Talk To Me Johnny

I've been busy, so I haven't had the opportunity to do much writing, but I'm going to try and do a better job of posting some good content, and stuff worth watching/reading

I got sent a link to a very interesting/entertaining blog called Talk To Me Johnny and an article written about some of the more serious training facilities in the country, both past and present. It's a good read and I'll try and be better about posting some more content in the future.

Here's the link for the article:

Talk To Me Johnny - Mecca of Power

Also, the zombie preparation articles are an interesting read.

Hilarious! A must Watch

Tire Flipping: 101

I got a text message Sunday afternoon.

"I am thinking about flipping the tire 100 times tomorrow. you want in?"
From:Zack Roberts
5:28pm 8/22/10

I reply.

"I am training in the morning"
From: Zac Boman
5:30pm 8/22/2010

He says...

"Word"
From: Zack Roberts
5:32pm 8/22/2010

So, I hadn't decided to do the hundred rep challenge with Roberts as I left for the gym. I had actually planned to do some dynamic effort box squats with bands at a certain percentage of an estimated max and other very sciencey training with complicated sets and reps and loading and gadgetry all designed to make me look smart and trick my training partners into thinking I knew what I was doing.

I pull up to the compound and sure enough Zack was already there and I helped him roll the tire out on the gravel drive to begin his quest. And something in me just wanted to do it too. "Are you gonna flip the tire Boman?" he asked, I said "I think I am."I then ditched all my complex training plans for something simple and straightforward task of flipping a 540lb. tire 100 times. To complicate matters I had about an hour to do it. So, we decided to work in sets of five with ~2 minutes of rest in between sets. Then it began. The first fifteen were cake, barely even broke a sweat. The next fifteen started the water works, and then the next fifteen had us wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. By 7am we were both sitting at 50 flips. Things start going down hill from there.

The tire literally became soaked with sweat. The hand holds were caked with sweat and dirt. And you had to talk yourself into every flip. We coated ourselves in chalk. We reached 70.

At 80, my grip was going, my shoulders were chewed up like I had been front squatting a roll of barbed wire, and me, Roberts, and the tire were suffering. The sun by this time had broken over the trees. its 7:23am.

I needed to get this over with, so I decided to do a set of 7,7 and 6 brining me to 100 and getting me home and showered. I wrestled 7 over for the two sets. And finally came the last set. I finished the 6 and then did one more just to show it who was boss. 101.

I had jumped slightly in front of Robert's he was working to get to 90. I had to leave before he finished. I knew he would flip to 102 just to say he did more than me. I had trouble opening doors the rest of the day, My fingers weren't fully functional for about 12hrs. My entire body is sore today, and it's kind of nice. You set a goal and you don't stop till it's done. Again, one of the nice things about having a place to call your own.

I get another text message close to lunch -

"111"
From Zack Roberts
8:03am

"you jerk"
From Zac Boman
11:32am

"Lol go back and do 112 tomorrow"
From Zack Roberts
11:34am


No, I don't think I will.

Happy Birthday Precious Girl

I missed the birth of my daughter. A reality that haunts me as the fact that Rebekah was not naturally born to us seems more and more foreign with each passing day. Worst of all, I don't know where I was or what I was doing August 23rd, 2007. I would give anything to remember. I would like to think that I paused for a moment and things felt different, or I woke up in the middle of the night wondering what had disturbed my sleep. I doubt such romantic or supernatural a thing happened, but I wish it did.

The last five months have flown by. I don't know where the time has gone. And it is hard to believe that in December it will have been a year since we sat in the stern orphanage director's office in south Russia and had placed in our lap a crying, underfed, frightened little girl with a social history that, frankly, scared us to death. It was enough to make two naive parent wannabes almost turn tail and run... but because of God's faithfulness we didn't.

That little girl who, 9 months ago, terrified us and convinced us we were about to ruin our lives, is now asleep in her very own room right next to ours, and part of me is hoping she wakes up just so Allison and I can go in there and tell her we are here, always, and she is safe.

We put her to bed tonight as a two year old for the last time. My heart breaks as I think about all we missed. Allison said only moments ago "I wish I could have seen what she looked like when she was a little baby", just one of the many phrases that make me want to invest everything I own into developing a working time machine. I am determined to make sure we don't miss another thing from the girl who has changed our lives, for the better, forever.

I could go on and on about what a treasure she is, how she has come to life and is nothing like the hollow, somber child we met in December, and how God Masterfully purposed in eternity past to accomplish this thing in our lives for His Glory, but it's late and I need to shed a few more tears over the fact that time is already moving to fast and my little girl is growing up. Happy Birthday Rebekah, you are a treasure to your Mother and Father's heart, we love you.