Last night I worked my arms and done some ab work, Incline sit ups-I increased from 15 to 20 reps. tonight I am doing a 3 mile run with Brian, but think i need to do some more ab work in my room, how exciting.
my foot is pretty sore today, hopefully not tonight. lets hope I make it 3 miles damnit.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
yesterday was dusty and humid, a typical day in iraq, i know. However when I went running outside, my mouth was drive,and that drives me crazy, and my hands were going numb i just wasn't motivated to go the hole way.
I did about 2.8 miles, then run with the extra loop was 3.2.
My feet kept up well, the shoes are really worn and giving me hot spots, the worst part of being in iraq is that you can just get stuff right now, you have to wait, so i am waiting on the new running shoes.
Tonight ill get on the eliptical and work on my abs arms and back. my triceps are really sore from the other day, it is good shit.
I did about 2.8 miles, then run with the extra loop was 3.2.
My feet kept up well, the shoes are really worn and giving me hot spots, the worst part of being in iraq is that you can just get stuff right now, you have to wait, so i am waiting on the new running shoes.
Tonight ill get on the eliptical and work on my abs arms and back. my triceps are really sore from the other day, it is good shit.
Well another week down. Every saturday we have a formation to finalize the finishing of yet another week down here, and how proud everyone is, and how good we are doing. The unit before us refered to it as burrito day, because at the chow hall it was burrito day. Well to me, its another day down and another day to getting back home. I have all these visions of what I want to get into when I get home-While I am here I am trying really hard to become a runner-it all depends on how far my feet and calfs will let me go.
I just printed out a calender with my plan for the next month of training, I have including some lifting to get my abs, arms, and back involed in this process. I am hoping by the end of April to be able to run 6 miles. Then in May I will want to be able to run 8 miles, no problem.
Then June 10 Miles, then just go with it, who wants to run more than ten miles. I am hoping with physical therapy and stretching my feet will allow me to run this far, that I will be able to run this far, even if it is on a damn treadmill.
I have nothing else to do here, so why the hell not, why not go for it. There is a half marthon on memorial day, and an actual marathon-I have no desire to get involved with either one, but I do have a goal to run ten miles by the time I get out of here, to be able to.
Also, with some down time, get into bouldering, a guy in my platoon is building a wall and wants people to start using it, so why the hell not, why not go do something.
when i return to pittsburgh i want to be able to run 10 miles after the deployment and start climbing more and more.
maybe I can use this as a tracker of my physical fittness improvements and efforts, because I do need to keep a journal on this shit.
Tonight I am running 3 Miles with my Platoon Sergent, hopefully it isn't dusty because three miles is a great start.
I can't wait for my new shoes to come, they are new balance 767, lets hope they do better then the merrel trail shoe on my calfs. Yeah we can always hope for the very best. the very best
http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/shoefinder_detail/1,,s6-240-325-329-0-0-0-0-1343,00.html
I just printed out a calender with my plan for the next month of training, I have including some lifting to get my abs, arms, and back involed in this process. I am hoping by the end of April to be able to run 6 miles. Then in May I will want to be able to run 8 miles, no problem.
Then June 10 Miles, then just go with it, who wants to run more than ten miles. I am hoping with physical therapy and stretching my feet will allow me to run this far, that I will be able to run this far, even if it is on a damn treadmill.
I have nothing else to do here, so why the hell not, why not go for it. There is a half marthon on memorial day, and an actual marathon-I have no desire to get involved with either one, but I do have a goal to run ten miles by the time I get out of here, to be able to.
Also, with some down time, get into bouldering, a guy in my platoon is building a wall and wants people to start using it, so why the hell not, why not go do something.
when i return to pittsburgh i want to be able to run 10 miles after the deployment and start climbing more and more.
maybe I can use this as a tracker of my physical fittness improvements and efforts, because I do need to keep a journal on this shit.
Tonight I am running 3 Miles with my Platoon Sergent, hopefully it isn't dusty because three miles is a great start.
I can't wait for my new shoes to come, they are new balance 767, lets hope they do better then the merrel trail shoe on my calfs. Yeah we can always hope for the very best. the very best
http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/shoefinder_detail/1,,s6-240-325-329-0-0-0-0-1343,00.html
Friday, March 20, 2009
so untimely defeated by the rinkles
in the sunless dress
the heart shoots sockets like
bullets through a catapult
relaying on the last moment
to fuse the undying version
that cradles the hope
of getting back,
getting back to you
mysterious in a forms of circles, and flatten boundaries of sun rays
I am hidden by the virtue you forgot to speak the one afternoon
i forgot to put the lock on the window
in the sunless dress
the heart shoots sockets like
bullets through a catapult
relaying on the last moment
to fuse the undying version
that cradles the hope
of getting back,
getting back to you
mysterious in a forms of circles, and flatten boundaries of sun rays
I am hidden by the virtue you forgot to speak the one afternoon
i forgot to put the lock on the window
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Eight Different Ways
this was my attempt at having to contrubuting to a zine, that a guy from flickr was doing, however I didn't make the cut off on time. so my blog will have to suffer the shit.
We often travel outside of our homes to take photographs, to din something exceptionally amazing to show the world around us. What happens if you are away for a year? You can only take a camera with you? The more I have been taking pictures the more cameras I want to learn how to use and what they can do. In September of 2008 I was mobilized for a year deployment to Iraq. Since this day I have been able to have a backpack of personal things, which include my camera, laptop, an external hard drive, and an Ipod. Packing for a year away from home, and not knowing how long you would hang your head in one place. I have had 8 different beds in the last six months, and eight different places to take pictures of my life, of just living conditions. To be honest, it has given me an appreciation for home, and never leaving it for more than a week, if by choice-ever again.
At first I really tried to document everything I was experience and seeing, to share with the world. However, after seeing the same mile of operation space, you can only take so many pictures of the same thing. Therefore, I took on projects, to at least keep my creativity flowing-which in a combat zone is hoping for rain, or a cool day in the midst of summer. With all the changes in places of living and conducting training and our jobs at how would it be hard to find something new to take a picture of, right? Well in all the moving and chaos taking out your camera and shooting, may be the last thing you think of. However I think a way to solve this issue regardless of how busy it does become, if to have projects, you tend to remember that every day you have a self portrait or a picture of a little figure to take. I believe that with photography goals and projects you tend to just to take more pictures, therefore you have more to work with.
My friend Todd Hrykowian gave me a small CLIX figure, Mr. Graves. He is about an inch and a half tall, wearing a black suit with a white shirt. Mr. Graves has been through a lot, and has aided in keeping a camera in my hand. A lot of the people around me think it is funny, and also a little insane that I carry this small figure around and often pull him out in the middle of a meeting, and take his picture. I am very thankful Todd, gave me Mr. Graves, it helps aid in the time here in Iraq, and remember how much we both love Pittsburgh, PA.
Another project I have assigned myself is porta-potty graffiti. People write some of the most ridiculous sayings in porta-johns, just like any public rest-room would serve, paper for peoples poetry or graffiti. The army seems to be obsessed with Chuck Norris, and getting laid.
I have always been self-conscious about getting my picture taking, it has been some sort of fear. Since I have been deployed I have tried to take more pictures of myself doing different things, or making silly faces. By spending the time doing this, I have began overcoming my fear of getting my picture taking. SO along with taking more pictures I am taking risk.
My last project has bizarre written all over it. Since arriving I have been working on a story of zombies invading Iraq, by documenting what they get into everyday. It is pretty historical seeing an adult play with little zombie figures in food, on people’s shoulders going after the soldiers brain. Along with keeping my creativity flowing I am having fun.
The moral of my story, is that regardless of being away from home and having limited photography equipment on hand, be creative. Assign yourself different projects to keep taking pictures. If something as strange as the shape of a rock catches your eye, take pictures of it at different angles.
We often travel outside of our homes to take photographs, to din something exceptionally amazing to show the world around us. What happens if you are away for a year? You can only take a camera with you? The more I have been taking pictures the more cameras I want to learn how to use and what they can do. In September of 2008 I was mobilized for a year deployment to Iraq. Since this day I have been able to have a backpack of personal things, which include my camera, laptop, an external hard drive, and an Ipod. Packing for a year away from home, and not knowing how long you would hang your head in one place. I have had 8 different beds in the last six months, and eight different places to take pictures of my life, of just living conditions. To be honest, it has given me an appreciation for home, and never leaving it for more than a week, if by choice-ever again.
At first I really tried to document everything I was experience and seeing, to share with the world. However, after seeing the same mile of operation space, you can only take so many pictures of the same thing. Therefore, I took on projects, to at least keep my creativity flowing-which in a combat zone is hoping for rain, or a cool day in the midst of summer. With all the changes in places of living and conducting training and our jobs at how would it be hard to find something new to take a picture of, right? Well in all the moving and chaos taking out your camera and shooting, may be the last thing you think of. However I think a way to solve this issue regardless of how busy it does become, if to have projects, you tend to remember that every day you have a self portrait or a picture of a little figure to take. I believe that with photography goals and projects you tend to just to take more pictures, therefore you have more to work with.
My friend Todd Hrykowian gave me a small CLIX figure, Mr. Graves. He is about an inch and a half tall, wearing a black suit with a white shirt. Mr. Graves has been through a lot, and has aided in keeping a camera in my hand. A lot of the people around me think it is funny, and also a little insane that I carry this small figure around and often pull him out in the middle of a meeting, and take his picture. I am very thankful Todd, gave me Mr. Graves, it helps aid in the time here in Iraq, and remember how much we both love Pittsburgh, PA.
Another project I have assigned myself is porta-potty graffiti. People write some of the most ridiculous sayings in porta-johns, just like any public rest-room would serve, paper for peoples poetry or graffiti. The army seems to be obsessed with Chuck Norris, and getting laid.
I have always been self-conscious about getting my picture taking, it has been some sort of fear. Since I have been deployed I have tried to take more pictures of myself doing different things, or making silly faces. By spending the time doing this, I have began overcoming my fear of getting my picture taking. SO along with taking more pictures I am taking risk.
My last project has bizarre written all over it. Since arriving I have been working on a story of zombies invading Iraq, by documenting what they get into everyday. It is pretty historical seeing an adult play with little zombie figures in food, on people’s shoulders going after the soldiers brain. Along with keeping my creativity flowing I am having fun.
The moral of my story, is that regardless of being away from home and having limited photography equipment on hand, be creative. Assign yourself different projects to keep taking pictures. If something as strange as the shape of a rock catches your eye, take pictures of it at different angles.
daily reminder
I wouldn’t classify myself as an approachable person, however people are very interested in tattoo’s. I am frequently asked what is on my body and the reason for it. Really, I think people aren’t being nosey just curious. They are toying with the thoughts of how could someone do that to themselves or talking themselves in and out of getting one. They want to find out what the big deal about getting and having one.
About 9 years ago, I walked into my first experience of a tattoo shop. I remember how against tattoos my parents were, and that they would kill me if they ever found out I gotten one, let alone think about getting one. I can even recall the shiver of fear, of what would happen if they caught me standing in a tattoo shop, holding my friends hand while she got a small star and moon on her back.
I never wanted to get a tattoo’s because they were in style, or because it was the cool thing to do. Any time something substantial or important happened in my life, I made it a point to get it inscribed on my flesh to always remind me of that time. The pictures and words that I have inscribed on my body, deal with events in my life that I want to remember and hold on to. Some people maintain a journal, and carry it around, others may have a souvenir from a time in their life that they always want to remember. Well, I may not always have access to a journal. I do not want to carry around a bunch of stuff to remember things. I knew that in my line of work that I would never be in one place long enough. Also, to be honest I am too lazy to carry a journal or a bunch of rocks with me. The less I am able to take with me is better.
From the top of my right shoulder to the top of the elbow I have a scene of Jesus’ cruxification and resurrection. Biblical and historical Jesus lead an excellent life.
My right upper arm consists of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The life Jesus lead is really brilliant, and the lives he changed during his time on this planet is really awesome. I was taught to have a personal relationship with God. Any relationship is trying, difficult, and hard to maintain. When I first started my own walk towards this my life was transformed and I found a lot of happiness in just being alive. Which I hadn't in my entire life. Now, I have a harder time in keeping my end up in my relationship with God. The tattoo is a reminder to me of that time of transformation. How easy if I just try I can have it back. I find myself opening up my bible, praying, and smiling more. When I fall away from this, at some point I do see my arm and remember what Christ endured for everyone else, to have a choice of life and to be protected from evil.
In History, there have been only two defining forces willing to give their lives for others: Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One for other's souls and one for other's freedom."
About 9 years ago, I walked into my first experience of a tattoo shop. I remember how against tattoos my parents were, and that they would kill me if they ever found out I gotten one, let alone think about getting one. I can even recall the shiver of fear, of what would happen if they caught me standing in a tattoo shop, holding my friends hand while she got a small star and moon on her back.
I never wanted to get a tattoo’s because they were in style, or because it was the cool thing to do. Any time something substantial or important happened in my life, I made it a point to get it inscribed on my flesh to always remind me of that time. The pictures and words that I have inscribed on my body, deal with events in my life that I want to remember and hold on to. Some people maintain a journal, and carry it around, others may have a souvenir from a time in their life that they always want to remember. Well, I may not always have access to a journal. I do not want to carry around a bunch of stuff to remember things. I knew that in my line of work that I would never be in one place long enough. Also, to be honest I am too lazy to carry a journal or a bunch of rocks with me. The less I am able to take with me is better.
From the top of my right shoulder to the top of the elbow I have a scene of Jesus’ cruxification and resurrection. Biblical and historical Jesus lead an excellent life.
My right upper arm consists of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The life Jesus lead is really brilliant, and the lives he changed during his time on this planet is really awesome. I was taught to have a personal relationship with God. Any relationship is trying, difficult, and hard to maintain. When I first started my own walk towards this my life was transformed and I found a lot of happiness in just being alive. Which I hadn't in my entire life. Now, I have a harder time in keeping my end up in my relationship with God. The tattoo is a reminder to me of that time of transformation. How easy if I just try I can have it back. I find myself opening up my bible, praying, and smiling more. When I fall away from this, at some point I do see my arm and remember what Christ endured for everyone else, to have a choice of life and to be protected from evil.
In History, there have been only two defining forces willing to give their lives for others: Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One for other's souls and one for other's freedom."
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