Day 59: The name's Bond, James Bond.

Woohoo, I got to ride in a BMW Z3 today. I'm not much of a car buff, but I do love those little BMW convertibles. The Z3 was the first BMW convertible along with being the first BMW manufactured in United States, specifically South Carolina. It's seen in the James Bond flick Goldeneye when he's driving through Cuba towards the end of the movie.

Anyway, a friend at the joint where I get my haircut just bought a used light blue one and was showing it off tonight while I was getting my white man's afro lopped off. She could tell I was interested and let me ride with her down Main Street and 385 while she tested out the accelerator. What a rush! It's like racing a little stock car down the highway.

Now all I need is 10 grand for my own. :)

Day 58: Learned how to rollerblade.

I bought some cheapie rollerblades eons ago, but never really tried to learn since my balancing skills have been pure crapola for years. Heck, the only time I tried skiing in high school, I ended going down the bunny slope either backwards or sliding on my ass. That was a really sore weekend.

Anyway, I thought I would give them a real shot today since the weather was so freakin' awesome after work. I read up a little on some balancing techniques and it seemed to work pretty well. I just needed to practice on a rough surface and get comfortable walking in the blades. I messed around on some gravel and graduated to an empty parking lot after work. I got pretty good in the hour left of sunlight and got some speed up on a nearby downhill slope.

I'll be racing around the park before you know it! I'm glad the yoga / muscle building is paying off for some fun stuff. :)

Day 57: Bruce Lee, I'm not.

I tried out a kickboxing class today at the same place I took Kenpo. Iy seemed a heck of a lot tougher, probably because the flexibility when extending my legs is subpar at the moment. I'm been making leaps and strides over the past 5 weeks in my workouts and toning my body, but my flexibility needs improvement if my yoga incident is any indication.

It was some really effective cardio though. Most of the punch / kick combos really take quite a bit of concentration and rapid movements. I know I looked like a complete moron doing the double kicks, but I did have fun. Transitioning from front, side, and back kicks is an extreme balancing act as well. You know, I'm starting to see a difference in my face. It seems a bit leaner lately and my slight double chin is disappearing. Good stuff!

Day 56: Where to begin?

I did a few new things today. I had dinner at a restaurant I've never tried, despite it being less than a block from me. I tasted lobster ravioli, something that's as delicious as it sounds. And I kissed the girl I've mentioned in the past couple days for the first time.

Tabatha actually called me yesterday and I suggested we meet at the Cazbah for a light dinner and drinks. I know I probably stuck with someplace that's comfortable to me, but the opposite of what I should do seems to be working for me lately. We met up, spilt some apps and sipped on the house wine. There's something about the conversation that attracts me to this girl. It's easy to pay attention to what she's saying, I suppose. She's very involving when she speaks.

Anyway, we finished up and headed back to my apartment (which I thankfully cleaned yesterday). I gave her the 15-second tour and we chilled out on the couch for a bit. She wanted to watch the end of Casablanca which was on AMC or some channel today. So we got comfortable with each other and watched the movie.

I've been reading this book on massage, so I've been learning quite a bit about the human body. I spent most of the movie testing out the material, but I seemed to get the best response from lightly brushing the inside of her wrist.

And that's when the movie went off. I must say, she really started to get into it. We were kind of lightly kissing each other, those kind of exploratory kisses when you get to know someone. It gradually progressed for about 20 minutes and then I eased it back. She seemed a little frustrated, but I want to take this slow and told her as much. I got the feeling that she doesn't hear that very often. We said our goodbyes, but she does want to see me again. I'll call her this week.

All in all, a wonderful way to end the weekend. :)

Day 55: Out and About.

Whew, pretty nice day today. I spent several hours today laying in the park and chilling out at Coffee Underground. I started and finished a new, nonfiction book called The Substance of Style.

It's about how our sensory experiences effect our purchase decisions and trends as consumers. For instance, Starbucks is designed to enhance the quality of what the consumer tastes, hears, sees, etc. Everything from the music, artwork, aromas, and design is formed around sending out a subliminal message that "Everything here is best-of-class".

It's pretty darn interesting, plus I got to work on my tan and get the hell out of my apartment on Saturday. Before I started all this, I'd spend nearly every weekend just sitting at home on the weekends rather than getting outside to enjoy everything around me. So I suppose reading an entire book outside my apartment was my new thing for today.

Day 54: Trickery, I say!

Well, I had an odd night. I got a call this afternoon from Tabatha, the girl I had yoga class with last night and the Bohemian afterwards. She invited me out to Barley's to shoot pool with her group of friends; some of which I already knew from class. Innocent enough, I'm thinking.

I had time for my back/biceps workout after work, took a quick shower, and trucked down to Barley's afterwards. I met up with them, ordered a drink, and chilled out for a bit. Decompressing I suppose. Tabatha pulled me away to start shooting a game of pool. I'm really horrible at pool, but it's fun and we are having a good time. After about 10 minutes, I looked up and noticed the entire group was gone. I asked Tabatha and she said she had no idea where everyone went.

Then I figured out who I was as that moment, Doyle friggin' Lonnigan. Robert Redford just hightailed it out of the joint and Paul Newman is leaning on that pool stick grinning right back at me. (That's a The Sting reference, btw.) I'd been setup. I'm on a date and I hadn't a clue. She didn't want to ask me out directly, so she invited me out with her friends. Sneaky!

Anyway, we just hung out for a while and eventually headed down to Coffee Underground for dessert. We talked for a while, but she was really trying hard to flirt with me. After chilling out on the couch for a while, I called it a night and said my goodbye. I think I left her a bit confused.

So my new thing for today was getting tricked into a date with the lure of a non-date. Hmmmm....

Day 53: Go with the flow.

After a lovely yoga session today, I joined a few friends from class at the Bohemian, a cafe next door. Typically, I would shy away from such things, but I've been feeling more confident lately. Perhaps it's due to my improved physical appearance or new outlook for the year, but I've been more self-assured in making new decisions.

Anyway, we chilled out sipping some drinks and chowing down on a few appetizers. I ate something called Tunesian cigarettes which where absolutely scrumptious. I think it was diced lamb wrapped in a pastry like wrap. We mostly talked yoga and our jobs, but I had a really cool conversation with Tabatha, a girl who I met on the first night of yoga. She's a hell of a lot more advanced than I.

So I suppose I did a few new things today; the Bohemian, those lamb apps, etc. But I'm really glad that I didn't let any lingering self-conciousness overcome opening myself to something new. Today was a really good day. :)

Day 52: Kopi Luwak

So, I got a chance to try a cup of Kopi Luwak today. It's the most expensive coffee in the world. The coffee is harvested from beans that have passed through the digestive tract of an Asian Palm Civet, which looks like a cross between a cat and a weasel. The coffee sells anywhere between $100 to $600 a pound!

Anyway, the Brew & Ewe was selling it by the cup today. Actually, it was more of a half cup for $5. It had a bit of an odd smell, but tasted very pleasant. It almost had a bit of a chocolate taste. I'm not much of a coffee aficionado though. So perhaps on the east side today, but at least it was something new!

Day 51: Tried out an elliptical machine.

I used to be a treadmill guy, but I've really started to prefer outdoors, especially since it's getting a bit warmer these days. But I decided to try out an elliptical machine at the same gym where I take my plyometrics class. It's not a bad workout, but it suffers from the same problem as the treadmill, a multitude of boringness. Anyway, it's not as fun as I thought it would be. Of course, I was already drenched in sweat from class, so perhaps I wasn't that impartial.

On a completely different note, I've also made up my mind to start carrying my digital camera with me at all times. I seem to miss out on picture opportunities, either random occurrences or out with some friends. I think that's why my walls are so sparse. I have no pictures besides the vacation stuff. Plus this blog could use more pictures.

Day 50: Shrimp Pasta Pomodoro

Tried something new in the kitchen for dinner:


Fairly simple to make, but it does take about 30 minutes to prepare. The trick is to allow the garlic and olive oil to meld into a glaze. Toss in a little broth, chopped tomatoes, and portabello mushrooms and let it simmer for a few minutes before tossing in the peeled shrimp. Once the shrimp turns pink, spread the mixture over a bevy of whole-wheat pasta and you have a hell of a delicious, healthy meal. After the strawberries for dessert, I'm sitting fat and happy right now. Yum!

I tossed in that extra cardio session this morning along with a chest/shoulders/triceps workout after work. I'm feeling that wonderful soreness only accredited to such a workout. Plus I'm having a ball seeing these new muscles pop out. My calf muscles are getting freaky huge!

Day 49: Leaving that pale guy behind

So, I have my first trip to a tanning bed today. I hit up a nearby Ultratan, which seems to be a pretty big chain around here. After all the paperwork and questions, they recommended the bare minimum for me, which was 5 minutes. I really can't disagree. I'm a friggin' ghost.

Anyway, it was one of those stand-up machines and it's supposed to be powerful than the rest. I stripped down, applied the tanning lotion, and hopped in. What an odd experience. It was like being inside a cat-scan machine while being blinded with the power of the sun. After I stumbled out, the spots in my eyes subsided after I got re-dressed. Thankfully, I haven't reddened up yet. So I suppose another month or two of treatments and I'll have a solid base tan.

In other news, I'm going to start upping my workout schedule tomorrow by adding a cardio session when I wake up, but only every other day. Everything else seems to be working for me, so I figured why not?

Day 48: Help a complete stranger.

2 strangers actually. The first was oddly by happenstance and the second was a result of someone fretting in Coffee Underground. I was at a bit of a loss today for something to do today. Fortunately, a close friend provided this solution.

I was actually going to wait until tonight to try this out, but I said what the hell and trucked out to Main Street for some coffee. I headed across the street over to Joel's Java (coffee shop in the Westin), but they closed early today. As I turned to seek another java establishment up the street, I saw a young woman loading the Twigs van (a nearby flower shop) stumble and partially spill the crate of flowers she was carrying onto the sidewalk. I helped her pick up all the roses, tulips, etc and offered to help load the rest. She was a bit flustered, but accepted and we knocked it out in a couple minutes. Perhaps if I was more suave, I could have warped that altruistic gesture into a date. But still, she was grateful. Perhaps I'll stop by the shop next week.

The second occurred while chilling out in Coffee Underground sipping a turtle mocha (my treat for all the hard exercise I've been doing). I overheard a girl (arguably very attractive) at the next table bitching about not being able to connect to the net via her laptop using the wireless connection in there. I intervened, fixed her up in about 30 seconds, and went back to my coffee. Nothing major here as the resulting conversation fizzled in about 5 minutes, but not a bad start. Plus it's typically something I would have kept my nose out of, based on anxious fear alone.

Perhaps I should have branched out to other folks beyond the attractive female realm, but who am I kidding? Practice makes perfect.

Day 47: The Brew & Ewe

Coming out of the Peace Center last night, I saw a new place over on Broad street that just opened up, the Brew & Ewe. After my Kenpo class today, which was amazingly stimulating, I headed over there for a visit.

It's a quaint little shop designed like a cottage, but with a full service coffee / sandwich bar. It also has a little shop connected onto it that sells little knick-knacks. It reminded me of the coffee bar in Postcards before it became a bicycle shop. Anyway, it's kind of a deceptive design.

They have a bunch of local desserts made by folks around town. That was kind of cool. But I just stuck with the liquid refreshment. I got an awesome spiced Chai Tea that's about 100 times better than Fourbucks coffee. I'm not sure how successful they will be just off the Main Street traffic, but I will be returning occasionally for that drink. Delicious!

Day 46: Back from the Peace Center.

Lewis Black came into town today for one show. I enjoy his Back in Black segments on Comedy Central and his older comedy specials, but I didn't find his new material very funny. He's gotten way too political for my tastes. His much older bit about the IHop is comedy gold in comparison. Anyway, that was the first time I've ever heard him live. Seinfeld was a hell of a lot funnier back when he came through Spartanburg a couple years ago.

In other news, I measured my body fat again for kicks and I'm down 3% already, plus I've gained a pound. I must be doing something right!

Day 45: Made Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

All this hard work I've been doing with my exercise regiment and diet deserved a break today, so I went out to publix this morning to pick up a little semi-sweet chocolate, canola oil, and some fresh strawberries. Plus it's Valentine's Day, hence the perfect treat. (Even for someone alone)

They are suprisingly easy to make. Dip them in the bubbling chocolate / canola oil mixture and lay them on wax paper in the fridge. Why canola oil? Shortening is filled with saturated / trans fats while canola oil is filled with the healthy fats. The chocolate hardens to the fruit and provides a tight, little shell after about 30 minutes. I made a whole quart of these today. I'll try to ration them out for the rest of the week if I can resist.

In other completely unrelated Valentine Day news, I finished my taxes this morning as well as upgraded my computer to Windows Vista during my Cardio workout. So productive, yet so sad. :(

Day 44: Stiff as a board

Three days running with these workout related ones. I probably need to switch it up soon. Anyway, I tried out a class after work today for specifically working my core. That's basically the lower portion of the ribcage to the upper part of the thigh. Essentially, it includes abs, lower back, hamstrings, and my ass.

It's a pretty tough workout. At one point, I'm rolling to each of the four sides of my body attempting to lift up my legs and chest using only the muscles in the middle. I think it was called Superman/Banana (That's what the poses looked like). Another one had me dropping to a crouch, rolling all the way back onto my shoulders, lifting my legs high up in the sky, and getting enough momentum to return to the original position. All of that without ever touching the floor with my hands. Boy, that hurt!

I've been very energetic lately because of all these workouts. Surprisingly, it feels like I can do even more. Maybe I'll add some extra Kenpo sessions when I wake up. I think I know all the moves now.

Day 43: Disrupted the Ommmms.

I actually had something completely different for today, but this little bit of happenstance occurred late tonight in my yoga class. And it's certainly new along with being extremely embarrassing. No, not explosive diarrhea. More like destructive narcissism.

I switched classes to something shorter than the last time I went and a bit more involved with balance poses. It's a bit of a larger class and the post-work class is occasionally packed, such as today.

Anyway, we went from downward dog (looks like a push up at a right angle) into a Warrior stance (lunging forward on my right foot), then into a crouch while stretching and looking up at the ceiling.

I'm staring upward and I glance up at my arm to make sure it's straight enough. I saw something that I haven't seen in a long time. Freakin' muscle definition in my arm. Not when I'm flexing the muscle, but rather when it's at rest.

I got so excited that my exercise regiment has actually been working this time that my mind started to race and I started to slowly lose my balance. I freaked out, which made matters worse, and crashed into the girl to my left. She toppled over as well and knocked over the guy to her left. Thankfully, he was able to stop the domino reaction.

Man, if the lights were on, my face would have been beet red. I tried to shake it off and got back into the groove. I apologized afterwards, but I could tell the yoga instructor and the folks in the class were pissed. They take that whole concentration thing pretty seriously. Anyway, I don't think I can show my face at that particular class again.

Day 42: Tried a Pilates class this morning.

What a waste of time. I would pin it as yoga for beginners. Since I've been going to yoga classes and using the same stretching techniques in my everyday workouts, Pilates was far too simplistic for my current body. I could see the benefits as far as stability and ab strength go, but I get more of a workout with my current regiment. At least it only cost me $15.

As for the rest of the day, my Sunday has been fairly humdrum. I did whip up some delicious mushroom pork chops for dinner with a spread of fresh green beans and wild rice. So good!

Day 41: Fish out of water.

In the spirit of newness, I ventured into the 221 Ultra Lounge up on North Main tonight. WOW, talk about being out of my element. Perhaps it was because I was alone, but I just couldn't get into the scene they've created there. It's kind of a crossbreed of a cheap restaurant and a themed nightclub, but without the same flavor found in places like NYC. I can see how they are trying to copy the formula, but it doesn't really work. Perhaps it was because I kept picturing it as the Fuddruckers / Salsarita's it used to be.

Anyway, I hung out at the bar for a bit and watched people dance while sipping on a vodka/cranberry. There were a surprising number of fine looking women in there, but I felt a bit uncomfortable just approaching a flock of them. So I just chilled out, finished my drink and left.

I suppose I chickened out on the flirtation front, but at least I finally got the balls to go in there alone. I'm not sure what possessed me, other than the fact that I needed to do something new for the day. Plus I've always been curious as to what was in there. So now I know what to expect next time.

Day 40: Learning the art of Massage

In an attempt to pick up a new skill here and there and keep myself open to new things, I drove out to Barnes&Noble to pick up a couple books on massage techniques on a whim after work. I'm obviously not considering taking it up as a profession, but it wouldn't hurt to learn how to do something the right way. I have limited experience in the matter, hence my thirst for knowledge.

It's actually fairly involving to do it properly. One of the books that I'm reading outlines about 15 different back techniques and a ton of tips for the rest of the body. There seems to be a chapter on every section of the body. They even have entire routines outlined in the back. Lots of good material. Anyway, I picked this one out today to boost my confidence if I get a chance to use such techniques one of these days.

Now I just need someone to practice on...

Day 39: Gave somebody the wrong directions on purpose.

I don't know what it is about my face, but I must appear like I work for Greenville's Welcome Center or a mobile information booth. I get stopped constantly on the street by people looking for various locations, the park, a restaurant, etc. Hell, I even got a girl roll up in her car to ask me where the county courthouse was. Like I have a clue were she could go bail her boyfriend out of jail.

I'm typically pretty helpful if I know where they need to go, but today this guy just plain pissed me off. I strolled out of the apartment this morning with my headphones shoved into my ear blasting a Dane Cook special on my Zune. I get about half a block down to the school and somebody started shouting at me from behind. I started to turn around, but before I could a fairly obese guy out exercising was snapping his fingers in my face. I took out the earbuds and gave him the one-arched eyebrow.

He didn't apologize for his obvious rudeness and blurts out something about Starbucks. I say "What?" Then he repeats his question in a nasty tone "Where is the Starbucks?" At this point, I was getting peeved, but I held it together. I politely sent Lardo trucking down Court Street by the Peace Center. I told him it was about five blocks down on the right. I figure that would put him on the brink of a real shitty part of town. Not quite dangerous, but close enough to scare him.

Anyway, what a complete jerk! The last thing he needed was a Mocha frappachino, so I figure I did him a favor as well. I'm going to have to start adopting this policy more often. I'm glad I was able to think on my feet that early in the morning as well.

Day 38: Celebrity watching

Goodness, the celebrities are out and about in Greenville. I saw Renee Zellweger coming out of the Starbucks today around lunchtime. She was avoiding most of the folks around her, making a beeline to her car. I had heard they would be back in town today. She looked pretty normal, but I didn't really stare from across the street.

See, they are filming Leatherheads around Greenville this week and next week. George Clooney, Renee, and Jon Krazinski are staying somewhere downtown, me thinks. Clooney keeps going to the O restaurant and they were all over at the Deveroux a couple weeks ago as well.

Anyway, that was a first for me. I've seen celebrities up in New York before, but not strolling down Main Street in my neck of the woods.

Day 37: Searching for pearls.

So I tried out oysters for the first time at lunch today. There is a little restaurant down in the West end aptly called Oysters On The West End. It's a bit pricey, but I figured I might as well do it right. I got something called the Rockefeller that had sautéed spinach and smothered in hollandaise sauce. Yummy stuff!

I'm exhausted right now though. I just got finished with my plyometrics workout and I really hit it hard today. It's about a 50-minute workout of constant movement moving between lunges, squats, leaps, etc. The Leapfrog Squats nearly killed me. I could feel my heartbeat through the tips of my fingertips.

Motivation is a wonderful thing. Last night, a possibility reopened itself. Something that I thought I had lost. Something I always regretted not opening myself up to when it materialized. Something sweet, something beautiful, something new. Anyway, that's why I'll be pushing myself even harder every day. To recapture that spark and act on it when the opportunity presents itself...

Day 36: Resistance Training

I tried a new form of muscle training today using giant rubber bands I purchased this weekend rather than hand weights or weight machines. It's actually pretty tough to control properly as my arms were flailing all over the place. It emphasizes form and reps over strength and strain.

I picked them up on the advice of a girl in last night's yoga class who has freakishly strong balance. I was wobbling all over the place, but she seemed to be able to hold pretty much any position. At one point, the instructor has us crouching on 1 leg while tilting out entire body upward and reaching toward the sky. I nearly took a faceplant about five times on that one.

So I worked out with the bands today. It's a hell of a workout, especially stretching the band above my head while holding them down with my feet. Fun stuff!

Day 35: Master Sushi Chef...not really.

I tried rolling my own sushi today. I usually just hit up the local sushi joint or even buy the pre-made rolls at Publix and Whole Foods. I bought a cheap little bamboo mat and a few nori seaweed sheets to practice. I diced up some cucumber, sliced up some avocado, and chopped some crabmeat to create a faux California roll.

The real pain the ass is the rice though. It takes forever to cook when you are hungry and if you don't get the consistency / moisture correct, the rice doesn't stick together as it should. So, my California rolls came out a little squishy and a bit of a sloppy mess. But still very tasty!

Now I just need to figure out how to create some Unagi barbecue sauce and some of that tasty Japanese mayonnaise.

Day 34: Tried a new tea bar out on Pleasantburg

After my Kempo class today, I saw a little coffeehouse/tea bar called Keowee Roast House as I was pulling out of the parking lot and decided to check it out. It's a quaint little shop with a small storefront, but I bet they pull in a ton of business from the Greenville Tech crowd.

I tried a skim milk Chai tea with a little mixture of honey, cinnamon, and ground ginger. Pretty darn good stuff. I think I liked it better than my typical venti mocha drink at Fourbucks coffee. I'm positive it was healthier as well. I won't be making the trip out there on a regular basis, but I'll probably stop there occasionally if I continue with Kempo. It's a good alternative now that O Cha is closing.

Speaking of Kempo, I was much more fluent than last time. The muscles in my legs are really starting to redevelop, probably due to the constant variety in my new workout. I'm going to take it easy tomorrow with a yoga class, I think.

Day 33: What the fuck?

So, I had a panic attack after work today. I finished my legs/back workout and took a long shower to clean up and chill out. After I got out of the shower, I sat down on the bed because I got a little woozy.

All of a sudden, my chest tightened up and I felt like I couldn't breath. I felt a prickly tingle all over my face as well. A thousand different thoughts raced through my head, the most predominant that I would be found a couple weeks later by a neighbor who couldn't stand the smell anymore. The fear of death wasn't exactly helping my situation, but I finally calmed down and the pain subsided.

I've never had a panic attack before and it's sure as hell something I never want to repeat. I can't figure out what it could have been. I was pondering my life in the shower in a kind of general way, but it's nothing I haven't thought about before. I have wanted to make a dramatic change like a new job or a new town, but I can't seem to nail down what I truely need. It's like I'm bored with everything around me. Trapped in a mediocre life perhaps. That's the only thing I can think of anyway.

Day 32: Snow day!!!

God, there is nothing better than a snow day! I realize folks up north don't feel the same, but down south it's like a icy cold paradise. School was cancelled very early in the morning, so I rejoiced by sending my silly ass outside into the frosty air. Typically, I don't go outside when things get so wet and slippery, but I wanted to change things up for the purpose of opening myself to new things. I wandered down into the park.


I found all the Governor's School kids building snowmen, sledding, and having snowball fights down in the park. I took some pictures and then jumped into the fray. It's a bit against my nature to act so foolish, but a hell of a lot of fun. I took a trip down the slushy slope in the green sled as well as getting into a little snowball fight with a couple of the drama kids.


After getting completely soaked, I ran back up to my apartment, changed clothes, and came back down for some more. After I was all frolicked out, I grabbed a cup of hot chocolate at Starbucks and chilled out in the warmth of the coffeehouse. So I suppose my new thing for today was to become that kid again. The one that spent hours upon hours outside roaming through nature and having a ball pretending he was an explorer. The one that would sled the same path 100 times over to get the exhilarating feel of the cold, brisk wind in my face. It's good to know that he's still in there.