In the meantime….

Have any questions about WordPress themes?! I’ve been neck deep in the construction of a very tweaked theme. The structure provided by WordPress is very well done, and there really is a plugin for anything you can imagine. These plugins may work for most out-of-the box, but I had some specific needs, so I made a few modifications.

Of the plugins that I work with for this project, WP Menu Creator and Breadcrumb Nav XT stand out. Posts are in the works to share my experience.

I haven’t found any good lower body exercises, so the routine is only for upper body. I shoot for 10 reps per set, four sets per exercise, and a stop watch keeps me and honest with 60 second rest intervals. Here are the exercises that I do each session.

• Pull-ups (legs piked)
• One arm rows
• Narrow grip rows
• Dips (leaning forward, thumbs out to target chest)
• Push ups
• Flyes
• “Bench” dips
• Praying mantis
• Curls

My weak spots were exposed after the first couple sessions. Core, shoulders and chest needed some work. The exercises have been getting easier though, and the weaker muscle groups are catching up. I even had the chance to hit the gym to check strength levels. Expecting some strength loss, I was surprised how light the weights felt. There weren’t any huge strength gains, but for not being in the gym for a couple months, I’d call the ring training a success.

If you’re curious about how incorporate ring exercises into your training, leave me a comment.

As the Edge Foundation gained traction, Sarah Wright joined the team as Executive Director. Peggy Dolane led the charge on blogging and social media campaigns, and web analytics verified that interest was growing. Ideas about how to use the web to promote coaching for students with ADHD were flowing. The website was built using best practices to stay agile and respond to the great ideas that can only come through use. The good news was that the website was consistently updated using Adobe Contribute. The bad news was that the need for a more robust CMS was increasing.

Over the years, 4-hour training days became scarce, but I always made time for the gym. I will even admit that I bordered on obsession with bodybuilding. I never entered a competition, but I was definitely in to it up to my eyeballs. As soon as I hit one goal, it was quickly replaced with another. I was determined to get bigger and stronger, so I learned as much as I could about exercises, physiology, nutrition, training theories, you name it.

My strength and weight peaked in November 2008. I hit 220 lbs, and I was lifting more than I had ever imagined. I even FELT big. It was rewarding, and I was finally satisfied instead of always wanting more. But I also felt unbalanced. There weren’t any major joint, connective tissue or muscle issues – I just felt a like my body was firing a warning shot.

I needed a more natural method for strength training that didn’t require much equipment. I remembered using some gymnastic rings for chest a couple years ago, so I hit the Interweb to find out more. There was some decent information out there, and I conjured up a few ideas to hit the major muscle groups in the upper body. This is going to be fun.

While I waited for the rings to arrive from ringtraining.com, I set up some anchor points in the car port. Bring on the new challenge!

After using the rings for a couple months, I’ve learned how to really use these things. Check out the update here.

The Edge Foundation did contract with Metric Media, and I managed the development and launch the first version of the website. Brofsky Design came through with three great design directions with ADD/ADHD viewers in mind. After a meeting with Neil, a design was chosen and we were on our way. With content supplied by Inkshed, I kept tabs on the details that make or break a project and we built out the site, including:

• Secure Donation Form
• XML-driven Menu System
• Custom WordPress Blog
• A little pop (Image opacity fades, random quotes, etc.)

I’d always want some racing seats, so I fired up the Interweb to narrow down the choices. There was lots of great info, but looking at seats online wasn’t going to tell me how the seats felt and if I would be annoyed by them after 5 minutes of driving. I noticed Superior Auto Trim’s website in my searches, so I headed over to Bellevue to check them out.

There they were, about 40 of ‘em. All lined up, ready for testing. I think I saw bright lights and heard music! I was amazed at how many seats were on display. The owners and staff were really friendly, and patient,too – it was obvious that they had been in business for while. It must have taken an hour, but I tested out about 10 seats narrowed down the field to a couple.

I eventually decided on some reclining Corbeaus coverered in black alcantara, and I placed the order with Superior Auto Trim. I could have just purchased online to save a few bucks, but it would have been a gamble without actually sitting in the seats. More importantly, I like to support local businesses, especially in situations like this. I appreciate the work it takes to keep shops like Superior Auto Trim running. Local, good products, knowledgeable people and fair prices gets my money every time.

The seats definitely have some side bolsters, but are “loose” enough for daily driving unless your back is four feet wide. (That’s intended to be a compliment for my meat head brother-in-law!) After a year and a half of use, good decision.

Now, the suspension feels a little floaty. Definitely a safety issue. I’ll get right on it……

I was back within the week. I negotiated with a salesman on a very similar car about a year ago, but at the end of the day, no deal. Probably should have bought that car, but hindsight’s 20/20. I took the car for a drive, and the simple, visceral, mechanical feel of the car was refreshing. As I was considering the purchase and looking through the service records, two people stopped by to ask about the car. Even if it was a subversive sales tactic (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t!), I wrote the check, signed the paperwork and drove away.