ajchen's Xanga

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:17:36 GMT

tough questions.

there's an old guy at the gym who works out every day without ceasing. i have to give him credit - i'm probably 1/3 his age and i have a hard time forcing myself to go to the gym right now... when i'm his age i'll probably be sitting on a couch stuffing my face with chicken pot pies, not lifting weights. regardless. he displays really bad form when working out, which really worries me. for instance when he does lat pulldowns, he pulls the bar behind his neck which is already bad - but he also throws his whole body into it and yanks down in such a way that i'm genuinely afraid his back is going to get thrown out. part of me wants to walk over and urge him to drop down to a lower weight so that he wont hurt himself, but the other part of me doesnt want to cross that unspoken rule of not commenting on other people's workout form at the gym... it's kind of rude. i was going to say that there's a really small part of me that gets some enjoyment out of watching him thrash around wildly but that's not true... i am honestly concerned for his well being.

what to do?

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:07:23 GMT

fall slash winter.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:09:56 GMT

giving thanks.

I'm not usually the type of person to be annoyed by lines, but today was different. I had on my cold-weather combo of hoody + wool M65, which was dumb because the weather was surprisingly warm today. The post office was even warmer... sweltering, even. Thus, juggling 3 packages and all my heavy clothes became quite the task. I resorted to carrying my jacket and hoody in one hand, two packages in the other, and kicking the box along the ground until it was my turn to reach the service window.

With the line behind me 30+ deep, I finally stepped to the counter and put my packages up for weighing. I was ready to get in, get out of the sauna of the post office and get on with my day.

The clerk was glad to see that all my packages were properly addressed, sealed and all customs forms were completed. His relieved "my man!" told me that it had probably been a long day already - and it was only 11 in the morning. His supervisor came by to ask him to see a customer after he was done with me, to which he agreed. After she left, he looked at me and said "She fine - I'll see any customer she wants" with a little laugh. As l looked over, I saw him wearing a wedding band. He said "Don't get me wrong I am married but the trouble is I love that <insert term for female genitalia here>." I chucked and he continued. "I'm 50+ but I got married only 5 years ago - and it was good that I did because a guy like me, I needed to experience a lot nahmean? I like that variety."

I replied: "I'm married too and I hear where you are coming from. It's a daily battle for me too, but what keeps me on track is the fact that I love my wife." He started nodding - "No I hear you bro. My wife is good for me - and she FINE too!" Reaching into his back pocket, he took out a picture of his wife for me to see. She is indeed beautiful. I told him that I am motivated to stay on point every day because my wife gives me her best, and she deserves the best from me. After a short pause, he looked me straight in the eye. "Truth," he said.

He put a package on the scale. "$18.80 to Australia, there in 5 days. Cool?" I nodded.

I told him about my wife. How I run my own business and how it was her that pushed me to take the leap of faith to quit my day job and give the business my full-time attention. About how she is my pillar and how she inspires me and pushes me to do the best I can. About how she sincerely believes that the company can make it - not on some dream chasing nonsense, but that she honestly thinks it will work out. He responded, "No I hear you - she's not being naive, but her support is based on actual facts and what she knows, not emotion." He continued: "I tell you man, when the Creator puts you together with the right person, you just know. Having the right wife makes you want to be a better person."

He finishes processing my other two packages and swipes my card.

"You know - if it weren't for God giving me my wife, I wouldn't be the man I am today" I told him. He broke out into a huge smile, extended his hand and shook mine. "You have a good day now, you hear?" I wished God's blessing upon him and headed out the door.

If anyone asks me what I'm most thankful for, there's no doubt in my mind.

Monday, October 08, 2007

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:06:54 GMT

the legendary roots crew.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 13:39:46 GMT

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 02:39:24 GMT

chicago.

i miss my buddies.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 12:30:31 GMT

throwback joint of the day.

back in the day.
hempstead, long island.
2000.

additional photos may be posted upon request.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 21:37:41 GMT

free money and the things you can use it on.

my drivers license has been missing this whole week, so i finally decided to get down to business and find it. this involved digging through stacks of loose miscellaneous papers and receipts and mail (if you've seen my desk you know what it's like) and checking every pant pocket. now most of you - guys usually, as girls mostly carry their cash in their purse - have experienced the phenomenon whereby you are putting on a pair of pants you wore a week or two ago and to your surprise, you find a few bucks in there. well, being that i had to check every pair of pants that i own in the attempt to find my drivers license, i found more than a few bucks.

the reason i found so much was because i have about 4-5 pairs of dress pants that i no longer wear anymore being that i dont have to dress business casual - hence, they hadn't been touched since january. i counted $91 after all was said and done. my drivers license ended up not even being in any of the pant pockets, it was in my ipod holder that i take to the gym with me.

with this newfound fortune (and believe me, $91 is quite a fortune to me these days) i decided to treat myself to a haircut and straight razor shave at the korean barber in flushing that i go to every now and then. some of you might be wondering why i pay someone to shave my head when it looks so easy to do. the way i look at it is this - and johan has shared similar sentiments with me - sometimes its just nice to sit back and relax and have someone cut your hair for you, especially when you have had a hectic day/week/whatever. and this week has been hectic without a doubt. i think that haircuts, shaves and shoe shines are a forgotten luxury in our fast-paced world and on the rare occasions that i take the time to enjoy one of said luxuries, it feels great. i liken it to a day at the spa, except replace day with hour and spa with barber.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Tue, 15 May 2007 15:08:16 GMT

awesome.

sorry if this offends some, but i played this game yesterday and it is awesome. the cartoon illustrations are really well done and their special attacks are hilarious - i was laughing the entire time i was playing it. Jesus has a crown of thorns throw, eve has a snake she attacks with, moses rains down frogs, noah has an animal stampede (two at a time).

Friday, April 27, 2007

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 17:33:21 GMT

thirsty?

these three drinks are the jumpoff. i've tried each one recently and they are highly recommended. (click on the thumbnail for the full image of the bottle)

snapple: did you guys know that snapple now has a blueberry-flavored ice tea? lily brought it back for me and it's really good. nice hint of blueberry flavor that isn't overpowering. i will be having this again.

vitamin water: now this stuff is good too. its a new flavor from vitamin water (pretty much my favorite beverage being that i dont like drinks that are too sweet or too strongly flavored). this one is a jackfruit/guava blend. i'm not too into jackfruit on its own but the guava balances it out well.

sobe lifewater: yeah so this might be a bit of a vitamin water ripoff but the flavor really does it for me.... its a blackberry/grape mix and is very refreshing. vitamin water's formula 50 grape is good, but the little splash of blackberry is a nice kick. dont hesitate to give it a try if you see it on the shelves.