Last summer I started to take advantage of our housing association swimming pool. Mostly, I brushed up on my treading water with what I hoped would be low impact exercise. I learned how to tread water when I was living alone (before my family arrived) in Saudi Arabia (way back in 1998). Back then, I would tread water for up to two-and-a-hours. It’s not that I couldn’t go longer. It’s just that it got pretty boring by then. | |
Anyway, last summer I got back up to 90 minutes or so just treading water. Towards the end, I switched to a breast-stroke and I got up to about 90 minutes of that as well. One problem I then had was the constant fogging of my swimming goggles. (I didn’t wear goggles for treading water.) Basically, I had to pause ever few laps and rinse out the haze in my goggles. During the winter I did a search on cures and (lo and behold) I found one. “No More Tears” baby shampoo / body wash. | |
Before going to the pool, put a drop in each goggle lens, smear it in with your finger, and then rinse thoroughly – or at least until it stops sudsing-up. After that, don’t touch the lens. Just put them on when you get to the pool and your off. I don’t know how long the “de-fogging” lasts. It’s worked for me for an hour maximum, three times now, so I’m satisfied it works. AND, it’s a LOT less expensive than purchasing swimming defogging spray, goes a lot farther (you get more for your money), and, no, I have no idea if the “real” spray does anything to your eyes. (But I assume not.) I repeat the process every time I go swimming, just prior to getting into the car. | |
I don’t know if it matters but I will mention our pool is fresh water (not salt-water) and is heated to 83°F. If anyone tries this (or already does this), let me know if it works for you, too. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2018 | Lost Time |
2017 | Are You Talking To Me? |
2016 | Here, Desire Is Purified |
2015 | Hopefully Just Visiting |
2014 | Fond Memory? |
2013 | Distress, Hope, Trust |
2012 | Creating Interlocking Fragility |
2011 | Four Stories And A Gospel |
What Have You Burned Lately? | |
Posts Tagged ‘Saudi Arabia’
No More Tears (Or Fog)
Posted in Health, Swimming, tagged Breast Stroke, De-Fogging Goggles, Health, No More Tears, Saudi Arabia, Swimming, Treading Water on May 1, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Day 10: Double Digits
Posted in Diets, Health, tagged 358lbs, Day 10: Juice Fasting, Health, Juice Fasting, Saudi Arabia, Slowly on August 6, 2018| Leave a Comment »
The end of day ten and the start of day eleven… | |
Morning weight: 358lbs. We went to bed late last night, so I ended up with a bit of a disrupted sleep. Consequence: tired and sleepy all day. This is what happens when life gets in the way… | |
I wanted to start working out a bit today, but I was just too tired. I ended up trying to do a bit of maintenance on our front door. That tuckered me out instead of a workout. For some reason the door’s started scraping the bottom against the floor runner. I popped the door off and shaved it a bit with my hand plane. It works better, but it’s still not right. The problem is that it is a right pain to put the door back on the hinges to test. The result was I’ll have to do a bit more shaving tomorrow when I have a better attitude. (LOL) | |
My hour in the pool was better than usual. I’ve been trying to add in a hip twist to my treading water, but I haven’t been able to get the coordination right. Today it kind of just clicked and I was able to do it. The sensation is a mix between doing a crunch and a crossover knee kick. I managed to do two sets of 50 and one of 100. The only issue is that occasionally it seems to tweak my side / back. All in all though, it feels like a very good waist tightening exercise. I’ve got a bit of a streak going on my pool work. I’ve gone four days on the run now. I’ve been averaging 3-4 times a week since the start of June. I’m sure life will get in the way soon. It usually does when I start these exercise streaks. (LOL) | |
All out of my veggie juice… I have to make a fresh batch tomorrow. I’ll drink it even if I don’t continue the juice fasting. Day to day… As I learned in Saudi: “Slowly. Slowly…” | |
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On This Day In: | |
2017 | Could You Repeat The Question? |
2016 | Still Busy? |
2015 | Why, Just This Morning… |
2014 | Just Kindness |
2013 | Now Shaking |
2012 | Absurdity, n. |
2011 | Minor Changes |
Things I’ve Learned From Life – Nana Carter | |
Acting Out | |
R.I.P. – Tom Laughlin
Posted in Lyrics, Movies, Philosophy, Places, tagged Aikido, Billy Jack, Death Wish, Die Hard, Hapkido, John McClane, John Rambo, Judo, Kung Fu TV Series, Kwai Chang Caine, Lyrics, Martial Arts, Movies, One Tin Soldier (The Legend of Billy Jack) - song lyrics, Paul Kersey, Philosophy, Places, Poems, R.I.P., Rambo, Saudi Arabia, Steven Seagal, Thomas Robert "Tom" Laughlin, Tom Laughlin on December 16, 2013| 2 Comments »
Thomas Robert “Tom” Laughlin (August 10, 1931 – December 12, 2013) | |
Before Steven Seagal (all three word title movies), before John Rambo (“Rambo” series), before John McClane (“Die Hard” series), before Paul Kersey (“Death Wish” series), before Kwai Chang Caine (“Kung Fu” TV series) – there was Billy Jack in “Born Losers” (1967). Tom Laughlin brought to the big screen the start of the modern vigilante movie genre with the character of Billy Jack. It seems strange how a little martial arts on the big screen, mixed with some social awareness and righteous indignation can affect people’s lives. | |
As a twelve year old kid I remember thinking, “Wow, I’ve got to learn how to do that!” What I was looking at was Hapkido – a Korean form of Karate (open hand fighting). Ten years later, I found a Hapkido dojo in Germany and studied it for almost a year during my off hours (I was in the Army). That was set aside once I returned to civilian life… Until I found Judo, while I was in college. I took that for a semester, too. When I moved to England in the ’90’s, a friend from work (who was a black belt in judo) said he’d love to get me on a mat and asked if I was interested in going to a dojo to learn Aikido. My friend (Dave) and I found a local dojo and began our lessons. We continued on with that for about two years. It was great having someone who was a lifelong martial artist as a co-student because he could explain things in much greater detail than I could ever have gotten (except in one-on-one personal lessons). For his side, he got someone who was bigger and heavier who he could throw around for a couple of hours twice a week. We both moved on and I stumbled on to a Philippine “combat” style of Aikido while I was in Saudi Arabia which I tried for another year. And then finally, once back home in America, I was back to traditional Aikido at a local dojo for several years (until I developed AFib and went on blood thinners). | |
Practicing martial arts, of course, lead me to read about martial arts, which in turn lead to me reading about martial philosophy and then philosophy in general. | |
Did I ever “become” a martial artist? No. Did I ever learn how to do that? Not hardly. I never took it seriously enough to be more than what I was – a novice and a bit of a dojo sampler. Did I enjoy it? Yes, very much. Did it affect me? Yes! And for at least some small part of that, I have to thank Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin). | |
Beyond the enjoyment of playing Aikido itself, I learned timing, balance, grace, philosophy, and I gained a certain amount of inner peace. For all of which, I will always be extremely grateful. | |
R.I.P. Tom | |
Signed, | |
KMAB (A Fan) | |
[Please also go check out the song lyrics to “One Tin Soldier – (The Legend of Billy Jack)” on my poems page. — KMAB] | |
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On This Day In: | |
2012 | All Aboard |
2011 | Sail On, Sailor |
A Handful From Saudi
Posted in Lyrics, Music and Concerts, Poetry, tagged Billy Joel, Boyzone, I Can Love You Like That - song lyrics, I Knew I Loved You - song lyrics, John Michael Montgomery, Lyrics, Piano Man - song lyrics, Poetry, Ronan Keating, Saudi Arabia, Savage Garden, Truly Madly Deeply - song lyrics, When You Say Nothing At All - song lyrics on June 25, 2011| 1 Comment »
Today, I’m adding five song lyrics from four songs I fell in love with and one I rediscovered back during my days in Saudi Arabia. My family wasn’t with me for almost seven months so I ended up buying and listening to a lot of CD’s. Here’s a couple from Savage Garden, one from country artist John Michael Montgomery, one from Ronan Keating (formerly of the boy-band Boyzone), and a signature song from Billy Joel. All of these also have tremendous videos! If you’ve not seen them recently, you really should check them out, too. | |
Truly, Madly, Deeply | |
I Knew I Loved You | |
I Can Love You Like That | |
When You Say Nothing At All | |
Piano Man | |
As usual, enjoy the poetry in the words, then go and find the songs on your favorite song site, buy it if you like it as much as I have – or better yet, go see the artist live the next time they are in your area… | |
And now, off to watch “Hamlet” with the wife. I’ve never seen it, so I can hardly wait… Who knows, maybe a movie review tomorrow… | |
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The Magnificent Seven
Posted in Faith Family and Friends, Pictures, Quotes, tagged Family and Friends, Liverpool, Luke 12:34, Pictures, Pictures of Bec, Pictures of Hil, Pictures of James, Pictures of Me, Pictures of Sarah, Quotes, Saudi Arabia, Wedding Photo on October 3, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Here’s the seven photos Hil and I keep on the dressers in our bedroom. |
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Where your treasure is, there also is your heart… |
— Luke 12:34 |
Memories Of KSA – Inside The Fire
Posted in Lyrics, Places, Poetry, Work, tagged Garth Brooks, Hadeed, Jubail, KSA, Lyrics, Places, Poetry, Saudi Arabia, Standing Outside The Fire, Work on July 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Back in 1998, I took a contract for work in Saudi Arabia for Hadeed – the Saudi national steel company. The first weekend I was there, I bought a boombox and some CDs. One of them was by Garth Brooks. The first cut on the CD was “Standing Outside The Fire“. Needless to say, it was love at first hearing and I played it over and over and over. This is one of the songs my kids can sing in their sleep. Despite all influences since, they are still Garth fans (and country music fans too). They also listen to a lot of other types of music too, but when they hear this, I know they think of me (too). | |
We spent two years in Jubail, KSA and they were good times for us. I will forever be grateful to the people of Saudi Arabia for hosting us and giving me a chance to work there, live with them and get to know them. | |
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