2 days at gym...takes 6 weeks to make a habit they say

 wasn't really feeling like going.  did have to drag myself over there, but i made it.  rower, bike and weight training.  just getting it done.

 i have always enjoyed lifting weights.  not wearing the proper gear really for it, but i figure once i get through the first 6 weeks i will reward myself with some new weight lifting wear.

 it was way icy out on the Monday walks . we all had cleats on but still LS and I both took a nice slip.  both of us with our weaker knee splayed out under us.  we decided you fall different because you are trying to protect it which really just makes it all worse.

 would be great ice skating out on the ponds out there.  smooth and looked frozen pretty deep.

 Speedy was writing out Walrus Rock with her cleats.  haha.

 i already got a few tiny callouses building up on my hands from lifting.  i used to wear gloves to lift and i know i still have them.  it would be embarrassing with my current state of unfitness to wear that gear to the gym. i will do the walk of shame in i'm not in shape clothes until i hit the 6 weeks.

 not that i've ever worn anything fancy to lift weights in.  in my old CA days when i lifted at least 2 hours 3x/week. i think i wore a sports top and some baggy shots coveralls over some legging sort of thing.  i had some nice arms though.  in the past i have been pretty good at getting my arms/back looking pretty sleek.  can i do it again.  we shall see.

 in time the regulars will interact with you.  i remember i had made several buddies in the weight room back then.  you have to wait and let them come to you. when they see that you are serious they tend to open up.  one guy used to quietly say my name from behind some machine and watch me confusedly look around for him.  haha. had made some friends up here as well when i was doing the weights regular.  it's been awhile.  i was good at the swimming for quite a while but i've wanted to combine both and get back to a good 2+ hour workout 3x week...get my monies worth out of the gym and actually get more fit.

 try to just get there on all my days off.

 need to get another load of calendars off. sounds like i have a few more folks that would like one.  we have covered costs and are ahead.  won't do calendars again though...don't like having the expiration date on an item to sell.

 wrote a note to fish and wildlife last night.  just trying to find out if there is any news on the poached walrus of this fall out at Cape Lisbourne.  no news of late.  25 walrus...of course, those are just the ones we know of. who knows how many are poached really.  i also asked about current laws regarding poaching and finding ivory on the beach and stuff.

 also called and got the cabin rented for Holgate in mid June.  yeah!!i think the cabin can sleep at least 6 and then there is beach camping down the beach from the cabin so more could come if they wanted to.

 we had fun walking on the ice. it was pretty dang clear and you could see bubbles frozen in like 2 feet down at least.  lots of bubbles and cracks.

 the entire trail was ice.  met a guy on the trail and i actually think i saw a video clip of him ice skating on the streets of anchorage.  i asked him if he had been out there ice skating on the streets and he said yes.

 several of the parking lots at the trailheads were packed with cars. love that my fellow Alaskan's continue to get out on the trails despite the conditions being a bit less than optimal.  no whiners out there.

 the rest are more from CA.  nice to enjoy some sunny and warm pics along with the chilly Alaska winter shots.

 was out walking at the tidepools/rocks with my niece and nephew.  really enjoyed some of these shots of them.

 don't see these guys often enough and really enjoy the time i do get when i do see them.  they are all adults now so they are off in different directions.  great "kids" though.

 played music at the gym which is actually nice on the machines. i can read the headlines as they scroll by without all the crazy overdone hype about stuff.

 pics of Ramadi, think i spelled that write.  it had been liberated from the crazy terrorist sorts. great for them.  those poor folks who have been trapped there and no doubt terrified and terrorized for weeks/months. showed many children crying and looking horribly stressed and relieved. how does this impact these kids in the long term.  it can't be good.

 now it sounds like Iran is super ticked at Saudi Arabia for them putting to death a Shiite Cleric.  laughed kind of as i read the blip on the ticker...something about Russia and China encouraging calm or something...like that will happen in the middle east.

 it just gets worse and worse over there.

 everyone on the little plane that crashed appears to have survived.  a few teenagers had minor injuries and were trying to help the others.  the plane went down just 6 miles from their village.  sounds like they were lucky it stopped when it did as it was feet from falling down a mountain or something.  there is only one health aid in that village...so i was mentioning these health aides in these small and remote places..they are called on to take on so much more than they are really trained for.  kudo's to them for keeping their heads and getting done what needed to get done

 they would probably know everyone they are working on or know someone who knows them...that just adds to the stress level.  i recall when i lived in Ketchikan some folks saying they had started down the path of getting EMS certified to be able to help their families in these remote places if emergencies happened.  it was almost survival for them and their loved ones.

 loved these of the kids...great them walking around the pool.

 a week ago another small plane crashed into a downtown building.  the guys wife was working in the building.  i'm guessing that will turn out to be suicide.  he wasn't authorized to have the plane out

 little battles over Antarctica are starting.  the treaties will end and some nations are already trying to get their hands on resources that exist out there.  krill, fresh water tied up in ice bergs, mining.  military possibilities.  Iran and Turkey both want to build their own places out there. why does this make me uncomfortable?  hmm...

 the ban on drilling for iron ore, coal and chromium expires in 2048.  diamonds may also exist there as well as at least 36 billion barrels of oil and natural gas.  there are also interests in satellites and gps sites i think.  the cold, dry, desolate place is always at risk of becoming destabalized...nations will battle to make changes to the current treaties in place while pushing the edge of what they can do in preparation for future exploitation.

 my cousin above.

 a large number of guns used in crimes are bought in one state and then transported illegally to another state where it is then used.  the states with the largest number of exported guns used in crimes were Georgia, Texas, Virginia and Florida.  some of that is population driven but not all.  the standoff continues in Oregon with our home grown idiots.  hope they have cut off electricity and plumbing to the buildings.  at least make these guys uncomfortable.  wish a bunch of environmentalists would take over the take over...peacefully without guns.

 the affluent teen and his mom have been detained in Mexico.  perhaps they should let them stay there in some rough Mexican jail for some time before bringing them back to the US.  see how that affluence claim flies over there.

 my great nephew and one of his now distant cousins i'm guessing.

 such a cute beachy kid!

 family chilling at the beach

 my brother and nephew head out for a walk.

 liked this one of my niece.

 the periodic table apparently has 4 new elements...that is all i know so far.

 the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon was created in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt.  hardly a new refuge that these guys are laying claims to.  they seem to plan on staying there and managing it for the ranchers and campers or go out dying.  always funny how these patriots who are against the federal goverment in all ways except when it comes to their own lives, where they have turned to the feds to assist them financially.  what a joke!!

 love the waves crashing...so beautiful

 sun was setting on yet another beautiful CA day.  another beautiful niece below.

 and with her Auntie

 my cousin again.  nice of her to come down and catch up with us all over thanksgiving.

 my nephews.

 and the sun.

grateful for:  A. getting to the gym. will need lots of self motivation to get started back serious again B.  that i don't live in the middle east, what a mess.  happy to live here in relative safety  C.  that we got the cabin for this summer.  still many more plans to be made.  :-)  winter is for planning summers adventures.