Book 3

Continuing my top ten list for books that got me into the fantasy / gaming scene.

Book 3 - Dragonlance, beginning with Dragons of Autumn Twilight.  I was pulled in by the cover artwork and then the idea of how this would flow from a gaming scene.  I later bought the annotated edition with notes from the authors in the sidebars.  For the first half of the book, they played the game and wrote what their characters did.  Eventually, they used that as a jumping off point and started writing the story.  Once you know it is there, you can sense a more smooth approach in the writing when the stop trying to copy down the game.  I loved the books, the idea of a thief who didn't steal (he was just a bit of a clepto) and a wizard who was not really on his party's side.

Book 2

Continuing my top ten list for books that got me into the fantasy / gaming scene.

Book 2

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.  I think I was 10 when my mother put this book in my hands.  I devoured it.  I had already seen the 1977 cartoon by Rankin/Bass and the book was even better.  You can check out part of the movie at youtube.

Eventually, I read the other three, along with the Silmarillion.

I was also taken with the early cartoon Flight of Dragons.  You can watch part of it here!

Ten Books That Got Me Into This Mess

 I like Top Ten Lists so I thought I would post one a day for my Top Ten Books that got me into the fantasy / gaming scene.

The first book I remember reading that really hooked me was Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.  I think I was 7 or 8 and the idea of ships, pirates, and treasure was too much for a small child.  I immediately wanted to read more.  My brother and I also spent many afternoons hiding treasure and building up pirate defenses.

It also leads to my enjoyment of future Treasure Island style adventures such as Cutthroat Island with Geena Davis, and Pirates of the Caribbean with Johnny Depp.

Kickstarters I am following

I recently found Kickstarter and I have pledged to a few projects.  Two I am currently following:

The Mobile Tabletop RPG by HazzaH - They are working on creating a free app that allows people to use their phones to control a digital map of the fight.  I think this is a great step towards where my group would like to be.

Bones by Reaper - Cheap quality miniatures.  Who would have imagined??  The $100 pledge level gets you an amazing package.  Also, as they keep hitting their stretch goals, the package keeps growing.  Check them out!

DnD Next Playtesting

I am enjoying play testing the DnD Next material.  The characters are pregen-ed at this point and we are running through a great dungeon, The Caves of Chaos.

Pluses:

• The fighting has been slimmed down and does not take very long.  This could be due to the the low level characters or the mechanics.  In 4e, we could have fights that lasted forever so this is a plus in our group.
• The other mechanic we really, really like is Advantage and Disadvantage.  If I have an advantage in a round of combat, instead of getting +2 to whatever I roll, I get to roll 2d20 and keep the better roll.  For a disadvantage, I roll 2d20 and take the lower.  This is fantastic and really helps the characters not "waste a turn" on one bad roll.
• All of the participants really like the idea of Background and Theme to personalize their character.  You don't have another fighter.  Instead, you have a vengeful former soldier fighter who adds game mechanics based on those ideas.
• We have several players in our group who have never played anything except 4e.  They liked the pregenerated characters they could pick up and figure out without having to read a whole book.

Minuses:

• Some people missed the complexity of the 4e system (not even knowing the heights of complexity in 3.5).  I am fairly sure this can be added in with the modular idea, or even as the characters attain higher levels.
• Some missed minor actions, though as the DM I do not.  I never realized how much time was going into all those minor/marking/oh wait I forgot to add this damage 2 rounds ago.
• I think everyone misses action pts, though the advantage/disadvantage system is easier for me as the DM
• A HUGE gripe from the healer is that she has to give up her turn to heal someone.  She still wants to be in the fight and heal on the side.  Currently, that is not happening.

We played 4 weeks and then shifted over to Pathfinder.  We will probably playtest some more when more material comes out.

New Watch for my Birthday

With part of my birthday money from last week, I decided to buy a new watch.  I really like the large leather cuff style bands and I came across an online company, Nemesis, that makes watches with interchangeable bands.  They are really nice quality and I ordered this watch and an additional band.  They arrived 5 days later and I love them.  They have both men's and women's watches at very reasonable prices.  Check'em out!

Fire Breathing Ninjas!

 I registered for my first 5k obstacle course!  It also happens to be my first 5k.  The Austin 5k Foam Fest is this October and I will be running.  I am also cajoling several of my friends into running with me as a team.  I came up with the best name ever: Fire-Breathing Ninjas!  I tried google searching the name to find some good pics to go with the info and, would you believe, there are very few fire-breathing ninjas out there??  So I found a website that gave instructions on how to draw them with Adobe Illustrator.  Using the instructions I found on Blog Spoon Graphics, a free trial version of Adobe Illustrator, and ZERO experience with any of the above, I came up with this:

Dang it!  He looks great on a white background.  On the black, not so good.

I am pretty proud of the little guy!  Behold the Fire-Breathing Ninja of Doom!  Now, I just have to get him on a T-shirt for the race... oh, and keep training.  I am down 32 lbs. and I am able to jog 2 miles in 25 minutes.  I can get there by October...

My First Ten Games

Following along with Mik and several others out there, I wanted to give my first 10 RPG style games.  Also known as, the games that got me into this mess...

1. The first RPG my brother and I ever played was the box set of DC Heroes.  I think we started this around '88.  I would have been about 10 and my brother about 7.  My mom is an avid reader and it filtered down to me and my little brother.  Walden Books carried this gem of a box and we begged for it until we got it.  It had big, pre-generated stat cards, easy rules, and characters we knew from The Justice League of America cartoon.  In short order, I was GM'ing a game for all our neighborhood friends.

2. This was followed quickly by the Marvel Version.  That box included cardboard cutouts that you folded into the three-sided figures, my first introduction to a miniature representation of the game.  It was harder to follow and my younger brother wanted to run it.  We didn't know the character's as well and it didn't last long.  But the hook was set.

3. I have to include the board game Dungeon! by TSR.  My cousin was 7 years older than us and had the coolest games.  We were too young to play DnD with him but he introduced us to the 10 hour game of a million pieces.  My brother and I would play this every time we went to visit, though I am not sure we ever completed a game!  I was always the fighter and my brother was always the magician, something that would carry over when we started playing...

4. (Around '90) The next thing we got into was Cyberpunk.  I loved this game!  Heck, I would still play it if I could find my book.  This was our first chance to develop characters with their own stories and backgrounds.  It had a great background or "lifepath" generator so when you started, you already had friends, enemies, and a gritty past.  There were solos (fighters) hackers (matrix people meets tron), reporters, and so much more.  Hmm... I may have to run my game group through a short game...

5. (Around '90) Advanced Dungeons and Dragons.  I honestly can't remember how we got our hands on the first books.  I think we started reading our cousin's books and then got our own.  We played some on our own but it wasn't until we started playing with an adult group ('92) that we really saw what a great story teller could accomplish.  We went from hack and slash dungeon crawls at home to character development and talking to NPC's.  By that time, I was 14 and my brother was 12.

5.1. ('94) I also have to mention Magic: The Gathering.  This sucked up so much of our money, it is astounding.  I, like many others, still have many of my cards, still hoping they will be worth more some day.  We started playing in the Revised Edition with Dual Lands but none of the Black Lotus' cards.  We played all the time, suckered our neighborhood friends into the addiction, and even still occasionally have a night of drinking and new booster packs.  I was usually a red/green player and my brother was often black/white or blue control.  Some of those games were vicious!

40k 2nd ed.

6. My best friends older brother was into Warhammer 40k and was a great (and prolific) painter of miniatures.  I would check out his work area and all his completed show pieces.  My brother and I eventually bought the 2nd edition boxed set, a bottle of Elmer's Glue, and a cheap can of red spray paint.  I think we were going for Blood Angels but we ended up with half assembled mini's with so much paint sprayed on you couldn't make out any details.  We still took over the outdoor patio table, threw green felt over it, and had battles.  Good times!

40k 4th ed.

40k 3rd ed.

I graduated high school in '96 and college in '03.  I got interested in other things and left the gaming stuff for a while (though my rule books occupied a special place at my parents house).  In 2003, I was walking in the mall with a friend and we happened across a Games Workshop store front.  I was sucked back in immediately and left with Warhammer 40k 3rd edition.  Little did I know that a year later, I would be buying 4th edition.  Stupid 40k...


7. ('05) I was in grad' school when I found Warmachine.  A friend of mine introduced me to the boys in blue (Cygnar) and it has been an ongoing love affair ever since.  I guy was getting out of the game so I ended up with a started box already assembled and painted and the core rule book for $20.  I think it helped that I was a girl.  This was followed quickly by Hordes and their Druids.  I would paint for hours in my one bedroom apartment when I should have been writing papers but we all know how that works out...


8. ('06)  Still in grad school, I stumbled across of group of people playing DnD.  No, I mean real DnD.  Keep in mind, I hadn't played since high school, and now I was close to 30 and so were they.  It was the first time I saw how effective a battle mat could be, especially with a large party.  We had a DM who could have given Tolkien a run for his money.  The game was in depth and huge and soul searching.  There was no 'right' answer and no railroad to where we might go.  When we finished one story, we would move to another section of the world and influence events there, only to find out that our previous story arc had further reaching ramifications than we could have imagined.  We also dabbled in a 4th edition game that I ran to take some of the strain off of the main story teller.  There were pink-bearded dwarfs and flaming skulls that talked out of turn.

9. With that same group, we took a summer to play the Star Wars RPG.  This was actually the first RPG my wife ever played and she only went along because I was going.  They handed her a character sheet and told her to pretend.  It was a little rough at first but two weeks later, we had cleared out an Imperial asteroid base and we were about to load back up in our space ship and leave.  Then she asked the Best Question Ever - "Can We Keep It?"  Of course, we all treated the asteroid as a dungeon and you can't keep dungeons.  But this was a movable ship disguised as an asteroid.  It threw all of us "normal players" for a loop and the GM worst of all!  It was fantastic!! I miss those games and that group tremendously.

10.  I think the last one I can include would be the World of Darkness storytelling system.  We played a Werewolf game and more recently we used it to play a Hunter type game.  I liked it because it moved away from all the math of the d20 system and gave more control to the story teller.

I hope you liked the trip down memory lane.  I sure did.  I may have to follow this up with a post about the books that got me here...

Weeks 11 - 20

Week 11 (5/20/12) 

216 lbs. - BMI 32.8

What Next? - I finished the 9 week program this past week and started the 3 week cardio program.  I have lost 22 lbs and I feel great.  It is still tough to want to start exercising sometimes but once I start, I feel better.  I had a rough week at work and I found myself wanting to go for a run.  This seems very strange to me but it is probably a better choice than eating a pizza!  I also signed up for a wellness program through my work insurance.  If I stick with the program, they will give me $250.  Nothing like a monetary incentive!

Week 12 (5/27/12) 

216 lbs. - BMI 32.8

Figuring it Out - As much as I like the change of pace, the cardio program is not cutting it.  I am burning about 120 cal. for 30 minutes of working out as opposed to the 300 I was burning at the end of the 9-week program.  I think I am going to have to switch to the medium setting for the cardio workout.  The community pool also opened this week and I am excited to go swimming, perhaps doing laps as one of my day's workouts.  All in all, it was a discouraging week.  I had a plateau week, my wife was out of town, and I just did not feel motivated.  Gotta figure something out...

Week 13 (6/3/12) 

215 lbs. - BMI 32.7

Confession Time -I didn't work out at all this past week.  I stayed on my diet mostly but when my wife came back into town, it was tough to make good food choices.  I went running this morning, trying to jump start my routine again.  Let's see how it goes...

Goal Achieved: 

Jog without stopping, around the block - Achieved 6/6/12

Week 14 (6/10/12) 

212 lbs. - BMI 32.2

Running again -Well, I have not started back up with the EA Sports game but I started running again this week.  I was able to run around two blocks without stopping and I finished week 4 of the C25K app.  I am now able (barely) to jog for 5 minute intervals.  My wife even suggested that we go for a jog together!  She doesn't run and has not had time to do any of the weight loss with me so this was a fantastic surprise.  She did great and I enjoyed it a lot! I have a week and a half until my 34th birthday and I hope to drop the last 4 lbs. so I can tell my family I have lost 30 lbs.   I also went swim suit shopping this week.  I am not down where I want to be, but I was able to fit into some that I never would have thought about trying on last year. 

Goals Achieved: 

Jog without stopping, around two block - Achieved 6/10/12

Completed Week 4 of the C25K App - Achieved 6/10/12 

Lose 28 lbs to get to 210 lbs. - Achieved 6/13/12

Week 15 (6/17/12) 

210 lbs. - BMI 31.9

Don't Stop, Don't Stop, Don't Stop - Oh my Gosh!! I jogged 20 minutes today without stopping!  The app on my phone had me run 3 sets of 5 minutes the first day of the week, 2 sets of 8 minutes the second day, then a straight 20 minutes today.  I just keep telling myself, "You haven't stopped one of these runs yet.  You are not going to stop this one."  This coming week is also my 34th birthday.  I am really hoping to get those last two pounds off so I can say I lost 30 lbs. when I see my family.  I am on track to be at 180 by October and 145 by February or March.

Goals Achieved: 

Completed Week 5 of the C25K App - Achieved 6/17/12 
Run 1 mile - Achieved 6/17/12
Run to the Pool and back without stopping - Achieved 6/17/12 

Week 16 (6/24/12) 

209 lbs. - BMI 31.8

34th Birthday - I lost a pound during my birthday week!  Well, actually, I gained a pound then took off two.  I ate roast and birthday cake and generally let myself slack off.  However, I kept up with running three times during the week and only let myself slack two days.  I was scared to get on the scale but it worked out.

Goals Achieved: 

Run two miles - Achieved 6/23/12 
Complete Week 6 of the C25K App - Achieved 6/25/12 

Week 17 (7/1/12) 

208 lbs. - BMI 31.6

New Clothes -I had a little birthday money from last week so I got to go clothes shopping.  I went from a size 20 in my work slacks to a size 14!!!  Holy Crap!!  I could really get to liking this.  I got to shop in the regular women's sizes instead of the plus sizes.  I also got to buy new running shoes, a watch, and new undergarments.  This is fun =)

Goals Achieved: 
Shop in the Regular size women's section - Achieved 6/27/12
Fit in a Men's Large - Achieved 6/27/12

Bike 1 mile - Achieved 6/28/12 

Bike 2 miles - Achieved 6/28/12

Week 18 (7/8/12) 

206 lbs. - BMI 31.3

Feeling Good - I got contacts this week.  I have had them in the past but I wanted to have some for the upcoming Mud Run and other athletic endeavors.  I also tend to use my glasses as a mask to hide behind.  I signed up for my first 5k, the Austin Foam Fest.  Check out my blog post here.  I am super close to knocking out the 200 lbs mark and people are really noticing a difference.  New body, new clothes, contacts, life is good!

Goals Achieved: 
Down another belt notch (notch #3 on my new belt)

jwsanantonio.com

Week 19 (7/15/12) 

206 lbs. - BMI 31.3

Mini Vacation - We went on a mini vacation this week.  My wife had a conference and they put her up in an incredible spa and resort hotel.  We stayed two nights, floating down the lazy river in the resort's own small water park.  Eventually, we found the adult only pool and hot tub, grabbed some drinks, and relaxed.  I fluctuated between 205 and 207 from trying to eat healthy while on vacation.  I ended up with several chicken Caesar salads, but I could have gone lighter on the dressing.  I also used the resort's gym and remembered that I don't really like gym people.  That will save us some money.

Goals Achieved: 
Complete Week 7 of the C25K App - Achieved 7/9/12 
Complete Week 8 of the C25K App - Achieved 7/15/12 

Week 20 (7/22/12) 

205 lbs. - BMI 31.2

Restructures & Interviews - Some think restructure is bad and for some it turns out that way.  In my case, it opened up opportunities for advancement.  I had two interviews this week at the retail store that I work at.  They were stressful but overall, I am proud of the way I presented myself.  I ran 3 times this week and I am almost done with week 9 of the run 5k program.  I want to finish that well, then do something else for a little while.  I will probably be doing some weight training, then start up the 5k program again to better my pace.

Goals Achieved: 
Fit into a Men's Large work shirt (and it looks great!!) - Achieved 7-20-12

Week 21 (7/29/12) 

205 lbs. - BMI 31.2

Holding Steady - So in know that I am not being as careful with my recording my food in the the app and I am running about 2 -3 times a week.  But I did find out that I got promoted to a supervisor role!! 

Goals Achieved: 
Finished the C25K app - Achieved 7-30-12

Week 22 (8/5/12) 

205 lbs. - BMI 31.2

Holding Steady - Tried a different way of jogging this week.  Instead of jogging for 30 minutes at my slow pace, I started the interval training over and did run, walk, run... I thought I was going to die.  I went faster but my legs and lungs thought I had never run before.  Oh well, I have to do something to get over this hump.

Goals Achieved:

20 lbs.

I have lost 20 lbs and I feel better.  I am marking goals off my list and writing weekly updates on my journey.  You can check them out on my Journey page and my Goals page.  I still have a long way to go but I am down to my last belt notch and my clothes are big and baggy.

I also had a rough day at work yesterday and I found myself wanting to go for a run!  How incredibly strange is that?!!  I guess stranger things have happened...

Losing Weight

I added two new pages to the top of my blog.  The first one is My Weight Loss Goals.  These are the things I want to achieve and the things I want to be able to do.  The second is My Weight Loss Journey.  This is a weekly recap as I go through reshaping my body.  I will keep them mostly on their separate pages so they don't spill onto the miniature stuff and the updates won't hit your reader account.  More than anything, they are a motivation to me.  My dad had his second heart attack about a month ago and it was a wake up call for me.  I am currently down 14 lbs and trying to stay on track.  Thanks guys!

My Trolls Arrived!

I bought these from a great trader on Bartertown. They are well painted and a good start to a Trollbloods list. I'm one happy camper! Here are some quick phone pics:

New Favorite Site

One of my friends recently pointed me towards Bartertown.  It is a great place where people can trade their miniatures to new homes.  Speaking of new homes, some Trollbloods are making their way to mine!  I picked up a great deal on:

• pMadrak
• 2 Axers
• 6 Impalers
• Winter Troll

All but one of the Impalers are well painted and are ready to hit the board.  I will post pics as soon as I get them in the mail. 

No Quarter Plus Link

Check it out here!

I was bumming around the internet before I had to go to work and I stumbled across the No Quarter Plus Link.  It opens a PDF preview of No Quarter Issue 41.  The Colossals take a step forward, as well as a sketch of character creation in the new Iron Kingdoms RPG.  You also get Gaterman goodness in a fiction along with other tasty bits!  I can't wait!

Game Night as a Player!

This is the first night I will be able to field a player in DnD.  One of my regular players is finally ready to try his hand at DMing and I can't wait!  I am making a killer Goliath Barbarian Slayer.  High Crits, Rages, and Negligible Armor, here I come!

Weeks 1-10

Week 1 (3/11/12)

238 lbs. - BMI 36.2

And So It Begins- I started using EA Sports Active 2 Game.  It has a heart rate monitor, motion sensors that do not require the PS3 Camera, and a resistance band.  It also kicked my a$$.  I thought I was going to die the first time I worked out!  However, as I was laying on the floor, gasping for air, a trophy popped up.  Actually, about 5 trophies popped up.  I am a trophy seeker in video games and this was what I needed to play it again in two days.  It isn't perfect.  There are a few moves it has trouble registering (particularly squats), but over all, I give it a 4 out of 5.  It also got me moving enough to add other things to my work out.

Week 2 (3/18/12)  

236 lbs. - BMI 35.9

Bar codes and Food - I started counting my calories with the Lose It app.  I have used this before with mixed success but they have added a new feature that allows me to scan the food I am eating.  If it has a bar code, I can scan it and go.  It also tells me that if I lose 2 lbs. a week, I am on track to be down to 180 lbs. by Oct. 1st!

Week 3 (3/25/12) 

233 lbs. - BMI 35.4

Workout - I am in my 3rd week of a 9 week program on the EA Sports Active 2 game.  I am doing the Easy setting.  It is constantly mixing new exercises with previous ones.  I am really enjoying the boxing moves and making laps around my couch (I don't run in place very well).  Slowly, it is increasing the duration of my workout to 25 min.

Link to app

Week 4 (4/1/12) 

231 lbs. - BMI 35.1

Running - I started running this week!!  I have lost 8 lbs, for an average of 2 lbs a week and I am right on track for where I want to be.  I think the last time I ran, I was 12 and in a gym class.  It's not pretty, but I can say I went jogging!  I am using one of the couch to 5k programs in 8 weeks.  I can play my play list on my iphone and it breaks in and tells me when to walk, jog, the half way point, and cool down.  I really like it!

Week 5 (4/8/12) 

228 lbs. - BMI 34.7

Other Activities - Today is Easter Sunday.  I am down 10 lbs and feeling good.  This also completes my first week of jogging and begins my second.  I am a little scared about what the jogging will look like but I think I can do it.  I am also starting to get interested in biking. My wife bikes and has a really nice 21 speed bike that scares me.  However, I want to see what I can do.  I may be buying a bike in the next month or two so we can go together.  We also received the Star Wars game for Kinect in our Easter Basket.  It was fun to be able to move around and not get so winded!

Goals achieved:  

Fit into a Men's XL Shirt - 4/2/12

Lose 8 lbs to get to 230 lbs - 4/3/12 

Begin running program - 4/4/12 

Finished Week 1 of Running Program - 4/8/12

Week 6 (4/15/12) 

225 lbs. - BMI 34.2

Notch on the Belt - I finished my second week of jogging!  I feel good and I even ran for part of the jog today!  I still have a long way to go on my journey but I feel better.  I am down another notch on my belt, I have lost 12 lbs, and the BMI calculator says my BMI is 34.2.  I tried biking this week but I really need to do something different with the seat.  I am still experimenting with it.

Goals achieved: 

Finished Week 2 of Running Program - 4/15/12 

Week 7 (4/22/12) 

223 lbs. - BMI 33.9

Good Choices - I lost another 2 lbs. this week, bringing me down to 14 lost so far.  I took about 3 days off due to family stuff but I am getting back to it.  I am making good food choices, even through the family stuff.  A friend of mine and I are also looking into doing a mud run in the fall, perhaps The Jail Break.  I also bought a bike!

Week 8 (4/29/12) 

223 lbs. - BMI 33.9

Back Problems - I tweaked my back this week and I have not been able to work out all week.  I have ongoing back problems and I know they will be reduced as I take the weight off.  It was still VERY discouraging.  I have been pretty vigorous in watching my calories and was able to maintain my weight, so I am still down 14 lbs so far.  I talked about doing a mud run with my friends and co-workers and got a huge response.  It looks like we will be participating in the 5k Foam Fest Oct. 20th.  I should be 180 lbs by then and I can't wait!

Week 9 (5/6/12) 

222 lbs. - BMI 33.8

Exercise Caution - This was a tough week.  I am still being very careful with my back and I kind of got out of the habit of exercising.  How quickly we stall!!  I worked out twice this week and did an hour of weed-eating.   I am down 16 lbs now, primarily due to good eating.  A friend pointed me at another app called Nexercise.  It doesn't track your calories but you get XP for each exercise you do.  There are also prizes along the way and discounts you qualify for as you exercise.  It's kind of a fun diversion.

Goal Achieved:

Lose 18 lbs to get to 220 lbs. - 5/7/12

Week 10 (5/13/12) 

219 lbs. - BMI 33.3

Will Work for Trophies - My back is fully recovered now and I am working out every day trying to get my trophy in EA Sports Active 2 for completing a 9-week program without missing any workouts.  It counts, as long as the sessions are made up before the end date.  I am down 19 lbs. and under the 220 mark!!  I also figured out that BMI has dropped 3 full points, from 36.2 to 33.3.  I am still in the Obese category (much to my embarrassment) but that is some major movement.  Three more points and I get to move into the overweight category! 

Goals Achieved: 

Complete 9 week EA Sports Active Program on Easy - 5/17/12

Buy a smaller belt -  5/17/12 (size 38)

Potato Bar Night

For our Thursday game group last week, we had Potato Bar Night.  One of the new guys eats like a machine so when I saw this potato, I had to get it for him.  The picture is a little misleading, due to the big one in the foreground.  It was 2.5x the size of and of the others.  Inside the foil was olive oil and sea salt.  We loaded them up with cheese, bacon, sour cream, chives, black olives, and cheesy broccoli (plus a few others I don't remember).  And he ate every bit...

First Weight Loss Goals Page

My Dad had his second heart attack in 18 months in March of 2012.  This is my wake-up call.  I do not want to develop diabetes, have a heart attack, or be fat.  I am tired of having low back problems, primarily caused by being over weight.  I also want to look better for my 20 year reunion in 2016.  My highest was 248 lbs in 2010.  After ups and downs, I am starting this phase of my journey at 238 lbs in March of 2012.  I have always admired the people that serve in the military so I included some of the Army fitness test standards in my goals.  These are my goals.

Goals

Weight-Loss (since 3/10/12)

• Lose 8 lbs to get to 230 lbs - Achieved 4/3/12
• Lose 18 lbs to get to 220 lbs. - Achieved 5/7/12
• Lose 28 lbs to get to 210 lbs. - Achieved 6/13/12
• Lose 38 lbs to get to 200 lbs.
• Lose 58 lbs to get to 180 lbs.
• Lose 70 lbs to get to 168 lbs. (the max Army std.)
• Lose 78 lbs to get to 160 lbs.
• Lose 98 lbs to get to 140 lbs. 

Health

• BMI down to 29 (190 lbs for my height), taking me below the Obese line
• BMI down to 24 (160 lbs for my height), taking me below the overweight line and into the healthy zone
• BMI down to 20 (135 lbs for my height), taking me to the middle of my healthy zone.

Fitness

• Jog without stopping, around the block - Achieved 6/6/12
• Jog without stopping, around 2 blocks - Achieved 6/10/12
• Jog down to the swimming pool and back without stopping (5 blocks away) - Achieved 6/17/12

• Do 15 pushups consecutively (min for Army fitness test)
• Do 20 pushups consecutively
• Do 30 pushups consecutively
• Do 40 pushups consecutively
• Do 45 pushups consecutively (full pts for Army fitness test)

• Do 10 situps consecutively
• Do 20 situps consecutively 
• Do 30 situps consecutively  
• Do 42 situps consecutively (min for Army fitness test)
• Do 50 situps consecutively 
• Do 60 squats consecutively
• Do 70 situps consecutively 
• Do 76 situps consecutively (full pts for Army fitness test)

• Begin running with this 8 week program
• Begin the program!! - Accomplished 4/4/12
• Week 1 - Accomplished 4/8/12 
• Week 2 - Accomplished 4/15/12
• Week 3 - Accomplished 6/3/12
• Week 4 - Accomplished 6/10/12
• Week 5 - Accomplished 6/17/12
• Week 6 - Accomplished 6/25/12
• Week 7 - Accomplished 7/9/12
• Week 8 - Accomplished 7/19/12
• Week 9 - Accomplished 7/30/12

• Run the C25K app with faster pace -
• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Week 6
• Week 7
• Week 8
• Week 9

• Run 1 mile without stopping - Accomplished 6/17/12
• Run 2 miles - Accomplished 6/23/12 (in 32 min.)
• Run 2 miles without stopping - 7/30/12
• Run 2 miles in under 21 minutes (min for Army fitness test)
• Run 2 miles in under 20 minutes
• Run 2 miles in under 19 minutes
• Run 2 miles in under 18 minutes
• Run 2 miles in under 17 minutes
• Run 2 miles in under 16 minutes (full pts for Army fitness test) 

• Bike 1 mile - Achieved 6/28/12
• Bike 2 miles - Achieved 6/28/12
• Bike 3 miles
• Bike 4 miles
• Bike the local State Park (3 miles with 140ft elevation gain)
• Bike 5 miles
• Bike 6 miles
• Bike 7 miles
• Bike 8 miles
• Bike 10 miles
• Bike to the State Park, do the bike trail, and bike home (8 miles and Huge hills)

• Complete the EA Sports Active 2 PS3 Game 9 week program on Easy- Accomplished 5/17/12
• Complete the EA Sports Active 2 PS3 Game Cardio program on Medium 
•  Complete the EA Sports Active 2 PS3 Game 9 week program on Medium
•  Complete the EA Sports Active 2 PS3 Game Cardio program on Hard
• Complete the EA Sports Active 2 PS3 Game 9 week program on Hard 

•  Beginner Week 1 Biggest Loser Exercise Program
•  Beginner Week 2 Biggest Loser Exercise Program
•  Beginner Week 3 Biggest Loser Exercise Program
•  Beginner Week 1 Biggest Loser Exercise Program 
•  Beginner Week 2 Biggest Loser Exercise Program
•  Beginner Week 3 Biggest Loser Exercise Program 
• Intermediate Week 1 Biggest Loser Exercise Program
• Intermediate Week 2 Biggest Loser Exercise Program
• Intermediate Week 3 Biggest Loser Exercise Program
• Intermediate Week 1 Biggest Loser Exercise Program
• Intermediate Week 2 Biggest Loser Exercise Program
• Intermediate Week 3 Biggest Loser Exercise Program 

• Run in a 5k
• Run in a 10k
• Take a UFC style fight class
• Take a Boot Camp style class
• Be able to pass the minimums for an Army fitness test

Travel

• Go on a Cruise
• Visit Alaska - Accomplished in May 2010
• Go on a backpacking trip
• Go on a canoe trip
• Visit Australia

Other

• Fit into a Men's XL Shirt - Achieved 4-2-12
• Fit into a Men's L Shirt - Achieved 6/27/12
• Buy a smaller belt - Achieved 5-17-12 (size 38) 
• Fit into a Men's L Work Shirt - Achieved 7-20-12
• Fit into my Women's XL Work Shirt
• Fit into a Women's XL Shirt
• Fit into a Women's L Shirt
• Shop in the Regular size women's section - Achieved 6/27/12
• Fit into a size 16 Jeans 
• Fit into a size 12 Jeans 
• Fit a 32 x32 Jean 

Happyness

It makes us happy...

A Beautiful eHaley

I just wanted to created a link over to Hamster Cage Studio.  This is his work and I think it is gorgeous! I will be refrencing his paint job when I get around to painting my own Haley.  Click here for lots more angles.

Space Marines

I think I am finally ready to get rid of my Space Marines.  A friend of mine is going barter with them, hopefully for some Trollbloods.  I am selling / trading the whole lot as one group.  If you want to make an offer, send me a message at Shelexie at gmail dot com.  He needed pics  and the list so here they are:

Group Shot

Troops - On the Left are the ones I am calling Black Scheme

Troops and Terminators

Assault Troops

Troops and Heavy Weapons - What I am calling Blue Scheme

More Troops and Heavy Weapons

Plasma Weapons, Assault Bike, and Dreadnought

Bike and Vehicles

Parts

Jump Packs and Classic Metal Figs

Metal Space Wolf Lord and more parts

Parts

All the Parts for Bike

and a 2nd Bike

Some classic decals and a banners

List as best as I can tell: (if it does not say 'Metal' then it is probably plastic)

• 21 Troops with Bolt Gun - 7 in the Black Scheme, 14 in Blue Scheme

• 7 Troops in Assault on Black Reach (AoBR) Style  - 2 in Blue Scheme, 3 primed Black, 1 Primed white, 1 primed white and red, + 1 primed black but missing a gun

• 3 Troops with pistol, chainsword, and banner pole - 3 in Blue Scheme

• 1 Troop with Bolt Gun and Banner Pole - 1 in Blue Scheme

• 2 Troop with Chain Sword with Pistol - 1 in Black Scheme, 1 primed black

• 1 Troop with Pistol with Binoculars - 1 Primed Black

• 4 Troop with Heavy Bolters - 2 in Black Scheme, 2 in Blue Scheme

• 5 Troop with Heavy Plasma Guns - 2 in Black Scheme, 3 in Blue Scheme

• 3 Troop with Lascannons - 2 in Black Scheme, 1 in Blue Scheme 

• 6 Troop with Missile Launchers - 6 in Blue Scheme

• 4 Troop with Flamers - 4 in Blue Scheme

• 1 Sargent pointing with Chainsword - 1 in Blue Scheme

• 5 Metal Terminators with Lightning Claws - 5 primed black

• 1 Metal Terminators with Thunder Hammer and Shield - 1 Primed black

• 1 Metal Space Marine Chaplain in Terminator Armor - 1 Primed Black

• 6 Assault Troops with Jump Packs, Pistols, and Chainswords - 6 primed black.  The swords will need a little gluing.

• 1 Assault Troops with Jump Pack, Plasma Pistol, and Chainsword - 1 primed Black

• 1 Special Character from AoBR carrying Pistol and Box - 1 primed black

• 3 Troops in pose-able pieces and painted a little Blue

• 8 Metal Scouts with Sniper Rifles - 8 Bare Metal

• 2 Metal Scouts with Bolters - 2 Bare Metal

• 1 Metal Scout with Missile Launcher - 1 Bare Metal

• 1 Metal Scout Leader with Bolt Pistol - 1 Bare Metal

• 2 Metal Seargents with Banner Poles and Bolters, one also has a Scanner - 2 Primed Black

• 1 Metal Techmarine - 1 Primed Black

• 1 Metal Apothecary with Sword and Combo-Weapon - 1 Primed White

• 1 Metal Captain withPower Sword, Double Bolt Pistol, and Banner Pole - 1 Primed Black

• 1 Metal Captain with Lightning Claws and Banner Pole - 1 Primed Black

• 1 Captain with Power Sword, Bolt Pistol, and Cape - 1 Primed Black

• 1 Metal Spacewolf Chaplain with Plasma Pistol, Chaplain stick, and Banner Pole - Stripped to Metal

• 1 Cyclone Landspeeder - 1 in Blue Scheme

• 1 Landspeeder - 1 in Blue Scheme

• 1 Bike - 1 Primed Black

• 2 Bikes - 2 Still on the Sprue and not painted

• 1 Assault Bike - 1 primed black with some blue

• 1 Land Raider - 1 in Blue Scheme with all moving hatches and guns

• 1 Classic Rhino Baal something or other - 1 Blue Scheme (not pictured above because I found it later)

• 1 AoBR Dreadnough - 1 in Black Scheme

Pieces:

• 14 Classic Metal Troops - 14 in Bare Metal.  I am about 90% sure all the pieces are with them.

• 10 Jump Packs

• Tons of Parts - heads, packs, shoulder pads, bolters, arms, purity seals, grenades, knives, belts, etc.

• 4 AoBR troops that may be missing arms or they may be in the "tons of parts" ziplock

• 1 AoBR troop with a missle launcher but the other arm may be in the above ziplock

• Several Sheets of Old School Decals