CPT'S WOD

Dynamic Warmup:
Row 50 calories

Mobility:
3rds: Ring Row 7x, Ring Dip 7x, GHD Hip Extension

Strength WOD:
Weighted Pullups (20lbs KB)
3-3-3-3-3

METCON WOD:
Every Minute on the Minute, for 15 minutes
  Walking Lunge with 30lb KB in each hand 10x
   Pushups 5x
   Abmat Situp  Max reps
 

CPT'S WOD

5 Rounds
Deadlifts 6x          #135, 185, 185, 205, 225
High-pull 6x         #40, 50, 50, 60, 70
Front Squats 6x    #135, 185, 155, 155, 145
Push-jerks 6x       #95, 105, 135, 155, 165
Back squats 6x     #135, 185, 205, 225, 245

CPT's WOD

Crossfit: Family Style
So far I really like the military gym on Ft. Shafter.  They allow me to bring my two littleheads so my wife and I can do crossfit together.  They have a corner in the gymnasium with several pieces of crossfit equipment that allows me to put together an entire WOD and not have to leave that area in case I need to watch the boys. 

Todays WOD:
QuaDeath
AMRAP in 30 minutes
Wallball 20x 20/6#
Burpees 6x
Walking Lunge 60m
Sprint 60m

We did 4 rounds all while keeping a 3 y/o and 18 m/o out of trouble!  I'm pretty impressed the Mrs' effort and work.

CPT's WOD

Crossfit Endurance:
AMRAP in 60 minutes
Jog 3 min
Burpees 5x
Jump Tucks 5x
Push ups 5x
Squats 5x
Rest 2 minutes

10 rounds done with the wife and pushing a stroller!

CPT's WOD

Tabata Style 20:10
6 Rounds              
Squats
Push-ups
Box Jumps
Burpees
Pull-ups

My shoulder starting to hurt so I did a 5" C2 Row session to relax my shoulder so

THEN...

4 Rounds
Squats
Double Unders
Box Jumps
Military Rower
Wall Ball 10#

Total of 35"

The Things I Do

CPT's WOD

CPT's Crossfit
BLAKE (modified)
4 rounds
25m Overhead walking lunge (20# med ball)
30x Box jumps
20x Wall ball (20#)
10second Handstand

CPT's WOD

AM: Crossfit (wife's 1st time)
For Time:
Push-ups 30x
Run 300m
Squats 30x
Run 200m
Burpees 30/15x
Run 100m
Situp/Crunch 30x
Run 50m
Jumping Jacks 30x

Time: >15 minutes...I accidently left the 15 minute countdown on and it was stopped when we finished the WOD.  oops

PM: Crossfit

2 Rounds
Overhead Squats 15x 95#
Pull ups 15x
Split Jerk 15x 95#
Knees to Elbows 15x
Hanging Power Clean 15x 95#
Stiff-legged Deadlift 15x 95#

CPT's WOD

AM: Crossfit
AMRAP in 15 minutes
Rope Climb 20ft 1x
Wall Ball 20# / 20x
Run 200m

3 Rounds in 13:15

The Things I Do

An experience of a lifetime...

CPT's WOD

AM: Couch 2 10K Interval Training with the Mrs.
Run/walk 1:1 @ 2"30 sec for 58".

PM: Crossfit
For Time: 15 min 15 secs
25 Pull-ups
50 Burpees
75 Flutter-kicks (4 count)
100 Squats

Getting Old Sucks!

So I went to the Ortho doc yesterday to follow-up on my bum shoulder and got exactly what I anticipated...the 3rd cortisone shot.  Luckily, this different PA suggested a surigical consult when/if there is no improvement by the end of January.  While I'm not trying to get surgery, I've given time to non-surgical treatment and I've noticed improvement in the first couple of months after the cortisone shot but that quickly dissapates.

CPT's WOD

2 hour surf session at Barbers Point.  Clean, crisp, and curiously uncrowded with knee-thigh high waves!

 A little retro Barbers Point surf action!

CPT's WOD

AM: Endurance: Row/10 resistance
10 x 1": 50sec rest
#1: 234m
#2: 235m
#3: 239m
#4: 238m
#5: 237m
#6: 160m (went to the bathroom)
#7: 239m
#8: 239m
#9: 241m
#10: 235m

Pic of the Week

While mine won't be as spectacular, I can't wait to get back in the water!

CPT's WOD

4-8 50m swim (#5)
     #1: 00:56
     #2: 00:56
     #3: 00:56
     #4: 01:03
     #5: 01:06

Crossfit:  Running Cindy (#9=16")*
Pre-workout Supplements: Arginine/Assault mix, Muscle Fuel (yuck!), Catalyst

Warm-up: Row 1000m = 05:15

AMRAP: 20"
Run 50m
Pull-ups 5x
Push-ups 10x
Squats 15x

Cooldown: Row 1000m = 05:00 / Stretch

*Stopped at 16" b/c my shoulder was feeling ouchy

CPT's WOD

AM: CPT's Crossfit
20"
Squat w/green resistance band 25x
Push-up 20x
Box Jumps 15x
Burpees 10x
Wall Board Pull-ups 5x

Felt winded and tired after 2 rounds; Supplements today were Muscle Fuel, Catalyst, and Spark.  Want to add muscle strength and Arginine/Assault mix.

Pic of the Week

Welcome Home, Daddy!

CPT's WOD

AM:  CPT's Crossfit

5 Rounds:
Deadlift 5x
    325# RDS 1 & 2
    275# RDS 3,4,5
Squats 25x

CPT's WOD

No Afghan Crossfit today =(

5 games of desert sand volleyball with a bunch of Jordanian medical personnel.

Freeweights: Shoulders*

Military Press
DB Bench Press
BB Shrugs
Front/Side Lateral Raise SS

*All reps done at max speed.

CPT's WOD

Afternoon: Crossfit
20"
Jump Rope
15x GHD situps
15x Back Ext

(Totally killed the lower back)

Night: Freeweights: Arms*
BB Curls
Alt DB Curls
Reverse/Hammer Curl SS
Preacher Curl
Skullcrushers
Bench Dips
Cable Pushdown/Reverse SS

*All sets were done at max speed for 20 reps

Pic of the Week

Disclaimer: This picture was taken by a Time Life photographer.

CPT's WOD

Afternoon: Afghan Crossfit
5 Rounds: 15, 12, 9, 6, 3

Squat Thruster's @ 50% BW
Knees to Elbows
Push-ups

No Weightlifting d/t pt load in EMT

CPT's WOD

Afternoon: Crossfit Afghan style
3 Rounds
30 Box Jums
30 Squats @95lbs
30 Lunges L/R

Night: FreeWeights: Arms*
BB curls
Alt DB Curls
Reverse Curls
Preacher Curls
1 Arm DB Ext
Bench Dips (BW)

*Workout got cut short 2 exercises because the gym suffered a generator failure.  Funny, though, when the power first went out nobody stopped lifting.  My boy, Ryan Hepworth, and I were the only Army guys in the gym with a bunch of Marines and we all just continued on our merry way.  The contractor staff had to kick us all out after a while.

Here's a few pics from when Time Magazine and Oliver North were at the CSH!

CPT's WOD

Afternoon: Crossfit
20" : 200m (+) sprint/run, 10 Pushups, 1" rest
       Finished with over 1 mile sprinting, cramps, and jello legs!

Evening: Free Weights: Chest
BB Bench Press
Incline DB Press
DB Fly
DB Pullover
Arnold Press

All sets/reps were done to Muslce Failure

CPT's WOD

Thanks to a certain ability to put someone on deaths door (Paracetamol overdose)...hahaha, I know what you're thinking cuz I just caught myself thinking it.  Not MY ability.  I wasn't able to accomplish Crossfit: Afghan style.

Free Weights: Shoulders
Military Press
BB Shrugs
Upright Rows (eyes)
DB Lateral Raise/Front Raise SuperSet
DB Bench Press
Reverse DB Fly

CPT's WOD

AFTERNOON:Crossfit: 4 Rounds
1" Ball Toss/Sprint
1" Tire Flip
1" 8' Wall Climb
1" Sledgehammer
1" Weighted Jump Rope
1" Tire Jumps

NIGHT:
Free Weights: Legs
Leg Ext
BB Squat
Calf Press
Leg Curl
Stiff Leg Deadlift
Standing Calf Raise

Pic of the Week

CPT's WOD

Afternoon: Crossfit
Pyramid (1-10)
Burpee, Pull up, Box Jump

Night: Back
Wide Grip Pull Down
1 Arm DB Row
Stiff Arm Pull Down
Standing Good Mornings
Deadlifts
Bent Over BB Row

CPT's WOD

3 Rounds
15x Right Pistol Leg
10x Knees 2 elbows
15x Left Pistol Leg
20x Push ups
20x Rower
20x Decline Sit up

3 hours later:
BB Curls
Alt DB Curl
Reverse Curl
Preacher Curl
1 Arm DB Ext
Weighted Bench Dips
Lying Tricep Press
Cable Tricep Pushdown/Ext  (SuperSet)

CPT's WOD

30 minutes
5 Jump shots: for each missed shot do 1 set of the following:
suicide (shuttle) run
5 jump tucks
5 push ups
5 burpees

I did 3 sets, 2 sets, 5 sets

3 hours later I was in the gym hitting the back
pull downs
1 arm DB row
Straight arm pull downs
Clean/bent over row SuperSet

CPT's WOD

For Time:
50 Burpees
50 Pull ups
50 Lunges
50 Sit ups

My time: 13:51 with a 3 minute time stop to check on my ER (16:51)

3 hours later hit the gym for some Legs
Leg Extension
BB Squat
Standing Calf Raise
Leg Curls
Stiff Leg Deadlift
DB Lunge

CPT's WOD

3 Rounds
21 Pull ups
50 Squats with BB
21 Knees 2 elbows

Measurement of Change

Today I took my first APFT in 2 years.  Yeah, normally taken every 6 months, but after partially tearing a tendon in my shoulder while in the M5 course I was taking any chances.  The Ortho doc said surgery was a last option because it was only half torn and I didn't want surgery anyways.  Did some Physical Therapy, stretched, rested, rested, rested, and did some more resting.  About 6 months ago, I finally began to do some working out with my shoulder, doing push ups etc.  I could have been running and working my abs the entire time but I had been severely lacking in the self-motiviation area and I really hate to run alone.  So, during this deployment I did some soul-searching and as I've posted recently, I started working out again consistently.  Charged hard but rested my shoulder when I needed to, no sense or desire to tear it again.

The time came for an OER for this deployment and my boss, MAJ. Marcus Lee, said I needed to take the APFT at the end of October for my eval.  I was more than willing to take it, but warned him that if my shoulder didn't feel right I was stopping and getting a temp profile.  Luckily he understands and isn't a stuck-up nurse.

Halloween came, APFT completed, and I must say I'm happy with my performance.  249/300 overall score: 53 (77% push ups), 73 (96% sit ups), 15:49 (76% run).  Given the conditions for the run, I still a little disappointed with it but was sick for 3 days from all the Afghan dust I inhaled.  When I arrived to Dwyer, I could barely do 10-15 push ups with my shoulder, 30-40 sit ups, and normally ran 2 miles in 16-17" in ideal conditions.

CPT's WOD

300 Lunges.  Every 2" stop and do 10 push-ups.

CPT's WOD

5 rounds:
1" Tire flip
1" Knees 2 elbows
1" Sledgehammer
1" Burpees
1" Ab wheel
1" Jump rope
1" Tire throw

With all the time I had on my hands while deployed to Afghanistan, I decided I needed to make some changes.  It had been too long of a time since I've committed to a regular physical fitness regime.  Ever since I left the Infantry, my motivation has slowly dwindled to near 0 with the addition of small tire around my mid-section.  Motivation, complacency, laziness, mediocricity, under-achiever...I'm not sure what to call it, but the fact remains, change was apparent and not for the better. 

I'm coming back to the understanding that quality nutrition is an elemant of health that cannot be overlooked.  After undertaking Advocare's 24Day Challenge and seeing how much of a difference I felt because of good quality nutrition, I'm convinced that my diet must change.  Unfortuneately, being in the middle of a desert doesn't help much, but once back stateside, dietary improvement will be made. 

I've been on a regular exercise program for the past 12 weeks!  I completed the workout program Insanity and all 9 weeks of it with improvements in each "Fit Test" exercise each and every time we took it.  My job as an ER nurse in a CSH means that I'm on-call 24/7.  When a page goes off for a trauma, I drop what I'm doing and get the the ER.  There were several times I had to stop in the middle of an Insanity workout and go the the ER, out of breath and sweaty.  In all, I think I missed maybe a weeks worth of workouts, but I'll take that for sure, especially after seeing the results I've gotten. 

Now that Insanity is pau and I've still got more time than I know what to do with, I created my own "Crossfit" workouts.  My boy, Ryan Hepworth, is now working out with me.  A big Mormon of a guy who works in the ER with me.  We've been hitting the gym for 2-3 weeks since Insanity ended.  Good guy, easy to be around and is a good workout partner.  I created 20 different workouts for the "Crossfit" sessions and we will still hit the gym as already scheduled, I think.  I just learned of the "Crossfit Endurance" program and am eager to learn more about that.  I think I'll just start when I get back stateside. 

Here are some results of my 24Day Challenge and Insanity workouts. 

Measurements first: 
Before: Wt: 176lbs              After 171lbs
          Neck: 16.75"                     17"
          Chest: 39.5"                 
          Abd:  36.5"                        33"
          Biceps: 13.5"                     15.5"
          Thighs: 22"                         23.25"
          Calf: 15.75"                       16.25"
          Bodyfat: 20%                    15% (according to Army measurements)

Now for some pictures:

Pic of the Week

More patients than space inside? 

Pic of the Week

Pic of the Week

Hurricane Popcorn Anyone

Pic of the Week

Pic of the Week

Pic of the Week

Approaching Dust Storm
 
 I guess "The Mummy" is real

A Decade Come & Gone- September 11th

To think 10 years and 1 week ago, I departed the active duty military role and was headed to college to become the face of the future generation of leaders through ROTC.  It's amazing how a small series of events can change the world.  Millions of words have been written on both sides of the fence, supporting war, against war, indifferent to war, against war but supporting the military.  The list goes on.

Politics..the practice or profession of conducting politcal affairs; polis, greek for city; politikos, affairs of the city OR Politics...poly, many, and tics, blood sucking arachnids.  That sounds more credible.  Since dawn of men it seems like politics has played a downward spiraling role in the destruction of man.  Probably because man is envolved in politics.  We are so selfish we stand in our own way of creating what we think we want or need in this world. 

Sorry for the rant... September 11th, 2001.  A day I will always remember.  10 years of war unlike any war America has fought before.  It has brought me to Afghanistan and many of my friends to Iraq, as well.   I fight to fix those that fix this world by fighting.  I'm proud of who I am, I'm proud of what I've done, I'm proud to fly those glorious Red, White, & Blue colors, but patriotism just doesn't seem to mean or be what it used to.  I'm for the patriotism of old, not the ignorant, selfish, and dumbfounding patriotism found throughout America today.

Some Things Just Don't Make Sense

I learned a few days ago that a particularly good NCO/medic friend of mine is now dead.  I was completely shocked by the news of SSG Stephan Evans' death and had to take a couple of days to process it and clear my head.  This was probably one of the first times I've been this taken by a death of a friend.  What I learned over the next couple of days about the circumstances and environment of his death, I am, at this point, convinced it was due to an underlying medical problem and not something he had control over.  SSG Evans had been diagnosed with epilepsy earlier in the year after an MVC and it was this condition that I am lead to believe was the significant cause of his early departure. 

Evans left behind an entire team of people who loved him and thought very highly of him.  In just a short year, he showed great professionalism, teamwork, leadership and friendship to me that he will always be remembered. 

Evans...we had some plans to do a couple of things when I got back from Afghanistan and now that you are gone, I've got to find someone else to do these things with.  I'm truly sorry that you got orders for another assignment; R.I.P brah!

Pic of the Week

Pic of the Week

Craziness to Insanity

Pretty lame and selfish post but who cares, it's for me and no one else.  If you don't like it then you have a few choices 1) don't read it or 2) read it and keep your mouth shut about it or 3) talk trash about it b/c it won't bother me one bit; like I said, this is for me and no one else. 

For the past few years I haven't paid enough dues in the gym.  Partly b/c I partially ripped a tendon in my shoulder and couldn't do anything with it.  I've been resting and stretching my shoulders, chest and back since b/c that was part of the problem, my shoulders were pretty tight and needed more stretch. 

It's been almost two years since and I can still feel it after some abuse.  So, in order to get my physical conditioning back on track and b/c I've got the time I have started the Beachbody Insanity workout with a couple of other nurses here at the CSH.  After week one (I've missed two days d/t trauma's coming in) I can already feel a difference.  These workouts smoke your body cardio wise.  I think the biggest is the hip flexors and hip flexor endurance has always been a problem for me.  Here are some pics of me in the beginning.

Pic of the Week

One of the few wildlife observed in the Afghan desert

Heat Wave

131.9 degrees Fahrenheit at 1600

Pic of the Week

Supporting The Local Opium Farmer in Afghanistan?  Think Again!

Found this bag of heroin on a local Afghan when he came into the ER.  He also had a pouch of tobacco and heroin mixed for snuff.

Daily Chores of a Combat Trauma Nurse and more

Barely a week into my deployment to Afghanistan and I've seen more than I have back stateside.  Excited???  Yeah, to say the least.

 USMC IED dog about to lose his manhood.

There they go!

GSW to jaw; EAR= Exit wound

Poor chap has a spiral fx of femur and bullet lodged in the opposite leg

Military Deployment #1

After 4+ years of Active Duty in the military post 11Sep2001 and me constantly requesting to deploy overseas, I finally get my wish.  I deployed with the 115th CSH (Combat Support Hospital) out of Ft. Polk, La as a PROFIS'd (Professional Filler System) Emergency Room Nurse.  This basically means I'm not a permanant party member but that the unit does not have enough permanants to sustain operations so they fill in the needed spots with other personnel from different locations.  The Navy might call me and individual augmentee or some sort.  I left HI just before the end of July, flew to Ft. Benning, Ga for some apparently needed training by powerpoint, gear, and my Baretta 9mm sidearm, and arrived in Afghanistan via Germany then Kuwait about two weeks later. 

The staff I'm working with has been great.  Very accepting with great personalities.  At first glance I believe I will fit in perfectly well here.  I even know one of the nurses.  CPT Lisa Olson worked with me at Tripler before PCS'ing to Ft. Polk.  The Doc's seems to be easy going enough, although the newest of the bunch, CPT Calcagno, seems a little on edge.  I'll have to keep an eye on him and ensure he has our backs. 

The nature of the emergency room while in theater...sit, wait for trauma, wait for trauma, eat, wait for trauma.  I think it was 2-3 days after I arrived that we waited for my 1st trauma pt to come in.  Once a trauma comes we stablize them and get them into our OR as quick as possible to further stablize and clean up and do some exploratory surgery, then ship them out to Germany as long as they are stable enough for the flight. 

My first pt had a GSW to the lower abd with another to the left thigh, both of which went completely thru.  My OR contact said several things may have been nicked...For this being my very first deployment and my very first pt of my own, it went better than I anticipated.  I got a couple of complements on my performance and I think my ER peeps were impressed with how I handled myself.  I was a little nervous and I could tell my adrenaline was kicking in because my hands were shaking ever so slightly.  I noticed this when I was trying to open a package to draw up some Fentynal. 

Although I'm not a forensics expert, it looked as if the entry wound was to the right lumbar area just above the buttocks and the exit wound was at the left lower abd.  The back was about the diameter of a pen and the abd wound was about the size of a quarter/half dollar. 

The pt just  before the one above had a GSW to the Right hip and you could see the bullet pressing on the skin on the left side.  Xray showed a spiral fracture of the right femur.  Pretty impressive wound for a bullet, wonder if it was a 7.62mm round????

Pic of the Week

Fighting proves little...especially when it's over a goat

Water pic of the day

The other day Honeydew and I were working out on the grass near the beach down from the house when she spotted a seal swimming in the lagoon.  It beached itself then did what I so needed to do...rested

Old Wood, New Wood

After smoking a pipe for a few months regularly and after see some old nasty pieces of briar come back to respectable pieces of enjoyment, I decided to purchase a couple of estate pipes and restore them.  Ohhh man!  I do not think these pictures speak of how nasty these things were.  On one, there was so much cake I could barely get my fingertip inside.  The other, not so bad but definitely needed cleaning.   Here are some pictures after the cleaning. 

Philippine Military (Nursing Corps)

Blog or journal, blog or journal, blog or journal?????  I'll not decide, but let the writing determine.  Just a note to self about my trip to the Philippines because it's one trip I don't want to forget anytime soon.  I've come back to America with a slightly different perspective on my job as an Army Emergency Room Nurse and who would have thought, on life in general.

Why the change?  Let me just say that Americans in general are spoiled to the core.  We have everything we could possibly need and yet we complain and whine about needing more or better things.  Let's take the military.  I work in a major military hospital.  I have all the equipment I could possibly need to do my job and do it well.  I have enough equipment I can monitor each patient in great detail.  My counter-part in the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) can't come close to this.  The hospital they would consider their "Walter Reed" is pathetic at best.  The ER had one defibrillator and was using it as a monitor.  Granted they only saw approximately 25-30 pt's per day Vs my ~200+ per day but that's not the point.  ALL their equipment was old, I'm talking Vietnam era old and they were holding down the fort

Picked Up A New Habit

I've smoked cigars very infrequently for the past couple of years but while I was in SA, Tx for my Emergency Nursing Specialty Course 2009/10, I bought a couple of pipes to give it a try.  Honeydew was pregnant with our 2nd son but she was still in MD so I gave it a try for the few months I was away.  I liked it!  It didn't give me the same taste in the back of my throat and was much smoother than any of the cigars I've had. 

Now that Dangerboy2 is 9 months old, I returned to the briar and started smoking once a day, usually on my way into work.  It's been a very relaxing drive since I started up again.  Lots of research has yielded me several pleasant smokes with only a couple of minor problems that I'm sure will resolve with more practice and trial and error!  I even bought a couple of estate pipes off ebay.  Can't wait to get them and try my hand at restoring em.

I hear over and over again that the ritual is prized with pipe smokers and I am getting the sense of satisfaction and pleasure of packing, smoking and cleaning my new wood.  Happy smoke rings!

Can you tell things don't last long with me?

I don't know why but doing the same thing over and over again has never really appealed to me.  Try as might, there always seems to be a sense of dragging my butt around and then finally after weeks of putting it off I finally add another notch in my belt.  Journals, blogs, exercise, reading a book, watching a TV series, taking up a hobby; the list goes on. 

Anyway, it's now that point where I've procrastinated enough that I need to write another entry.  I just returned from a Nursing subject matter expert exchange with the AFP, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Nurse Corps.  One week spent in Makati, lecturing to 32 of their military nurses on topics ranging from BLS to blast trauma, casting to suturing, ACLS and TNCC.  Overall, I think it went well considering the US Air Force backed out of it's 2.5 days of activities at the last minute d/t the Tsunami in Japan.  I had to come up with 2.5 more days of material to fill in the slots.  I had a little help from my teaching companion and some other personnel from the operations side. 

I think most if not all came away with valuable information and resources to take back to their commands and teach their fellow staff.  I came away amazed at the Filipino military and the nurses in particular.  Their mentality towards service to country and selflessness is, in my opinion, more than in the US.  The conditions they work in, the lack of equipment, lack of staff, and numerous other maladies were very surprising and I can't help but feel grateful and humbled when returning to my position within the military.  I've taken for granted many things in my life but I think this one might take the cake! 

Thanks to several new friends for a great time!

Earthquake in Japan; Tsunami in Hawaii

As I am sure the world has been saturated with this 11March2011 devestation, I have nothing new to add.  Not much of an adventure for me b/c I was stuck on the hill, trapped in the pretty pink pit.  Since I'm an occifer I can't just say peace out; I had to hang around.  Surely, if my honeydew had called frantic and truly was in need of rescue I would have abadoned my post and gone on a different and more meaningful mission...that of saving my family.  While I have a love/hate relationship with the Army I have kept close to my heart that I am a soldier, quite low in the total scheme of things, and that the Army would cut me loose without second thought if the circumstances called.

Speaking of Honeydew, she was the Hero of the hour!  The ocean is our front yard and our community was made to evacuate.With me stuck at work unable to lead her; she packed up the necessary items, gathered the DT's and the dog and headed for higher ground.  Our pastor also came over to load things into the car and lead the way back to their hale.

Truly, the one thing that makes me who I am today is her!  My life would be boiling like Kilauea if I didn't have her.

Fishing...From da Kayak

Now that the kayak has accessories and is ready to go fishing, it's time to hit the water.  Went out down from the house on the other side of the rifle range with a few AquaHunters members and enjoyed a few hours on a nice day with nice water.  Caught my first fish from a kayak, a Ta'ape or Bluestrip Snapper; small kine but apparently good to fry up or use as chum.  I was advised not to throw it back in the water as it was introduced to Hawaiian waters and has been destructive to the ecosystem. 

Is it me or are there many attempts to help nature out only to make it worse?

Ended up catching two more small fish, Moana or Many bar goatfish, which is praised as a great bait fish for pelagics.

After 4 hours on the water I'm tired, sore, toasted, and stoked! 

Here's a pic of me and my small Ta'ape!

Off The Grid but Not By Choice

So, yeah, we were without electricity for 24 hours due to the rare, but usually catastrophic storm with heavy winds and rain.  Power ceased about 3am and Honeydew and I finally figured out why a little later as we were driving to get breakfast...there were about 10+ powerline knocked down into the street.  Figured it was gonna be awhile so we stayed out till after lunch.  Should have stayed out longer cuz I overheard some peeps talking about how the Hawaiin Electric workers walked off the job at 330pm on strike.  Such a convienent coincedence. 

I had plans on building a cart using pvc to get my kayak from pt A to pt B without dragging it on the ground but now that I didn't have use of my tools what was I to do with my time?  Can't sit on my okole with the computer, can't play video games, can't go fishing, can't see without lights.  Honeydew lit about 100 candles around the house and I went shopping for supplies needed for the project.  A real man wouldn't let a lack of electricity to stop him from building, besides building without power and in the dark sounds like an adventure!

No power to cut pvc!  Easy fix, just dust off the hand saw.  No power to drill holes in pvc! Ummmmm, here's were the adventure begins.  After a couple of minutes scratching myself I remembered I had an old hand drill for drilling in wood.  Why I have this I have no idea, but it came in handy, until I realized pvc was much tougher than wood!  But wait, I had another great idea.  PVC=plastic...heat=melted plastic.  I heated the metal drill bit with a lighter and then drilled throught the pvc like butter.  Project turned out better than I expected, but was probably due to the caution I took to measure and re-measure.  Projects that turn out correct on the first attempt usually don't happen too often. 

Water Pic of the Day

Accompanied caption:

A U.S. Soldier with the 10th Special Forces Group and his military working dog jump off the ramp of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment during water training over the Gulf of Mexico March 1, 2011, as part of exercise Emerald Warrior 2011. Emerald Warrior is an annual two-week joint/combined tactical exercise sponsored by U.S. Special Operations Command designed to leverage lessons learned from operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom to provide trained and ready forces to combatant commanders. DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez, U.S. Air Force/Released (Photo by U.S. Army)

Water Pic of the Day

Mustache March

In the beginning the space was void. 

30 days later...