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Start of a new Challenge

So this past Saturday I was out with some friends and a new challenge was issued. Can Frank be a vegetarian for 1 year. Of course being the drunken fool that I am, I immediately accepted. So starting 7/27 I will be going 100% sans meat.

Now there is very little thought amoungst my friends that I can actually do this, however I am committed to experience new foods and live a meatless life. So here are my ground rules:

No red meat
No white meat
No seafood
I can eat eggs though.

So as today is my last day of meat eating for 2009, I devored a handful of bacon, a 1/2 lb burger and enough chicken enchilladas to hopefully last me until 2010. I will update this blog every other day or so with my successes or failures and what I am finding that is good in non-meat land.

Thanks guys and check back to see what is new.

Long Awaited Transformation Update

So.. I have been kicking my own butt around the gym the last 3 months.. here are the stats:

Weight - 223.5 lbs...

I still have 23 pounds yet to go, but I am feeling pretty good. I have been through 4 belts already, and am already on the look out for a new belt.. anyone have any good suggestions?

I recently purhased a road bike and am now up to about 35-40 miles per ride.. its a great workout plus you see some great real estate. I will post some new pics of myself later on... until then you will just have to make do with your imagination.

Transformation update 1

So here is a quick update with my progress:

Weight 251
Pant Size 38

I have changed a bit of my workout routine:

Day 1
Cardio (25 mins)
Deltoids
Lats
Abs

Day 2
Cardio (25 mins)
Biceps
Triceps
Calfs

Day 3
Cardio (25 mins)
Chest
Back
Hams/Quads

Day 4
Cardio (25mins)
Abs

Another good suggestion I got was to start a journal, which hopefully I can just do on this blog. I will also start taking body measurements around my bicep, chest, waist and thigh. At some point, I will probably stop losing weight in which case these measurements will help show progress.

So far so good..

Body Transformation Journal

Hey Guys

Long time.. but the focus of the blog is going to be changing from a life kind of updates to my body transformation journal. I am started working out 6 days a week and trying to eat much better.. ie here is my out lawed list of stuff:

NO:
Fast food (anything that does not get served with metal silverware)
Soda
Candy
Chocolate
Any type of desert really

Eating more of:
Fruit
Veggies

Plus here my weekly workout plan. At first I am focusing on dumping the extra weight (about 60 pounds) and then building the muscle. I am about 6ft tall.

Day 1:
20 mins cardio (working toward 5K distance for short term goal)
Biceps
Triceps
Deltoids
Traps

Day 2:
20 mins cardio
Chest
Back
Abs

Day 3:
20 mins cardio
Quads
Cafs
Hamstrings

Repeat with day 7 being an off day.

Current weight 260, pant size 38
Goal weight 200, pant size 34

I will update weekly...

Life Update for the Big Indian

So in the next couple days I will officially make my off program job choice. For those who don't know the past 2 years I have been in a training program that rotated me through GE Healthcare and the US. It was a pretty fun ride, brought me out to South Carolina, DC, NYC, Indianapolis, Chicago and all sorts of other fun places. As I was working through this decision in my head, I came to realize its the first real decision I have had to make. I didn't as most people dont, have much choice over my high school. College wasn't much of a choice, gotten in to only 2 schools, and only was really financially viable. My internship with GE was the first offer I got, I actually cancelled all the other interviews. I got my offer for the training program in September of my Senior year.. no other interviewing was done. This time its different.

I got two great opporunties... I won't talk specifics because I feel like I have talked through them way to much over the last couple days. Explaining them to all my friends and family. The general concensus is that there is only one choice. From the outside, one of the jobs is far and away a better opportunity both professionally but mostly personally. It would require hours, but not to much more then my 40. I could work from home or remotely, I would have a ton of flexibility when it came to when and how I worked, and the manager of the team seems to have a lot of time devoted to development and mentoring. All of these are huge pluses that everyone I have talked makes it the job to choose. The other one is a little bit more difficult. Its the dream job of its kind though. The hours would be long, possibly 7 days a week going into the end of the year, demanding working enivironment with a staff that is truly understaffed. It would require tireless hours, percision, tough decisions and a high level of emotional and phyiscal committment. The manager, all be it a great guy - intellgent, on top of his game, and someone who really cares, just doesn't have as much time to mentor and develop his employees as the other does. This role is all work and little recognition outside of the group.. but everyday I would come home with a sense of accomplishment of success, of contribution. I have done a job similar, so I know the vast unnotice rewards. I am not sure I am just trying to be noble by defending it, but as I started to lean toward the first mentioned role, I got sick to my stomach. It just doesn't feel right to turn down this one. Maybe its the job I was meant to do, maybe its the job that I feel I have been building thus far for, maybe its just because I feel like after 2 years on a manufacturing training program I need and owe it to myself to take a role in manufacturing, but maybe its just pure stupidity thinking that its noble and giving to take a job I know will be tougher, when I can make the same doing a lot less with much less stress.

All I know is as things progress, I am not sure what to do. The clarity I had yesterday has somewhat turned into regret today. Its weird because as much as I thought I knew myself, it seems I really don't, that in making this decision on what is the best for me personally, I am turning my back on who and what I am.. who and what I enjoy.. or maybe I am just blowing this out of proportion, I will have plenty of opportunities to make this kind of choice and to enjoy and regret it, to have jobs that kick you when your down, and have those you can do in 20 hours.

So I guess with what I thought was clarity, came confusion. What I thought a decision came a choice. I don't think I would regret taking the mfg job.. I can find the first job in 2 years again.. but will I regret taking the first job, knowing I could have done the mfg job?

Amsterdam and Munich

So... its been a while.. Eric and I got caught up in the excitement that is known as amsterdam. it was a pretty fun time. We did the Heinkien experience (did you Heine has their e trademarked its called a smiling e) the FOAM musemum a cool gallerz of foto art, and did the Anne frank house. I was amazed at the house, it was much bigger then I thought, but also housed 8 people. it was kinda cool to hear from people who actually lived through the holocaust and new her their thoughts on it (both her dad and her best friend contributed to the exhibit) Also her actually diay was there. As for the rest of the night time activities you will have to ask us personally.

Munich was very cold adn rainy when we got here.. no surprise I guess.. last week it was 24 celisus (78 F) but we arrive adn in comes the rain and cold. We took a night train from Amsterdam here, and as we got off two polezi come up to us and ask for our passports. they then take us to their on site station, ask for more ID, search our persons (no strip search ladies) and then search our bags for contraband.. none of which eric or I had thank god. After about 1 hour they let us go with a enjoy Munich and sorry bout the hassle. I can appreciate their position, but it still kinda sucked. funny story now though.

Boozing in Berlin

Berlin is a very unique city.. its old but yet also new. The archtecture is unbelievable... everything from gothic churches to new age structures.. the main train station itself is 5 stories.. and has trains on multiple different levels. its pretty sweet.

Eric and I have been amusing ourselves quite nicely with 2 euro kebaabs and drunk irish guys. our room has 6 of them.. which they tend to leave and shwo back up at 8 to 9 in the morning. kinda fun. We have managed to avoid the clubs in berlin which i hear is hard and stupid to do because they are awesome, but it sjust no our style. We got a walking tour tomorrow of the berlin, followed up with a train ride to yours and our favorite desitition... Amsterdamn

more ridiculousness to follow.

COPENHAGEN is wet

The internet blows here, the city is continuously changing its mind on whether it wants to be sunny or atleast dry or rainy and shitty. Eric and I have been caught in its mood swings twice in one day...

Other then weather concerns, the city aint to bad. People seem pretty nice, and the hostel we are staying at is huge.. prolly the biggest hostel I have ever seen. Its 18 stories and close to 6 beds per room, 13 to 14 rooms per floor. Has a large cafeteria and bar. seems like a new renovation or something.

out in the city, prolly the most interesting part of the city is christiania. kinda hard to explain, but say the US miltary closed the marines barracks in DC, but before they tore down the buildings, about 500 hippies moved in, declared it a free state, painted everything in pschodelic colors adn designs and mayde drugs legal. got it? now imagine the gov't just shrugs it's shoulders and looks the other way. well that's what happened in 1971 in copenhagen. nowadays though, the place looks like the scene in bratislava when they first arrive...a dog is gnawing on a human hand, an old lady is throwing human feces out teh window..basically a little unsettling.

outside of that, there are a lot of spiraling towers, fountains and monuments of old kings. BORING... then of course, there is teh carlsberg brewery, which, according to their own slogan, is "probably the best lager in the world" just probably. i know. weak. good beer though. will check in soon when we get dry and move our personal party bus to germany..

Dublin activities and Stockholm adventures...

So when last we left the story we were drunk in dublin.. shockingly enough that was pretty much the story of the rest of our stay in dublin. On Sunday we watched a Gaelic football game.. its a mixture of rugby and soccer, and it is very exciting. The game was the Ireland semi final between Dublin and Kerry.. it was a close and exciting game.. unfortunately eric and i didnt see any hooligan action that night. However we went out to temple bar which was pretty awesome and hung out with a bunch of irishmen drinking mdg and one canadian.

The next day we met up with Rohit and dan on their stop in dublin. We hit the town hard, did the jamo and guiness tours and then also hit up a backpacker pub crawl. I was a little hesistent to pay someone to show us the bars, but it turned out to be a pretty good time. When to a couple cooler pubs and then to a pretty nice lounge where rohit promised this irish guy to get him a job at NBC.. interesting since I dont think he knows anyone at NBC. Also we hung out with 3 candian guys.. Joey, Jimmy and Johnny. All three were awesome especially since they took the candian stereotype and exaggerated it all night.

The night ended with a drunken kebaab and talking to a US girl from NY.. this is when rohit attempted to hook me up with her, but totally missed the wedding ring and all her attempts to tell him she was married.

Our flight to stockholm was pretty uneventful, neither eric nor myself remember much of it. Stockholm itself takes a second to get orientated in, its a bunch of little island connected by walking and car bridges. Everything is very much in walking distance, and accessible. We had a great burger yesterday. Eric had the hot tuna, and I had the italian burger. both were excellent. Our next adventure lead us in search of a bar, not a club which turned out to be very difficult. we ended up running into this former irish pub that I guess just was sold to a swedish guy. The bartender was pretty cool, gave us some great clubs to go to.. which we passed on. but also some good things to do in Kopenhagen. Swedes are just as friendly as irish people.

We are off to Kopenhagen today by train.. so catch up with all you guys then.

dublin

soooooooooooooooooooooo

beer is soo much better in dublin.. by that I mean both guiness and smithwicks are more fresh when they are fresh... its amazing...

Irish people are also some of the most friendlynest

Need your addresses...

Hey

If you know me personally and want a postcard from europe.. or just want a post card from Europe.. email me or post your address on the blog:

email.. francis.antaoATgmail.com

Frank

Volleyball and Career Success...

Hello my name is Frank... And I am a volleyball Addict!

I love the game. It has become the highlight of my work week, playing on Tuesdays and on Thursdays. I never would have imagined. Now while I am still a work in progress from a skill stand point, it has truly been a lot of fun. The Tuesday team I play on is called "Da Big Indian and the Slammers" -- you can guess who the big Indian is. But its a blast just hitting the volleyball. Last Tuesday we lost 15-0. You should have seen the rejoicing when down 6-0 we scored our first point (granted the other team mis-hit the ball) but it was the first success the 6 invdividuals on my team had seen all night. There was much happiness. Granted we ended up losing that game 15-2 and lost the next 4 games but by the end it was at least some what competitive losing the last game 15-13.

My Thursday team is a little better. Our team name is actually - Team Cougar Bait.. however only half of our team is actually cougar bait, the other half are females, but we have a good time goofing off and occasionally do win a game or two. Really what it comes down to is not winning (although that is def a nice side effect) but every week we get a little bit better. Its only a matter of time before we break out as a team and really start to dominate the Tracks volleyball circuit -- after the Tracks.. we are on to the Olympics..

So its been a long time.. big updates..

So its been a long time since I posted.. sorry for that.. but my job search has started to heat up and I have another vacation planned.

For those were with me from the very beginning, and know why this started... I am going on another trip.. This time not by myself but rather with my good buddy Eric "The Buttram" Bertram. I am really excited. We are leaving August 25th arriving into Dublin, and heading back September 9th from Amsterdam. If you can imagine two weeks of non-stop fun tearing up all kinds of countries in Europe. My top ten list for the trip:

1. Do not get arrested
2. Do not get deported
3. Get massively drunk
4. See northern western europe
5. Play golf in Ireland
6. See where Guiness and Jamo are made
7. See where Henieken is made again!
8. See the wall... or whats left of it.
9. Enjoy the sites of Sweden and Denmark.
10. Do not die..


More updates to come...

25 Things i Must Do this Summer

1. Workout 80% of the days from now til Labor Day.
2. Go to Summerfest
3. Make a career decsion and find my full time permenant position.
4. Enjoy the sunshine and summer weather.
5. Go Tubing.
6. Go on a real date.
7. Go to europe with Eric
8. Read at least 3 books
9. Find something enjoyable to do on Friday nights that does not envolve booze.
10. Take a trip to St. Louis to see Jesse.
11. Take a trip out to DC.
12. Get my own place.
13. Perform at least 20 hours of community service
14. See Cowboy Mouth Live (bringing red spoons and tooties rolls)
15. Figure out how to use T9 so text messaging doesn't take so long.
16. Get out and play some golf!
17. Learn Hindi
18. Grow my hair out.
19. Go the rest of the summer with no fast food (anything that does have metal silverware)
20. Clean out all the crap stored at my parents house from my childhood
21. Look at MBA programs (maybe study/take the GMAT)
22. Keep my car clean
23. Met more people (not at the bars)
24. Get a mentor at work
25. Tell the truth

Milwaukee VS Chicago.. Whats the big deal??

FIB.. Flatlander.. Cheesehead.. Trailerpark..

Last night I had the opportunity to hit a Cubs/Brewers game at Miller Park. After a quick tailgate (you know I love tailgating), my buddies and I (half Brewers fans, half Cubs fans) went into the game. My first impressions of the game were actually kinda scary. I had the opportunity to see the down right worst of people over a baseball game.

The problem really comes down to two simple facts:

1. Milwaukee residents (in general) HATE Chicago/Illnois residence... this goes much pass Packer/Bears or Brewers/Cubs.. but really down to their cores.

2. Chicago residents really just don't care at all about Milwaukee to the point where its insulting. The lack of any respect might not be equal the hatred but you can see how it contributes to the cycle.

It blows my mind that in span fo 2 innings we saw 5 people get ejected over talking trash during a baseball game. Lets be honest, baseball has to be one of the most detached sports when it comes to fans, unlike basketball or football where the action really connects fans to the game, baseball and its methodical family friendly pace does the exact opposite. The excitement from a homerun lasts 2 minutes, while a good facial will keep a crowd energized for a quarter. People rarely stand and cheer during a baseball game until its late in the game and there are runners in scoring position. However in the middle of teh 3rd inning, I saw my first fan get run. It was def not the last I saw, but it was the begining. What happened to a civilized rivialary.. even between the Brewers (the bottom dwellers of the central for years) and the bad luck Cubs.

On the walk out, after seening a couple close fights, and one Cub fan pretty much get his lights knocked out by a Brewer fan, my buddy Mike and I decided to debate this issue.. now what you need to know is Mike and I rarely agree on anything, but have an extreme mutual respect for each other and our right to disagree on everything:

To summarize --
Mikes point was that the Milwaukee people are instigating the incidents because of their hatred of Chicago. The chicago people are just responding.
My response was its about 50/50 for both sides. It takes the hatred plus a general disregard for a persons city to create the situation that we saw.

I think people really need to get a hold of themselves. There are much bigger things to be fighting about then a baseball game.

Ill get off my soap box now....

On a side note.. Milwaukee did win.. making that drive home from the Cub fans pretty long.

Interesting Past Week..

So our volleyball team - Da Sauceville Slammerz are on fire. We are 5-1 over our past 6 games going 2-0 in matches. This is especially amazing since we started the season 0-2 in matches and get entirely to liquored up prior to coming to the bar. Lets be honest here, we may be the only team that actually has to take a cab to and from the bar... Go Us!

Even though the season is not over, we have already developped our next summer's team name - Team Cougar Bait. No ever said we weren't orginal.

Volleyball has kinda become an addiction for us recently. Mike, Jerry and I now have two things we do together, drink copious amounts of booze and play volleyball. One is relativly good for us, the other will probably lead to the downfall of our lives. I'll let you decided which is which.

So now that TV shows are starting to wind up with their season finales, what is a lazy indian man to do. I can no longer spend Mondays watching Prison Break or Black Donnellys, or Thursday watching Grey's Anatomy. I have to spend more time with my other hobbies.. Golf and Hindi I guess. Maybe I'll do a little traveling. I am heading to Cincinnati this weekend, and southern Michigan next for a couple weddings. Also I have to spend a weekend down in Chicago catching up with some of my college buddies. Maybe I'll take a trip down to St. Louis or out West to LA or San Fran. I could def use some help with the decision making process.. so if you got any ides shoot them my way.

Work is about to pick up, as the lady I am covering for is heading off to maternity leave. Its about to get really exciting when I get to do the entire job all by myself. It should be a pretty good challenge all be it a tad bit overwhelming because she is leaving right at the end of the quarter.. Thanks! But I think I am up for the challenge.. besides if I mess up.. its only a couple million in top level that is lost oh yea and maybe my job :)

Anyway.. if I tend to be a little short with you, or maybe down right rude and mean I apoligize for it now.. I am not that horrible of a person :) I don't think atleast.

Last bit of internet garbage for you to check out.. I am not opposed to smoking as an adult choice people want to make. Doesn't really bother me and on occasion I have been known to lite one or a pack up and enjoy the addictive tastes of nicotine. However I saw this and thought it was pretty hilarious:

If you want to create your own cigrette warning label check it out here at the American Cancer Society Website.

Golf Weekend.. 74!

So I shot a 74 this weekend.. would be an amazing score if it hadn't been for my 7 put on 2, and my 5 bunker shots on 6, and my amazing, yes amazing, approach shot of 7 that put the ball behind where I it lay on my orginal shot.

So that is how one gets to 74 while only playing 9 holes. Now I did have a great 3 iron shot on 1, but that was only after 3 shots that went a combined 15 yards, and I also had a pretty sold approach on 5, but that was after I lost my ball on my tee shot and got to drop it on the fairway. But all things considered, those two shots made my day :)

I released the importance of keeping the ball on the fairway this weekend. It is impossible to hit the ball out of tall grass between three trees, and still get good yardage on it. When you have to use a punch shot on average 2 times each hole, you may have a problem as well. It was a scenario, where every shot became a trial of my character which I found I have a pretty solid one. I not only feel comfortable laughing at myself, but feel pretty good when others laugh at me too.. I feel its my gift to humanity for those 3 hours that I can bring humor to the lives of all that get to watch me.

But I think my major take away from the golf outing was people. The married couple I played with were pretty awesome, always encouraging, and just out for a good afternoon. The older gentleman we struck a conversation up with about the weather and the conditions of the course was more then happy to give me a little advice on my swing, and call all weekend golfers ameteurs (which of course I am). But everyone I met out on the course (even the kid who accidently took my clubs instead of his) were all pretty happy, and enjoying themselves. I didn't see anyone breaking clubs, swearing about bad shots, or generally pissed off. (Just because I didn't see it doesn't mean they weren't out there.. but I like to believe they weren't).

Anyway.. besides my incredibly high score, my first solo nine was a fine time.. can't wait until next weekend :)

For You South Park Fans....

Not a big South Park fan.. but I know there are a lot out there you need to check out the South Park Face Generator some one put online. Its kinda cool, lots of different options, accessories, and other great South Park type stuff.. Anyway here is me as a creation of South Park.



Anyway I was not a big fan of their facial hair choices.. there was no chin strap option. But other then that great tool to blow 30 mins on at work over your lunch break.

FYI.. horse racing is fun from what I remember.

Happy Blog!

So I hope that my blog is more uplifting then depressing. I have had a chance over the past week to hit the next blog button up above... it has led me to a couple conclusions about my fellow blogspot users:

1. There are more non-english writing bloggers then english writing ones. I have a very hard time understanding some of the blogs, although the pictures are pretty cool.

2. The english speaking blogs are kind of scary. I mean seriously the are all black background, my life is in dissarry and this blog is my only outlet. For most of those people I feel for, but come on... get outside me people.. try to find an outlet that will talk back and more importantly help you.

On a side note.. I got a new phone, and like most people its kind of exciting (as most new material possessions are, but now that I have it, I am kinda depressed... I miss the more comfortable old feel of my razr in my pocket. The familar ring tones, and not having to move my contacts over one by one (VERY ANNOYING!!!) and more importantly I just have to get used to a new button layout, new features.. when all I really want to do is make phone calls. But then the geeky part of is like dang its got a 2.0 mega pixel camera, can take movies, auto focus WOW even plays mp3s.. man my phone/camera/videocamera/ipod/stylish accessories ROCKS... if you interested I got this one - FIRE KRZR

So the last thing I want to leave ya'll with is the Butter Jesus..