Grey Matter

Farewell 08, 2009 Bring It!

2009-01-04T11:31:00.004-06:00

2008 was a tough year. I was hospitalized twice with some pretty nasty colon issues. My job has been kinda crazy with all the fun associated with a merger. I miss my friends, Ernie and Peter, who have went on to greener pastures

But on the bright side I had a great vacation with my wife,

and have been blessed with a great school for my children.

So I have decided that 2009 is going to be a year of the "re-". I am going to rebuild my body, re-tool my skills, and relax my soul.

Look out 2009, I am ready for you.

Christmas 08 recital

2009-01-04T11:27:00.002-06:00

Up On The Housetop from Todd Gruben on Vimeo

Chipmonk Christmas from Todd Gruben on Vimeo.

The first book

2008-08-24T09:32:00.000-05:00

Emma's first book from Todd Gruben on Vimeo.

Summer Recital '08

2008-08-23T13:23:00.002-05:00

Summer Recital: 08 The Imperial March from Todd Gruben on Vimeo.

Summer Recital 08: I just can't wait to be King from Todd Gruben on Vimeo.

Reality Diet

2008-07-28T18:49:00.002-05:00

Well, the wife has stumbled upon a new diet plan for the family. It seems pretty healthy, primarily with a focus on fiber. Day 1 has completed and I fee pretty good, and I think the meals where very filling and tasty. We have committed to 8 weeks in hopes of simply changing our palette. One rule of thumb for this diet is 2 grams of fiber for every 90 calories. The general idea is that if the food item meets this simple fiber rule, then it will contain more goody nutrients.

Breakfast:
whole wheat toast, caramelized banana with cinnamon and fresh ground nutmeg, and natural peanut butter
yogurt and a granola.

Lunch:
veggie patty, whole wheat bun, smoked mozzarella, tomato spout and avocado salad. 10 potato chips

Dinner:
pan fried sole seasoned with corn meal, hot paprika, and cumin. with tomato, green bean, and spinach salad

Dessert:mango lassie(wow i must say this was awesome. The highlight of the day)

Kate's Spring Recital 08

2008-05-30T19:20:00.002-05:00

Popeye The Sailor Man from Todd Gruben on Vimeo.

Scooby Dooby Doo from Todd Gruben on Vimeo.

Good Luck!

2008-05-20T08:19:00.001-05:00

DSC_0039.JPG
Originally uploaded by ToddGruben

Look out MIT, here comes Big ern. Study hard and learn a lot.

Spring Break 08

2008-03-12T22:27:00.001-05:00

P1010657.JPG
Originally uploaded by ToddGruben

Carpe Diem

Look out World

2008-03-05T19:41:00.001-06:00

DSC_0049.JPG
Originally uploaded by ToddGruben

I was amazed at my 5 year olds eye for color selection. She colored this page with her own imagination. Wow is all I can say.

Day 29

2008-02-29T19:46:00.002-06:00

Complete! I did a pretty good job of sticking to the goal. My only lapse was the planned birthday meal and a slight bit just to appease the in laws. I weigh 205 and feel pretty good. I guess we probably were not as creative as we had hoped but it is always nice to achieve a goal. I am planning on getting my blood work pretty soon after I get down below 200.

I started a new cycling program again last monday and it is pretty tough getting back into the swing of things. I really want a some sort of data logger for my rides. I'm debating between the ibike, which is a wind based power meter, and a garmin. The garmin unit has gps and heart data and the ibike has power, windspeed and temperature. I probably don't need any of it, but I like to have the data so that I can discuss achievements with my friends and maybe have something to compare. It kinda gives a purpose to all the painful efforts. Its also nice to relive those moments. I still go back to my HTH06 experience over on motionbased web site. How silly is that to find purpose in silly dots on a graph. But it seems most of my life is about an increasing graph, age, finances and what not.

breakfast:
smoothy
coffee

lunch:
grapefruit
power bar

dinner:
mozzarella, basil, and tomato sandwich
salad with blue cheese dressing
also snacked on french fries, cheese quesadilla, and a slice of cheese pizza.

Day 28

2008-02-28T18:51:00.002-06:00

Breakfast:
scrambled eggs
whole wheat toast and butter
coffee

lunch:
asian salad
black tea

dinner:
mashed potatoes
hummus and pita
lemon soup
chocolate

Day 27

2008-02-27T18:46:00.000-06:00

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

lunch:
wild mushroom curry soup

Dinner:
Asian salad(green peas,broccoli, sprouts,cashews, edame)
macaroni and cheese
black eyed peas
chocolate

Day 26

2008-02-26T20:36:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Kate!

breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

Lunch:
romain salad with roasted vegetables
missed the protein today

Dinner:
Spaghetti with tomato sauce
garlic bread
chocolate molten cake

Day 25

2008-02-25T20:43:00.000-06:00

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

Lunch:
romaine salad with goat cheese and packaged tuna

Dinner:
wild mushroom curry soup
roasted vegetable (egg plant,zuccini, yellow squash, onion, and roasted red pepper)
sandwich
chocolate square.

Day 24

2008-02-24T10:42:00.000-06:00

Today we had a scheduled cheat on the month o' veggies. It was the wife's birthday and she requested chicken fried steak back in january, So I simply must abide. It seemed to go over pretty well, I made it for all the grandparents. Quite the production, frying that much meat on our small stove. Visually the meat looked a bit dark, but the flavor and texture turned out quit nice.

My Dad mentioned he was responding very well to niacin, so I thought I might give it a try to help my cholesterol numbers. For some reason, I want to avoid the statins like the plague.

Breakfast:
coffee

Lunch:
Chicken fried steak, mashed potato's and hot rolls

Dinner:
cheese enchiladas, refried beans and rice.

Day 23

2008-02-23T22:38:00.002-06:00

Happy birthday Sweetheart! Today we had birthday celebration #1 of the weekend. Had a nice time seeing an ok movie, vantage point Short movie with a bit of action. Not much to write home about, but I'm easy, so I'll say it was entertaining. I weighed in at 206

Breakfast:
Bean and cheese tacos
cinamon roll
coffee

Dinner:
Scallops and green chili mash potatoes (z-tejas)
chocolate pie

Day 22

2008-02-22T22:35:00.001-06:00

Breakfast:
coffee

Lunch:
Whole Wheat pasta, feta and roasted vegetables
Dinner:
Artichoke pesto pizza
greek salad

Day 21

2008-02-21T21:16:00.002-06:00

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy

Lunch:
tuna and romaine salad

Dinner:
hummus, tzatziki,
broccolli and cauliflower
chocolate pie

Day 20

2008-02-20T21:09:00.001-06:00

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy

Lunch:
wheat noodles,roasted vegetables(leeks,artichokes,tomatoes) and goat cheese

Dinner:
Salmon
fingerling potatoes
peas

Day 19

2008-02-19T20:28:00.000-06:00

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy

Lunch:
tofu and rice noodles with lettuce

Dinner:
whole grain pasta, goat cheese and roasted vegetables( radiccio,leeks, artichokes)
Chia

Day 18

2008-02-18T20:29:00.002-06:00

Breakfast
coffee
Egg frittata

Lunch:
Wendy's Panko fish sandwich

Dinner:
Shrimp brown rice stirfry
Chia tea

Day 17

2008-02-17T20:00:00.000-06:00

Breakfast:
bean and cheese taco with salsa
coffee

Snack:
dried strawberries
peanut M&M

Dinner:
Oyster soup(cream, leeks, and carrots)
ice cream

Day 16

2008-02-16T20:27:00.001-06:00

I weighed in at 204 this morning.

Brunch:
Egg, broccoli and mushroom frittata
coffee

Dinner:
Shrimp and scallop skillet

Day 15

2008-02-15T20:24:00.002-06:00

Breakfast:
scrambled eggs

Lunch:
spring rolls

Dinner:
Ravioli
Garlic bread
romaine salad

Day 14

2008-02-14T22:04:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentines day.

Breakfast:
coffee

Lunch:
creamed spinach
sweet potato pie

Dinner:
scallop and shrimp skillet(spinach and white bean)
chocolate

Day 13

2008-02-13T20:33:00.004-06:00

I'm feeling much better today. I've seen 2 inspiring videos, one was on the history channel and was about George Washington Carver. His biography was the first I ever read, which happened when i was in 3rd grade. Come to find out it was also the first biography my wife ever read as well at roughly the same time. He as a great man who utilized his genius in such an honorable way. The world would be such a better place if there where more people like him. Great educator, brilliant and humble. That is the kind of person I want to become. I have a long way to go, I'm missing all three qualities, but hey, you have to start sometime.

The second video was by a CMU Computer science professor and is entitled "The Last Lecture"..simply a must see

Breakfast:
blueberry smoothy

Lunch:
strawberry smoothy

Dinner:
Cod with mushroom sauce
sweet potato pie
creamed spinach

Day 12

2008-02-12T20:58:00.002-06:00

Still have stomach irritation, but it feels like I have begun recovery. I haven't sleep very well since the onset.

So far I haven't missed the chicken or beef from the diet. I had a few moments on Saturday when I thought of a hamburger but nothing substantial.

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy

Lunch:
yogurt, cherry and banana smoothy

snack:
chocolate Brownie

Dinner:
battered salmon
broccoli, cauliflower and carrot medley
mac and cheese

Day 11

2008-02-11T20:55:00.000-06:00

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

Lunch:
romaine salad with salmon

Diner:
Butternut squash and swiss chard manicotti

Day 10

2008-02-10T22:06:00.001-06:00

Fun. The return of the stomach issues. Roughly around noon my stomach pains started returning again. This is rather soon compared to previous history. I did have a pinto and cheese breakfast taco. I am wondering it this response is food related or not. Maybe this blog might have some scientific value. Time will tell.

Breakfast:
Grapefruit
pinto bean and cheese taco

Snack:
Pomelo(some grapefruit orange hybrid, not very good)

Dinner:
butternut squash with swiss chard manicotti
romaine salad

Day 9

2008-02-09T22:58:00.000-06:00

Today was a breakdown. I started out weighing in at 206. For some reason this really discouraged me, I felt like I had lost weight and unfortunately my scales told me otherwise. My first reaction to my news was just to cut off the food for the day, I was determined to find some improvement. This was completely irrational and I know better. I managed to put off food until noon when I had a grapefruit. I finished the grapefruit and still found myself a bit wanton. I added a small bowl of lentil soup to the meal and felt fairly satisfied.

I had the afternoon to myself and was planning on enjoying a nice read for some rest and relaxation. I dozed off and awoke a couple of hours latter. I don't know what really triggered the binge that was about to follow, but for some reason I was perusing the fridge and found some remaining drunken goat cheese. It was probably about a 6 oz chunk. I thought, that would be a nice snack. I finished off the cheese in about 30 secs and this awakened a hunger demon in me that I had not felt in quite some time. I immediately devoured a rice crispy treat, which in itself was not complete meltdown, but I was still experiencing almost a primal hunger, primarily for some sweetness. I remembered that we had some ice cream and proceeded to inhale about 1/2 a pint of the certified organic, 100% all natural sweet, creamy chocolaty coffee goodness.

My senses slowly returned and rational thought prevailed. I guess the event was not as indulgent as I first perceived. It was the loss of mental control that interested me. How powerful the sense of hunger can be to transform a normal sane person into a ravaging beast simply for a few calories of fuel. The fact was I was not starving by any means. It was simply a lack of discipline and an example of how weak the mind can be when it lacks direction.

For dinner I had to deviate from the vegetarian diet for a bit. We were invited over to dinner and they had chicken and cheese enchiladas. I ate just a bit to draw attention. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

Breakfast:
coffee

Lunch:
grapefruit
lentil soup

snack:
hard drunken goat cheese
rice crispy treat
chocolate coffee ice cream

dinner:
pinto beans
Spanish rice
cheese enchiladas with a bit of chicken
romaine salad
banana cake

Day 8

2008-02-08T23:01:00.000-06:00

breakfast:
cheese omelette
coffee

lunch:
tilapia and couscous
brussel sprouts

snack:
grapefruit

dinner:
goat cheese and pesto pizza
romaine salad
whole grain rice crispy treat

Day 7

2008-02-07T22:51:00.000-06:00

breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

lunch:
salmon, romaine, and dried cranberry salad

snack:
chocolate chip cookie
jasmine tea

dinner:
tilapia
brussel sprouts
israeli couscous, olive, and mint salad

Day 6

2008-02-06T17:51:00.000-06:00

I am feeling like I am making a bit of progress. That thought is based on the feeling I get from my pants starting to loosen and I generally feel good. So far, I had 2 bad nights sleep since starting this experiment and last night was one of them, which is actually better than normal. I walked a couple of miles today after work.

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

Lunch:
romaine, tomato, and feta salad
Jasmine Tea

snack:
Orange

Dinner:
lentil soup with yogurt
romaine, carrot and tomato salad
chocolate
berry sorbet

Day 5

2008-02-05T21:50:00.000-06:00

Going strong, not so sure the heart healthy part is the primary focus but we are adapting. I walked a couple of miles today while the cold front blew into town.

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

Lunch:
romaine, goat cheese, dried cranberries, and almond salad
green tea

snack:
Clementine orange
green tea

dinner:
broccoli
spinach and cheese tortellini with spicy marinara
chocolate bit

Day 4

2008-02-04T22:06:00.000-06:00

Breakfast:
poached egg with salsa
coffee

Lunch:
cheese enchiladas, refried beans, rice, chips and salsa
Jasmine Tea

Dinner:
grapefruit
sourdough toast and cheese.
chocolate

Day3

2008-02-03T20:08:00.000-06:00

After last nights calorie overload, we took it very light today. Breakfast was incredibly filling even though didn't have it until 10:30. I skimmed a book on some wacky tea diet today. The basic premise is moderation and varity and you should drink tea whenever you had a craving of any kind. So, I gave it a try in the evening. We also finished up the afternoon with a nice 3 mile walk. So far so good.

Breakfast:
1 bean and cheese taco
1 vegetarian chorizo
oj and coffee

Dinner:
lentil soup with a dollop yogurt
corn chips and fresh homemade tomato salsa
1oz dark chocolate
Lots of green tea

Day 2

2008-02-02T19:50:00.000-06:00

Today we where very disorganized with our meals and even had a night out with friends. We have managed to be faithful to our restrictions with little or no plan. Hopefully, tomorrow we can put together a new menu and actually branch out a bit. The great news of the day was I weighed in at 205lbs. That was considerably below where I was expecting to be. More than likely last weeks stomach issues had a lot to do with it.

Breakfast:
grapefruit
handful of almonds
coffee

Lunch:
yogurt
dried strawberries

Snack:
apple
almonds

Dinner:
asparagus salad
California roll
fried calamari
panko lemon grass halibut
bok choy
white cheddar mashed potatoes

Dessert:
chocolate truffles
Italian chocolate cake
raspberry chocolate cake

Day1: Today I am a vegetarian

2008-02-01T19:54:00.000-06:00

For the next 29 days, my wife and I will attempt to be vegetarian with our primary focus being on exploring heart healthy options. We are going to allow eggs and fish, so a neophyte vegetarian at best. The idea behind this adventure is to force us to try new foods and new food combinations. We hope to discover new proteins to augment and enhance our current regimen. Wish us luck!

I am going to weigh myself on Saturdays to see if this diet has any effect, look out J 195 here I come. At the completion of this month, I am going to get a full blood work and hopefully my cholesterol numbers will go down. when I checked in November the LDL's where 118(shooting for <100) and the HDL's as 39(shooting for >45)

Today's foods..

Breakfast:
egg and spinach quiche
coffee

Lunch:
Mediterranean wrap(red bell peppers, whole grain tortilla, pine nuts, hummus, spinach and zucchini)
water

Dinner:
1 Large Grapefruit
1 handful raw almonds
1 large chi tea(milk and tea/spices)

I am just coming off an upset stomach so the true test will come when my appetite returns.

I am inspired to blog this adventure after reading Meredith's fabulous journal on her adventures in the raw foods realm. Check it out for yourself at blogspot .

Trip to the Museum

2008-01-18T16:16:00.000-06:00

Kate snaps her first pictures, Great eye Kate!

New Years Action List

2008-01-11T13:10:00.000-06:00

First of all, On January 1, I weighed 211 lbs.

1. Read 2 Pulitzer Prize winning books
2. Take a vacation with Darla
3. Get my weight down to 195
4. Program my ardunio to sample some physical data like temprature or maybe g-forces
5. Perform a science experiment with Kate(possibly link to #4)
6. Cook something with Emma
7. Take a photography class

Little Angles

2007-12-11T15:32:00.001-06:00

DSC_0050.JPG
Originally uploaded by ToddGruben

A christmas extravaganza

High Cotton '07

2007-11-23T14:13:00.001-06:00

2nd Grade Fun

2007-11-09T15:31:00.001-06:00

SuperHero from Todd Gruben on .

Halloween 2007

2007-11-01T07:28:00.000-05:00

Summer Recital

2007-09-18T07:26:00.000-05:00

Painted Rocking Horse from Todd Gruben on Vimeo

C is for cookie from Todd Gruben on Vimeo

Nobody Knows the Trouble I'm in! from Todd Gruben on Vimeo.

2007 here we go again

2007-03-11T10:36:00.000-05:00

Well in my view of last year's resolutions, I accomplished some(century ride), failed at some(blogging more). Life is difficult but exciting if you chose it so. Depression is a slick monster that can slip in and consume your focus. So this year I have descided to take on these goals.

1. Century Ride #2
2. Enjoy my work. View it as a challenge and not a competition
3. Teach my kids
4. Love my wife

And if i need a little motivation just look at this..

2006-08-26T19:01:00.000-05:00

This is a quick document to record my adventure with the Hotter than Hell(HTH)2006.

10:45
Departed for Wichita Falls from my home in cedar park
1:00
had a foot long turkey breast club at subway in Stephenville texas at 1pm
3:30 106F
arrived at wichita falls. Drove in right beside Ernie
4:00
signed up for our lodging a the YMCA(add link for location). A luxurious corner of racquetball court number 5. The a/c was set at 70 so it was very nice
5:15
went for packet pickup. waited in line for about 20 minutes. packets where organized by the number. 11900 numbers for the ride
6:00
ate 2 big plates of thick spaghetti. sauce was a little too sweet. Large room lots of people. Bought water bottle, air pump, biking shorts and socks
8:00 101F
find out my youngest is sick and start to worry about logistics of my departure from witchita
8:30am
lights out!
11:38am
floor started to get hard I was wishing I had a camping pad
1:30am
noticed the a/c was off. only shortly. but the heat was building
2:38am
anxious about the ride
4:15am
first guy in our room gets up for the day
5:00am
ernie and I get up eat a bagel. I have small cliff bar and 3 "male power" pills, 2 advil, and 1 B complex vitamin
6:00am
we are in line and ready to go. we are about 20 row's from the front. we sit and wait
6:30am
talk to my honey on the phone and get a nice pep talk. youngest is ok so the wife is gonna make the trek

7:12 81F
flyover and cannon fires. The ride begins. Kinda scooteed the bike for a little bit before finallly getting off. Bikers for as far as the eye could see. Started heading down scott street and our first slowdown began at the bridge over the railroad tracks outside of time. I settled into a nice easy 18Mph pace.

(*Need to update the exact times from the GPS)

Passed rest stop 1 and was feeling good. my heart rate was an easy 145bpm. Iowa park was a small little town. Nice place. Lots of locals out watching the riders. The roads where "owned" by the cyclists.

ride came to a hault just prior to rest stop 2. I think there was a collision. meandered through rest stop and kept on pounding. I'm feeling pretty good at this point so i bump my speed up a bit. I am cruising between 25 and 30 mph all the way to electra. Had a tail wind. I was worried about the "hill" that was supposed to be on that road. I never noticed it. i was relieved when I got to electra. heart rate got up to 159. Probably a little high.

8:59 am mile 31
rest stop 3. I stopped and watered up. ate a cookie. filled up with red gatorade and water. had power gel #1. Got on the bike and it felt like a new ride. My legs felt great and I was off. 30 miles down.

got passed by the first (david the dell dude i think)CFC rider. He yelled to join up. Their train was moving. I thought about trying to keep up but kept telling myself. This is my ride. Listen to the body.

lance from cfc road with me for a while. had a nice chat then he went on ahead.

I passed up stop 4. The road was new on the backside and a little rough.

10:15am mile 53
Stopped at stop 5. drank a blue gatorade and just watered up. eat power gel #2. Set in the shade for a couple of minutes. washed off with a cold rag and hit the road.

the wind was noticeable at the i44 turn prior to hells gate. I was wanting to draft behind the vignette group. They where about the right speed, but i never did catch up

passed up rest stop 6.

10:45am mile 60 Hells Gate
yeah made hells gate by 10:30am found out later that they closed it early at 11:10 because of "record' heat". I new at that point that i was going to finish this ride. The wife called had phone difficulty. Another CFC rider(the guy that lives at riverplace) passed me an checked up on me.

there where a couple of small hills that where getting pretty tough after hells gate. Starting to feel a little fatigued at this point.

11:22am mile 68
Stopped at stop 7 lady held my bike up to prevent "stickers". I ate some oranages and got some more ice water. Started to become aware of the heat

road with the wind for a while.

11:42am mile 72
Stopped to to call darla. left voice mail. CFC called out and asked if i was ok.

11:59am mile 77
Stopped at stop 8 rested in the shade. had power gel #3. Sat on rocks in shaded oak tree area. Got sprayed down and head out. 25 miles to go. I am feeling ok. This is gonna be alright

Make the turn ouch wind. ugh please find someone to draft. No luck. I've ridden in worse, I can do this.

Bam. mile 80 oh my god, my right leg starts cramping. I wonder if i am going to be able to finish. I unclip in wiggle but keep on going. I am traveling at about 8mph and starting to get really hot.

12:41pm mile 84
I skip stop 9, i stop and chat with cfc rider(bob i think) but i am scared to get off the bike thinking my legs will cramp and i won't be able to start again.

Just keeps getting hotter and my legs get weaker. I start to climb a hill and i see a camper ahead. I think, thank you i need this stop. I finally make it to the top and find out it is just a medical stop.

1:09pm mile 88
I lay on the ground for about 5 minutes in the sun. I notice a chair in the shade so i go over and sit in that chair. They say this site doesn't have any water. The medic goes to the next stop and gets us some water. That is a life saver. I talk to darla on the phone. I talk to ernie on the phone. I tell them i am going to make it. I sit for a little longer. I was probably at that site for 45 minutes. We are four miles from rest stop 10. I have a nice visit with other exhausted riders. I love how real people are when they meet the point of utter exhaustion. It is a good chance to see their true colors. I finally build up the mo and go for it. I had a cloud cover for most of that trip to the next rest stop. No cramping and it seemed pretty quick.

1:51pm mile 91
rest stop 10. I take 2 ice towels. and drink some pickle juice and get a little more ice water

get sprayed by water a bit from rest stop 11
feels great.

2:18pm mile 97
stop at rest stop 11. shouldn't have stopped. the spray would've lasted longer if i had kept goint. get more water and ice towels. Man is it hot. 4 more miles

pass the beer stop and head into town. i can feel every press of the pedal. the heat is really starting to get to me. I pass 100 on my odometer.

2:33pm mile 98
101 i have to stop got a towel wrapped in my rear derailleur. I can see downtown. I am almost crying. I am so greatful darla is going to be there. Then i see the overpass. Oh my how can i make that climb. I gear down all the way and just spin. pound pound pound. I am amazed I am not cramping. I reach the summit and start to coast down. Ahhh, I am going to make it. I thinking at this point I'll be able to coast all the way in. Wrong!. I have to turn down a couple of streets. Oh where is that finish line. Please let this end. I start to look for the finish line. I see it. I am almost crying again. I don't cry. Such a bizarre emotional time right now. I first see my friend travis. Then i see darla and ernie. I smile for the camera and finish up strong. The announcer(kid craddock) askes how i am doing and i shake my head. I pull over and sit in the first shade that i find. i very nice black lady fans me. She is so pleasant. I thanked her over and over. I thank you again if you read this.


Total Time (h:m:s)	8:04:44	4:45 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	6:28:31	3:48 pace
Distance (mi)	101.88
Moving Speed(mph)	15.7 avg	31.0 max
Elevation Gain	+2,148 / -2,085
Temperature(F)	93.6 F Avg	111 F Max(on the bank)
Wind Speed(mph)	S 12.3 avg	S 13.8 max

So I did it! It was the most physically grueling thing i have ever done. I don't know if it is grasping at my departing youth. I just had to finish, I could not quit. i am still emotional about the completion. Thank you darla and ernie for giving me the time to train for this accomplishment. I didn't save the world. I didn't make national news. But i did ride 100 miles in one day. I have a good life,a good family, and some good friends.

2006-08-20T08:01:00.000-05:00

Hello World! Welcome to the world of Google World Processing.

2006 Reading like a madman

2006-01-18T11:13:00.000-06:00

So far in 2006, my house has just been a den of sickness in my life all I have done is read. I have liked all the books I have read so far this year. Below is the list as of today. Looks like I have reverted back to being a 10 year old boy.

Harry Potter: Half blood prince

Enternity Code

The Opal Deception

The Deception Point

Freakonomics

New Years Resolutions:

1. Ride 100 miles in 1 day on the bike
2. Talk more to the wife
3. Relax and enjoy life
4. Build something intersting
5. End up the year under 200lbs( only 5 lbs to go)
6. Remove hydrogenated oils and high frutose corn syrup from my diet
7. Improve my photography skills
8. Blog more
9. Grow some good tomatoes
10. Make lobster bisque

Introduction to Quantum mechanics

2005-11-22T22:37:00.000-06:00

Why do i look at these things, I guess for some reason it makes me feel like i could become intelligent, its a cheap way to go back to school and remember what I am missing. I'll blog my progress through the class and we'll see how i do. Its better than watching tv and who knows maybe I can apply it someday. This instructor is quite good and I thought i would jot down a few notes to see If I could still grasp the concept

A concise version of the equation
`hat(H)\Psi = E\Psi`

an example operator function
`hat(H)=-(h^2)/(2m) d^2/dx2`

basically its an eigen type equation
operator function = constant*function

My calculus is abit weak but is comming back to me

Here is a link to the lecture

Day 2

2005-08-03T21:30:00.000-05:00

after a slight vacation. I ran again. My legs seamed really heavy, but for some reason I finished about 4 minutes earlier. It was in the mid 90's in the afternoon. The details are below.

Calories: 451
Time: 31.04
Max HR: 165
Avg HR: 145
Distance: 2.0 miles

Day 1 Trainning begins

2005-07-31T21:38:00.000-05:00

I began training today with the new polar f6 heart rate monitor. I pointed out pretty quickly that I am not in that good of shape. My program today consisted of a 5 minute stretching routine followed by a run. The nice thing about heart training is that it prohibited me from getting weak. The results of the program according to the watch are as follows:

Calories: 509
Time: 34.16
Max HR: 166
Avg HR: 147

The total distance was around 2 miles. I will measure soon on google maps as soon as I make or find a nice measuring tool for grease monkey. I weighed in tonight at 225. Hopefully the pounds will come off.

So it begins

2005-07-26T15:44:00.000-05:00

I have commited to a Triathon traing class. I think I'll blogg about the experience. I should be interesting. The base line is this. I am 35 years old 6'3" and weigh about 220lbs. I haven't been apart of any excersize program in many years. My wife is gonna join me in this challenge. She is in much better shape than I, I am hoping for to feed on some of her energy. Here goes nothing!

$225 - total money spent on this hobby day 1.

Tune in for updates..

Vacation

2005-07-03T10:32:00.000-05:00

So, this was the first Gruben family vaction and all was a success. We loaded up the truckster and headed to Galveston for a three day excursion at moody gardens The Hotel was very nice. Clean room, comfortable beds and nice service.

Salsa's good mexican food

gaitos ok fine dining experience

swimming the girls loved to swim. Kate was underwater most of the trip

earache. My ear was clogged with wax most of the trip

Movie:Mr and Mrs Smith

2005-06-23T13:28:00.000-05:00

nice flick. Fun but predictable

Book:The Diamond Age

2005-06-23T13:27:00.001-05:00

Diamond Age

John Percival Hackworth is a nanotech engineer on the rise when he steals a copy of "A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer" for his daughter Fiona. The primer is actually a super computer built with
nanotechnology that was designed to educate Lord Finkle-McGraw's daughter and to teach her how to think for herself in the stifling neo-Victorian society. But Hackworth loses the primer before he can give it to Fiona, and now the "book" has fallen into the hands of young Nell, an underprivileged girl whose life is about to change.

Good book overall. Loved the images of the the nano-tech appications. So far I have like Neal's books. But considering the time invested in reading those large paper-weights, his endings are less than stellar.

Book: The Time Travlers Wife

2005-06-23T13:27:00.000-05:00

By
Audrey Niffenegger
Jonathan Cape

Score:3

Just a few thoughts on the book

developement of a relationship out of time order
clever, yet sappy

Looks like they are gonna make a movie out of it

The Cabbage Diet

2005-06-17T09:31:00.002-05:00

Weight:222
day 1 fruit-breakfast pinapple,watermelon lunch-pear soup dinner cantalope and soup
felt great

day 2 veggie- breakfast carrots,lunch soup,dinner yam with butter and soup
slight deminished brain capicty

day 3 fruit-breakfast grapefruid,strawberries,veggie dinner corn,peas,squash no soup
I realized that the peas and corn wasn't exactly on the diet a few hours after consumption.

day 4 banna-milk- breakfast smoothy lunch soup dinner smoothy ran out of soup
was a little weak around 5pm had smoothy at 630 felt much better.

day 5 meat-tomatoes- breakfast turkey breast slices, Lunch soup, Dinner steak and arugula salad

day 6. Weighed in at 212.5. All in all a successful week. I am happy with the results

iPhoto Rocks!

2005-06-13T10:56:00.000-05:00

Thank you apple for making a less than talented graphic designer be able to produce such quality work. Combine a weeks worth of vaction photos, couple of bucks on itunes, and hour on iPhoto and iDVD and walla a very nice DVD I can send to the parents a 20 minute documentory on the beauty of their grandkids. Now if I just had an easy way to convert 8mm analog tapes into digital. I am looking into Eyetv. Others options are purchasing a mini-dv camera that provides a pass-through option or a analog-dv converter such as Datavideo DAC-100

Movie:Crash

2005-06-10T10:10:00.000-05:00

Going to the movies last night was a struggle. I was in the mood for a pyscho thriller and there was just nothing showing could feed my hunger for excitment. So i ended up seeing a well made film,Crash. While a bit more reality than I prefer in my entertainment, I left the movie feeling angry that racism exists, but hopeful that my fellow man will strive to see people as individuals and not a sterotypes. Good show and worth seeing

A new beginning

2005-06-07T10:51:00.000-05:00

Today marks my entry into the blogsphere. It is my hope to improve my communication skills and possibly gain a little self discipline by providing daily nuggets of interest that happen to flow through my slow firing synapses.

Today , I think I have decided to dedicate the next 7 days of my life to a diet known as The cabbage soup diet I am moderately overweight and my wife and kids are out of town for the week, so why not loose a few pounds. Wish me luck!