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Stick to the Plan: Part II

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On Saturday I had planned a full court press. Now that I had the tools in place, once I finished my morning at the gym (the 8 am boot camp, my Tai Chi class and a 10:30 massage client) I was going to go home and tackle the yard. Bronwyn comes in with Samantha every Saturday morning. Samantha attends my boot camp for her third workout of the week and Bronwyn cleans the gym. I’ve mentioned before her obsession with horses and this job is part of her efforts to raise money for that future steed. After our gym work,… Read More »

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Stick to the Plan: Part I

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This weekend is not what I would call my best. The weather was perfect. In fact it couldn’t have been better. But as I look back on it I realize that it was just a little off from the beginning and the fault for all of it lies squarely at my feet. It all comes, you see, from not “sticking to the plan.” Two weeks ago I couldn’t get my push mower to start. The weedeater wouldn’t cooperate either. I spent some time futzing with both of them and decided my time was more valuable than my money in this… Read More »

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April Fool

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So, I’ve been absent for a few weeks and for that I apologize. It is not I assure you from lack of work on the farm, more a shift of writing priorities and spending more time on the Agoge Fitness Systems blog and my gym business. Since I last posted here I finished editing a book on weight loss, attended a transformational workshop in St. Petersburg, Florida and still manged to keep things moving on the farm. Oh yeah, I also kept my business afloat and trained my clients. So what’s been happening at the Acre? The weekend after my… Read More »

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Strengthology 101: Part IV

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Often when someone returns from a trip abroad or somewhere significant we want to know things like, “What was your most memorable moment?” or “What was the coolest thing you saw?” I think a better question is, “How have you changed?” or “What’s different now that you’re back?” It’s cool to go away and see stuff we’ve never seen before, go places we’ve never been but the experience itself is fleeting.  Once it’s gone it’s gone, no matter how many pictures you take.  So the real take away from travel or any other similar experience is how that experience has… Read More »

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Strengthology 101: Part III

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It’s Thursday morning after the cert and my forearms are healing. It kinda makes me sad. Stone loading does quite a number of the soft (virginal, in my case) skin of your forearms. I came home with two three inch long scrapes, badges of honor, that everyone wanted to know about. “What did you do to your arms?” I felt like Caine from Kung Fu after he moves the brazier to leave the temple, a dragon and a tiger permanently branded into his forearms. I had a mark that set me apart and spoke of my accomplishments. Oh well, that’s… Read More »

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Strengthology 101: Part II

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This is the second time I’ve been in St. Petersburg. Both times I’ve been struck by the people I met and the relationships I’ve built. As a trainer and a massage therapist I’ve attended several certs and workshops hosted by a variety of experts, each with a substantial following. Never do I see the excitement and connection that takes place with Elliott’s followers. It’s not just that we’re all in the same field and have similar interests. I have that with other trainers and therapists. At those certs we enjoy each other’s company but once the cert is over it’s… Read More »

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Strengthology 101: Part I

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The soreness is starting to settle in and with it a profound sense of accomplishment. I spent this past weekend with my mentor, Elliott Hulse, at his gym in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was a wild ride of knowledge, lifting, brotherhood, alpha males and Ireland. The reason I was in St. Petersburg was Elliott’s Strengthology 101 certification. This is the first of several posts about this weekend. I’m eager to get this out so I will just let it flow, stream of consciousness style, and as such I have no idea how many parts this will have. I’ll let you… Read More »

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Tribute

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lK4cX5xGiQ&ob=av2e] This is not the greatest blog post in the world. This is a tribute. I was writing earlier today what was summing up to be one of my best posts. I was on fire this morning, writing with wit and candor and, trust me, you would have loved it. Unfortunately I did something funky with my thumb in the mousepad area of my laptop and it all just disappeared. I tried several things to recover it but, since I couldn’t even access the word processing program, I rebooted and lost it all. It’s too bad, it really was rather… Read More »

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Zen and the Art of Truck Maintenance

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Man, I did a lot this weekend. That’s not really bragging either more just a statement of fact. As I look back from Monday morning, I’m actually kind of impressed with myself. Not in the, “Oh my god you’re awesome, Dave” kinda way, but more in the, “Hm, good job, Dave” kinda way. Personally, I think that’s a great way to roll into Monday morning. Meet Monday with a list of accomplishments already under your belt and the week starts off with a momentum that just carries you along nicely. And if I decide sometime midweek that I need a… Read More »

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Tai Chi’s Back

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First, an announcement. Beginning this Saturday, February 11, 2012, I am starting up a new Tai Chi Chuan (taijiquan) class. Many of you may know that I’ve taught tai chi for many years and those of you who know me better will know that it was tai chi that started my fitness and personal growth career. It is only in the last year that I’ve not taught a class of some kind. I stopped last year when my father was sick, as I needed more time to devote to him and his care. Since his death it has taken me… Read More »

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Covered Feeder

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If you’ve been following my sporadic postings you know that the goats, Honey and Harriet, have eaten most, if not all, of the privet and wisteria available to them in the area I brought them back to clear. That means they’ve eaten all that they can reach or all that they’re willing to eat. A goat’s reputation for eating anything is, I’m sad to report, somewhat exaggerated. This reputation, I think, stems from their willingness to eat things other ruminants won’t. Cows and horses and sheep prefer pasture, grass. Goats will live off pasture but what they really like are… Read More »

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Just Who Do You Think You Are?

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“Just who do you think you are?” My mother asked me this many times growing up. Usually it was in the context of giving me a dressing down. Basically jumping my shit for something I had done that she didn’t like. The appropriate answer, of course, was, “Nothing.” “Nobody.” “A worm.” The whole point was to break me down, to make me feel bad about what I’d done and to recognize that she was bigger, badder and meaner than me.  And above all else below her. It’s this and other things that explain why we don’t talk anymore. But it’s… Read More »