DAMMIT, I’m a Pitch Perfect Nerd…
I don’t know if I’ve ever written about this but I’m quite musically inclined. I played the sax in high school and I was good. Not a little bit good, I was good. My friends and I could jam out (as we said back in the day). Then I took to singing and a buddy of mine and I did a battle of the bands which led to an invite to be the lead singer for a national band (Rhythm Corps). That didn’t work out (or it did depending on how you look at it – the way I see it, exactly what needed to happen, did) and it was entirely my fault.
Anyway, I never bothered with voice lessons. Had I, I’d have been pretty awesome. As it is, I’m okay, maybe above average.
Now that my daughter is playing trumpet and is far more talented than I was at her age, we have something in common and it’s been special sharing my enjoyment of music with my kid…
That recently took what I thought was a turn for the worse when I came home with my youngest daughter to find my wife and the elder watching Pitch Perfect. A few days later they rented Pitch Perfect 2. For Easter my wife bought the movies on DVD…
Now going back to that first viewing… The ending got me. Drew me in and hooked me. The second installment was hilarious. The movies, amazingly, celebrate nerds and music in a way that is, put simply, good and rare. Rather than the gangly, ungainly, unattractive nerds that usually make it into film, these movies show nerds as they are in reality: A diverse group ranging from the attractive to the stereotypical nerd. In short, the films celebrate what I was as a kid (and truthfully, what I am now, along with my wife) and I dig it.
So I’m sitting up in the stands last night, watching my girls swim. After the eldest was done (her 2 hour session finishes after the youngest has been swimming for a half-hour, meaning I’m in the stands for 3 total), she emerged from the locker room and came up to sit down next to me… I had my headphones in and was listening to the PP2 soundtrack. My daughter took one of my ear buds and put it in her ear and we sat there, next to each other, and bopped our heads, singing along together. I handled the base stuff, she got the high notes… and it was good.
Man, I love my wife and kids. Being a nerd has never been so much fun.
Fitness: Whatever It F@€K!N’ Takes.
I pulled into my driveway at 5 minutes to 3 yesterday afternoon. The girls have swimming practice at 5 so if I’m going to get a ride in, it’s gotta be before I take them… I don’t like taking off that early but when you show up between 6 and 6:30 in the morning for work, leaving early can be justified from time to time.
I threw on my cycling stuff, filled up a water bottle and ran out the door. I wasn’t a mile down the road before my phone started blowing up. It seems it’s going to be one of those years. See, I’m cool with ignoring my phone after 5 but too many of my competitors ignore theirs during business hours. I won’t be that guy.
I turned my bike around and headed home. When I pulled into the driveway, I took the front wheel off and stuffed my bike into the trunk – that’s the boot for you folks in the UK. I headed inside and took my top layers off and set them aside. I sat down and took care of business.
When it was time I packed the kids in the car and dropped them at practice. I pulled my bike out, set it up, got dressed and knocked out a monster hill workout for a little over 45 minutes. I did it on the 22 pound Trek, not the 17 pound Venge (How funny is that? My aero bike is the light bike). With the club ride tomorrow evening I didn’t want to overdo it but I’m righteously cooked sitting here writing this.
My fitness is worth whatever it f@ckin’ takes. I don’t care how I have to shove sh!t around, I’m getting my ride in. Dude, I worked too damn hard to get here. There’s no way I’m going back to being that fat, lazy bastard who was sitting there all sorry for myself, polishing the couch with my frickin’ sweatpants, spouting donut shop lies*.
We all slip from time to time. Whether we believe the committee that tries to sabotage the good we do or we just plain hit a lazy streak. It happens. Not to me, but I imagine it happens to some people… I just wanted to throw that in there for the “it’s not my fault” crowd. Anyway, for those of us who enjoy cycling (or whatever active hobby you like), there are constants in life:
I can’t get fat when I’m watching what I eat and getting my daily ride in. Getting fat under those conditions is impossible.
There is nothing better than throwing a good bike ride at life’s problems.
Anyone can talk tough when it comes to the consequences of being overweight. You won’t be talking smack when that bus comes around the corner to pick you up.
Fitness doesn’t guarantee longevity. It does , however, increase the odds by more than enough to matter.
Life will either be great or it will suck. Which one is entirely dependent on my attitude, outlook and effort.
Fit Recovery 