Campydraper

Workout updates

2009-11-13T17:43:00.000-08:00

Hey guys I've been hitting the gym again. Technically it has been 16 weeks since I started, but I took nearly a month and a half off for my trip to the states. I guess I did get a couple workouts and hikes in though. Whatever.

Week 16 - Facing

Week 16 - Profile

Oh and for an added bonus:

I get to shave this sucker in 49 days. I'm stoked!

Back from that old dusty trail/ my birthday/ halloween

2009-11-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

What a trip. I've been off work for a month and a half. I loved seeing family and friends, some of which it had been years since the last time I saw them. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits, especially given the economy. I am lucky to have such loving and hospitable people in my life. Thank you all again for letting me crash at your places. Anytime you're in my neck of the woods, I would love to return the favor. My couch is ready.

That being said, I think a month was a little too long of a break. Last time I took a month off it felt necessary. I hadn't quite settled here, and I need a break from all the stress of adjusting to living somewhere new. This time around, I felt constantly eager to get home, even though I was having a great time seeing old friends and family. I guess that means Vancouver is finally home.

The last two weeks have been strange, it seems like everything needs a shake up with a change of the seasons. Lots of great friends are moving away, following that pull of destiny. They will be greatly missed. Other friends have moved into a house together, and the place is beautiful. Hopefully it will create a strong and positive community in the the coming months. All of this makes me excited to see what the future will bring. At the risk of sounding cliché.

Man, the Fall, it sneaks up on you. Not two months ago I was running around in shorts and watching the sun go down at 9pm. Now I'm already bundled up in scarves and gloves, raincoats and hats. Bring it rain, I'm ready for you this year. I soaked up enough sunshine this summer to last me until Spring. I hope.

What... else... OH YEAH it was my birthday! I turned 25. I'm like a real grown up age. I'm older than my parents were when they had me. That thought blows my mind. I don't think I could handle having a kid at this point in my life. Thankfully my parents did, I think I turned out alright, and I'm glad to be here. Thanks guys.

Also Halloween. It was a mixed bag. I dressed as Paul Bunyan and Moses dressed as Babe the Big Blue Ox. We looked pretty great. Went to an awesome house party, left it to go to a TERRIBLE bar. Couldn't catch a cab, so we hailed a limo. The rest of the night went down hill when the girl I was interested in decided to hook up with a WHITE GUY with DREADLOCKS. My ego is a little bruised, but I survive. The night was all around positive. I just wish I didn't leave the house party.

My workout routine will return to full effect this week. SO check in here in about a week to see if the vacation destroyed any progress I'd been making!

For anyone who hasn't seen it

2009-10-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

This is my tattoo.

Week 7 and Tattoo!

2009-09-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

Wow I just almost died choking on a drink of water.

Anyways.

I have some exciting news on the tattoo front. For the last few months I've had a tattoo artist working on a design for a full sleeve tattoo. She's finished with the forearm piece and I am really excited about it. I think the work looks great.

there is a little more detail to fill in, but this is more or less the final design. I'll probably get the line work finished just before I head out on my trip to the states.

In other news, the workouts persist. I've really settled into a routine, and I'm feeling really good about it. For the first time in my life I can feel an ab. I can't see it, but I can feel it. The diet is the next real thing that I need to focus on improving. I have been eating better than I normally have in the past, but still, it could use some work.

I'm worried that I won't be able to keep up my workouts while I'm on my trip for almost a month. My plan is to see if there are local gyms I can just pay a day rate on. It wouldn't be a problem if I could just jog, but my ankle injury make doing that impossible. So I gotta have an exercise bike of some sort. I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out.

here are this week's pics:

Week 7 - Facing

Week 7 - Profile

Week 6

2009-09-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

I'm desperately trying to enjoy the last few bits of Summer. As we now pass into September, the dreariness of Fall looms closely in my mind. It's been a good Summer, and a great year.

The workouts continue, but so does the spotty sleep schedule. Some days I feel phenomenal, others... very exhausted. I've slipped on my diet a phew times this week, it's always that damn pizza. Ah well, I'll just have to try harder.

Week 6 - Profile

Week 6 - Facing

One year and week 5

2009-08-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've been here a year today.

Here are some pictures of my body.

Week 5 - Facing

Week 5 - Profile

End of Week 4

2009-08-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

One month down. After the first month of regular exercise, I'm starting to notice results in my shape. I have a lot of fat stored up over the years though, so it'll be a while before I get rid of this gut. I feel generally healthier and have more confidence, however I haven't been sleeping all that great so I notice I don't have a lot of energy at the end of the day. I haven't been sleeping well because they decided to start building a condo (or something) right across the street from my apartment and work starts at 7 am.

Anyways here are the pics for the end of week 4:

Week 4 - Facing

Week 4 - Profile

Week 2.5 pictures

2009-08-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

So I didn't get around to it last week, but here are some work out progress pictures from half way through my 3rd week.

Week 2.5 - Profile

Week 2.5 - Facing

Raw Sickness.

2009-08-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

Lame, I've been feeling sick for the last two days. I'm still trying to decide if I feel up to helping Moses with his Goldsprint event tonight. The event is a lot of fun and since we've worked out a lot of the kinks, pretty smooth to run. Conversely I feel like Oliver Twist when he asks for more food and he gets laughed at, but instead of getting laughed at they give me second helpings. Except this time, instead of porridge it's dick stew.

Yesterday I went to an awesome cafe called Raw Canvas with some friends. I saw Allison Mack there, who plays the spunky and lovable Chloe on the show Smallville. She was doing something on her laptop and talking to a random patron. I didn't say hi to her because she is famous and hot, and I am famous and not hot. Also I'm a wuss. It was cool though, to see a famous person be normal.

Anyways I painted this:

Most Improved Sexiness Since High School.

2009-08-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hey blog,

I've been having so much summer fun, you don't even know. Earlier this week I went on a boat with some friends and watched some fire works over English Bay. This resulted in some amazing photos of me.

Yesterday I went to Rock The Bells and had a pretty great time watching some great hip hop. Performing was: Charli2na, Tech 9, RZA, Common, Talib Kweli, Nas and Damian Marley. It was fantastic, however after standing for six hours straight I was eager to call it a night.

Luckily the recent heat wave to hit Vancouver has cooled its shit a little bit, so I am actually able to function. In exercise news, I am still sticking with it. I was supposed to post pics of my "progress" yesterday, but I was busy at the concert. I would do it now, but I'm at a restaurant, and I think it might be frowned upon to take your shirt off in here. I guess you'll just have to settle for some ridiculous boat pictures:

2009-07-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

Hey blog, how are you? What? You're not talking to me? LOOK I'M SORRY. I'll try harder.

Anyway, now that I'm finished personifying my blog, I guess I can get back to telling you people what's going on in my life. The answer is pretty simple: not a whole lot.

Once again I've lapsed in my writing, but honestly the summer fun is making it hard to focus. Hopefully come winter time I'll have an easier time holing myself up in a cafe and writing with my free time.

I started working out again. It's a fairly strict routine combining cardio exercise and weight training. It's been pretty awesome so far, but it's only been a week. I'm planing on putting up a picture of my flabby gut on my blog at the end of every week so I can track how I'm progressing. So check back if you're interested in seeing some of that sexy action.

Anways that's the update. I hope ya'll are enjoying the summer, now get off your computer and go outside!

Week 1 - Profile

Week 1 - Facing

Summer So Far.

2009-07-05T19:12:00.001-07:00

Summer has been awesome so far. I just got back from Granville Island, which, is pretty touristy but also very cool place to get some farmers market type stuff, see some shows, check out some beer at a brewery. Other fun things I have done include: play some per 3 golf at the pitch n' put course, stare at the water from the beach, dance until 3am at a lesbian bar. Vancouver really comes to life in the Summer, makes the rain all worth it.

I've been wanting to eat better. The thing is that I don't really know how. I'm not a cook, if you've listened to out Podcast then you would know that my culinary skill starts and stops with heating things up. I want some sort of routine so I can eat better without really having to think about it. It's also difficult when you live alone, I have very little patience for cooking a whole meal just for myself. When I think about this I just get confused and stressed. I wish I was rich enough for a personal chef.

On a shitty note: My $200 Brooks leather bicycle seat was stolen last night. So I'm pretty unhappy about that.

I want to rock and roll all night.

2009-06-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

SO I have a couple days off, and what do I do? I stay up with Moses and some employees from the Chill Winston all night drinking and playing music. I had a genuinely amazing time. the only shitty thing is that I have to stay up for a optometrist appointment that I scheduled for 11am today. Needless to say I am extremely tired. Slamming an energy drink while you're walking home at 8am and everyone else is heading off to work for the day is one of the most surreal things I've done in a long while. I'm starting to feel my 1.5th wind or something.

Um what else? That's it.

2009-06-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys, thought I'd drop my blog a line and let you all know I'm not dead. If you are missing my (semi) regular blog updates and you haven't checked it out yet, some of my friends and I started a podcast over here. We've got five episodes up now and it's been a blast recording them.

I've been thinking more seriously about what I want to do with my life on a long term basis. I decided I'm going to pursue screenwriting. Although maybe not since I just tried to spell it "screenwrighting", that might be an issue. I guess that's why we have spell checker! I'm thinking about grad school for the Fall of 2010. Not sure.

Man 2010. When you see it written out like that, really makes you feel like you're living in the future. Speaking of the future, if you have and hour and 20 minutes to kill, I'd go check out Google Wave because I'm pretty sure it's going to change the internet as we know it. Email, Instant Messaging, Project planning and collaboration, Networking and Blogging just to name a few.

That's really it for me. I've been working and watching a lot of movies. Moses has been keeping busy, working on his Goldsprints event which kicks off tomorrow. If you like bikes and you live in the Vancouver area, come down to Pub 340.

Anyways,

Campy

Yeah Yeah Yeah

2009-05-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hey blog readers, it's been a little while. Sorry to keep you waiting. Lately I've been writing more. I feel like I need to be doing something creative all of the time, or I get really depressed. The weird thing about that is every lazy bone in my body tells me that being creative is too hard. So I guess I need a bone removal surgery or something.

Also big news. Moses Barrett, Dave Metzger, and I have started a podcast. This is another thing that's going to take up more of my time and taking away from my time blogging. If following my blog is one way you keep track of what I'm up to, well you may want to check out the podcast. It will be updated every monday with a new hour (or so) long episode. You can stream or download.

Just a warning about the podcast though, if you DON'T want to hear me speak openly and frankly about sex, drugs, or worse (Like for example we talk about our own penis size in the first episode) then you probably won't want to listen in. Stuff get's pretty vulgar. If you had a hand in raising me, sorry if this is a disappointment to you, I'm pretty sure I'm still a good person.

Anyways Here's the link check it out! the 321 Podcast!

Two days later.

2009-04-18T16:25:00.001-07:00

So far I've been able to write something every day, although it has been very little each time. On Monday I'm going to start the 100 push ups challenge again from week one. Tomorrow is Sunday, and I think I'm going to see about rock climbing with Ben. I haven't picked up either of my instruments, hopefully I figure out a real routine by Monday.

At any rate I've been feeling slightly more productive, and I hope this trend continues.

Back in Vancouver

2009-04-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

So now my vacation is over and I am back at it again in Vancouver. The blog will probably be updated again. I had an awesome time in Oregon, I saw many people who mean a lot to me and I got to try new things. Joel introduced me to rock climbing and I learned that even I can become a karaoke star. I took some videos that will probably only be interesting to me and the people in them. You can look forward to seeing them in the coming week or two.

I have a few resolutions coming back to Canada. Firstly I want to drink less beer and eat a little better, and eat out less. I want to exercise more, I want to check out the rock gym here, and ride my bike more. I want to practice my ukulele and guitar regularly. I want to write regularly.

On the writing, Dave and I have worked out something of a workshop for writing. He also started a blog to help everyone stay on the task of writing something everyday. I joined it, but I haven't started. I plan on starting today.

I think all of these goals are doable as long as I don't waste too much of my free time. Out of 24 hours in a day I typically sleep for 8 and work for 8. That leaves me 8 ish hours of free time subtract about an hour for traveling to and from work/ getting ready in the morning. 7 hours. If I write for 1 hour and practice music for 1 hour that leaves me 5 hours. Eating would probably take another hour. 4 hours. Man I'm gonna have to stagger some of these activities through the week. Because I still need to find time to work out, read comics, watch my stories, hang out with friends, and talk to Roof. Who, you know, is awesome.

It's all very complicated. Wish me luck.

Got To Bike It Up

2009-04-05T12:49:00.001-07:00

Joel and I made this video yesterday. When I say Joel and I, what I mean is Joel made the video and I picked the song. Also I worked my ass.

Got To Bike It Up from BaloneySammitch on Vimeo.

Hope you enjoy!

Also you can give Joel props over at his meme blog: Something Impressive.

My Trip In Videos So Far

2009-03-22T20:20:00.001-07:00

I'm down in Oregon right now. So far it has been a blast seeing everyone. I brought my video camera so I've been trying to remember to take some video of all the things I've been doing. I'll share some of that with you now.

2009-03-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

None of you care to contribute to the debate of Beatles vs. Gin Blossoms eh? Well I hope you slackers know that you've made me look like a fool. Thanks. WORST READERS EVER.

Today is my last day of work before my trip to the states and the sky has turned an ominous shade of gray. I still haven't decided if I believe in omens. I also haven't decided if I believe in Fate or Free Will, there are a lot of perks that come with both points of view. Mentally speaking.

I have discovered that I need to bike more, hopefully a trip to Eugene will get me back into the spirit of riding. I need to make some tweeks to my set up. I rode Moses' bike to work today and was surprised with how crappy I felt when I got off the bike. Shame on me.

The March birthday onslaught has begun. Facebook is telling me that 6 people I know were born today. Good grief. Happy Birthday.

Attempting to Prove a Point

2009-03-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

Just a quick Poll.

Who was the better band: THE BEATLES or the gin blossoms?

Leave your vote in the comments.

I learned this from National Treasure

2009-03-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

I love Day Light Savings Time. Seriously I would probably kiss Ben Franklin on the mouth if he was here.

There is something about sunlight that makes me so happy. I mean yes, sometimes being in the sun's scorching rays can feel like I'm being hit with kryptonite, but clear sunny days make me feel like the world isn't slowly dying before our eyes.

This was a pretty sweet winter though. Barely any rain, yes some god forsaken snow, but for the most part, just dry and cold. I still would like the sunshine 360 days a year. That's right 5 days of rain are fine by me.

I'll be in Oregon in less than a week. Send out your heralds. Prepare for my coming.

Is it still Fan Fiction if you make up all the characters?

2009-03-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

There is something about the quiet solitude that comes with waking up at 6 am; there is something in my view of the foggy waters everyday that makes me want to live in a light house. I can just imagine myself stretching in my long johns, like a lazy bear wearing long johns, and scratching my full manly beard before setting upon whatever morning tasks a light house keeper does.

Actually I just read that it's a pretty crappy gig. So never mind.

I guess I can still fantasize about sitting out by the light house playing my ukulele, while an old woman from town comes by on her walk with her dog and brings me some baked bread. I smile at her and give her dog a gentle pat as I gratefully accept her gift, and then I will play her a song. She'll tell me how she used to dance when she was young and in love and I'll tell her I'll do enough dancing for the both of us on the weekend. On the weekends I'll take my gal (Roof this could be you if you play your cards right) dancing at the ice cream social. As we drunkenly stumble up the cobblestone path to our house, we will be confronted by a man in a dark cloak.

Pulling back his hood it will be revealed to be my best friend Alfonso, who I believed to be dead when he fell out of our getaway helicopter into the Atlantic ocean. He's been looking for me for the last 5 years but I had gotten out of the game, it seemed so meaningless after the apparent death of my greatest friend. Now he's come to kill me for leaving him to die. His unconscious body was found in a crab pot, and he spent 3 years in coma that no doctors would have believed him capable of waking from. Alfonso did wake up though, in an abandoned hospital in Scotland. It seems the boat that found him was a ghost ship, and the doctors that saved him? Ghost doctors.

Alfonso says there has been enough talk and he reaches into the depths of his cloak. I put a hand on my woman's stomach, where our unborn child grows, to protect them from harm. Alfonso pulls a rapier from his cloak and throws it to me. I deftly catch it in my fencing hand (I always fence with my left hand, to even the odds for my opponent). I look at Alfonso surprised to see he is giving me a chance to defend my life. He knows this look because he has seen it on my face before, and tells me that I am still his brother even though he is here to kill me. I say "Take care of my wife and child if I die tonight," and he agrees.

Before I know it we are fighting our way up the spiral staircase of my beloved light house and a warm summer storm breaks above our heads. The fight seems to rage for hours, Alfonso is the only swordsman I have never bested, but I do not loose faith because I am the only swordsman Alfonso has never bested. I know the only way to win my life is switch hands and fence with my right, but Alfonso who is actually just left handed can sense what I am about to do, and so he cleaves my right hand off. Pulsing with adrenaline I instinctively use the blood spraying from my wrist to blind my opponent. It gives me an opening to take his feet out from under him. His blade scatters away from him, and I say with mine pointed at his throat "don't make me do this. I love you as a brother. Not in a gay way." He tells me I better kill him if I want to live. At this point I'm losing a lot of blood so I sit down for a breather. He asks me how I'm doing and I remind him that he cut off my hand. he says oh right. then he pulls out a pistol and says I was hoping it wouldn't some to this. I say, "Killing me won't bring you back." We share a look. Another look. One more look. A total of 3 looks before he nods. He knows what he has to do. Goodbye brother he says, and then he shoots himself in the heart. "NOOOO!!" I shout. Why did he come back into my life just to leave it again? I throw my sword into the sea. Unsatisfied, I also throw Alfonso's sword into the sea.

The sun begins to rise as I make my slow decent down the centuries old steps of the light house, cradling my severed hand. Half way down I hear a scream in my wife's voice. Panicked, I rush down to her. "What?" I ask, kind of annoyed. She tells me the baby is coming. I say "Well that's two reason's to go to the hospital," as I dangle my hand, "can you drive?"

16 hours later I'm standing in front of the nursery flexing my new robotic hand and staring at my beautiful baby girl. My wife comes up behind me and puts her hands lovingly on my shoulder. It almost startles me, but I had them put in a whole bunch of other robotic stuff while they were doing my hand, so I detected her heat signature coming down the hallway. She asks me what we should name our daughter. I think about that one for a minute. "I already named her," I start to tear up a little, "Alfonso," I say, "She's gonna dance enough for the both of us."

Or something like that...

Issue #150 keep a look out for a second printing in Holofoil.

2009-03-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

MY BEARD IS GETTING HUGE.

I don't know if I had written about this before but I was planning on growing my beard and my hair until June. I think I decided to do this in January. Already my beard is pretty sizable, but I was being driven slowly insane by my hair. So I made a compromise, I'm going to grow this beard until October(Possibly longer if I like it) and I went and got a hair cut. I think I'm looking pretty good, if do say so myself.

This is what I will use it for.

Ukes and Two Parrots

2009-03-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

Hey peeps. Hope the new color scheme isn't hurting your eyes. Actually I kind of do, that's part of why I did it. Hmm what's new in my life. Well I only have 12 more days until I am State-ward bound, I'm getting extremely excited to see people and talk to Roof on the phone without international charges.

Yesterday was a pretty awesome day, hung out with Moses as he taught himself how to solder. He's working on a really amazing Gold-Sprints event here in Vancouver. Which would take a while to explain why that means he has to learn how to solder, but it does. While he was doing that I taught myself how to play ukulele. I must say, it was a lot of fun.

Today I went and bought myself a ukulele.

Last night it was Bernard's Birthday, he turned the big 24. Most of the evening was spent at a bar/restaurant called the Two Parrots. This place wasn't really anything to write home (or blog about) but for the fact that if the Canucks score a goal, they will sell you a round of beer at a discount. This made me care 100% more about hockey than I ever had before. When the game ended we were blessed with karaoke night. Moses of course sang Mr.Jones by the Counting Crows. Surprising to you as it might be, this ritual doesn't bother me in the slightest.

So yeah, that's what's up.