench press I used to do:
Set 1 - 50 lbs. @ 10 reps
Set 2 - 55 lbs. @ 10 reps
Set 3 - 55 lbs. @ 8 reps
With the bulk workouts, you throw up a little less reps but more sets for the first exercise. So now I’m doing:
Set 1 - 65 lbs. @ 6 reps
Set 2 - 70 lbs. @ 5 reps
Set 3 - 70 lbs. @ 5 reps
Set 4 - 70 lbs. @ 5 reps
Set 5 - 75 lbs. @ 4 reps
I’m excited to see what progress I will make by the time I finish the bulk diet.
I’m a big Simple Truths fan. I find a lot of Mac Anderson’s books inspiring and motivational. Last night I sat down and read from cover to cover the latest addition to my library: What It Takes To Be Number One.
This book is told from the point of view of Vince’s son, Vince Jr. His famous speech, What it Takes to Be #1, has continued to inspire and motivate countless numbers of people. The Lombardi Philosophy transcends football. His powerful words capture the fundamentals of success – in any sport, any business or in any life.
After reading this book, I found myself truly motivated and anxious to spearhead anything. I played organized basketball throughout my teenage years and I wish I was exposed to this type of enthusiasm and dedication. I’ve had some great coaches in my life (especially my AAU coach).
It’s very important to WANT something. And you need to have that drive, that dedication.
Vincent Thomas Lombardi (June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970) was an American football coach. He was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers of the NFL from 1959-67, winning five league championships during his 9 years. Following a one-year retirement from coaching in 1968, he returned as head coach of the Washington Redskins for the 1969 season. Lombardi’s record in the post-season was 9-1, the loss coming in the first of those games, the 1960 NFL championship.
For the past few months I’ve been talking about moving to Florida to be closer to what I really enjoy in life, Disney. My cousin John is moving there the day after Christmas. He did the Disney college program there last summer and loved it.
I’ve been to Disney 26 times (or is it 27?).Every time I go I love it even more, and that has to tell you something. My plan was to move to Orlando in two years but I don’t think I can even wait that long. Although I’ve established myself here in New Jersey and all of my family & friends are here, I really feel a calling in Florida.
Before I take that big step to moving, I need to clear my credit card debt and get to a comfortable level with my bills. Living in Florida is cheaper than living in New Jersey, but the compensation for my work will also be lower. Hopefully I will be able to keep my freelancing activity so I can keep my nice hourly rates.
What will make this move easier is the fact that John will already be down there so I will have a place to stay while looking for a job or a place to buy. Having a condo here in New Jersey will allow me to make a nice investment in Florida real estate.
My brother is also planning on moving to Florida and so is my friend Steve. As long as there will be people I know close by, it will make the transition much easier.
If all goes well, I’m going to start planning my move the end of next year. Mickey, here I come.