Alligatorob's Diary

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, I ate well, exercised and feel good now. I did 2 hours at the gym, all weight lifting related. It was good, and I am sure I burned more than the 48 calories MFP gave me credit for.

I think it's about us learning as well & not expecting them to do things we're not prepared to. I'm sure they want their granddad to live to a ripe old age. I feel more conscious of setting the grandkids a good example, I think than I ever did when our kids were little.

You are right of course, I think they may flotation devices that double as fishing vests, will look into it.

The Danube as a whole has quite a lot of traffic but there´s old cut-off bends and side arms that are calm and great for swimming. Some brave souls go every day even in winter but I´m not close enough to the river to go for only 15 minutes.

Sounds like a fun place to swim, the quiet areas anyway. Is it blue?

I kind of love hearing about these adventures. I guess they are all good once everyone comes back safe. I was never allowed to do anything even remotely dangerous as a child - not even trick or treating! So I like hearing about other people's antics!

Yes, after the fact if all survive it makes for good stories. Fortunately people mostly survive. Nothing wrong with being careful though.

 

[Llama]

Sounds like a fun place to swim, the quiet areas anyway. Is it blue?

Rarely. Depends on the weather and sediment load. Usually it's grey or greenish.

 

[Petal001]

Em I am surprised you were that well protected as a child . We were sent out in the morning and went home when hungry . It’s a wonder we survived I think at times .
Rob 2 hours in the gym is great work .

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, I ate well, exercised and feel good tonight. Just one hour at the gym today, had other things to do.

Depends on the weather and sediment load. Usually it's grey or greenish.

Makes sense, actually the color of most water has more to do with how the sky is reflected off of it than the water.

Rob 2 hours in the gym is great work .

2 hours of weight lifting is not too hard. Weight lifting, as I do it, involves lifting the most you can to muscle failure and then resting usually 1.5 or 2 minutes and doing it again, 3 reps. Then moving on to a different lift and different muscles. Not as much exercise as a more vigorous workout with fewer breaks.

We were sent out in the morning and went home when hungry .

I suppose I was the same, but thought of it more as choosing to go out.

Next week I will be staying with a childhood friend in Florida for a few days, we plan a couple of fishing trips. He was my best friend in childhood and we shared many of those probably dangerous adventures. One I remember well was an exciting night of shark fishing. We often stayed out on the water all night shark fishing in his 14 ft (4.3 m) boat, an old and not too well maintained little fishing boat. Shark fishing is best at night. We never caught one longer than about 10 ft (3 m), though we did see the occasional much larger great white. One night when we were about 12 years old we caught a huge stingray, probably 100 lbs or more. We decided to cut it up for chum, but the core of the body was too hard for us to cut with our knives so we tied it to the anchor with some light line thinking it would attract sharks but could be broken off if a big one came along. Then we fell asleep. Sometime later we were awakened to the boat being rapidly pulled through the water, quite violent and fast. Before we really got to our senses the pulling stopped. We found the anchor rope bitten through and the 10 lb anchor and 3 feet of anchor chain as well as the stingray gone. For a few minutes we had hold of a monster. Back in the day our parents would not have considered leaving us to fish for sharks all night dangerous, today most people probably would.

 

[Llama]

Today´s parents wouldn´t leaving kids out all night for anything without adult supervision. Which is kind of the other extreme and probably not ideal either.

 

[liza]

Yes amazing the amount of freedom kids were once given--all night shark fishing sounds like the most extreme example I've heard of though!!

 

[Petal001]

Sounds like great fun Rob although scary too . I remember I used to stay in my friends house and we would climb out the window and we would go to her neighbors across the road . They had a tree house and we would camp there for the night . My friends mother copped on though and locked the window so we got caught . What fun times . My kids got some reasonable freedom but there is lots of helicopter parenting about .

 

[Llama]

We do still have late-night forest drop-offs for teens where they have to try and find their way back to a predetermined point without a light (or phone), but they´ll be in small groups and our forests are very much of European size so even if you get lost completely you´ll run into roads/houses relatively soon.

 

[alligatorob]

Down 3 lbs this morning to 174. I am happy!

 

[Mols24]

Whoa, that's fantastic! It's amazing that transformation that you have achieved. Congratulations and thanks for the example and encouragement Rob.

 

[Emilyrose]

We do still have late-night forest drop-offs for teens where they have to try and find their way back to a predetermined point without a light (or phone), but they´ll be in small groups and our forests are very much of European size so even if you get lost completely you´ll run into roads/houses relatively soon.

Haha, that's insane!

Rob, well done again! I can't believe you were allowed out shark fishing at 12! That's mad stuff.

Em I am surprised you were that well protected as a child.

Yeah, my mum's a real worry wart.

 

[overlandflyer]

.... I was never allowed to do anything even remotely dangerous as a child...

danger is in the eye of the beholder...

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, I ate well and feel good tonight. However it was a lazy day, no exercise. I guess I can blame the weather, cold and rainy, fresh snow on the mountain again. I am sure looking forward to summer.

Today´s parents wouldn´t leaving kids out all night for anything without adult supervision. Which is kind of the other extreme and probably not ideal either.

Yeah, a mixed bag, we probably did things that were not safe, on the other hand the vast majority of us lived to tell the tale and may have come out the better for it. Kind of gives you a sense of confidence and self reliance.

Yes amazing the amount of freedom kids were once given--all night shark fishing sounds like the most extreme example I've heard of though!!

For someone who grew up in a small Florida fishing town it doesn't sound so extreme. Guess it depends on your point of view. You know I believe most boating and water fatalities are the result of drinking too much. It was the case for the only people I know who have drowned, and we never did that.

I remember I used to stay in my friends house and we would climb out the window and we would go to her neighbors across the road . They had a tree house and we would camp there for the night . My friends mother copped on though and locked the window so we got caught . What fun times

Great story Petal, I'll bet that was fun. I spent many nights camped out in tree houses as a kid, but I think my parents generally knew and approved. Tree houses are a lot of fun. Good that you gave your kids some freedom, I bet they appreciated it.

We do still have late-night forest drop-offs for teens where they have to try and find their way back to a predetermined point without a light (or phone), but they´ll be in small groups and our forests are very much of European size so even if you get lost completely you´ll run into roads/houses relatively soon.

That does sound like fun, even if a bit on the dangerous side. Do they have cell phones and gps?

Whoa, that's fantastic! It's amazing that transformation that you have achieved. Congratulations and thanks for the example and encouragement Rob.

Thanks Mols, I am both surprised and happy with things.

I can't believe you were allowed out shark fishing at 12! That's mad stuff..

Like I said given the time and place it did not see so mad. It wasn't as dangerous as it sounds now, or I don't think it was anyway. You know far more people are killed by lighting strikes and other hazards like falling in bathtubs in Florida than sharks.

danger is in the eye of the beholder..

Good quote and very true!

 

[liza]

NIce to have a cozy lazy day sometimes

 

[Emilyrose]

Haha Rob, but most people aren’t out shark fishing! Bath usage is a lot more common! Anyway, I actually think it’s pretty cool. And living in a fishing town means that you grew up on the water, so you knew what you were doing. I’m sure it’s the same here even now. Kids living in the countryside get a lot more freedom and responsibility at an early age. Which is great. Sets you up for life.

Good to have a rest day - no harm in that!

 

[Cate]

I am really grateful to have had the freedom & trust that I had as a child. We moved from a big city to the country to give our sons a similar chance. They often tell us what a great childhood they had. It does teach you to be resilient & we all have had so much fun & love being outdoors.
I hope you become more comfortable in your own skin, Rob. I'm not right now.

 

[Llama]

That does sound like fun, even if a bit on the dangerous side. Do they have cell phones and gps?

Not in my time of course but they may take one for emergency use these days. Never heard of any bigger trouble than a group taking an hour or two longer than expected though.

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, I ate well, exercised and feel good. Did an hour at the gym.

Saturday morning I fly to Florida for 8 days of vacation, visiting and fishing. I will have limited control over some of my food and not a lot of access to exercise. And I may not be able to post every day. I will do my best.

Good to have a rest day - no harm in that!

Thanks for that, I do think rest days are good. On vacation I am not sure how much exercise I will be doing, and tomorrow I will probably be limited to yardwork getting ready to go.

I hope you become more comfortable in your own skin, Rob. I'm not right now.

I am working at it, sounds like I am not alone in this.

Not in my time of course but they may take one for emergency use these days. Never heard of any bigger trouble than a group taking an hour or two longer than expected though.

Sounds like fun, and not too much risk.

 

[Llama]

Please be careful on your trip, Rob. Infection rates in the south are way higher than they have been and while the medical world has learned a lot about dealing with this virus and death rates have fallen accordingly it's still really not fun to have. Unless you're asymptomatic, in which case you might be an unknowing vector in other people's sickness.

 

[alligatorob]

I have a hard time finding before pictures, but here are a few. Not real proud of these.



And here are a couple I took today. These I do feel good about.


Not sure I'd call these before and after, but getting closer.