Guitars

I was trying to think of something to do this morning, so I decided to try something that I’ve always wanted to do. I defintely have a love affair with guitars. I think recently, I told someone that if I could get a Gibson ES350 electric guitar (it doesn’t have to be exactly that model, but along those same lines) , I wouldn’t want another guitar and I’d be all set. This is a pic of a 1956 Gibson electric guitar. Isn’t that a thing of beauty?

This morning when I woke up, I was thinking about how cool it would be to have a Dobro. In case you don’t know, it looks like this. They are made of wood, but have a metallic front which makes them sound kind of tinny when you play. Great sound. And, there is one guy that uses an electric dobro in the rock band Buckcherry. That’s how he gets that sound. It’s kind of different.

Anyway, I was trying to do something a little artsy and cool. Don’t know if I pulled it off, but I like these images. I plan to make some prints and hang them around my house. I hope you enjoy them.

Thanks so much,
Jerry

Happy Thanksgiving

This is a difficult blog post to write; especially on a day like today. I am so thankful for so many things that it is truly impossible to write everything out. Most of all, I am thankful for a few things that I think matter to me a lot. First, I am so grateful that I have great health. Without being healthy, life is difficult. So, for that I truly feel thankful. To celebrate that fact, I ran in a 10K Turkey Trot this morning. It was fun, and I think it has some symbolism, for me anyway. Secondly, I am thankful for my friends, for without them, I don’t know how I would get through life. Friends make life full and fun. And, without friends, I would have nowhere to celebrate Thanksgiving. I would likely be at a diner somewhere having an open faced turkey sandwich smothered in gravy. Not so bad, I guess. But, I’d rather be with friends watching football and eating homemade food. Thirdly, I am grateful and thankful for my family. However, this Thanksgiving, we are one person short. On November 7, 2011, my mom finally lost her life to cancer.

She battled breast cancer for 15 years. And, she won! Breast cancer isn’t what finally got her, it was a totally different type of cancer that she developed in her abdomen. By the time they figured it out, it was too late and nothing could be done.

She was an amazing person with an amazing spirit. I don’t know if there is anyone in the world as strong as her. She was a fighter.

I remember when her and my dad split up, I was about 8 years old, my sister was 4. She was 24. She had no car, no drivers license, had never worked, and had never lived on her own. She really didn’t know how to do anything at all. She was a great mom, wife, and homemaker, but beyond that, she seemed hopeless. When my parents split up, she decided to move to Sacramento. At the time, we were living in Southern California. She had no family in SoCal. Her family was in Sacramento, so it made sense. But, she didn’t have any means of making happen, except, as I said, she is amazingly strong. So, she somehow got us all to Sacramento. We stayed with her mom (my grandma) for maybe a month, as I remember it. In that month, she got a job, a car, a driver’s license, and an apartment. I don’t think she had much assistance either. Her mom did not have money; she was a grocery store cashier. And, I don’t think any other members of the family could help financially. So, she basically did it on her own. Anything she did borrow from her mom, she had to pay back, so she kept that to a minimum.

Overall, we did all right. My dad paid child support, which basically paid the rent, and so whatever income she had, went for food and bills. We had everything we needed, but didn’t have a lot of extras. Christmas and birthdays were where my sister and I would get those extras from all the family members. I would always ask for guitars and musical gadgets to go with the guitars. And, I would pretty much get what I asked for. So, we did OK.

Jumping to the present, when I went to her wake, I was astonished by all the friends that showed up. It was really amazing to talk to all these people. And, it was then that some things really came together for me. I don’t know why it took me so long to realize this, but it was like a little “ah ha” moment. I never knew my mom as a person. I only knew her as Mom. But, meeting all her friends, and hearing their stories about her, I started to understand her as a friend – a person away from mom-hood. She has this whole outside life that I really knew nothing about. I did know she went on dives all over the world. And, I knew she went on Harley trips around the USA. And, I knew other stuff she did, but I didn’t know any details and I didn’t know these people at all. She never talked about them much. She would just tell me she went on a Harely ride and that it was really fun. That was it. So, meeting all these people that she had gone on these rides with, and hearing stories about her was an absolute blast. And, as I said, I got to know her better than I knew her while she was alive.

I think it’s OK that I didn’t know my mom as closely as I might have liked. There are probably many people in that same situation. I was thinking about my kids and our relationship. And, they wouldn’t know Jerry hanging out at the bar with his bar-fly friends. They don’t really know that guy at all. So, I think it’s kind of a similar thing. But, I’m sure when it’s my turn to pass on, that my friends will come out and relay stories about me to my kids, and they’ll get a better understanding of the type of person I was, separate from being Dad.

It was a little odd that I was the only blood relative at the wake for my mom. Other family members didn’t attend, and for that, I feel sad for them because they really did miss something special. It was an event that would have been exactly what she wanted. It was a celebration of her life. And, other than a few sad moments, for the most part, it was more celebratory than sad, which is what she told me she wanted. It was beautiful and was such an honor to meet all these other people that had shared moments with her.

If there was anything at all I had learned from her, it was to never give up. She led a full life and just before she died, she told me that she has done everything in life she wanted to do and has no feelings that  she wished she could do anything more, other than to watch her grand-children grow up, which was not possible. So, other than that, she was happy and content. I know for a fact, that I can’t say the same. So, I need to get out there and hit that bucket list. J

So, for this Thanksgiving, while I am thankful for many things, it feels a little empty without Mom. Normally, I am struggling with the question, ‘do I go visit or stay home this year’? I don’t have that option anymore. I think Christmas will probably be empty too, as I will be expecting a big box of gifts for my kids to come to my doorstep from UPS. But, this time, it will not arrive.

Mom, I am thankful and grateful for everything you had done for me. I am going to miss you. This is going to be a difficult holiday without you. I’ll be thinking about you, and toasting to you today. I love you Mom.

Today, for anybody reading this, even after the holiday, make sure that you live your life all the way to the top. Make sure that you tell people that you care about, that you love them. Make sure that you make a difference in the lives of people around you. Don’t waste time worrying or on trivial matters. Be thankful and grateful for everyday that you can breathe. The holidays are not about turkey and presents. They are about celebrating life.

———————————————

Not sure what year this was taken, but she was pretty young. I’m guess it was around 1960, so, she would be 11. They used to look so grown up back then.

 

Me and my mom sometime in 1965. She was 16. She just had me, and look at her figure. Wow!

I don’t know what year this was, but it was in Torrance, CA. So, I’m guess right around 1972 or 73. Beautiful lady.

This is me, my sister in front, my mom, and my cousing to the right. This was taken in July 1977 in Bodega Bay, CA.

This is me and my kids with my mom last year.

And, this was a picture my sister took maybe a month or so ago.

Wedding Photographer Highlight, Huy Nguyen – Love Unscripted

If I could hire any wedding photographer in the world, at the top of my list would be this guy: Huy Nguyen. Huy is inventive, unique, and fresh. I love his style and how he sees things. Often, he provides a surprising perspective. I think a lot of wedding photography lacks that element of surprise. I have met Huy quite a few times, and worked with him once in the US Virgin Islands at a wedding. He is one of the most unassuming people I know, and always has a smile for everyone he meets. I think his quiet character and unassuming nature makes him a pure artist and fantasitc observer of human interaction.

If you study his images, there is always a third dimension that isn’t always obvious. He also continually finds humor where you might not normally see it. I love that his images often make me laugh or smile.

If you are thinking of getting married, or maybe just want to look at top rate wedding photography, check out his website at http://loveunscripted.com/blog/.

Cheers,

Jerry

Kristi’s Kids – A Portrait Session for the Holidays

It’s that time of year. I love doing portraits. If you’d like to have a portrait session for your holiday cards, or just because, get in touch with me.

Cheers,

Jerry

Part II, The Day That Changed My Life

In part I, I discussed how I stepped on the scale and made the decision to care. I started logging all the food I ate. When I looked back at the day and what I ate, it was no wonder that I was putting on weight. Once I started tracking it, it was easy to manage.

I now want to discuss fitness. This is equally as important as watching your calories. I am not a fitness expert, just some dude that found something that works, so do not take this as expert fitness advice. Always consult with your doctor or other fitness expert before diving into something.

So, in the first part of this, I discussed not setting a goal, but start the right behaviors. Set the goal later. I think it’s the same here. Although, for fitness, it could be different. Some people might be more motivated by a goal. For me though, what worked was to just start moving. I literally went to Google and asked, “How to Start Running?”. I’ve provided the link in case you are too lazy to type it in: Just click. I followed this until about halfway through because I found that I pr0gressed faster than the program. Which is fine. Do whatever feels right for you.

At this point though, I didn’t have a goal in mind. I didn’t even know what the hell I was doing. I just knew I had to start doing something. And, I wasn’t ready for a “program” or P90X or any of that crap. I just wanted to start moving. So, I did the walk/run thing. At first, it was so hard. The first time out, jogging for 60 seconds, I thought I was going to die. Seriously, I didn’t think I was going to make it. But, it didn’t take long for progress to start happening.

Once that started happening and got easier for me, I re-joined my gym. When I went in there, I really didn’t know where to start. So, I just started doing the kind of workouts that I knew best from high school. But, I noticed no one else really did that kind of stuff anymore. At least that isn’t what I was seeing. So, I asked my mom, who is very active and has been working out her whole life. She turned me on to this book called, “Body For Life”. For me, this was a great start and gave me a “program” to follow. I did it. It was fantastic. Body For Life, I think is owned by Beach Body, who also owned P90X and Insanity Workout and all that. I think Body For Life was the first, because it seems very similar to the others. Anyway, that was when everything really snapped into place. The difference with Body For Life is that it pretty much requires a gym. The improvement in P90X and Insanity is that there is no gym required.

I still didn’t have a goal so much, but I was on the 12-week Body For Life program, and I finished it. Whew! That was very hard work. You have to workout 6 days a week for 12 weeks. It’s tough and you make sacrifices. But, I thought it was worth it. Mentally, it’s part of the deal though. In the book, it talks about making a promise to yourself that you can do this, and you will do this. Keeping that promise is important.I discussed that same concept before; you have to decide to care. Any promise you make to yourself, you have to keep. This is why goal setting is tricky. You don’t want to set some silly goal to lose 30 lbs and run 5 miles a day in 3 months. You will break your promise, and you wont make it. Instead, just start moving and making good decisions about what you eat. Just start slow and easy. It’s not a race. You don’t have to look good this summer, you can look good next. Infuse this life change into your life. Don’t change everything, just make improvements one small increment at a time.

If the gym is not your thing, there are other ways to achieve the same thing. I already mentioned P90X as an option. Or, you can just play your favorite sport more often. Maybe join a club or get involved with something that involves activity. Or, just go ride your bike everyday. But, just remember, that just going for a casual bike ride is really not enough. You really have to push and sweat. You legs should be on fire the entire hour, or whatever. If you’re just taking a casual stroll on your bike, forget it. You gotta push yourself and burn calories. I realize I sound a little contradictory, but I’m not being that way. Jogging is not walking, it’s much more difficult. And, casually riding a bike is not exercising. When you exercise, you should be sweating. If it’s easy, you’re doing it wrong.

I like to listen to very aggressive music when I workout, whether it’s running, biking, or in the gym. It just puts me in the right mental state and I tend to push myself harder. But, do whatever gets you going and makes you want to kick your own ass. I also like to do lots of different things. These days I really mix it up. Between surfing, biking, running, the gym, tennis, and hiking (occasionally), I feel like I get a good mix of things to do to keep my interest high.Plus, I have kids, so just doing stuff with them sometimes keeps me active.

I see a lot of walkers out there, and that’s OK. At least you’re moving. But, try to run/walk with the goal of eventually running the whole time. There is a myth out there that walking 5 miles and running 5 miles is the same amount of energy expended (calories). That is a myth. Google it if you don’t believe me. I think runners know this inherently. There’s just no way that’s true. But, don’t take my word for it, go look it up.

Another way to get active is maybe look up a local trainer. I see lots of trainers out at the parks and beaches around my area, and it looks like a great way to be outside and get a good workout going. I am currently looking at CrossFit as an option, just to shake it up a bit. It’s a little pricey, but if it works, then it’s worth it.

Make exercise a habit, like brushing your teeth. You have to do it. The benefits are extraordinary. Once you start, you will need more because it feels good to work your body. The human body loves to be challenged and actually needs to move and sweat. It’s good for you physically, but also mentally. When I go for a run or bike ride or surf, there is a sort of calm inner meditative state that takes over in my mind. Sometimes, I even forget what I am doing and just get lost in my mind. It’s a great feeling, and I think it’s something that many of us don’t do enough of in our day and age.

Speaking of meditative states, while I have only done this a few times, yoga is very good too. You don’t have to go out and kill yourself. Yoga is a fantastic way to get into shape. I’ve never seen an out-of-shape yoga practitioner.

As an alternative, if you like swimming, you can try that too.

I know some people that enjoy getting involved with things, and so they run 5k’s and 10k’s or do triathlons. The point isn’t to win them, it’s just to do it and be part of it.

Lastly, we’re all busy and have stuff to do. Sometimes we have to work late, or we have activities with the kids. But, you simply have to make time to do it. When I first started the run thing, I felt guilty about asking permission to go on my run/walk for 20 minutes 3 times a week. But, that’s just ridiculous, and mostly internal. If you have children, you can either do things together, like if you have small babies, put them in a stroller, and both of you go for a run, or, you can take turns if you like to do different things. The brilliant effect of that is that your kids see you being active as they grow up, and you instill that value in them, like my mom did in me. Plus, it is healthy to take some time out to take care of yourself. It’s only one hour 3 or 4 days a week. It’s not a big ordeal.

Here’s kinds of how my schedule works…thsi is how I do it, you can do whatever works for you, this is just to provide an example:

___________________________________

Week 1 and 3:

M: Upper Body at gym

W: Run 5 miles

F: Upper body at gym

S & S: Tennis, Surfing, Biking, Skateboard, Other (I try to do something each day).

Week 2 and 4:

M: Run 5 Miles

W: Upper body at gym

F: Either Run or Bike

S & S: Tennis, Surfing, Biking, Skateboard, Other (I try to do something each day).

____________________________________

See how easy? Each workout is probably about 45 minutes. I try to pick up the intensity and make sure I’m breathing hard, sweating, and my heart rate is up.

I hope I’ve given you some inspiration and provided you with enough ideas to get started on your journey.

Part III will be forth-coming. I’d like to hear any inspirational stories you may have about your journey.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

Jerry

Hawaii 2011

This is a blow by blow of our trip to the big island of Hawaii. This was written by Juls, with some editing by me. We hope you enjoy!

July 1st – 7:30pm arrival, Hilo Airport – Direct flight from Los Angeles. Schwing!

Grocery shopping at Sack n Save with Dad’s Makai card for our locals discount.

July 2nd:

Kens House of Pancakes

– Home of the famous loco moco breaky for Jerry.

Black Sand Beach Hilo Bay – Watched the  Puna Canoe Club regatta

Photographed the Wailoa State Park bridges and ponds- Tsunami Memorial

Visited the Volcano Park – only to have it pour rain.  Got to the Steam Vents and opted to return later in the week.

Visited the Kaumana Cave. This was an awesome lava tube adventure. The cave is actually a skylight in a 25 mile long lava tube which was created by an 1881 flow from Mauna Loa.

 

Next stop was Downtown Hilo to Cronies for Checkers and Beer

Hilo Airport. Paradise Helicopter Tour. The active Kilauea Volcano and Waterfalls of Rainbow Falls. Our first circular Rainbow sighting. (MD500, Doors off. Pilot: Dillan).

Then later, wine and relaxing at the picnic table, taking in the views.

Dinner and a movie at home.

July 3rd:

Drive to Kona over the Mauna Loa Volcano – Hwy 11

Passed Shaka, Most Southern US Bar

Drove out to South Point – most Southern point of the US.

Went four wheeling to the Green Sand Beach, Papakolea Beach. It is located in a bay half circled by Pu’u Mahana, a cinder cone formed over 49,000 years ago and assocaited with the southwest rift of Mauna Lea.

We picked up hitchhickers. Fortunately, they didn’t jack us. Katy and Marshall live in Oahu and were taking the long walk (3 miles) on very rough terrain to see the green sand beach. So, we stopped and told them to hop in.

You can see the green sand here. Pretty cool.

The truck that got us there. Thanks Toyota for building a high quality product.

Katy and Marshall holding on for dear life.

Continued North to Kona…

Checked in to the Hilton – attended the Hilton Waikoloa Luau

- met honeymooners Michelle and Cal from San Jose

-  enjoyed the kaluau pork, beef short ribs, chicken and

many other luau  specialties.

- Luau dancers from around the Pacific (Samoan Fire

Dance).

Stopped in at the Lava Lounge for bottle of red and some Karaoke viewing

Star gazing from our balcony.  Great views.

 

July 4th:

 On the way to picking up our towels this morning, we came across the Dolphin learning experience and watched the dolphins train and play with some kids.

Headed to Kailua – Kona, HI via Hwy 19

• Went to Pancho and Leftys for breaky.  Long wait but decent food
• Walked down to the outrigger stand. Rented a tandem kayak and kayaked around Kailua Bay with a school of spinner dolphins. Jerry saved a young and her dad from being stuck out in the ocean. He propped the in the kayak and we headed back to have the outrigger dude go out and retrieve dad and the little .  They safely came back
• $4 Mai Tais overlooking Kaulua Bay
• Found a cheap hotel on Ali’i Drive $60 /night for two nights.  Good to know for next time.
• Walked down to Rosas Cantina for some wine, Mexican food, and patio viewing of the 4th of July parade on Ali’i Drive.  This was an inexpensive way to view the parade

 

Sat in the rocks along the shore of Kailua-Kona Bay for the fireworks display.

 

 

 July 5th:

We decided to get out of the crazy big village of the Waikoloa Hilton and head back to Hilo via Waimea on Hwy 19 .

In the town of Kamuela, on our way to Waimea, we had breakfast at the Hawaiian Style Cafe- awarded best breakfast three years in a row. Jerry had two 10″ pancakes that he turned into an egg sandwich and we shared the homemade Portuguese sausage.  Way too much food, but our server said she will feed our leftovers to the pigs.

Turned off of Hwy 19 to find a waterfall spotted from the road and came up on an old Japanese Cemetery tucked away – Honohina Cemetery.

Back on Hwy 19 towards Hilo….

We visited the Akaka Falls State Parkwhere we photographed the Kahuna Falls (100ft) and Akaka Falls (442ft).

Next we visited Rainbow Falls-  The 80-foot Rainbow Fallsis renowned for the rainbow formed from its mist many mornings.  Legends say that the cave beneath the waterfall was the home of Hina, mother of the demigod Maui.

Then back to Dads for some RnR.

No TV so after many attempts of hooking up Netflix to Dads TV,  we watched the giants of surfing  on DVD (awesome)…. Still too full to even consider having dinner.  Jerry brought out an acoustic and we played through our classics the minute he started playing the rain song it started pouring ……  Clear skies all day prior to that ….. Hmmm.

July 6th: Volcano Park Day –

Started our day off at Kens.

We first drove to Kilauea.  The 11 mile loop around was closed at the Jaggar Museum due to high SO2 levels.

We checked  out the museum then we did the 20 mile drive on Chain of Craters Road taking us to the ocean which it was closed just at the Holei Sea Arch due to lava flow.  The drive took us around the 1970s flow area of the Mauna Ulu, Makaopuhi Crater, and  Loa O Mauna Ulu. The eruption lasted from 1969-1974

Next stop was Volcano Winery located just out of Volcano Park. 

This is the most Southern Winery in the US.  The girl there was awesome. Local and never been off the islands. Her daughter is in the Southbay for the summer.  She gave us a great map and marked where the beat Hawaiian food in Hilo is.  We tasted 8 wines of which  only one is mature enough to make with their grapes and it has won many awards. It was called the Symphony.  Many of the grapes come from California where they blend with local fruits to give it their touch. This and the Maui wineries are the only wineries in Hawaii.  She said none of the locals drink wine or even have cork screws when she visits – she learned to pack her own.

As recommended by the winery, we stopped at the Kuhio Grille for some real Hawaiian food. We ordered the Kanak Atak platter. A laulau stuffed with pork and beef, salmon salsa, poi, white rice, coconut pudding, and kalua pork.  Then a short walk next door for some Yogurtland action.

Next stop home depot for a new shower head – whoopsie.  Then to Radio shack for an adapter for the iPad so we can watch movies.

We got the iPad hooked up and watched a creepy vampire flick “Let Me In”. After that we had to see something on the lighter side so we watched some episodes of “Weeds” before we hit the sack.

  

July  7th:  Rainy Day

Woke up to a rainy day

Downtown shopping and coffee at Bears where saw the flyer for the Led Zeppelin experience at the planetarium for tomorrow night.

We visited the Boiling Potsand Pe’e Pe’e Falls located just out of downtown Hilo.

OK, so at this point, they have Akaka Falls and Pee Pee Falls. I know, I’m so mature. But, that kept me entertained for a while.

Exploring the surf spots North of Hilo  and took the Onomea Scenic drive and walked through the botanical gardens down to the water.

We stopped down at Kakalau Baybelow the bridge. Local surf spot and small camp area for locals. 

Headed back to downtown for lunch.  Le Magic Pan for yummy crepes.

Back to the house for naps and card playing on a rainy afternoon and evening.  Drank our local wines and listened to Pandora.

July 8th: Zipping day

Kens for breakfast – Shocker

Walked around downtown and visited the Hilo guitar and ukulele store where Jerry found his shirt. Edited: I need a shirt and coffee cup from every vacation.

Went up to the planetarium to buy our tickets for the LZ 3D experience.

Then we went zip-lining over the Honolii riverand its waterfalls.  The drive took us back through a private Macadamia nut plantation to the Honolii Mountain Outpost which took about 20 minutes and is a fully na adventure tour in itself.  Once at the Outpost, the meeting spot here is the Hale Halawai (meeting house).  Boasting spectacular panoramic views across the Pacific Ocean, and possibly Kilauea Volcano smoking in the distance.

Appetizers and a bottle of wine at Ponds on the water before our show- the seared ahi was to die for — we ordered a second round. -

LZ experience at the Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii – at the university of Hawaii – Hilo -

Back home for some vino and guitar before bed.

Checked in for our flight and upgraded to first class – hopefully Jerry will be happily surprised. Edited: He was.

Watched a movie – “Brothers” which was pretty intense.

  

July 9th: Last day

Cleaned the house, went to the dump, and did the laundry

Headed back to Ken’s for a yummy burger and shake.

Back to the house to do some final cleaning and get ready to leave.

Had to go back to Ponds for drinks and meet some of the locals before we head home to close up.  The owner of Ponds is also the owner of Kens.  We were with them when they celebrated their two year anniversary for Ponds.  Fun way to end our stay.

Gave all of our perishable items to our cab driver, locked down the house, and headed to the airport.  Stopped in at the Laniakea Cafe for a glass of wine before boarding our flight first class flight home

ALOHA!

The Day That Changed My Life – Part I

The Day That Changed My Life – Part I

I remember the day clearly. I stepped onto the scale and I was 2 pounds short of hitting 200. It was a nice sunny day outside. I was getting to that point where I was a little embarrassed to take off my shirt at the beach. Since I live at the beach, it was a little rough for me. I didn’t let it show, but it bothered me.

That day changed my life.

I decided that I would never allow myself to reach 200 pounds.

Now, for some guys, that might not sound like much. But, I was always small. I weighed 145 forever, and although that was up into my 30’s, I use that as a measuring stick. Not that I ever want to go back to that weight. I’d look like a waif. But, it’s just something I keep in mind. I have a small frame.

I realize that my body has changed with age, and there is probably an age appropriate weight for me.

What happened on that day as I stared down at the scale is I made a promise to myself; a promise to care. And, that’s when everything changed.

Now, one of my big pet peeves is when people say, “I’m on a diet”, which infers that sometimes you’re “not on a diet”. Everyone in the world is on a diet. It’s just that sometimes you choose to feel like you are out of control. You choose to make bad choices. Whether you want to admit it or not, you are choosing a poor diet. It’s not a horrible crime against humanity or anything. But, fess up. Admit it. For me, that was the first step toward getting myself back in shape; recognizing when I was making poor choices in nutrition.

Another thing I did was found some programs for my phone that count calories for me. I enter what I eat throughout the day, and I can easily see where I am compared to my goals. I put in my weight goals, and it automatically calculates how much I should eat per day. It also adjusts based on how much exercise you do each day. So, it’s really a great way to keep focused on the right things. I am currently using www.myfitnesspal.com (android and iphone). But, I also like www.loseit.com (iphone). There are others out there, these are the only two that I have experience with. They both have an online version that syncs with your phone or ipad or whatever device you have.

For the way my mind works, it wasn’t about setting a goal. I didn’t start out saying, “I want to weigh X by this date”. That’s what a lot of dietitians and fitness people will tell you; set a goal. But, it wasn’t about a goal. It was about a life change. It was about making the right decisions. Once I started doing that, the weight started coming off. It wasn’t until I lost maybe 15 pounds or so, where I started to set some goals for myself. But, the first step was just making the change, not setting a goal that seemed impossible to reach.

How do you start? The first step for me was making the promise to care. That sounds so silly, but that’s exactly what it was. The next step is to find a way to keep track of what you eat. I’m going to maybe go against the experts here, but I found the easiest thing for me to do is to simply count calories. I do understand that 100 calories of broccoli and 100 calories from a Twinkie are different calories. But, in short, I don’t care. I’m not eating Twinkies. So, on the whole it doesn’t matter. And, from my experience, it is too complicated trying to keep track of fat and carbohydrates and different kinds of fat and different kinds of carbohydrates. Ugh! Keep it simple. Just track your caloric intake, and that at least gives you something simple to measure. It doesn’t matter how you measure it. You can do it online, you can use a phone application, or you can just write it down on a note pad. But, by keeping track of everything, you can see where you might be making some mistakes or poor nutritional choices.

The most important thing to understand here is that there is no destination. This is a life change. This is something that will go on and on forever. Therefore, if you get to a point where you are comfortable setting a goal, be cautious that it is a maintainable goal over the long haul. You do have to live your life. You will have Thanksgiving dinner. You will be invited out to eat by friends and relatives. You will go to birthday parties and share some cake. And, you will go to Superbowl parties and eat hot wings and pizza. So, your goals need to include real life expectations.

In part II, I am going to discuss fitness, which plays an important role in your life change.

Before: Seal Beach, 2008 (I don’t really have any good belly shots, but you get the idea)

After: this was last year in Hawaii.

Looking for a cover band

I’ve been looking for a band since around Jan of this year and I can’t seem to hook up with anyone. So, I’m putting this out there on my blog, just in case. I’m 46-years-young. Play blues/rock guitar. I’ve been playing since I could walk. What I am looking for is a talented working cover band. I really want it to be rock and roll, but that can be so many things. I love music, and always have. I have played in bands since I was about 12-years-old, including original bands later on. So, if anyone is out there in the Los Angeles / Orange County area, that needs a guitar player in their band, get in touch with me. thefrazdogg at gmail dot com.

I am also trying the Craig’s List route, just in case.

Thanks for reading.

Jerry

Happy Mother’s Day

Last minute, I decided to take a couple snap shots. These are a couple latest shots of the two of them. They are defintely brother and sister. Ha!

I hope everyone had a happy mother’s day.

(Camera: Canon 5D Mark II, Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 1st @ 155, 2nd @ 105. Shutter 1/250 @ f/2.8, ISO 125)

My Favorite Photographers

I think I might make this an on-going series, to help out my brethren and maybe just for fun too. Mostly, I know wedding photographers, but I also know portrait photographers, and like many other photographers in other fields too. Therefore, I thought it might be cool to feature one once in a while. Since this is new ground, I don’t want to go steal pics from their websites (since that is a copyright violation). I would love to accompany these articles with images, if they would like to send me some, but I’ll leave that up to them. Photographers: regard this as a formal request for images (600px on the long side at 72 PPI. You can logo the shit out of them. It’s OK. Contact me at thefrazdogg at gmail dot com). Now, that that’s out of the way, I’d like to introduce one of my favorite all time wedding photographers, Jeff Newsom. I first came across his work by a mention from on a forum by an associate. When I first clicked onto his website, I was completely blown away. At that time, I had never seen anyone doing the things he was doing and it literally took my breath away. The thing about him that I like, is his images surprise me, and often make me laugh. I love his sense of humor. You can see it in almost every image, even if for him, it isn’t supposed to be funny. When I am looking through his blog, I know to expect the unexpected, and yet I am still caught off guard. He has defintely carved out a place for himself and I look forward to watching his work evlove. Jeff would defintely be top of my list if I were getting married.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

Cheers,

Jerry