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  I am almost completely churched out. An hour on Wednesday, hour and a half on Thursday and Friday, ditto for today and Sunday; that's more than enough Mass for me. Went to my first Passover Seder on Thursday and it was actually fun. Could have something to do with the required four glasses of wine.

I'm now riding my bike to and from the gym. It's normally a very enjoyable ride except for last night when it rained and the temperature dropped to 38. Whoo-boy, was I frozen! There's a huge difference between riding on a stationary bike and real road. Even the slightest incline gets my pulse racing.

Horseback riding is getting better and better each week. Today, I had the opportunity to just trot the horse around the ring for an hour. If you had told me several weeks ago that I'd be able to keep a horse at a trot for more than 5 seconds, I'd have thought you were crazy. Everyone at the barn wants me to go riding in Ireland.

Ireland. Did I mention that I'm going there for a week vacation to see relatives? Eat your cold, black hearts out. I'm going right after I come back from a trip to California for both business and pleasure. My personal leave time will be in the negatives when this is all done. Surprisingly, there don't seem to be a lot of health clubs out in the Irish countryside....

posted at 10:13 AM

  Friday was the best day I've had in the gym in like forever. One of the young guys who I keep an eye on (I'm forever comparing my progress to everyone else) is lifting roughly the same amount that I am - and he's in pretty good shape. That's very inspiring. What was very humbling was to see a 5-foot-nothing kid bang out dozens of pull-ups. He didn't have much of a build, but man was he strong.

I'm officially at the end of the "beginner" phase, meaning, I can lift as much as the non-serious guys who have been just throwing weights around for a long time. This may not sound like much, but it means that I've rebuilt my body from being a malnourished wreck to a "normal" level of strength; comparable to "the average guy." The next phase, intermediate, is where I build my body back to the level of an "average high school student": trim, some strength but not overwhelming. This whole phase thing is completely made up, but it works for me.

Had a bit of trouble at the barn Saturday. The horse I was supposed to ride, Domino, was in a foul mood - bucking and threatening to kick me repeatedly as I groomed him. The owners assured me that it wasn't due to anything on my part. Had I walked around behind him, I have no doubt that he would have caved my skull in. So for safety's sake, I practiced on Cash instead. Getting better with my knees - each week I learn something new. Next week, I plan to focus on the real basics: putting in bits, tightening saddles, cleaning hooves and walking through gates. This may sound ridiculously easy and it is - until you try to do it one-handed or constantly keeping every bit of rope or reign in the safest possible position. Plus, I'm getting tired of asking 12 year old girls to help me tighten my own saddle.

It's finally warm and sunny here and I've gotten my first "mini sunburn." Palm Sunday was a mess. The church (which is where Daniel Patrick Moniyhan's funeral was held BTW) is basically a big echo chamber for screaming children. I only go on Sunday's when it's obligatory. Otherwise it's the quiet, peaceful, middle of the week Mass for me.

Trading Spaces is on. Gotta go.
posted at 6:22 PM