MikeBenton.org

I just listened to a new song by Josh Ritter. I thought it was pretty chill so I thought I would share it with you. In order to remain LEGAL I will share it via the following link.

Click away http://rhaplinks.real.com/rhaplink?rhapid=4308420&type=playlist&title=Playlist&from=urge

It has been a long time since I got a new bicycle. This time I went for something that was more useable in itself but would cater to all my needs.

Feast your eyes upon the Montague! Yes it folds!

Of the year…

Okay so the fires really weren’t all that interesting, that’s why there is only one post about them. My unit was backup to the backup so we spent the whole time sitting around and coming up with things to keep ourselves busy. If it wasn’t for the lack of barracks I would have thought we slowly evolved into an active duty unit.

As a result of the massive amount of time I spent in CA doing nothing I was unable to finish my semester in school with an acceptable grade. I ended up withdrawing and it has cost me an entire additional year in school. I only need three classes to finish this degree. One builds upon the other two and they don’t offer that one in summer school. I have to wait until fall to finish. THEN I can go to the next school. I am disgruntled about that .

On the other hand, I have been super busy with other business. Pocketnow.com asked me to be Senior Editor for AllShadow.com and it has proven to be a tremendous success. The site grew geometrically for awhile and now it’s time to supe up some efforts. It’s really fun to watch a community grow from the beginning and know that you had your hands in it.

On military side, I was recommended to compete in the NCO of the Year competition for my battalion. I reluctantly accepted. I had never been to a board before so I was a bit anxious. I over studied and aced the board. Then I competed in the Brigade board, which I won. More recently I competed in the California State NCO of the Year board and will find out Feb 9th if I won or not.

It has been a positive experience. I have greeted each challenge with positive anticipation and look forward to the next. Growth has been unavoidable through this process and in a way it become a Rite of Passage. Many of the events are easy and for the ones that are challenging I remind myself that there is only this once.

Saturday I returned from Utah after 2 weeks in a Warrior Leaders’ Course to further my military professional development. For some reason I don’t feel like I get enough of this stuff.

I joined LA Fitness a month ago and have been working out religiously. I’ve dropped 15 pounds and feel a lot better. I am not at my goal yet though. Unlike most people, I do not have a goal weight, maybe a goal body fat. Thing is, I remember FEELING great and able to do anything. Now, I am getting closer but I know some activities will give me a tough time. I ran an 11 minute 30 second 2-mile once for crying out loud. I’m nowhere close to that now, but I inch closer everyday.

If I had to nail down a goal it would be this:

• 12% - 18% Body Fat
• 12 minute 2 mile
• 300 pts (max) on PT test
• Never feel tired
• See that six pack again
• Turn some heads

Diet change has had a lot to do with it. I’ve been eating A LOT less unhealthy food and actually have a slight addiction to healthy food now. I pass on a lot of snacks because I know what they are doing to my body. I still smoke, but I’m working on that. I like the comfort of it for some reason (I know, no lecturing okay!)

I’m trying to stay balanced with the physical fitness thing. For the most part I have been doing mostly fat burning exercises. Now it is time to beginning transitioning into strength and endurance as well. One thing that I keep in mind is flexibility. I have no desire to resemble that semi truck looking dude that can’t tie his own shoe. I want some Bruce Lee/Jet Li/Jackie Chan type manueverbility.  

I also got a new bike for Christmas. I love it. It is a Montague Military Folding Bike, so I can put it in the trunk for some travel. I’ve put it through it’s paces and still look forward to trashing some trails. Feels great to ride again. My brother and I went on a bike ride a few weeks ago that reminded us of our childhoods as we explored and found some new trails.

On the HOA side, things are slowly moving along. Leaky roofs, unhappy residents, landscaping is usually a mess. It’s tough with a small budget but we make it work. Elections are coming up again. Wonder if I’ll go for a third term…

Well there is a lot in this post already. When I get some time, I’ll break down some stories for ya. If there’s anything you want to hear more about, let me know in the comments!