Well, I'm a year into my Crossfit/exercise/dieting lifestyle change, and the journey has been incredible! When they say you have to change your lifestyle when you get serious about losing weight and getting fit, you really do have to change your lifestyle. I used to be a TV junkie, and now I don't even have cable. I still cook a lot, but I'm cooking a lot healthier and am using fresher, tastier ingredients.

The fitness training has gotten me through the roughest parts of last year and remains an anchor during minor turbulence from week to week. I find I can play with my nieces and nephew much longer than any other adult. I'm meeting like-minded people as well. Going to Crossfit is a bit like going to recess. It's that 30 minutes of playing hard in between all of the boring adult commitments we have to do.

I'm glad I shot video throughout the past year. I hope you like this progress diary!

Crossfit: 1 Year Anniversary from Jon-Paul on Vimeo.

The more I think about my "Long Walk" idea, the more it seems like it's what I need to do. redpirk pointed me to this link that lists all of the long-distance trails in the US. Well... probably not ALL of them. But it's a really good start.

I'm looking at three trails:

• The Wonderland Trail in Washington State, circumnavigating Mt. Ranier.
  
• The Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail seems like a really good one.
  
• The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail seems to be the most beautiful.

All have their pros and cons, of course. Which I'll go more into later as I look closer at them.

My question, though -- and one the hive mind can help me with -- is, how do I get to the start of the trail and from the end of it? I assume I'll fly to the destinations, but how do I get from the airport to the trail head? And then, when I'm done, how do I get back to the airport?

Help me, dear readers and friends.

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I have been keeping SUPER busy over the past two months. I've been working 80-90 hour weeks. Plus working out. Plus family time.

Last week and this week, I've been able to slow down a little bit. And I think all of the busy-ness has been hiding a bit of depression.

I've had to make hard decisions lately that I didn't want to make. Also, as my mom says, "It's just that time of year." Now that I've slowed down and can sleep, I can't get out of bed. My libido is nonexistent. Has been for months. I'm not feeling anything for anything, which is worse than feeling negatively about things.

Just thought you'd like to know.

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Having said that about libido, I wanted to share something that I've found to be really super hot as of lately.

Yes, it does involve breasts. But a very specific part: Right above and in the middle of the breasts. Above the "valley" if you will. Where the skin kind of wrinkles. Look at this picture which I stole from a Self Portraits community. It illustrates what I'm talking about. Also the upper chest, especially if it is slightly freckly.

VERY sexy.

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I've been getting emails from those I sent my video to. Thank you very much. You have NO CLUE how much your comments mean to me. More of you requested my video than any of my close friends or family. So, I really appreciate it.

After having bought another soundtrack album over the weekend -- (500) Days of Summer -- I have scanned through my music library for songs that repeat or are covered multiple times. After moving past the thousand versions of "Over the Rainbow" and "Hallelujah," two songs are repeated a few times in my library that I get a lot of pleasure.

One is a cover of Harry Nillson's "Think About Your Troubles." Look it up. It's a good song.

The other is a cover of The Smith's "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want."

Wow. What a great song. It was included twice in the "(500)" soundtrack. It was in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." It was also in one of my all-time favorite movies, "This Is England." This is actually a very good cover of it. Lots of emotion. It speaks to me, man. Take a listen:

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"Beware thoughts that come in the night." --William Least-Heat Moon

I had one of those crazy thoughts telling me to do one of those crazy things that, when you do it, you were wondering what the hell you were thinking. But I feel I need to do it. I've been a blank slate for a couple of months now, and I need to get out.

I need to go on a great walk.

My first thought was to go on the Katy Trail. That's a good 225-mile walk. But I used to live in Missouri and would like to see another state.

Does anybody have any ideas about where I could go to do a similar-length walk? I would want to do it over 14-21 days. I'm thinking April or May-ish as a time.

Ideas?

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I made some late-stage changes to my year-end video that I thought made it to the DVD burning process, but I discovered the other day that it did not. So, all of you who got a DVD... you got a slightly unfinished product. I hope you don't mind.

If you requested a video, I put it in the mail about 30 minutes ago! It's still not too late to request one!

Hey guys --
I'll try and be back on more this year. I had a lot of life straightening out to do.

Bla Bla Bla. You understand.

Anyway, I have a "My Life: 2009" video made. I finished it a little late this year, but I know some of you regulars like to watch it. Anybody can "order" one from me. Leave your name and address in the *screened* comment area and I'll get it in the mail to you with a little personal note handwritten by yours truly. I do this project every year for the sole purpose of sending them out for people to watch. So, don't be shy. I just ask that you actually watch it! :)

Here's a video trailer. Enjoy, and I hope to hear from you!

"My Life: 2009" Video Trailer from Jon-Paul on Vimeo.

1. At what age do you think it's appropriate for someone to get their driver's license?

Twenty-one, and after a very long and expensive training course. And I think a driver's license should be taken away after committing anything more serious than speeding. One can get their license back after repeating the long and expensive training course.

2. At what age do you think it's appropriate for someone to first drink alcohol?

If they are with their parents: At whatever age the parents deem appropriate.
If they are alone: 18.

3. At what age do you think it's appropriate for someone to become sexually active?

Whenever it naturally happens.

4. At what age do you think it's appropriate for someone to vote in elections affecting national and/or local government?

Eighteen seems about right, though not many 18 year-olds really vote. It's a shame, because there are more young adults than there are old ones, and young adults could decide every election if they just got out and vote. Actually, come to think of it... keep doing what you're doing.

5. At what age do you think it's appropriate for someone to be conscripted for military service?

Again, eighteen. Either mandatory domestic military service for a year, or two years of public service (hospital work, park service work, etc.). I realize this is probably not a popular opinion, but too many people are too used to taking from our society with no concept of paying anything back. The mandatory domestic military service would be exempt from going to war unless they volunteer for the professional military. They would also be paid fairly and given food and housing.

Video shot a month ago:

Progress Diary, Pt. 2 from Jon-Paul on Vimeo.

I still don't want to talk about things. I may never. I'm just focusing on the important things right now. We'll leave it at that.

If one more person tells me to "just pray about it" or "just think happy thoughts," I swear I am going to... I don't know.

When someone comes to you and tells you that they are in serious need, don't tell them either of those two things. Don't just ignore them, either.

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We flew in from Honolulu yesterday, and boy are my arms tired!

We had a freaking FANTASTIC trip, full of joy, and sweets, and joyness. If you don't remember, poxyfairydingle and I left on a jetplane and spent three days in San Francisco and seven days in Hawaii. Behind the cut is a rundown of the first leg of the trip along with some really fantastic pictures.

( California's been good to me / I hope it don't fall into the sea. )

To Be Continued...

We drove to the westernmost point on Oahu this morning for a little tourist-free sightseeing. This is about as far away as you can get from Honolulu and Waikiki, so there are hardly any tourists in this area. The only people you see are locals with nets and fishing poles.

Enjoy the pic!

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Guess where I was today!

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My recurring dream is where there is a tall tower -- radio tower, usually -- and I either a) am in trouble and the punishment is being pushed off, or b) voluntarily jump off of the tower, for fun. The tower is usually really hard to get to the top, so there is a lot of struggle and determination to get up there.

Most people jump out of their sleep when they hit the ground. Not me. I experience the feelings of falling, and BOOM. I hit. But then, like Sisyphus, I am forced to go back to the top of the tower and jump again. It happens over and over.

I used to have a recurring dream where I could magically breathe underwater. I trained myself to become aware that I was dreaming if I could suddenly breathe underwater, and I had one lucid dream. After that one dream... no more underwater dreams. I guess the dream gods got mad that I tinkered with their program.

When I got home from work this morning, I got a wild hair and decided to hit the trail on the ol' Rollerblades.

I went 22.5 miles, from the station near my house to Sumrall and back. I would post the route, but my iPhone batter died about a mile and a half from the end of my ride. I checked it very soon before the battery died, and I was averaging 9.9 miles per hour. That's .4 miles per hour faster than the last time I did that distance, which is big.

The other big event for this trip was another first for me: I crashed!! Wiped out! Went splat!

We had some good storms last night, and so there were occasional places on the trail where mud washed across the pavement. I was able to see them and maneuver around most of the spots.

Well, at the bottom of a "hill" (very relative term in South Mississippi) was one of these spots. I thought I could just roll over it, like I did on the way up.

Well, on the way up, I was on the far side of *that* side of the road. Well, coming back, I was on the far side of *this* side of the road. There was a large puddle of mud that I didn't see, and, well... about ten feet of my ride should not be counted because I was flying in the air during that time.

Some kind of instinct took over, and I hit the ground like a skydiver falling through the air: knees, elbows, and hands mostly elevated, and the brunt of the impact was taken by my chest and stomach. I scraped my palms a little bit, and I somehow lost a big chunk of skin on my middle knuckle on the top of my hand. I have no clue how that happened.

My shirt and shorts got really scraped up, though, which aggravates me because they are almost brand new. Other than that, I didn't really experience anything too traumatizing. I've always wondered what my first fall would be like. I was worried I'd be nervous getting back on my skates.

But I was about 6-7 miles away from my car, barely hurt, and had no other way to get home other than to just hop back up and keep going. I was a little wobbly for about 100 feet. But I got over myself and felt kind of badass for taking such a fall. I was going pretty fast -- probably 11-12 mph -- so to only experience a bloody knuckle is pretty lucky.

Today's ride took my yearly total to 168.15 miles.
Only 831.85 miles to go to reach my yearly goal of 1,000 miles!

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Crossfit this afternoon had us running a total of 1600 meters, doing rope climbs and weighted rope pulls. Since I did, you know, 2-1/2 hours of cardio this morning and scraped up my hands pretty bad, I didn't even really try the WOD today. I did a total of three rope climbs. They are very hard to do. You have to coordinate your feet, your arms, and then conquer your fear of falling and burning your skin off of your hands.

So, I didn't really get a "Did Not Finish" today since I "Did Not Really Begin." I gave the run a half-assed try (I ran 800 meters) and gave the rope a few tries. But, all-in-all, it was a non-Crossfit, Crossfit day.

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Other good news!

I've lost 14.3 lbs since starting Weight Watchers, and pushing 20 lbs since starting Crossfit! I still don't feel skinnier. When I look in the mirror, I see the same weight as I did when I started. However, I see other signs which contradict my weight-loss induced "body dysmorphia."

I have a pair of jeans (literally... a single pair of jeans). In January, they were bordering on being too tight. There were several times where I just zipped them up and didn't button them. But today...



Pretty cool, huh?

But my mind says to me, "Maybe they weren't as bad as you remember. Something else is going on here..." It's weird how your brain works, isn't it?

Anyway... that's it. I'm going to work really hard this week to look good for the San Francisco and Hawaii trip starting next week. Whee!

This is one of the hazards of my job. Supposedly, rattlesnakes are plentiful out here, yet I've never seen one. I don't even know what this one is. Someone else killed it. I don't understand the reasoning behind killing every snake you come across. I am quite ok with letting them go their own way.

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My first ever ripped pads from Crossfit. I feel so legit now! Yes, it burns like hell, but the pain is bittersweet. Today's WOD:

2-man team: while one person works on completing 100 sumo deadlift high pull and 200 hanging power snatch, the other person runs 100 meters with a sandbag on their shoulders. When the runner gets back, you switch off.

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Wow. This brings me back.

For those of you who lived anywhere near New Orleans in the 80s and 90s, you saw this commercial -- or one like it -- many times a day. It became a part of the local culture, where everybody knew what "I got da fifty dollas!" or, "Ledda have it!" meant.

If you want a study in modern New Orleans culture, this spot should be in your 101 class. Frankie and Johnnies, a true New Orleans establishment.

For all of my San Francisco (and surrounding areas) LJ friends:

We just booked where we will be staying while in "The City." It's a sign of the times when an actual hotel in Union Square (or very near Union Square) is cheaper than a hostel! Especially one that has gotten universally outstanding reviews and looks European, clean, and has a lot of personality.

We'll be staying at The Mosser! I'm really excited about this place. From the pictures, it looks exactly like the hotels I stayed at in Germany, England, and Italy.

It looks like an easy ride by public transport from the airport. Unless any of you wish to pick us up from the airport.... *wink* *wink*

We'll be in San Francisco from May 18-21. I want to meet up with as many of you as I can, even if it's just for a beer at lunch.

Do you have any suggestions for off-the-beaten-path things to see and do that are either free or cheap? Isn't it in San Francisco that there is a place where the waves and tides push air through pipes, creating music on a raised platform? I don't like tourist "traps," so anything that is unique or is especially enjoyed by the locals, I would like to see/do. Like I told April, "Nothing worth seeing charges money."

Two musts: Walk the Golden Gate Bridge and visit Crossfit San Francisco. Other than that, I'm totally open to suggestions. So get writing!

I live in Mississippi.

As far as earthquakes go, it's a fairly seismic deadzone. If you ever wanted to go somewhere where earthquakes wouldn't interrupt your daily commute, Mississippi should be high on your list.

I know there is a major fault that runs through Memphis and, if the big one were to hit, we'd probably feel it down here. But, whatever. I'll likely not see it in my lifetime.

When I was a kid -- probably second or third grade -- we would get Scholastic News
Weekly Reader "newspapers" aimed at kids. They covered important topics like the hole in the ozone layer (which we never hear about anymore. I have a feeling "Global Warming" will be the same thing), weather phenomenon, science issues, and conserving water.

One issue was about large earthquakes and what it was like to be in a big one.

Somewhere in the story was an account of a farmer noticing, earlier in the day, that his cows had been acting strangely, as if they knew the earthquake was coming.

This was in the second grade that I read this, mind you.

Every single time I see cows to this day, I wonder if their behavior could be classified as "strange," and if an earthquake is coming.

When I drive home from work, at 6:00am, many of the cows are lying down in a big group. That's what got me to think about my thought process when I see cows. Many mornings, at about 6:00am, you can rest assured someone is wondering if a group of cows sitting in a field means that there will be an earthquake. I'm not worried about there being an earthquake, mind you. Just wondering.

Went to school today to register for my summer and fall classes. If everything goes as planned, I'll be entering Nursing school in the Spring! And the nursing program is 18 months. So, I'm really starting to get within view of this goal. I'm pretty excited!

They tell me that the nursing program is a full-time, balls to the wall curriculum. That it's impossible to work while doing it. You have no time for anything else.

I guess I'll have to prove them wrong. I'd love for them to say, "He graduated with a 3.9GPA while working 48 hours a week!"

It'll make my classmates look like morons. Mwahahahaha!

One of the reasons I sat out this trimester was because of a single defaulted student loan that totaled a whopping $16. There's another one that's at $1400, but I have cash on hand to pay that off right out. I'll now get FASFA money, GI Bill, and a very small student loan to help with the rest.

The new GI bill, which comes out in the fall (and covers all military people who served more than 90 days and enlisted after 9/11), pays housing costs for an E-5 service member living on the local economy. That comes to $775 for Hattiesburg. They also pay for tuition and books. (EDIT TO ADD: Oh wait. They pay the "with dependents" rate, whether or not I have dependents. That's $1,026!)

I'm just too greedy, I guess. I like working. I like having money for travel, books, and gadgets. I can't imagine not working and schooling at the same time. It's what I've always done. Even if I won't have time to spend it, I'll have some money for when I graduate.

I may need some extra funds for when I move back to Hawaii.

So, that's the skinny on my schooling situation. What's yours?

Here's a moth I saw at work when it flew onto our trailer. While it was flying towards me, I thought it was a bat. This thing is huge. Anyone care to ID it?

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