Yes it’s a trailer. Let’s keep it real. I have lived at a lot of different addresses. A few of them were trailers. Some of them were efficiency apartments. I’ve had roommates. I’ve had cats and dogs and rats (pet rats). I’ve had girlfriends and televisions and sofas and microwaves. Since 1992 I have owned over 25 vehicles, all registered in my name and Linn County. I won’t even tell you about my guitars and amps and jobs and haircuts. Someone told me I looked good with a goatee in 1996 so I kept it until 2008. I am terrible with shoes. I typically ruin them in a short amount of time. I prefer lots of sodium and/or sugar but I keep it to a minimum these days because I prefer being thin. My nose is rather large but then again so is my head as are my ears and by the width of my back alone you might think I am a gorilla in dim lighting. My legs are incredibly skinny. Too skinny. I think they stopped growing in 1984. My voice is deep and I have an under-bite. I have tattoos. I am spontaneous, random, absent minded, unorganized and at times completely oblivious. I am human.

As long as you have family and friends nothing else matters. Keep them close and keep them happy.

Photograph by Stephen Dempsey

We would watch the Weather Channel every morning hoping temperature forecasts would change. Rarely did they ever change but we also rarely lost hope. I think this is the difference between the young and old, hope versus reality. We grow older and wiser and our ambition and hope are lost like memories of Summers spent at the beach and neighborhood football games at the park. We remember having hope and going to the pool or beach. We remember those games we played at the park. But these memories are like Impressionist Art. We realistically interpret only a portion of what actually happened and fabricate the rest. We remember the good stuff or the bad stuff and rarely the mediocre stuff. It’s that mediocre stuff we long for as adults. To relive a time when our hope matched our ambition and we were invincible. Not even the weather could stop us from embracing the pain of sweat or frozen limbs, just so we could glide over those wooden ramps on our bicycles or sled down that fifteen foot, snow covered hill along side the road. These ramps and hills are what got us out of bed on Saturday morning and made us late for dinner on Wednesday night. The seasons kept changing and yet we never got lost in the never-ending journey for cheap thrills. It is after all what being a kid is all about.

As I grow older I see the Winter as completely unnecessary. I view the heat of Summer as an increase on my electric bill. There is too much rain in the Spring and far too many leaves to rake in the Fall. What happened to my ambition, my hope? We are faced with financial debt, an obligation to work so we can repay that debt and we base the quality of our day on how much sleep we got the night before. What happened to Mountain Dew and Big League Chew? Why can’t I build a plywood ramp and jump it with my bicycle? Why don’t I wait for the first snowfall and sled down the biggest hill in the County? I am not sure if these things are as much fun as sitting with Sara on the sofa and watching a good movie. As long as I have climate control in the house I can make any season comfortable. But it still feels like something got lost along the way. I can no longer round up the boys for football or build those dangerous ramps. I can however go to the gym and lift weights or stare at my motorcycle in the garage while I look forward to warmer temperatures. I am not convinced the loss of hope and ambition is a bad thing. I think reality and wisdom, when properly utilized, should not be taken for granted.

See, I no longer have the desire to play football with the boys, or jump ramps or go sledding. As a child I didn’t carry a wallet or any spare change for that matter. As an adult I have more options. Yes there is debt and there are bills and the Winter sucks the life out of me. But as I look into the future, as I grow older and wiser, I am realizing there are things in life that require special attention and things that do not. I am trying to improve my health so my quality of life and comfort also improve. I pay the bills, but I no longer fret over their persistence. They will come and go like the seasons. I look forward to free time. I look forward to seeing Sara smile. I look forward to my dogs waking me up on Sunday morning. I look forward to laying in bed and watching Netflix movies and eating popcorn. I don’t need ramps and sleds. Life as an adult isn’t much different than as a child as long as you realize that each day is a new adventure and nothing can hold you back. It may be less dangerous now and there are bills and other responsibilities but it is up to you to make the most of it.

Keep it simple and you will find that life is much more enjoyable, just like when we were kids.

I signed up for Farrell’s because I wanted to lose weight and get into better shape. I read forums on the web looking for personal experiences prior to joining. A lot of people said they gained weight the first five weeks, or lost little to none. I gained three pounds but if you look at my other numbers you will see that isn’t all bad. I also admit to have not been following the nutrition requirements. In fact, I have been pigging out quite often and only recently stopped last Wednesday.

Here are my numbers from the start and five week (excluding the 1 mile run, no need to see that).

The body fat percentage going up indicates that my first reading was probably incorrect. My weight going up is due to having pigged out more often than before starting the program. The only problem with kickboxing is that it drains you and makes you hungry. I have it under control now, I hope. I couldn’t be happier with my hips improvement. This is a result of sitting at a desk all day. We work the glutes (butt) BIG time at Farrell’s.

How about those push-ups!!?! The sit-ups are also good but would be better had I not over-indulged with eating.  My 10-week goals are pretty realistic and I am hoping I surpass several of them. Wish me luck!!

matthew

We have owned the bike for a month now and put over 800 miles on her! Although the picture does not reflect it we do wear helmets. We bought matching Shoei FR-1100′s. They have 6 air vents, breath guards and chin warmers. We also bought extra smoke-screen visors for sunny days.

It is a 2007 Harley-Davidson Street bob. The previous owner upgraded to forward controls, replaced the ape handlebars with drag bars and added a two-person seat and sissy bar. The seat was not comfortable so I replaced it with a Harley-Davidson touring seat which happens to be nothing short of amazing for comfort. I also replaced the stock mufflers with Cycle-Shack slip-ons so it actually sounds like a Harley.

My plan is to “black it out”. This means get rid of chrome and add black, powder-coat parts/mods around the bike. I already replaced the brushed aluminum derby cover with a black-fin cover. You will see very few Harley’s that are blacked out.  I like a touch of chrome but I also like to be unique. I also want to install the 2 inch tank lift and possibly some mini-ape bars. The exhaust I am looking at is the Python Big-Radius, black powder coat like you see below.

I am looking forward to making this bike “my own”. We are having a lot of fun riding. Season is nearly over. I already have my trickle charger ready to do it’s job on the battery for the cold months.

Matthew

I am finishing up week 5 of the 10 week program at Farrell’s. I haven’t lost any weight yet but I am already in much better shape. I also, admittedly, haven’t been following the diet plan. I intend to kick it up a notch for the last five weeks. My main goal is to lose 5-10 lbs and more importantly 4-5 inches off my waist. The kickboxing is wonderful. I am having a harder time getting used to the resistance band training. My legs are really, really weak. In order to improve all around I need to have stronger legs.

The truth is that 80% of healthy weight loss has to do with diet. And by diet, I do not mean “eating less”, I mean “eating right”. Everyone has a “diet”. Some are much worse than others. Combine the right amount of exercise with a healthy diet and you will eventually be in the best shape of your life. I need to quit sucking down salty foods and extra beer on the weekend. I need to decide what is more important, a salty, tasty dish that last 10 minutes or a lifetime of feeling and looking good? It is OK to eat the tasty stuff here and there. Lately I have been getting carried away. Some may say “looking good” is subjective and I agree, partially. By “looking good” I am referring to what I personally see in the mirror. Yes, compliments from others are nice to hear but I take my shirt off and see a jelly roll on my stomach and I remember that giant bowl of ice cream I ate last weekend. It is depressing. Many people look good but aren’t healthy. When I look “bad” it is because of my own personal demons when it comes to eating poorly. It is not healthy. So I associate looking good with feeling good because I choose to eat well. I need to get back on the “wagon”. Goodbye french fries, hello steamed veggies (this is going to be difficult).

I realize I may have gone too far last year with my diet. The weight just kept falling off. This time around I am combining muscle training with cardio work (kickboxing). The end result should be more of a muscular look/build and I will not be near as light as I was last year (200 lbs). I will also feel better because of the added strength. This is a solid goal and the main reason I joined Farrell’s. Just doing cardio for a year or two , I ended up really skinny with little muscular build. I did feel better but to maintain the weight I had to eat very little and I wasn’t happy with that diet. More muscle means harder work during cardio training which means more calories burnt. You look better and feel better in the end.

Matty out

I know what it says. “Time is the essence”. I intentionally left out the word “of” between “is” and “the”.  I am not talking about punctuality. I am talking about free time. Time to enjoy life and all the wonderful things it has to offer.

Too many people work their butts off making “the man” rich until they are old enough to retire and they look back and think about all the shit they didn’t do. I say “do the shit”. Recently I have come to the realization that free time is far too valuable to be squandered. If you enjoy working 50-60+ hours per week for your boss, have at it. I will see you on the flip side and there is a chance my smile will be bigger. I am done chasing the wind and fighting the good fight. Money will be made and it will soon after be spent. It comes and goes like microwave popcorn or toilet paper. Find something you enjoy doing and go after it.  Spend the money and/or time it takes to seek it out and grab it by the gonads. Never let go. If anyone gets in your way tell them to step aside or suffer the consequences. Life is too short.

I play guitar and sing in a band. I ride a Harley Davidson Street Bob. I have a beautiful, loving wife who teaches kindergarten. I have two adorable dogs who like to cuddle. I have a caring, loving family. My goal is to create more and more free time for myself and Sara. If you call or send me an email I may not reply immediately. Do not take it personal, I am enjoying life and cherishing every free second.  Life has become too busy in recent months and I have learned some valuable lessons. It is now time to make more time for me and mine (sounds funny but go with it).

I’m not sure how I spent my free time prior to September 22, 2011.  I purchased a 2007 Harley-Davidson Street Bob. Ever since I have been taking advantage of every opportunity possible to ride. Yes, I bring Sara with me. I caught on pretty quick thanks to having passed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Beginning Riders Course at Kirkwood College. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in riding. It either shows you the way or scares you away. For me personally, I was awoken.

As a child I pulled off many stunts that were regarded as less than intelligent, fearless and stupid. I survived every one. None of which I can remember encapsulated even close to a similar thrill as riding a motorcycle. I’ve played guitar in front of large, cheering crowds. I was a State Discus Champion in High School.  I was a National competitor in the hammer throw during college. All of these things produced their own kind of thrill. But when you are cruising down the highway at 65 mph, the sun is setting and the cool night air is reaching up the sleeves of your riding jacket, it is something special. Forget about your career and your bills and what’s for dinner. Forget about the time. Forget about all of your worries. Soak it in and roll on the throttle. Nothing else matters in that moment.

I have only put 300 miles on the bike thus far. I will ride until the cold wind sends me home. If you see me screaming down the road please wave. If you can see my face through the visor on my helmet you will notice a genuine smile. I will save television for the Winter and heavy rains, otherwise I am riding.