5 minutes a day, that’s all I ask

 General Health, Golf, Life  No Responses »
Apr 022007
 

Well for the first time in a long while, I got a really good nights sleep.

I may have awoken once during the night, for my usual bathroom break, but I slept so good, I’m not so sure I did.

I briefly awoke around 5 AM, when Edie got up, but without much effort at all, I managed to grab another hours sleep before finally dragging myself out of bed. So basically I got a full 8 hours of sleep, which really felt good.

One thing I did notice, and it’s probably because I was so refreshed when I got up, I realized just how stiff I was. My lower back was a little sore, but I was still able to manage after a short time. So since I had the time, I decided to do a few stretches, that is, if you can call what I did stretching.

It was pitiful. I didn’t realize how limber I wasn’t. I’ve never been a stretcher, except for the brief time I was taking karate lessons, but it’s not because I didn’t think I needed to. I just never thought I had the time, or at least that’s what I told myself.

But after this morning, I think it’s time to change that tune.

5 minutes a day, is what I’m committing to. That certainly isn’t much time, and it’s something that I hope I can adhere to. And it really shouldn’t be that tough, as stretching is something you can do literally anywhere, any time, even at work, so I won’t have any excuses if I don’t.

And if I’m really lucky, it might even help my golf game!

 Posted by at 11:39 am

The only thing good about today

 Cycling, Golf, Life  No Responses »
Mar 182007
 

Is I didn’t go for a bike ride, because I know I would have enjoyed that even less than the round of golf I played today.

Like last weekend, I played terrible for the first 11 holes. After that, I managed to shoot 7 over par, which included a 7 on the #17 par 3. (It took me 4 shots to get out of the sand trap.) Doing the math (I shot a 105 total), that’s 26 over, for the first 11 holes, 2 worse that last weekend.

At least last weekend the weather was sunny and warm. Today the sun never shined the entire round (and still hasn’t yet), plus the temperature never warmed up, making for a pretty miserable day.

Oh well, such is life. From now on, I think I’ll just start on hole #12! :)

 Posted by at 4:03 pm

It’s always something

 Cycling, Golf, My MCL  No Responses »
Mar 172007
 

Just when I think I’m doing so good, now having ridden 390 miles this month, (up from 300 on Wednesday), this mornings ride just seemed like a chore.

Once at the start of the ride, and in the heat of competition, I was able to get a little more comfortable, and ride pretty good, but getting to the ride, and riding home after the finish, I was beat. Fortunately there was a big turnout this morning, making it a lot easier to sit in and draft. (Still over half the group dropped off by the start of the second lap.)

Of course, part of my problems may have had something to do with the hard ride I did yesterday, chasing Rocky and Edgar (two younger and stronger riders) for 45 miles and 2000′ of climbing, all over Whittier. But 10 years ago I never had a problem doing back to back hard rides.

And now my lower back is a little sore, and from what I don’t know.

Af first I thought maybe it was the leg curls I was doing at the gym, but I stopped doing them, and the aching still persists.

So could it be the result of running about 2 days a week, golfing (which I have been doing more often as of late) or cycling, none of which I choose willingly to quit?

Or could it just be a that I’m getting old?

Whatever the reason, I seem to be left with no good choices, but I am left with the immortal words of Gilda Radner’s father,

it’s always something. If it’s not one thing, it’s another

 Posted by at 12:22 pm

Getting your priorities straight

 Cycling, Golf, Life  1 Response »
Mar 152007
 

It’s been over a week since I swore off news blogs and blogs with a political agenda, and I can honestly say, I have never felt better.

I hadn’t realized, until now, just how much time was being consumed, writing and responding to various posts and comments, when I could have been partaking in more enjoyable and productive exploits.

I can only imagine the “spinning” taking place right now on the internet, regarding the firing of several US attorney’s, by people who have nothing better to do with their lives.

Well I for one don’t have that problem. I have plenty of things to do, Two of which are golfing and cycling.

Unfortunately my golf game has been suffering as of late, and I need to be spending more time working out the kinks there, and while I am in pretty good shape, considering the shape I’m in, my cycling has been suffering as well.

But I’m changing all that. Already this month, I’ve been managing to get to the driving range several times a week, and so far, I’ve put in 300 miles on the bike this month, and the month isn’t even half over yet.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about wine. While I swore of news and political blogs, I haven’t sworn off blogs altogether. I have discovered a number of wine blogs, and podcasts that I am finding very informative, especially during the drive to work.

I even started my own wine blog, where I can write about wines I’ve tasted, and have invited several others to contribute. Sort of like a wine afficianado club on the internet. (So if anyone out there is also a wine lover, and would like to contribute, please contact me.)

I will admit though, living in southern California, makes cycling, golfing, and generally just getting a life, a lot easier to accomplish.

 Posted by at 1:32 pm

Knowing when and when not to worry

 Golf  2 Responses »
Mar 112007
 

It appears that failing to truncate my signature line, in the email I referred to in yesterdays post, did not produce any unexpected or unusual responses from anyone, when I arrived at the golf course.

Instead of worrying about that, I should have been worrying about my golf game, especially considering the fact, I had just taken a lesson on Wednesday.

Anyone who plays the game of golf, knows full well, the surest way to screw up a round of golf is to proceed it with a lesson.

It’s not that lessons are bad, it’s just trying to change old habits on the course, rather than on the range, only produces disastrous results, and I represented a perfect example of that yesterday. (I usually figure it takes me about two months before a lesson takes hold.)

I did manage to break 100 (shot a 99), but it took playing 4 over par for the last 7 holes to accomplish that. If you don’t want to do the math, for the first 11 holes I was 24 over (par was 71 on this course). But even though I scored good on those final 7 holes, and except for a few good shots, I was not hitting the ball good. I just had a few lucky shots, and a few good putts along the way.

All I can say is, I’d better go practice some more! I’ve got another tournament next Sunday with the Eldorado mens club.

 Posted by at 1:12 pm

Ooops!

 Golf, Life, My MCL  No Responses »
Mar 092007
 

Just sent an email to someone, which included my entire signature line (shown below, and used when communicating with others on the lymphoma/leukemia/myeloma message boards) who I hadn’t intended to see it.

Marc – Long Beach, CA
Dx atypical MCL(CD5-) 3/26/02
Leukemic Phase; Age 58 – No treatment yet
Husband of Edie – DX MM April ’06
Radiation X 18 of T2 plasmacytoma
Started Zometa treatments May ’06
Start Thalidomide + Low Dose Dexamethasome Jan ’07

http://livingwithmcl.com

http://myjournal.livingwithmcl.com

http://trusted.md/taxonomy_menu/3/54

The future is just a concept we use to avoid living today

I’m playing in a golf tournament this weekend, and I sent payment for the tournament through the bill pay system of my bank. I did that 2 weeks ago, but I was told today the check had not been received. So I spent about 30 minutes talking to several people, most of whom had no clue what they were doing, before finally getting the check stopped,

And no sooner do I get that accomplished, the person emails me, indicating he found the check.

I was so flustered, I responded back, neglecting to truncate the signature line.

Oh well, such is life. He may not even notice it or understand it, although I have my doubts. I don’t know how you could miss it (it’s so big) or not understand it.

But it’s not like I’ve been making a tremendous effort to hide the fact. Sooooo……….

I’ll see how it goes tomorrow. I’m playing in this persons fivesome.

 Posted by at 2:31 pm
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