*Pic with my parents from the 2013 CT Powerlifting HOF Induction

I don't have much mental reserve presently but needed to get something up for the week. I started the weekend off awesomely. My back has been such a wreck that I had to take medication to even go to work. That has not happened in over a decade. The good news is I found a stretch that gave me relief instantaneously. However, that will be another story for another post.

Friday night I went up to visit Pooler, my college roommate, and brother from another mother along with his fantastic wife Paige, daughter Riley, and her friend Hannah. I love these people deeply so I feel it's only right to give them a shout out. That was phenomenal of course.

The reason for the trip was to head up to do a podcast with Matt Vincent. He is someone that I have vibed with very well and we have just been destined to get together. I expected it to be a dope time and it more than surpassed that. Again, another story for another time.

Matt and I hooked up at TPS - Total Performance Sports in Malden MA, just outside of Boston (Rad gym which you should definitely be going to if you are anywhere in the vicinity). First however, we hooked up with the owner, fellow Elite FTS teammate and my old friend Murph for breakfast. Awesome time, awesome gym, awesome training. Plus I learned some RPR (Reflexive Performance Reset) from Murph and Jeff Bramhall which was as you can imagine--awesome.

Ok, I am already out of steam and have dedicated more effort and time into this than planned or can handle. Sunday morning I was woken at 6:30 by a call from my dad that he needed to go to the emergency room. My dad is a cancer survivor, as is my mom. They are tough people. He was having chest pain. After many long hours at Yale emergency where they were all amazing, they ruled out a dire heart emergency or a clot in his lung.

Still in pain, but feeling nothing was imminent, being the tough SOB he is, my Dad wanted out, so away we went. My Dad had an esophagectomy which was a brutal 11-hour surgery to remove 2/3 of his esophagus and 1/3 of his stomach six years ago at the age of 74...did I mention that he's tough?!?! He has been cancer-free, but the surgery has caused some issues with eating and his esophagus, so he will be following up on that tomorrow. It is suspected somehow this is the cause of his pain.

Please send my pops positive thoughts and prayers if you do that kind of thing. I'm a big karma guy, so I like to do it myself. I hope I can circle back to all of the cool things that went on, but I'm fading fast. I think a nice walk in the sun followed by a nap will do wonders.

Like the title states "Life, The Thing That Happens Between Training Sessions." Thanks for reading.