After my fiddy b-day party, the surprise trip was to NY City(NY City!, yes the el paso salsa commercial) We had never been to the city in our travels so this was a very pleasant surprise. At first she told me to pack for 75 to 80 degrees so I sorta guessed South Beach again in my head. Wrong, Colonel Sanders!
She bought a special shoulder bag that could have passed for a saddle bag the way it looked. It was for security measures and could not be snatched without draggin' the person through the streets like a bad Western. Additionally you could not pick pocket this bag in any fashion. I called it " the your're not gonna steal my shit bag". It was pretty handy as I gave her my shit to hold for fear of pick pockets and old man chemo brain forgetting his belongings.
We stayed downtown close to TImes Square on what I consider the cheaps. It was complete touristy time and went as such.
Day 1 Rainola. This worked out as we planned the Liberty Statue and Ellis Island for the day. The concierge at the hotel had said it would be very busy and possibly take several hours to get to. Well the rain and holiday must have said no way jose, as we got to the ferry in about 15 or 20 minutes on to the ferry. As you would guess, the Statue is quite stunning and if you don't cut a tear, there is something wrong or you are void of feelings. Thanks Frenchies! Ellis Island was also very humbling seeing the great lengths people endured to come to America. With the rain, it was pretty only foreign tourists at both places which says it all if you really think about it and the importance.
We finished with some Wall Street action and the Bull privates being photographed as much as the front of the bull. So it was less grabbing the bull by the horns and more grabbing bull by the berries.
Day2 The subway and the Yankees. Originally, it was to be the bus tour on day 2 and day 3 but that melted away after Day 1 as a Yankee game sounded way better then two days of double decker bus with the top cut off riding. They dedicated a train just for the Yankees game so the ride there was straight with no jump offs making it way less of a get lost search party. Obviously a dog and beer where in order. I assummed 6 to 8 bucks for a beer but when the 12.95 Stella draft came back I did a small eye twitch but when will I be back here again. At least it was a 20oz beer so it eased it a bit. Enjoyed it very slowly and I got carded so win win for me. The Subway ride back was jacked with peeps and we had to stand all the way back but entertained by the wide variety NY has to offer.
She wanted to see Rockafella Plaza so we went dat a ways. Nothing was happening at NBC Studios but I gawked in the window and waved like I was on TV anyhow. You expect huge but neither were.
On the way home, we got hit up by one of the many "monkish" dressed pan handlers. They hand you a flashy orange card and as you take it they slip a cheap bead bracelet on your wrist and ask for a donation. The wife give them a donation of 20 bucks and you write in their prayer book. I think it is for both of us until he says something I don't understand and the wife says we both have to donate. Slightly aggravated I give him a five and he wants the 10 too that is sticking up a bit out of my wallet, pissed I wave him off and walk away. The wife asks me if I am still jacked about it and hell yeah I am after I realize that any real monk would have been grateful for any money donated. I give the bracelet to the wife and she treats it like the circus, just a part of the show..
Day 3 is the bus tour. Our first guide looks alot like a crazy hobbit and sounds as such . As we roll down the streets, we go through the garmet district and he talks about child labor laws and how they weren't enacted till the 30s. Little bit of shiny NY and little bit of rotten NY at every stop. We get off at the Empire State Building for the 360 top view of the city. Funny how you watch the Three Stooges as a kid and remember the Empire State Building and that is quite possibly one of the reasons you go there. The going up part is all about the money as they have renovated it and added quite alot of energy saving facets to the building. Once you get to the top it is a breath taking view of the city. Off in the distance, we could see the Statue of Liberty as it welcomes people. Super cool.
We hop back on the bus and get another cool tour guide. He is a funny guy who shows us Keith Richards penthouse for sale at a firesale which of course is about 12 million dollars. But you do get Jessica Lange and Blythe Danneburg as neighbors. We see lots of other things and the wife wants to get off in SOHO. I am somewhat listening as to why but really I am just trying to hang on and not rubber neck it all. We wander around and through SOHO and it is pretty cool all the shops and places to eat. She takes me to the Stonewall Inn where the Stonewall riots took place in 1969 for pictures. I had no idea this pretty much touched off the LGBT rights movement. Now I know and it is surreal when you stand in a place where history happens.
We head back and watch some b-ball games in a park that are in truth pretty terrible but way better then me. Birthday dinner is a Seredipity 3 and they are known for dessert which punishes my stomach and we waddle down to Central Park to finish off the day and the trip. It is a 300lb old day waddle. Worth every bite by the way. After some pictures on some of the rocks in the park which we think are scenes from Law and Order, we finish the walk around one side of the park and grab the taxi. The dogs and the tum tum thank heaven for the ride and no more walking... logged alot of feet mileage but awesome time in NY!
6/4
Activations
Pit Shark rows with stump strap. Did a few sets of shrugish moves. 6 x10
Bench softee pad 5x3, drop set 225x20
Used the prototype ropes for sled dragging for 6 rounds of tricep extensions, 2 sets of rear delt, 2 rows, 3 front raise , some static overhead holds.
Then 15mins of draggin' over the shoulder and
6/2
Activations with Tim Tam after training.
Reverse hyper 8x12
Light box squat with buffalo bar 5x3
Heavy Sled drag 1 lap, dropped weight for 1 lap.
5/31
Heavy activations and lots BT work
6 sets of reverse hypers
6/1
Activations
Hammer leg press for rows for 8 supersetted with band pulldowns x8 with hold at end for 15 seconds 5 rounds
Cartoon dumbell rows . about 120lb 5x5 per arm
Used mondo leg press for single arm shoulder press 5 per arm x 5 rounds
push ups down the turf. set of 5 move down, set of 5. 37 sets x5. Had to take breaks every 5 sets or so.
5/25
Heavy activations
Bird dog and plank work 4 rounds each
Sand dune work:
Double KB swings 150 reps, double snatches 100 reps
Fist push ups followed by knuckle steps(push up form lifting fists up and driving back down 15 to 20 sec per set
Kb floor presses. 15 to 20 rep sets varying bb press, elbows tucked. Finished with some swooping style where one press is close and then let it arc out at he bottom to a wide grip press 3x 6 to 8 each way