Author Archives: Durante

Weekly Update – 5/14/12

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This last week doesn't even own words to describe it. 

Let me explain something about me.  I love my children, I love doing things with them and showing them just how amazing life can be.  Most things that take me away from being able to share everything awesome with my children are a burden to me and often downright unpleasant.  So with that in mind this last week has been a blessing.  I have the opportunity to focus on my children for the near future, this will be particularly ideal with an upcoming move and summer break.

I've had many favorite moments of this last week.  Spending time with my children ranks incredibly high.  I did discover that my son had a Violin concert last week but it was while he was at his Mother's and she didn't let me know about it.  I've been able to go back to the gym with a vengeance!  Doing Kettlebells is great, eating healthy is wonderful, but nothing seems to pull me into my own world as much as being able to go and work out with all of my might until just opening the gym doors to leave becomes a trial.  I was able to work out my chest and legs this last week, and the rotation continues this coming week.  What was great about it is that muscle memory feeds into rapid growth for me, what wasn't as great is the paralyzing pain that had me bed ridden this week.

I was asked a very great question today.  As I was walking out of the gym a lady stopped me, she said "You seems to know what you're doing in there."  I smiled at her obvious lie ;) then she continued "Isn't it true that if you want to lose fat on a body part you work that body part more?"  I smiled because I knew the direction of her question early on.  

There is a myth perpetuated by "As Seen on TV" products… this myth is that there is such a thing as "Targeted Fat Loss"  If you want to see your abs, you have to lose fat over your whole body.  You CAN make a muscle set big enough that the fat covering it is spread more thin so that you can have 'more' of the definition people strive for, but the actual real live truth is that you cannot target fat loss, only muscle gain or muscle shape.  I took so much joy in sharing this information that I naturally went into a nutrition discussion on fast ways I know of to lose weight and stay healthy.  I'm sure she was bored to tears by the time I gave my farewells, but it's moments like that which make working out more fun, and show that this hobby is more than just something I do to help my own self.

How was your week?

Happy Mothers Day!!! 2012

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Mothers are amazing!  It's generally not their fault, most of the time they're just made that way… but it does take a tole, the constant stress, the lack of recognition, and the general attitude that all of these AMAZING things that they do are just a part of the job description.  One thing that is missing far too much is the simple statement of gratitude.

Thank You Mother:

Thank you for your love,

Thank you for your time,

Thank you for your patience,

Thank you for your heart.

Thank you for the times it's hard

to know someone is there.

Thank you for the times it hurts,

and no one else is there.

Thank you for the joy you bring

with the smile on your face.

Thank you for the way you clean,

it's hard to keep that pace.

Thank you for not giving up,

I know that it's been hard.

Thank you for the everything,

that won't fit on this card.

To my Mother and the ones I love.

Fatherly Advice; Music

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Timeless advice to my dear children that may help their life go do much more easily!

I’ve studied philosophy and poetry, music and psychology; I’ve studied hypnosis and how to manipulate and most efficiently engage the mind. Through all this and experience of those I trust I feel qualified to plead with you to always be mindful of the words, meaning, and intent of your music. If it is not a message, thought, and feeling you agree with (yes, all three
) then don’t listen to it.

I want the things you hear to bring you lasting happiness, lift you up, and make you better.

Wishing you only the best

Sense of Humor – The Games We Play

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Imagine an evening, the lights have already started to go out, but the children haven't yet been sent to bed.  We gather together around the bed; it starts with silliness, and progresses to full on joviality, and from this the game develops.

"The rules are that if you laugh you lose, the last one to laugh wins!" My son declares.  By now it's hard for any of the children to contain their laughter anyway.

"I'll go first… This is a story about a camp fire…"

"And it tooted." I interject… winning the game.

"Okay, it's my turn!" My daughter cries out.  "I'm going to tell a story about a robot."

"Have you ever heard a robot toot?" I interjected… winning the game. (They are kids after all.)

"I know a story about an eagle!" My son said seriously… and before I had to interject I had won this round too.

Then it was my turn.

"This happens in a restaurant at the top of a very tall building where you can look out the windows and see the whole city.  

One man walks in and sits down, he sees a guy at a table thank a waitress for his drink, take a big gulp, then jump up, he says "WOAH" then jumps out the window, flies around the building… come back to his table and say "Wow, that's quiet the drink, can I have another?!" 

He does this a couple of times before the guy who just walked in is convinced.  He orders the drink… gets up, says "woah, that is a strong drink!" jumps out the window… and falls."

The guy making the drink looks at the man who had flown around the building and says "Superman… you're a funny guy."

And that's how I lost the game. ;)  

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A Philosophy Discussion – With Myself

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I talk a lot about prayer, and lately I've been thinking a lot about it.  Prayer is an interesting thing.  How people think it works is that we ask for something, and 'if there's someone out there' we get it.  Below, I've related it to something I'm familiar with as a Father responding when my children ask for something.

So… for example, let's look at a conversation with one of my children as if it were this 'view' on prayer:

Them: "Daddy, can I play with the knife?"

Me: "No baby."

Them: "Please Daddy?"

Me: "No."

Them: "Then you must not exist."

Or… here's another one:

Them: "Daddy, can I punch my brother in the face?  Or Can you?"

Me: "No baby."

Them:"Please, I'm really not happy with him right now!"

Me: "No."

Them: "Then you must not love me."

Here's a very common one:

Them: "Can I lick the street?"

Me: "No baby."

Them: "I'm going to."

Me: "ew, don't."

Them: "Watch this!"

Me: "Gross."

Them: "Why didn't you warn me?!"

This is fun:

Them: "These shoes don't fit, can I have them?"

Me: "No dear one."

Them: "Please???!!!"

Me: "No."

Them: "You must not be very powerful."

Sometimes… it seems to me, that some of the best answers to prayer aren't the ones we're hoping for.

Me: "Father, May I have this job I don't love that takes me away from spending time with the people I love most?"