Movies Watched -- Gloria

Added on by C. Maoxian.

Another movie that critics will love and audiences will hate (because it makes them uncomfortable).  Precious few movies about the lives of 50-something year old divorced women, esp. their love (and sex) lives.  Getting old, alone, is not a topic that sells a lot of movie tickets. Especially with those eyeglasses.  Except at arthouse theaters.  In Chile.

30 Day Challenge -- Day Three

Added on by C. Maoxian.

(All 30 day challenge posts in reverse chronological order)

Inscrutable notes:

07:03 4K row

87.0 24.5

07:10 mush (fresh squeezed soy milk, blueberries, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, cashews, apple, pear, banana)

07:35 scooter in motion

07:48 arrive FCD (fresh charge, caught Chang'an light)

07:59 arrive P3

08:03 arrive desk

Rare blue sky day

Teekanne tea

Dreaded work Dalian Wanda Comm Prop IPO 

77 cash in pocket

11:15 E3 to gym

Security pulled from hotel ... whoever was staying there has left.

Boardwalk Empire.... what season / episode am I up to? Wacthed a few mins of Veep on bike, entered a post-political world?

Weight day: back, chest, back, shoulders, chest, triceps, biceps, multiple benches 120

13:08 apple  

steam, sauna (ran out sand clock)

13:56 apple

13:53 84.6 gym scale

13:08 finished gym, no stepper, have parent-teacher thing

14:04 arrive desk

14:10 90 g beef tenderloin, 175g steamed veggies, one boiled egg, bottle chrysth tea

14:40 scooter in motion to parent teacher nursery school thing

14:58 arrived nursery school

16:23 wasabi soy sauce almonds (large handful) and bottle chrysth tea

Watched another hour of "Gloria"

$10 thread tape B&Q cash

$363 Carrefour cred

18:19 slow scooter in motion from Carrefour

18:27 arrive home (under ten minutes, as expected ... this is why the apt. is worth a few million dollars)

18:39 few pieces pork ribs, 300g bagged salad (mispriced at 12.80) with thousand island dressing, 75g beef tenderloin, 175g steamed veggie, boiled egg, bottle chrysth tea

19:10 walk over to do real estate transaction

20:05 back from real estate transaction (quicker than buying vegetables, they say)

20:15 bottle chrysth tea

20:26 one Daban bingpi mooncake (Megha reminded me)

22:24 finished watching "Gloria"

Some unexpected stress with a surprise real estate deal but it didn't throw me off track, make me binge on something as it probably would in week two or three ... any time the routine is broken there's a big risk I'll fall apart ... but not today, not in week one.

30 Day Challenge -- Day Two

Added on by C. Maoxian.

(All 30 day challenge posts in reverse chronological order)

Inscrutable notes:

07:05 4K row

87.8 25.0

07:19 mush (fresh squeezed soy milk, blueberries, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, cashews, apple, pear, banana)

Raining hard, yellow slicker day getting boy to school, hope his new school books not soaked

08:08 at desk

Scarlett confirms Helen quit, must have happened when I was on holiday

Was able to log on as "Guest" using laptop but only 14 days and they may catch me and crack down at some point.

Teekanne tea

245 cash in pocket

11:08 E3 to gym

Still raining hard out there.

Not sure who's in the hotel but they have the full X-ray machines out, heavy security

Cardio day: 25 min tmill (6 6 is exactly 200 cals), 15 min bike (7 90 cals), jump rope, stretch, 30 min stepper (7 237 cals)

12:49 cardio finished, a bit beat

12:49 apple

steam, sauna (ran sand clock out but didn't truly time)

13:43 84.4 on consistently inconsistent gym scale (the carpet to blame)

13:45 apple

13:50 E3 to office

13:53 beef tenderloin, steamed veggies, boiled egg, bottle chrysth tea

Dreaded work, IPO for Dalian Wanda Commerical Properties, chewed a lot of doublemint gum to deal with stress

As expected, the Guest wifi log-in very shifty on laptop, 3G stick still required, will renew this week

$68.40 Jenny Lou's (blue diamond almonds: habanero bbq and wasabi soy sauce ("gifts"), thousand island dressing)

18:06 "American" bagged salad with thousand island dressing, two deep fried chicken legs, pickle, handful of habanero bbq almonds, 75g beef tenderloin, raspberry yoghurt, large slice watermelon, bottle chrysth tea, another handful habanero nuts, handful Lulu dates

19:02 walk around the block with wife and baby

21:13 BM

21:56 handful almonds (unflavored) at beddy

Watched first half hour of "Gloria"

Another day without any slips or sips. Always the case in the first week.  Just watch as things begin to falter in weeks ahead.

30 Day Challenge -- Day One

Added on by C. Maoxian.

Since the first day of September falls on a Monday, it's an especially good day to start another 30 day challenge.  The challenge is not to drink any booze or beer, smoke cigars, eat junk (esp. Cheetos), have promiscuous sex, etc.  In short, I try to live like a monk for a month, abstaining from all my usual day to day pleasures.

What follows are my inscrutable notes on the day, which are either incredibly boring or completely fascinating:

98? cm above belly button

100? cm at underpants waistline

108? cm chest

07:04 4k row

89.0 25.0

07:20 mush (fresh squeezed soy milk, blueberries, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, cashews, apple, pear, banana)

07:33 scooter in motion

07:48 arrive FCD

08:00 arrive P3

08:03 arrive desk

Teekanne tea

245 cash in pocket

Finished watching "The East"

Office-wide wifi for the first-time, no need for 3G stick if I log on as "Guest" (2 week limit), iPad completely unlimited, sweet

11:06 E3 to gym

12:16 finished weights: back, chest, back, shoulders, chest, triceps, biceps. Bench 120 multiple sets.

13:33 finished cardio: 10 min tmill, 15 min bike, jump rope, stretch, 30 min stepper. Watched old La Liga games, still marvel at the Flea's skill

steam, shave, sauna (briefly)

14:08 84.6 on gym scale, completely inaccurate since they installed new carpet but could be consistently inconsistent over next 30 days (useful)

14:11 apple

14:16 E3 to office

14:20 75g beef tenderloin, 175g lightly steamed broc caul, one boiled egg, one bottle chrysth. tea (unsweetened)

Grace moved offices, closer to Ernest, will see less of her? One of the few people I will say bye to when I finally quit.

18:08 75g beef tenderloin, 175g lightly steamed broc caul, half a boiled egg, several slices of goose (HK diner), handful of almonds, a pickle, some eggplant, large slice watermelon, cup of raspberry yoghurt

19:25 bottle of chrysth tea

21:48 bowel movement (BM)

22:09 handful of almonds as tum tum feels empty at beddy

First week is always easiest for these challenges. Easy to maintain discipline and enthusiasm, see quick results.  Week two harder and week three a real trial as jonesing for booze, Cheetos and other carnal delights hits a peak and little progress in registered.

Movies Watched -- The East

Added on by C. Maoxian.

Not bad ... Gen Y / Millennial thing ... eco/corporate-"terrorists" and a mole ... token black guy and fat girl (also the computer nerd, kill two birds with one stone) and maybe even a Latino in the group, just to get that Sesame Street-like balance. Everyone else is beautiful so don't worry. Juno girl in there.  Had that Martha Marcy May vibe at points.  Ridley Scott a producer.  Not on my radar since only 68% Fresh at RT, but came across it on some other list.  Wasn't too thrilled with the ending, but as I say, not badly done.  Too long at 1 hr 56 mins. 

Annual Rowing Goal Met

Added on by C. Maoxian.

Every day I try to row 4,000 meters (slowly), it's a sort of meditative thing. I have a rowing machine in my study which is over 15 years old now, I think... still rock-solid, the Concept II.  

 In January I had the flu (despite having a flu shot) and missed over eight days which I had to make up in subsequent months.  In May we traveled somewhere and I didn't plan ahead.

Anyway, 1,460,000 meters rowed in the last year, right on schedule.

Sep. 2013: 120,000

Oct. 2013: 124,000

Nov. 2013: 120,000

Dec. 2013: 124,000

Jan. 2014: 90,000

Feb. 2014: 130,000

Mar. 2014: 140,000

Apr. 2014: 120,000

May 2014: 109,690

Jun. 2014: 134,310

Jul. 2014: 124,000

Aug. 2014: 124,000