The fight begins

In the last 1.5, almost 2 years since we moved to the US, I gained about 30-35lbs. Since my biceps are bigger too, let's give the optimistic estimate of gaining around 5lbs in pure muscle. That still leaves me with 25-30lbs of pure fat. At least.

The strange thing is that I consider myself leading a quite healthy lifestyle: fast food restaurant not more than once a month, chips or crackers occasionally only, processed food intake is mostly limited to macaroni sauce, ketchup etc., no soda (only 0 calorie diet ones), no pizza, Swiss cheese etc. I also go the gym 5 times a week and I working out straight 60 minutes each time.

Still I have the unique ability of gaining 15lbs in a day just by having a big lunch (one big whole chicken tight rice and cucumber salad, it's definitely less that 15lbs!)...

I start to share the opinion of conspiracy theories. The ones we all know so well from 'documentaries'. The difference between me and them is that they are blaming the government. I think the government has little to do with this as it is so powerless. Money rules everything in capitalism; even the government itself. I strongly believe that behind the scenes the food industry has a pact with the medicine industry: one makes us sick the other one heals us. Both costs us, the victims, money! Cholesterol pills, dietary supplements, and of course food and organic food. Know the difference between food and food products (from which term the 'by-' in front of 'products' was graciously left out. Yepp, food product = food by-product.)! Vicious cycle, isn't it!

So from today on I'll start fighting with everything I've got! Here's what I'll do:

1. Eating:

• Breakfast: coffee and one slice of toast (made from that plastic prepackaged bread that won't get moldy ever!).
• Lunch: what my wife packs me, let's say around 1000-1500kcal.
• End of story. No snacks (with the exception of baby carrots as they fill up the stomach and literally contain no significant calories: 30kcal/85g), no nuts, no nothing.
• Once a week one cheat is allowed: one thing I wouldn't eat otherwise: ice cream, a slice of cake, a piece of chocolate but not a huge meal, one tiny little something to ease the craving.
• One beer is allowed per day, preferably light (brrr) beer (varies between 55-200kcal).
• Vitamins to make up for the lack of proper nutrition.

2. Working out:

• I'll switch my routine as follows:

Every week day: 40 minutes on the elliptic trainer (about 4 miles and 650-700kcal according to the machine, let's say it's around 400kcal); followed by a 30 minutes long weight training chest, arms, back, shoulders and legs (another 1000kcal). One routine per occasion. At the end of each a short abs set.

I'm starting from 235lbs today. Let's see how it goes. I want to reach at least the weight I had when we moved here, somewhere between 200-210lbs. Since I don't think I can take it for long, it has to take an effect in the next couple of months, otherwise I'll give up and give in ;-(

I used to fit in size 33 jeans and now size 34 is getting tight for f*ck's sake!

#BritsOnIdol

This week on American Idol the theme was the 60's and Britpop.

I was quite disappointed: as I knew (and as Wikipedia states) "Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s."

If we follow the 'definition' we should have seen Oasis, The Verve, Blur, Supergrass and so on. Just look up the Britpop musicians on Wikipedia! My problem was that I'm sooooo into Britpop, so I got all excited! For nothing...

According to them Britpop is Zombies (1961), Dusty Springfield (1964), Joe Cocker (1960) and Bee Gees (1960).

Either Parlophone is doing something awfully wrong, or the producers (who are British indeed!) don't know their own music culture.

And if you take today's or the last 10-15 year's music scene from the US and the UK and you compare them, UK is so winning! Here production companies are killing music, I guess. There's a pressure on producers from the labels to create new and new songs, but volume kills quality. While I believe overseas the old pattern is followed: performers are musicians.

I don't think Katy Perry counts as one... Who, by the way gave worse performance last week than many of the contestants who didn't even make it till Hollywood week on this show!

The other theme, the 60's me gusta :)

The ultimate road trip album

I've found the ultimate road trip album. It was released in 1976 and all the songs are from the same artist. But still I think it'd be the best road trip music mash-up.


Bought it on LP from eBay, and converted it to CD and MP3 so I can listen to it in the car and on my phone, too.

Pimp my car - Stage 1

Having my first car with a V engine it bothered me very much, that I only have exhaust pipe. As a European even a V6 engine counts as luxury and you need to show off!

But Dodge decided that for the 2.7L V6 on the Charger one tail pipe will be enough. I guess they thought that not many people will buy this edition, and they didn't even bother to get a separate bumper for this one. So I ended up with a missing left pipe, and to remind me constantly there was the cut out for the missing pipe on the bumper.

I was looking for a solution, and I found Blastin' Bob where I not only found a problem of my missing exhaust pipe but I could also show off my car a little. The Charger (just like the 300C that was I think meant to be somewhat elegant) is asking for modification. And the possibilities are countless. So I got my first upgrade:

These simply put a Y pipe after the resonator and eliminate the muffler, giving a nice V8 sound to the 'tiny' V6 engine. I went with the 10dB version. I was hesitating between the 12dB and the 10dB and I ended up with the quieter one.

Luckily! It's loud enough! It has a nice deep calming drone around 2000rpm in 2nd and 3rd gear, but otherwise not loud much. At least this is how I hear from the cockpit. I bet from outside the experience is a bit different. I realize when I roll down the window :D

I was lazy to make videos, there's already a lot on YouTube. This one is pretty much sums up the driver's experience:


A couple of things I don't have to worry about any more:

• Blind people accidentally trying to cross the road in front of me.
• Children running after their balls not checking if a car comes.
• Blind spots of other vehicles.
• Let my neighbors oversleep.
• When I tailgate a slow vehicle in the left lane and the driver doesn't recognize me because of not checking the rear view mirror.
• There's nothing good on the radio and being bored of all my CDs.

Now I can start saving money for having my windows tinted and get some nice shiny black and chrome rims :D

Table tennis is a loud sport

Why would you think that software engineers

• are playful creatures and they enjoy all kind of fun activities while working (paradox: either you work or you enjoy fun activities :D)?
• don't need a nice quite environment to do their work?

Apparently the interior designer who designed the new building our team was transferred into a couple of weeks ago, thought so. As a result there's a couple of ping pong tables in the middle of the building in a two story high hall.

Right next to the kitchen, full with coffee grinder, espresso machine, hot water machine, refrigerators filled with soda, coffee and snacks. So nobody would ever want to go there... Ever...

As I was moved from my office to a cube and I happen to sit very close to this recreational area, I happen to have my headphones on the whole day, but at least around noon and after 5pm... Can I sue the company years later if I develop hearing damage? ;-)

I understand that tech companies would like to tempt engineers with everything they've got, and many of them come up with the stupidest recreational solution, but at least separate these fun areas from the working quarters and yet have them still easily accessible. That would work.

Thank you!

Sunday at the Ocean

Ever since my wife has her bright red Mustang convertible we never really took it out for a spin. So this Sunday the weather was nice, so she planned a one day trip along the shore line. On the way to the beach we avoided all the highways, so we can cruse nice with the roof open.

Our first stop was Gray Whale Cove State Beach. It's a bit far, norther from Half Moon Bay, but really nice and protected from the wind. I should really stop going to the ocean wearing a tank top. It's more like a turtle neck with a hoodie on top... And a hat.... Down at the water it was very nice. There's some porta potty on the top, if someone would like to know. This is the view from Hwy 1:

When we were leaving I threw a last glance at the water and I saw two probably baby gray whales right on the beach. Approximately in the middle where the water is white on the picture above. I was so excited! The beach lived up to its name! I bet you must be lucky to spot such a thing. And it was our first time!

Our next stop was J V Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. We had luck again. Just a couple of minutes before we arrived a herd of seals came to shore playing, resting and nursing the babies:

 
There were some beautiful flowers blooming at the entrance of the beach:

On the way down to our last stop to Half Moon Bay State Beach, we passed by the airport. It turns out that a classic car and airplane show was on this weekend, the Dream Machines. If only I knew... But our day was perfect anyways. 

 
We took a walk on the beach, but both of us started to be hungry, so after taking some pictures we continued down to Santa Cruz, where we had our shrimp, prawn, fish, seafood fried dinner.

None of that rap cr*p

Yesterday somehow I've found this song:


And I was listening to it all afternoon while working. On the way home it came to my mind that this song is on GTA San Andreas radio station K-DST The Dust (my favorite), and the OST mp3 CD is in my car. But I had to realize that this song is not on the album for some reason.

The funny thing is that KDST is a real radio station in the middle of bacon country and last year when I was in Dubuque I could have listened to it live! Well this chance is now gone as I doubt I'll need to go to Debuque in the future...