There's a hole

I have been a grumblesaurus lately.  Last week, I found a hole in the bottom of my shoe.

I know I should practice what I preach and go buy a new pair, but this hole symbolizes how precarious my life has become.

Buying a new pair of shoes is a monumental task right now.  Three years ago, I would not have thought twice.

I should backtrack a bit.  Three years ago, I worked at a job I was good at, Designer/Construction Manager.  My life was set up and I did everything by the book.  I had a savings, 401K and a team I had trained to handle projects.  I use to enjoy year end, five-figure bonuses.  And then...we got laid off.  Me and my team.

That was no problem for me.  I had a savings, 401K and job offers from all over the states, Scotland, China and New Zealand.  Well, four weeks later, those job offers dried up as well.  No one needed my skill of shaving months off a construction project.


No problem, I had my savings and 401K.  I had enough side jobs to make 10% of what I use to.  I could wait it out.  A year later, my 401K was nearly extinct.  I cashed in the remaining 5% and used that to live on.  Six months later, the savings was draining fast.

There were a lot of people saying to just get any job.  This is not so easy anymore.  Just look at the math.  We have like 300 million people in the states.  Only 150 million capable of working (minus disabled, children and retired folk).  We have 15 million un-employed and like 25 million under-employed (Yeah, i am one of the them.)  Drafters make minimum wage and due to the law of supply and demand, employers are looking for drafters with an Architectural license or an Engineering License.  I can do the work, but no license.  Puts me out of the running for a minimum wage job.

So I got a job doing construction.  40 hours guaranteed is better than gambling with side jobs.  There was a lot of work in the beginning.  But then, there was a week off here and then there.  A week without pay is serious.  A year of working a real job and my savings was gone...except for the $24 dollars I have.

I currently work or am on call for 7 jobs.

Martial arts teacher...no pay
Sales support...some pay
Laser Survey Tech...occasional pay
IT Tech...some pay
Construction...occasional pay
Solar Energy designer...occasional pay
Massage Therapist...occasional pay

DAGGUM! So why haven't I bought a new pair of shoes yet?  When I make money, I have to hoard so when I don't make money, I can still pay bills.  Right now, I am averaging 12% of what I use to make.  Go ahead and figure your current budget at 12% of what you make.  Now factor in a new pair of shoes.

I have more ranting about the subject, typical stuff: like the millions of jobs we have sent to other countries, the millions that work here illegally, the haves and havenots, but this is simply the tip of the iceberg.  Did you know icebergs melt faster on the bottom then the top?   If you are concerned about our economy's slow melt, maybe you should look under the water and see what is really going on.  Or just check out the bottom of my shoe.  It is a poignant lesson on what is happening.


So when my old glasses fall apart, or my car sits without gas, I get grumbly, When I get grumbly, I fall back on my warrior ways.

I keep my sword oiled.
I keep my sword sharp.
I keep my sword ready.

DarkArashi

Embrace the Dumbbell

Here is a quaint little workout for you

15 minutes to do as many rounds as possible.

Pick a pair of dumbbells that you will use the entire workout.

20 Side Lunges total
15 Pushups
10 Rows total
5 Thrusters.

That is one round.

I used 25lb dumbbells and managed to eek out four rounds.

Good luck.

Kinda of a pick your poison type workout

Here is a doozey for you.

You have a 30 minute time limit.  Should be plenty

At each level A thru E you need to complete a total of 80 reps in four rounds (i.e. all your "A" exercise need to total 80 max).  My numbers are in Parenthesis.  Each round 1 thru 3 is done to your max and then you move on.  No rest and then restart the exercise.  You can rest in between rounds and even in between different exercise, but remember your time limit.  It goes really fast.

Round 1
A One-arm Pushups-Total of Left and right arm     (18)
B Squats                                                               (40)
C Wrestlers                                                           (32)
D Alternate Leg Lifts-both legs count as one set    (25)
E Pullups                                                              (12)

Round 2
A Pushups                                                             (28)
B Side Squats-Total each leg                                  (20)
C Crunches (Wrestlers with out the hand support)  (22)
D Leg Lifts                                                            (30)
E Ring Rows                                                           (16)

Round 3
A Diamond Pushups              (18)
B Frog Jumps                       (12)
C Wrestlers                          (20)
D Hanging Knees to Chest      (8)
E Pullups                              (10)

Yeah, arms are not to happy right now.  Now round 4, where we finish out the 80 count.
Round 4  
A Vertical Fist Pushup                 (16)  Whew!
B Front Lunge-Total both legs      (8)  Whew!
C Superman rolls                        (6)  Whew!
D Side scissors with legs             (17)  Whew
E Ring Rows                               (42) DAGGUM!!!


My time was 25:58.  From this side of the workout, it wasn't so bad.

Dag-Gum Dharma

I recently responded to a potential client's email.  Gist of it is, he is suffer from some sort of neurological imbalance.  Doctors can not figure it out, natural healers have not had any luck.  Can I help?

Sooner or later, these folk hear about the school or me and our "amazing talent for curing".  (I am pretty sure I know who is spreading these vicious rumors and they are getting such a pinch.)  They contact us and I find it painful to read through their complaints.  Makes me want to curl up on the couch with kitties and sleep...for a year.

I believe before you can be cured of anything, you first have to understand one factor of our society.  The human life is distilled down to a unique set of numbers that reside in a cell on a spreadsheet.  That spreadsheet controls our lives, makes us work hard and then overtime.  We waste our health on making sure we are not deleted from our special cell on the spreadsheet

Most of my students have joined at this state, something is not quite right, and the experts are dumbfounded. And many students have found relief from their ailments, (not just postponing the inevitable, but actually reversing the downward spiral.)  And in typical human fashion, they blame me.

And when I call them on this behavior, they respond with "you're the exception".

...

That  may work in your world, but in the real world (my world thank you very much) I am not the exception.  I am the norm.  So what I am about to say is going to go over every one's head, but someday when you reach my level, you'll see that I am right.

Here goes (I'll use small words), there is nothing special about me.  I am simply a brute.  A brute with enough tools to help you.  You simply have to desire it.  You will do all the learning, working, recovering, and crying.  You have all the secrets to your "cure".

When you find yourself lost in the darkness, you'll find me.

DarkArashi.

Tough times don't last...

At some points in our life, it is like waking up to the aftermath of a battle.

I try to inspire by living the Way of the Warrior.  My example is not enough for most people and they wish to understand it better.

I understand and could recommend a whole library of books.  But just take this simple viewpoint.

When the universe conspires against you and drives you to one knee, just remember this.

I do not look down to see how close the ground is, I look up...and smile.

All obstacles before me, no matter how great or how many, become blades of grass in my mind's eye.
When you can master this simple technique, you are a warrior.

Now draw your sword and rise.  Be the gardener you were meant to be.

DarkArashi

Hertz Donut workout

Can barely type this out:

100 Jump Rope (2lb rope)
     3 rounds of:
         10 Ring dips
         10 Box Jumps (24" Box)
         10 Knees to Elbow

100 Jump Rope (2lb rope)
     3 rounds of:
         10 Straight Leg Kick (each side)
         10 Cross Behind Squats (total)
         10 Burpees

100 Jump Rope (2lb rope)
     3 rounds of:
         10 Squats
         10 Wrestler Situp
         10 Pushups
 And I wore my cool 18lb weight vest and no puking.  YAY ME!!!!

It took me 18:46 to finish, but kept seeing stars near the end.  Boo!

Good luck

Just Cuz I can

OH BOOOY!

Here is a KILLA for y'all.

This is a Super MAXX workout.

3 rounds, each round

to max out the exercise.                                                My Numbers

Pushups (sub, on parallettes)                                           16-17-21

Goblet Squats (with 35 lbs)                                              50-18-18

Wrestler Situp                                                                 25-24-26

Ring Rows (Subbed pullups)                                              7-6-8

Leg Lifts (Wish i could have subbed someone else's legs)  31-14-19

So round 1, go through all the exercises and max out.  Same for round 2 and 3

Oh, and I did not forget my weight vest this time.  18lbs just for giggles.

If you finish early, treat yourself to "Cappy America"

Get'um Killas

DarkArashi