Monday, July 31, 2017

Kick myself in the butt

This middle-aged man is being transparent in today’s blogflection here at Pierini Fitness by sharing I didn’t work out a single day this month.  I did go swimming one day but more time was spent floating than swimming.  While swimming a half-dozen 25-meter laps, my float time in the pool probably exceeded swim time by about a three-to-one ratio.

So, I’d like to share how I’m disgusted about this fitness training lethargy and plan on doing something about it!

In New Year’s Resolution-style, tomorrow is a new month and a good time to get back to middle-aged man fitness business as usual.

Of course, after goofing off a month, I’ll ease back into things.  With many years of fitness training and memorable training furloughs to draw from, I’ve got the smarts to get back on the fitness training pony safely and smartly.

And that’s what I’ll do.

Realizing that talk is cheap, I know I better walk my talk.  For guaranteed results, I’ll use a little fear with a threat promise to myself that if I don’t, I’ll kick myself in the butt.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Amazing role model to me

Last week I met an amazing man, a 74-years-young widower, who serves as a caregiver for both his nonagenarian mother and father.  His divorced parents reside in the same mobile home park community as him.

His 96-year old father resides with him while his mother resides in a separate mobile home a stone’s throw away.  Needless to say, this caregiving son has his hands full yet the day I met him, his calm and pleasant demeanor was a true joy to witness.

“Longevity runs in our family.”, he said in sharing how his grandmother lived just shy of her 105th birthday.  “We don’t put our family in rest homes.”, he added.

With my wife and I now spending more time helping her increasingly-needy 89-year-old father, this middle-aged man found true inspiration in the character and conduct of this wonderful 74-year-young caregiver.  He inspired me to step outside my comfort zone and to acknowledge he’s an amazing role model to me.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Monday, July 24, 2017

Getting up is a little easier

Did you read the latest news late last week?

With this headline – “Coffee with Viagra-like ingredient recalled after FDA discovery” – it was hard for this middle-aged man to pass reading the internet article.

Apparently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that a company is voluntarily recalling one of its coffee products that contains an ingredient structurally like sildenafil, the active ingredient in the erectile-dysfunction drug Viagra.

A similar recall took place last year and earlier this year in May.  The coffee product recalled last year had the clever name of “Stiff Bull.”

It’s fair to say a similar product will find its way to the market that you may one day innocently purchase.  So, don’t be surprised if after having your morning cup of coffee in bed one morning that you discover getting up is a little easier.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Friday, July 21, 2017

Thanks again O.J.

Yesterday I read that former NFL legend O.J. Simpson will be released from prison this coming October.  

What a story his life has been with unbelievable highs and lows.

Most middle-aged men of my vintage know of O.J. Simpson so no space here will be devoted to writing about who he is, what’s he done and what got him to prison from where he’ll soon be released.

I shared a yesteryear memory almost nine years ago about an encounter my wife and I had with him 33 years ago.  I’m sharing it again here:


Thanks again O.J.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Shut up and let me sleep!

It’s been a while since Pierini Fitness has shared recent middle-aged man related health news so today that’s what we’re doing.

An internet news article by the Washington Post reported there’s increasing evidence that a solid night’s sleep may protect against dementia.  This is according to recent research conducted by researchers at Wheaton College.

Apparently, three studies found significant connections between breathing disorders interrupting sleep and Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers – measurable indicators of the disease.

Well, this middle-aged man takes great pride in his memory and recollection prowess, including what he had for breakfast.  Staying at the top of this game is very important to him so he’ll be more vigilant against anyone attempting to rob him of his middle-aged man Sleeping Beauty time.

If, and when, that happens in the wee hours of the morning, he’ll shout out, “Shut up and let me sleep!”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Monday, July 17, 2017

Still doing the Giant Dipper

This middle-aged man has, is and will continue spending time in the California coastal town of Santa Cruz.  It’s the perfect place to be on a hot summer day like this past weekend. 

He knows of no better way of walking the talk about seeing a 16-year-old kid when looking in a mirror than visiting the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and still doing the Giant Dipper.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Friday, July 14, 2017

Not taking any baloney

This middle-aged man is notorious for taking longevity pearls of wisdom from those imminently-qualified to offer it.  Like older folks of the septuagenarian, octogenarian, nonagenarian and centenarian varieties.

While he believes the manly versions offer him the best food for thought, he doesn’t exclude the pearls of wisdom female counterparts uniquely offer.

So, he recently took note from a news article with a headline reporting how a 100-year-old woman says wine keeps her going.  She also offered that people shouldn’t “take any baloney” if they want to live to be 100.

Baloney, or bologna for those who only recognize the King’s English spelling, is something I did a lot as a kid during elementary school lunchtime.  

A slice, or two, of Oscar Mayer bologna between two slices of Wonder classic white bread and smothered with a generous squirt of French’s classic yellow mustard was a frequent companion riding in my young boy school lunchbox.

I haven’t eaten a baloney sandwich is a long time but this news article about not taking any baloney sparked an interest in me learning some trivia detail about it just in case I one day make it as a contestant on the Jeopardy television game show.

What I learned is that bologna or baloney is considered a regional specialty in the Midwest, Appalachia and the South. I guess that makes it, for lack of a better term, “white ethnic food”, a gringo counterpart to a Mexican taco.

Enough of the trivia and on to the main point of today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection. 

This middle-aged man who still “sees” a 16-year-old kid when looking in a mirror every now and then privately entertains the notion that he might one day make it to the ripe old age of 100 years and be a centenarian, just like this Grandma Moses-type character sharing her longevity secrets in the news article. 

So, he’ll now be occasionally sipping on some wine and not taking any baloney.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum


Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Living in cannabis nation California

It’s an exciting time for many living in cannabis nation California.  Thanks to Proposition 64, individuals may now legally use and grow marijuana for personal recreational use.  It’s no longer necessary to be “ill” to legally partake in the great American pastime of smoking weed as it was called in the olden days.

Proposition 64 marijuana may one day be acknowledged in history books as doing more to rid California of disease and illness than the discovery of penicillin or the polio vaccination did over a half-century ago.

History books may one day read how very-ill patients were miraculously healed and became healthy enough to engage in cannabis nation California recreational activities.  They no longer needed their marijuana prescription medicine, only recreational marijuana.

A 2016 national poll reported the percentage of American adults smoking marijuana has nearly doubled in three years.  My generation, the 55-and-older crowd, is leading the pack as the fastest growing segment of American pot users.  Over 4 million AARP membership-qualified Americans “roll a doobie” to relax after a hard day of [insert your favorite hard day activity here].

The State of California is getting in on the action by keeping a watchful eye on this new booming, big dollar and high-profile California industry.  Three state government agencies with growing budgets – the Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation, Department of Food and Agriculture and Department of Public Health – are watching our cannabis nation California backs.

Local governments are also enthusiastically seeking their own regulatory high identity by making sure to get their fair share of fees and taxes from this new pot of gold.

Growing up when I did, I know an old-school thing or two about marijuana but mum is the word about my knowledge.  This, however, I’ll emphatically tell you:  I don’t use it now or plan to in my foreseeable future.  And, I recommend you do the same.

You see, at this chapter in my life, I’m not interested if it doesn’t help me make better decisions, run faster, jump higher, react sooner or perform better during a gym workout.  Whether in the business world or participating in an athletic event, peak performance on demand is the name of the game.

To be modernly-correct, I suppose, no judgment should be passed on anyone enjoying this new 21st century version of Happy Hour so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.  Honestly, however, it’s a matter of time before the hurt starts to rear its ugly head.

So, I’ll only engage in nameless judgement because Proposition 64 marijuana provides no wholesome modern-day benefit to the California you and I dream of for our children and grandchildren.  A seductive “Mary Jane” is someone I don’t want my grandchildren knowing on a first name and intimate basis.

Proposition 64 marijuana commerce offers chump change revenue for governments starving for new taxpayer dollars.  It’ll be another regressive tax for the low-income class, like lottery tickets, because they’ll pay a higher percentage of their income in cannabis taxes than their high-income class counterparts.

The rich folks are too busy making money and finding ways to pay less taxes; they can’t afford the down time being “stoned.”

Meanwhile, we the abstainers will reckon with relentless peer pressure that’ll test our abilities to have it our way without coming across as being anti-social or old-fashioned.  A simple “no thank you” to a marijuana offer may not get the job done.

Let’s be athletically-clever in our response the first or next time a water-filled bong or plate of marijuana-laced cookies come our way by saying, “No thank you, I’m an athlete living in cannabis nation California.”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Monday, July 10, 2017

Cat has my cyberspace tongue

You’d think that with this middle-aged man taking a week off for rest and rejuvenation he’d come back creatively strong with a creative and wonderful new blogflection.  This isn’t turning out to be his case.

Normally, composing a new reflection comes easy and effortlessly except for today.

I really can’t put my finger on it.

Maybe I’ve reflected on everything there is to reflect and I’m destined to a miserable rest of my life as a blogger playing reruns.  After all, the reflections here at Pierini Fitness over the past almost 9 years run over 980 deep.  I’m set to crack the 1,000-blog entry barrier sometime later this year.

But today, nothing, niente, nada.

So, I’ll try again this Wednesday because the cat has my cyberspace tongue.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Monday, July 3, 2017

Taking the week off

Rest and rejuvenation as the name of the game at this middle-aged man chapter in our lives.  It’s how we energize the spirit, heal the injuries and wounds and restore our endless reservoir of capacity to live and love.

Having said all this, blah, blah, blah, this middle-aged man is taking the week off.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum