I Rarely Unconditioally Recommend a Book...

A Season of Life, by Jeffrey Marx. If you have kids, even if you don't and want to know how be a Man, this is the book.

I rarely recommend books, but I've already told two co-workers about it. Two with sons. And I'm not quite finished the book yet. It's that good.

It's about football. But much more than that. It's about building a man. The right definition of a man. And that if you don't teach these things to your kids, someone else (like the drug dealer on the corner street) or something else (like the media) will define it for them.

And that's how we get so messed up. The vicious cycle continues. That we have such unfulfilling relationships with our fathers. Because they were never taught how to be a man, and thus never passed those important lessons down to us. The stuff in this book. That's why a song like The Living Years by Mike and Mechanics touched and resonated with so many grown men.

We men are emotional icebergs. And this book made me think about my father and also an incident at a company party four years ago. The co-worker was so drunk he was going around telling all the other guys, "I love you man." People were slightly embarrassed and thought strange, but it was ok only because he was drunk.

And now, because of this book, why is it strange? Why can't a guy tell another guy he loves him?

And I'm trying to adapt these principles to raising my two little girls. I want to:

• Every day, tell them I love them.
• Be comfortable in your skin. You are not defined by boys, money or media.
  
• It's all about relationships -- you to your family, and others, and not about money or possessions.
• Success and happiness is about having a higher purpose outside yourself. Have a positive impact on others. Leave the world a better place than you entered it.

Run to your library and check out this book.

E. at Trader Joe's

So we're shopping at the local Trader Joe's over the weekend, and we stop at the free sample station. The guy there is super nice. He gives E. a balloon, and extra samples of the free food, which included some chocolate animal crackers.

Then he asks her if she wants a big cookie.
E. says, "No. Thank you."

I'm shocked. A kid says no to cookies? "You sure? How come you declined the cookie?" says I.
"Well, I've already had a lot of sugar today."

Wow. She's freakin' four years old, for god sakes. Every time, I think I can't love this little one any more, she pulls out something like this.

Mirror, Miror, Part 2

I've been really dragging lately. Maybe I've hit a wall with all this Caveman diet and Kettlebell training.

Anyway, what I really wanted to get off my chest was that the mirrors in the gym are way distracting. I have to focus on what I'm doing and not looking at myself as I'm doing it.

So I've started to face the wall lately, rather than the mirrors.

E. Loves Roald Dahl

It all started when the sister-in-law told little E. her favorite book growing up was The Fantastic Mr. Fox, by Mr. Dahl. Never heard of it, said I.

You know, he also wrote James and the Giant Peach, she said.

I remember reading that when I was a kid, but didn't remember too much about it. So went to the local library and got the Giant Peach. E. loved it. Then got the Charlie and Chocolate Factory, then the Fantastic Fox and now she's jumped right into the Charlie and the Glass Elevator.

If you've got a kid, run to your library and check out the whole Dahl oeuvre. Very highly recommend it.

McCain's VP Should Be ...

Wait for it... JEB BUSH. Because no matter how much McCain is like Bush, or wants to be Bush, blah blah blah, he's not a Bush.

The best thing he could do is pick a Bush for his running mate. And that means, good ole Jeb Bush. Because we need another Bush in the White House.

Random Thoughts

Lagging on the workouts. But I still have to do them. This is what I do now. As I try to get to 10% body fat.

Finished reading Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. I think I read it in my 20s, but wasn't ready for it. Now in my 40s, much more receptive and got a lot out of it.

But as I'm chasing the money, there are several issues I'm thinking about, such as why chase money? Because all the personal finance magazines say so. That I need such and such amount for retirement. If all the magazines said happiness was the goal and not a comfortable retirement, would I be chasing happiness instead?

Then all the Zen gets in the way of goal achieving, too. Especially the concept of Impermanence. Nothing lasts. Everything changes. If I get a million dollars, then what? If I achieve happiness, then I got nothing to look forward to but unhappiness?

What's the point? Where's the meaning?

Mirror, Mirror

Is is me, or is the mirror in the gym makes me look more defined, more ripped than I am?

I definitely look different than that in my bathroom mirror at home.

Just finished reading the entire 4-month blog worth of entries for Peak Condition Project. It's a little extreme for my tastes but definitely inspiring. It's motivated me to keep doing what I'm doing.

In two months while I've been home watching Baby G., I've gone from 152 lbs to 148lbs, and body fat from 18.6% to 14.4%. Just from working out at home with the Kettlebells, and running once a week.

I'm eating much better. I feel great and have a little more energy. I sleep better except when the G. wakes me up.

I want to get down to 10% body fat.