Daily News Archives
June 2004
06/30/2004 - Good back/bicep workout; The mental side of dealing with long-term injuries.
06/29/2004 - Another month of physical therapy starts this morning.
06/28/2004 - Typical busy Monday ahead + dentist.
06/27/2004 - Shoulder pain cancels workout; Sunday plans.
06/26/2004 - GPS system installed in S2000; WiFi; Upper body weight training.
06/25/2004 - Legs STILL sore; My upcoming vacation; Friday & weekend plans.
06/24/2004 - Legs still sore; iPAQs & Bluetooth & GPS (oh my!)
06/23/2004 - Another month of physical therapy; Swirl marks.
06/22/2004 - Work is kicking my butt, but at least I can lift weights!
06/21/2004 - Another Monday, another busy day ahead.
06/20/2004 - Car detailing; Extra cheat meal; Pre-beach cutting cycle.
06/19/2004 - Legs are killing me; Our new cars are fully detailed and trimmed out!
06/18/2004 - First lower body workout in 6 weeks; Shoulder physical therapy.
06/17/2004 - No surgery at this time; Can resume strength training (with limits).
06/16/2004 - Going to my orthopedic doctor this morning.
06/15/2004 - Working my biceps and back today!
06/14/2004 - S2000 pictures.
06/13/2004 - There's an S2000 in my garage.
06/12/2004 - So sore; Car shopping.
06/11/2004 - I did a pecs/delts/triceps workout last night.
06/10/2004 - Arthroscopic surgery imminent?
06/09/2004 - First ab workout in six weeks; New site features.
06/08/2004 - My hernia ordeal is finally over; Last week of shoulder physical therapy.
06/07/2004 - Tough day ahead; Follow-up on hernia surgery.
06/06/2004 - New web site is a success; First new pictures in almost 6 weeks.
06/05/2004 - The new web site is live!
06/04/2004 - Web site framework has been handed off to me - the new web site coming soon!
06/03/2004 - Shoulder physical therapy (it's actually feeling pretty good!)
06/02/2004 - Site changes.
06/01/2004 - Shoulder physical therapy.
June 30, 2004
I had a great back and bicep workout yesterday afternoon. I'll probably continue to do weight training workouts in the afternoon for the next month because I can't strength train right after my physical therapy sessions: I have to ice down my shoulder as soon as I get home, and by the time I'm done with that it's time for me to get to work.
Even after an hour of physical therapy and a fairly heavy back/bicep workout, my shoulder feels solid this morning! I sure hope my shoulder continues to improve because my pecs need a lot of work. It's been very tough not being able to work on them. In fact, not being able to train to my full potential these past 7 months is as mentally difficult as anything I've been through when it comes to my transformation and fitness program. The uncertainty over the ultimate treatment for my shoulder combined with the length of time I've been out of action is very frustrating if I think about it too much. I'm just trying to take it one day at a time, and be thankful for all that I can still do. I'll get through this, no doubt about it. Many people have come through injuries a hundred times worse than my silly little shoulder injury. People like that, IMO, truly define mental toughness. They have my complete respect. I look to their grit and drive for motivation, and a reminder that I need to stay positive and never give up no matter how long it takes.
Ok, abs and cardio time. I'm pumped! Have a great day, see you tomorrow.
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June 29, 2004
I'll be going for another month of physical therapy starting this morning. My appointments are at 7:00 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you can expect very brief daily news update on those days for a while. I'm running late, so I'd better get moving. Have a good day!
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June 28, 2004
I've got an extra busy Monday ahead (one of my co-workers is out of town), plus I've got to take a couple hours off this afternoon for an appointment with my dentist. The rest of the day is going to be packed tight - but not so tight that I can't get my workout in, of course! It's cardio time - have a great day!
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June 27, 2004
I had some shoulder pain yesterday as soon as I started to lift. It wasn't an easy decision, but I decided it would be stupid to go on lifting. I have another month of physical therapy ahead, and I don't want to do anything that might derail my progress. It sure is going to suck if I wind up having surgery after all this...
After my workout was cancelled yesterday, I had to do something with all the extra energy so I washed cars and cleaned the house. Today I'll be doing yard work, but then I'm going to relax and play with my iPAQ or watch a DVD.
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June 26, 2004
I installed my GPS system in the S2000 yesterday. I took some photos this morning and updated my S2000 picture gallery with the new shots. There are three new pictures: 1 2 3.
I'm really happy with how the project turned out! I think it looks incredible, and everything works perfectly. No more getting lost!
One of the coolest thing about the 802.11b iPAQ is that no matter where I go there are usually several wireless networks running wide open with absolutely no security--not even WEP. They
are usually broadcasting their SSID and running DHCP, so I literally don't have to do anything to get online. Heh. I just jump on, create a VPN back to my home network and do
whatever I need to do online. Yesterday I was driving around through a bunch of neighborhoods near my house and no matter where I went, I always had Internet access.
I was sitting in my optometrist's office yesterday bored out of my mind while waiting for her to come in and give me my yearly eye exam. I grabbed my iPAQ and
sure enough there was a WiFi access point running wide open. I jumped on and browsed the forums while I waited. 
Time to lift some weights. I can't wait! See ya...
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June 25, 2004
The longest my legs have ever been sore after a workout is ten days. That happened when I first started strength training, way back in early 2003. I may break that "record" because today is the 9th day since my June 17th lower body workout and I'm still sore! I was so happy I could lift again that I gave myself an extra tough workout.
Yesterday I gave my abs a serious pummeling, so today I'm feeling the pain there as well. I'm excited about tomorrow's pecs/delt/tricep workout - I
hope my shoulder holds up ok. Must... refrain from... lifting... too much. 
Lisa and I are getting pretty excited about our upcoming vacation. It's been so long since I've gotten away from it all that I'll probably answer my cell phone every time I hear a seagull. I'm still trying to decide if the satisfaction of skipping my pager across the water like a stone is worth the expense of having to replace it. The decision will likely come down to how much Ketel One I have in me when it eventually goes off (and it will go off). If I do toss it, I'll get it on video.
Ah Friday! A nice cheat meal tonight, followed by a weekend of zooming around town with the top down. I haven't seen any other black S2000s in Orlando, so if you are in Orlando and see one, it's probably me. Be sure and say "hi", or at least flip me off.
Cardio time. Have a good day!
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June 24, 2004
My shoulder physical therapy doesn't resume until this coming Tuesday, and my legs are still sore from last Thursday's lower body workout (my first since the hernia surgery), so today I think I'll do some cardio and ab work.
Lisa and I will be on vacation from July 10th through July 18th. In all Likelihood the web site won't be updated during that time - at least not every day. Even though I won't be on the net much while I'm on vacation, I have to be able to stay "connected" in case there is an emergency at work. I really don't want to take my laptop, so I broke down and finally bought a Pocket PC - the HP iPAQ 4355. It has integrated 802.11b and Bluetooth, and a built-in thumb keyboard which should be useful when I have to SSH into my servers using PocketPuTTY.
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I have a terrible sense of direction. I'm constantly getting turned around when I'm driving away from my regular routes. Once again, technology comes to the rescue: I went ahead and purchased a Bluetooth GPS Navigation System for the iPAQ. I've heard good things about the Belkin BT GPS receiver, but I don't know how good the software is that comes with it. I think it's a branded version of Intellinav. Has anyone used that GPS software? It might be very good, so I guess I'll try it and if it doesn't work out I'll go with a 3rd-party software like Mapopolis, Tom Tom or Co-Pilot.
The other big issue was how to mount the iPAQ in the car. I didn't want to stick anything on the dash or the windshield, and in the S2000 using a vent-mount would interfere with the car's controls. I did some searching and found the perfect mounting solution: the Arkon CM509 Powered Multimedia Gooseneck iPAQ mount. This thing
mounts to the left front passenger seat bolt, and has a flexible gooseneck so the PDA can be positioned any number of ways (or hidden) with ease. The actual mount is powered and has a built-in speaker which is 8 times as loud as the speaker in the iPAQ. This is great, because I'll
be able to hear voice directions at highway speeds with the top down. I can also wire the whole thing into the main stereo system if I want. Getting lost and staying connected while I'm away should not be a problem! Now I just need a Bluetooth cell phone so I can browse the forums while I'm driving. . God, I'm such a electronic gadget nut...
Time to work my abs and get a sweat going on the elliptical. Have a great day!
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June 23, 2004
My insurance company approved me for another month of shoulder physical therapy. Making the time to go is a pain, but the therapy does seem to be helping quite a bit. I'll still be going on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I have to be there by 7:00 AM, so you can expect brief daily news updates on those mornings for a while longer.
This morning I'm taking the S2000 to the dealer (again) so they can fix the swirl marks they created while prepping the car for delivery. I know I could probably get them out myself, but I shouldn't have to - it's a brand new car! I've got to be there in an hour, so I'd better get the show on the road...
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June 22, 2004
Unfortunately things at work are even more busy than I predicted they would be. I'm going to cut this update short and get my workout in (back and biceps) before my phone, pager and Nextel start in on me. I don't really care how busy and stressful things get at work - at least I can lift weights again! I'm happy. I hope my shoulder continues to improve...
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June 21, 2004
I had a fun & relaxing weekend, but now it's time to get back to work. This week's going to be really busy and stressful. I'm going to go get on the elliptical for an hour and get my mind ready. Have a great day!
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June 20, 2004
Yesterday Lisa and I each went off to do our own things: she had her hair and nails done, while I went to the auto parts
store and loaded up on car care products. I re-detailed the S2000 yesterday afternoon
because the dealership did such a piss-poor job. There are swirl marks on the car because of the dealership's incompetent detailing
staff, and I'm pushing them to correct the problem. The micro-scratches really only show under very bright light, but still...
So at the end of the day we found ourselves tired and hungry. I sure didn't feel like cooking, it was a nice cool night, the
S2000 was polished and begging to go out and, of course, it was Saturday night. My willpower gave in, and before I could say "FATTENING!"
we were on our way to Chili's. I had Vodka on the rocks (Grey Goose & Ketel One are my favorites), a big BBQ
burger, fries, and couple of Sam Adams (they didn't have Red Stripe, which is what I really wanted). It was soooo good, and we had a great time.
I'm glad we went.
We are going on our beach vacation in July, so from today forward I'm going to be doing a minor cutting cycle. With the exception of my Friday cheat meals, I'll be eating very carefully and ramping up my cardio a bit. I want to look as tight as I can when I hit the beach.
Cardio and yard work time (assuming the rain doesn't roll in - it looks like it is going to storm soon). Enjoy the rest of the weekend - see you tomorrow!
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June 19, 2004
My legs and glutes hurt even more today than they did yesterday - this is probably as sore as they have ever been.
Today I'm doing more of a slow, awkward hobble instead of anything resembling walking. When I try to sit down it takes
like 45 minutes and a tremendous amount of swearing. It's about time - I've been waiting to feel like this again for almost
two months! The soreness feels awesome! I am going to have to switch my day of
rest around because there's no way I could do cardio this morning. I'll do it tomorrow instead.
Lisa and I have had the Civic and the S2000 for a full week,
and we're both still 110% pleased with our choices. The Civic spent Thursday at the dealer so the new rims, the spoiler,
the body side molding, the brushed aluminum interior accent plates, the leather-wrapped steering wheel and the locking lug nuts
could be installed. Those few changes made a huge difference in the car's overall appearance, and it looks very sporty with
its "Arrest Me Red" paint job. My S2000 is at the dealer right now getting a complete, comprehensive detailing and some
additional security options installed. I'll be picking it up in a few hours. If
it doesn't rain, I'm going to try and scope out a scenic place to take some well-composed pictures of both cars. They sure
look sweet sitting next to each other! The only downside to having a convertible is the sun. I think I'm going to have to start
wearing a hat because I can't bring myself to put the S2000's top up, despite the fact that my forehead is burnt to a crisp.
The S2000 really has to be driven with the top down. As they say, if you have to put the S2000's top up because of the weather,
then the storm better have a name.
June 18, 2004
Yesterday's workout, my first lower body workout since my hernia operation, went very well. Now I can barely walk, and every muscle in my body is officially sore (even my pecs, delts and triceps, which I worked one week ago!)
I've got shoulder physical therapy this morning (a different day than usual because my normal therapist is on vacation). My shoulder is still feeling really good, and I hope the improvement continues! I feel like I'm finally over the hump. I've got to get over to the rehab center now. Take care and have a great Friday!
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June 17, 2004
I met with my orthopedic doctor yesterday and he said I'm making good progress and does not want me to have surgery yet. He wants me to go for another 2 weeks of physical therapy, and then continue doing all the P.T. exercises at home for another month. At the end of July I'll go see him again. Because my shoulder is feeling so much better, I get to resume strength training as long as there is no pain! I can't go insane with the weight, but at least it's something!
It's time for my first lower body workout since my hernia surgery, then I've got a meeting at work to go to. Hope your day is a good one, see you tomorrow!
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June 16, 2004
I've got an early morning appointment with my orthopedic doctor today. Even after yesterday's weight training workout my shoulder still feels pretty damn good! I'm going to ask him if I can continue to work out for a month or so and see how I do before we talk surgery.
I've got to get going now - have a great day!
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June 15, 2004
I'm going to go ahead and do a back/bicep weight training workout this morning and see how my shoulder does. Surprisingly it feels pretty good even after last Thursday's pec/tri/delt test workout. I wonder if all that therapy really did help? I'll know more after I see my orthopedic doctor tomorrow. It sure would be nice to avoid surgery, but I'm not going to get my hopes up yet.
Well, I'm off to lift some weights! I hope you have a great day - see you tomorrow.
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June 14, 2004
Me and Lisa spent all day yesterday driving around in the new car with the top down. Now we both have a little bit of a farmer's sunburn. We stopped off at Lisa's parents' house and I took a few pictures of the S2000 while we were there.
I've got a crazy work day ahead, and a dentist appointment to top everything else off. Oh well, at least I'll have fun
driving there.
June 13, 2004
After a long, but very fun & exciting day of test driving cars, I finally decided on the S2000. I'll try to post some pictures later today if I can slow down long enough to snap a few shots.
I have to resist the overwhelming urge to put the top down and go for a sunrise drive to the coast because there is a lot of yard work
to be done this morning. I'm going to go get it out of the way right now so I can feel free to play this afternoon.
Have a great day!
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June 12, 2004
I'm even more sore from Thursday's (perhaps ill-advised) upper body workout today than I was yesterday. My shoulder feels no worse than it normally does, so maybe doing the workout was not such a bad idea after all. I have no idea when or if I'll be having surgery, but it may be at least a month because I can't let the surgery or the recovery interfere with our vacation which is in less than a month and already paid for. When I see my orthopedic doctor on Wednesday I'm going to ask him if it's ok for me to continue strength training up until the surgery (assuming that's the route we go). I don't see what harm it could do as long as I don't overdo it. We'll see the doctor has to say...
Today Lisa and I are going to go look at cars. It's time to get rid of the Grand Caravan. The van was a nice match for the old me, but now I want something more fitting for who I am today. On the short list is the 2004 Mustang GT Convertible and the Nissan 350Z. If you have any other suggestions along these lines (sports cars in the $30k price range), feel free to post 'em in the Off-Topic forum!
Cardio time. Have a great day!
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June 11, 2004
Last night I was sitting around thinking about how bad it sucks that I still have shoulder pain after all the treatment I've undergone over the last 6 or 7 months. I also couldn't stop thinking about how badly I wanted to do an upper body workout. Facing almost certain surgery, I finally said to myself "Oh, to hell with it. If they have to cut me to fix my shoulder, then what have I got to lose at this point? I know it's not a rotator tear, it's impingement so if I do a workout then everything will be nice and inflamed and that will reduce the chance that the doctors will miss whatever is wrong when they go in for a look. So, YEAH! I'll actually be helping the doctors."
Logical? Sure! ...eh, ok, maybe not. Definitely questionable logic (at best). Anyway, last night I thought my idea made perfect sense so I worked my pecs, delts and triceps. I did lots of warm up sets, and worked my way up to moderately heavy weights. I did bench presses, incline dumbbell presses, bar dips (not weighted!), lateral raises, military presses, standing tricep extensions and bench dips. By the end of the workout my shoulder was not feeling too hot (not horrible, but some amount pain). The joy I was feeling from the pump and the workout far outweighed any pain I was feeling in my shoulder. After my workout I iced the shoulder down for about 20 minutes, and that helped a lot. I could barely lift my arms by the time I went to bed (due to the workout, not from any shoulder pain!) This morning my whole upper body is sore, including my abs thanks to Wednesday's workout. It sure feels great to be sore again.
So, how's my shoulder this morning? It's actually ok. There's a little pain, but it's really not too bad--especially considering what I did last night. It was a pretty light workout, so at least now I know that I'll never be rid of this problem until the inflamed bursa is removed and/or they fix whatever is causing the impingement. I'm glad I did the workout. I needed it badly. I can't wait until I can resume my training again without worrying about such things.
Happy Friday, I hope you enjoy your day!
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June 10, 2004
Just a quick "hello" before I head out the door for my early morning physical therapy. I'm going back to my orthopedic doctor on Wednesday, June 16. Unless a miracle happens before that time, I expect I'll be discussing arthroscopic surgery with him. So be it - I just want the shoulder fixed so I can start lifting again!
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June 9, 2004
I'm all excited because this morning I get to do my first ab workout since my hernia operation six weeks ago! My abs
are going to be unbelievably sore for at least the next 3-4 days, and I'm totally looking forward to the pain.
As you can see from the welcome message above, this site now knows you by your forum username (if you are a registered member and
you are still being called a "guest", then just follow the easy instructions above to reset your cookie for use with the new system.)
Over time this whole site will be customized to give forum members a different experience than non-forum members.
The possibilities are fun to think about, and that's just what I'm doing.
Time to work out, and then I'm off to the office for meetings. Oh joy.
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June 8, 2004
I saw my surgeon yesterday and, as expected, was given the go-ahead to resume weight training and ab workouts on Monday, June 14th! I'm glad the whole hernia ordeal is finally behind me. Unfortunately I'm still dealing with my shoulder injury, but the physical therapy seems to be helping (albeit slowly). I only have one more week of physical therapy left before I see my orthopedic doctor again, and I'm afraid he's going to tell me that I need surgery. Obviously that's that last thing I want, so let's hope this is productive week of P.T. for me...
Speaking of physical therapy, it's time for me to get to the rehab center. Have a great day, see you tomorrow!
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June 7, 2004
Work issues this morning. I'm glad I already got my cardio in because today is going to be a long one, and it starts right now.
I do have to go to my surgeon this afternoon for my (almost) 6-week follow up on my hernia operation. Hopefully I'll get the "all clear" to start lifting weights and this Thursday will be leg day again!
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June 6, 2004
To say that the new site has been well received would be quite an understatement! So far I've heard nothing but positive comments, and there's only been a couple reports of very minor technical issues. Considering how much has changed, that's pretty amazing. If you or your company is in need of professional web site design services and/or an ultra-powerful & flexible Content Management System (CMS), please keep the pros at Hipercom in mind. You won't be disappointed with their work.
As you can see I've posted my first pictures since April 28, 2004 (the day of my hernia operation). They are not that great. I put on about two pounds of fat since the April 28th shots were taken, and I still can't flex too hard. I'm surprised that I only put on two pounds because I relaxed my diet quite a bit and have been unable to lift weights at all. Actually I think I like how I look with the extra couple of pounds on me. Anyway, tomorrow I'm going back to my surgeon for my 6-week follow-up, and I expect to get the go-ahead to resume weight training. Of course I'll only be able to do lower body workouts thanks to my shoulder, but next month's pictures should be better.
Today I'll be doing lots of cleaning and work around the house, but hopefully I'll have time to do a little tweaking to the site and take in a DVD with Lisa later this afternoon. Have a great day!
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June 5, 2004
John Stone Fitness finally has its long overdue facelift! First and foremost I want to thank Sverre ("Duckman") and the rest of the development team over at Hipercom for all their hard work. I'm really happy with the new design; I think they did a terrific job. I'm sure you will find the site more useful than ever and much easier to navigate. It's certainly easier on the eyes!
The only thing that is not 100% finished is the Daily News Archive. It's going to take me quite a bit of time to get all that news transferred to the new format, but I didn't want to hold up the launch of the site for that. Right now May 2004 and June 2004 are the only months that I've completed. The rest of the history will be posted over the next week or so.
This is just the beginning. I've got lots of cool ideas for the site, so watch for them! Your comments & suggestions are encouraged. Also, feel free to let me know if you are have having any problems with the new site. Please post your comments on the forum in this thread (registration required).
Thanks for your support! Enjoy!
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June 4, 2004
The framework for the new web site has finally been completed and handed off to me! I'll be working over the weekend getting
all the existing content re-formatted for use with the new web design. It's going to be a lot of work, but
you can expect to see the new site live very soon. Sverre ("Duckman")
did a great job on the graphics, menu and layout so I think you are all going to love this. I can hardly stand to look at the
existing site now!
I'm going to go get my cardio and shoulder exercises in so I can get my work done as quickly as possible - I want to start working on the new site!
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June 3, 2004
I'm rushing around because I've got shoulder physical therapy in about 30 minutes. Just two more sessions to go after today. My shoulder actually feels pretty good this morning!
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June 2, 2004
I've been giving it some thought and have decided that the daily and weekly pictures are going remain on hold. I'll continue to update the site every day with Daily News and stats, and I will continue to post monthly pictures on the 6th of each month, but the daily pictures are a simply a waste of time at this point because I'm just maintaining my current physique while my shoulder heals. Hey, they had to stop at some point, right? I can't keep taking daily pictures for the rest of my life! I think 479 days in a row without missing a single day did a good job of getting the point across.
Now, once I can lift again I will probably go back to at least weekly pictures, and perhaps even daily. But right now I want to focus my energies on adding new features and getting the new site up, so don't worry -- this site is going to continue to grow and be useful!
Cardio time. Have a great day!
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June 1, 2004
I've got shoulder physical therapy this morning and am running late as usual. Have a great day!
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Web design and development by Sverre Sjothun
