Dream Guitar

I know I just bought my own guitar, but I suppose it's not detrimental for one to fantasize every now and then.

Body:       Solid Narra
Build:      Les Paul
Neck:       Hickory
Neck Joint: Bolt On
FB:         Rosewood
Hardware:   Sterling Silver
Pickups:    H|H|H with 3-way selector
Frets:      22 
B/S:        Tune-O-Matic bridge | Stop tailpiece
Inlays:     Dot
Finish:     Matte/Gloss Mix Black

If I had even a decent amount of talent for drawing or visual art, I'd be more than happy to provide an image. Unfortunately, I don't so we're gonna have to settle for something within the limits of imagination.

Back From Trip

My brother and I went on a trip to Kabacan, Digos, and Davao last week. Kuya thought up the travel plan and it underwent many changes until the day of departure. Preparing the ube took a huge chunk out of kuya's prep time, but we managed to catch a bus a little late at about 3 pm on December 12. Once we arrived in Cagayan de Oro City, we saw that there were a lot of passengers like us who were hoping to catch the next (and apparently last) bus to Tacurong. It would be unusual to find such a crowd on a normal Wednesday, but I heard from some of them how they were stranded in Visayas due to the last storm that hit the country. Good thing I got in line in front of the ticket booth a bit early.

We went first to Kabacan for our aunt's retirement-birthday party where we also visited relatives from my father's side of the family. Having stayed there for about two days, I had just about enough time to absorb the changes that occurred during my absence. Most of the buildings from the school where I used to teach were freshly painted. I wasn't able to meet up with my old co-workers but I managed to see a class of Biology students who were now on their third year. Good thing they managed to pull through and stick together.

The room I used when I was still teaching in Kabacan

The Family

Digos was up next on our itinerary and by Saturday morning, we've managed to pack up and prepare for the ride. We went there with the main intention of taking home some of the wedding gifts we left behind last May. The local Gaisano mall had 20 kg kettlebells in stock, and I almost bought a decent looking guitar they had on display. We didn't buy the KB since it would overburden us on our trip back to Tubod and I managed to convince myself that there would be better guitar choices in Davao. We spent a night in Digos and rode a bus to our last major destination.

Walking around Davao wasn't as refreshing as on previous occasions, mainly because I already had something in mind that I wanted to buy. Right after we arrived, I started weaving my way through the shops and stalls inside the bigger Gaisano while kuya tried to get a room reservation. I found some guitars in the department store, but none of them really tickled my fancy and there weren't any music shops inside the mall (maybe we missed them?).

Having found nothing of note other than a fancy hat and a potential purchase of a tablet PC, we moved on to SM Ecoland. There we found what I was looking for. They had a package offer for a Washburn LP clone that came along with beginner essentials. I was already quite convinced that I would buy the package then and there, but reconsidered since we were still set to visit other malls. One other important discovery was that a Krispy Kreme store had recently opened there. Their donuts are really good but I'm quite thankful that I didn't develop any cravings after my first taste last year. After we had our snack, we went to the NCCC Mall where we found a music store that had contacts regarding saxophone repair. We weren't able to actually buy anything there, so we moved on to Abreeza.

Outside Abreeza

We were quite excited by the fact that they also had a Krispy Kreme store inside the mall, but we never managed to even enter it. I found three of the latest Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei english volumes and felt compelled to buy all of them even if they were a bit pricey. After finding no other offers that would beat the package offered back in SM, we hurried back there before it closed. Kuya was a bit disappointed because we weren't able to try eating at TGIF.

We went straight to the music shop with the Washburn package. After a bit of fiddling with the guitar (I had no idea what I was doing), I made the decision to buy it. We made small talk while testing out the electronic components and putting stuff inside the box. It had a discount supposedly because the tuner included in the package was defective. The box was surprisingly heavy, but I was more bothered by the fact that it was rather unwieldy to lug around.

Dinner aftermath

My brother advised me against opening the box at the inn but I couldn't help myself. Unfortunately, I was immediately let down because the amp's power plug didn't match the sockets inside the room we rented. Still, I was able to get a good feel of the instrument. Good thing kuya bought some tape, so I managed to put everything back together for the trip back home.

The ride back to Tubod would've been barely bearable had it not been for the interesting movies they played on the bus. The manga I bought also helped keep me from getting too bored. I actually had to tear open the guitar's box since I was too worried the the instrument would be damaged if left in the cargo hold. Being a noob at proper guitar handling, I managed to bump and bang the head against stuff which resulted in me getting pissed off by  my own incompetence. We arrived home safely, and by then I was too tired to put things in order but not tired enough to stop myself from trying out my new instrument.

Washburn WIN14B

The Guitar

The realization that I actually have more than enough time to acquire new skills pushed me to take up the guitar once again. I took a few guitar lessons during high school, but by the time I got into it again I had to basically start from scratch. I've been quite busy these past few weeks trying to re-learn the basics. It's a good thing my father left us two classical guitars. Using a classical/nylon guitar for practice can be somewhat challenging, but for the most part I seem to be making progress.

Father's classical Yamaha | First broken string

I remember the reason why I quit in the first place was because I couldn't really get a good enough sense of rhythm for strumming patterns. Having learned basic drum beats in college and watching my buddies play really helped me develop my rhythm. My guitarist friend isn't really that much of an instructor, but I followed his advice and started using an informal self-teaching method. By now I've already memorized a few chord sets and am trying to further improve speed and finger independence.

Right now I'm pretty much dead set on buying my own electric guitar. They have necks that make it much easier to perform barre chords. If I manage to gather enough funds by the end of the week, I may even be able to buy one before the year ends. I'm currently aiming to get a Les Paul or an SG but by looking at my budget range, I could say I won't get top-tier axes. I may have to settle for a knock-off or a more affordable model.

House Renovation

I thought they were just going to work on my room today, but they also tore off the living room's roof. My table was already moved from my room and I can't be bothered do drag it somewhere else near a power outlet.

It's a bit brighter than usual

Another shot

Since I don't intend to let my computer get cooked by the global warming enhanced heat, I made use of a few things to keep it in the shade.

Don't mind the huge arm, I'm just "bulking"

Nighttime Writing

You know how some people say that you tend to be more creative or have very stimulating thoughts right before you fall asleep? It may not be true for all of us, but it happens to me on most nights.

Something soothing comes from the thought of nighttime rest, helping me give more focus on thinking. My mind seemingly scrambles to deliver new messages like a student trying to frantically beat the deadline on a school project. I used to just let those messages fade away as I enter the realm of dreams. I thought it was too wasteful, so I found a nifty way to record them, all thanks to modern technology. Since it would be too bothersome to write stuff down using the more traditional pen and paper method, I just keep my phone within reach.

Most of these recordings make little to no sense, most likely because of the absence of context. Almost all of them are also riddled with errors, so you're gonna have to deal with it.

Some examples:

"Short stories, incoherent and without purpose. Whimsical compositions crammed into memory. They are to be reviewed or forgotten by an aimless creator."

"It made the great sages look like mindless fools, knowingly seeking out their demise."

"As we drew closer to the end, the beauty of it all was revealed to me."

This one is inspired by my frequent mall walking:

"There I was, making good use of precious time by walking around aimlessly. As what was usual with my trips to the mall, I paid little mind to the events that transpired around my person. When I do try to look around, my eyes fail me and my mind is momentarily subjected to a sense of confused elation. I often make the mistake of falsely identifying blurred profiles as faces of old acquaintances."

"He was thankful that time, in its indifference, allowed his anomalous existence to continue."

"The air was coldest where the bodies did not stir."

"My eyes were dry and I have been made drowsy by the glare of the phone, my makeshift journal."

"I found out that happiness has a shitty aftertaste."

"I won't pin my hopes on something as unlikely to happen as me becoming world overlord."

"- Capo

 - Cotton

 - Oil

 - E. Alcohol

 - Tissue

 - Lighter

 - Book

 - WD-40

 - Butterfly Knife"

On a related note, I find it easier to enter a lucid dream when strong thoughts occupy my mind right before sleeping.

Stuff To Do 2

It's been a while since my last post. Being disconnected from the internet was very inconvenient at first, but I still managed to adjust accordingly. Seitokai Yakuindomo keeps me entertained whenever I get tired of writing, playing video games or doing exercises. 

Much has happened during the past few weeks, and my life is starting to go in a direction that seems depressing but more practical. I'll be able to concentrate on doing the things I want to do because of fewer distractions. Looking back, what I was doing wasn't exactly healthy or productive for the both of us.

I'm starting to get a good feel with guitar strumming. Maybe in a year I'll be good enough to sing while playing. It also pays to review the core mechanics of drumming, and I'm working extra hard on making all my limbs react and move independently from each other.

I finally bought a sledgehammer. It only weighs 10 lb but it still tires me out after a couple of swings, which was the whole point of buying one. The bike is also being repaired and will hopefully be operational by next week. I'm currently sanding off the yellow paint to make way for the black coating (which I hope won't look too shitty).

Stuff To Do

So September ends with me writing nothing other than this little update post. We're trying to put more time into farm development and maintenance. With the new hut built, we'll be able to watch over the plants more closely.

I've also been busy with Torchlight 2 since the 21st, and I'm planning on writing a review and a short walkthrough for the game.

Inadequate Skill

I've been fooling around with my father's tools for quite some time now, but I still have much to learn about handling. Today I learned about the difference between the "tool" and "weapon" mentality. You realize this when you're holding something that could effectively injure or end a man's life when it was made to be used for entirely different purposes.

This was one of the last blades that my father ordered from the blacksmith. Made of steel from a truck's shock spring, the tool itself is supposed to be pretty sturdy. It doesn't actually have a pointed end, but its head is also made to be a bladed edge. Instead of a slash, this one inflicts a smash-cut. This is because of the heavy head, intentionally designed to emulate the ability of an ax to add force through its weight.

I wasn't able to do regular maintenance on this one and its fellow tools recently, so the rust is starting to form a new layer over the steel.

Today I managed to damage both myself and the tool. I was trying to cut down some weeds when the blade hit a small shrub's base and bounced off, making its way to my unarmored right foot.

Good thing the head only grazed the skin. It's more of a bruise instead of a cut. 

This incident further proves the need to be able to control the tool while using a great amount of force for application. I was swinging about like an idiot and I didn't expect something to deflect the blade. You'd think I already learned the lesson of the day. Nope.

The poor thing got smashed against  the face of an unseen boulder and a portion of the blade was chipped. I wasn't able to find the separated metal since the place was still weed infested. Serves me right for bringing along an incompatible tool for a specific job. I'll try to have this tool repaired or have another larger one forged (not as replacement). I'm gonna need to gather supplies before I start doing tool maintenance again.

State of Affairs

It's now August, and I'm months into my delayed after-grad rest period. I use that term, but it's basically glorified unemployment. As of this year's second quarter, I'm still semi-freeloading off of my family. My savings have almost been used up by now because of the occasional trips to Cagayan de Oro City. Despite being technically a NEET, I've actually been assigned some work on encoding data input. I'm still trying to gain momentum on this task.

I've been trying to keep myself distracted with books the past few months, but my biggest time sinks would be computer-related. First thing in the morning and last thing in the morning after, I sit in front of my poor, overworked laptop doing the most senseless of things. Sometimes I even run out of things to do on the internet despite having a lot of bookmarked webcomics and web articles.

The most recent distraction came in the form of another MMO, Dragon Nest. The game is quite fun, but maybe that's because everybody in the house plays it. I find it amusing how we willingly jumped into the MMO train once again after vowing to never excessively spend time and money on another endless grindfest. I have miraculously pulled away from the game (even if it's just for now) when I realized how we were starting to regress into the old college-day-gaming-binge period of our lives. I'm not going to really quit the game, but I'll try to spend less time on it while I work on real-life training (which has also been neglected).

Messy Weather

I usually don't mind  gloomy days, and I actually find the occasional rain somewhat relaxing. Despite that, there's something about this week's weather that makes me uneasy. Maybe it's because I'm not used to storms, having lived in a region where the occurrence of one is pretty rare.

It's been like this for almost a week now. The weather can't seem to stay in a single state for one whole day. The clothes we're trying to dry barely get enough exposure to warm weather. Power fluctuations occur regularly throughout the day. These outages are usually accompanied by water line shutdown.

It seems like the rain comes in waves, alternating between calm gloom and severe hosing. So far we caught the worst of it early this morning at about 3:00 am. The downpour was so intense that I could barely hear anything aside from my own voice. We managed to go to bed earlier than planned because the morning rain session caused another power outage.

I hope the northern areas are okay. Compared to what others may be experiencing, our town is actually quite fortunate. Another severe disaster like Sendong would further complicate the state of things in this very troubled country.

Endrin 1

The adventurer's footsteps were heavy and slow. "Dragging my feet along like this seems inappropriate for my image." He was a well-built young man. Tall and somewhat severe-looking, he had a strong air of confidence that was never mistaken as arrogance. He found a quiet place to sit under the shade of the town's largest tree. Thoughts raced around his troubled mind, adding to the confusion caused by what happened just a few hours ago.

The young keeper's voice still resounded in his head. "The gray legion has been sent far to the north. They won't be able to march back to the capital in time. By the time they arrive there, Gi would be long gone, leaving nothing but blood and fire in his wake." She would be more attractive if her voice wasn't so haunting.

Contemplating on what this implied, he started inhaling his lunch. The city has been left completely defenseless with the army sent to intercept the bulk of Gi's forces. He thought of everything that was left vulnerable. Women, children, even his favorite pub. He was surprised at how bitter his sandwich tasted.

Endrin liked to think of himself as a freelancer. He took pride in the thought of not being on some leash. But he was smart enough to know the truth. Somebody as powerful as him would need to be monitored, if not downright controlled. The kingdom lets him run around freely, and he lends them a hand whenever it was needed. "Fair enough.", He thought out loud. "At least they don't keep me in an arcane prison like Gi."

Gi wasn't as agreeable as Endrin was. He wasn't too keen on how they were being marked by the kingdom. He wanted to be completely free, but he was sealed away instead. "The irony of the situation may have provided him grim amusement; it would go along well with his seething hatred." Endrin would tell himself.

He never got to fight Gi seriously before. Maybe because both of them tried not to add too much craters to the countryside. He got up and slowly made his way back to the keeper's hall. "I have to hear that soothing voice of hers before I get this thing rolling."

First Listen: The Antlers - Burst Apart (2011)

It would be unavoidable to compare Burst Apart from Hospice, the latter being widely known as a great tearjerker. Since this was my first listen, I didn't have a background as to what the lyrics and themes were so I judged the album by its atmosphere. My opinion of this album will most likely change once I get to do a bit more research, since Hospice only managed to repeatedly make me cry after I learned its full story.

The musical presentation of Burst Apart came off as somewhat lighthearted and uplifting. It wasn't as haunting as Hospice, but it had the familiar feeling of melancholy tied to the songs. This song had me "bouncing to the beat" as compared to "swinging and swaying" that I usually do when listening to softer music.

Though it may lack certain elements from their most popular album, The Antlers made Burst Apart with a great atmosphere that clings to you and calls out to your curiosity.


Track Listing:

01) I Don't Want Love
02) French Exit
03) Parentheses
04) No Windows
05) Rolled Together
06) Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out
07) Tiptoe
08) Hounds
09) Corsicana
10) Putting The Dog To Sleep

Direction

Okay, so I managed to miraculously convince myself that I don't need another video game. Instead, I'm going to burn it off on weapons. I'm still trying ti decide whether to get a sledgehammer, axe, or butterfly knife.

LoZ: OoT - Water Temple

I just finished playing through Ocarina of Time's notoriously challenging dungeon, the Water Temple. From what I've heard from people in gaming communities, it's one of the most difficult stages in the puzzle platforming genre. Some people even consider it the hardest dungeon they've ever played.

I can somewhat relate to the general sentiments about this particular area in OoT. Most of this dungeon's puzzles use precision shooting + timed triggers, and aiming with a controller isn't really one of my greatest points. This was the only thing that really bothered me about the WT, being someone who is mostly unfamiliar with using a console controller. So far I had to begrudgingly deal with high stick sensitivity when using ranged weaponry. I barely managed to finish the shooting range challenge; It may take some time (maybe never) for me to complete the horseback archery challenge. You also had to shift between gear a lot in this dungeon. If you barely paused or opened the menu so far, you'd be seeing it more frequently.

Overall, I don't really think the dungeon is exceedingly difficult. I actually found it to be fun to play through. Maybe because I think the Iron Boots are cool, but also because the level design was something fresh for me. Back when I was still in grade school I mostly just watched my older brother play through LoZ: OoT, but I don't recall him getting stuck or ragequitting because of the Water Temple. The dungeon itself is very much playable, although saying it was way too easy would be a lie. Still, WT can't hold a candle to the mind-bendingly grating Meat Circus level in Psychonauts.

Frustration:  5.0/10

Puzzles:      8.5/10

Design:       8.0/10

Boss:          7.5/10

Overall:       8.0/10

Hair

After about four months of abstinence from trips to the barber shop, my hair length has reached the awkward and messy "not quite long enough" phase. I will eventually have this unruly bunch trimmed down, but that would only be allowed after I manage to get below 15% BF.

June 2012

Psychonauts Condensed Review

I just finished playing Psychonauts last night and now I've got this lingering sense of pride and achievement. Not only did I get past the final stage, (one of the hardest platforming levels I've ever played) but I completed the entire game using the input I was most familiar with: Keyboard and Mouse. The whole last level actually made me break my refrain-from-raging "oath". I also had to exercise a certain degree of restraint when thoughts of "smash the shit out of your seemingly unresponsive keys" came into mind, since I was playing on my laptop.

Psychonauts

[PC-Windows]Wiki

  Story        -  8.5

  Gameplay -  9.0

  Graphics   -  9.5

  Audio        -  9.0

Full Review

I managed to get myself a copy of the game thanks to the Humble Indie Bundle V, and it came along with other great titles such as Bastion and Amnesia: TDD.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Written 20th June 2010 - Anime-Planet.com
Title: Finished N. G. Evangelion
Link to post


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Well, the first time I watched this series I was about five years old. I barely had any idea what the hell was going on, but I guess I kind of liked the mecha designs. Unfortunately the airing of the series was discontinued for reasons unknown. As I was scanning through anime recommendations, I once again stumbled upon Eva. I decided to finish the series.


I was curious about how the series ended up being tagged with Mindf*ck. Throughout the series, I found bits of it, but I thought it wasn't enough to fuss about. I didn't get the feeling I had when I watched FLCL. Eyes wide open, and brain feeling numb. Then came episode 25 and 26. I think all of the mind screw was jam packed into these episodes.


But it left me disappointed. I thought I was going to see some artistic abstract meant to stimulate the mind, but no. For almost every statement made in the last two episodes, I kept thinking (sometimes out loud) "That's already a given." and "I already know that." That was definitely not entertaining. It was a pain watching through the last two episodes, and it kind of ruined the series for me. Inconclusive endings bother me a lot.


Well, I'm going to try the movies, and hopefully it won't be full of mental dialog about self preservation and insecurity.


(Maybe I would've changed my opinion of the series had there been a random fight at the ending. Hehe.)

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Written as user VoidTemplar*
Cross posted because I actually like how I put my thoughts into writing with this blog post.


*I do have a tendency to use cheesy usernames. Hey, at least I try to keep it clean.

Work Backlog

Whew. Finally finished writing a long overdue game review. Hopefully I'll be able to do at least one review every two days, just in time to finish my backlog by the end of June.

Need write-ups for these:
Games:
 - Okamiden
 - Mass Effect
 - Mass Effect 2
 - Spore
 - Torchlight
 - Machinarium
 - Dragon Age: Origins
 - Bastion
 - Treasure Adventure Game
 - Katawa Shoujo

Books:
 - 1984
 - Brave New World
 - Animal Farm
 - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
 - The Celestine Prophecy
 - The Master Puppeteer

Anime and Manga:
 - Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (A)
 - Seitokai Yakuindomo (A)
 - The Tatami Galaxy (A)
 - Ergo Proxy (A)
 - 20th Century Boys (M)

Music Tracks/Albums:
 - Hospice (The Antlers)
 - The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me (Brand New)
 - Bastion OST (Darren Korb)
 - OK Computer (Radiohead)

I also need to start working on my Father's unfinished work. I'll spend the rest of the week scanning through thick record books filled with numbers and tables.

Game Reviews (Batch 1)

I actually promised to post game reviews a while back, but never got to do them.

In depth reviews will be posted by the end of the month

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Rune Factory 3

[Nintendo DS] Wiki

  Story        -  8.0

  Gameplay -  8.0

  Graphics   -  8.5

  Audio        -  9.0

Full Review

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Okamiden

[Nintendo DS] Wiki

  Story        -  8.0

  Gameplay -  9.0

  Graphics   -  9.5

  Audio        -  8.5

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Mass Effect

[PC-Windows] Wiki

  Story        -  10.0

  Gameplay -  7.0

  Graphics   -  8.5

  Audio        -  8.5

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Mass Effect 2

[PC-Windows] Wiki

  Story        -  9.5

  Gameplay -  8.5

  Graphics   -  9.0

  Audio        -  9.0

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Spore

[PC-Windows] Wiki

  Story        -  6.0

  Gameplay -  7.5

  Graphics   -  8.5

  Audio        -  8.5

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Torchlight

[PC-Windows] Wiki

  Story        -  7.0

  Gameplay -  8.5

  Graphics   -  8.5

  Audio        -  8.5

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Machinarium

[PC-Windows] Wiki

  Story        -  8.5

  Gameplay -  8.5

  Graphics   -  9.5

  Audio        -  9.0

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Dragon Age: Origins

[PC-Windows] Wiki

  Story        -  8.5

  Gameplay -  9.0

  Graphics   -  9.0

  Audio        -  9.0

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Bastion

[PC-Windows] Wiki

  Story        -  9.0

  Gameplay -  9.0

  Graphics   -  9.5

  Audio       -  10.0

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Treasure Adventure Game

[PC-Windows] Official Site | GOG

  Story        -  8.5

  Gameplay -  9.0

  Graphics   -  9.0

  Audio        -  8.5

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Katawa Shoujo

[PC-Windows] Wiki

  Story        -  10

  Gameplay -  *

  Graphics   -  9.0

  Audio        -  9.5

*It's a VN, so I have no idea how I'm supposed to rate GP.

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Once the full reviews are finished, I'll post them here.

June Stats

Stat update for June 02,  2012

Weight: 70.3 kg
Waist  : 84.328 cm
Neck   : 35.56
% BF  : 19.7%
BMI     : 25.2

Slowing down eh.

Yo

I've managed to gather all the requirements for job application including my college diploma. Already gave copies to NEDA CDO early this week. I've been told that an examination will take place once they need new trainees and potential employees. In the meantime, I'll try to finish my father's work backlog.

I've been reading more books lately. Still trying to finish Poe's short story collection while also reading through novels. I seem to prefer books that are politically and socially motivated works, along with books that revolve around grim scenarios and dark comedy.

Training is going along quite well. We're going to reconfigure the program to make the routines more manageable. Core control has improved along with upper body strength. Stat updates will be posted by the first week of June.

Still waiting for Torchlight 2!

April Stats

Hmm... Maybe I ate a little bit too much when I got back home.


Weight: 71 kg
Waist  : 86.15 cm
Neck   : 35.5
% BF  : 21.1%
BMI     : 25.64

Starting today, we'll be pairing the IF system with our regular workout routine.

Late Progress Update

I was supposed to post stat updates by the end of March, but unfortunately I was preoccupied with transferring my stuff. I'll be logging my progress (or lack thereof) tomorrow. Hopefully the differences would be significant enough to keep me from raging over the insignificant two months worth of not-so-hard work.

Good news though, I'm already done with C25K W4. Five more weeks! Endurance has been greatly improved. Recovery and stamina have been greatly increased, giving me extra fuel for workout routines other than C25K.

Intensify

Did Couch to 5K Week 4 Day 2 barefoot today. Speed suffered, but I hope my soles get used to the stress.

Was also able to finish the fitocracy dip quest worth 400 points.

Tomorrow is another Tacfit Firefighter Challenge day. Will still go for the full 20 round workout.

Having a hard time limiting food intake due to the stockpiling of supplies.

Stat updates this weekend.

Moving

Packing up my things here in the boarding house. I've been staying here for about ten months already, but I've only been able to maintain just a little bit of order and cleanliness. Just like my old room in Cagayan de Oro.

Most of the stuff I'll be bringing along for the trip back home are clothes. The trusty duffel bag will hold the heavy crap, mainly the huge-ass books and bulky electronics. Hopefully none of the bag straps will break during the bus ride. Dragging along four heavy bags will be a huge pain.

I'll have to return some of the stuff I borrowed for the past school year; a lot of extra clothes, the bike I've been using, bags, kitchen utensils, and cleaning materials. If we plan things right, one trip to Osias/Katidtuan will suffice. It's a good thing no items were bolted to the walls or the floor.

Last department meeting tomorrow at 8:00am. Election of new department chairperson, among other things.

I have to get up early to finish the preliminary deliveries.

C25K Update

I wasn't able to finish the Couch to 5k Week 4 - Day 1 workout. I had to stop by the first five minute run because I felt a stabbing-twisting sensation around the lower right area of my torso. I didn't push myself today, Since I might have been seriously injured. If I won't be able to complete the required/recommended intervals this week, I'll stay with W4 for another week.

Thankfully, the pain didn't last long.

Mental prep for tomorrow's TFFC Workout.

Cardio Week

Although I was planning on doing a dedicated cardio week if certain goals were not met by the end of March, I had to reconsider because of how busy I would be by then. I'd have to move my things out of the boarding house, have my clearance signed, submit grades for the second semester, and pack up stuff for the trip home.

Seeing as to how relatively empty my schedule is this week, a one-week cardio program won't be able to get in the way of work.

The program schedule:

TFFC/TFFFC = TacFit Firefighter Challenge

GF                = General Flexibility (Stretching/Yoga)

C25K            = Couch to 5k (Week 4)

JJacks          = Jumping Jacks (100x3)

MA               = Martial Arts

This workout is far from perfect, but hopefully it's more than enough to prep the system for the summer vacation training.

External Links:

TFFC

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C25K

Cool Running | The Couch-to-5K ® Running Plan

Fitocracy Profile

VoidVariable

End-of-the-Year Goals

Time to set some seemingly achievable goals for the year 2012.

Spec:
One Hand Push-ups       (L&R x5)
Handstand Push-ups      (L&R x3)
Butterfly Kick
Back & Front Flip

Min:
40 Push-ups
25 Full One-Legged Squats (L&R)
5   km run (30min)
      or
10 min Sprint

I'm actually starting to see what's underneath my arm fat again.

Currently at ~70 kg and 21% BF.

Swimming

I know how to swim, but I am far from being a good swimmer. I hope I get extra time during summer vacation to improve my form. It's a good thing I started to jog again, since now I can hold my breath longer when underwater.

Continuing Couch to 5K

Although I took a break for a week, I restarted the running program today with W3D1. One week of rest was apparently enough for my calves to heal, making running somewhat comfortable again.

I would prefer to jog early in the morning, but the dorm compound's gates open at 5 am. I can't manage to scrunch up my morning schedule enough for me to do the routine and have the time to get ready for my 7 am classes. So I always end up doing C25K late afternoon or early in the evening.

Tonight's weather was not really ideal for running. The rain was considerably persistent and heavy. It even soaked up the school's oval, turning the ground into muddy slush. I'm still rather thankful that the rain did not pair up with strong winds. I felt quite accomplished, having finished the required routine for today even with the seemingly daunting conditions.

Couch to 5K Program Details

Katawa Shoujo C25K - Emi Ibarazaki

Fitocracy Journal

I post most of my minor workout/training updates here:

Refine, Polish - VoidVariable's Journal

Still following the usual schedule ([STR-CARDIO]x3, REST).
So far, I've been able to lose around 4 kg from my first month of retraining.

Transition

It's already 12:33 am here, but I still can't find the desire to catch a few hours of needed sleep. Having a friend share his frustrations regarding money and life in general got me thinking. Again.

In situations like this, I tend to reassess all my recent decisions; had they been relevant to my survival here on earth? No matter how much I try to justify them, in the end I admit to myself that being tricked into worldly tendencies is twice as bad when you actually know how to avoid caving in to desire.

Hopefully by the end of summer I'll have a more concrete idea of what I should be aiming for in life. This daunting task may require long periods of meditation and disconnection from desire and temptation.

Well, hopefully I can still get a decent amount of rest.

To end this post, let me share something that pretty much sums up my emotions and state of mind regarding this whole identity, purpose, and materialism dilemma.

Radiohead - No Surprises

Pokéwalker

One of the reasons why I started training again is because I recently acquired a pokéwalker. It was also the reason why I was so interested in getting myself a copy of HeartGold/SoulSilver way before I managed to get a job.

The step counting function was okay, but I was somewhat disappointed when I found out that the pokémon you take for a stroll can gain only one level per data transfer. Still, I managed to catch a bunch of uncommon pokémon a lot earlier than in the actual game. The dowsing feature was also very nifty.

Since I switched to Pidgey as my party's flyer, I take along Hoothoot for strolls.

So far, I've been able to walk about 140,000 steps with the pokéwalker.

The Pokédex

This coming summer, I'm going to try to memorize the latest edition of the national Pokédex.

Hopefully, I can at least be familiar with the new evolution trees.

Back to Training

My brother and I started training again some time around the last week of January.

Instead of a weight goal, we'll aim for low body fat percentage. We'll still use the old STR-CARDIO intervals with Sundays assigned as rest days. Workout/routine/schedule synchronization will start this summer.

So far, the results have been more than satisfactory. I managed to lose around 2 kg and I've started to regain my strength and agility from when I was still in college.

We'll have to take it easy if we ever want to be efficient traceurs. We're planning on dedicating one year for trimming down and general fitness. PK training will resume afterwards.

Latest stats (Feb 8 2012):

Weight: 74 kg

Height:  167 cm

Waist:    90.17 cm

Neck:     36.83 cm

% BF:     23%

I'll try to update every month. 

My Fitocracy profile