Boo

It works every muscle in your body. It is a great cardiovascular workout. It can be done with little to no equipment. It works as a great stress reliever. It is an intense workout. It is a good bit of fun. It is boxing. I've been mixing things up on the days when I'm not doing strength work, focusing more on cardio and conditioning. Recently started doing some boxing work again and I'm loving it. There is a wealth of information online and several good instructors with videos on YouTube: Jason Van Veldhuysen, Shane Fazen, Nate Bower, Fran Sands...just to name a few.

Welcome back Rec. We missed you pig time (see what I did there?).

Welcome aboard AK. Good call on giving up the smokes. Cigarettes kill. They take everything and give nothing in return. Food provides nutritional sustenance and, done right, can be delicious. Looks like a good trade to me.

We offered support and advice. You gave us the opportunity to watch another quitter break free from the chains of addiction. It's a win-win situation for all involved.

The fear of quitting kept many of us smoking for years. The reality of quitting made us wonder why we didn't do it sooner. Congratulations Kate. Enjoy your newfound freedom.

We had a similar situation here in Tennessee a few years ago. A man referred to an Indian store owner as "chief." The store owner assumed there was some racist connotation to it. Locals explained that men around here will often refer to other men they don't know as "chief", "big guy", or "boss man" just to name a few. I'm a white guy, very white in fact, and I've been called "chief" many times by many different men. Learning a new language is tough enough. Making sense of regional eccentricities adds a degree of difficulty to the process. Also worth mentioning, if you're a man and come down South some older women will refer to you as "darling" or "honey." They're probably not flirting with you, that's just how they greet you.

Has it been two weeks already? Every now and again a quitter shows up who is just destined for success. Since day one here you have shown a good mix of commitment, grit, and humor. A great combination of attributes that will carry you through the process. We commend you for the way you are handling the process and congratulate you on two weeks of freedom. Everybody give it up for Helmethermit...

Thinking about beef brisket and wood pallets. This quarantine has given me time to focus on my obsessions and take up more along the way. With all this time at home, I can be very meticulous when it comes to grilling and cooking. Had a smoked beef brisket last night that was, if I may be so bold, perfect. I started the process on Thursday night, trimming surface fat and applying the rub. Smoked the brisket over the course of six hours yesterday, taking time to apply mop sauce and add pellets to the grill. That was some good eating. Added bonus: we're gonna have leftovers that will last for days. Building furniture for the nursery has rekindled my interest in woodworking. I was kicking around the idea of building a new coffee table for the back porch. Sugar Britches pulled up a photo of an outdoor table that someone built entirely out of wood pallets. Did a quick internet search and found all kinds of ideas for projects that can be done using pallets. This works perfectly for me. Through my work, I have access to as many used pallets as I want. We can't get rid of them...the things are stacked up everywhere. Do the whole "reduce, reuse, recycle" bit and save money along the way...it's nice when things come together. Boo the builder, can he fix it....

I've listened to it a few times now. Still hear "Laurel" every time. Are you listening to the Greek station? He's a national treasure over there.

I heard "Laurel" each time. Then I got distracted trying to remember if Laurel was the skinny one or the fat one in Laurel and Hardy. I looked it up, Stan Laurel was the skinny one. Oliver Hardy was the fat one. Watched a clip of Laurel & Hardy trying to clean a chimney. Spoiler alert...Hardy falls off the roof. Anyhow...what were we talking about again?

For me, it wasn't so much the frying pan as it was the threat of the frying pan. Just knowing it was there, hanging by a thread like the sword of Damocles, was added motivation to not do anything stupid. Fear the pan. Respect the pan.