Want results? Stay committed!

Over the weekend, my friend asked me to sub in for his teammate for an OCVL (Ottawa Competitive Volleyball League) game in Orleans. I told him "sure", so I showed up to the game on Monday night to play. This was the first time stepping onto an indoor court since the beginning of summer (that's a lie, there was one tournament over the summer but let's just not count that :p).

It was apparent that I was still in summer mode, and my sets were completely off. It was frustrating for me, and probably for my team too. It's been two years since I played in the OCVL league, so I'm not used to the height of the net either, although I should be. It's unfortunate that we lost the match that night.

My poor performance may not have been just out the indoor mode, but probably my routine now that I've settled into a career, bought a home/living alone, and a workout regime that started at the gym with a friend. The lack of focus on the game really shows, and I need to turn that around quickly.

It's a little late now to be 'training for the season', but I think ongoing/consistent training and exercise will still help make improvements to your existing skills. Which leads me into the program at the gym... here's how it started...

I began going to Goodlife in November of 2010, and up until then, there hasn't really been a break (only the week that I was moving in and painting - gosh that was tiring!). I switched my membership at Goodlife from the Orleans location to the St. Laurent one. My friend David got me on a program after finding out I switched, which he is determined to get me to bench 205lbs in 6 weeks time... we'll see about that. While back at the old gym, I was benching max 135lbs flat (45lbs on each side), 135lbs already feels somewhat 'light' to me after 2 weeks of warm up. The program started this week and hopefully I can stick with it to the end.

Along with that, I've been trying to eat more and began tracking my eating habits. Like always, I turn to technology to help me out with anything 'tracking' wise :)... they are handy that way. One iPhone app I'd recommend is MyFitnessPal (it's free!). I haven't learned the complete ins and outs of this app yet, but it looks promising and I've tracked everything since Monday, so there's still much more to learn about this app and we'll see if it pushes me closer to my goal of gaining 5 lbs (150lbs total).

Here are some stats of where I started and where I'm at now:

• Started: weighed 130lbs, now 145lbs (15lbs in 9 months)
• Started: curling 20lbs dumbbells, now 35-40lbs
• Started: benching flat 95lbs, now max 175lbs

I think the result of all this is commitment. What did I consistently do?

• Gym 3-4 times a week (usually Monday-Friday, and have weekends off for fun)
• Protein shake after every workout (usually two shakes per day for faster healing)
• Tried to eat high protein meals (chicken, beef, pork, etc.)
• Tried to get as much rest as I could every night for faster healing

Some asked me what type of shake I drink... my favourite is Precision BIG TIME.

I don't follow the labels as closely as I should, maybe it will give me faster results if I do but I think 4 scoops (250g) per serving is just too much for me. If you measure that, you will know what I mean, so I usually do 1/2 of that, and drink another shake later in the day. If you like chocolate, you will like this one too, it's quite tasty :) Oh, and this is weight gainer powder, very high on protein and mixed in with a bit of creatine also - it does the trick!

My friend made a comment on my wall on Facebook one day when I uploaded a photos I took of all the powder drinks I bought, and simply said "just eat more". I would advise also, take a shake when you absolutely need to, but usually you'd want one after a workout. They don't call it 'supplement' for nothing :) Supplement is your last resort to a deliciously cooked chicken ;)

Alright... 6 weeks, here I come!

Finding a tenant will help me save, hopefully!

After putting an ad up on Kijiji for 2 days, I received 4 potential 'leads' for my second room in my condo. I spoke to one and he visited the unit last night. He told me that the unit is better than any of the others he's seen, cool! He told me he would let me know today whether he'd be interested in renting and he came back with a positive reply. 

Now... off to the races to find a Rental Agreement. I found one quite quickly after searching "rent a room form" in Google. The rental agreement form has everything on there, with extra room for additional items, that I need to put rules in place. Given that he is willing to pay cash every month, there is no need for a super form agreement, rather one that outlines rules for staying in the condominium and my unit. So this should do. 

There were a few items I wasn't sure of on the agreement form which were the Last Month's Rent and Security Deposit. This article explains it pretty well what the differences are and whether you should fill it out or not. To be safe, it is probably best to collect a security deposit if you live in a condo given that if appliances and the space in the unit is shared, you never know when things would break. It is best, in my opinion, to collect the month's rent at the beginning of every month. 

That wasn't hard... this will help with a good chunk of my bills... now... let's hope he cooperates...

just kidding!! =D

Shag Rugs!

I never thought rugs were that expensive until I started looking. Guess that's the case with anything, and if anything looks cheap, you buy it and it will seem expensive so you keep looking for deals. Ahh!

This image inspired me a little bit... I think it's a really awesome layout and I want a similar rug and coffee table in my living room.

I've decided to look for one that is of darker shade to compliment to light coloured floor tiles and wall. Brown would be nice if I can find one.

So I did a few Google searches and this is what I able to gather for places in the local area...

Home Depot - $399 for 8x10
Canadian Tire - $89.99 for 5x7
Costco - $429.99 for 8x5
Sears - $249.99 for 5x7

It's amazing how far apart the prices are for just a few feet more (some probably say that's a lot). My space will probably take a 5x7 without laying it under the couch. If I wanted my couch to go over it, I will need a 8x10.

This is a to do item for this weekend... or later this week if I have the time. If you know of any other rug locations to check out let me know! :) Keep you posted!

Taking possession! A few bumps in the road...

Finally got some time to write a post… it’s been a busy week with visits to the lawyer office, painting, and moving. This will be a short post but hopefully with things setting in place over the next little while (i.e. internet) then I’ll have a bit more time to write more.

Thursday (September 1, 2011) was “THE day” that I got possession of the unit and picked up my keys! I decided to take a week off starting Thursday after work with hopes that it will make the transition in more smooth, and it did.

So I headed over to the lawyers office to sign the final papers and to pick up the key to my place. Everything went smooth and I didn't have to stay very long (10 minutes tops).

Afterwards I met with my parents at the new place. My unit is on the 26th floor, out of 29 floors in my building. When we go there, I put the key in, turned it, and it didn’t turn… bizarre… we tried both locks and nothing. So it was true… the owner had given my lawyer the wrong keys! I would have thought that the chances of that happening to someone was slim, and it probably is, I was just very unlucky.

I called the Lawyer right away after I figured I was locked out from my home and he immediately called the old owner's lawyer. He got through and said that he had turned in the wrong key, one that looks identical to the one for the condo. Argh!

So 1 hour later, the owner came and handed the keys over. I was upset, but after I took the real keys, I was more relieved than upset. The owner stuck around the explained a few things about the unit, which was very nice of him. If he hadn't come, I would have probably had to discover a bunch of the things he told me; reserving the elevator for moving, overnight guest parking, etc. on my own. It’s rare, and probably won’t happen (from what others told me) for the old owner to meet the new owner. Hmmm.. well it happened in my case.

My cousins popped by that evening and brought over a bunch of gifts (thank you cousins!). There was not much to show and tell, because the unit was completely empty with no furniture. But I was thrilled and really appreciated them helping me out. Things like dish detergent, Lysol, and toilet paper I didn't think of getting yet, but much needed when I begin to settle in. It will definitely save me a bunch of trips back and forth to the grocery store. I find with that too, I’ll just need to ‘refill’ things I run out. Mmm J

There you have it! I’m hoping no one else gets handed the wrong keys… it was quite… upsetting at first, but glad things worked out!