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My reference was "I feel like a 65 yr old lady."
I don't really leave the house for much... I work and coach and that's about it. I don't think I'm anti-social or anything like that, I think I might work too many hours and by a certain point, I just need to go home and sit down.
But yesterday afternoon, Scarlett and I went to a flea market on E 55th and I never thought I'd say this, but it was awesome! I loved the entire thing! So much to see and so many cool people selling some really, really cool things. Not junk like a garage sale or anything like that, but items that were built or collected, pieces with character and history. People with passion and awesome energy about the things they were offering... and it felt like an offering, not selling.
I had a brief conversation with Mike Lea who owns Black Kitten Vintage (www.blackkittenvintage.etsy.com) with his wife, Laura. What a table they had! I should have taken a pic to show you! You know how sometimes you see someone selling some vintage items and its like "Eh... just old crap?" not this table. I seriously wanted to buy half his table. Maybe its nerdy, but I love Polaroids and I miss flipping through a stack of pics with notes on the bottom or back. I love the fact that you cant crop or edit or anything like that... just bam, right there, it happened and its gone. Same with all the vinyls they were selling... something so awesome about cover art and the actual texture of the old records. Now, we just hit "click," on itunes and we never even see the covers.
Whens the last time you walked through a real record store, flipping through the albums or cases, coming across random names and just giving them a try because their name is cool or their cover looks amazing? It just doesn't happen very much anymore. This table was a throwback and this couple takes sooo much pride in their efforts and what they're offering.
As soon I walked away from their table, a Modest Mouse lyric popped in my head, "Playing cards we all get to act sly, so much beauty it can make you cry." (Check it out, its juts a 1:30 minute song and real catchy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCD7fbhylM0) And I just started people watching... and just stood around, watching all the people mingle and share their gifts... it was incredible. Then I thought, "Stop watching and start interacting." I do that too much. I like to sit on the porch and watch cars pass... When the girls were little, i liked to walk 10 feet behind just to watch them wander and explore.... when people are rocking their workouts or yoga and I'm not needed, i step back and just observe... I need to interact more.
Then we met Paul Hanslik who owns Holly Ridge Nursery in Geneva.... again, amazing person. (www.hollyridgenurseryohio.com) I'm not too macho to admit flowers are pretty sweet and I've never seen flowers like his! Ever. They looked fake, they were so symmetrical and perfect and once he started talking... he just lit up and went on and on about his process. I have no intentions of ever doing anything like he does, but I wanted to keep asking him questions just to listen to him. He was so passionate and knowledgeable and we bought a little arrangement he made.
The highlight may have been the T-shirts at the Ape Made table. I admit, I stopped because of the name and was expecting some monkey t's. I quickly learned Ape stands for April, which was a little disappointing (but I love the name). I was really hoping she had some theory about evolution and how were all hold back our inner primate... no such luck. But I do think if i had 30 minutes and a couple shandys, I could talk her into the theory and adding a chimp to these bad boys.
April hand prints very awesome and custom Cleveland t-shirts. (www.apemade.etsy.com) Excellent quality T, cool colors and cool pics. We bought two. As we're talking, I'm looking at her and im thinking "this is what its all about." This entire set up and day. People, strangers coming together and sharing some genuine moments.
So much beauty it can make you cry...
I'll be going there every month if anyone ever wants to join. We'll hit the market and lunch in Ohio City too. Have something to drink and people watch and talk and all the good stuff.
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I dont know how it happened... I have no clue what i did, it might have been a combination of everything. The music, the life, the decisions, the thoughts, whatever... I dont know what happened or when, but I get so high off of simple things. Like a legitimate goofy, mental and physical high. It started happening after awesome workouts for myself, then they just continued all over the place. If I have a fun conversation, I feel a body buzz after. If I run a sweet session... I feel it. I'm in my garage right now with all my equipment and pretty lights in the rafters.. . I ran in to get a water and Scarletts just staring at me like Im up to something... Nope, just high on life! And often it feels very literal, pretty incredible feeling.
I wish I knew where to connect the dots and share... hopefully this all winds up creating that path for someone somewhere.
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Started a new class this past week and it was pretty awesome.... Pretty sure we'll need a word count on "awesome," this blog but honestly, thats how things are feeling.
Its called "Primal Weight Training," and runs from 6:30-7:30 on Wednesday evenings. I'm basically throwing the word "Primal," in front of everything I'm doing, if it fits. (If you need explanation about my "primal theory," read this blog. I just have this need to draw a line in the sand vs others in the industry. Not being a douche but still, this stuff is very different and I'm very experienced at doing it. This first session we ran was beginner in terms of exercise selection but not with the intensity. I've been running sessions like that since 2002 so I knew how it would go and the group responded how they always respond, they kicked ass and we enjoyed every minute of it. That style of session is going to show tremendous results for everyone who stays consistent with it and I think it will evolve and grow.
The class is nearly 100% weights and I best describe it as, if you were a 1 on 1 client and we only saw each other once per week, great chance this is what we'd do.
Obviously, when working with 1 on 1's, the sessions are designed specifically for the goals of that one client and not a group but still. There are certain exercises that do certain things. Movements and exercises that help increase your bone density, something women need to pay special attention to. Movements and exercises that help improve testosterone levels for men. Movements and exercises that help crank up your metabolism that adjust imbalances and joint pains, etc. This is what we'll be doing. As the participants gain experience, I'll be writing up 2-3 different sessions every week so that when new people come in, they have their session and the experienced will have theirs. They may be very similar and everyone can definitely still train with friends, but the weights and intensity may be different.
Those who know me from the 1 on 1 format or athletes who have trained with me in the past, this is the class you were waiting for and I'm absolutely 1000% confident in the results it will bring.
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Speaking of Modest Mouse....
I was texting with Alex the other day and we were talking about music and Bright Eyes and found out we were at the same concert... probably 10 years ago. And in thinking of it, it made me nostalgic for finding great music and then that awesome experience of seeing that act live. Right now I'm listening to Bright Eyes "Road to Joy," probably my favorite song of his.... but so hard to rank these things. What an underrated guy... but I think he likes it like that. Which he kind of says in this song (ironic).
Read between the lines on that one? :)
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Power Plus/BOGA is also back on the schedule, Thursdays at 6:30pm. This class used to give me some anxiety.... Id think "Dont suck, dont suck, dont suck," for about 3 hours leading up to class. Now my thoughts are "Lets rock this and have a blast." So Im pretty confident in this one too :)
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I'll be working to blog more often and much honest and open moving fwd... Somewhere above, I referenced this "high," Ive stumbled on to... I feel if i don't at least try to share some thoughts and experiences with true honesty and without fear, then whats the sense of any of this? So many times, I write things about myself and to myself but people tell me how they relate to them. And when blogs are reaching 100+ every time... that's a pretty cool thing. Sharing honestly.
I daydream now of way to incorporate the music and the people I talk about... the bring it live in a way. So that's where the "blogs," are headed. I want to reference a song and have the audio available. I want to start my own podcasts and have all these awesome people I know on with me and just let it rip. Too many things are buttoned up and vanilla. I want to have some fun and create some things and try to do some different things... even if it flops and it just ends being for my own fun... who cares? Right? I want to look back at the end of the ride and have stories and experiences to tell.
Ever hear that cool old guy tell stories about the good old days of sitting on the couch and all those memories from the television?
Me neither.
I want to blow televisions up :) anything that distracts us from us... I want to take it down. Whatever that may be... a mental distraction, a habit, misinformation whatever. Anything and everything.
...change your mind.
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I am so pumped for tomorrow morning... Its just a Monday. And I want to create something every single day.
