burn baby burn

about a month or so ago i started this "couch to 5K" running program.  it's supposed to get you running for 3 miles, or 30 minutes consecutively in just "9 short weeks" (it's all relative, right?).  i was religiously going to the gym for about 4 months prior to starting the program so i think that i may have been in better shape, physically at least, than some folks who  attempt the C25K.  i say "physically" because mentally i have never really been much of a runner.  oh sure, i have tried many times throughout my life to go jogging on a regular basis, but it never lasted long.  i would start out with a vengeance, and quickly my drive would fizzle out after a week or two and i would return to my idle ways.  basically this program slowly builds your endurance with interval-type training in which you alternate between running and walking.  each week your running time increases, and quickly surpasses your walking time.  i just finished week 4 which was roughly 5-minutes running alternating with 3-minutes walking for 20 minutes (starting with a 5-minute warm-up, and a ending with a 5-minute cool down to give you a full 30-minutes of exercise), and i actually screwed up and did 2-minute walk periods and made it through just fine. it actually felt easier than week 3 which was 3-minutes running alternating with 1-minute walking (i think?).  i feel stronger.  i have pretty much completely quit smoking.  i don't necessarily think that my clothes fit much different, but i realize that i am probably just building muscle while i burn fat and this is making me stay around the same size.  then again, this kind of intense exercise makes you pretty hungry, and i think i'm probably not watching what i eat as closely because i assume i'll just "work it off."  being able to justify eating ice cream is the biggest downfall for me when it comes to regular exercise.  i think that i have more aerobic endurance than i ever have, even more so than when i rode my bike up and down the hills of seattle on a regular basis.  it feels great, but i wish that my knees agreed.  oh, and so many people ask me where the heck i'm running to in tucson.  are you fucking crazy??  i do not RUN in the hot sun factory that is tucson!  i run on a treadmill at the gym in a nice cold, air-conditioned environment WITH a fan blowing on me.  well, i am off to the gym to start week 5...wish me luck!


http://www.c25k.com/

lo-mo-graph-y

"Lomography emphasizes casual, snapshot photography. Characteristics such as over-saturated colors, off-kilter exposure, blurring, "happy accidents," and alternative film processing are often considered part of the "Lomographic Technique."  Users are encouraged to take a lighthearted approach to their photography, and use these techniques to document everyday life..."


This is the concept of lomography, but the word is really just a commercial trademark of Lomographische AG (Austria) for products and services related to photography.


Anyhow, there are a couple cameras that I have been enamored by for years, especially the Seagull TLR, that are the key to taking great "lomographic" photos.  I own a Holga, but have only recently discovered the Diana.  The price range for the latter two is fairly inexpensive, but when you start looking at something like the Seagull you can expect to spend at least a couple hundred bucks.

Seagull TLR

Diana

Holga

Here are a couple photos that give you an idea of what is so special about lomography:

I think that I will start documenting at least some of my memories with a uniqueness that can only be found by exploring the world of lomography.  This will be one of my goals for the next year, and hopefully this post will serve as a permanent reminder to follow through.

heavy heart

these little guys are so dang cute, and, dammit, i want one!  they are casted by daniel elson, and available for purchase at rivet art:  http://rivetart.com/get_product?i_item=1199

being siamese

a couple weeks ago i went to a circus themed party.  i "shared" a costume with my friend aja, and we went as siamese, or, to be more politically correct, conjoined twins.  it was the first time i have ever spent a substantial period of time actually zipped onto another person.  it was a strange feeling when we finally separated, kind of like losing an appendage.  if i had ever been actually physically attached to somebody, aja would have been my first choice.  of course, we would have been sold to, or run away with the circus at a very young age.  obviously, my life would be very different today had i been a real siamese twin.

aja & myself