3 Doors Down, Staind, and Hinder

Last night, Teri and I went with some friends, Lisa and Jay, to the 3 Doors Down, Staind and Hinder concert at the WaMu Theater at the Qwest Field Events Center. When I first realized where the WaMu theater was, I was skeptical that the sound quality could be all that good. The QFEC is after all, just a large open hall where they have RV and Boat shows. But the setup for the WaMu theater was really cool and you didn't all all feel like you were in an exhibition hall. In fact, much to our delight and surprise, the sound quality was really pretty good.

I joked to Teri that we were getting old as we had made the decision to bring ear plugs to the concert. Turned out to be a good choice as most of the evening, we ended up standing right next to the stack of speakers on stage. The nice thing about being in General Admission and having an assertive wife is that you pretty much get front row seats. :-)

Before the three headliners came out, there was an opening band, Sick Puppies from Australia. They only played about 4 songs, none of which I'd ever heard before. The crowd seemed to dig them, so it'll be interesting to see if we hear more out of them in the future.

At just about 7PM, the lights dimmed and Hinder took the stage. Now fortunately I have XM Satellite radio and I'm pretty well versed in all three bands catalogs. When Teri originally mentioned going to 3 Doors Down, I was probably less than enthusiastic. Don't get me wrong, I really like 3 Doors Down and have all but their latest album. When I looked at the show and saw that Staind and Hinder would also be performing, I said "Oh yeah, we gotta go to that!"



As the night wore on, the sets got progressively longer as you'd expect. With Hinder playing 6 or 7 songs, Staind playing maybe 9 or 10 and 3 Doors Down playing probably close to a dozen or more. All played songs from their latest albums and of course they played their hits. I was impressed with everyone. They all put on a good show. Staind came out a little flat, but by the end, they had found the energy of the crowd and used it. I think all three bands were genuinely grateful for their Seattle fans. Aaron Lewis, lead singer for Staind even payed tribute to one of their Seattle fans, Kaitlyn, by holding up a book and saying "Before the show, we met a girl named Kaitlyn who gave me this book. I just want to say Kaitlyn, you're really sweet and this book is amazing. We really don't deserve fans like you. So this next song is for you." Or something approximating that. It was really nice and you could tell he was really touched by the gesture.



3 Doors Down front man, Brad Arnold, even jumped into the crowd a couple times to sing and greet the fans. He also seemed to be really happy with the Seattle crowd and waxed nostalgic about the couple months they spent in Seattle while recording their album, Away from the Sun.



Overall, the four of us had a great time! All the way home we commented on what a great show it was. I'd definitely go back to see all three bands again, together or seperately.

Fun with Taylor and Dakota

So we dog sat for our friends Josh & JC a week or so ago for a few days. It's fun to see what labs will do for food . . . well they'll do just about anything for food. Sorry for the cell phone quality video . . . but fun none the less!

286.5 - 2.0 Miles

Ran 2 miles on the treadmill this morning . . . walked an additional 1/4 mile to cool down. Just wanted to get up and move a bit, no major workout. I did kick it up to 5.1 MPH for the 1.0 - 1.75 mile mark and 6.0 MPH for the last 1/4 mile of running and completed the 2.0 miles in 23:25. Weighed in after the workout at 286.5. Could 285.0 be possible for Sunday morning?

New Distance Record - New Low

So this morning I got up and headed to the gym. I'm not sure I really had a plan in mind, I knew I wanted to run on the treadmill (OK, wanted is a stretch) and probably lift. So initially I was thinking I'd run for about 20 minutes then lift. As I was stretching on the treadmill I thought "I wonder what it would be like to run 3.5 miles?" So I started . . . I set the cruise control to 5.0 MPH and away I went. As I passed the half mile mark, I felt pretty good. After one mile, my heart rate was still in the 130's. When I got to two miles I was in the 150's and starting to feel it. When I hit 2.5 miles I was in the 160's and REALLY feeling it. Then the mental games really kicked in. "You know John, you haven't run more than 3.1 miles all year. You should maybe do 3.2 or 3.25 if you're feeling really good. Or you know, 3.0 is a good round number" these continued until the Odometer read 3.11 . . . then the countdown in my head . . . 49 . . . 48 . . . 42 . . . all the way down to zero and the odometer read 3.5 miles! In 42:04. Average 12:00 mile. SWEET!

I skipped lifting . . . I figured 42 minutes on the treadmill was enough for today. :-)

When I got home, I was getting ready to pour myself a bowl of cereal . . . and said "WAIT! I have to weigh myself BEFORE I eat!" and walked upstairs and got on the scale . . . 287.0 . . . What? Really? I readjusted myself on the scale. 287.0. AWESOME! I've got a REALLY good shot at keeping these 2.5 pounds off between now and Sunday @ 8AM.

Weather permitting I think Teri and I may go to Mount Rainier and hike up to Pebble Creek Sunday morning. Pebble Creek is about 1/2 way between Paradise and Camp Muir at 10,000 feet. I really want to get Teri up to Camp Muir, probably next Summer. The VIEW is amazing!

You get nothing for free . . .

So late last week I blogged about Teri and I planning a European Vacation coming up this fall. I thought we both had enough air miles to get free round trip tickets to Europe. Well technically we do. I have over 66,000 Alaska miles and Teri has over 40,000. So technically on American Airlines, we'd have enough to fly round trip. However, calling Alasaka this morning to reserve our flights, I was told that many of the airlines with lesser award levels book up to a year in advance. Ouch. So our only option is to fly British Airways. Now BA charges 65,000 round trip. So I get a free ticket and we have to pay for Teri's . . . or at least buy miles for Teri's . . . BUT it'll still only be about $750.00 to buy her ticket instead of the full $1,200 advertised on BA's website. So I guess two people flying round trip to Europe for under $800 is still a pretty dang good deal.

One note, I do have to give kudos to the folks at Alaska Airlines Awards Reservations . . . both of the women I spoke to, Christina and Angela were unbelievably helpful. They checked this flight and that flight, this airline and that airline . . . what if we flew into this airport and out of that airport, how about changing the dates. . . whatever I threw at them, they were more than happy to oblige, so BIG KUDOS to Alaska for outstanding Customer Service!

We have our flights reserved. We're going to ACTUALLY book them this evening. So at least we'll have our flights set. Then we just have to figure out how to get from our arrival airport (Dublin) to our departure airport (Frankfurt) in the span of 12 or so days. That's the FUN part!

We do know we have the following on our itinerary:

• Kiss the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland
• Visit the Jameson Irish Whiskey Factory in Cork, Ireland
• Dublin, Ireland
• Visit Guiness Brewery in Dublin, Ireland
• Belfast, Ireland
• Ferry or something from Ireland to Scotland
• Castles in Edinburgh, Scotland
• Short Flight from Scotland to Germany
• Visit Friends in Germany

It's a pretty loose itineray so far . . . but half the fun is exploring and figuring out stuff on your own anyway.

SMFH Workout

Last night I went BACK to the gym (yep, twice in one day folks . . . it could become a habit!) and did the SMFH. Anyone that reads my blog somewhat frequently will know what that means. I did 2.33 miles in 30 minutes . . . I forget how many floors it was, but I was soaked when I was done. I finished up by walking 1/3 of a mile on the track. Teri did the recumbant bike, the treadmill and the rowing machine . . . I'm thinking I might want to start on the rowing machine. That's a seriously good workout, but I always overlook that machine because it doesn't have all the fancy lights and meters and heart rate monitors . . . I guess I'm a snob.

0.9659 . . . Oh Hell . . . One Mile!

This morning I hopped in the pool and swam 1,700 yards which is technically 0.9659 miles . . . but for the sake of brevity, now that I've wasted a couple dozen words, we'll call it a mile. :-)

I did a 100 Swim followed by a 100 kick followed by a 200 pull and did that a total of four times for 1,600 yards. I finished with a 100 Individual Medley to honor Mr. Phelps and his 8 gold medals.

Way to go Michael! What a difference .01 seconds makes right? Good thing the olympics don't round off eh?

289.0 - Europe Bound

So this morning, Chuck and I rode our normal 30 on the Foothills trail. We actually made pretty good time (for me) finishing it in 1:54:04. After I got home, I weighed myself . . . 289.0! SWEET! A week ahead of where I wanted to be. Now maybe I can hit 288 or 287 by next Sunday.

Yesterday I was online researching airfare for Teri and I's upcoming European vacation. Turns out I have enough frequent flyer miles for one round trip ticket to Europe, so in essence we can fly round trip to europe for half price as we only have to purchase one ticket. So the plan is to leave Seattle on the 30th of October and fly to Frankfurt, Germany. On the 4th of November, we plan to be in Cork, Ireland so Teri can kiss the Blarney Stone on her birthday. We'll fly out of Dublin, Ireland or Edinburgh, Scotland on the 10th of November and back to Seattle. What happens between all of that, we have no clue. Our plan is to meet with a Rick Steve's travel consultant to find out what we want to do in Ireland and Scotland while we're there. We do also know we'll be visiting the Guiness factory. I may have to acquire a taste for Guiness between now and then. :-)

This should be fun . . . we haven't been to Europe in 9 years since we went to London . . . Click Link for our trip report (before there were blogs). I had an amazing time in England and I can't wait to see Germany and try out my 2 years of High School German . . . deine mutter ist eine Tankstelle (your mother is a gas station) should go over really well there . . . I would really like to see some of France while we're there, but I don't know that we'll have time . . . . I'd especially like to visit Paris and go up in the Eifel Tower and visit the Louvre . . . too many countries, too little time. Sticker shock will set in when we realize that a Subway sandwich costs 12 bucks! It won't be a cheap vacation, but it will be a BLAST! Expect to see a few photos here when we get back!

291 - 289.5

So haven't written much since Tuesday. I've been sick with Cellulitis again. Tired of this crap. I was hoping that maybe with all the working out and losing weight that maybe, just maybe I could stay ahead of it. Monday night Teri pointed out my right ankle looked swollen (one of the first signs) and suggested that I start my antibiotics. I should have listened. But I don't like taking antibiotics just for the sake of having something to take. Plus, my ankle could have been swollen for any number of reasons. So I didn't. Tuesday night I came home and said "I have some bad news" and she replied "Your cellulitis is back huh?" . . . "ahyep". So started on the antibiotics and off to the tub I went. I spent Wed - Fri between the couch, the tub, and bed.

One bonus is that I don't eat during a bout of cellulitis, so at one point (Friday morning?) the scale read 289.5, I guess technically I hit my goal of being under 290 by August 24th. :-) As of this morning, I'm at 291.0 and I've been eating fairly regularly since Friday. So I'll take that for sure. Hoping to be back in the gym by Tuesday.

3:30 AM - UGGGGHH

So I woke at 3:30 AM this morning. I must have had a bad dream, or heard something, I don't know really what it was. All I know is it was then impossible to go back to sleep. Teri's alarm went off at 5:15, 5:20, 5:25 and finally at 5:30 I got out of bed and headed to the gym. Lemoade from Lemons right? I ran about 1/2 mile on the treadmill and my iPod died. So I ran another half mile sans music and headed over to the SMFH. I did 20 minutes there for 1.36 miles, then lifted. I had to be home by 7 as my parents are leaving town today (Happy Birthday Dad!) and heading back to California. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at The Hangar and here I am at work trying to make sense of the day that is by now already more than 5 hours old. UGGGGGGHH.

293.5 - Huh? Swim Workout

So this morning I was lying in bed around 5:30 debating on whether or not to head to the gym. By the time Teri got up around 6, I decided it would probably be in my best interest to go to the gym. So off I went. I decided on a pool workout this morning. Again, when I don't feel like working out, the pool is the easiest for me, so that's what I do. I started off with a 200 swim, kick, pull followed by another 200 swim, kick, pull. I finished the workout with a 100 IM. So 1,300 yards (About .74 miles). I'm REALLY wanting to try a 200 IM. But right now it's kind of like the XXL shirt at Kohls the other day. I know the second lap of fly is going to be tough. And I don't want to look like I'm drowning. BUT my 25 yards of fly is looking (or rather feeling, I can't see myself) REALLY good. I'm not really tired at all after 25 yards. So probably soon I'll do a 200 IM. We'll see.

This morning when I got home I hopped on the scale. I was thinking to myself "Anything around 297 would be good" . . . I kinda pigged out for dinner last night. But the scale had a surprise for me. 293.5. Huh? I don't think I'll ever figure out this weight loss thing. But one thing I do know is that if I stay focused, I think there's very little chance I'll see a 3 in front of the weight ever again. I'm pretty stoked about that.

Four pounds in 23 days to go . . . (Yes, this will be the official countdown timer to John's birthday . . . leave me a comment and I'll be happy to give you an address to mail gifts to)