Throwing snowballs at waterfalls.

It's been a while, gentle reader, since we have spoken. I have been busy.
Last Tuesday I made my way from work to the gym:
Good mornings:
5x5 at 285

close grip bench (thumb on the smooth):
worked up to 5 at 185

CS rows:
worked up to 5 at 4 plates
then 4 sets
5 presses at 185
5 rows at 3 plates

2 chins
5 dips
5 continuous sets all at bw
then 3 sets
Then to the boathouse for a bunch of heavy prowler pushing.

Wednesday:
got up early and headed to the gym.
This time for some conditioning.
complex:
5x clean and press
5x rows
all at 135
rest 30 sec
x5

tabata work on the hand bike.
average watts: 210

chins and dips: 2 and 5
x5

From there I showered and the wife and I headed south to Columbia Gorge. We had a decent drive having left before mid-day.
The hotel is very cool. Old fixtures everywhere. Lots of hardwood, very classy and cool.
We spent some time lounging and unpacking before it was time to meet the in-laws for appetizers and dinner. We sat at the bar and talked. I watched several couples all in their mid 40s walk in in garish fashion. Designer jeans and frosted hair, and the women were worse. Here's hoping I don't lose my damn mind in ten years. The in-laws arrived and we headed... somewhere for a fantastic meal. The signage was covered in snow, and frankly I just don't remember the name of the place. I had a pretty respectable crawfish etouffee. We headed back to the hotel to play word games, and await the arrival of the new year. It arrived and I won the first game of the new year. We got up the next morning and headed down for some coffee and reading. I finished reading the study book for the CCNA. Now I just have to study. The hotel had an epic 5 course breakfast for the new year. It was insane:
1) fruit and pastry tray (freshly made apple fritters were the so far above the other offerings I started and stopped there)
2) Scottish Oatmeal with bruleed bananas. (mmm crunchy bananas)
3) Eggs and braised short ribs with holendias. This was so very good. I cannot express, but it sat in my stomach like a sack of quarters)
4) sorbet. (whatever)
5) Lemon souflee pancakes. light, lemonie and just perfect.
This was a long slow meal. I was full, but not painfully so.
I rested for a while and then we trecked to a local gym to get our lift on.
Decent place minimal, and only had one squat rack, so I had to wait, but overall I got a good session in:
zercher squats:
Mostly just to warm-up and wait for the squat rack
4 x 5 at 135

Good mornings (with safety squat bar)
4x5 at 275 these are far more difficult with the safety squat bar. It basically tries to shear your head off. I almost ralphed, so I decide to go to something a bit easier for a bit.

Bench:
worked up to 1 at 245. No problem. I really need to find someone to spot me so that I can get a true max.
135 max reps (25) mostly to see what I could do. Vacation workouts you do stuff like that.. ok you might not, but I do.

bent rows (machine):
worked up to 4 plates x5
then
3 plates:
10, 8, 8

chins 2, dips 5:
5 sets no rest
then 4 sets straight.

Then lots of stretching and playing arround with equipment that my gym doesn't have.
I got back to the room and watched Legend of Drunken master (one of my favorite Jackie Chan movies) Then took a long hot shower. Felt good to sweat out all of the rich food in my belly from that morning. Later that night more hanging out in the lounge and dinner in the hotel. I had an amazing rabbit dish. The wife was surprisingly squeemish about me dining on brair rabbit particularly since a cute and fuzzy lamb was sitting on her plate. We spent the night playing hearts and relaxing.
Friday we headed to Portland. The weather on the way was completely bizarre. It was sleeting like crazy, but sunny. The sleet would start, stop, turn to rain, stop again, every half mile. It was insane. Weird weather things are going on here in the PNW.
We headed to Powells I bought two books. A no-gi book by Royler Gracie, and another book that I will review.. probably tomorrow.
From there we went to dinner with in-laws: the Portland contingent. At this point I am feeling like a faus grais goose. I tried to eat lightly and shared dessert with the wife. The next morning we headed back to Powells, and read and I drank cuban coffee. From there we headed home. This is droning, but at this point I was glad to be headed home.
Normally I edit my posts fairly carefully, but it's time for bed and with the snow it's going to be a little crazy so I'm just posting. Forgive the lack of polish.
Hope your new years was great.
Mahalo.