Some of what was noteworthy is what didn't happen this year. Didn't do the Lighthouse Century, or Blues Fest, Village Fest, Volkslauf, or Brian Setzer. Did make the Christian Youth Film Fest, played guitar at Ft. Tejon, got over to Carpinteria for a quick trip, Catalina in July (thanks to Nena footing the bill) and a few Disneyland trips on the annual passes, most notably one in December with the Bennetts for JJ's 2nd.
Spring saw a big day for me when TeeDub invited me to his mostly-family-only 50th birthday get-together. In fact, I was the only non-family member there. That resonated with me in an important way. I really felt that I had a friend that day. It was a cold winter and early spring for me; a lonely stretch. With so many people in his life, and he'd pick me as the one friend to choose? Yeah.
Spent Tuesday nights at Todd's too all summer with energetic and delightful collegians with the School of Discipleship. Really a highlight for my year. Such a great group, with interaction that doesn't really happen with adults in small groups. Great to be a part, to teach a little, and simply feel inspired by others who are mining deep into the Lord's mountain.
Had a great few days with CC at the Forks of the Kern, where we faced down the echoes of a sasquatch. We tried for a Half Dome lottery slot, but got rejected.
My 50th was filthy. Just the kind of day, and event, I needed. Not the level of nitpicking perfectionistic detail that I'd have brought to the planning a couple of decades ago, and that says something good, I think. Still, all the needful things were there: challenge, sweat, the right people, and minutes packed from bed-to-bed hustling from one event to the other.
Haley and I did the Brewery Art Walk in October. What a great day that was.
In December, I received an email from myself using Futureme.org. A year ago, I wrote:
Are you alive now? Because there are a lot of days, a lot of moments, when I think it's not really worth it. God's far away right now, and silent, and church is the same. I'm a misfit. A stranger in my own life. I wonder why I was created.
I need to be around to feed, clothe, provide shelter for my wife and children. I know that Konrad wants and needs me. If that's my only role that's a reason to keep taking one step forward at a time. ... How to earn their respect ... I just want to insulate myself from rejection.
...I have delusions of wanting to create some kind of supergym - just how different than any existing gym is a function of reality and economics vs. creativity and personal preference.
I want to do something significant before I clock out. I want to be involved with some like-minded people. I want to be in community with some Christians who aren't fucking hypocrites or Americanized to the point of worldliness ... if they'd have me, since I'm such a chameleon myself.
I'm mostly retreated into the iron game right now. It's the only thing I think I'm doing that consumes my creativity and challenges me.
I want something more. I hope you've found it. If not, I don't have any advice for you.
That last part was answered with School of Discipleship over the summer. There's still something out there for me in the Christian community, but it's not going to be in merely attending somewhere in the Americanized consumer-small c-christianity model. Still a lot of question marks in my life. Think I would have solved all the riddles by now.
2015? An arbitrary marker, this first of a new year calendar line-crossing. Still, here we are, re-viewing everything with an eye to intentionality.
A sound mind led by a sound spirit in a sound body. Be all three.
I'm claiming this as my slogan for the year. I'll keep my spirit sound by worshipping and digging deeper on the guitar this year, working through a chapter a day/formulating a message a week, and daily prayer time/wasted time.
I'm setting my mind to focus on intentional relationship building with those few, to intentional creation (ie, One Way Entry plans, secondary level plans / mobile app flowchart / Presenter song sets / Backyard gym completion), and filling in some gaps in my learning
Sound body: I'm not breaking down the year based on exercises. I'm basically going to make sure I make a sweeping focus on these three: 531/CFFB, Bag Work/Agility work, Stretching and Floor work. Which is to say, maximal strength/movement/flexibility.
Wasn't ready to leave CFFB, since I was enjoying it and challenged by it, but it's time to change things up for a cycle after 14 weeks. I hope to steep myself in CFFB this year - but need to cycle off for a period.
Back to 531. Numbers have been pared way down since the last Spring percentages. MaXmas didn't get finished (sick, tired) and the numbers weren't encouraging, and, I'm simply being realistic about my expectations regarding the poundages. If everything goes better than anticipated and I'm moving weight, I'll adjust after a month. But we're doing two months through the 8-day split.
I got bigger doing CFFB - these measurements aren't fresh outta the cycle (after two weeks of MaXmas and sickness/off), but they still speak volumes about gaining unexpected size with more weight/lower reps. Oh, and creatine.
I would have sworn that an HT cycle would have done this - when it didn't, and hasn't.
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