Trying to get back to the real world

Today's planned tasks may seem modest for most but for me, after being on my back for the past 4 days, they'll be a challenge. This flu really knocked me upside down but I think I'm almost right side up again.

I'll take the day off from work just to be safe and sure and test my recovery with token tasks. First, gopher-boy task is to drive my wife's car to the gas station and fill up her car's gas tank with gas. I'll do the same with my car as we were both on empty by Sunday evening.

Then, I'm picking up Tommy Kono and taking him to Bodytribe Fitness, the gym where I train. My Dad is meeting us there. I'm sure there will be a photo or two waiting to happen during that visit.

Later in the afternoon, my wife and I will be interviewed by a local community radio station as we plug an upcoming pro-life event that we have been planning for the past couple of months.

Maybe there's more that I'll do but as of right now, that's my current to do list. I'm just trying to get back to the real world.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

As good as chicken noodle soup

Sunday's blogflection at Pierini Fitness is very predictable; it's to always announce that we are closed so the chief executive blogger can rest his body, mind and spirit.

There's one more announcement today and that is I'm still under the weather.Thanks for all who took the time to post comments and wish me well. Those comments feel as good as chicken noodle soup.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Calling in sick

To my cyberspace fitness brothers from different mothers, and to my cyberspace fitness sisters from different misters, there will not be a Pierini Fitness blogflection today because I'm calling in sick.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Under the weather

It was very ironic two days ago that, while at a client’s location where I’ve been working lately, I commented to an employee how young people get sick often and older folks like me do not. My comment was in the context this person’s young co-worker who had called in sick that day. The person to whom I was talking was suspicious of her “illness”.

Later that Wednesday evening, I went to bed with extreme whole-body aches, a bad headache, and a serious case of the chills; so bad that my teeth were clattering like a tap dancer performing on a hardwood floor. At that moment it was very obvious that I was ill. It had been a long time since I was last ill and now it was my turn. Yesterday I was flat on my back most of the day with continuing aches all over my body and a fever. I'm not sure what's in store for me today.

So that’s the extent of today's token blogflection because the chief executive blogger of Pierini Fitness is absolutely and positively under the weather.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Welcome back to Sacramento

Serious Northern California Olympic weightlifters and “ham and eggers” like me are looking forward to this upcoming weekend’s Tommy Kono IV Olympic weightlifting competition on Sunday, August 9, 2009. The venue will be held at Mr. Kono’s alma mater, Sacramento High School, where he graduated 61 years ago. Last year at this time, Mr. Kono extended his annual pilgrimage to his native city to attend a 60-year high school reunion.

With fame comes duty so Mr. Kono will have his hands and mind full during his brief visit, giving his undivided attention to all those who look forward to his sage counsel, attentive conversation and genuine friendship. He will conduct an Olympic coaching seminar on Saturday morning, spend quality time visiting his soon-to-be 87-year young older brother, and be “forced” to listen to the middle-age man nonsense of a relatively-unknown blogger whose claim to fame is being the self-appointed ambassador of middle-age men around the world.

The Tommy Kono IV experience actually began last night when the chief executive blogger of Pierini Fitness had the distinct pleasure, again, of picking up this American Olympic weightlifting legend at Sacramento International Airport while greeting him with a welcome back to Sacramento.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Mouthing off

Today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection is brief because I’m busy with work. I’m quickly composing it like a college student burning the midnight oil banging out a term paper due in the morning after procrastinating until the last minute.

People sometimes ask if I get tired composing and delivering my daily blogflections, or if I’ll ever run out of ideas or thoughts about topics.

Rest assured my small and loyal brigade of faithful readers. Here’s my 100-word daily blogflection announcing that I’ll never run out of ideas or thoughts and I’ll never get tired mouthing off.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Who do you think will be next?

An Associated Press article yesterday is another example of what President Obama has in store for “Joe the Plumber” and other middle-class taxpayers. Two of President Obama’s economic advisors recently said middle-class taxes might have to increase to shrink the budget deficits that will be created to pay for his misguided health care overhaul proposals if they become law.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently said that the White House is not ready to rule out a tax hike to reduce the federal deficit while National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers said that President Obama’s proposed health care overhaul needs funding from somewhere.

So now the American public knows the economic truth that money doesn’t grow on trees, and that their President Obama’s campaign pledge of “you will not see any of your taxes increase one single dime” was just another politician fib to intoxicate those whose votes he was seeking.

Of course the chief executive blogger at Pierini Fitness was not one of those who got drunk “drinking” the President’s “fool’s gold” promises during the Presidential election or his political rhetoric since becoming your newly-elected President. My last thoughts on this was the topic of this recent blogflection: You are going to be rich!

So the truth is slowly emerging as I sport an “I told you so” cyberspace-look that you are going to be rich. Guess what, I don’t believe the cost of all the socialism spending ideas of President Obama can be financed by middle-class tax increases on Joe the Plumber and other middle-class taxpayers like you and me. So after the wealthy and middle-class taxpayers have been taxed to their max, who do you think will be next?

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Under the same rooftop

My cyberspace fitness son just for fun, Mr. Justin P, whose blog I enjoy and read from time to time, recently wrote about his job here: My job. I've written some about mine in prior blogflections but generally in the context of how my busy work season makes it difficult to find time for fitness training. Today's Pierini Fitness blogflection topic is job-related and was influenced by Justin's recent dog and pony show about his work.

Since 1981 part-time and 1983 full-time, I've earned my money to pay my bills as a self-employed businessperson. I originally started out as a sole-proprietor business consisting of me, myself and I and eventually had business partners and employees. Now I'm a sole-proprietor again with one employee and another part-time employee who works during my busy work season. One thing common over the past 26 years is that my business has always been located in an office away from my home. Some people who do the work I do have offices in their homes. I've always resisted that because I've doubted my ability to be productive in a home environment, preferring instead to go somewhere else to work. That may change next July 2010 when my current office lease expires because I'm seriously considering moving my office into my home.

The home I live in would be a great office in home. It's a wonderful and spacious two-story home built in 1905 with a classic architectural design of that era located in an area described as midtown Sacramento less than one mile from the California State Capitol and downtown Sacramento with great freeway access in all directions. It has plenty of room to accommodate my office space needs without compromising family living space. It also has a full-size basement with plenty of room for storing client files and office supplies. Whether it happens or not depends on negotiations in progress with my better half, also known as The Boss.

Just like I've always preferred to go somewhere else to work, that has also been the case with my fitness training. I have always belonged to a gym. My current gym is a 6-block walk from where I live. I sometimes go downstairs to my basement and train where I have a multi-purpose pullup/bar dip/pushup exercise unit along with some resistance bands, jump rope and dust-collecting dumbbells. Personal preference and desire are the only things keeping me from using it as my primary gym of choice.

So changes are brewing in my life and it may be just a matter of short time before Pierini Accountancy, Pierini Fitness and the Pierini Family are all under the same rooftop.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Your Sunday math lesson

Today = Sunday.

Sunday = Pierini Fitness is closed.

Pierini Fitness is closed = so the chief executive blogger can rest his body, mind and spirit.

The chief executive blogger can rest his body, mind and spirit = to be rejuvenated and able to compose tomorrow’s Pierini Fitness blogflection.

Tomorrow’s Pierini Fitness blogflection = a topic not yet determined but guaranteed to be creative and original.

A topic not yet determined but guaranteed to be creative and original = what you’ll find each morning when you visit Pierini Fitness.

That’s all folks. I hope you enjoyed your Sunday math lesson.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

An extra training rest and recovery day

Unlike when my workouts were bodyweight-only exercises 4 to 6 days a week, nowadays with Olympic weightlifting training I find that 3 days a week is the most I can handle. My body needs rest of recovery that isn’t possible with a more frequent training schedule. Lately I’ve been training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and I really look forward to my Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday rest and recovery days. Sunday has always been my universal day of rest.

Lately I've been feeling that it’s about time to take an entire week off but I’m not quite yet ready to do that. I’m getting close however and my body and mind are sending me frequent messages about what a great idea that is.

Yesterday the message was quite clear so the planned workout scheduled for Friday after work just didn’t happen. I made a “business decision” to skip the gym and this morning I feel great and am glad that I did.

Yesterday I was jumping for joy when deciding that I was "giving" myself an extra training rest and recovery day.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum