Category Random Thoughts

The Holidays are here!!

thegeekregistry Leave a comment

halloween_pumpkin_castle_moon_bats_kids-wide

The Holiday season has arrived and I love it! This is by far my favorite time of the year. It starts with Halloween, ramps up to Thanksgiving, hits a high point with Christmas, and then ends perfectly with the New Year.

As soon as October 01 hits my family and I start the Halloween celebration. Every night during the month we watch either a Halloween/horror themed movie or television show. This year we watched some Supernatural, finished The Walking Dead Season 3 (we are a bit behind), re-watched the Evil Dead trilogy, got the original Psycho and The Birds on blu-ray (great movies that everyone needs to see), and much more.

My wife, daughter and I dress up every Halloween with some sort of theme. My wife spends the whole month making our costumes and always does a tremendous job. This year we did a western theme and it was a blast.

My daughter is now 13 and does not want to trick or treat so we just walked around the neighborhood and enjoyed all the great Halloween decorations. There were many homes done up for the holidays which was nice to see.

Overall, a great Halloween weekend and one of the best we have had yet!

In a few weeks it is Thanksgiving time and I look forward to being with my family, eating and drinking heartily, and having a great 4 day weekend.

This is truly a great time of the year and no matter your beliefs just enjoy yourself, be appreciative of your family and friends, and take it easy before another crazy year starts!

 

Happy Monday!!!

thegeekregistry 1 Comment

???????????????????????????????????????????????????

It’s Monday and here’s to another good week!!! I have been away from blogging for a couple of weeks getting ready for the holidays, but now I am getting my butt back on schedule. Still doing Monday’s and Wednesday’s but my posts will be on more random topics. Basically, whatever is on my mind for the day 🙂

Today is strictly a getting back on track with my writing day and this Wednesday I will be a little more focused.

This past Halloween weekend was an absolute blast. I enjoy Thanksgiving, love Christmas, but Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. Always fun and it is the day that seems to kick off the cooler weather in my home state. This past weekend the weather was chilly with highs in the low 70’s…one of the big reasons I enjoy living in Arizona.

My weight loss is still going well. Down to 197 from 267 and in to week 4 of DDP Yoga which is kicking my butt, but providing some good results.  I would like to get as close to my goal weight of 185 before Christmas day since we always spend it with my Mother and the food she serves is always plentiful and damn good so if I gain 5 lbs. in one day it won’t be too big of a deal 🙂

Tonight my Indianapolis Colts take on the NY Giants and I hope we get right back on the winning track after losing to the Steelers last weekend.

The next couple of Wednesdays I will be focusing on my favorite time of the year which is the holiday season which involves my love of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

I am back and looking forward to blogging whatever is going on in my frantic brain!

Getting there

thegeekregistry 1 Comment

yoga-man-13128104

Just a brief update on my goal of getting fit.

I am now down to 198 lbs. I have not been under 200 lbs. in at least 20 years. It is a great feeling and I have now lost 69 lbs. in 21 months and I am only 13 away from my goal weight of 185. I cannot remember the last time I felt this good physically and I do not want it to go away anytime soon.

I still have that belly action that prevents me from going to the beach sans shirt. To rectify this I started DDP Yoga last week. Holy shit it is kicking my ass! Monday consisted of about 30 minutes spent learning the basics, which my body handled surprisingly well. Wednesday was a full hour of going over the basics again and then doing a 25 minute energy boosting routine. I moved my body in ways that I did not realize were possible and actually broke a serious sweat which I used to avoid as much as possible. Friday was another 25 minutes of the same energy routine and my body is definitely feeling it which is a good thing.

In week one things were not easy but I did my damndest to stick with it and learn the correct way to exercise. Over time I know DDP Yoga will help me to get fit and I cannot wait to see how far I will have come by the end of the month, but first I need to get past week 2!

The Grand Canyon

thegeekregistry Leave a comment

gc

September 24 was my 40th birthday. I am one of those people that really enjoys my birthday and always looks forward to it, but usually we do things low key, have a fun birthday party with the family and nothing more. Since this was my 40th and my wife celebrated her birthday the next day on the 25th, we decided to do something special and visit the Grand Canyon and spend the night in Flagstaff.

Not only was this possibly the best birthday I have ever had, it was also one of the best vacations we have had as a family. It was relaxing and very nice to get away from the city.

If you have never been to the Grand Canyon it must be added to your bucket list. The weather is perfect and the view is unbelievable. Sometimes you forget how beautiful the world is living in the city and dealing with traffic everyday, but when you visit a place like this you realize there is still a lot of beauty out there.

We hiked along the South Rim Trail because we were not quite ready to climb down the Canyon itself. We took in the great weather and got a nice cardio workout with the steep inclines and declines. We are already planning another trip out there with an overnight stay in one of the lodges at the Canyon and a train ride.

Simply put, just go there and see what all the fuss is about. It is not just a big hole, it is a true natural wonder and one I plan to hike down some day soon.

Montezuma Castle

thegeekregistry Leave a comment

MC

This past weekend we were supposed to go hiking near one of the rivers at Campe Verde in Arizona and once we got to a point on the un-paved ground and saw decent water damage to the road, I realized my Honda Civic was not built for off-roading so I had to turn around.

My family and I were a bit disappointed, but then we remembered we were close to Montezuma Castle and decided to pay a visit. We did not get a day of solid hiking, but we had a lot of fun visiting these ruins, taking our time to enjoy the area, and got to have a nice, calm picnic.

The only other time I have visited Montezuma Castle was a few years back and it was so hot we checked it out for a few minutes and then got back to the air conditioned car. This time it was in the 90’s and the weather was perfect so we had a nice, easy going time and really enjoyed the fresh air and amazing sights.

If you would like more info. on Montezuma Castle, visit the following website. It is definitely something to see at least once in your life and come to the realization that people actually lived in these mountains centuries ago.

This upcoming weekend we have various events planned so no hiking, but next week we are planning a trip to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon which should be a lot of fun. Two of the most beautiful areas in AZ and places everyone needs to visit at least once in their life!

Getting Fit

thegeekregistry 1 Comment

37088

Since February 2013 I have been working on losing weight. Before today the only time I would really talk about it was when people asked me about my new appearance. I decided it would be good to share since even though I have lost a significant amount of weight I still feel fat since I have not gotten to my ideal weight just yet and these weekly blog posts will help me to record the positive changes in both my body and mind and maybe get me to start realizing the great changes I have made to myself.

I have spent the majority of my adult life overweight and about 10 years ago I entered the morbidly obese stage. I had always talked about losing weight and from time to time I would lose 20 lbs. and then gain them all back plus a few extra. Partially due to some family tragedies and partially due to my laziness, I just gave up and decided I would be fat and, as I used to like to say, “We all die someday whether we are fat or skinny’. Not the most positive way to look at things, but that was where my mind was a couple of years ago. Despite diabetes being on both sides of my family, I still had the attitude of “there is nothing I can do about it”.

The turning point happened in December 2012. At my previous employer I would spend my lunch break on paydays shopping at a nearby Walmart for non-perishable groceries. It was a way to get out of the office and help my wife with some of the grocery shopping. While there I saw a display of baking supplies since it was the holiday season. There were 1 lb. Hershey’s chocolate bars and being the chocoholic I am, I decided to buy it. I figured I would eat a small piece once a day and that should not be too bad for my health. Well, I got back to work, ate a piece, and then 10 minutes later the whole pound of chocolate was gone. I questioned what I was thinking, where I was in my life, and just felt gross.

Around this time I learned about the Weight Watchers Points Plus Program. Basically, points are assigned to every type of food imaginable and you can only eat a certain amount of points per day in order to lose weight. You start off with quite a bit of points allocated to each day and then the points get slightly lower as you lose weight until you get to your goal and then your points remain the same in order to maintain that weight.

In the middle of February 2013 I decided to give it a shot despite my reluctance to diet. My weight was at 267 lbs. for a 6’0, 38 year old male. I figured if I lost 20 lbs. I would be healthier and then I could stop. Well, a couple of months later I lost those 20 and felt so much better that I continued the diet and do not have any plans to stop.

Fast forward to last Friday and I am currently at 207 lbs. A 60 pound weight loss was something I could not even dream of when I started this diet and now I am looking forward to losing about 20 more lbs. and getting to the ideal weight for my age and height.

Dieting is an interesting process. Initially, it seems like a major pain in the ass until you actually start doing it and seeing results. Now I look at it as a positive change in my life and I am glad I started it when I did since I turn 40 later this month and will be in the best shape of my adult life up to this point. Going from morbidly obese to just plain obese and then down to overweight is a strange thing to be excited about, but I am. Now I am closing in on my goal weight of 185-190 lbs. and feeling great about it. The only thing that I find a little frustrating from time to time is that I am still not in shape to the point where I am comfortable being shirtless at the beach or by poolside. That is why my wife and I decided to start increasing our physical activity. Hiking on the weekends is first and then in a couple of weeks we are purchasing DDP Yoga which will help us to increase our stamina, flexibility, and assist us in toning up so the next time I visit the beach or go to a pool party I will not be embarrassed to stand in front of others without a shirt.

BCL

Last Saturday we started our hiking regimen at Bear Canyon Lake in Arizona. There was a light rain part of the day, the weather was around 68 degrees, and it was a perfect day. We hiked for 2 hours with a slightly difficult decline and a more difficult incline on the return back. It felt great and we are already planning our next hike for the following Saturday. It felt great to be out in nature and away from the city and it felt even better to start some decent physical activity. It is also providing me with opportunities to see parts of our state I have not seen. It is easy to look at Arizona as a big, hot desert which it is in the city, but once you head just a couple of hours north it is nothing but beautiful weather with terrific scenery.

I am sure wherever we decide to go next weekend it will be just as beautiful and I cannot wait!

Doesn’t it mean Saint Diego?

thegeekregistry Leave a comment

We just got back from a nice Labor Day weekend in lovely San Diego. San Diego seems to be the top summer vacation spot for most Americans who live on the West Coast and we are no exception. We have family that lives there so we had free room and board and were able to have a nice, relaxing trip.

We spent most of last Friday relaxing on Carlsbad Beach and the rest of the weekend shopping and visiting with family. The drive to and from was also nice and just what I needed to clear my head of work, stress, and the ‘real world’. If you are that rare person who has never been to San Diego I recommend it for the perfect weather and the relaxing beaches.

We decided as a family during this trip it was time to get more active. We have gotten more healthy with our eating and weight loss in the past year and a half, but we now want to take up hiking and get more physically fit. We are going to start with some light hikes this month and hopefully build up to some more heavy duty hiking by the end of the year. We are also purchasing the DDP Yoga set in a couple of weeks and trying his form of yoga to gain better flexibility and get more toned. It has a lot of good reviews and I think this will be a fun way to learn yoga especially since I am a Diamond Dallas Page and wrestling fan.

I may either add another day to my blog posting to give updates on my fitness progress or may just temporarily make Mondays Fitness Day. It really depends on my mood 🙂

Either way I have been enjoying getting healthier and extending my lifespan!

DSCF0059

Positive Attitudes

thegeekregistry Leave a comment

Grumpy-Cat

My goal this week is to change my attitude. Sometimes I can be the funniest and goofiest bastard on the planet, but when my mood is ruined I can be miserable to be around. Lately, I have been pretty miserable.

I have allowed some professional missteps to sour the past two weeks which is not fair to those around me and myself. Without going in to great detail, my missteps have actually worked out for me in regards to lowering my stress levels. I have been at a new job for the past 4 months and they treat me better than I deserve.

My main issue is the pay is not that great and I am not excelling like I am used to. Patience is a virtue and I am lousy at it. I believe in working hard AND making great strides quickly. I need to learn patience ASAP or I will not succeed now or in the future.

The past couple of weeks I have been on and off grumpy and that does not help my stress levels nor will it allow me to succeed as I hope to. Whether it is at my current employer or a future one, I must learn quickly to keep smiling no matter what is thrown at me.

With all of the roadblocks we face throughout our lives and the constant negativity in the real world and on the news, we all need to learn that we can only control our reactions to things and how we allow it to affect our attitudes. An occasional bad day is okay and sometimes unavoidable, but it is up to us to not let negativity permanently affect our lives.

From here on out I plan to do everything in my power to stay positive and keep a smile on my face.

Even if I do not excel at everything, I can at least be happy about it 🙂

Avengers Assemble

thegeekregistry 1 Comment

marvelavengers

I am currently watching Marvel’s Avengers Assemble through Netflix’s streaming service and I am enjoying it immensely. It is a great mix of action and humor. A lot of today’s television cartoons take themselves way too seriously and it is nice to come upon one that likes to mix in humor with it’s quasi seriousness. I am an adult who happens to enjoy the occasional cartoon and even I like to take a break from all the seriousness of the real world and just smile during a 22 minute cartoon.

It features all of the characters from the live action Avengers with the addition of Falcon. It is also great to see villains and heroes from the Sony and Fox owned Marvel properties like Doctor Doom, Spider-Man, and Thing.

About 14 shows in to a 26 episode run and it has not disappointed. The voice over work is top notch and the animation is well stylized, but not annoyingly so. The writing is pretty solid as well. Even though there is an overarching storyline throughout, the episodes are fairly self contained which I enjoy.

If you are a big Marvel ‘everything’ fan or just want to watch a solid cartoon, then Avengers Assemble should be playing right now on your television or computer.

The Cornetto Trilogy

thegeekregistry 1 Comment

In 2004 a small film titled Shaun of the Dead came out and quickly became a favorite for horror and comedy fans alike. My wife, daughter, and myself all love this movie and never get tired of watching it over and over again. This movie started what has come to be known as the Cornetto Trilogy, based around the references to the Cornetto brand of ice cream treats in each film and the recurring set of actors we see in each movie.  Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost have created a series of loosely connected films that have all proven to be immensely entertaining and have grown a tremendous fan base. All three movies are more than worth your time and deserve multiple viewings to catch all the hidden references and easter eggs. Below is my brief opinion of each movie.

the_cornetto_trilogy_by_jazadesign-d6v367w

Shaun of the Dead is quite frankly an amazing movie. The perfect blend of horror and comedy where the humor does not minimize the violent aspects of a zombie film, but actually add to it. This was one of those films that came out of nowhere and quickly developed a cult following. Even if you are not a fan of horror you need to give this film a shot. The social commentary is brilliant and accurate. If you are a horror movie aficionado the references to various zombie films are a thrill to discover. This is one of those rare films that I never seem to get tired of watching.

Hot Fuzz came next and stepped away from the horror side, but the violence and gore makes it seem awfully close to being one. It definitely has a different tone than Shaun of the Dead, but still seems to fit perfectly into this loosely connected ‘universe’. It is funny and violent throughout and the final act of the film is non-stop violent, over-the-top, fun. This is definitely a movie that needs multiple viewings since I am still finding new things despite watching this movie more than a handful of times.

The third and final film is The World’s End. This time we are watching a sci-fi comedy that does not disappoint.and perfectly continues the irreverent theme running through the entire “trilogy”. There was concern that Pegg, Frost, and Wright may not be able to triplicate their success, but that concern was unnecessary. Yet another great film from these three minds.

These are all great movies that need to be seen by anyone who considers themselves a fan of a bit off-center movie making. They have developed a huge fan base and deservedly so.