BIS

Posted on February 13, 2013 by tosabarbell

Over 10 years ago, I took the  Z’s and baby Oz  to a local dog show. We were looking for something fun to do and it was free, free’s good. That’s where we met Lynn and Connie and their crew of Kuvasz. We were looking for a guard/family dog. When I got home and started reading up on the Hungarians, I quickly realized this was the breed for us.

This was my first experience with professional breeders and the entire pro dog culture. And yes, many of these dogs are professionals. Many of them are sponsored. What?! Yup. Sponsored athletes. This is serious business. We went to a few shows with Lynn and Connie and they were a marvel. Have you seen the movie Best In Show? As hilarious as the movie is, it really isn’t too far off the mark of reality.

Last night was the Big Show, Westminster Kennel Club’s annual dog show. It started Monday night with four groups and our favorites (the Working Group) was last night plus the Best In Show award.

The winningest Kuvasz of all time, Tanner, was picked out of the group and we’re very happy about that. Since he wasn’t up for the big award, I was rooting for the Old English Sheepdog “Swagger.”

He was clearly the crowd favorite and ended up with the new Reserve Best In Show. The winner, an Affenpinscher, was pretty cute too.

The best part of these pro’s? At the end of the day they’re just the family pet who need lappies for happiness…

The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.

Theodore Roosevelt 

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The Plan

Posted on February 12, 2013 by tosabarbell

Last year, a high school lifter I was training had a goal of going to the Texas State High School championships. So we came up with a plan for the fast lifting season. We laid out the numbers to hit at each meet and that would qualify her for the State meet. I’ve wrote about Katy before, I’m about as proud of her and her hard work as if she were my own. So when she’d have an easy second lift, I was occasionally asked by one of her folks if she’s going up further on her 3rd attempt. My reply? Nope, we stick to the plan. The goals of each meet were geared to the the final goal of the season. And she got as close as you can without hitting it. In her final meet (and State qualifier) her coach called her up each squat attempt too early making her miss her easy final two attempts. I was on a work trip and unable to SCREAM at her to just hit the bottom like she knows and stop listening to her coach! (Yes, I’m getting worked up about it AGAIN! Fracking coach.)

Anyways.

Now it’s my turn to lay out a plan for the upcoming throwing season. Admittedly my first full season. I get to celebrate my 46th birthday with my first games of the year and I’m very excited. This will be less than a week after we get back from Finland to watch Bigg fulfill his own goals at his first Champions League competition after his bicep tear in Gibraltar last summer.

Now, it’s easy to force someone else to stick to the plan but not so much myself. I’m uber competitive and while I believe my goals need to be small improvements with the events through the season, I need to remind myself (prolly a lot) not to get sidetracked by the desire to win and force something I’m not ready for.

The Shamrock Games in Springfield IL will be my first time with two of the events and a little practice with events I did last fall. And that’s how my goals are planned out. I’m not expecting to PR every games, that would be silly. But I do expect to learn; enjoy the camaraderie of the people; and hopefully have fun with the Bigg man and the Oz man.

As long as I stick to The Plan, I’ll have a successful season.

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Monday Bacon: Special k?

Posted on February 11, 2013 by tosabarbell

In one of the boldest marketing campaigns I’ve seen in a while, the folks at Special K are trying to talk you into eating their products to be healthy and lose weight. WHAT? Yup. They show a too skinny girl on tv stressing about eating food but then the awesomely crappy products of Special K cereals swoop in to save her from yet starving again.

They even have their own diet. The diet consists of 2 bowls of cereal! …and a sensible meal for dinner. Cereal. To lose weight. Sure. Here’s a sampling of the carb count (according to Livestrong.com) of some of their “best” products:

Special K Bar: 17g

Fruit and Yogurt Cereal: 27g

Plain Special K Cereal: 23g

Protein Water (SRSLY): 13g

Basically, they’re saying, “Don’t eat that ucky junk food, eat OURS!” And they unabashedly sell this stuff day in and day out. SRSLY? Fail! FailFailFail!

Everything I do is for my people.

Sacagawea

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Eisen Und Blut

Posted on February 7, 2013 by tosabarbell

Last summer, shortly after I hit town, we were strolling along the river in downtown Milwaukee when a police van went by and honked. Bigg looked at me and asked why, I say “dunno.” And off we went. Suddenly, the police van showed up again and a very large man jumped out and started coming at us. I felt pretty secure holding Bigg’s hand but wondered what was up. Then this very large stranger/cop started laughing and Bigg started laughing. Turns out this was a training friend (and of course he and I were FB friends), Eric Ratzmann.

I like how he kinda makes Bigg look normal sized. Anyways.

Eric is lifting this spring in the Relentless 2013-APF/AAPF Powerlifting meet to support the HopeKids organization. In order to raise money for Eric’s HopeKid, he has been selling an awesome T-shirt with the slogan, Eisen Und Blut.

The shirts have been popping up all over the place…McBob’s (of course)…

In the gym…

And of course back at McBob’s!

This Saturday, there is a special Fundraising Benefit for Eric’s HopeKid, Thomas Beverson. It begins at 7pm and will be held at Cloud Bar (111 W. Howard Ave. in Milwaukee.) There are some amazing raffle prizes, food, beer, and there’s sure to be plenty of Eisen Und Blut gear to grab.

If you’re in the area and free, join Eric and his pals for some great fun and support an awesome cause. We’ll be there, rockin’ the Eisen Und Blut fer shur!

“The great questions of the time will not be resolved by speeches and majority decisions—that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849—but by iron and blood.”

Otto Von Bismarck

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